EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK TEN
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
As we hit the final weekend of regular season play in eight-man, one league title is still up for grabs. The Plains division will be the last to crown its champion, as Haxtun hosts Merino on Friday. That’s not the only big match-up on the slate, with two others having major implications on the bracket that will be released after all games are completed. All rankings used in the preview come from Friday morning’s release of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index.
FRIDAY
#12 MERINO RAMS (4-4 OVERALL, 3-1 PLAINS) AT #2 HAXTUN FIGHTIN’ BULLDOGS (8-0 OVERALL, 4-0 PLAINS)
What’s at stake?… Plain and simple, the winner takes the Plains title. Merino is the only team in the league with just one blemish, so the Rams earn the crown with a victory giving them the head-to-head advantage over Haxtun. The Fightin’ Bulldogs can complete the unbeaten run through the division with a victory of their own.
Merino has won two straight and three of four after taking down Akron by a 46-32 count last week. They held a narrow 30-26 lead going into the fourth, but outscored their fellow Rams 16-6 in the final frame to secure the important victory. Haxtun took a string of four straight shutouts into its contest at Sedgwick County last week. That scoreless streak was snapped when the Cougars housed the opening kick-off. The Fightin’ Bulldogs started to pull away in the second quarter and ran away with a 52-26 win. Ryland Wolff ran for four scores and threw two more, while Keegan Colglazier and Zach Statz each recorded 16 tackles. Haxtun has won the last two meetings with Merino, but the Rams hold a 17-5 lead in the series during the MaxPreps era.
#27 SWINK LIONS (3-5 OVERALL) AT #16 HOLLY WILDCATS (5-3 OVERALL)
What’s at stake?… The season is on the line for Holly, with the Wildcats in a must-win position. The Wildcats know that a league champion sits behind them in the Seeding Index, meaning their standing in the 16th position is not safe. Holly could potentially move up to #15 with a win and a loss by Front Range Christian, but the Wildcats can only control half of that equation. Swink is in a position to play spoiler.
Holly had an extra week to prepare for this contest after receiving a forfeit from Wiley last week. Andre Salgado (167.9) and Devin Eaton (128.0) combine for just under 286 yards from scrimmage per game for the Wildcats. Dylan Tamayo (72) and Rueben Maldonado (71) both average more than 10 tackles a game. Swink exploded for 32 unanswered second half points last week as the Lions roared past Las Animas, 54-14. It was the second win in three games for them. Swink broke a four-game losing streak against Holly with a 30-28 win over the Wildcats last year.
SATURDAY
#10 BYERS BULLDOGS (7-1 OVERALL) AT #15 FRONT RANGE CHRISTIAN (6-2 OVERALL)
What’s at stake?… Byers isn’t too far behind Sanford and Sedgwick County, who sit eighth and ninth in the Seeding Index. Both of those teams play on Friday, so the Bulldogs will know if they have a chance to move up and potentially host a first round game next weekend with a victory in this contest. Front Range Christian will also know just how safe its spot in the bracket is by game time, as a loss by Holly on Friday would all but secure the final at large berth for the Falcons. A win on Saturday could move them up an extra spot, with #14 Calhan idle this week after finishing its schedule last week.
Byers had hoped that this game would be for a share of the league title, but need Front Range Christian to beat Lyons last week for that scenario to play out. The Bulldogs held up their end of the bargain, beating Justice 70-22. They led 48-6 at the end of the first quarter. Chase Long completed all seven of his pass attempts for 95 yards and two scores, while Kaleb Willoughby ran for 164 yards and four touchdowns on only six carries. Front Range Christian had its six-game winning streak snapped in the 66-12 loss to Lyons last week. The Falcons allowed five touchdowns on 11 completions by the Lions and also got burned for a 92-yard kick return for a touchdown. Byers has won five of six meetings with the Falcons, including a pair of barn burners the last two years. The Bulldogs won 60-58 in quadruple overtime two years ago, and 34-32 last year.
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