SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – OPENING ROUND
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Eleven weeks of games have led to this weekend, with play-off football finally getting underway. Eight opening round games begin on Friday afternoon, and by the end of the weekend, six-man will be down too just eight teams with state title hopes remaining. The games are listed in bracket order.
#16 HANOVER HORNETS (6-4) AT #1 STRATTON EAGLES (9-0) SATURDAY 2PM
How did they get here?… This is the lone game on the schedule that puts two league champions up against each other. Hanover won the Central title and needed the automatic berth that came with it to get into the bracket, as the Hornets finished the regular season 19th in the Selection and Seeding Index. They had their five-game winning streak snapped with a loss to Genoa-Hugo last week. Stratton wore the bullseye throughout the regular season and took care of all challengers, earning the East Central title and #1 seed along the way. The Eagles carry a 23-game winning streak into the game, with every one of those games having the sportsmanship clock implemented.
David Byers and Junior Diaz share the workload for the Hornets, with each having gained just over 600 yards on the ground, on nearly identical carries. Byers has scored 15 touchdowns, while Diaz has eight. Tyler Decker is 49 yards shy of 1000 through the air and has tossed 15 touchdowns against three interceptions. Thomas Griffin is the top target with 18 receptions for 385 yards and five TD. Byers is also the leading tackler, piling up 125 stops on the season. His 90 solo tackles are 20 more than the next player’s (Diaz) total number. Ten of his tackles have been sacks, and he has a team-high five fumble recoveries. Diaz has four picks and four recoveries.
Because of the running clock and the fact that the starters have seen limited reps routinely, the Eagles don’t have a lot of eye-popping stats. Charlie Tagtmeyer has a career-high 19 touchdown passes on just 28 completions, and his yardage total is approaching 650 for the season. Most of that has gone to Cyler Notter, who has 18 catches for 429 yards and 13 scores. On the ground, Notter 879 yards with one out of every three of his 63 carries winding up in the end zone. Brody Webb (395 yards, 8 TD), Stockton Fye (377 yards, 10 TD), and Drew Fox (313 yards, 4 TD) have combined for more than a thousand yards and 22 touchdowns. Webb leads the defense with 67 tackles, while Dawson Thompson (57), Notter (52), and Von Isenbart (46) round out the top four. Notter has 14.5 sacks to lead the team, and Tagtmeyer (8) and Isenbart (6) have combined for 14 interceptions.
The two previous meetings in this series came when Stratton was part of the coop with Liberty back in 2017 and 2018. They won 72-6 and 71-8.
#9 ARICKAREE BISON (6-3) AT #8 SIERRA GRANDE PANTHERS (6-3) SATURDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… Arickaree finished fourth in the East Central, with its three losses coming to teams seeded #1, #2, and #4. The Bison have wins over #12 Briggsdale and #14 Genoa-Hugo. Sierra Grande was part of a three-way tie for second in the Southwest, splitting meetings with #11 La Veta (L) and #15 Primero (W). Arickaree snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Bethune (57-7) last week, while the Panthers suffered a second loss in their final three games, 52-22 at Granada.
Nic Hermes led the Bison with 491 yards on the ground before going down with an injury in the first half of their loss to Otis. That tally is still tops on the team. His seven TD are second to Dillon Noletubby’s nine. Austin Wright is the top passer with 539 yards and seven touchdowns. Noletubby, Jorge Ramos, Zarron Skubal, and Rylee Nichols all have between nine and 11 catches for more than 100 yards. Skubal paces the defense with 90 tackles (12.5 sacks), followed by Wright (79 tackles), Ramos (65), and Noletubby (55). Noletubby has picked off three passes, while Wright has forced three fumbles and recovered four.
Aron Ojeda is one of the top passers in six-man, having thrown for 1270 yards and 23 touchdowns, with only one interception. He’s also second on the Panthers in rushing with 523 yards, only seven behind Tyler Kester. Kester has rushed for 13 touchdowns, and has caught three more. Brian Ontiveros is the leader in the receiving game, with 20 catches for 310 yards and seven TD. Kester is a tackling machine for Sierra Grande, with 132 stops to his credit so far. Jadyn Martinez (80) and Orlando Maes (41) are second and third and are still one short of Kester’s tally, together. Kester (4) and Ontiveros (3) have combined for seven interceptions.
These two teams have met one other time, with Sierra Grande grabbing a 42-26 victory in 2021. Kester is the only player from either team who played much of a role in that contest, as he recorded nine tackles with a sack and a forced fumble. Aiden Lopez added three one-point conversion runs for the Panthers.
#13 EADS EAGLES (5-5) AT #4 IDALIA WOLVES (7-2) FRIDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… Eads got hot down the stretch, winning four of six before suffering a 54-24 loss to Idalia last Friday. The Eagles finished third in the East, and had four losses on the season by 14 points or less. They also a game by two points. Idalia’s losses were to the top two teams in the bracket, which left the Wolves third in the East Central. Their victory over Eads last week was the third straight for the Wolves.
Prior to the debut of Porter Spady, who missed the first 2/3 of the season with an injury, Case Nelson was the primary QB for the Eagles. Nelson enters the contest with 685 yards and 11 touchdowns. Spady has throw for just short of 400 yards and seven scores in his three games. Stockton Mitchek (783 yards, 19 TD), Shaine Winder (686 yards, 6 TD), and Keenan Smith (284 yards, 5 TD) lead the running game, with Mitchek and Smith also serving as the top receivers. Mitchek shares the defensive lead with freshman Gave Hadley-Valdez, each at 53 total tackles. Smith and Winder each have 49.
Gabe Kechter is having himself quite the nice little freshman season, leading the Wolves with 1066 yards and 13 touchdowns in the running game. He’s topped the century mark six times, he’s the third-leading receiver behind Kagen Hoyda (24/252/6) and Tate Towns (14/135/2). Tarek Glanz is the one who spreads the ball around, as he’s thrown for 627 yards and 14 scores. Three tackles separate the top four tacklers for the Wolves, with Garret Drullinger (68), Kechter (67), Towns (67), and Hoyda (65) standing atop the leaderboard. Glanz has five interceptions and Hoyda has three.
Glanz threw for four touchdowns, ran for one, and returned a fumble for another in Idalia’s win last week. He came up just four yards short of 100 on the ground, and Kechter went for 157 at better than nine yards a pop. Mitchek ran for two TD and caught two more from Spady in the loss. Eads had won the last two meetings with the Wolves before that defeat.
#12 BRIGGSDALE FALCONS (6-3) AT #5 WALSH EAGLES (7-2) SATURDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… Briggsdale got hot at just the right time, winning its last five games and six of the last seven to win the North Central championship. The Falcons had a pair of close calls in that stretch, beating Peetz 48-47 on a blocked PAT and Fleming 39-35 on a FG as time expired. It was the first time Briggsdale beat both of those league rivals in the same season since 2013. Walsh had a pair of 8-point losses to Granada and Cheyenne Wells, knocking the Eagles into a three-way tie for second in the East with Cheyenne Wells and Eads. They beat Eads by eight, as well.
Scott Francis is just short of 500 yards passing for the Falcons, with 11 touchdowns. Six have gone to Tanner Fiscus, who leads the team with 13 grabs and 247 yards. He’s also third with 443 yards rushing. Dallas Glass (661 yards, 12 TD) and Kaeden Gebauer (486 yards, 8 TD) lead the Falcons. On the defensive side, it’s Fiscus with 119 tackles, Glass with 89, and Gebauer with 85 pacing the unit. Fiscus has been responsible for half of their 16 takeaways with five interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
Leyton Jones tops the Eagles with 825 yards and 15 TD rushing, as well as 17 receptions for 407 yards and eight touchdowns receiving. Cody Malone has thrown for 603 yards and 14 scores, and has also converted 28 PAT kicks. Lane Runkle and Cole Tedder have a combined seven TD grabs. Jones (89) and Conner McDonald (77) are the top two defenders for the Eagles, with Axeton Bishop not far behind at 63. Walsh has picked off 16 passes, with six finding their way into the hands of Jones. McDonald and Samuel Wright both have two.
This will be the first game between the two programs.
#14 GENOA-HUGO PIRATES (4-5) AT #3 GRANADA BOBCATS (8-1) SATURDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… Genoa-Hugo rode the strength and depth of the East Central division to get in as the fifth place squad from that league. The Pirates did not lose to a team outside of the top-nine in the bracket, and they also had wins over two teams in the bracket. Granada won the East division title, with two of the wins in league play coming by single digits. The Bobcats also tacked on wins over Branson/Kim and Sierra Grande, with their lone loss coming against Stratton.
Trey Smith has thrown for 1763 yards and 23 touchdowns, giving him close to 5700 yards and 77 TD in his career. A lot of his damage this year has gone to Konner Rowden-Stum, who has caught 52 passes for 979 yards and 14 touchdowns. That’s on top of the 817 yards and 17 TD Rowden-Stum has as a runner. Those two also lead the defense with more than 200 combined tackles. Smith owns 128 and Rowden-Stum has 79. Brady Simmons sits third with 70. One area that has hurt the Pirates is a lack of takeaways. They only have 10 on the season.
Maddox Coleman has played wherever he’s been needed is his Granada career and this year it’s been at the QB position. The junior has thrown for 1274 yards and 30 TD, and is also the leading rusher for the Bobcats at just under 600 yards with 12 more scores. Jonus Guevara is also over 500 yards on the ground with six TD, while serving as the top receiver (28/480/14). Lupe Martinez and Terrance Hainer both have double digit receptions and more than 260 yards. Coleman is among the state leaders with seven interceptions and Guevara is up there with eight fumble recoveries. The Bobcats have had an advantage in the kicking game, where Jose Sanchez has converted 41 of 52 tries. He’s also nailed a FG of 21 yards.
#11 LA VETA REDHAWKS (6-4) AT #6 CHEYENNE WELLS TIGERS (5-5) SATURDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… La Veta was part of the three-way tie behind Branson/Kim in the Southwest, which put its top four teams in the bracket. Every team that beat the Redhawks made the field. Cheyenne Wells was slow getting out of the gate, dropping its first three of four of five to begin the season, but once the Tigers got going, they were tough to stop. They’re one of four teams from the East division to qualify for the postseason after finishing in the three-way tie for second behind Granada.
The Redhawks have been very explosive on offense, with Brayden Nix running for just over 1500 yards and 10 scores, while also hauling in 16 passes for 194 yards and five scores. Jessey Montunnas is closing in on a 1000-yard passing season, with 27 TD, while also running for close to 400 yards. Kade Andreatta is the leading receiver (20/459/11) and has added 453 yards and eight touchdowns. Throw in Trey Medina with his 17 grabs for 230 yards and eight scores, and there is no shortage of weapons on that side of the ball. Nix (128) and Andreatta (107) give the Redhawks two triple digit defenders, while Montunnas (81) and Vicente Vallejos (77) also find the ball quite often.
Perry Chadwick went over the 1000-yard mark through the air in the Tigers’ win over Branson/Kim last week and he’s thrown for 20 touchdowns, while also gaining close to 250 yards on the ground with five more scores. Ten of Carson Noe’s 19 catches have gone for scores, and Trey Scheler has snagged five passes that have resulted in touchdowns. The sophomore is close to 750 yards on the ground, while scoring 12 more touchdowns. Scheler has already become one of the top defenders in the state, with 140 tackles this season. No other Tiger even has 60. Jesse Harlow has regained his form from early in his career, converting 41 of 48 PAT kicks.
#10 PEETZ BULLDOGS (7-2) AT #7 BRANSON/KIM BEARCATS (7-2) SATURDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… A lot of insiders had been pointing to this year as one in which Peetz could make some noise. The Bulldogs have had some good young talent, but struggled to keep everyone healthy. The Bulldogs got out a great start to the season, but suffered a tough one-point loss to Briggsdale, eventually costing them the North title. They came up short last week against Otis and find themselves on the road. Regardless of what division the Bearcats have called home, they have been in the mix for a crown since getting the program on solid footing. They went unbeaten in the Southwest division, and only had losses to Granada and Cheyenne Wells, which were bookends to the regular season.
Chance Segelke barely broke a sweat in his first game as a junior before suffering a season-ending injury. He’s thrown for more than 800 yards and 19 touchdowns this season as a senior. Noah Naegele has been one of the top targets, bringing in 30 receptions for 689 yards and 20 TD. Some of that has also come from Rhyder Bayne, who has added 405 yards and 11 TD passes to his 939 yards and 12 scores on the ground. Segelke has also shown his value on defense, leading the Bulldogs with 101 tackles and six picks. Naegele has added 78 tackles (seven sacks), and six fumble recoveries.
Kolter Cranson may not be well known across the state, but for opponents of Branson/Kim, his name is quite familiar. The junior leads the Bearcats with 1607 yards and 30 scores on the ground, along with 16 receptions, 371 yards, and five more touchdowns. Brock Doherty makes teams pay for loading up to stop his classmate, as he’s added more than 900 yards and nine TD rushing. He’s also the #2 receiver with 13 catches, 215 yards, and five scores. Those two have been thorns in the side of opposing offense, with Doherty recording 131 tackles and Cranson tallying 92.
These two programs have never met.
#15 PRIMERO BULLDOGS (6-3) AT #2 OTIS BULLDOGS (8-1) SATURDAY 1PM
How did they get here?… As was the case with Sierra Grande and La Veta, Primero was the beneficiary of improved play across the Southwest. Those Bulldogs found themselves in a pair of tight games down the stretch, dropping a three-point decision to La Veta and then beating Cheraw 42-41 last week. Otis entered the season with high expectations and the Bulldogs have met them so far. Their only blemish came against Stratton in a 1 vs 2 match a month ago. They got a wild win over Peetz in a shootout last weekend, which likely helped Otis grab the #2 seed in the bracket.
Brett Kendall has given defenses fits in the running and passing game, rushing for more than 1500 yards and 30 TD, while also throwing for 882 yards and 13 scores. For good measure, he’s caught 13 passes for 338 yards and nine more touchdowns. Most of his receiving damage has come from one of his own favorite targets, Jairo Dominguez, who’s thrown eight TD, run for nine, and caught three. Marcus Hahn gives Primero a strong second option in the running game with more than 500 yards on the season. Dominguez stands atop the defensive charts with 115 tackles, while Kevin Acuna is second with 72. Kendall has recovered nine fumbles. As a team, Primero has pounced on 22.
Austin Hornung had to step in at the QB position for Otis late last season because of injury and that experience has helped him throw for more that 1000 yards and 17 TD as a sophomore. Sawyer Packer has hauled in 26 balls for 452 yards and 11 scores as his primary target. Erick Thorn and Mitchell Stivers have combined for more than 1200 yards and 22 touchdowns in the running game, helping to soften the loss of Tayte Smith, who had more than 600 yards and 10 touchdowns before going down with an injury. Despite missing two games, Charlie Kendrick still leads the Bulldogs with 76 tackles, just ahead of Bohden Klinzmann with 72. Smith had half of the unit’s 12 picks, leaving Cambric Klinzmann as the only member on that side of the ball with more than one. The freshman has two.
This will be the first contest between these two programs.
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