SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – SEMIFINALS
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
Just four teams remain in the six-man playoff bracket, with all aiming to be one of the lucky few to have practice on Thanksgiving Day. With the state championship being held next Friday at the Neva and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl on the campus of CSU-Pueblo, only two of these teams will be left standing after this weekend. Games are listed in bracket order and will be played at 1pm on Saturday.
#4 IDALIA WOLVES (9-2) AT #1 STRATTON EAGLES (11-0)
Last week:… Idalia found itself in a hard-fought, grind it out contest with #5 Walsh. The Wolves came up with three turnovers on defense, including a pair of interceptions by Kagen Hoyda, while the offense was carried early by Gabe Kechter, who ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns. However, Kechter went down on the first series of the third quarter with a thumb injury and Tarek Glanz took over, throwing for one score and running for the game-clincher. Anthony Palacios was also a huge factor, as the sophomore kicker went a perfect 4-4 on his PAT kicks in the 32-22 victory. Stratton defense and special teams nearly gave the offense the day off against #8 Sierra Grande. Leading 18-0 heading into the second quarter, the Eagles’ offense would not see the field for almost seven minutes. By the time they got back to work, they were up 38-0. Charlie Tagtmeyer started it off with a punt return for a TD. Two plays later, Brody Webb scored on a short pick-six, and then Stockton Fye picked up a punt that had been blocked by Cyler Notter, and returned it a couple of yards for another TD. When the offense got back on the field, Fye went 60 yards to get the sportsmanship clock rolling. The Eagles won 45-12.
Idalia: Early in the week, it sounded as if Kechter would not be available to play following his thumb injury, which would be a big blow to the Wolves on both sides of the ball. The freshman leads the team with 1283 yards and 16 touchdowns in the rushing game. The rest of the team has 1138 yards and 23 scores. Tate Towns is next on the list with 306 yards and eight TD. Kechter is also third in tackles with 83. Towns leads there with 89, and Garret Drullinger is second with 85. Kagen Hoyda, who is tied for second in the classification with seven interceptions, has recorded 79 stops. Hoyda is also the top receiving threat for Glanz, as that duo has hooked up 29 times for 371 yards and nine touchdowns. Glanz is 103 yards away from 1000 on the year, and has 19 TD passes. Towns (18/176/2) and Kechter (12/175/3) have also been key targets. The Wolves have found a rhythm in the kicking game lately, with Palacios connecting on nine of 10 PATs the last two weeks.
Stratton: This could be a milestone week for Notter, as he enters 22 yards shy of his second straight 1000-yard season. He’s averaging close to 14 yards per carry and has 24 touchdowns on just 72 attempts. Fye (506 yards, 12 TD), Webb (455 yards, 10 TD), and Drew Fox (412 yards, 5 TD) give the Eagles four backs over 400 yards on the season. Tagtmeyer has already established a new career-high with 694 yards and 22 touchdowns at QB, and his all-time totals stand at 2274 yards, 50 TD with only nine interceptions. This season, much of his work has gone to Notter, who has 19 catches, 411 yards, and 14 TD. The Eagles have five players with at least 50 tackles on the season, led by Webb with 80. Dawson Thompson (67), Notter (60), Von Isenbart (51) and Ethan Bohnen (50) round out the group. Notter (19.5) and Bohnen (10.5) have combined for 30 sacks. They are first and third, respectively, in six-man. Tagtmeyer leads the classification with eight picks. Isenbart is tied for fourth with six.
Last Meeting: These two met on September 30th, with Stratton picking up a 57-13 victory. Notter ran for 127 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching two scores to lead the Eagles. Tagtmeyer had three TD on four completions. Palacios and Hayden Drullinger each had a rushing touchdown for the Wolves.
Other Notes: Stratton has won 25 consecutive games, with the last loss coming in the 2021 championship game against Cheyenne Wells. All 25 have had the sportsmanship clock initiated. The Eagles are looking to reach the finals for a seventh consecutive year. Idalia coach, Toby Kechter, guided them to the first four title game appearances. The Wolves are seeking their first championship game appearance since 2010.
#6 CHEYENNE WELLS TIGERS (7-5) AT #2 OTIS BULLDOGS (10-1)
Last Week:… Cheyenne Wells avenged a week five loss to #3 Granada by ousting the Bobcats 46-14. It was the fourth straight win for the Tigers, who had been two games under .500 prior to the streak. Trey Scheler ran for 171 yards and four touchdowns, while also racking up 15 tackles (14 solo), with two sacks and a pick. Perry Chadwick tossed a TD pass to Carson Noe, and also recorded seven tackles, tying him with Bryson Hyle behind Scheler. Hyle added a sack, an interception, and a forced fumble. Jesse Harlow converted four of six PAT kicks. Otis dominated the second and fourth quarters in its 61-18 quarterfinal win over #7 Branson/Kim. The Bulldogs outscored the Bearcats 41-6 in those two frames. Mitchell Stivers starred in the ground attack, rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns on only eight attempts. Austin Hornung threw for 84 yards and two scores, one to Sawyer Packer and the other to Erick Thorn. Thorn returned the favor, tossing a 42-yard TD back to Hornung. Tayte Smith, who returned from an injury, shared team-high honors with Bohden Klinzmann, with each recording 10 tackles. Charlie Kendrick made his presence known with nine tackles, and two picks. The Bulldogs had six different players pick up a sack, and the defense recorded five takeaways.
Cheyenne Wells: Scheler has blossomed as the top running threat over the last half of the season, with the sophomore needing 17 yards for 1000 on the season. He’s had five games with more than 100 yards, and has reached paydirt 19 times. Ethan Garay is a solid second option, as he proved in the opening round. On the year, Garay has 564 yards and five scores. Chadwick topped 1200 yards for the season through the air in last week’s win, and he’s thrown 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. Noe continues to be his favorite target, as the senior has hauled in 21 catches for 470 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, Scheler (16/470/6) isn’t far behind. Scheler also provides leadership on the defense, as he now leads the classification with 168 tackles. Chadwick (70), Chason Turner (64), and Hyle (61) also get to the ball carrier a lot. Harlow has now converted 50 of 62 kicks on the year.
Otis: Injuries have led to the Bulldogs using three different backs as primary ball carriers during the season, but that has also helped them keep opposing defenses off balance. Thorn leads the group with 935 yards and 18 touchdowns, while Stivers (728 yards, 11 TD) and Smith (657 yards, 10 TD) have also been very productive. The trio has ten 100-yard games between them. Hornung’s season passing totals stand at 1125 yards and 19 touchdowns, with Packer snagging 27 receptions for 455 yards and a dozen scores. Smith and Kendrick each have ten catches. The duo of Kendrick and B. Klinzmann are still neck-and-neck atop the tackle leaders board for the Bulldogs, with Kendrick owning an 87-86 advantage. Smith (55), Thorn (46), and Cambric Klinzmann (39) are the only other Bulldogs with more than 30 stops on the season. Smith is part of the tie for fourth in the classification with his six interceptions, leading a defense that has picked off 20 passes as a unit. Packer has four and Kendrick, three.
Last Meeting: These two programs did not meet during the regular season, but did square off in the postseason last year. They were tied at 20 heading into the fourth quarter of their quarterfinal contest, but the Bulldogs exploded in that final frame to advance with a 44-26 victory. Smith ran for 224 yards and four scores, and also had a TD pass. Stivers picked off a pair of passes for the defense. Noe caught four passes for 139 yards and a TD for the Tigers, while Scheler helped the defense with 15 tackles and a fumble recovery.
Other Notes: Otis has played for two state titles in six-man, falling to Idalia in 2003 and Fleming in 2011. The Bulldogs have won two championships in 8-man. The Tigers won the first title in program history by beating Stratton 62-21 in the 2021 season. They also made the title game in 2016. Both head coaches, Garrett Pickett for Otis and Myles Smith for Cheyenne Wells, played for the programs they now coach.
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