EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK TWO
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
In the last two weeks, both of last year’s state finalists, Haxtun and Mancos, were handed defeats by the defending New Mexico state champs from Melrose. There has been a lot of movement inside the MileHigh Prep Report Media/Coaches poll early in the season, with Simla vaulting to the top spot this week. We use that metric to breakdown our top match-ups for the weekend.
FRIDAY
#1 SIMLA CUBS (1-0) VS FOWLER GRIZZLIES (1-0) 7PM
Last week… Caston Cox was nearly perfect in Simla’s 40-12 win over Hoehne, completing 14 of 16 passes for 194 yards and a TD, with TJ Eurich snagging five passes of 91 yards and the touchdown. Eurich added 90 yards and two scores on the ground. Cox picked off two passes, returning one for a TD. Treven Kochera also had a pick-six, and Austin Hinds added a scoop-and-score. Brock True threw for 151 yards and two scores for Fowler on just four completions. One went for a 52-yard TD to Bryce Froman. The Grizzlies had six players record double digit tackles in the 33-22 win over Swink, with Cael True‘s 20 leading the way.
Series history…Simla leads 8-5 since 2004. Cubs have won the last two meetings by a combined score of 82-0.
#2 HAXTUN FIGHTIN’ BULLDOGS (0-1) VS WICHITA COUNTY, KS (0-0) 7PM
Last week… Haxtun was on a bye following its Zero Week 44-36 loss to Melrose. Grant Statz ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns in that defeat, while Ryland Wolff ran for one score and threw for another. Chase Goddard added a kick return for a TD. Wichita County went 12-1 last year and fell in the Kansas 8-Player D-1 state title game.
Series history… First meeting between the two programs in the MaxPreps era (2004-current). Only the fifth game against a Kansas opponent for Haxtun in that time, with all four prior coming against Cheylin. The last of those was in 2011.
#3 BYERS BULLDOGS (1-0) AT LYONS LIONS (0-1) 7PM
Last week… Chase Long threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns, one apiece to Kaleb Willoughby, Cody Harris, and AJ Engle, in the 52-8 win over Rocky Ford. The Bulldogs also got a pair of rushing scores from Willoughby and a kick return for TD by Benjamin McPherson. Lions gave up 640 yards of offense to Walsenburg in a 64-36 loss. The Panthers racked up 524 yards on the ground, created five turnovers, returning two for touchdowns, and tacked on a safety.
Series history…Prior to this season, this was a league match-up. Lyons won six of the past nine meetings since 2009, with some coming in 11-man. The Lions won the last two, averaging 55 points.
#4 MERINO RAMS (1-0) VS #7 MCCLAVE CARDINALS (2-0) 7PM
Last week… Merino had a 14-6 lead early in the second quarter at Crowley County before pulling away for a big 60-14 victory over the Chargers. Mason Barr toted the rock 19 times for 162 yards and a touchdown in McClave’s 40-12 win over Elbert. Ethan Bronniman added three rushing scores. Zack Owens led the defensive effort with 10 tackles, and Barr tacked on an interception.
Series history… Merino leads 6-1 since 2014. The teams split a pair of meetings last year, with McClave winning the regular season contest 16-8, and the Rams getting a 16-12 win in the postseason.
#6 MANCOS BLUEJAYS (0-1) VS #8 SEDGWICK COUNTY (1-1) 2PM AT FAIRPLAY
Last week… In the clash of defending state champions, Mancos dropped a 50-22 decision to Melrose (NM). Brandon Vannest was picked off three times, but did run for 98 yards and a touchdown. The Bluejays also got rushing scores from Evan Woody and Michael Resner. Resner snared an interception and Jacob Martin recovered a fumble, but Mancos was a minus-four in the turnover battle. Sedgwick County bounced back from a Zero Week loss at McClave to beat Custer County 58-16.
Series history… Mancos leads 1-0, beating the Cougars 38-0 last year in the quarterfinals.
#9 DOVE CREEK BULLDOGS (1-0) VS RANGELY PANTHERS (1-0) 7PM
Last week… Josh Kibel rolled up 202 yards and four scores on the ground, and Nicholas Aragon added 168 and a touch in Dove Creek’s 36-12 win over Plateau Valley. Trevan Ivie collected four sacks in his 14 tackles for the Bulldogs. Liam Hassell was also credited with 14 tackles. Rangely blasted Altamont (UT) 50-0 behind 144 passing yards and three scores from Bradley Lambrose, who also rushed for 101 yards. Jordan Irwin piled up 194 yards and two rushing touchdowns, The Panthers registered four sacks, three by Braden Lucas, and three interceptions.
Series history… Dove Creek leads 7-5 since 2012, with wins in each of the last four seasons. Rangely had won the previous four meetings between 2016 and 2019.
#10 WEST GRAND MUSTANGS (1-0) AT CALHAN BULLDOGS (0-1) 7PM
Last week… Blake Terryberry hooked up with Joe Probst seven times for 121 yards and a TD, and the QB also ran for two touchdowns as West Grand eked out a 28-22 win over Sanford. Jackson Steinle led the defense with 14 tackles, and Probst added an interception. Calhan turned the ball over twice on interceptions and was burned for five passing touchdowns by Akron in a 40-0 loss.
Series history… West Grand leads 4-1 since 2018, with wins in each of the last two years. Last season, it was a 30-22 decision for the Mustangs.
WALSENBURG PANTHERS (1-0) AT LAS ANIMAS TROJANS (1-0) 7PM
Last week… Giovanni Aldretti had a career day in Walsenburg’s 64-36 win over Lyons, running for 302 yards and four TD, catching two passes for 93 yards and two scores, and returning both a fumble and an interception for touchdowns. Adrian Vallejos had close to 200 yards of offense and threw both touchdowns to Aldretti. Taylor Torres added 143 yards and a touchdown in the running game. Orion Martinez put the Trojans on his back, running 30 times for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching a TD pass from Braydon Ortiz in the 49-24 win over Sangre de Cristo. Ortiz ran for a score and Nicholas Duran reached paydirt three times.
Series history… Walsenburg leads 8-2 since 2004. The teams did not play for 11 years, resuming the series in 2022. The Panthers have won the last five overall.
SATURDAY
#5 AKRON RAMS (1-0) VS ST. MARY’S PIRATES (1-0) 7PM
Last week… Freshman QB Kolten Randel got his high school career off with a bang, throwing five touchdown passes and picking off a pass on defense as Akron rolled 40-0 past Calhan. Jakzon Livesay was on the receiving end of three of those scoring tosses, while Jace Curtis and Anderson Filla each caught one. Filla added 123 yards and a touch on the ground. Curtis joined Randel with an interception on defense. St. Mary’s needed a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to get past Gilpin County 26-14. The defense scored twice in the contest, with Jackson Beam recording a pick-six and Jack Schuchard returning a fumble.
Series history… Akron leads 2-0, winning 40-0 in 2022 and 43-8 last season. Filla ran for 142 yards and two scores last year, and also topped the century mark with two touchdowns in the first meeting between the teams.
HOLLY WILDCATS (0-0) AT DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN EAGLES (1-0) 2PM
Last week… Holly is one of the last teams to debut this season, and the Wildcats will challenge a Dayspring Christian attack that ran for 284 yards in a 38-12 win over Denver Christian. Elijah Martin did the heavy lifting, rushing for 232 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries. Jackson Polk added a pair of touchdowns on the ground and also caught a TD pass from Peyton Coleman.
Series history… Holly leads 2-1 since 2018, winning 19-6 last year. The previous meeting, in 2019, Dayspring Christian won a wild 40-32 decision, holding on after building a 34-8 halftime lead.
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