SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK THREE by Kerry Sherman

Picture by OTSportsChek (Otis vs Hi-Plains)

SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK THREE

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

Another top-five clash headlines the week three schedule, with #4 Otis visiting #5 Arickaree/Woodlin on Friday, but that’s far from the only big contest on the calendar. All of the top-10 teams in this week’s MileHigh Prep Report Media/Coaches poll are in action, and the slate gets started on Thursday with #3 Idalia hosting the defending Kansas state champs from just down the highway, the Cheylin Cougars.

*This article is sponsored by Colt by IWS, Premium equipment designed to meet the complex needs of our clients. Located in Sterling, CO*

THURSDAY

#3 IDAILA WOLVES (2-0) VS CHEYLIN COUGARS (1-0) 6PM

Last week… Gabe Kechter scored four times on his nine carries, gaining 64 yards in Idalia’s 46-15 win at Hanover. Garret Drullinger added 160 yards and two scores on a dozen attempts. Wyatt Wuhdke tallied 1.5 sacks, and Edward Keller had half a sack. Replacing six starters from last year’s title team, Cheylin routed Wheatland-Grinnell 74-20. A big chunk of the roster is freshmen, but seniors Harley McPherson and John Sabatka were key players on last year’s squad and should be big factors in the quest to repeat.

Series history… First meeting in the MaxPreps era (2004-current).

FRIDAY

#2 STRATTON EAGLES (1-1) VS CALICHE BUFFALOES (2-0) 7:30PM

Last week… Stockton Fye ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries in Stratton’s 54-0 win over Genoa-Hugo. Von Isenbart scored on a pick-six and a punt return, while also tossing a TD pass to Brody Webb, and the back-ups played from the middle of the second quarter on. Freshman Nolan Notter nearly had his first career 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 98 yards and a TD on eight carries. Zander Yost scored six touchdowns and had more than 300 total yards as Caliche moved to 2-0 in the North division with a 46-38 win over Peetz. Zachary Yost picked off a pass and sealed the win late in the contest by stopping a fourth down pass by the Bulldogs.

Series history…Stratton leads 3-0 since 2004, but the most recent match-up was back in 2007, with both programs in eight-man.

#4 OTIS BULLDOGS (2-0) AT #5 ARICKAREE/WOODLIN BISON (2-0) 7PM

Last week… Otis rolled to a 46-0 first quarter lead over Hi-Plains and coasted to the 72-7 victory. The Bulldogs scored 10 touchdown on 27 plays, with Mitchell Stivers running for two and Austin Hornung throwing for two more. No one had more than four carries in the contest. Charlie Kendrick converted five of six PAT kicks. Arickaree/Woodlin overcame 16 penalties and five lost fumbles to beat Prairie 42-15. Austin Wright ran for 136 and a touch, while also throwing for 152 and two more scores. Jorge Ramos ran for one and caught one, and also led the defense with 18 tackles. Wright had 17 tackles, four sacks, a fumble recovery, and a safety. The Bison also scored on a punt return by Ramos and a kick return by Aiden Korgan.

Series history… Otis leads 9-8, including a 2-6 mark during Arickaree’s previous co-op with Woodlin. The Bulldogs won 78-36 last year, snapping a three-game winning streak by the Bison.

#6 GRANADA BOBCATS (2-0) VS CHERAW WOLVERINES (1-1) 7PM

Last week… Granada got defensive in a 32-0 win over #10 Branson/Kim, with Maddox Coleman registering 20 tackles and two interceptions. In two games, Coleman has four picks. He also tossed a TD pass to Fernando Cadena, who rushed for 132 yards and two scores. Sebastian Pizarro led with 143 yards and two TD. William Ledbetter helped Cheraw get into the win column as the sophomore ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-14 victory over Flagler. He also scored on a pick-six. Samuel Goheen intercepted a pass and returned a kick-off for a score. Colton Bruna ran for one score and caught one from Tim Provost.

Series history… Granada leads 6-0, winning 56-16 last year.

#7 PRIMERO BULLDOGS (2-0) AT LA VETA REDHAWKS (0-2) 7PM

Last week… Brett Kendall threw five touchdown passes, ran for a score, and caught another in Primero’s 68-7 win over Manzanola. Gabe Sintas had more than 100 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Jairo Vicente Dominguez scored twice on receptions and once on an interception return. Marcus Hahn added a defensive TD on a scoop-and-score. La Veta turned the ball over six times, five on interceptions, but was only a minus-one in the turnover margin in a 51-24 loss to Kiowa. Kaydyn Kent caught five passes for 134 yards and three scores, while Kendall Ingrim led the defense with 12 tackles and two fumble recoveries, and he also scored on a kick return. Sunny Kent recovered a pair of fumbles, and Derek James pounced on one. Tayten Medina forced three.

Series history… La Veta leads 8-3 since 2010, but Primero picked up an 80-64 decision last year.

#8 EADS EAGLES (1-1) AT WILEY PANTHERS (0-2) 7PM

Last week… Eads gave up more than 250 rushing yards to Miami-Yoder, but kept the Buffaloes to just one touchdown on the ground as the Eagles ran away with a 63-19 road victory. The defense stopped a pair of drives by forcing and recovering fumbles. After scoring a first quarter TD, the Panthers were shutout the rest of the way by Cheyenne Wells in the 62-6 loss. Wiley is already 0-1 in the Southeast and is in search of its first win in six-man.

Series history… Wiley leads 2-0 since 2004, but both meetings were early in the MaxPreps era. The two teams last played in 2005, with both being eight-man programs.

#9 SIERRA GRANDE PANTHERS (2-0) AT KIOWA INDIANS (1-1) 7PM

Last week… Three of Aron Ojeda‘s four completions went for scores, two to Jadyn Martinez, as the Panthers rolled Deer Trail 59-7. Bryant Tijerina ran for three touchdowns and the Panthers got a defensive score from Adrian Casados in the big victory. Austin Brogger ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns, while Chris Carlson added 101 yards and a TD on the ground, plus one more through the air, as Kiowa downed La Veta 51-24. John White led the defense with 16 tackles. Antonio Vigil intercepted two passes, returning one for a score, and also scoring twice on kick returns.

Series history… First meeting in the MaxPreps era.

SATURDAY

#1 CHEYENNE WELLS TIGERS (2-0) VS WALSH EAGLES (1-1) 2PM

Last week… The Tigers ran 20 offensive snaps against Wiley and scored on eight of them in the 64-6 victory. Ethan Garay, Trey Scheler, and Trevin Smith each had two rushing scores. Garay and Scheler combined for 197 yards on nine total carries. Corey Hill (2), Kendrick Hall (1), and Chason Turner (1) combined for four fumble recoveries. Turner’s went for a TD. Hudson Gourley tossed four TDs and caught another, while Conner McDonald had four total touchdowns in Walsh’s 66-6 win over Cotopaxi. McDonald ran for two, caught one, and returned an interception for the fourth. Samuel Wright caught two scoring passes.

Series history… Cheyenne Wells leads 10-3, including eight straight. The Tigers are 8-1 in the series with both in 6-man.

#10 BRANSON/KIM BEARCATS (1-1) AT COTOPAXI PIRATES (0-2) 1PM

Last week… The Bearcats just couldn’t get much going last week, as they were held to 231 total yards of offense in the 32-0 loss to Granada. Kolter Cranson ran for 112 yards on 23 carries and added two receptions for 40 yards. His 11 tackles were tops on the squad, while Cooper Winter and Will Doherty both recorded five. Joel Tezak connected with Kenny Teter on a 61-yard pass for Cotopaxi’s only points in the 66-6 loss to Walsh last week. Teter finished with five catches for 77 yards. The Pirates only generated 118 yards of offense. Tezak had nine tackles to pace the defense.

Series history… Branson/Kim leads 3-1, with wins in the last three meetings.