SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK FOUR
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
As we close in on the midpoint of the 6-man regular season, the schedule gives us two more games with both teams in the top-10 of the MileHigh Prep Report Media/Coaches poll. While those two match-ups will dominate the landscape this weekend, several other ranked teams will be in action.
THURSDAY
#6 PRIMERO (3-0) VS COTOPAXI (0-3) 7PM
Last week… Primero had little trouble rolling to 3-0 on the season, as the Bulldogs blanked La Veta 64-0. They have scored 205 points in three games and only allowed 38. Brett Kendall ran for 173 yards and six TD and threw for 173 yards with three touchdowns. Gabe Sintas caught six passes for 131 yards and two scores. Kailain Sanford tallied seven tackles, with a sack and a forced fumble. It’s been a tough return to six-man for the Pirates, who were shutout 54-0 last week by #10 Branson/Kim. They were undone in part by four interceptions, two that went back for scores.
Series history…Cotopaxi won nine straight between 2012 and 2022.
FRIDAY
#1 CHEYENNE WELLS (3-0) AT CHERAW (1-2) 7PM
Last week… Zach Dickey completed all three of his pass attempts for 110 yards and three touchdowns, as the Tigers rolled Walsh 64-6. Trey Scheler scored a rushing TD and another on a pick-six, while Ethan Garay put two rushing scores on the board. Cheraw hung tight with #5 Granada last week, eventually falling 44-30. Rhett Dutton threw for 177 yards and three scores, and Braden Stoker caught six passes for 84 yards and two TD. Stoker and Tim Provost both tallied 11 tackles to lead the Wolverines.
Series history… Cheyenne Wells has won eight of nine, including the last seven straight. Scheler had 13 tackles plus a scoop-and-score for the Tigers in a 64-18 win last year.
#2 IDALIA (3-0) AT HI-PLAINS (0-3) 7PM
Last week… Gabe Kechter ran for 200 yards and four touchdowns on nine carries, and added 11 tackles as Idalia raced past Cheylin (KS) 77-19. Garret Drullinger scored twice on the ground, and Broderick Kite tossed a pair of scoring passes. After a pair of lopsided losses to begin the season Hi-Plains had a chance to get its first win against Flagler, but an interception with around three minutes left sealed a 25-19 loss for the Patriots. Aiden Cordell caught three TD passes in the defeat.
Series history… Idalia has won three straight and 10 of 17 against the Patriots, and the Wolves split a pair of contests when HP was part of the athletic co-op with Flagler.
#4 OTIS (3-0) VS GENOA-HUGO (0-3) 7PM
Last week… Otis made a big statement by routing previously #5 ranked Arickaree/Woodlin 69-12 on the road. Tayte Smith rushed for 115 yards and two scores on eight touches, and he caught three passes for 60 yards with two more scores. Charlie Kendrick added 91 yards plus a TD on the ground, and 67 yards with another touchdown on four receptions. Cambric Klinzmann got the defense on the board with a pick-six. The Pirates were bitten by the turnover bug in a 42-24 loss at Kit Carson. They tossed four interceptions on the night. Levi Yoder provided a spark with 131 yards and TD on the ground, and he had another in the passing game from Ryker Lockhart.
Series history… Otis is 6-0 since 2013, including a 70-52 win last year.
#5 GRANADA (3-0) AT #9 EADS (2-1) 7PM
Last week… Granada outscored Cheraw 19-8 in the second half to pull away for the 44-30 victory in Southeast division play. Maddox Coleman hit on 15 of 22 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns, two apiece to Terence Hainer and Elijah Rodriguez. Coleman also had a pair of rushing touchdowns. Eads notched its second straight win by shutting down Wiley, 32-12. Adyn Hough threw for three scores and Kaden Dunlap added two on the ground. Shaine Winder led the Eagles with a dozen tackles.
Series history… Granada has won seven of eight since 2004, and is 5-1 with the two teams playing 6-man. They’ve split the last two.
#8 SIERRA GRANDE (3-0) AT ANTONITO (0-2) 3PM
Last week… Aron Ojeda went for 208 and six TD through the air, while also tallying 89 and a touch on the ground in Sierra Grande’s 63-18 win at Kiowa. Rolando Najera caught five passes for 118 yards and Jadyn Martinez added six receptions for 87 yards. Both had three TD grabs. Antonito was off last week after suffering a 55-7 loss to Bethune in week two. Matthew Mascarenaz recorded the lone touchdown in that loss, hauling in a scoring pass.
Series history… Sierra Grande is 9-2 dating back to 2004, but this will be the first meeting since 2017.
SATURDAY
#3 STRATTON (2-1) VS #7 ARICKAREE/WOODLIN (2-1) 2PM
Last week… Stratton handed Caliche its first 6-man loss, with the Eagles prevailing 52-16. Austin Wright threw a pair of TD passes for Arickaree/Woodlin in the 69-12 loss to Otis. Zarron Skubal and Dillon Noletubby had one touchdown reception apiece.
Series history… When you throw games when these two have been part of various athletic co-ops into the mix, Stratton owns an 8-2 advantage.
#10 BRANSON/KIM (2-1) VS DEER TRAIL (1-2) 1PM
Last week… Kolter Cranson ran for 171 yards and four touchdowns as the Bearcats shutout Cotopaxi 54-0. He and David Gamez recorded two picks apiece, with each returning one for a score. Deer Trail got win #1 on the season by outlasting Bethune 33-31. Raul Manriquez-Bustamante and Chris Manriquez-Bustamante combined for more than 250 yards and four TD through the air. Mursal Hussein caught two of the scoring passes.
Series history… Branson/Kim has won two of the previous three meetings, with the most recent match-up happening in 2021.
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