SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK FIVE
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The week five schedule is headlined by one ranked vs ranked match-up and it has the potential to be a banger. Second-ranked Idalia plays host to #3 Stratton in an East Central division showdown on Friday, and the winner will likely tangle with #4 Otis within the next couple weeks for the league title. It’s the only contest between teams in the top-10 of the MileHigh Prep Report Media/Coaches poll this week. Top-ranked Cheyenne Wells and #7 Sierra Grande have the week off.
FRIDAY
#3 STRATTON EAGLES (3-1, 2-0) AT #2 IDALIA WOLVES (4-0, 1-0) 7PM
Last week… Stratton rolled to a 46-0 first quarter lead over #8 Arickaree/Woodlin, on the way to a 54-14 Homecoming victory. Von Isenbart completed all three of his passes for 61 yards and three scores. Brody Webb caught two and Gavin Ruhs had the other. Stockton Fye added three rushing touchdowns. The Eagles held Arickaree/Woodlin to 101 yards of offense. Broderick Kite had three TD passes for Idalia in its 63-0 win at Hi-Plains and the Wolves had seven different players reach paydirt. Hayden Drullinger (rush, pick-six) and Carson Helling (rush, punt return) had two apiece.
Series history… Counting the games played as part of the co-op with Liberty, Stratton has won 10 of the 11 meetings. The Eagles won 57-13 in the regular season last year and 54-0 in the postseason.
#4 OTIS BULLDOGS (4-0) VS NORTH PARK WILDCATS (0-3) 3PM
Last week… The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 in the East Central with a 66-7 beatdown of Genoa-Hugo. Otis has outscored its opponents 265-32 in the first month of the season. Austin Hornung threw a pair of TD passes, one to Grady Bechtel and the other to Tayte Smith, who also had a rushing score. Mitchell Stivers scored twice on the ground, and Cambric Klinzmann had a punt return TD in his two touchdown tally. The Wildcats dropped their third straight North division contest, 40-26 to Prairie, but got two TD passes from Aiden Pittington in the loss. Beck Paulsen and Levi Seely each caught one, while Tristan Telck and Gavin Pittington added a rushing touchdown apiece.
Series history… Otis owns a 1-0 lead, winning 69-6 back in 2020.
#5 GRANADA BOBCATS (4-0, 2-0) AT WILEY PANTHERS (0-4, 0-2) 7PM
Last week… Freshman Fernando Cadena ran for 98 yards and three scores to lead Granada past #10 Eads, 40-14. The win moved the Bobcats to 2-0 in the Southeast. Maddox Coleman tacked on two passing scores and a rushing TD. Cadena led the defense with 18 tackles, followed by Coleman (14) and Sebastian Pizarro (13). Pizarro had two sacks and a fumble recovery in his effort. Wiley had its first six-man victory in sight, but a late TD by Caliche led to a 33-30 defeat for the Panthers. Grant Mauch hit on 13 of 19 passes for 147 yards and three touchdowns, with all three scoring tosses going to Rhett McDonald. Mauch also scored on a fumble return. Devonte Pizarro forced that fumble.
Series history… While this is the first meeting between the programs in six-man, Granada won 13 of the last 14 match-ups in eight-man, including the last 12 straight.
#8 ARICKAREE/WOODLIN BISON (2-2) VS PEETZ BULLDOGS (2-2) 7PM
Last week… Jorge Ramos provided a few highlights for the Bison in their 54-14 loss to Stratton, running for 72 yards and a TD on three carries, while also recording a team-high nine tackles. Jaxson Cordell scored the other touchdown for the Bison, who fell to 0-2 in the East Central. Freshman Colton Sperry added his first career interception, and Austin Wright recovered a fumble. Peetz picked up its second straight win, both in North play, sneaking past Briggsdale 51-45 on Homecoming. Tanner Wood and Conner Schumacher had two rushing scores apiece, and Wood added another on a pass from Logan Vallier. Vallier added a pair of fumble recoveries on defense, while Schumacher picked off two passes.
Series history… In the MaxPreps era (2004-current), Peetz is 4-0 against Arickaree and 3-0 against Woodlin, but 0-5 against the Arickaree/Woodlin co-op.
#10 EADS EAGLES (2-2, 1-1) AT WALSH EAGLES (1-3, 0-2) 7PM
Last week… Eads was tied with Granada at the end of the first quarter, but trailed 22-6 at the half. The Eagles made it a one possession game early in the third, but couldn’t keep pace in the 40-14 loss. It was a similar story for Walsh, who stood tied with Kit Carson (8-8) after one, but trailed 29-8 at the half in a 43-34 loss. That group of Eagles was down 43-24 going into the fourth. Conner McDonald scored two rushing touchdowns, while Cody Malone and Samuel Wright each had a receiving TD. Henry Wright added a pick-six.
Series history… Eads leads 8-3 in the MaxPreps era, with a 7-2 edge in six-man meetings. Walsh eked out a 26-18 win last year.
FLEMING WILDCATS (3-1, 2-0) AT PRAIRIE MUSTANGS (2-2, 2-0) 7PM
Last week… Grant Kuntz powered the Wildcats to their second straight win, both in North play, with 282 yards and five touchdowns on only 13 carries. Fleming rolled 58-20 past Weldon Valley. The senior added a receiving TD. Conner Marchant led the defense with 10 tackles and a blocked kick. The Mustangs also remained unbeaten in the North with their 40-26 win at North Park. Beau Carlson tossed three scoring passes, and Prairie got two touchdowns apiece from Dylan Chase and Justin Schreiner.
Series history… Fleming has won 15 of the last 18, including six straight. Last year, the Wildcats won 40-32, the second closest game in the winning streak behind a wild 52-51 decision in 2021.
SATURDAY
#6 PRIMERO BULLDOGS (4-0) AT KIOWA INDIANS (2-2) 1PM
Last week… Primero pitched its second straight shutout, both in Southwest action, beating Cotopaxi 56-0. It was another big game from Brett Kendall, who threw for three scores and ran for three more. Gabe Sintas caught three TD passes and Jairo Vicente-Dominguez caught one. Matthew Pachorek picked off two passes and Josh Pachorek added one. Kiowa got its first Central division win, beating Bethune 36-8. James Brewer had two touchdowns passes, one to Austin Brogger, who also had a rushing TD. Zayden Kalisch added a running touchdown and a scoop-and-score.
Series history… First meeting in the MaxPreps era.
#9 BRANSON/KIM BEARCATS (3-1, 1-0) AT ANTONITO TROJANS (0-3, 0-1) 1PM
Last week… Cooper Winter threw three touchdowns, including one to Kolter Cranson, in the 52-12 win by the Bearcats over Deer Trail. Cranson caught two scoring passes and ran for one, while also recording a team-high 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. Kolten Davis racked up a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery, and Acoya Bartlett intercepted a pass. The Trojans dropped their Southwest opener to Sierra Grande, 58-0. Rylan Trant caught six passes for 63 yards and had a team-high five tackles with a fumble recovery.
Series history… First meeting in the MaxPreps era.
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