SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – WEEK SEVEN
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The schedule gives us a top-six match-up this week, with sole possession of the lead in the East Central at stake. While the lion’s share of the attention will be upon that contest, there are several others that will go a long way in determining not only division winners, but also postseason at large qualifiers. The rankings this week come from the Thursday morning release of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index.
THURSDAY

3 IDALIA (5-1, 2-1 EAST CENTRAL) VS GENOA-HUGO (2-4, 1-2 EAST CENTRAL) 7PM

Last week… Gabe Kechter ran for three touchdowns and also spearheaded Idalia’s defense in a 24-14 win at #9 Arickaree/Woodlin. Haydan Drullinger tallied 10 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Broderick Kite and Edward Keller supplied a sack apiece. Ryker Lockhart went for more than 300 yards and 6 TD through the air, helping Genoa-Hugo win its second straight game. Teghan Seymour caught seven passes for 177 yards and four touchdowns in the 59-21 win over Flagler. Shane Reid and Isiah Yoder both registered a rushing and receiving TD.
Series history… The teams have split the last two meetings, with each winning on the other’s home field. Idalia owns a 4-1 record in the match-ups dating back to 2013.
FRIDAY

1 STRATTON (5-1, 3-0 EAST CENTRAL) AT #6 OTIS (6-0, 3-0 EAST CENTRAL) 7:30PM

Last week… Stockton Fye powered the Eagles to their fifth straight win, running for 240 yards and five TD in the 77-32 victory at #5 Granada. Von Isenbart tossed a pair of touchdowns, one to Brody Webb and the other to Haxden Mills, and also added his fourth pick of the season on defense. Webb ran for two scores, and had a team-high 14 tackles. Mitchell Stivers had four total touchdowns as Otis blanked Briggsdale 66-0. Tayte Smith and Austin Hornung both had defensive scores, with each returning a fumble.
Series history… Stratton has won 10 straight, with the lone Otis victory coming in 2014. Two of the wins by the Eagles have come in the postseason.

2 CHEYENNE WELLS (5-0, 4-0 SOUTHEAST) VS #13 EADS (4-2, 3-1 SOUTHEAST) 7PM

Last week… Trey Scheler ran for 182 yards and four TD, while also recording a sack and a pick, in the
Tigers’ 70-21 win over Kit Carson in the Cheyenne County Showdown. Ethan Garay scored twice on the
ground, and Zach Dickey added a rushing TD to a pair through the air. Shaine Winder helped the Eagles win their second in a row, as the junior ran for 233 yards and three scores. Eads eked out a 40-38 victory over #14 Cheraw. Kaden Dunlap ran for a touchdown and was perfect on his five PAT kicks.
Series history… This is the 11th meeting between the two former eight-man rivals since both began
playing six-man. Cheyenne Wells is 6-4, but Eads pulled out a wild 46-44 decision last year.

4 SIERRA GRANDE (5-0. 2-0 SOUTHWEST) VS #12 BRANSON/KIM (5-1, 3-0 SOUTHWEST)

6:30PM
Last week… Aron Ojeda had as many touchdown passes (six) as incompletions, with 313 yards, as Sierra Grande pulled out a late 54-44 win over #10 Primero. Rolando Najera was on the receiving end of four of those scoring tosses. Jadyn Martinez stacked up 20 tackles and also had his fourth interception of the year. Branson/Kim pitched its second shutout in the current four-game winning streak, blanking La Veta 55-0. Kolter Cranson scored five times (three rush, two receiving) and Will Doherty added one on the ground and one receiving. Acoya Bartlett pounced on a pair of fumbles.
Series history… Branson/Kim has won the last two and four of seven overall.

5 GRANADA (5-1, 3-0 SOUTHEAST) AT WALSH (1-5, 0-4 SOUTHEAST) 7PM

Last week… Maddox Coleman threw three touchdowns, all to Elijah Rodriguez, as well as running for one and catching one, but the Bobcats were outscored 37-6 by Stratton in the second half of the 77-32 loss. Fernando Cadena and Sebastian Pizarro had 14 tackles apiece to lead the defensive effort. Pizarro added a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Walsh dropped its fourth straight, all in league play, as Wiley recorded the only points in the fourth quarter to hand the Eagles a 48-46 defeat. Hudson Gourley threw for 352 yards and 4 TD, while also catching a short TD pass. Maddox Gourley caught four passes for 111 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown. He also had the lone rushing score for the Eagles.
Series history… Granada has won all five meetings since dropping down from eight-man. Walsh won the
final five meetings between the two before that.

8 CALICHE (5-1, 4-0 NORTH) VS FLAGLER (2-4, FREELANCE) 7PM

Last week… Caliche took another step towards winning the North title in its first year of six-man, beating Prairie 43-22. The Buffs used a 13-0 fourth quarter to put the game away. Playing a freelance schedule, Flagler was bumped 59-21 by Genoa-Hugo. Keegan Isenbart scored twice on the ground, and Dillon Brent tossed a TD pass to Brayden Hill.
Series history… First meeting in six-man.

9 ARICKAREE/WOODLIN (3-3, 0-3 EAST CENTRAL) AT HI-PLAINS (0-6, 0-3) 7PM

Last week… The Bison could not establish a running game in the 24-14 loss to Idalia, as they were held to
24 yards on 11 attempts. Both of their touchdowns came on passes from Austin Wright to Jorge Ramos.
The defense had six players record at least a dozen tackles, led by Zarron Skubal with 24, including two
sacks. For the second time in three weeks, Hi-Plains was unable to dent the scoreboard, losing to #11
Fleming 54-0. Gabe Harvie recovered two fumbles and Jacob Hopkins fell on one. Harvie also had a
blocked kick to his credit.
Series history… Arickaree/Woodlin has won three straight and seven of 12.

11 FLEMING (5-1, 3-0 NORTH) AT PEETZ (3-3, 3-1 NORTH) 7PM

Last week… Grant Kuntz ran for two scores, caught one, and returned an interception the entire length of the field for a fourth in the 54-0 win over Hi-Plains. Jaron Monroe had the first multiple touchdown game of his young career, scoring twice on the ground, while fellow freshman James Smith reached paydirt for the first time. Dylan Wagner ran for just over 100 yards and three touchdowns to help guide Peetz to a 39-18 divisional win over North Park. Logan Vallier tacked on a pair of rushing scores, and also recovered two fumbles. Conner Schumacher had one of the team’s three picks, with Wagner snagging the other two.
Series history… Fleming has a 12-10 advantage in the MaxPreps era (2004-current), but Peetz won last
year’s meeting 54-34. Fleming needs a win to set up a potential league championship contest with at the
end of the regular season. Peetz would need a win to stay in contention.
SATURDAY

7 HANOVER (5-1, 4-0 CENTRAL) AT BETHUNE (1-3, 0-2 CENTRAL) 1PM

Last week… Junior Diaz ran for 181 yards and four TD, as Hanover locked up a share of the Central title
by beating Kiowa 68-12. The Hornets, who can claim the outright crown in the conference with a win, also got pick-sixes from JJ Aguilar and David Byers. Bethune had the week off, as the Bobcats looked to recover from a 42-19 loss at Flagler the week before. Marco Sosa had three TD passes in the loss, but the offense was burned by three turnovers and a safety. Caleb Gitschlag recovered two fumbles, both of which were forced by Johnny Gitschlag, who ended up with three forced and one recovered.
Series history… Tied at 2-2. Hanover has won each of the last two years. Bethune’s two wins came in
2012 and 2013. They did not play for a decade.