EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – OPENING ROUND
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The eight-man playoffs begin this weekend with the opening round, and almost every game has already been impacted by the weather. At least two have been pushed back to Sunday, and another has had its start time delayed. All dates and times are from the latest updates.
#1 HAXTUN (8-1) VS #16 HOEHNE (6-3) SUNDAY 1PM
Last week… Haxtun sewed up the Plains title with a 32-6 win at Sedgwick County. It was only the third touchdown the Fightin’ Bulldogs had allowed to a Colorado opponent. They finished the season with four shutouts. Grant Statz racked up 142 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, pushing him over 1100 yards on the season. Colin Cone ran for 106 and threw for 102. Zach Statz caught four passes for 106 yards and two TD. G. Statz finished with 16 tackles, while Coleman Firme added 11. Cone and Kanen Koberstein had an interception apiece.
Hoehne completed a perfect run through the Six County, beating Walsenburg 50-6. That extended the winning streak of the Farmers to five. They’ve outscored their opponents 230-52 in that streak. Levon Bachicha (111) and Anthony Sandoval (107) both topped the century mark on the ground. Jake Magninat completed six of nine passes for 180 yards and a TD, with Brody Silvey being on the receiving end of every completion. Magninat matched Bachicha with two rushing touchdowns. Jayson Guzzo led the defense with 11 tackles.
Series history… Hoehne leads 1-0 in the MaxPreps era, earning a win in 2008.
#8 SANFORD (6-3) VS #9 SPRINGFIELD (7-2) SATURDAY 1PM
Last week… Sanford beat Dove Creek 41-18, making it five wins in the last six for the Mustangs. They erupted for 27 points in the second to seize control. Trason Gartrell ran for 238 yards and three touchdowns, and also tossed a pair of TD. Kaden Cary and Ben Faucette had a receiving touchdown apiece. Ryan Cordova racked up a team-high 11 tackles, while Gartrell and JD Faucette each added an interception.
Springfield bounced back from a tough loss to McClave to end the season on a high note with a 24-8 win over Las Animas. Marcus Sandoval had a pair of touchdown runs, while Colby Batterton reached paydirt on a reception from Colin Swanson. Batterton also recorded three interceptions, and Dallas Calzonetti added one of his own. Wyatt Cohoon led the Longhorns with 15 tackles.
Series history… First meeting in MaxPreps era.
#4 MANCOS (8-1) VS #13 PLATEAU VALLEY (7-2) SATURDAY 1PM
Last week… Mancos ran its winning streak to eight with a commanding 60-6 win over Sargent. The Bluejays led 52-0 at the half. Kaiden Wyatt and Brandon Vannest each scored twice on the ground, and Vannest added a TD pass to Michael Resner. Max Lawrence snagged an interception, while Jacob Martin, Tilden Begay, and Jonah Ritter forced a fumble apiece.
Plateau Valley won its fourth straight, downing Soroco 62-12. Virgil Kuper ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns on five carries, while Vance Sheffield tallied 70 yards and two scores in his nine carries. Colter Ralston threw for two scores and caught one. Kooper Jenkins recorded an interception, Heston Bevan blocked a punt, and Johnathan Cotter recovered a fumble.
Series history… Mancos leads 8-1, winning the last three meetings in shutouts. However, the teams haven’t played since 2019.
#5 BYERS (9-0) VS #12 MERINO (4-5) SATURDAY 3PM
Last week… Byers completed an unbeaten regular season with a 68-20 win over St. Mary’s. The Bulldogs led 46-12 at the half, as they rolled to a undefeated run in the Black Forest. Kaleb Willoughby ran for 165 yards and three scores, while Chase Long added three more through the air. Long also led the defensive effort with 10 tackles. Willoughby added a 46-yard scoop-and-score, and Benjamin McPherson returned a kick 82 yards for another TD.
Two weeks after dropping a defensive slugfest against Sedgwick County, the Rams lost a 56-32 track meet against Akron. Trailing 22-20 at the half, Merino saw Akron take control with a 14-0 third. The Rams gave up 332 yards on the ground, and also allowed three return touchdowns.
Series history… Merino leads 2-0, winning in 2018 and 2019.
#3 AKRON (8-1) VS #14 CLEAR CREEK (7-2) SATURDAY 1PM
Last week… Jakzon Livesay led the Rams to that big 56-32 win over Merino, running for 148 yards and three touchdowns, while also scoring on a 76-yard pick-six. Anderson Filla racked up 27 tackles, Caleb Poss and Jace Curtis had 15 apiece, and Mason Porteus added 13. Porteus blocked a punt and returned it for a score, and Marek Charney housed an 86-yard kick return.
Clear Creek officially locked up the Central title with a 48-22 win over Front Range Christian. It was the closest league contest for the Golddiggers. Logan Ginter had a big night on the ground, rushing for 243 yards and four touchdowns. Merrell Harvey and Nathan Guerrero each reached paydirt once on the ground. Alex Skinner picked up two of the defense’s five sacks.
Series history… First meeting in MaxPreps era.
#6 WEST GRAND (9-0) VS #11 SEDGWICK COUNTY (4-5) SATURDAY 1PM
Last week… In their last regular season game, the Mustangs got pushed throughout by Hayden, finally breaking free for a 46-32 victory. It completed an unbeaten run through the Northwest league. Blake Terryberry went for just over 100 yards on the ground, but found the end zone five times. Joe Probst caught seven passes for 123 yards, pushing him over the 1000-yard mark for the season, and 2000 for his career. John Butler tallied a team-high eight tackles, and Terryberry recovered a pair of fumbles.
Sedgwick County’s 32-6 loss to Haxtun was its second straight and third in the final five. The Cougars lost possession twice on interceptions, but their defense got the ball back twice on fumble recoveries.
Series history… The teams have met three times, including the 2017 championship and last year’s opening round. Sedgwick County won both of those, and a meeting in 2010.
#7 SIMLA (7-2) VS #10 DOVE CREEK (7-2) SUNDAY 1PM
Last week… Simla got a win without having to step on the field, as South Park gave up a forfeit to the Cubs. That made it three straight victories for the Cubs to close out the regular season. The last action for Simla came in a 54-6 victory over Elbert two weeks ago. Caston Cox completed eight passes, with half reaching the end zone. Four different players caught TD passes, with TJ Eurich, Wyatt Stanko, Treven Kochera, and Tatum Kochera each snagging one.
Dove Creek had its three-game winning streak snapped in the 41-18 loss to Sanford. Nicholas Aragon ran for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Josh Kibel added a TD on the ground and one through the air. Trevan Ivie caught that scoring pass as part of his five receptions in the game. Liam Hassell racked up 23 tackles, an interception, and a blocked kick.
Series history… They’ve split two previous meetings, with the Cubs earning a win in 2013, and Dove Creek winning its first state title in program history in the 2022 meeting.
#2 MCCLAVE (9-0) VS #15 DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN (4-5) SATURDAY 2PM
Last week… McClave wrapped up an unbeaten run through the Ark Valley by rolling Rocky Ford 71-22. The Cards exploded for 44 points in the first quarter, getting the sportsmanship clock rolling with three quarters to play. Mason Barr ran for two scores and caught two more, while Ryan Steinbrunn added two rushing. Ethan Bronniman threw four touchdowns and Drew Howe tossed his second of the season. Barr tacked on a 55-yard punt return TD, and also picked off a pass. Zack Owens led the defense with six tackles.
Dayspring Christian had the week off after finishing the regular season with a 62-0 loss to Haxtun. The Eagles lost their final five games of the year, with the last four coming in Plains play. The Eagles were held to 108 yards of offense in the Haxtun loss, with only 29 yards on 27 running plays. Jackson Polk caught three passes for 67 yards, and Elijah Martin ran for 26. Martin led the defense with 14 tackles, and Hawkins Flanagan added a dozen.
Series history… First meeting in MaxPreps era.
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