EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – QUARTERFINALS
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
The opening round of the 8-man playoffs only saw one upset, but several other lower seeds nearly created chaos. The winter weather last weekend caused the first round to stretch from Friday through Monday, so the surviving eight teams have had a wide-range of recovery time. This weekend’s quarterfinals give us three regular season rematches, and the fourth contest is the first between the participants in the MaxPreps era. Byers at Mancos is the lone game on Saturday that does not kickoff at 1pm, with that clash starting at noon.
#1 HAXTUN (9-1) VS #8 SANFORD (7-3)
Last week… Jumping out to a 32-0 first quarter lead, Haxtun had the sportsmanship clock rolling in the second quarter of its 60-0 win over #16 Hoehne. Ryland Wolff completed both of his passing attempts, with both going to Chase Goddard for touchdowns. Zach Statz topped the century mark on the ground, and Coleman Firme scored twice in the running attack. Grant Statz led the defense with 10 tackles and a scoop-and-score. Sanford needed overtime to take down #9 Springfield, 20-18. The Mustangs scored a TD in the OT period and converted the two-point try to secure the victory. That was the only conversion by either team in the contest.
Series history… Haxtun took a 60-0 win earlier this season to grab a 2-0 lead in the series. G. Statz ran for four touchdowns, and Colin Cone had one on the ground and two through the air for the Fightin’ Bulldogs. Trason Gartrell was held to 77 yards on 24 carries for the Mustangs.
#4 MANCOS (9-1) VS #5 BYERS (10-0)
Last week… Jonah Ritter returned the opening kick for a touchdown to get Mancos an early lead against #13 Plateau Valley. The Bluejays only led 10-6 after the first quarter, but then went on a roll, eventually taking a 48-6 victory. Brandon Vannest ran for 133 yards and four scores, while also throwing one to Kaiden Wyatt. Jacob Martin recorded three sacks and a forced fumble to help the defensive effort. Byers had to overcome a slow start against #12 Merino, with the Bulldogs leading 8-6 after one. Kaleb Willoughby scored two of his four rushing touchdowns in the second, and converted the two-point tries to spark the Bulldogs to a 44-14 win. Willoughby ended up with 183 yards to go with his four-pack of touchdowns. Chase Long was an efficient 11-14 passing, including a TD to Cody Harris. AJ Engle added a late pick-six.
Series history… First meeting in the MaxPreps era.
#3 AKRON (9-1) AT #11 SEDGWICK COUNTY (5-5)
Last week… Akron trailed #14 Clear Creek for most of the first half, but Jace Curtis gave the Rams a 24-22 halftime lead by connecting with Anderson Filla on a TD pass and then adding the two-point run. The Golddiggers remained within striking distance throughout, but the Rams pulled out a 46-34 victory. Filla (153) and Curtis (104) both topped the century mark on the ground, with three combined touchdowns. Curtis added just over 100 yards through the air. Filla led the Akron defense with 19 tackles, while Curtis and Caleb Poss added 10 apiece. Sedgwick County used a stingy defense to snap a two-game slide and upset #6 West Grand, 24-0. It was the second shutout of the season for the Cougars, setting up a rematch with their Plains rival.
Series history… Sedgwick County owns a 9-6 edge, but the Rams have won the last three, including a 20-6 decision earlier this season. Filla and Curtis combined for more than 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns, with each going for more than 100 yards in the win. This is the third meeting between the two in the postseason, with the Cougars beating Akron for the title in both 2015 and 2016.
#2 MCCLAVE (10-0) VS #7 SIMLA (8-2)
Last week… The Cardinals got a tougher than expected challenge from #15 Dayspring Christian, with the Cards taking an 8-0 lead into the fourth quarter. After DCA tied it early in the fourth, the Cards went right back on top with a Ryan Steinbrunn kick return for TD. Tuff Kelly would put the win on ice with a scoop-and score, giving McClave a 20-8 victory. With the offense struggling to get much going, the Cards leaned on their defense, getting a game-high 19 tackles from Zack Owens. Steinbrunn picked off a pass, as did Drew Howe. Seeing their first action in two weeks, the Cubs built a 40-8 halftime lead over #10 Dove Creek and rolled to a 43-16 win in the opening round. Simla was held to less than 100 yards on the ground, but Caston Cox was stellar passing the ball. The senior hit on 21 of 24 passes for 367 yards and five touchdowns. Tatum Kochera put up a 6/135/ 3 line, while TJ Eurich added a 6/124/1 line. Eurich also had a TD in the running game. Wyatt Stanko led everyone with 14 tackles.
Series history… Each team has one victory in the last two meetings, with McClave pulling out a wild 58-52 triple overtime victory earlier this season. Ethan Bronniman tallied six rushing TD and one more through the air for the Cards. Without the services of Eurich, Cox stepped up to lead the Cubs with two running touchdowns and four passing.
MileHigh Prep Report 