EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – SEMIFINALS by Kerry Sherman

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – SEMIFINALS

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

After an opening round that only saw one upset, the quarterfinals added one more to the bracket. Seventh-seeded Simla avenged its 58-52 triple overtime loss to #2 McClave, sending the Cubs back to the semifinals for a third straight season. They are one of three teams from last year to return to the round, with only #3 Akron being a newcomer. The Rams are in the semis for the first time since 2016. The round will give us a rematch of last year’s championship tilt that saw Mancos beat Haxtun. Both games are slated for 1pm kicks on Saturday.

#1 HAXTUN (10-1) VS #4 MANCOS (10-1)

Last week… After #8 Sanford scored to tie the game with around three minutes to play in the first quarter, Haxtun scored the final 46 points to lock up a 54-8 victory. Thirty-two of those points came in a second quarter eruption. Zach Statz ran for 141 yards and four touchdowns, while Ryland Wolff added 193 and two TD on the ground and 45 yards and another score through the air. Corbin Andersen hauled in the TD pass. Coleman Firme tallied 16 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Andersen, Z. Statz, and Seth Seger all had eight tackles, with Seger having a sack in his total. Madden Larsen picked off a pass, Bret Kanode forced a fumble, and Aidan Starkebaum recovered one.

Brandon Vannest had a big day for Mancos, as the senior QB completed eight of 11 passes for 225 yards and four scores in a 44-20 win over previously unbeaten #5 Byers. Vannest added 89 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jonah Ritter ran for one and caught two, snagging three passes for 123 yards. Kaiden Wyatt and Ethan Wyatt added a receiving TD apiece. K. Wyatt led the defense with 15 tackles, and Seth Oakes added a dozen. Ritter and Michael Resner both tallied 10. Jacob Martin recorded two sacks and a forced fumble, while Tilden Begay tacked on an interception.

Series history… Haxtun leads 3-1, with a 40-0 win in the 2021 championship game. Mancos avenged that defeat by picking up a 40-0 victory last season. That was the first title for the Bluejays in program history.

#3 AKRON (10-1) VS #7 SIMLA (9-2)

Last week… For the second time in a matter of weeks, Akron handled #11 Sedgwick County, beating the Cougars 28-6. The Rams scored a TD in each frame and had a 28-0 well into the fourth. Jace Curtis hit on six of eight passes for 69 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Poss. He also had a team-high 87 rushing yards. Anderson Filla added 85 yards and 2 TD, while Jakzon Livesay also scored once on the ground. Filla’s 14 tackles led the defense. Livesay and Mason Porteus tallied eight and seven, respectively. Porteus had a pair of sacks in his total.

Simla also had a regular season rematch in the quarters, as the Cubs challenged #2 McClave. As noted earlier, McClave claimed a 58-52 triple OT victory in week three, but the Cubs controlled the second meeting to the tune of 48-8. Simla had a 42-0 halftime advantage, and did not allow the Cards to reach paydirt until the fourth quarter. Caston Cox went 14-17 passing, with 225 yards and four touchdowns. Tatum Kochera caught two, while TJ Eurich and Wyatt Stanko had one apiece. Eurich also scored twice on the ground, and Ethan Kissam found the end zone once. Treven Kochera racked up a team-leading eight tackles, including a sack. Nathaniel Cauthon also had a sack. Eurich picked off a pass, and Tatum Kochera recovered a fumble.

Series history… Akron leads 4-1, with four consecutive wins. However, the teams have not played since 2017. The only previous postseason match-up was in the 2013 opening round, which Simla won.