SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – SEMIFINALS by Kerry Sherman

SIX-MAN FOOTBALL PREVIEW – SEMIFINALS

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

As was the case in the opening round, all of the top seeds advanced through last weekend’s quarterfinal round. Cheyenne Wells, Stratton, Otis, and Idalia won their games by an average of 49 points. All four were in the semifinals last year, with different match-ups. The winners of Saturday’s games will advance to next Friday’s championship game which is now slated for a noon kickoff at Dutch Clark Stadium in Pueblo. Both semifinal games will kick at 1pm on Saturday.

#1 CHEYENNE WELLS (11-0) VS #4 IDALIA (10-2)

Last week… For the second straight week, Cheyenne Wells scored more than 70 points, as the Tigers pulled away from an 18-12 first quarter against #8 Arickaree/Woodlin. The Tigers raced to a 75-38 victory. Trey Scheler spent a good chunk of the afternoon in the end zone, running for five scores and catching two more. The junior tallied 179 rushing yards and 114 receiving. Zack Dickey tossed both of those touchdowns to Scheler, and he housed a pick-six. Ethan Garay added two rushing TD, and Chason Turner had one. Scheler also led the defense with 11 tackles and an interception. Dickey picked off two passes, and Turner racked up two sacks.

It was too much Gabe Kechter for #5 Granada in the quarterfinals, as the Idalia sophomore ran for 260 yards and seven touchdowns on only 11 carries. The Wolves rolled 71-18, marking the fourth straight game with at least 64 points. Garret Drullinger, Haydan Drullinger, and Kolby Morris all had one rushing TD. Tate Towns led the defense with 14 tackles, and Kechter added 13. Carson Helling tacked on a pair of sacks and was one of four Idalia defenders with an interception. Ha. Drullinger, Kechter, and Grady Lengel were the others. Morris was a strong 5-6 on his PAT kicks.

Series history… Cheyenne Wells has won all five previous meetings, including a 64-24 victory in the 2021 semifinals. Dickey and Bryson Hyle were the lone current members of the Tigers to record a stat in that contest, while G. Drullinger was the only current Idalia player to do so.

#2 STRATTON (11-1) VS #3 OTIS (11-1)

Last week… Stockton Fye carried the load for Stratton in a 59-13 win over #7 Caliche, running for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He had scoring runs of 65 and 70 yards in his big day. Brody Webb added 77 yards and three touchdowns. Stratton’s back-ups got in on the act, with Judson Isenbart tossing a one-yard TD to Drew Fox. Luis Arzaga paced the defense with 12 tackles, including half of a sack. Von Isenbart and Nolan Notter added 10 tackles apiece, with Notter registering 2.5 sacks. Webb picked up nine tackles and an interception. Arzaga and Gavin Ruhs each recovered a fumble.

Otis wasted little time in establishing a tone against #6 Sierra Grande, racing out to a 30-0 first quarter lead. The Bulldogs had the sportsmanship clock rolling before the half, as they rolled to a 66-6 victory. Mitchell Stivers ran for 119 yards and three TD on seven carries, while Tayte Smith ran for one score and threw for another. Austin Hornung also had a TD pass, with Grady Bechtle hauling in both scoring passes. The Bulldogs scored three times on returns, with Stivers housing a punt 60 yards, Charlie Kendrick scoring on a pick-six, and Cambric Klinzmann adding a scoop-and-score. Smith recorded three sacks, and Kendrick tacked on two.

Series history… Stratton leads 11-1, including a 48-16 win earlier this season. That game featured a combined seven interceptions. Von Isenbart had two for the Eagles, with Judson Isenbart and Webb each grabbing one. Kendrick, Smith, and Klinzmann all had one apiece for the Bulldogs. The Eagles earned a 46-13 win in the 2022 semifinal meeting, and they also beat Otis in the 2017 opening round.