EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK THREE by Kerry Sherman

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK THREE

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

The third full week of regular season play brings with it some incredible non-league match-ups in eight-man. We get two contests with teams ranked inside the top-10 of the latest MHPR Coaches and Media poll squaring off against each other. Thursday night gets us started with a ranked match-up.

THURSDAY

#8 BYERS (2-0) AT #14 CLEAR CREEK (2-0)

Last week… James Maes completed all seven of his passes for 130 yards and four touchdowns for Byers in a 46-14 victory over Lyons. Benjamin McPherson and Caleb Eastwood both hauled in two touchdowns, and Gabe Price added one on the ground, while running for 120 yards. Eastwood also scored on a punt return. Clear Creek improved to 2-0 on the season with a 44-14 win on the road over Lake County. This is the home-opener for the Golddiggers.

Series history… Tied at 3-3, but this is just the second meeting with the teams playing 8-man. Byers got a 48-18 win at home last year.

FRIDAY

#1 HAXTUN (2-0) VS #3 SANFORD (2-0)

Last week… Leading 34-32 entering the fourth quarter in Leoti (KS), Haxtun put three touchdowns on the board in the final frame to hand Wichita County a 56-32 loss in its season-opener. Zach Statz ran for 165 yards and four TD, Coleman Firme added 94 yards and two scores, and Colin Cone threw for two more touchdowns. Statz caught one and Firme returned a pick for another one. Sanford rolled up more than 350 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in a 56-7 win over Swink. Trason Gartrell led the way with 143 yards and two TD, while Colton Reynolds added 90 yards and two scores, along with a 47-yard touchdown pass to Jared McCarroll. JD Faucette also had two rushing touchdowns, and Huntley Duran had one.

Series history… Haxtun leads 3-0, with two of the three wins coming last year. The Fightin’ Bulldogs won the regular season contest 60-0, and then beat the Mustangs 54-8 in the quarterfinals. Haxtun also beat Sanford in the 2022 quarterfinals.

#2 AKRON (2-0) VS FOWLER (1-1)

Last week… Holding a narrow 24-16 halftime lead, Akron blew things open with a 22-0 third quarter against St. Mary’s. The teams would combine for 46 fourth quarter points, with the Rams pulling out a 70-38 victory. Kolten Randel threw for 233 yards and a TD, and also ran for 101 and another score. Jakzon Livesay added 134 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and caught a TD, while Jax Kusel scored three times, twice rushing and once on a punt return. Brock True ran for 129 yards and the lone touchdown in Fowler’s 12-8 loss to Simla. Bronson Damgaard also went for more than 100 yards in the running attack, finishing with 104 yards. Freshman Garrett Pharr racked up 17 tackles.

Series history… Akron leads 9-3, with four straight victories. The Rams took a 56-0 win last season.

#6 MANCOS (1-1) VS MERINO (1-1) AT SOUTH PARK HS

Last week… Trailing 18-8 midway through the fourth against Sedgwick County, Mancos cut the margin to two with Michael Resner TD pass to Jonah Ritter and the two-point conversion. The Bluejays could get no closer and fell by the 18-16 count. The Bluejays picked off three passes, one each by Resner, Traycer White, and Joshua Peterson. Ritter added a kick return touchdown to his receiving TD. Merino’s defense forced three turnovers, but still lost to McClave 42-6.

Series history… Mancos leads 6-1, including a 36-32 victory last year. The Bluejays have won the last five meetings.

#10 PLATEAU VALLEY (2-0) AT #11 NORWOOD (2-0)

Last week… Colter Ralston threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, one apiece to Hunter White and London Mitchell, and the Cowboys pulled out a 42-28 win over Custer County. White also scored on the ground, as did Avery Smith, Bennet Baxter, and Vance Sheffield. Brycen Rummel threw four touchdowns, two to Holten McCluer, and Owen Tackett ran for three scores in Norwood’s 58-18 win over Vail Christian. Dom Benally added a kick return for a TD.

Series history… Norwood leads 13-4, with Plateau Valley snapping a 13-game Maverick winning streak in 2021. The Cowboys made it two straight wins with a 40-34 victory last year. Rummel and Ralston had four touchdown passes apiece.

#12 WEST GRAND (1-1) VS FRONT RANGE CHRISTIAN (0-1)

Last week… West Grand built a 32-14 lead early in the fourth quarter and then had to hold on as Calhan scored twice in the closing minutes to get within two, 32-30. Blake Terryberry ran for two scores and threw another one to Jake Trail, and Landon Lockhart rushed for 125 yards and a TD. John Butler led the Mustangs on defense with 17 tackles. Tied early in the fourth, Front Range Christian saw Rocky Ford score with around eight minutes to play, leading to a 22-14 loss by the Falcons. Lawson Edwards threw for 135 yards and two scores, and also topped 100 yards on the ground. Judah Hayes and Jake Carlson both had a TD catch.

Series history… West Grand leads 2-0, including a 48-6 win last year.

SATURDAY

#4 MCCLAVE (3-0) AT #7 SIMLA (2-0)

Last week… Ryan Steinbrunn ran for three touchdowns and caught another one from Drew Howe in McClave’s 42-6 win over Merino. Howe also had a scoring toss to Cope Meston, and Meston scored once on the ground. The Cards recorded five takeaways on fumble recoveries. Tatum Kochera caught eight passes for 157 yards and a TD from Evan Guy, and Ayden Lally took one to paydirt in the rushing attack in Simla’s 12-8 victory at Fowler.

Series history… Simla leads 2-1, with the teams splitting two meetings last year. McClave won a wild 58-52 decision in three overtimes in the regular season, while the Bear Cubs took a 48-8 win in the state quarterfinals.

#8 DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN (2-0) VS HAYDEN (1-1)

Last week… Hawkins Flanagan threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more as Dayspring Christian rolled to a 46-0 win over Holly. Elijah Martin caught one and ran for another, while Owen Crust and Max Krehbiel each caught a TD. Hayden got out of the gates fast, running up a 44-0 halftime lead over Sargent. The Tigers went on to claim a 58-8 victory. Peyton Johnson had three rushing touchdowns and three passing, two to Carson Campbell, and Campbell added a scoop-and-score. Danek DeMorat tacked on a pick-six for the Tigers.

Series history… Dayspring Christian leads 7-0, winning last year’s contest 22-8.