SIX-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK FIVE by Kerry Sherman

SIX-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK FIVE

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

With the regular season nearing its midpoint, league races are heating up. There are several huge match-ups this week, including a pair of top-10 contests. With CHSAA recently releasing its Selection and Seeding Index, we shift from our MHPR Coaches and Media poll to that metric for the rankings in this report.

FRIDAY

#1 OTIS (4-0) AT NORTH PARK (0-3)

Last week… Otis scored a season-high in a 68-12 win over Genoa-Hugo/Karval. Austin Hornung completed eight of 11 passes for 143 yards and four touchdowns, with two going to Emiliano Varela. Mitchell Stivers ran for 74 yards and a TD, and Blake Stivers took his lone carry 70 yards for a score. Hornung had a pair of fumble recoveries for the defense. Aiden Pittington rushed for 42 yards and threw for 70 with a touchdown in North Park’s 51-6 loss at Prairie. Jaxon Wolvington was on the receiving end of the scoring pass. Curtis Hopkins paced the Wildcat defense with 11 tackles.

Series history… Tied at 1-1, with Otis collecting a 71-14 victory last year. Hornung hit on six of seven passes for 128 yards and four touchdowns for the Bulldogs. Pittington had a TD pass for North Park.

#2 STRATTON (3-1) VS #3 IDALIA (4-0)

Last week… Stratton got back on track with a 66-27 win at Arickaree/Woodlin, behind 175 yards and four rushing touchdowns from Drew Fox. Von Isenbart added three TD passes, two to Gavin Ruhs. Isenbart forced two fumbles, recovered two (one scoop-and-score), and a pick-six. Gabe Kechter scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, and Idalia rolled to a 53-6 win over Walsh. Carson Helling, Broderick Kite, and Beckett Kite each had a passing touchdown. Holden Soehner racked up two sacks for the Wolves.

Series history… Stratton leads 11-1, including wins in the last nine meetings. Last year was a 58-15 win for the Eagles, in which Nolan Notter had a rushing touchdowns and a scoop-and-score. Kechter ran for 135 yards and two scores for the Wolves.

#4 CHEYENNE WELLS (3-1) BYE WEEK

#5 CALICHE (3-1) VS WELDON VALLEY (1-3)

Last week… Caliche won its second straight, beating Wiley 49-25 on the road. Weldon Valley gave up close to 400 yards of offense in a 60-16 loss to #11 Fleming. The Warriors also lost five fumbles.

Series history… Last year was the first meeting between the two, won by Caliche 47-6. Mason Hernandez had nine tackles for the Buffs, and Avery Bell added eight. Zachary Yost picked off a pass. August Filter ran for 135 yards and a score to lead the Warriors.

#6 EADS (5-0) VS WALSH (2-2)

Last week… Karsten Buller had an all-around strong effort in Eads’ 44-27 win over Granada. The senior ran for 116 yards and two scores, racked up 17 tackles, forced a fumble, and intercepted a pass. Adyn Hough completed two passes, both to Weston Mitchek, for 54 yards and a TD. Antony Paez tallied 15 tackles, followed by Hough with a dozen, and Shaine Winder with 10. Walsh saw Idalia get out to a 32-0 first quarter lead, and have the sportsmanship clock rolling before the half in the 53-6 loss.

Series history… Eads holds an 8-2 lead in six-man match-ups between the two sets of Eagles. Last year, Winder piled up 324 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, as Eads won 80-28. Hudson Gourley paced Walsh with 299 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Samuel Wright caught three of them.

#8 GRANADA (3-1) AT WILEY (1-3)

Last week… Sebastian Pizarro was huge on the ground for Granada in its 44-27 loss to Eads, with the sophomore running for 267 yards and three scores, but it wasn’t enough for the Bobcats to get the win. Angelo Martinez had a TD pass to Alejandro Perez, who was one of three Granada defenders with double digit tackles. Pizarro and Fernando Cadena had 14 apiece, and Perez followed with a dozen. Wiley’s 49-25 loss to Caliche was the third straight for the Panthers. They had been shutout in the previous two.

Series history… Most of the history between the two programs happened in eight-man, with Granada getting a 59-22 win in last year’s first six-man clash between the two. Pizarro caught two passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Grant Mauch threw for three Wiley touchdowns.

#9 PEETZ (4-0) VS #10 ARICKAREE/WOODLIN (2-3)

Last week… Dylan Wagner racked up four total touchdowns, three rushing and one on a punt return, and Peetz rolled past Briggsdale 60-6. Wagner also had seven tackles and an interception. Tanner Wood had two sacks, and Parker Reker scored twice. Austin Wright ran for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Jorge Ramos caught a TD from Jaxson Cordell in the 66-27 loss by the Bison to Stratton. Austin Fields and Luis Machado also had rushing touchdowns. Daniel Goff led the Bison with 11 tackles.

Series history… Arickaree/Woodlin leads 6-4, including a current six-game winning streak. The Bison won last year’s contest 68-28, with Wright throwing for 145 yards and three scores, and running for just over 100 and another TD. Ramos tallied 168 and two on the ground, while also catching a touchdown. Logan Vallier threw for 134 yards and four TD, one apiece to Wood, Wagner, Patrick Moreno, and Conner Schumacher. The Bulldogs recorded four takeaways, three on fumble recoveries.

SATURDAY

#7 SIERRA GRANDE (3-1) AT MOUNTAIN VALLEY (1-2)

Last week… The Panthers were on a bye week following their 61-14 victory over Kiowa in week four. Jadyn Martinez went 6-6 passing for 120 yards and four scores, and also ran for 173 yards and three TD in that win. Rolando Najera caught four passes, all for touchdowns. Mountain Valley got its first win of the season, 28-12, over La Veta. The Wolves jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, Tanner Shellabarger topped the century mark in the running game and scored twice, while Tye Salaz threw for one score and ran for another. The TD pass went to Shellabarger.

Series history… Sierra Grande leads 7-5, with wins in each of the last four games. The teams did not play last year, as Mountain Valley did not field a team. In 2023, the Panthers picked up a 47-0 victory.