EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK SIX by Kerry Sherman

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK SIX

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

While some of the bigger divisions have already started league play, week six sees it ramp up, as the race to the postseason begins in earnest. With a number of big games involving teams currently ranked in the top-10 of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index, the action gets underway on Thursday night with three contests.

THURSDAY

#1 MCCLAVE (4-0) AT ROCKY FORD (2-2)

Last week… McClave had its second consecutive bye week, allowing the Cardinals to rest up a bit and heal a little more before entering Ark Valley play. Their last action was a 41-0 shutout of #17 Simla. Rocky Ford saw its two-game winning streak snapped in a 51-0 blanking by Merino. The Meloneers were held to 92 yards of total offense, only 25 on the ground. Juan Murillo threw for 56, and Xavier Preciado caught four passes for 23 yards.

Series history… Last year was the first meeting between the two, with McClave taking a 71-22 victory. Mason Barr ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and Ryan Steinbrunn added two rushing scores of his own. Barr also caught two passes for 100 yards and two more scores. Murillo had a TD catch for Rocky Ford.

#4 MANCOS (3-1) AT DOVE CREEK (2-2)

Last week… Mancos opened Mountain division play by shutting out previously unbeaten Dolores 40-0. Michael Resner threw for 152 yards and two scores, but also had two passes intercepted. James Potts caught three passes for 88 yards and both touchdowns. Resner added two rushing TD. Jonah Ritter tacked on 11 tackles, a blocked punt, and an interception. Dove Creek outscored Monticello (UT) 64-35, with Cael Beanland throwing for 201 yards and three touchdowns, and running for 155 and another TD. Nicholas Aragon added 149 yards, as the Bulldogs piled up 427 rushing. Kycen Gritz picked off two passes and recovered two fumbles. The Bulldogs forced five turnovers in the win.

Series history… Dove Creek leads 12-8, but the Bluejays have won the last two meetings, including a 48-0 decision last year. Resner caught a 28-yard TD pass, and Jacob Martin racked up three sacks and a fumble recovery for Mancos. The Bulldogs were held to 84 yards of offense, with a Teagan Larimore picking up a combined 43, 33 receiving. Aragon picked a pass for the Dove Creek defense.

#8 CLEAR CREEK (4-0) VS GILPIN COUNTY (3-1)

Last week…Clear Creek won its second straight white-knuckler, beating St. Mary’s 46-43. Both teams scored 22 points in a wild fourth quarter. Jacob Young spun the pigskin for 406 yards and four touchdowns, with Titus Canelos hauling in four passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns. Donovan Miller led the receivers with eight grabs and 172 yards. Nathan Guerrero also topped the century mark on the ground for the Golddiggers. Gilpin County won its third in a row since suffering a season-opening loss to St. Mary’s, with the Eagles beating Justice 48-12. Landon Church (140 yards, 3 TD) and Jack Fisher (103 yards, 1 TD) combined for more than 240 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and Church added another score receiving. Vincent Schoell threw for two. Schoell also picked off a pair of passes.

Series history… Clear Creek took a 60-20 win last year in the first meeting between the programs. Merrell Harvey ran for three touchdowns and Young tossed two for the Golddiggers. Schoell threw for 129 yards and a TD, with Church catching four passes for 91 to lead Gilpin County.

FRIDAY

#2 HAXTUN (5-0) VS MERINO (3-2)

Last week… The Fightin’ Bulldogs topped 60 points for the second straight game, blasting Front Range Christian 64-0. Colin Cone ran for four touchdowns and threw for another, while Zach Statz ran for 121 yards and a TD. Coleman Firme added 97 yards and a TD on the ground. Merino’s defense took the starring role in the Rams’ 51-0 win over Rocky Ford, with that unit allowing fewer than 100 total yards.

Series history… Merino owns an 18-6 advantage, but Haxtun has won three of the last four. The Fightin’ Bulldogs got a 70-6 win last year behind a running attack that stacked up 336 rushing yards. Statz had 101 of them. He and Cone both had one rushing touchdown, and Cone added one through the air. Zavier Trenkle scored the lone touchdown for the Rams on a 58-yards reception. Jacob Frank paced the defense with 10 tackles.

#5 SEDGWICK COUNTY (3-1) VS #7 DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN (4-1)

Last week… Sedgwick County earned a thrilling 24-23 double overtime victory over Simla, making it three straight in the win column for the Cougars. Brady Mollendor ran for 123 yards and two scores, and Owen Harris was the workhorse, toting the rock 40 times for 276 yards. Hawkins Flanagan threw for the lone Dayspring Christian score in a 34-6 non-league loss against Akron. Flanagan was also picked off three times by the Rams. He led the defense with 16 tackles, just ahead of AJ Soucie (15), and Elijah Martin (14).

Series history… Each team has won 11 meetings since 2004, with the Cougars winning each of the last two years, and nine of the last 11 overall. Sedgwick County racked up over 400 rushing yards in last year’s 46-23 victory, with Harris accounting for 77 yards and a touchdown. Martin had 99 yards and a TD for the Eagles.

#6 PLATEAU VALLEY (4-1) AT HAYDEN (2-2)

Last week… The Cowboys suffered their first loss of the season, dropping a Northwest division contest to #12 West Grand, 20-14. Plateau Valley tied the game at 14-all early in the fourth, but West Grand responded with the go-ahead score on its next series. Colter Ralston threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns, but also two interceptions. Hunter White was the primary target, catching seven passes for 167 yards and a TD. London Mitchell caught six balls, including a touchdown. Peyton Johnson ran for two scores as Hayden built a 50-0 halftime lead en route to a 58-6 win over Lake County to begin divisional play. Noah Weber intercepted a pair of passes, returning one for a score, and Matt Heaney also had a pick-six for the Tigers.

Series history… The recent stretch in this series has seen both teams win six times. Hayden had won three in a row prior to Plateau Valley’s 40-30 victory last season. Ralston had three TD passes and two touchdowns on the ground to guide the Cowboys to the win. Johnson had a rushing TD for the Tigers, and Danek Demorat returned a kick for another score.

#9 ELBERT (4-1) AT ST. MARY’S (2-2)

Last week… Ethan Tesman tossed a pair of touchdown passes and Elbert snuck past Calhan 18-14 in Black Forest action. Eli Cornell caught seven passes for 64 yards, and also recorded an interception and a fumble recovery. Jake LaChausse led the Bulldogs with 17 tackles. Michael Trechter threw for two scores and ran for two more in the wild 46-43 loss by St. Mary’s to Clear Creek. He also led everyone with 24 tackles. Jackson Beam added 11 tackles and a forced fumble. Cole Eberhardt and Wyatt Gevry had a fumble recovery apiece.

Series history… Elbert leads 3-0, including a 56-22 victory last year. Tesman ran for 183 yards and four touchdowns for the Bulldogs, while Trechter connected with Beam 17 times for 167 yards and a touchdown for St. Mary’s.

#10 NORWOOD (3-1) VS #11 SANFORD (3-1)

Last week… Norwood was on a bye following a 36-6 victory over Monticello (UT) the week prior. Brycen Rummel threw for three touchdowns against the Buckaroos, one apiece to Holten McCluer, Caylon Joseph, and Cole Bray. Owen Tackett added 122 yards and a touchdown in the running game for the Mavericks. Sanford is also entering this Mountain division contest fresh off a bye. The Mustangs won their previous contest against Fowler 50-18 behind more than 400 rushing yards. Trason Gartrell led the way with 246 yards and three scores, while JD Faucette added 144 yards and a TD. Huntley Duran scored twice.

Series history… Thanks to wins in the last five meetings, Sanford owns a 6-5 lead. The Mustangs got rushing touchdowns from Gartrell, Faucette, and Rylan Mortensen in a 20-13 decision. Rummel threw a TD to Bray, and Tackett rushed for one for the Mavs.

BYE WEEK

#3 AKRON (5-0)