EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK TEN by Kerry Sherman

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK TEN

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

The final weekend of the regular season has arrived, and with it comes the determination of several league champs. CHSAA will set the play-off field on Monday, once the final Selection and Seeding Index has been updated.

FRIDAY

#1 AKRON (8-0) AT #21 MERINO (3-5)

Last week… Akron played its third straight single possession contest, as the Rams beat Sedgwick County 26-20. They trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter, but came back to tie it before halftime. Akron would break a 20-20 tie with around a minute left on a Jace Curtis touchdown run. Curtis finished the night with two rushing scores and two passing. He also tied Kolten Randel with 15 tackles. Jakzon Livesay added a dozen. Akron clinched the Plains league title with the win. Merino had a bye following its third straight loss, all in Plains division play. In their last outing, the Rams were handed a 52-6 defeat by Sedgwick County. Their defense allowed more than 400 yards on the ground in that loss.

Series history… Akron leads this clash of Rams, 8-5. They won last year’s meeting 56-32, and have won three of the last four. In last season’s match-up, Livesay ran for 148 yards and three scores. Jacob Frank had a rushing touchdown and one receiving TD for Merino.

#2 HAXTUN (7-1) VS #6 SEDGWICK COUNTY (4-3)

Last week… Haxtun came out of its bye week and got a big 30-6 win over Dayspring Christian. Coleman Firme had a rushing TD and one through the air, while Zach Statz piled up 158 yards and a touchdown in the running game. Firme led the Fightin’ Bulldogs with 13 tackles, and Seth Seger checked in with a dozen. Brady Mollendor ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and Owen Harris tacked on 154 yards with a touchdown, but Sedgwick County came up just short in its upset bid at Akron, 26-20. Mollendor’s 13 tackles led the Cougars on defense, and Noah Harens added three sacks.

Series history… The Cougars hold a 12-9 edge over Haxtun, but the Fightin’ Bulldogs have won four straight. Colin Cone threw for 102 yards and ran for 106 in last year’s 32-6 victory. Mollendor accounted for the lone Sedgwick County touchdown, returning a kickoff 72 yards.

#7 NORWOOD (6-2) AT #23 DOLORES (4-3)

Last week… The Mavericks took sole possession of second place in the Mountain division with a 40-6 win over Mancos. The win, which was the third straight for Norwood, saw Owen Tackett rush for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Cole Bray tallied 51 yards and three TD. Jackson McCabe had 11 tackles and two interceptions. Dolores lost its showdown with league champion Sanford, after pushing the Mustangs in the 28-18 decision. River Wickstrom threw three TD passes for the Bears, one apiece to Ethan Brown, Deven Winter, and Michael Rantz. Winter and Darren Hicks both had 12 tackles.

Series history… Norwood has won three straight to grab a 3-2 lead over the Bears. Last year, the Mavs took a 32-13 victory, with Brycen Rummel throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns, and adding a rushing TD. Rantz led Dolores with an interception and 13 tackles.

#8 MANCOS (5-3) AT #34 SARGENT (1-7)

Last week… Mancos slipped to third in the Mountain division with its 40-6 loss to Norwood. Michael Resner came up with the only touchdown for the Bluejays, as he scored on a running play. Traycer White grabbed a pair of interceptions for the defense. Sargent suffered its seventh straight defeat, falling to Dove Creek 56-0. While highlights were few and far between for the Farmers, Brysan Medina accumulated 116 of the team’s 130 total yards.

Series history… Mancos has won seven straight, 60-6 last year, to take a 9-7 lead overall. Resner ran for one score and caught another.

#9 WEST GRAND (7-1) VS #18 HAYDEN (6-2)

Last week… West Grand was on a bye, and kept its share of the Northwest lead with a 60-20 win at Vail Christian, setting up a showdown for the league title with Hayden this week. In that win over the Saints, Ruben Hatcher rushed for three touchdowns, while Blake Terryberry and Landon Lockhart both added two on the ground. Lockhart ran for more than 200 yards. Ethan Barr picked off two passes. Hayden stayed unbeaten in league play by dominating Vail Christian 72-28. Peyton Johnson amassed 199 yards on the ground, and Danek Demorat added 148. Both Tigers scored four rushing touchdowns. Johnson and Carson Campbell each had an interception, and Demorat scored on a kick return.

Series history… West Grand owns a 12-6 lead, with the Mustangs having won two in a row, and 10 of the last 12 overall. Terryberry ran for five touchdowns in last year’s 46-32 shootout. Johnson threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns for the Tigers.

#10 SIMLA (5-3) VS #37 SOUTH PARK (1-7)

Last week… Simla got 187 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Ethan Kissam, and 147 yards and a TD from Tatum Kochera, as the Bear Cubs edged Elbert 41-34. Kissam also caught a touchdown from Evan Guy, who tacked on a rushing TD. South Park lost its fourth straight, all in Black Forest league play, 54-14 at St. Mary’s. Bennett Salverson ran for one score and caught another for the Burros.

Series history… Simla has won all three, taking a forfeit victory last year.

#17 FOWLER (5-3) AT #20 CROWLEY COUNTY (5-3)

Last week… The Grizzlies set up this Six-County league title game by winning their fourth straight, all in league action. They blanked Walsenburg 60-0 last week, with Brock True running for two scores and throwing for another. Taten Phillips, Titus Ballard, and Hilario Alvarez had an interception apiece. Phillips returned his for a touchdown. Crowley County enters the contest on a five-game winning streak, with the Chargers getting a 48-6 victory against Sangre de Cristo last week. Levi Gibson ran for 153 yards and four touchdowns, while Randy Aragon threw for two TD. One of those scoring tosses went to Gibson. Cooper Salzenbrenner picked up 15 tackles for the Charger defense.

Series history… Fowler has won two straight and three of five overall. True threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more in last year’s 39-22 win by the Grizzlies.

OTHER KEY GAMES

#12 BYERS (6-2) VS #24 ST. MARY’S (3-5)

The Bulldogs are the Black Forest champion.

#15 LAS ANIMAS (6-2) VS #35 SWINK (0-8)

The Trojans remain in the title hunt in the Ark Valley. A win, coupled with a McClave loss to Springfield would create a three-way tie for the crown.

SATURDAY

#3 MCCLAVE (8-0) VS #19 SPRINGFIELD (6-2)

Last week… McClave remained unbeaten on the season with a 60-6 drubbing of Holly. Drew Howe threw four touchdown passes and ran for another, while Mason Barr ran for two and caught two. Cope Meston also had two receiving TD. Barr and Howe added an interception apiece. Springfield kept its league title hopes alive with a 42-0 shutout of Swink. The Longhorn defense got return touchdowns from Dylen Ormiston (fumble) and Logan Spires (interception). Spires also blocked two punts.

Series history… McClave has won the last four, 42-26 last year, but it is Springfield holding a 10-9 lead overall. Barr ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught a TD for the Cardinals in the latest match-up. Wyatt Cohoon racked up 15 tackles for the Longhorns.

#4 SANFORD (7-1) VS #22 DOVE CREEK (4-4)

Last week… Trason Gartrell piled up 170 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and also threw for one score in Sanford’s 28-18 win over Dolores. JD Faucette added 92 yards and a touchdown in the ground game, and Colter Canty scored on a receiving TD. Canty and Rylan Mortensen picked off a pass apiece. Cael Beanland tossed three touchdown passes for Dove Creek in its 56-0 blanking of Sargent. Nicholas Aragon caught two TD passes and ran for one, while Kycen Gritz had one on the ground and one receiving. Defensively, Aragon posted 16 tackles, six sacks, and a 97-yard fumble return.

Series history… Sanford broke a three-game losing streak to the Bulldogs with last year’s 41-18 win. Gartrell raced for 238 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing for two. Aragon led the Bulldogs with 88 rushing yards and a touchdown.

OTHER KEY GAMES

#11 CLEAR CREEK (8-0) AT #28 FRONT RANGE CHRISTIAN (3-5)

Clear Creek is the champion of the Central.

NOTES

#5 DAYSPRING CHRISTIAN (6-3) and #16 CALHAN (5-4) have both finished the regular season. While Dayspring Christian is safely in the postseason field, Calhan is on the bubble, and likely to be the team that gets bumped by the Six-County champion.