EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – SEMIFINALS by Kerry Sherman

Picture by Vibrant Valley Photography (Sanford vs Dayspring Christian)

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – SEMIFINALS

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

As the semifinal round waits on the weekend horizon, all four of the top seeds in eight-man are still in the field. There was only one upset in the first two rounds combined, and all four semifinalists won by at least 29 points in the quarterfinals. The winners of Saturday’s games, both of which kickoff at 1pm, will advance to next Friday’s championship tilt at CSU-Pueblo.

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#1 AKRON (11-0) VS #4 SANFORD (10-1)

Last week… Akron only held an 8-6 lead over #9 Mancos after the first quarter, but the Rams exploded for 22 second quarter points and never looked back, winning 62-26. A touchdown run by Jakzon Livesay started the sportsmanship clock early in the fourth quarter.

Kolten Randel had himself a nice day, hitting on 10 of 15 passes for 82 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushing for 86 yards and two scores. Jace Curtis went for 136 yards and two scores on the ground, and Livesay added 65 yards and one TD. Curtis, Livesay, Jax Kusel, and Mason Porteus all had a receiving touchdown. Randel tied for game-high honors with 17 tackles, and he had two picks and a forced fumble. Curtis tacked on nine stops and an interception, while Porteus had seven tackles. Kusel and Trent Kautz both were credited with an interception, and Livesay recovered a fumble.

Sanford ran its winning streak to eight games with a 71-42 victory over #5 Dayspring Christian Academy. The Mustangs built a big halftime lead and then cruised to the win, despite a strong second half from the Eagles.

The Mustang offense put up more than 500 yards of offense in the shootout, with 418 coming on the ground. Trason Gartrell went off for 189 yards and six touchdowns, while JD Faucette added 168 and a TD. Gartrell also hit on four of five passes for 102 yards and two scores. JD Faucette and Ben Faucette each caught a touchdown. Defensively, Sanford gave up more than 300 yards through the air, but also picked off three passes. Colton Reynolds had two of those interceptions, and Colter Canty had the other. Rylan Mortensen posted a team-leading nine tackles and a fumble recovery, while JD Faucette tallied seven tackles, a sack, and a 40-yard scoop-and-score. Ryan Cordova also recorded a sack.

Series history… This is the first meeting between the two during the MaxPreps era.

#2 HAXTUN (10-1) VS #3 MCCLAVE (11-0)

Last week… The Fightin’ Bulldogs made it four straight dubs by defeating #7 Sedgwick County for the second time in three weeks, earning a 42-6 victory. Haxtun trailed 6-0 at the end of the first quarter, and only lead 8-6 at the half. The defense pitched the shutout in the second half and allowed the offense to come alive.

Colin Cone threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 122 yards and two scores. Zach Statz added 142 yards and one TD, and Grant Firme and Kanin Koberstein had a rushing TD apiece. The Fightin’ Bulldogs amassed just shy of 400 yards in the ground attack. Aidan Starkebaum caught the 67-yard TD pass from Cone. Corbin Andersen (12) and Austin Knox (11) combined for 23 tackles to lead the defense. Coleman Firme tallied nine, and Statz recorded eight.

McClave remained unbeaten by dominating #6 Norwood 44-14. The Cardinals led 14-0 in the first half before the Mavericks got on the board, and pushed out to a 30-8 lead by the early fourth quarter. After Norwood got its second touchdown of the game, the Cards responded with two more scores to close out the victory. The defense came up big, recording five takeaways, including three interceptions.

Mason Barr had two of those picks, returning one for a TD. Kielan Mallard took the other one back for another score. Grady Ebright and Corbin Jagers each had a fumble recovery. Ryan Steinbrunn led the unit with 11 tackles, and Jr. Mungaray followed with 10. Tuff Kelley added nine with a sack, and Nathan Torres registered eight. Offensively, Barr raced for 211 yards and two scores, while Drew Howe added 67 yards on the ground and 66 through the air. He threw two touchdowns, one apiece to Steinbrunn and Kelley.

Series history… Haxtun leads 3-0 in the MaxPreps era, with one win coming in the playoffs. That was in the 2022 opening round, in which the Fightin’ Bulldogs earned a 48-8 victory.