MileHigh Prep Report

EIGHT-MAN FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

BY: KERRY SHERMAN

With schools moving up and down due to reclassification for the new two-year cycle, eight-man has several new faces. Some come up from six-man, while a number of others are dropping down from 1A. Two schools had to cancel their seasons, and two others went together to form a co-op. Those aren’t the only changes, as there has been quite a bit of realignment as well.

ARKANSAS VALLEY

The Arkansas Valley was set to grow by one with the realignment, as Fowler moved in from the former Six County. However, Swink was unable to field a team this season due to low numbers. Two teams advanced to the playoffs last season.

One of those postseason qualifiers was league champion McClave, who took an unbeaten record into its semifinal contest against Haxtun, who won 50-8 on its way to a second straight state title. The Cardinals are 15-0 in league play over the last three seasons, and are 28-5 overall in that span.

The Cards will have a loaded backfield, with junior QB Drew Howe returning after throwing for 1441 yards and 21 TD, while also running for 1023 yards and 16 touchdowns. Ryan Steinbrunn went for 241 yards as a freshman, and the team adds Kolten Randel, a transfer from Akron. Randel was a first team all-state selection as a sophomore last year after throwing for 1977 yards and 24 TD, and adding 606 plus 11 scores on the ground. McClave also has Tuff Kelley back at tight end following a junior season that included 25 catches for 399 yards and seven touchdowns. The line took a bit of a hit, but senior Kielan Mallard returns to anchor it.

Kelley was second of the defensive side of the ball with 98 tackles, and Steinbrunn finished with 77. Howe tacked on 53, and Mallard added 50. Randel led Akron with 143. Kelley led with six sacks, while Steinbrunn (four) and Howe (three) combined for seven picks. Randel snagged six interceptions for Akron.

Las Animas only lost one league game on its way to a second place finish. The Trojans would advance to the postseason, where they were eliminated in the opening round by Sanford, 49-16. At 7-3, the team recorded its second straight winning season, and the win total is the highest for the program in the MaxPreps era (2004-current).

Quarterback Braydon Ortiz is back after spinning the ball for 842 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he has his leading target, Jerome Ethridge (22/441/8) to throw to. The offense has to replace its leading runner, who tallied more than 1600 yards. Nicholas Duran (199), Josiah Martinez (141), and Ortiz (105) are the top returnees.

With the top two defenders, and three of the top four, having moved on, the Trojans will need some players to step up. Scott Banister registered 47 stops in seven games. Ethridge tallied 34, while Martinez added 33. Ethridge had a team-high four interceptions, and Gio Chavez picked off three passes.

Springfield finished 6-3 overall, third in the league, but just missed out on its second straight postseason berth. The Longhorns had a chance to earn that playoff spot in the regular season finale, but lost to McClave 43-0.

Coltin Woodhouse gives the Longhorns a dual-threat in the backfield after throwing for 665 yards and seven touchdowns, and running for 760 yards and 13 TD. His legs might be needed more this year, as Springfield lost its next three top runners. Landon Spires is the only other player on the roster to reach triple digits, as he comes into this season following a 119 yard sophomore campaign.

The defense got hit really hard by graduation, as that unit lost its top five tacklers, and six of the top seven. Only Spires (35) is back from that group. Jason Miller (22), and Drew George (21) are the only other ones to get into double figures.

Holly got off to a rough start, losing its first four games, and never could get its footing. The Wildcats won their first and last league games to finish fourth, but could only muster a 2-7 record. It was the first losing season for the program since the 2020 COVID season.

The Wildcats don’t bring back much production on offense, with senior Drayden Williams and his 236 yards of total offense leading the way. He only played in five games, so that number should go up significantly. Leonardo Mendoza is the only other returning Wildcat to reach triple digits, finishing his freshman year with 116 yards.

Holly lost its top two tacklers, but will have a number of seniors who made a lot of stops. Brandon Herrera (29), Noel Lopez (27), Coy King (22), Drayden Pecina (19), and Dryvor Hatcher (18) lead the returnees.

Rocky Ford won a single league game and finished 3-6 overall. The Meloneers completed their first cycle in 8-man with a 5-13 mark. Going back to their days in 1A, the team has not had a winning season since 2019.

Senior Shayne Gonzales returns as the leading passers (219 yards), and receiver (13/225/2). His classmate, Jake Baca, ran for 147 yards and two TD, and also caught four passes for 25 yards.

Rocky Ford gets two of its top three defenders back in Mathias Harmon (47), and Esteban Preciado (41). Preciado and Marcos Villegas had two sacks apiece to top the unit.

Fowler finished runner-up in the Six County, going 4-1 in league play with the lone loss coming to Crowley County in the de facto league title game to end the regular season. The Grizzlies were outscored 52-38, ending the season at 5-4. It was the third straight five-win season for the program.

Brock True finished as the leading passer (561 yards) and rusher (977 yards, 23 TD), and the Grizzlies also bring back Bronson Damgaard (948 yards, 12 TD) on the ground. Only three players caught passes last year, with Layton Sharon snagging seven for 152 yards and one score.

Titus Ballard (79), True (70), and Garrett Pharr (69) led the defense in tackles last season. Wade Clemmensen tacked on 59, and Taten Phillips finished with 51 as a freshman. True and Phillips recorded three interceptions apiece.

BIG 6 SOUTHERN

Reclassification and realignment did a number of this league, formerly known as the Six County. It’s now a hodgepodge of teams from that league, the Mountain, 1A, and six-man. Only one team in this new league made the postseason, and that team was in six-man.

Sierra Grande won the 6-man South West last year, earning the title for the second straight year by going undefeated in divisional play. The Panthers were 19-3 over those two years. Last season’s run ended in the quarterfinals with a 56-7 loss to Idalia, closing the season at 10-2.

The Panthers will have to replace Jaydn Martinez, who put up more than 3000 total yards, including 1576 through the air, and 1412 on the ground. There are two good options in the backfield in sophomores Matthew Trujillo and Sammy Gonzalez. The duo both went for more than 250 rushing, and combined for 630 and eight touchdowns.

Carlos Maestas is the only member of the top five tacklers to return, as he recorded 43 stops in his junior season. Aiden Gallegos tallied 30, and Warren Kirk added 22. Gonzalez forced four fumbles, and Kirk created three.

Hoehne finished third in the Six County last year, putting together a 3-2 league record, but just a 4-5 mark overall. The Farmers ended the season with back to back wins, and victories in three of their last four. It wasn’t enough to prevent the fourth losing season in the last five years.

Brody Silvey gives the Farmers a strong running game, finishing last year with 1441 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 450 yards and eight TD. Antonio Cantoria was second with 15 catches for 218 yards and one score. Cantoria also enters the season as the leading returning passers with 49 yards.

Silvey and Alec Baca tied for second on the squad with 62 tackles last season, while Bracyn Seeders (55) and Cantoria (45) combined for 100. Seeders led with three sacks, and Dylan Alvardo had a team-leading six picks as a freshman.

Sangre de Cristo and Sargent are joining forces this cycle to form the County Line Coyotes. Sangre was fourth in the Six County, ending the season at 5-4. Sargent was sixth in the Mountain, checking in at 1-8. The lone win by the Farmers came in the season opener.

Deklin Beiriger had a big freshman year for Sangre, throwing for 1551 yards. Joe Brown (464) and Beiriger (318) combined for close to 800 yards on the ground. Kyler Jones and River Hodgson were two of the top runners for the Farmers, recording 240 and 146 yards, respectively.

Sargent did not enter full defensive stats, but J. Brown had 70 stops for the Thunderbids, and Beiriger added 44. Luke Brown tacked on 41, while Zaine Eskew tallied 37.

Custer County went on a three-game winning streak midway through the season, but those would be the only wins on the season for the Bobcats. It was still a bounce back after going 0-9 the year before. They head into the season looking for their first winning record since 2018.

Elijah Flynn had a nice sophomore season throwing the ball, racking up 874 yards and five TD, but the Bobcats struggled to run the ball. They only gained 540 yards as a team, and 492 of that went away with two seniors. Agi Thomas was on the receiving end of a lot of passes, snaring 37 grabs for 844 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The defense did not have complete stats.

Walsenburg failed to win a game inside the Six County and finished 1-8, giving the Panthers their second straight losing year. They have had five straight seasons below .500 since going 4-3 in the 2021 Spring COVID year.

The Panthers lost their talented dual-threat QB from last year, but return Taylor Torres, who led the team with 449 yards and five TD on the ground. Landon Eccher added 219 yards, and was also the top receiver with 12 catches for 191 yards. Malachi Luginbill got some work at QB as a freshman, throwing for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

Walsenburg returns its top four defenders from 2025, led by Torres with 71 tackles. Eccher and Jiovanni Correnti had 48 stops apiece, and Christian Maestas added 36. Eccher’s total included four sacks.

The new league also includes Center, who dropped down after going 0-9 in 1A, 0-5 in the South Central. Over the last two years, the Vikings went 2-16, and the program hasn’t had a winning record since 2018. They were shutout four times last year, and only scored 50 points total.

Devan Garcia threw for a little under 400 yards and ran for 162 last year. Jaiden Martinez led with 234 on the ground. Martinez also led the team with 13 catches and 140 yards. Yanixian Padilla snagged seven for 76 and the lone TD.

Derriq Thompson just missed the team lead in tackles, finishing with 38, three off the lead. Garcia added 33, and Mario Mendoza tallied 30.

BLACK FOREST

The Black Forest is going to look almost unfamiliar to the casual fan. Last year’s league champion Byers has moved up to 1A. South Park has shifted to the Central. Crowley County moves in after winning the Six County league last year. And, you add Monument Academy, playing in its first season as a CHSAA member. There are still four holdovers to provide a bit of continuity.

Simla finished second to Byers last year, but went on to make the postseason. The Cubs got bounced by Norwood in the opening in a 46-44 thriller. That ended their season at 6-4, matching the fewest wins in a season since 2021.

A lot of key pieces return this season, including the outstanding QB-RB-TE trio of Evan Guy, Ethan Kissam, and Tatum Kochera. Guy went for more than 1400 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air, while adding 359 and five TD on the ground. Kissam led the team with 1076 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, and also caught 26 passes for 354 yards and four more touchdowns. Kochera led the team with 48 catches, 804 yards, and 11 TD.

Simla’s defense gets its top three tacklers back from last year, as Kochera (94), Conner Maranville (81), and Ty Stanko (81) all return. Kochera picked off six passes, while Maranville and Kissam each snagged two.

Elbert rolled up in third place, earning the tiebreaker over Calhan with an 18-14 head to head victory. The Bulldogs went to the postseason for the first tine since 2019, where they were knocked out in the opening round by McClave 47-22. They finished the year at 6-4.

Most of the high-flying offense is gone from last year, with only junior Cole Nay returning after catching 41 passes for 392 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also the leading rusher back from last year, having gained 14 yards. Hunter Neville (7/43) and Victor Ortiz (3/26) combined for 10 catches and 69 yards.

The defensive side of the ball was equally decimated, as Neville is the only one of last year’s top eight tacklers to return. He tied for third with 49 stops. Nay added 26, and Conner Rhodes tallied 13. Neville and Nay each had two interceptions.

After losing the tiebreaker to Elbert, Calhan finished fourth in the Black Forest. The team won its final three games, including a wild 50-44 decision over Byers in the finales. After ending the regular season at 5-4, this pack of Bulldogs just missed the postseason. It was the fourth straight year of missing the playoffs, despite having a winning record in three of those seasons.

While the offense lost its top two runners, and top three receivers, the Bulldogs do return some key contributors. That starts at the QB spot, where Brody Burnside threw for 894 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman. He was also third on the team with 526 yards and nine TD on the ground. Damean Soucy also ended up with triple digits in the rushing game, finishing with 128 on 11 carries. Joey Mast was one of the top receivers last year, putting up a line of 6/188/1.

Burnside’s strong freshman season also included leading the defense with 78 tackles and two interceptions. Caden Goggin tallied 49, one ahead of Brock Burnside, and four more than Mast. Brock Burnside was tops on the unit with three sacks.

St. Mary’s slid from five wins in 2024 to just three last year (3-6), with its only league win coming against South Park. In four seasons as an eight-man program, the Pirates have won a total of 13 games.

The Pirates will have to replace their outstanding dual-threat from last year, with Michael Trechter and his more that 3100 combined passing and rushing yards has moved on. Reggie Harmon is the only one of the roster who even attempted a pass last year, going one for five for one yard. He’s the top returning runner with 21 yards on five carries. Hayden Cuccinelli caught 11 passes for 104 yards as a junior.

With the top four defenders gone, Landen Borg leads the unit with 57 tackles a year ago. Cuccinelli registered 43, and Harmon collected 38. Matthew Crocfer was second on the team with three interceptions.

Thanks to a 52-38 win over Fowler in the regular season finale, Crowley County won the Six County title and made a return to the postseason after a two-year hiatus. The Chargers drew Akron in the opening round, and fell by a 42-14 count. They went 6-4 on the year.

The Chargers begin their first season in their new home league with two sophomores who contributed a lot last year. Levi Gibson led the team in rushing with 1257 yards and 21 touchdowns, while Julian Marquez was second in passing with 284 yards and three scores. Gibson was also the leading receiver after catching 14 passes for 264 yards and four TD. Cooper Salzbrenner (248 yards, 3 TD) will add depth to the running game.

Salzbrenner also spearheads the defense, having led the team with 107 tackles as a sophomore. Gibson (56) and Ghett Hughes (44) combined for 100. Hughes recovered a pair of fumbles.

Not only is Monument Academy in its first year as a CHSAA school, this is also the first year of the football program. There was no roster available for the Lynx.

CENTRAL

This year, the Central sees Estes Park coming down from 1A, Clear Creek moving to the Plains, South Park joining from the Black Forest, and Belleview Christian not fielding a program. With Clear Creek leaving the league, there will be a new champion crowned this year in the Central.

Following a three-year stretch that saw Gilpin County win a total of one game, the Eagles posted their second straight winning campaign in 2025, going 7-2 overall. A loss to Clear Creek put the Eagles in second place in the league, but it could not end the postseason drought of the program, which now stands at eight years.

Gilpin County gets two of its leading rushers back in Jack Fisher (435 yards, 7 TD) and Ryan Marr (241 yards, 4 TD). That will help carry the team as it develops a new QB, as no one on the roster completed more than one pass last season. Marr should also help in that part of the attack, as he led the team with 35 catches for 726 yards, and nine touchdowns.

Fisher was last year’s leading tackler, posting 70 stops as a sophomore. Marr tallied 41. Justin Kennedy (11) and Taurean Paxton (10) are the only other ones back who had double figures. Marr (3) and Fisher (2) combined for five interceptions.

Front Range Christian went 3-2 in the league, earning third place. The Falcons did not get any other wins, finishing 3-6 overall. After ending six straight seasons with winning records, it was the second consecutive campaign that ended under .500 for the program.

Lawson Edwards returns after leading the Falcons with 835 yards and 10 TD passing, and 570 and seven in the running attack. He’ll have a bit of experience back at receiver, with Caleb Harms (8/125/1) and Jake Carlson (7/114/3) returning.

The Falcons look to be in good shape on defense, with Joseph Ratts (92), Harms (57), and Grayson Murray (54) coming back after leading the unit last season. Carlson tacked on 46. Harms was second on the team with three interceptions.

Lyons also struggled against non-league foes, as the Lions were 2-3 inside the Central, but 0-4 out of it. Put it together, and the team suffered its second straight losing season.

The Lions will have to replace last year’s leading rusher, but the return of senior QB Calvin Russell will help. Russell threw for 559 yards and three scores, while also running for 354 yards and five TD. Fellow senior, tight end Jesse Kauffman, caught 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown last year. Brock Shelton carried the ball seven times for 54 yards as a freshman, and scored twice.

Russell and Kauffman should lead the defense after racking up 54 and 52 tackles, respectively. They are the only returnees who reached double figures last year.

It was another tough go of things for Justice, who has not posted more than two wins since 2017. The 2-7 season by the Phoenix was however a two victory improvement over a winless 2024.

The only real experience returning for Justice is at receiver, where Michael Dixon (47/426/3) and Izayah Serrano-Parker (38/610/9) led the team as juniors. Trystian Treasure also ended with double digit receptions, snagging 10 for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Treasure went for triple digits in tackles, leading the Phoenix with 115. Serrano-Parker tallied 54, and Manner Stuckey had 37. Serrano-Parker recorded a team-leading five interceptions.

Estes Park spent its time in 1A bouncing around leagues, but the Bobcats were part of the Central league in that classification last year. They finished 2-7 overall, giving the program a 3-15 record over the last two years. The team only had offensive stats for two games, and none for defense.

South Park went winless in its last season of Black Forest play, and only won one non-league contest. The Burros have not won more than two games in a season since 2018, and the program’s last winning campaign was the prior year.

The Burros did not run the ball well last year, with Bennett Salverson leading the way with just 158 yards. That put pressure on the passing game and QB Kyle Basnett. Basnett put up 551 yards and two touchdowns, but also had a dozen interceptions. Salverson was second on the team with 13 receptions, and Michael Valenzuela was second with 157 yards.

Two of those three finished high on the tackle chart for the Burros, with Salverson recording a team-leading 47, and Valenzuela posting 31. Chase Hermansen collected 19 as a freshman. Hermansen had a team-high three sacks in his tally. Salverson had both of the team’s interceptions.

MOUNTAIN

The Mountain division lost two teams from last season, with Sargent joining Sangre de Cristo for the County Line co-op, and Dove Creek not having enough numbers to field a squad. However, the league also gained Del Norte, who dropped down from the 1A South Central.

Sanford won its first league title since the COVID season of 2020, with the Mustangs going unbeaten in league play. They rolled past Las Animas and Dayspring Christian in the first two rounds of the postseason, but were eliminated by Akron 39-16 in the semifinals. The 10-2 season marked the first time the program had collected that many victories since 2019.

The graduation of Trason Gartrell left some mighty big holes to fill, as he went for more than 2000 yards on the ground, and led the team in passing as well. The second-leading rusher is also gone after putting up more than a thousand yards. Huntley Duran and Colton Reynolds should help the offense stay potent, after they combined for more than 700 yards and 10 touchdowns in the ground game.

Sanford does have its top two tacklers back, with Rylan Mortensen (63) and Reynolds (61) returning. Kaden Cary added 33, and Duran registered 17. Reynolds tied for the team lead with four picks.

Norwood only had one loss in league play, and that was to Sanford in the first game of the league slate. The Mavericks reeled off five straight wins, including a 46-44 decision over Simla in the opening round of the playoffs. Their season came to a close the next week, as they fell to McClave 44-14 in the quarters. At 8-3, the Mavs doubled their win total from the previous year.

They will have to find a replacement at quarterback, as no one on the roster attempted more than three passes, or completed more than one. The running game also lost its top two, but the Mavericks return Cole Bray (382 yards, 9 TD), and Daniel Zunich (260 yards, 1 TD). Whoever lands the QB job will have last season’s top four receivers back in Bray, Holten McCluer, Zunich, and Austin Garvey.

Bray will also be a key on defense after leading the team with 105 tackles last year. Jacob Davis tallied 45, while Jackson McCabe and Keegan Tackett had 44 and 42, respectively. Colton Kepley tied for the team lead with six sacks, and McCabe had four picks, which was also tied for the most on the team.

After winning the Mountain crown in 2024, Mancos slipped to third last year. At 7-4, the Bluejays kept their run of seasons above .500. The last time the program had a losing mark was in 2014. They got past West Grand in the opening round of the postseason last year, but fell in the quarters to Akron 62-26.

Michael Resner had an outstanding junior year for the Bluejays, finishing with 1111 yards and 12 touchdowns passing, and 1136 and 15 on the ground. One down note was his 13 interceptions thrown. His top three targets from last year are back in Traycer White (33/454/3), James Potts (20/370/6), and Gavin Smith (13/163/0). Potts also helped the running game with 303 yards and four touchdowns.

While last season’s leading tackler, who finished with 157 stops has moved on, Mancos brings back a pretty solid group. Potts tallied 88, followed by Resner with 80, White with 65, and Smith with 62. Resner led the team with six picks, while White and Joshua Peterson had four apiece.

Things looked good early for Dolores, as the Bears sought the first winning record for the program since 2010. They got out to a 4-1 start, but then stumbled to the finish line, losing their last three games. Two of those were by eight points apiece. Still, at 4-4, it was the first time the program had reached .500 since that 2010 campaign.

The Bears split the workload between three backs, and two return. Darren Hicks was second with 380 yards and five touchdowns, just seven yards and one score off the lead. River Wickstrom recorded 221 yards and three TD, while also leading the squad 1315 passing yards, and 16 touchdowns. Three of the top four receivers are gone, but Hicks caught 14 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns out of the backfield.

Hicks topped the defense with 67 tackles last season, and Branson Lee added 46. Wickstrom was right on his heels with 42, while Daniel Jacket (37) and Miles Brown (32) both finished with more than 30. Four of Jacket’s were sacks.

The newcomer to the league, Del Norte had more than its fair share of struggles in its last eight years in 1A. Last year’s 2-4 mark, while being an improvement over 2024’s 0-9 finish, was the eighth straight year with a losing record for the Tigers. The program has not worn more than three games in a season in that stretch.

Brendan Hemmerling and Liam Kreutzer led the rushing attack as freshmen with 300 and 152 yards, respectively. They combined for seven touchdowns. The Tigers only threw for 117 total yards on the season, and the leading receiver caught five passes. Kreutzer (3) and Hemmerling (2) combined for that many.

The defense was also led by a pair of freshmen. Asher Albright had 36 tackles, while Kreutzer finished with 30. Layne Roesch added 16. Albright tied for the team lead with two sacks.

PLAINS

The Plains has produced the last two state champions (Haxtun) and the runners-up (Akron), and it may have gotten even stronger. The loss of Dayspring Christian to 1A hurts, but the league adds last year’s Central champ, Clear Creek, and Stratton moves up from six-man after having a nice run over the last 14 years, including finishing second the last two seasons.

Haxtun has been on quite the run lately, winning three state titles in the last five years, including the last two. Over that stretch, the Fightin’ Bulldogs have posted a 59-5 mark. One of those losses came last year to Akron (28-24) in the regular season. Haxtun avenged that with a 54-28 win in the championship game.

The Fightin’ Bulldogs were hit hard by graduation, leaving a number of gaping holes. The offense lost its top passer, top five runners (including three over 1000 yards), and top three receivers. Grant Firme (67 yards) and Gabriel Becerra (43 yards) are the top rushers coming back. Eli Horton is the only one on the roster who attempted a pass last year, and Aspen Hart Starkebaum had six catches for 98 yards.

The defense took as big of a hit, losing the top four tacklers, and 10 of the first 13. Austin Knox leads the returnees with 76 tackles. Becerra had 29, and Baron Starkebaum tallied 12 as a freshman. No one else coming back had double figures. Knox tied for the team lead with 10 sacks.

The regular season win over the Fightin’ Bulldogs gave Akron the Plains title last year, but for the second straight year, the Rams fell in the state championship game. They’ve won 23 games over the last two years, and have not had a losing record since the 2020 COVID season.

Between graduation and transfer, the Rams lost their top two passers, three runners, and three receivers. Jefferson Hunt is the only one on the roster who threw a pass last season, but the offense still has Jax Kusel, who ran for 154 yards, and had 20 catches for 446 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore Mason McCoy could be called upon to help the running game after going for 75 yards last year.

Akron had four players with more than 100 tackles last year, and all are gone. Nolan Camacho came close to that milestone, as he finished his freshman season with 93. Trent Kautz (56), Kusel (38), and Hunt (27) are the other top returnees. Camacho was second with 6.5 sacks, and Dawson Bales followed with five.

Sedgwick County fell in at fourth in the league, trailing Dayspring Christian. The Cougars clawed their way to a 5-5 finish, wrapping up the season with an opening round postseason win over Clear Creek, but falling to Haxtun in the quarters. They’ve been right around .500 since winning the last of six consecutive titles in 2020.

The offense returns Owen Harris, who led the team with 1673 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground as a junior. He may be the bell cow this season, as there is no one on the roster who completed a pass last year, and the next best ball carrier, Liam Amendt, tallied 136 yards as a freshman. Noah Harens gives the unit its top receiver back after catching 20 passes for 235 yards.

Harris (82) and Harens (50) will give the Cougars two of their top three tacklers back. They’re joined by Nathan Gonzales (45), Cooper Edson (45), and Hudson Peterson (37). Harris and Harens had five sacks apiece last year.

Merino had its second straight rough season, going 0-4 in the league, and just 3-6 overall. The Rams only won one league game the year before. The program had only had back to back losing seasons one other time in the MaxPreps era, 2012 and 2013.

Zavier Trenkle had just over 1000 yards of combined offense, 866 on the ground, and 209 through the air. He’s back as a senior. Isaac Poe (178) and Bouxe Alva (107) should help the running game. No one who returns caught more than two passes a year ago.

Jordan Rose led the defense with 81 tackles last season, and his three sacks tied him with Trenkle for second. Alva led with 3.5. Alva’s 57 tackles were one behind Jordan Sherman, and just ahead of Trenkle, who had 54.

After struggling to find a foothold in its last five years in 1A, Clear Creek has settled in nicely in eight-man. The Golddiggers went 7-3 and made the playoffs in 2024, and they were the Central champs, finishing 9-1 with a loss to Sedgwick County in the first round of the postseason.

Clear Creek will bring back a nice offensive backfield featuring Merrell Harvey (473 yards, 7 TD), Skyler Clark (364 yards, 9 TD), and Leo Manwarren (149 yards). Manwarren is the only one on the roster who attempted a pass last season. He completed it for seven yards. Harvey is the only returnee who had double digit catches, finishing with 17 for 345 yards and five touchdowns.

Drake Isaacson (93), Titus Canelos (77), and Harvey (71) were the second through fourth leading tacklers last year. Clark added 64. Isaacson had 15 sacks in his total.

Stratton capped its run in six-man with a second straight runner-up finish, falling to Idalia 38-8. The Eagles had lost to Cheyenne Wells in the title game in 2024. They were the only team to play in every six-man championship game played in Pueblo.

They lost their 1500-yard passer, but Corbin Notter could slide into the QB position as a sophomore. He was only called upon to attempt six passes last year. Judson Isenbart also has some experience as the signal caller, but he led the team with 45 catches for 638 yards and 12 TD last year. He also ran for 472 yards and five scores. Drew Fox led the squad with 1709 yards and 32 touchdowns. Gavin Ruhs is also one to watch, as he had 31 catches for 601 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Eagles had four players with more than 100 tackles, led by Ruhs with 139. Isenbart had 112. Fox came up just short, recording 97. Ryan May had three sacks in a reserve role as a freshman, and Isenbart finished with six interceptions.

WESTERN SLOPE

For all of the reclassification and realignment during the offseason, the Northwest looks the way it did last cycle. No one came in, and no one left. Only the name has changed, as it’s now the Western Slope.

West Grand went undefeated in league play to claim the crown, and the Mustangs made it to the postseason for the fourth straight year. They were knocked out of the opening round by Mancos (56-26).

While a new QB will be needed, the Mustangs return their top runner from last season in Landon Lockhart, who could take over the position. He ran for 1269 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, and he threw for just over 100 yards on 4 of 11 passing. Ruben Hatcher and Walker Howell combined for 420 rushing yards, and Sanjay Geffers caught 18 passes for 437 yards and five TD.

Hatcher showed a nose for the ball last year, racking up 88 tackles. Lance Eisenman (54), Lockhart (52), Howell (48), and Drake Bustillos (27) also return. Eisenman tied for the team lead with four sacks, while Howell was second with four interceptions.

Hayden had a five-game winning streak snapped by West Grand in the regular season finale, giving the Tigers their only loss in the Northwest. They finished the campaign at 6-3, but missed out on the postseason for a third straight year.

Peyton Johnson returns to guide the offense after passing for 449 yards and seven touchdowns, and also running for 888 yards and17 scores. Carson Campbell (460 yards, 5 TD) and Noah Weber (221 yards, 5 TD) will help offset the loss of a 1000-yard back. Campbell also caught 21 passes last year. Nobody else caught more than two.

On defense, the Tigers return their top three tacklers. Campbell led with 87, followed by Ryder Weber with 61, and Jarrett Davis with 58. Johnson and N. Weber tacked on 40 apiece. Johnson had a team-high four interceptions.

Plateau Valley wound up third in the league, but the Cowboys pulled ahead of Hayden for a spot in the playoff bracket. They were shutout by Haxtun 44-0 in the opening round, completing the season at 7-3. That made it back to back years with that as the final record.

Vance Sheffield is back after putting up a team-high 525 yards on the ground last year. With the loss of the next two leading rushers, and their QB, the Cowboys don’t have a lot of production back around him. London Mitchell did lead the team with 54 catches for 876 yards and 11 touchdowns, but nobody on the roster completed more than three passes last season.

Austin Grundy reached triple digit tackles last season, picking up 117. Grant Bevan tallied 51, and Sheffield notched 44. Mitchell (27), Marshal Jennings (24), and Aiden Azcarraga (21) also finished with at least 20. Mitchell recorded three of the team’s four interceptions.

Vail Christian went .500 in the league, but finished one game under overall, checking in at 4-5. That snapped the Saints’ run off finishing .500 or above at seven seasons. The Saints only had partial stats on offense and none on defense.

Fifth place in the league last year went to Rangley, whose only two wins came in league play. After finishing 5-4 each of the two previous seasons, the Panthers completed last season at 2-6. They also had only partial stats available.

Following last year’s winless campaign, Lake County a second 0-9 run in its second season of eight-man by snaring a 30-28 win over Soroco in overtime. That was the only game in the season where the Panthers scored more than 14 points.

Sylas Westendorf provided some bright spots last year, throwing for 250 yards and tying for the team rushing lead with 235 yards. He also led the unit with six touchdowns on the ground. Westendorf is the only returnee to top 100 total yards of offense. He did it as a freshman.

Westendorf also comes back as the top returning tackler, having posted 36. Ernesto Raudales Galarza registered 26.

Soroco went winless in 2025, with the Rams being outscored 431-52. They were shutout five times, and the only game in which they scored multiple times was the 30-28 overtime loss to Lake County. They’ve won a total of six games in the last six seasons.

The Rams did not have complete stats, but with what was available, Joseph Cordova and Cavit Gregory were the top two producers on offense as a junior and sophomore, respectively.