SIX-MAN FOOTBALL REPORT – WEEK SIX
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
With Week Six here, the regular season is officially in the homestretch. We shift away from using our MHPR Coaches/Media poll to the CHSAA rankings powered by MaxPreps for the remainder of the season. The weekend slate includes a couple of match-ups between top-10 teams, including one that will see an undefeated team go down. Third-ranked Cheyenne Wells has already received a forfeit from #17 Cheraw, who is dealing with a number of injuries. Some notes from last week in a game between unranked teams. Antonito’s Dylan Gray was listed as rushing for 510 yards and eight touchdowns in a 100-56 loss to Primero. That is the fifth most yards in a game in any classification in state history, and the most by a six-man player. The combined 156 points are the 11th most in state history, and eighth most in six-man.
FRIDAY
#1 IDALIA (5-0) VS #9 FLAGLER (4-2)
Idalia comes off its bye week after getting a 72-24 victory over Wiley two weeks ago. That game saw Gabe Kechter go for 180 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He broke the school record for career total touchdowns with 137. Ryan Beckman’s mark of 136 had stood for over 30 years. Kechter enters this contest needing 82 yards to become the all-time rushing leader in six-man, with the current record standing at 6151. He is also 24 total touchdowns away from becoming the all-time leader in state history. That would also make him the all-time leader in total points. Broderick Kite also threw for two touchdown passes and recorded an interception in the win over Wiley. Flagler heads into the game on a three-game winning streak, the latest coming last week against Deer Trail, 46-12. Trevor Moore popped for 164 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and Ian Ayres added 109 yards in the rushing attack. Jordan Wilson tallied 90 yards and two TD, as the Panthers rushed for well over 350 yards. Moore also led the defense with 10 tackles, five of them sacks, and Dawson Brent added two interceptions. Idalia has won four of six against Flagler, including the last two. However, this is the first match-up since 2022.
#2 PRAIRIE (5-0) AT #7 OTIS (5-0)
The second of our ranked vs ranked games is a showdown of unbeatens. Prairie picked up a huge win in the North, eking out a 27-26 decision over #6 Fleming. It was the third straight game between the two to be decided by one point. Wyatt Walker had 79 yards and two TD on the ground, and Derek Dollerschell added 81 yards and one touchdown. Tatum Bailey also had a receiving touchdown on a pass from Liam Bringelson. Walker collected 12 tackles to lead the Mustangs on defense, and Bailey came up big with two blocked kicks. Otis got a monster effort from Cambric Klinzmann in last week’s 86-36 win over #13 Bethune. The senior ran for 428 yards and 11 touchdowns on 19 carries. His touchdowns are the most in a six-man game, and the second most all-time in the entire state. Raegan Torres added two touchdown passes, one each to Austin Sauer and Malakye Reese. On defense, Torres and Klinzmann both recorded 10 tackles, and Klinzmann also tallied an interception, a blocked punt, and a blocked PAT. Aiden Horinek chipped in nine tackles and a blocked kick. Otis and Prairie have played eight times in the MaxPreps era, with each winning four times. The last time they clashed was in 2021.
#6 FLEMING (5-1) AT DEER TRAIL (0-6)
Fleming’s powerful running attack was held to a season-low 93 yards in that 27-26 loss to Prairie last week. Dylon Monroe led the Wildcats with 72 yards and two touchdowns, and Conner Marchant added a TD on the ground. Treyson Kirkwood had a touchdown pass to Jaron Monroe. Marchant topped the defense with 14 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, while D. Monroe and J. Monroe both finished with 11 tackles. Evan Vandenbark contributed with a blocked kick. It feels like Deer Trail is playing a highly-ranked team each week, and the Eagles have yet to break into the win column. Chris Manriquez-Bustamante threw for 172 yards and two touchdowns, both to Osiris Aldana, in last week’s 46-12 loss to Flagler. The teams had to wait out a long weather delay to get that game finished. Hunter Meredith paced the defense with 11 tackles (one sack), an interception, and a fumble recovery. That unitalso got a fumble recovery apiece from Julian Recendez and Shane Tholkes. Tholkes also blocked two kicks, and Leo Carranza blocked one. Fleming and Deer Trail have only played twice in the MaxPreps era, with the Wildcats winning both. The teams have not played since 2019.
#8 WALSH (3-2) VS KIOWA (0-5)
Walsh picked up its second straight win, and first in South East play, by downing Cheraw 47-12 last week. The Eagles only led 20-6 at the half, but blew it open with 13 in the third, and 14 more in the final frame. Kiowa scored an early touchdown last week against Genoa-Hugo/Karval on a pass from Harlen Summers to Colten Miller, but that would be all the Indians could muster in a 48-6 loss to the Pirates. Miller caught four passes for 78 yards, and Davon Chambers snagged three for 67 yards. John White recorded 14 tackles, and Miller added 10. This is the first meeting between Walsh and Kiowa in the MaxPreps era.
#10 WILEY (3-2) AT MANZANOLA (1-2)
After starting the season 3-0, Wiley has lost its last two against Idalia and #4 Granada by a combined tally of 141-42. Weather forced last week’s game at Granada to be moved from Friday to Saturday, but it did little to help the Panthers, who lost 69-18. They allowed 24 points in the fourth quarter. Manzanola comes off a bye week following a 61-0 loss to Cheyenne Wells two weeks ago. The Bobcats allowed nine touchdowns to the Tigers in 26 snaps. The series between Wiley and Manzanola is tied at two wins apiece, but Wiley’s 63-12 victory last year was the only six-man game between the two.
SATURDAY
#5 PEETZ (4-1) VS NORTH PARK (0-4)
Peetz improved to 3-0 in the North with a 47-6 win at #16 Caliche last week. It was 32-0 at the half. Dylan Wagner went for 156 yards and two touchdowns, and Conner Schumacher added three rushing scores. Tanner Wood also reached paydirt. Wood racked up two sacks and a forced fumble, while Parker Reker and Schumacher both recovered a loose ball. North Park has struggled to gain much traction this season, but the Wildcats did see some good things happen in last week’s 56-26 loss to Briggsdale. Clay Utley ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns, and Jaxon Wolvington added 40 yards and a TD in the ground attack. Junior Cereceres threw for 118 yards, with a touchdown pass to Garrett Mason, and also tacked on 51 rushing yards. Duke Schmidt led the Wildcats on defense with 11 tackles. Peetz holds an 8-6 edge in the series since 2012, thanks to a current three-game winning streak. The Bulldogs took last year’s meeting by a 57-19 fina