Class 6-man state semifinal preview
All four of the remaining teams in the state tournament for 6-man football have been dominate this season, leaving little surprise that they are the ones remaining in the bracket. This week’s semifinal matchups features a rematch of one of…
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Continue ReadingAll four of the remaining teams in the state tournament for 6-man football have been dominate this season, leaving little surprise that they are the ones remaining in the bracket.
This week’s semifinal matchups features a rematch of one of the best regular-season games in 6-man football this fall, three undefeated teams and the potential for a rematch of last year’s state championship final. Here is our look at the games in 6-man football this week.
No. 1 Fleming vs. No. 4 Granada, Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
The defending state champions rolled through four of its first five games of the season, but the Fleming Wildcats did face a test with the Granada Bobcats to close the regular season. Despite allowing more yards and losing the turnover battle, Fleming was able to prevail on its home field 49-44 to finish the regular season undefeated.
The highly-anticipated rematch will be on the same field this Saturday, but the stakes are significantly higher with the winner advancing to the state championship game next week.
Chris Goss has been one of the team leaders for Fleming on both sides of the ball this season and was effective in the win over Granada. He rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns while recording eight tackles in the win, and this season he is leading the team with 71 tackles and is second on the team with 355 rushing yards. The other player who had a big impact in the win was Brady Kuntz. The senior is a terrific edge rusher who can make plays in the backfield on defense, and he finished the game with 15 tackles and three sacks. This season, Kuntz has six of the team’s nine sacks, and he is a team leader in receptions with 10 for 190 yards and five touchdowns.
Fleming has routinely relied on its upperclassmen to lead the way, but they have some younger athletes stepping up this season as well. Sophomore Nolan Japp leads the team with 418 rushing yards and is part of a reliable trio leading the rushing attack. Helping the defense is another sophomore, linebacker Blake Feather, who is tied for the team lead with two interceptions.
Granada was an offensive juggernaut at the start of the season, but they have cooled off in their last two games compare to the previous five, and by cool off I mean put up just 44 points in those last two games. Before then, the Bobcats were averaging just over 66 points per game. A big reason for that junior Dominic Coleman, a wizard with the ball in his hands. He is the top quarterback in 6-man football with 1,221 passing yards and has 28 passing touchdowns this season. When Granada decides to use him in the run game, he can find big plays there as well with 654 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. Coleman was effective against Fleming with 199 passing yards, 38 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in their first meeting.
Coleman is the star for a Granada team that features just one senior listed on its 18-man roster, but there are plenty of other young stars guiding the team into the semifinals. Leading the team in rushing is John Hainer with 681 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, giving the Bobcats a one-two punch to attack on the ground. Hainer is also the team leader in receptions (20) and receiving yards (396) while hauling in six touchdown passes. He and Coleman have some help on defense with versatile linebacker Bailey Hernandez and his 50 tackles leading the team.
History is on the line for this young Granada team as they are looking to reach its first state championship game in program history, according to CHSAANow.com’s directory of state championship results.
No. 2 Stratton/Liberty vs. No. 3 Cheyenne Wells, Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
The formation of Stratton/Liberty has made them one of the top teams in 6-man football in Colorado in recent history. If the Knighted Eagles cane make it to the state championship game next week, it will be their fourth straight appearance in the championship game.
So far it’s been smooth sailing for Stratton/Liberty with its narrowest margin of victory being a 19-point win in the quarterfinals last week versus Briggsdale. The defense is a strong point for the team, and they are even across the board in tackles with nine players recording double-digit tackles. The front end of the defense sees defensive end Logan Breyer making his impact felt at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, resulting in him recording six sacks. Fellow defensive end Kyler Notter is smaller at 5-foot-11 and 151 pounds, but his impact is still there with three sacks, as is linebacker Will Witzler, who also has three on the season. Though the team does not have as many turnovers as others, their ability to prevent big plays, apply pressure in the backfield and keep teams behind the chains has been a formula for success.
The offense for Stratton/Liberty will rely on the run game to get going. Running backs Alex Cruz and Charlie Clapper are similar in size and effective in making plays on the ground. Cruz leads the team with 465 rushing yards while Clapper has 339. Both have combined for 13 of the team’s 25 rushing touchdowns this season. Look for Daniel Tanner, Sigi Simental and Tyler Hase to anchor a strong, physical front on offense.
Looking to make a return trip to the state final for the first time since 2016 is Cheyenne Wells. The Tigers have also dominated their competition this season and are coming off a 43-22 win over Prairie in the quarterfinals last week. They were led by sophomore Blake Gilmore with his completions in the passing game resulting in big yardage and his defensive skills setting a team high in tackles. Gilmore threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns on just six completions while getting 10 tackles and an interception returned for 70 yards. The performance was his best of the season, and he will look to build off that performance this week on the road.
While Gilmore had the big plays, Cheyenne Wells has gotten a steady diet on the ground from junior Evan Worthley, including 107 yards last week. Worthley has 774 rushing yards and should carry the ball at least 10 times like he has in every game for the Tigers. Where Worthley can change the game is using his speed to get in the backfield, where he has six sacks. The leader in sacks is Dillon Ball with nine, and look for him, Worthley, Gilmore, Preston Hernandez and Ty Scheler to anchor a defense aimed at stopping the run.