It’s quite possible that Stratton has faced the toughest slate of opponents in 6-man football this season. And yet, the Eagles remain undefeated and well in line to claim the state title.
They’ll be tested again this week as No. 3 Arickaree comes to town with ambitions of ending Stratton’s bid for a perfect season. There is also a good number of teams on a bye and others are looking to solidify their playoff hopes with the regular season coming to an end in a week.
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(3) Arickaree at (1) Stratton
Stratton has faced the likes of Cheyenne Wells, Granada, Cheraw, Genoa-Hugo and Otis and has walked away unscathed. The Eagles get two more tests to end the season starting with Arickaree at home this week. Two weeks ago against Otis, Alex Cruz had a night as he ran for 196 yards (16.3 yards per carry) and five touchdowns. He and Cyler Notter have been a solid duo all year and will once again be key to getting a win this week.
Since a close loss to Genoa-Hugo on Sept. 24, the Bison have played sound football, although they’ve only played two games since then. Last week against Otis Logan Wright threw for 145 yards and two touchdowns while running for 230 yards and five scores. He’ll set the tone as Arickaree attempts to end Stratton’s run at perfection.
(2) Fleming at Briggsdale
The offensive firepower of Brayden Feather and Nolan Japp struck again last week as the Wildcats got a 52-6 win over Prairie. Feather threw for 134 yards and three touchdowns while Japp rushed for 173 yards and two scores. Feather also contributed on the defensive side of the ball as he recorded the team’s only interception. Since a loss to 8-man’s Haxtun, Fleming has asserted itself as one of the top two teams in the 6-man class with the way they’ve played.
(5) Otis at Walsh
A tough schedule has caused problems for the Bulldogs in recent weeks. They squeaked by Genoa-Hugo on Sept. 30 but then suffered losses to Stratton and Arickaree in the two games following. They’ll have a good chance to bounce back this week as Walsh is riding a three-game losing streak.
(8) Eads at Miami-Yoder
The Eagles put up a solid fight last week against Cheyenne Wells, but the game fell out of reach. Porter Spady had a good day through the air, throwing for 237 yards and a touchdown but it just wasn’t enough. That likely won’t be the case this week as the Buffaloes have given up at least 49 points in each of their last three games.
Prairie at (9) North Park (Saturday)
Heading into its final league contest of the season, the Wildcats are riding high. Winners of five straight games, they have a chance to climb into the top five of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index. In last week’s win over Cotopaxi, Makeon Crum rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown and will likely be the focal point of the offense once again this week. He needs just a single yard to go over the 1,000 mark for the year.
La Veta at (10) Kim/Branson (Saturday)
The Bearcats played with a little anger last week after suffering a two-point loss to Prairie back on Oct. 8. They rolled to a 75-33 win over Mountain Valley behind the rushing performance of Peyton Cranson who totaled 197 yards on the ground and scored four touchdowns. The team forced three turnovers in the win and is looking for a similar overall performance this week.
