A brand new season of 6-man football gets underway on Thursday, with one game on the slate, and it features a ranked team facing a program that is playing its first varsity game in six years. However, most eyes in Week 1 will be focused on the state title game rematch in Cheyenne Wells, as the champion Tigers host Stratton.
Starting with Thursday’s lone game, ninth-ranked Arickaree (no longer part of the official co-op with Woodlin) breaks out a new mascot, as they were one of the schools in the state that had to retire its previous one over the summer. Now, the Bison will look to start off a new chapter in the program’s history when they host Bethune.
Arickaree went 5-5 last year, losing its final two games and three of four down the stretch. The season ended in the opening round of the playoffs at Cheraw. The Bison believe they can be a lot better this year, thanks in part to the return of the versatile Logan Wright. Despite dealing with a number of nagging injuries last season, Wright led the team more than 1200 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, to go along with almost 500 yards and five TDs through the air. He was also second on the team with 84 tackles.
The team will have to replace Samuel Koolstra, who was tops in receptions and tackles, and also ran for close to 600 yards, but almost everyone else is back, with another year of experience. Included in that group is Bryce Shaffer, who led the team with four interceptions. He is part of a defense that has five of its top six tacklers back. Along with Wright, Hayden Page (71 tackles), Shaffer (68), Nick Hermes (62), and Jacob Jefferson (49) all return.
For Bethune, this season is a bit of a rebirth, as the Bobcats have not played at the varsity level for six years. They did field a JV squad last year, so it’s not as if coach Andrew Ledesma will be throwing out a completely inexperienced group.
Junior Saenz and Logan Mann are two seniors who will be called upon to provide senior leadership, while Jesus Barraza, a junior, also returns from last year’s squad and will give the Bobcats a nimble big man on both lines. Another junior, Angel Herrera, while new to the program, is expected to be very helpful on both sides of the ball, as is sophomore Mikall Inskeep, who might make his biggest impact on defense this season.
Turning the calendar to Friday, four games have at least one ranked team in them, but only one has two. Stratton, who has played in five straight title games, opens the season as the overwhelming top-ranked team in the coaches poll after finishing as the runner-up for the third straight year. Cheyenne Wells won its first title in program history last year, but was hit very hard by graduation, and begins the year ranked third.
The Tigers lost six starters off their roster, including Player of the Year, Cade Mitchek. But, there is plenty of talent on the squad this season to keep them right near the top. That begins with senior QB Blake Gilmore, who threw for just over 1000 yards, with 17 touchdowns and only one interception. He also made a mark on defense, picking off six passes and recovering two fumbles, returning one for a score.
Ty Scheler, another senior, has played just about every position in the game during his career, and that versatility will come in handy with so many holes to fill. He’s the top returning runner with 211 yards and six scores, tackler with 84, and he had four fumble recoveries. One more position that will be capably filled by a returnee is one that oftentimes gets overlooked in six-man… kicker. Jesse Harlow got a few chances as a freshman and then solidified the PAT game by converting 64 of 84 tries last year as a sophomore. He also recorded touchbacks on 40% of his kick-offs.
Coach Myles Smith will have plenty of speed to use wherever he wants this year, as the team returns several all-state tracksters, including Perry Chadwick, who has been part of multiple championship relay teams over the last two years. And, the Tigers will add to the mix a very talented freshman class.
Stratton brings back four starters on both sides of the ball, with Charlie Tagtmeyer (QB, S) and Alex Cruz (RB, DE) being two-way guys. Tagtmeyer, a junior, has been the starting quarterback since his high school debut, and is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he threw for 657 yards and 11 scores. On defense, he racked up 58 tackles, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Cruz missed time with an injury, but still finished with more than 500 yards on the ground. He leads a backfield group that also returns Stockton Fye, Riley Shean, and Cyler Notter, all of whom ran for more than 200 yards and scored at least eight touchdowns.
Joining Tagtmeyer and Cruz on the defense are Notter, Joe Shean, Dawson Thompson, and Brody Webb, who all had at least 40 tackles last season. Notter (11) and Cruz (8) combined for 19 sacks. Notter was a complete menace on defense, adding three interceptions, five forced fumbles, four recoveries, and three blocked punts to his sack total.
Another playoff rematch will take place in Idalia where the Wolves will host Briggsdale. Idalia enters the year ranked fifth, while the Falcons are just outside of the top ten. Both will look a little different than they did last November when Idalia opened the playoffs with a 62-13 win. The Wolves blew that game wide open with a 32-0 second quarter.
Among the players gone from last year for the Wolves are top running back Yahir Enriquez, linemen Titus Glanz, Koy Smith, and Marek Cody, who all graduated, and speedster Eduardo Estrada, who will miss the season after suffering a broken leg during the summer.
That doesn’t mean that Toby Kechter is lacking experienced players coming back. Kye Towns, who ran for more than 100 yards in the win over Briggsdale last season, returns to play fullback and linebacker, and Tarek Glanz, who stepped in midway through last season at QB, will add other responsibilities this year. Logan Breyer is back to anchor the lines.
Briggsdale’s graduation took a toll on the program, as the Falcons lost Braden Krise and Malik Carlson out of the backfield, Isiah Nava and Shane Donoho from the lines. Tanner Fiscus will be called upon to carry a heavier workload after finishing as the team’s leading receiver and third best runner as a sophomore. He was also their top defender, finishing the year with 106 tackles, five more than Johnathon Malovich, who also returns. Also, look for John Krise to be more involved on both units as a senior.
Eighth-ranked Sierra Grande had an exciting finish to its season in 2021, holding off Branson/Kim 39-36 in the opening round of the postseason, and then nearly bumping off Granada in the quarters, falling 48-44 at the wire. The Panthers were loaded with an outstanding crop of seniors, including Isaiah Chairez, who represented Team USA in the Can-Am Bowl in July. Last year, he threw for more than 1500 yards, with 32 touchdowns and only two picks, while also running for 862 yards and 17 scores. That production will be hard to replace, but coach Luis Corona has done a great job building up the program and he’ll have Angelo Lucero and Tyler Kester back to help with that. Lucero was the top receiver and second leading runner, and Kester not only showed a knack for making big plays in the passing game, but he made a big impression on defense. As a sophomore, Kester led the team with 94 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles, while also intercepting two passes.
The Panthers will begin the year by visiting Manzanola, who did not field a squad last year.
Friday’s last game with a ranked team has No. 10 Genoa-Hugo hosting Eads. These two met in the opening game last year, with the Pirates pulling out a thrilling 50-39 win. They have won four of five in the series. Genoa-Hugo was without its starting QB, Trey Smith, while the Eagles did not have the services of their talented runner, Porter Spady, who missed time after having his appendix removed.
Over the final eight games of the season, Smith ended up throwing for close to 1300 yards, with 20 touchdowns against two picks. He comes back as the top returning runner, after the duo of Wyatt Miller and Colby Simmons graduated. Those two also finished 1-2 in the receiving department, leaving senior Kyler Rowden-Stum and junior Logan Sitzman as the top returnees. Both recorded double digit catches and more than 200 yards.
Along with the likes of Smith and Sitzman, who were among the top five tacklers last season, Jack Kissel, who racked up 60 stops, will be back to help lead the defense. Zach Wilson and Brady Simmons could both be in line for more production this season after combining for 53 tackles last year, and the program gets Konnor Rowden-Stum back after spending a year with Hi-Plains.
The key for Eads is a healthy Spady. He showed flashes of what he can do two years ago as a freshman, registering almost 1000 yards of total offense in just six games. He was also very good in all phases of the kicking game. But, he has seen each of his first two seasons impacted by injuries.
The Eagles will be experienced on the lines, bringing back Spencer Uhland, AJ Vasquez, and Brendan Reifschneider up front. Bo Arnold is back to guide the offense at QB, and Stockton Mitchek gives coach Trey Eder another talented running back in the stable.
Friday will also have a game between two teams outside of the top ten, but it bears mention because both made the postseason last year and could be in line for another appearance this year. Hanover will welcome Mountain Valley in for an afternoon affair. It will be the first meeting between the two teams in the MaxPreps era.
Hanover was one of the most represented programs in the summer’s all-state game after what was a somewhat disappointing 6-5 season. The biggest disappointment came when the Hornets had to forfeit their opening round contest to Fleming due to COVID.
Coach Luke Decker, who flies under the radar as one of the better coaches in the classification, will have to replace the dynamic duo of Dalton Sweazy and David Brown, who combined for almost 2600 yards of offense last season. The good news is that he has some very capable replacements in the deck.
Devin Johnson led the team with just short of 750 yards through the air, with 14 touchdowns. David Byers ran for over 400 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman, and will see more work with the departure of Brown. Tyler Hoffman averaged more than 30 yards on his 10 receptions, and crossed the goal line three times. The larger issue may be on defense, where the Hornets lost five of their top seven tacklers. Only Hoffman and Byers return from that mix.
Mountain Valley had the unenviable task of facing Cheyenne Wells in the first round of the postseason last year. A couple early miscues led to a full on avalanche, as the Indians were downed by a 73-14 tally.
Junior Riley Heater threw for just short of 1300 yards last year, but his top three receivers are gone. The running game also took a hit with the graduation of Tristan Martinez, but the return of Jacob Martinez will help. As a sophomore, he ran for 362 yards and also caught 25 passes, while serving as the team’s top tackler (105).
The next three behind him are gone on defense, but with Logan Boyles and Heater combining for nearly 100 stops, that unit may not be is as rough of shape as first glance would indicate. If Martinez and Boyles can both match or surpass the four fumble recoveries they each had, the Indians have a shot at competing for a playoff spot.
Saturday’s slate begins with a clash of ranked foes, as No. 6 Prairie hosts seventh-ranked Cheraw. It is a new era for both programs, with former Idalia Wolf Tyson Ramseier taking over for Justin Kerns at Prairie, and Garyk Ontai taking the helm for the Wolverines after the departure of Brad Phillips. This is the first meeting between the two programs since 2007. Cheraw won four straight meetings in a four year span.
Andy Long is no longer on the field for the Mustangs, as he graduated after throwing for more than 1900 yards last year, and just under 3300 in his career. The team also must replace David Speicher, who hauled in 39 catches for more than 1100 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. Claytin Hove, who led the Mustangs with 1001 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground is back, as is the brother duo of Parker and Carter Jaeger. Carter ran for 280 yards and six scores as a freshman, while Parker had 179 yards and two touchdowns.
That trio of returnees will keep the Mustangs strong on defense, as they finished 1-2-3 in tackles last season. C. Jaeger was tops with 105, followed by Hove with 94, and P. Jaeger with 81. The Mustangs may have to lean on that unit as the offense meshes.
Cheraw lost not on Coach Phillips, but also Cade Phillips, a two-year starter at QB who threw for more than 2000 yards last year, and 3200 in his career. Tim Provost, who stepped in and threw for 274 yards as a freshman last season, is the likely successor at the position. Braden Harris, last year’s leading rusher and receiver, will help keep the offense clicking in a high gear, and the return of Wade Goodrich, who had a strong season as a runner and receiver will be helpful, too.
Goodrich and Harris were the top two tacklers, recording 100 and 81, respectively, and Marcus Reece added 66. Provost was also very active on that side of the ball, registering 44 stops, three picks, and two fumble recoveries.
Granada and Branson/Kim met late in the regular season last year, with the Bobcats handing the visiting Bearcats their first defeat, 72-22. This time, Branson/Kim gets to do the hosting, as the fourth-ranked Bobcats have to make the return trip.
Granada’s biggest question mark this season is at QB, where Dominic Coleman wrapped up his four year run as starter with 6750 yards and 106 touchdowns. The likely replacement is Brandon Gonzales, who tossed 19 completions last year for almost 300 yards. Whether the job belongs to him or someone else, they will have a full complement of weapons to employ, including last year’s break out star, Maddox Coleman. His freshman campaign saw him catch 46 passes for 1277 yards, and 24 touchdowns, with most of the damage coming from his big brother. In the trio of Jonus Guevara, John Hainer, and Oryan Hainer, the Bobcats return their top three runners, who combined for more than 1100 yards.
Outside of the elder Coleman, Granada returns 12 of its top 13 tacklers from last year. That includes Bailey Hernandez and Luis Cano, who each had three sacks.
That loss really sent Branson/Kim into a spiral, as the Bearcats dropped their final three games of the season. The last two of those were both against Sierra Grande. Still, they are coming into the season having made the postseason last year.
A new coaching staff will have plenty of toys to play with, as the top six runners return, headlined by Peyton Cranson, who was just under 1000 yards. Cade Smith, who did a bit of everything, including leading the team in receiving and tackles, and also handling the kicking duties. Brock Doherty and Owen Doherty both saw limited action at QB, backing up Brody Doherty, who has moved on. Those two combined to throw 20 passes.
Defensively, Bridger Keeler wasn’t far behind Smith, recording 39 tackles, while Brock Doherty (37) and Cranson (35) were next in line. That unit should be in good shape, with that much experience coming back.
We also get a North division game on Saturday, as No. 2 Fleming hosts North Park. In this series between Wildcats, Fleming has won four straight and nine of 10 all-time. Last year, the teams were tied at eight after the first quarter, but Fleming erupted for 32 in the second and 16 apiece in each of the final two frames to run away with the 72-8 victory.
Nolan Japp ran for 188 yards and four scores, while Blake Feather added 98 yards and two tallies. On the season, Japp raced for 1057 yards and 20 touchdowns, and Feather had 415 and seven. The team also returns its starting QB in Braylen Feather, who came in just under 1500 yards and 17 touchdowns through the air.
While Japp racked up 105 tackles, good for second on the team, the defense will miss Hayden Burr (134 tackles) and Joel Muller, who led the team with five picks. There are still plenty of horses in the paddock, and coach John King always finds a way to plug holes.
Chad Carlstrom is another underrated coach in the classification, as he routinely has his teams in the postseason mix. Last year’s run ended just outside of a playoff spot, finishing 5-5, but his Wildcats nearly upset Genoa-Hugo in the finale, falling 70-62.
His running attack leaned heavily upon a freshman and two sophomores last year, with the group consisting of Cameron Gonzales, Mak Crum, and Jayden Dailey combining form 1100 yards and 22 touchdowns. QB Hunter Sessions, who threw for more than 1300 yards is also back, as are his top three targets: Montgomery Ramsey, Preston Gonzales, and Troy Gonzales, giving North Park plenty of firepower on offense.
With all of those returning players, plus Levi Wofford, the Wildcats will have eight of their top nine tacklers back this season. It’s a unit that produced 16 fumble recoveries, but only four interceptions. If they show an improvement in defending the pass, North Park should be back in the postseason.
And, finally, one last game of note on Saturday sees Sangre de Cristo visiting Primero. Why does that game earn mention, you may ask. Well, it’s the first for the Thunderbirds as a six-man program. After only being able to play a JV schedule last year, Sangre is welcomed into the classification as a full varsity competitor.
