League overview: The new makeup of the 6-Man South West League has three teams that played their way into last year’s state tournament. That should make the race to the league title interesting as Branson/Kim, Sierra Grande and Mountain Valley could all find themselves in the mix in 2022. La Vita and Cotopaxi are both trying to take major steps forward with their programs while Primero is coming off a winless season and Sangre de Cristo is returning to the field after not playing in 2021. The top end of the South West will surely see its share of success and try to raise the overall level of play in that region of the state.
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Branson/Kim
Head coach: Adam Lucero
2021 Record: 6-3 (2-0 South Central League)
Returning All-State Players: Peyton Cranson (Second Team), Cade Smith (Honorable Mention)
The Bearcats battled their way into the 6-Man state bracket and lost their first-round game by just three points to Sierra Grande, who is now a league foe. They won’t have to wait long to get their chance at payback as they get the Thunderbirds in their fourth game of the year. The good news is Branson/Kim gets back Peyton Cranson after he ran for 983 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. Cade Smith adds another dimension to the offense and was the team’s leading receiver a year ago. He totaled 341 receiving yards and eight touchdowns and averaged 18.9 yards per catch. He also led the team in tackles with 50 and recovered a fumble. Bridger Keeler will a big anchor on defense as he totaled 39 tackles, had three sacks and also recovered a fumble. The Bearcats started hot last year, winning their first six games in a row before dropping the last three. They’ll try and replicate the hot start, only this time without cooling off at the end of the year.
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Cotopaxi
Head coach: Lucas Treat
2021 Record: 2-7 (2-2 South West League)
Returning All-State Players: Ty Coleman (Honorable Mention)
The Pirates should be encouraged heading into the season, at least from an offensive standpoint. Ty Coleman returns after providing the bulk of the productivity, amassing 868 total rushing yards. He went over 100 rushing yards in six different games last year. He also led the team with 59 total tackles, and he also picked off three passes. He’s the kind of player that can inspire those around him to perform better and he can also demand higher expectations for his team. He has his favorite target from last year, Kaiden Zeleznikar back to help generate better results on the scoreboard. Zeleznikar totaled 233 receiving yards and had one receiving touchdown in 2021. The Pirates are hoping to come away with a few additional wins this year while also putting together a team that can be competitive on a weekly basis.
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La Veta
Head coach: Ron Ortivez
2021 Record: 3-7 (1-3 South West League)
Returning All-State Players: Joe Autry (Honorable Mention)
Early in the 2021 season, the Redhawks struggled to put points on the board. After beating Cripple Creek-Victor for their first win of the year, the offense was consistently more productive. There is reason to hope that consistency should carry over. Joe Autry returns after rushing for 619 yards and nine touchdowns and Jessey Montunnas put together a strong sophomore campaign last year, throwing for 1,138 yards and 19 touchdowns. Autry caught seven of those touchdown passes and also totaled 363 receiving yards. There is considerable defensive production returning as well. Brayden Nix was second on the team with 67 total tackles, Conner Palmer led with four sacks and Autry was the team leader in interceptions with four. While La Veta wasn’t a playoff team last year, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the team make the necessary improvements to get on the bracket in 2022.
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Mountain Valley
Head coach: Joel Johnson
2021 Record: 6-4 (3-1 South West)
Returning All-State Players: Riley Heater, Jacob Martinez (Honorable Mention)
Last season, Mountain Valley got a taste of what playoff football is all about. It played its way into the 6-Man state tournament before getting ousted by eventual state champions Cheyenne Wells. That taste has them wanting more and they have the weapons returning to make that happen. Riley Heater threw for 1,296 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021 and will embrace a huge leadership role on offense for his junior season. He has some rushing help in Jacob Martinez who ran for 362 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and five scores. Martinez was also the team’s leading tackler, totaling 105 on the year. He also recovered a team-high four fumbles, giving Mountain View steady production on both sides of the ball. Mountain Valley’s league schedule will give the team a good idea of how much the team has progressed since last season. It opens the year on the road against Hanover on Aug. 26.
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Primero
Head coach: Jason Johnson
2021 Record: 0-6
Returning All-State Players: None
The bulk of the Bulldogs roster last year was made up of freshman, which is never a good ingredient to generate success. The hope for them heading into 2022 is that the experience the young roster gained last season will help translate into development on the field. Xavier Garcia and Brett Kendall combined to throw for over 460 yards and seven touchdowns. Kendall and Jairo Dominguez rushed for a combined 603 yards and nine touchdowns, so the potential for the offense to improve is certainly there. Overall, Kendall could emerge as a standout in the classification as he also led Primero with total tackles (22) and interceptions (2) last fall. The Bulldogs open their season on Aug. 27 when they host Sangre de Cristo, starting off the regular season slate with a league game.
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Sangre de Cristo
Head coach: Cory Anderson
2021 Record: Did not field a program in 2021
Returning All-State Players: None
Sangre de Cristo did not field a football team in 2021 and was 0-3 in 2020. This season will very much feel like a “rebirth” for the program. A couple of players who could be back as seniors had some respectable freshman seasons three years ago. Leighton Curtis threw for 462 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also rushed for 95 yards. Craig Ford put up 105 rushing yards and a touchdown. If both are back for their senior seasons, they could help the Thunderbirds establish a much-need foundation for the football program.
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Sierra Grande
Head coach: Luis Corona
2021 Record: 9-2 (3-0 South West)
Returning All-State Players: Tyler Kester (Honorable Mention)
The Panthers were absolutely dominant through the regular season but their momentum got slowed in the 6-Man playoffs. They edged Branson/Kim – who they had beaten 51-8 a week prior – and then lost a tight game against Granada. They lost a good chunk of their offensive production, but Angelo Lucero will be back after rushing for 319 yards and eight touchdowns and catching 31 passes for 453 yards and seven scores. Defensively is where the team returns some key talent as Tyler Kester is back after leading the Panthers with 94 tackles and 13.5 sacks. He also intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble. There is enough experience returning to this team that it’s not unreasonable to think it can get back to the postseason this fall. The Panthers have a decent non-league schedule and will face Granada to close out the regular season.
