6MAN FOOTBALL – WEEK 9 PREVIEW

The regular season is in its homestretch and every league title has been wrapped up. That leaves this next to last weekend with match-ups that will help settle the play-off seeding, as lots of RPI points are on the line.
Top-ranked Stratton/Liberty (1^st RPI) put the East Central division to bed last week with a 60-20 victory over #6 Arickaree/Woodlin (4^th RPI). The Knighted Eagles only led 16-12 midway through the second quarter, but they exploded for 30 points in the final five minutes to take a commanding 46-12 lead into the break. They will try to make it a perfect run through the division when they host Flagler/Hi-Plains (14^th RPI) on Friday.
The Thunder find themselves firmly on the bubble for the postseason. One thing working in their favor is that all six division champs are in the top 16 of the RPI, but barely. Flagler/Hi-Plains has a key contest next week with Briggsdale (15^th RPI) and the loser could potentially wind up on the outside looking in. North Park (17^th RPI) gets its shot at Briggsdale on Saturday, so the Wildcats are still in the mix for what could be the final postseason spot.
The Falcons have lost two of their last three, but the lone win came against #4 Otis (3^rd RPI) two weeks ago. The Bulldogs fought back from that loss to take down a very game Idalia (9^th RPI) team 68-56 last week. That game saw the 10^th-ranked Wolves rush for over 400 yards, with Sam McGinnis (186) and Yahir Enriquez (183) each topping 180 yards. Bryce Miracle had his second 300-yard effort of the season for Otis, finishing with 327.
Otis meets up with Arickaree/Woodlin on Friday with second place in the East Central at stake. Both teams are virtual locks for the postseason, so this one is essentially about bragging rights and possibly a better first round match-up. The Bulldogs will finish next week with #8 Cheyenne Wells (7^th RPI), while the Indian-Mustangs travel to North Park.
Second-ranked Kit Carson (2^nd RPI) remained unbeaten by defeating #9 Granada (12^th RPI) 60-24. The Wildcats have scored at least 50 points in every contest this season and the South East champs will have an extra week to prepare for next week’s season finale against Stratton/Liberty. Granada, meanwhile, in looking like a postseason qualifier in its first season of 6-man. The Bobcats can lock up sole possession of second place in the South East with a win over Walsh (18^th RPI), and they have a game with Manzanola (16^th RPI) next week to round out the schedule. Two wins and they are almost assuredly in.
Third-ranked Peetz (5^th RPI) jumped out to a big early lead last Thursday in the de facto North division championship game against #5 Prairie (8^th RPI), leading 39-18 after one quarter of play. The Mustangs made a contest of things, but a fourth quarter touchdown secured the 61-48 victory for the Bulldogs. Bryson Long continued his recent run of big efforts, tallying 248 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, while also catching a TD pass.
Peetz closes things out on Friday at Weldon Valley (25^th RPI) while Prairie might need to beat both Cotopaxi (11^th RPI) and Hanover (26^th RPI) to secure a first round home game in the playoffs. Fleming (10^th RPI) has scratched and clawed its way back into a playoff spot and the Wildcats close out with La Veta (21^st RPI) and Idalia. Playing the eighth-strongest schedule has Fleming in position to possibly host a first round game.
La Veta saw its postseason hopes all but disappear with last week’s 57-13 loss to Manzanola. The Redskins find themselves in the role of spoiler this week and they’d love nothing more than to damage Fleming’s postseason positioning after the Wildcats knocked them out of the playoffs last season.
That win last week snapped a two-game skid for Manzanola and they’ll have an extra week to prepare for Granada as the two squads of Bobcats end the regular season against each other next Friday. The South Central champs have not fared well against top opponents this season, but that game could serve as a huge launching point for the Bobcats as they head into the playoffs.
Seventh-ranked Mountain Valley (6^th RPI) has sewn up the South West crown and with it, a guaranteed playoff spot. The Indians have scored at least 58 points in all but one outing following last week’s 68-7 victory over Cripple Creek-Victor. It looks like they could add two more marks to that tally as they close out with Branson/Kim and Cheraw, who each have one win. Of the top 10 teams in RPI, Mountain Valley has played the weakest schedule, ranked 20^th overall, and those two contests will not help that figure.
Genoa-Hugo (13^th RPI) finds itself in the same position as Manzanola of being a division champion who will most likely open the postseason on the road. The Pirates won the Central but a strength of schedule firmly in the middle of the pack is hampering them. A win over Idalia at home on Friday would help, but closing out against Eads (23^rd RPI) won’t. Even with wins in both of those games it’s unlikely that the Pirates could climb high enough to host the opening round.