With the playoffs just on the horizon each game on the 8-man football slate has added importance. This week a pair of top-10 showdowns highlight the schedule of games.
With just a week left before the postseason begins, Week 9 should provide a good glimpse of what could be in store when playoff games begin.
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Sedgwick County at (1) Haxtun (Saturday)
The Fightin’ Bulldogs have looked solid in their state championship defense this season and this week should be no different. Michael Gerk, Ryland Wolff and Kailin Kelley all rushed for over 100 yards and scored two touchdowns each. If even one of them puts together a similar performance against the Cougars, Haxtun will have a great chance at completing an undefeated regular season next week.
Dolores at (2) Dove Creek
A clutch win over Mancos two weeks ago has Dove Creek firmly in a spot to be the toughest opponent for Haxtun. Kade Hankins paced the offense with 164 rushing yards and three touchdowns which put him over 1,000 rushing yards on the year. If the Bulldogs come away with a win, they’ll be in line to capture a league championship with a win over Sargent next week.
(3) Simla at South Park (Saturday)
In a 58-12 win over Elbert last week, TJ Eurich rushed for 221 yards and a touchdown. Brayden Glover added 131 yards and found the end zone three times. The Cubs have yet to drop a game this year and are very much in line for a top-three seed when the postseason begins in a couple of weeks.
(10) Sanford at (4) Mancos
After beating Dolores 64-0 last week, the Blue Jays head into their regular season finale with a tough test ahead of them. Kale Wayman had two receiving touchdowns and returned two punts for touchdowns to lead his team to the win. Considering their only two losses have come against the top two teams in the state, Mancos is certainly a team capable of making a deep playoff run.
Sanford rolled to a 52-0 win over Sargent and has only suffered losses to Dove Creek and Haxtun this season. By no means will the Mustangs be an easy win for Mancos.
(5) Lyons at Front Range Christian
Wyatt Enny ran for a team-high 115 yards and scored one of the team’s eight rushing touchdowns in a 62-0 win over Gilpin County last week. The Lions have a chance to move to 8-0 this week if they can grab a win over Front Range Christian.
Hoehne at (6) Crowley County
The Chargers are another team that has a great chance at finishing the regular season undefeated. In last week’s 64-8 win over Custer County, Dillon Buford rushed for 179 yards and four touchdowns to pace the effort. The defense has also been solid, allowing just 28 total points in the last four games.
(7) Holly at Wiley (Thursday)
The Wildcats have a chance to remain undefeated in league play with a Thursday trip to Wiley. Last week against McClave, Andre Salgado threw for 274 yards and five touchdowns. If Holly needs to take to the air to secure another win this week, the capability is certainly there.
(9) Merino at (8) Akron
Akron looked solid in a 38-0 win over Sedgwick County last week. Sophomore Anderson Fillo rushed for 188 yards and three touchdowns in the win and will try to have a similar performance this week to improve the team’s record to 6-2 on the season.
Merino has won three games in a row after dropping two straight earlier in the year. Last week it beat Caliche 58-24 to improve to 5-2. For playoff seeding this could be a very important considering Merino closes out its season against Haxtun next week.
