It was an exciting end to both the Fall and Spring eight man seasons in 2020-21 and now all the teams are back together for a run at the one state championship. Sedgwick County has grabbed the last six state championships and again figure to be in the mix but several teams will give chase. As part of our pre-season coverage, Colorado Preps will talk with coaches of many of the top teams.
This list will be updated daily over the next couple of weeks so we ask you to check back on a regular basis to catch all the new interviews.
SANFORD – Joe Cary
Coming off the best football season in Sanford history, the Indians return virtually their entire roster from a team that reached the state championship game last Fall. Player of the Year Kelton Gartrell is the headliner but Coach Cary welcomes back several other key members from the runner-up squad.
SEDGWICK COUNTY – Chris Michel
No program over the past six years has had more success on any level than the Cougars as they’ve won the last six state titles in eight man. The 2021 club is much younger than in years past but will not shy away from extending the championship streak.
HOEHNE – Gabe Dasko
The Farmers had to wait until the Spring to compete last season but it was worth the wait as they rolled to the eight man championship by beating John Mall. With only one senior on the roster, the 2021 group is much younger but still hopes to carry on the winning tradition at the school.
DOVE CREEK – Shane Baughman
The Bulldogs are coming off a Final Four appearance in 8man and feature a nice group of returnees as they seek another playoff push in 20201. The league race will also be exciting as the Bulldogs look to challenge Sanford and Mancos for top honors in the Southwest.
BYERS – Casey Pelton
Even though the 2020 season was shortened to just six regular season games due to COVID, the Bulldogs picked up three wins, the most in a single season since 2014. The next step in their program development is a league championship and they should be right in the thick of things inside a wide open Central division.
FOWLER – Mark Van Sickle
The Grizzlies worked through the COVID regular season in 2020 with a perfect record before falling to Merino in a great eight-man state quarterfinal. The club graduated 11 seniors but Coach Van Sickle is excited about his returnees and other youngsters coming up through the program.
HOLLY – Dayne Eaton
Coming off a frustrating year where they once played three games in 11 days, the anticipation is high in Holly as the Wildcats should contend for a league title and playoff berth.
MANCOS – Josh Gardner
The Bluejays got in just four regular season games during COVID but won three to earn a playoff bid. A tough loss to Sanford ended their season but with great numbers and a solid list of returnees, they should again be a playoff team and contend for a league championship.
