While the same two teams remained atop the polls after last week, the deck behind them has been shuffled. One team made a major jump, causing another to fall precipitously.
Mancos made a big statement, not only in the Mountain division, but across the state. The Bluejays entered last week ranked tenth ahead of their league opener against former #3 Sargent. After a 38-20 Mancos victory, those two squads nearly swapped positions this week. Mancos moved up to #3, garnering a first place vote, while the Farmers fell to #9.
With the offensive yardage totals nearly identical (399-390 in favor of Mancos), it was big plays by the Bluejay defense that made the difference. Mancos recorded four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in the win. The Bluejays will try to stay unbeaten in league play and overall when they visit Del Norte, who picked up its first win 24-21 over Dolores Huerta Prep last week. Sargent tries to get back in the win column against that same Scorpion team.
Staying in the Mountain division, #10 Sanford visits Norwood on Friday, with the winner maintaining no worse than a share of the league lead. The Indians downed Sangre de Cristo 63-0 last week to gain their first win in the division. It was the second straight shutout by the Sanford defense that recorded five takeaways.
Four different players scored rushing touchdowns for Norwood in its 40-6 victory over Dove Creek last week. Will Gabriel, who rushed for 222 yards was not one of them. Logan Weimer scored on three of his four carries, while Austin Overholt, Jace Sinks, and Tyler Wytulka each found the end zone at least one time. The Mavericks have had the upper hand in the series with Sanford, winning the last five meetings.
There is just one contest this week pitting ranked opponents against each other and it takes place in the Arkansas Valley. Eighth-ranked Fowler and #6 Holly square off with the winner having a share of the league lead. Holly is part of a three-way tie at 1-0 in the Ark Valley, along with McClave and Hoehne, while this is the opener for the Grizzlies in conference play.
After defeating Swink 53-8 last week in a rivalry game, Fowler begins a two-week stretch against ranked opponents inside the division, with #5 Hoehne up next. Quinton Flanscha had a huge night against Swink. The senior ran for two scores, caught another, recovered two fumbles, and returned an interception 90 yards for a TD. Damian Romero scored a touchdown on special teams, returning a kick-off 87 yards.
Holly utilized big plays in its 45-14 win over Las Animas, as the Wildcats scored six touchdowns on just 37 offensive plays. The Wildcats amasses 733 total yards, including almost 200 in returns. Holly has not played Fowler since 2011, but the last two meetings were lopsided victories by the Grizzlies. Fowler won 56-6 in 2010 and 55-0 the following year.
Hoehne (#5) takes its turn against Las Animas this Friday, following last week’s 44-14 victory over Springfield. The Farmers rolled up 373 yards on the ground, with Weston Hill gaining 149 and Trystan Moltrer accounting for 127. Moltrer also returned a kick-off for a touchdown. This will be the first meeting between the Trojans and Farmers since 2005.
Top-ranked Sedgwick County won its 16th straight Plains division contest, beating Akron 42-6 last week. After being tied at 6 at the end of the first quarter, the Cougars exploded for 36 points over the next two periods. Their defense took a starring role, recording two interceptions and one fumble recovery, while holding the Rams to just over 200 yards of total offense.
Chris Michel’s squad sees the new face in the league, Byers, this week. The Bulldogs are coming off their first loss of the season, a 61-20 setback at the hands of Caliche. Without standout running back Rhett Davis, the Bulldogs were limited to five yards on seven carries. Defensively, they allowed 477 yards, 341 on the ground.
Caliche (#4) will look to build off that effort when it travels to Dayspring Christian on Saturday. Adam Zink pounded out 263 yards and four scores on the ground in the win over Byers. He recorded 169 yards and one TD in last season’s 18-13 victory over the Eagles. Dayspring Christian got into the win column last week by defeating Haxtun, 50-26. Sophomore QB Christian Still accounted for 327 yards of offense and five touchdowns in the win. Despite the loss last season, Dayspring Christian is still 12-3 against the Buffs since 2004.
The final contest this week involving a top team has #2 West Grand visiting Vail Christian on Friday. The Mustangs rolled past Plateau Valley last week, 60-14, with Luis Dominguez having a big game. The senior carried the ball seven times for 211 yards and four touchdowns, and he registered a pick-6 on defense. Jordan Knight led the team with 13 tackles, and Marcos Ramirez recorded a sack and a blocked punt.
Vail Christian suffered its first loss of the season to Rangely, 46-22. The Saints led 14-8 at the half, but the Panthers roared back with a big second half. Drew Brannan hit on seven of nine passes for 200 yards and four touchdowns in the victory for Rangely. This is part of a brutal stretch for the Saints, who visit Hayden next week and host Soroco the following week.
Rangely has the week off as it prepares for next week’s huge clash with West Grand. The winner of that game will have the inside track for a Northwest division crown.
