8MAN FOOTBALL – WEEK 9 PREVIEW

While most of the eight-man playoff field is set, the final two weeks of the regular season will mean a lot to a number of teams trying to lock down a spot. It looks like as many as eight teams are fighting for the final four slots in the postseason.
Two teams that have already secured their spots are #1 Sedgwick County (2^nd RPI) and #4 Caliche (6^th RPI) and those two meet this week to essentially decide the Plains division title. Sedgwick County has won the past three crowns in the division and the Cougars have outscored Caliche 147-8 in the last three meetings. The Buffs had won six straight clashes with the Cougars prior to that run.
Sedgwick County enters the game having rolled Dayspring Christian (16^th RPI) 44-6 last week and its defense limited the Eagles to just 26 yards on 20 running plays. Caliche’s defense took a starring role in last week’s 6-0 victory over #9 Akron (8^th RPI), as the Buffs held Akron to just 76 yards of total offense. Their offense also battered the Rams’ defense, as Akron was credited with 108 total tackles, 61 solo. Barring loses to Haxtun and Dayspring Christian the next two weeks, Akron should also be safely in the postseason. Dayspring Christian currently holds the last spot in the field, but the Eagles may need wins in both of their remaining games to stay in the field.
Second-ranked West Grand (#1 RPI) continues to look dominant in its quest to return to the championship game after finishing second last year. The Mustangs have shown the ability to win with defense and as last week’s 64-12 victory over Hayden proved, they have plenty of firepower on the offensive side of the ball. Some of the luster has been taken off this week’s match-up with Soroco (17^th RPI) as the Rams have dropped two straight inside the Northwest division, but the game still has two of the top three runners in the classification.
Jace Logan, Soroco’s standout senior, leads the entire state with 1920 yards and a ridiculous 36 touchdowns, and he has rushed for 433 yards in three career games against the Mustangs, including a 207 yard performance in the postseason last year. West Grand’s Luis Dominguez is third in the class with 1047 yards and he’s also in the top 10 for passing yards. The Mustangs have already secured the division title, but Soroco is soundly on the bubble and its 29^th ranked strength of schedule might keep the Rams out of the playoffs.
Sixth-ranked Rangely (3^rd RPI) is one win away from establishing a new high-water mark for the program in the last 15 years. The Panthers will represent the Northwest division in the playoffs and a win over Gilpin County would be their seventh of the season. In what is considered the MaxPreps era (2004-current), Rangely has not won more than six games in a season.  Vail Christian (10^th RPI) could also represent the division in the postseason, but the remaining games for the Saints could hurt them in the final RPI as their opponents are 23^rd and 26^th this week.
With wins over both of its top two challengers in the division, third-ranked Hoehne (5^th RPI) just needs to win one of its last two games to wrap up the Ark Valley. The Farmers finish with Wiley (38^th RPI) and McClave (25^th RPI), so they should clinch the division title. Fowler (9^th RPI) should be safely in the postseason to represent the league, as well, but #10 Holly (14^th RPI) and Springfield (18^th RPI) have some work to do, thanks to the 27^th and 20^th ranked SOS, respectively. They meet next week and the winner will likely finish second in the division and could eliminate the loser from postseason consideration.
Fifth-ranked Mancos (4^th RPI) is the champion of the Mountain division and one of three remaining unbeatens in the class. The Bluejays are also one of three teams from the division that looks to be safely into the postseason, with #7 Sanford (7^th RPI) and #8 Sargent (11^th RPI) joining them. Those two squads meet next week, so their positions could possibly change.
Norwood (15^th RPI) is on the bubble this week, but the Mavericks are aided by the seventh-ranked SOS. They have lost three of their last four, all to ranked opponents, and their RPI could take a hit this week as they close out with Sangre de Cristo (35^th RPI). Dove Creek (20^th RPI) is also in the mix and the Bulldogs could have a big impact on the postseason as they close with Sanford and Mancos. They’ll need to play better than they did in last week’s 74-20 loss to Sargent last week if they hope to pull the upset in either of those games.
By winning the Southern division, Pikes Peak Christian (12^th RPI) can rest assured that it is in the playoffs. The Eagles have one of the weakest schedules, 33^rd out of 40 teams, and that will most likely have them playing on the road in the opening round, unless the team they are paired with is not a conference champion. Simla (13^th RPI) is right there with them at 31^st in the SOS and games against Las Animas (33^rd RPI) and Miami-Yoder (40^th RPI) definitely won’t help that.
What has many of the bubble teams concerned is the fact that one of the league champions who is guaranteed a playoff spot is currently outside of the top 16 in the RPI. Front Range Christian (22^nd RPI) will take one of those spots as the winner of the Central division, bumping a team on the fringe. With the 38^th ranked SOS, the Falcons will not only be the sole representative from the division, but could be the 16^th seed.