There’s an abundance of tradition among the remaining teams in the small school football ranks, even if they aren’t fully aware of it. Eight programs from Class 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man have put their collective nose to the grindstone to even have gotten a chance to hold practices during Thanksgiving week, and now is the time when all the work put in comes to a head.
It’s been a long time since Wellington High School was in the position it is in now. For The Classical Academy, only once has the program been at the doorstep of a championship. Wray, Forge Christian (formerly Faith Christian), Akron, Haxtun, Cheyenne Wells and Stratton have all been to this point multiple times; it’s getting over that final hump and gaining the glory that is the toughest part.
On Friday and Saturday at Pueblo’s historic Dutch Clark Stadium, there will be tears of joy and tears of sadness shed. But, ultimately, pride should be the overwhelming emotion pouring out of the stadium’s gates this coming weekend.
Here’s how the teams match up this coming championship weekend.
Class 2A
(9) Wellington vs. (3) The Classical Academy, 5 p.m. Saturday
How each got here: Wellington’s defense tightened up the past two weeks after surviving defending champ Delta in the opening round, and the Eagles did not allow a single point to No. 1 seed Strasburg in round two. Against Eaton, it was four turnovers produced that allowed WHS to thwart the Reds. For TCA, a strong fourth quarter got it past Basalt and into its second-ever state title game (last was 2021). Senior Andrew Brown completed five passes to five different receivers and managed an impressive 177 yards. Balance keyed the Titans’ effort over the Longhorns, as Zach Mediavilla even pitched in a kickoff return touchdown in the semis.
How each can win: For Wellington at this point, confidence in the defense has got to be sky-high. With 24 turnovers and 16 sacks in 12 games, the Eagles have proven to be aggressive and savvy, and there’s no reason to think that will change facing the Titans. For TCA, it’s about surviving the toughest test of the season after not being challenged much in league play. Having scored 46 points a game through the season, TCA has gotten tremendous production from its hungry junior and senior classes looking to deliver the first championship to the school.
Class 1A
(1) Wray vs. (2) Forge Christian, 12 p.m. Saturday
How each got here: Wray has topped the 1A field most if not all season, and the Eagles have not given up more than 15 points in a game to an in-state opponent (that 15 points so happened to be last week in a win against Buena Vista). Meanwhile, its offense has scored at least 41 points in seven straight weeks, with a peak of 52 last week against the Demons, too. Forge Christian has been building momentum since Week 1 and once again the story has been the Fury defense, which has gone at least 24 quarters of football without allowing a point. Yes, you read that right.
How each can win: Odds are, Wray’s Casey Midcap is going to figure out a way to get some points up on the board against the vaunted FCHS defense. The question is, how many? Midcap has 9 TD passes over the past three games (also a 69% completion rate), giving the Eagles hope that they can break a five-game losing streak in championship games (last title for WHS was 1993). It seems like FCHS doesn’t need to play perfect to win, and one key for the Fury in its quest for a fifth championship in the sport is its senior class continuing to provide the pathway to dominance. There’s no question the 2025 senior class for FCHS is special and that it’s title-or-bust for the group.
8-man
(1) Haxtun vs. (3) Akron, 5 p.m. Friday
How each got here: The Bulldogs have not allowed more than eight points to an in-state opponent all season, marching through the playoffs with a 142-16 scoring margin behind a trio of 800-yard rushers. Akron certainly has had the more turbulent run through the season, but the Rams have found a passing attack to go with the running attack, particularly last week when they had over 200 yards through the air. Matter of fact, junior Jace Curtis was a perfect 7-for-7 last week in passing.
How each can win: Haxtun was in this position last year, with very similar dominating numbers, before Mancos managed to put the Bulldogs on ice skates in a 40-0 championship game result. The Bulldogs need to focus on what they’ve done well all year and limit turnovers if they want to take their ninth title. For Akron to get their seventh title, the Rams need to realize they are not the team that lost 48-0 to Haxtun earlier in the season. They’ve grown and can compete with Haxtun if they play the brand of football they’ve learned to play over the past several weeks.
6-man
(1) Cheyenne Wells vs. (2) Stratton, 12 p.m. Friday
How each got here: The matchup everyone was anticipating since the outset of the season has arrived. After meeting in the opener and providing a small glimpse of what a championship matchup might look like, Cheyenne Wells marched to a perfect record and was not tested again until last week’s 28-24 escape of upset-minded Idalia. The Tigers have scored a whopping 746 points this season. Stratton’s run through the season was similar, culminating in its most challenging game last week against Otis in which the Eagles rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit and then shut out one of the classification’s other high-powered offenses in the second half of a 49-32 win.
How each can win: Each has won against the other over the past couple of years (they are meeting in the title game for the third time in four seasons) and so there surely is confidence on each side. For Stratton, balance between the rush and the pass could be key but ultimately it comes down to the Eagles getting off to a strong start and perhaps getting CWHS on its heels. The Tigers have rushed for 300 yards in a game on eight occasions this season, and so it appears that clock control and getting Trey Scheler and Ethen Garay close to the end zone is the desired path to victory.
