One thing can be said about the remaining 16 teams in small-school football leading up to the semifinals — the resistance has been minimal as the teams have forged ahead into the penultimate weekend of the season where semifinal games will be played in Class 2A, 1A, 8-man and 6-man.
Only two of 16 quarterfinal games last week were decided by 10 points or less. In 6-man, once again, blowouts reigned supreme as winners prevailed by an average of 49 points. And the top-four seeds are present for the most part, with Simla (No. 7 in 8-man), Buena Vista (No. 5 in 1A), Wellington (No. 9 in 2A) and Eaton (No. 13 in 2A) the only exceptions.
Will there be an uptick in the drama this week? Colorado Preps offers a few notes on the matchups ahead:
Class 2A
Eaton at Wellington (Fri., 7 p.m.) — The 2A North conference foes meet again on Friday night, and Eaton more than certainly hopes to keep riding some momentum while also banking on a better start to its game than in the conference matchup on Oct. 18. Wellington went up 21-0 after just one quarter in that one, and Eaton’s three turnovers doomed the hosts as the Eagles went on to win 35-10. The Reds must find a way to stop Cash Altschwager, who went off for 220 yards and three touchdowns in that game and who had another 100-yard game last week against Strasburg. The Wellington D pitched an impressive shutout of the Indians, but then again, so did Eaton in beating Lamar. The EHS defense produced five interceptions in the win.
The Classical Academy at Basalt (Sat., 1 p.m.) — One team is going to end up with its first season loss by the time this one goes final, and with two undefeated teams clashing, it’s set up to be emotional and intense. Basalt has posted 42 and 34 points in two playoff games, and the Longhorns continue to ride on the shoulders of the Wills — Will Daniel and Will Tarallo — who have combined for more than 2,400 rushing yards and 34 TDs. The Titans will make the trek to Basalt as they did last year (it was a first-round matchup, won by TCA) and are coming off the closest win of the round for the small schools, beating Berthoud with a last-minute score, 20-17, to secure the semis. Jackson Schipfer had a career-high 218 yards against the Spartans.
Class 1A
Wray at Buena Vista (Sat., 1 p.m.) — It’s been since 2012 that these teams have played. Buena Vista is playing really well in the playoffs, allowing just seven points in each of its two games while establishing a good ground game. Wray, meanwhile, has surpassed 40 points in seven straight games and approached 500 total yards last week. Both the Demons and Eagles have experienced quarterbacks who have performed admirably so far — Hudson Wingo for BVHS and Casey Midcap for WHS. While Buena Vista is junior-heavy on the whole, Wray’s senior class is looking to cap its time on the gridiron together with the ultimate reward.
Limon at Forge Christian (Sat., 1 p.m.) — Forge Christian won the 2A soccer championship just last week, and the Fury football team is looking to follow that up. First, though, they have to combat against one of the state’s elite and well-coached teams in Limon, which has made the semifinals for the eighth-straight season. FCHS has not allowed a point in five weeks, and Sullivan Strange leads the classification in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Limon has four 500-yard rushers, and those same four (Skylur McCready, Camdyn Tacha, Jacob Jaklich, Aiden Kollath) have combined for 32 TDs on the ground.
8-man
Mancos at Haxtun (Sat., 1 p.m.) — A rematch of last year’s state championship game won by Mancos, 40-0, odds are this game is much tighter as Haxtun hosts the Bluejays with revenge on its mind. The Bulldogs haven’t given up more than six points in a game since Week 2, and HHS blitzed Sanford last week behind Zach Statz’s four-touchdown day. It’s Grant Statz on the other side of the ball that has played relentlessly, too, in his senior season. Jacob Martin (15 sacks) could be an X-factor for Mancos in its quest to return to the title game.
Simla at Akron (Sat., 1 p.m.) — Both the Cubs and Rams enter this matchup on five-game win streaks, and while Akron got a surprising test in the first round of the playoffs against Clear Creek, both teams have been playing consistently of late. Simla’s Caston Cox has thrown for 584 yards and nine TDs in two playoff games, while senior Anderson Filla has scored in five straght games for AHS. These teams have not met up since 2017.
6-man
Idalia at Cheyenne Wells (Sat., 1 p.m.) — There are 19 championships between the four remaining teams in 6-man, with 18 of those coming among those not named Cheyenne Wells. But the Tigers have been relentless this season having surpassed 700 points scored, and a second-ever title is in their sights. Idalia, eight-time champs in the sport, has allowed just 18 points in each playoff game so far. But the Wolves have not defeated CWHS in five tries since 2016.
Otis at Stratton (Sat., 1 p.m.) — Otis has three titles, while Stratton is looking for its third-straight championship this season and ninth overall. The Eagles have defeated the Bulldogs five times since 2021, including a 48-16 win back on Oct. 11 in which both teams had a lot of turnovers. If Otis wants to win, it must produce some special plays like it did last week in a 66-6 win against Sierra Grande. OHS had two defensive touchdowns, a punt return touchdown and produced five sacks.
