For the last two seasons, 6-man football in Colorado has been about as predictable as a season could be. That’s not to say it’s necessarily a bad thing, but it shows just pound-for-pound how dominant the Stratton Eagles have been.
Try this on for size: In the last two seasons, the Eagles have gone a combined 27-0 with two state championships. They given up 20 or more points just three times in that span while they themselves have scored over 60 points on 13 separate occasions.
No team in the state, not Columbine, Valor Christian, Palmer Ridge, Erie or anyone has been anywhere close to the Eagles in terms of sheer dominance.
Last year wasn’t too much of a shock as they still had Cyler Notter and Charlie Tagtmeyer back from the 2022 title team and the duo picked up right where it left off.
Notter was the engine of the ground game, rushing for 1,338 yards and 31 touchdowns through the course of the season which earned him Player of the Year honors by CHSAANow.com.
Tagtmeyer was efficient in the passing game when he needed to be, but truly left his mark on the team with his play on defense. He hauled in nearly half of the team’s 20 interceptions and was crucial on special teams.
But what now?
Both Notter and Tagtmeyer are gone, as are three other seniors. For an 11-man roster that’s nearly nothing, but at the 6-man level it’s a significant turnover heading into a new season.
Senior Stockton Fye will take over as the primary ball carrier after rushing for 570 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023 and sophomore Jaxon Einspahr returns with the most passing attempts from last year’s team with nine.
If the last two years are any indication, this could just as easily be Stratton reloading rather than rebuilding. Fye looked more than capable of fitting into the offense last year, it’s just just when the Player of the Year is the one ahead of him on the depth chart. The Eagles will have a defensive anchor returning in Brody Webb. He led the Eagles with 102 total tackles last year.
Like the last two seasons, the big question is which team is going to be able to keep up with the Eagles in 2024?
Cheyenne Wells would be a logical candidate considering the Tigers have made it to the last two 6-man title games. Perry Chadwick’s graduation does see big-time leadership head out the door, but Trey Scheler emerged as a big playmaker a year ago. He rushed for 1,201 yards and 22 touchdowns and also hauled in over 500 receiving yards. Heading into just his junior year, he is a player that could establish himself as a top dog in the 6-man ranks.
Otis is also heading into the season with high expectations. The Bulldogs were the No. 2 seed in the state playoffs last year and suffered a stunning 66-60 loss to Cheyenne Wells in the semifinals.
What will be telling about the 2024 Bulldogs is how they react heading into the season. With key returning players such as running backs Mitch Stivers and Tayte Smith (1,463 combined rushing yards, 22 touchdowns) and quarterback Austin Hornung (1,270 passing yards, 21 touchdowns) there could be a bitter taste in their mouths and a chip on their shoulder. They also have Charlie Kendrick back and he showed to be a big contributor on both sides of the ball.
In short, the Bulldogs are brining a lot of bite back with them from the 2023 season.
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2024 6-man football outlook
Regular season begins: Aug. 22
Regular season ends: Nov. 2
State championship game: Nov. 29 at CSU Pueblo Thunderbowl
Defending state champion: Stratton
New teams in classification for 2024-26 cycle: Caliche (8-man), Wiley (8-man)
Returning 1st/2nd team all-state players:
- Maddox Coleman (Granada)
- Kolter Cranson (Branson/Kim)
- Brett Kendall (Primero)
- Charlie Kendrick (Otis)
- Trey Scheler (Cheyenne Wells)
- Tayte Smith (Otis)
- Brody Webb (Stratton)
Top returning passers:
| RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | YARDS | TOUCHDOWNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aron Ojeda | Sierra Grande | 1,384 | 25 |
| 2 | Maddox Coleman | Granada | 1,274 | 30 |
| 3 | Austin Hornung | Otis | 1,270 | 21 |
| 4 | Tyler Decker | Hanover | 1,021 | 15 |
| 5 | Brett Kendall | Primero | 882 | 13 |
Top returning rushers:
| RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | YARDS | TOUCHDOWNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kolter Cranson | Branson/Kim | 1,872* | 34 |
| 2 | Brett Kendall | Primero | 1,552 | 30 |
| 3 | Gavin Howard | Miami-Yoder | 1,444 | 27 |
| 4 | Gabe Kechter | Idalia | 1,243 | 16 |
| 5 | Trey Scheler | Cheyenne Wells | 1,201 | 22 |
Top returning tacklers:
| RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | TOTAL TACKLES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trey Scheler | Cheyenne Wells | 191 |
| 2 | David Byers | Hanover | 133 |
| 3 | Jairo Vicente Dominguez | Primero | 120 |
| 4 | Kolter Cranson | Branson/Kim | 119 |
| 5 | Charlie Kendrick | Otis | 103 |
