How does a team follow up maybe one of the most dominant seasons in Colorado high school football history? Probably just by turning the page and refocusing on the next game.
But heading into the 6-man football season, all eyes will be on defending state champion, Stratton. To say the Eagles were dominant is like saying Mile High Sports editor-in-chief Doug Ottewill casually follows the Denver Nuggets. They went 14-0 and outscored their opponents 822-196 as they ran away with the state title.
The closest game they played was a 46-14 win over Prairie in the first round of the state tournament. Their win was so much a forgone conclusion by the time the championship game came around that the celebration wouldn’t have bothered their next-door neighbors.
“I don’t know, I guess we just need a few minutes for it to sink in,” eventually player of the year Alex Cruz said after the game.
Judging by the way they competed all season, it was the outcome they expected. So perhaps they felt more a sigh of relief than a culmination of a goal.
Cruz is gone, but the Eagles other standout back, Cyler Notter, returns after rushing for 1,000 yards and 23 touchdowns. Charlie Tagtmeyer is also back after leading the team in passing yards and tossing a respectable 10-1 touchdown to interception ratio.
If the Eagles fall back to the pack, there are a few teams that could get into the championship mix. Granada was a game away from playing for the state title and Maddox Coleman looks poised for another stellar season. He rushed for 1,066 yards and 13 touchdowns and also threw for another 14.
With Fleming losing Braylen Feather and Nolan Japp to graduation, the Bobcats could very easily be in a position to strike while the iron is hot.
Genoa-Hugo could be a team that flies under the radar a bit. The Pirates had some solid standout moments last year, notably a 58-54 win over Arickaree. They battled to a two-point loss to Otis the following week, but they certainly garnered some attention at that stretch of the season. Senior Trey Smith will be crucial to the Pirates success. He threw for 2,290 yards and 28 touchdowns last year and rushed for another seven. He gets leading rusher Konner Rowden-Stum back as well, giving Genoa-Hugo a steady offensive attack.
Otis and standout back Tayte Smith will also be worth keeping an eye on. Smith rushed for 1,810 yards and 35 scores and helped guide the Bulldogs to the 6-man semifinals.
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6-man football
Returning All-State Players:
- Maddox Coleman, Granada (First Team)
- Cyler Notter, Stratton (First Team)
- Trey Smith, Genoa-Hugo (First Team)
- Porter Spady, Eads (First Team)
- Leyton Jones, Walsh (Second Team)
- Tayte Smith, Otis (Second Team)
- Charlie Tagtmeyer, Stratton (Second Team)
- Brody Webb, Stratton (Second Team)
- Bo Arnold, Eads (Honorable Mention)
- Makeon Crum, North Park (Honorable Mention)
- Carter Jaeger, Prairie (Honorable Mention)
- Brett Kendall, Primero (Honorable Mention)
- Tyler Kester, Sierra Grande (Honorable Mention)
- Jacob Martinez, Mountain Valley (Honorable Mention)
- Dominik Mingee, Deer Trail (Honorable Mention)
- Jessey Montunnas, La Veta (Honorable Mention)
- Drayden Nix, La Veta (Honorable Mention)
- Aron Ojeda, Sierra Grande (Honorable Mention)
- Kaiden Zeleznikar, Cotopaxi (Honorable Mention)
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League 1
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Fleming | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| North Park | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Briggsdale | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Prairie | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Peetz | 3 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Weldon Valley | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Fleming
Additional playoff teams: North Park, Briggsdale, Prairie
Projected 2023 league champion: Fleming
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: North Park, Prairie
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League 2
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Stratton | 14 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Genoa-Hugo | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Arickaree | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Otis | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Idalia | 2 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| Bethune | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| Hi-Plains | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Flagler | 0 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Stratton (2023 6-man state champion)
Additional playoff teams: Genoa-Hugo, Otis, Arickaree
Projected 2023 league champion: Stratton
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Genoa-Hugo, Otis
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League 3
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Hanover | 7 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| Deer Trail | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Kiowa | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Miami-Yoder | 2 | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| Manzanola | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Hanover
Additional playoff teams: None
Projected 2023 league champion: Deer Trail
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Hanover
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League 4
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Granada | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Cheyenne Wells | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Cheraw | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Eads | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Walsh | 4 | 6 | 1 | 4 |
| Manzanola | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
League champion: Granada
Additional playoff teams: Cheyenne Wells, Eads, Cheraw
Projected 2023 league champion: Granada
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Cheyenne Wells, Cheraw, Eads, Walsh
League 5
| Team | Overall | League | ||
| Win | Loss | Win | Loss | |
| Branson/Kim | 7 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Sierra Grande | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Cotopaxi | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| La Veta | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Mountain Valley | 3 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| Primero | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| Sangre de Cristo | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
League champion: Branson/Kim
Additional playoff teams: Sierra Grande
Projected 2023 league champion: Sierra Grande
Additional 2023 playoff contenders: Branson/Kim, Cotopaxi
