Ever since he was little, Brady Kuntz has been running around the Fleming football program. When his older brother was playing for the Wildcats, Kuntz served as the water boy for the team which would earn him the nickname “Liquid.”
Years later, he became crucial to the team as a standout player on two state championship teams. Kuntz wasn’t raised by a pack of wolves, but he was accepted at a young age by a destruction of Wildcats. And they taught him to be destructive.
A defensive player at his core, Kuntz helped the Wildcats claim a second straight 6-man football title and won the classification’s player of the year in the process. When thinking back to August, the thought of either achievements coming to fruition seemed far-fetched.
“I knew we were going to be good,” Kuntz said. “It just shocked me how good of a team we were. And being the MVP of 6-man, that surprises me a lot.”
Maybe it shouldn’t. Fleming felt like it went into the 2020 season a bit under the radar. After the Wildcats beat Stratton/Liberty to claim the 6-man title, several seniors moved on from the program and the Wildcats felt as though no one believed they could win state again.
But if Kuntz’s energy on the field could be seen by everyone in the state, it would be no surprise to see the Wildcats once again perform at that championship level. It had been something Kuntz had been dreaming of since slinging around liquid for the varsity players as a kid.
“He’s been around (the program) for so long,” Fleming coach John King said. “He’s been such a big part of this for all these years.”
(Lance Wendt/wendt5280.com)
Kuntz was a vital part of the Widlcats offense as he led the team with 293 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. But his heart is always on the defensive side of the ball and that’s where his true ability on the field tends to show.
He totaled 88 tackles and led the team with six sacks on the year. With just six players on the field, that production tends to come from a middle linebacker but Kuntz did it from the defensive line.
“I like to do the hitting,” Kuntz said. “We’ve had a great middle linebacker (Chris Goss) the last two years and it came down to him and me for the best defensive player on the team.”
Offensively, Kuntz had normally played the running back position but was kept primarily on the defensive side of the ball in 2019. He was back on offense this year, but as an offensive lineman.
“I guess I surprised everyone with how well I can catch,” Kuntz said.
It all came down to what King knew he could do with his standout senior. Having known the kid for nearly a decade, King had every bit of confidence that he would succeed in any situation in which he could make an impact.
And Kuntz proved him right. And by doing so, he made the 2020 season one that will be memorable not just for the coach or the community, but for the players and for the rest of their lives.
“Everyone is going to remember this year,” King said. “This has been an extremely bright spot in a year that has had very few positive moments for anybody.”
For a kid that went from slinging water to catching touchdown passes and making big plays on defense, the memories will stick around the program forever.
The 2020 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created from the results of the coaches’ vote.
Because there will be two football seasons during the 2020-21 school year, this is the all-state football team for Season A. There will be a separate all-state football team released for Season C.
PUEBLO — Charles Hobbs and Nolan Japp had one job. Don’t let Stratton/Liberty’s Alex Cruz into the end zone.
The Fleming duo allowed Cruz three yards when he needed four on 4th and goal. For their effort, Chris Goss rewarded his teammates by breaking for a 79-yard touchdown run on the very next play, putting the Wildcats firmly in control as they claimed their second straight 6-man football title with a 60-28 over Stratton/Liberty at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at CSU-Pueblo.
“That was going to be a big play that we were going to have and we just happened to use it right then,” Goss said. “It worked out to where my blockers made the hole and I hit it and just went.”
This is the fourth state football championship for Fleming, all of which have been won since 2011. But this version might prove to be the most memorable of the bunch considering the obstacles that all teams had to battle through during a COVID-filled 2020 season.
“This year has been such a roller coaster.,” Fleming coach John King said. “I don’t know how many times since August we’ve been heartbroken. There was a time early in the season and a time about three weeks ago that I had anxiety attacks almost. Every time my phone rang or I got a text, I thought they were shutting us down.”
The call that King was dreading never came. The Wildcats and Knighted Eagles fought their way through the playoffs and notched a special game in history as the first to be played on a weekend where all seven games converged on one location.
Rather than the game being held at a home site as has been tradition, the 6-man title game was the first of all seven games to be play at the ThunderBowl. With the field constructed for a a regulation 11-man situation, a little work had to be done to get it to 6-man specs, but made for an overall great atmosphere for a championship game.
“(6-man) is different because the sidelines aren’t what you normally see,” Goss said. “They had to reconstruct the field a little bit to make it smaller, but I thought it was exciting.”
Cruz sparked the first half scoring run with a 35-yard touchdown to put the Knighted Eagles (6-1 overall) up 8-0 early. The Wildcats (8-0) responded quickly with a 55-yard run from Japp. Cruz added a second rushing touchdown to once again put the Knighted Eagles in front, but that’s when Fleming kicked things into high gear.
Touchdown runs from Hobbs and Goss along with a Kenny Bandy field goal pushed the lead to 28-14 at halftime.
Charlie Clapper sparked Stratton/Liberty early in the second half, breaking for a 41-yard score on the first offensive play of the third quarter to cut the lead to 28-20. But the Wildcats responded quickly as Hobbs scored from 13 yards out to once make it a two-score lead.
And they never looked back.
Hobbs rushed for two touchdowns in the second half, Kade Comstock threw a touchdown pass to Joel Muller and Goss added a late touchdown run of his own to lock up the Wildcats’ second consecutive title.
Hobbs was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player thanks in part to his big stop on defense as well as his three rushing touchdowns.
“I don’t know how to express my feelings right now,” Hobbs said. “It’s not my win, it’s the whole team’s win. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.”
As time expired and the sun set behind the Rocky Mountains, the Wildcats used just enough of the remaining sunlight to appreciate the sparkling gold of another championship trophy.
If last year was any indication, this year’s 6-man football championship game is going to be a fun watch.
After heading to Stratton/Liberty last year, Fleming looks to defend its state championship against the same Knighted Eagles team it downed 28-27 on a sunny, but windy day last November.
The Wildcats (7-0 overall) have played out the season looking like the defending champions and continued that momentum into the 6-man playoffs which began two weeks ago.
To get the state title game, Fleming had to survive the passing attack from one of 6-man’s most prolific offenses. Granada’s Dominic Coleman hasn’t been afraid to put the ball in the air at any point this season and has been effective in doing so. When it came to keeping up with an offense that had scored fewer than 49 points just once all season, Coleman was happy to take on the challenge.
He completed 18-of-25 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions and found out very quickly that the defending champs meant business.
Fleming and Stratton/Liberty also met in the 2019 6-man title game. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Fleming’s offense was every bit as effective as it had been all season. Charles Hobbs showed off his big-play ability carrying the ball just four times for 148 yards and scoring three touchdowns. When a standout back is only tackled once all day, it tends to be a recipe for success.
The same could be said for Brady Kuntz. The senior caught three passes for 72 yards yards and scored twice.
With a fumble recovery and blocked field goal from Joel Muller, the Wildcats certainly have the personnel needed to grab another gold trophy this weekend.
But Stratton/Liberty (6-0) has to have revenge on its mind. The Knighted Eagles have to have the one-point loss in last year’s title game still fresh in its memory. The fact that it happened at home couldn’t have helped in the matter.
The rushing tandem of Alex Cruz and Riggin Williams is looking to provide every bit the threat that Hobbs will for the Wildcats. Cruz broke for 101 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s semifinal win over Cheyenne Wells. Williams rushed for just 66 yards but also scored twice for Stratton/Liberty.
Sophomore Logan Breyer made his presence felt defensively as he recorded three sacks. Cruz picked off one pass while Will Witzel had two interceptions to help the Knighted Eagles win the turnover battle.
This is Stratton/Liberty’s fourth straight appearance in the state title game and the team will be looking for its second title in that span. The Knighted Eagles beat Kit Carson 57-18 in 2018.
The 6-man championship game is the first of the seven state football championship games to be contested this week. The game is set for a 2 p.m. kick on Thursday.
It was semifinal Saturday as all seven classes were in action. That means that each championship matchup has been set up ahead of next week’s Championship Weekend at CSU Pueblo.
Cherry Creek scored on a Hail Mary as the first half ended to turn a one-score game to a 21-7 advantage, and the Bruins’ offense kept it up in the second half as they advanced to a third-straight title game.
Julian Hammond III threw two touchdowns, and star defensive back/offensive threat Myles Purchase had three touchdowns. Cherry Creek’s Gunnar Helm and Chase Penry each had receiving scores.
Cherry Creek, the defending champions, will be making its 19th appearance in a state title game, and third straight.
Already up 14-0 after the first quarter, Valor Christian exploded for 31 second-quarter points as the Eagles advanced to the program’s 10th state title game.
Valor score two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, including one from Jordan Norwood, and then their special teams (blocked punt return from Mitchell Bigelow) and defense (Luke Meyer’s 17-yard fumble return) added two more scores early in the second.
Jackson Zimmermann added a receiving score, and Gabe Sawchuk scored on the ground.
Valor Christian is 8-1-0 in its previous trips to a championship game.
Loveland scored all of its points in the first half, and its defense held firm to secure a second championship game appearance in three years.
Tyson Williams had a 12-yard rushing touchdown which opened the scoring in the first quarter. After Dakota Ridge took a 7-6 lead, Loveland’s Garrett Harstad scored from 3 yards out.
Then, in the second quarter, Zack Rakowsky broke off a 73-yard rushing score for Loveland.
Loveland moves on to make its 15th championship game appearance.
A tight game through the first two quarters, Roosevelt’s Brig Hartson scored from 6 yards out in the final minute of the first half to put his team up 21-13.
Pueblo South’s Jace Bellah scored in the third quarter to cut it to 21-19, but Roosevelt close the game with 28 unanswered points.
This will be Roosevelt’s third championship game appearance, and first since 2015.
Durango built a 21-0 halftime lead, one it extended to 28-0 early in the third quarter as the Demons flexed their muscle in the win.
“The kids just executed our game plan perfectly,” Durango coach David Vogt told the Colorado Preps Scoreboard Show. “Our offense just really was rolling.”
Jordan Woolverton led the way for Durango with two rushing touchdowns, a passing score, and an interception on defense. Gage Mestas had two touchdowns: one receiving, and one rushing. Ben Finneseth also added a 40-yard rushing touchdown.
It is Durango’s first appearance in a championship game since 1988, and fourth overall. They are 0-3-1 all-time in title games.
“Every year, that’s our goal: To make it to the state championship,” Vogt said. “To accomplish that, it’s great for everybody who has ever been in the program. Everybody is so happy for the program, and the town is just elated, too.”
This will be Eaton’s first appearance in a state championship game since 2003, and the program’s eighth overall. Eaton has won one championship before, in 2000.
“The look on the players’ faces, it’s classic. It just brings tears to your eyes. Excited for them, that their hard work is playing off. You just love to see that look on their faces,” Eaton coach Zac Lemon told the Scoreboard Show.
Eaton led 14-7 at the half, and pushed their lead to 27-7 in the fourth quarter.
“We knew it was going to be a battle in the trenches. It wasn’t easy, but our guys battled,” Lemon said. “We did a little ‘bend, but don’t break.’ Guys played selfless, and excellent.”
Lamar’s lone score came less than a minute into the second quarter, when Zane Rankin hit Blake Buxton for a 38-yard touchdown. A Luis DeLaTorre extra point immediately after ultimately proved to be the difference in this game.
“Zane put it right on him for the touchdown,” Lamar coach Jason Tice told the Scoreboard Show.
The lead held through halftime and into the third quarter when Delta’s Nathan Scharnhorst scored from 6 yards out with 8 minutes remaining in the quarter. The extra point attempt, though, was not good.
“Our defense stood tall,” Tice said. “The defense really did a nice job today.”
Lamar will head to a title game for the first time since 1963.
“We’ve got great kids. This senior class is remarkable. It’s one of the best senior classes I’ve ever been a part of,” Tice said. “These guys just go out there and they play for one another. As a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”
The Badgers, two-time defending champions, are headed back to the title game.
Tied at halftime, Limon took a 14-7 lead with three minutes to play in the third following a long drive.
“Our kids did a really nice job,” Limon coach Mike O’Dwyer told the Scoreboard Show. “We had talked all week that this game was going to be 3 and 4 and 5 yards, and the team that can sustain that drive and not make mistakes and turn the ball over would win. I really thought our kids did a nice job. We ate up about 8 and a half minutes.”
The Badgers added a field goal early in the fourth to go ahead 17-7.
“To make it a two-score game, you felt a little bit more comfortable,” O’Dwyer said.
Wray cut the lead to 17-14 three minutes later, but Limon sealed the game with a touchdown pass with two minutes remaining.
“It was a great team effort on the defensive side,” O’Dwyer said.
Limon has the most championships of any program in the state, with 19. They have been to a title game 27 times before, also the most in the state.
For the fifth-straight year, Strasburg will head to the championship game. The squad has played Limon each of the past two seasons.
Down 14-0 in the first half, and 14-6 at halftime, Strasburg got a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion midway through the third quarter to tie things at 14-14. Then, with five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, another rushing score gave Strasburg a 21-14 lead.
“When we got down 14-0, nothing was working for us offensively. Centauri came out and they were flying around the football,” Strasburg coach Brian Brown told the Scoreboard Show. “We told the boys, ‘We’re not used to this, but we got to keep our composure.’ Our boys, they never seem too worried about what the score is. They just know that if they keep doing the things they do best, good things will happen.”
They then sealed the game with a pick-6 with three minutes to play.
Strasburg will be making its seventh appearance in a championship game.
The Cougars have advanced to their sixth-straight state title game, and are looking to become just the second program to ever win six consecutive championships. Only Limon has done it before, from 1963-68.
“I think later on down the road, we’ll be able to look back and realize what had happened. Right now, we’re just a one-day-at-a-time team, just like everybody else,” Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel told the Scoreboard Show.
Sedgwick County scored four times on the ground, once through the air, and also had a 64-yard punt return for a score. The Cougars led 40-6 at halftime.
“We do a really good job, when we get some momentum, of capitalizing on that,” Michel said.
•••
(2) Sanford 16, (6) Merino 14
This marks the first time in program history that Sanford will play for a state football championship.
“Beyond excited,” Sanford coach Joe Cary told the Scoreboard Show. “We’re extremely excited to be able to go and do this.”
Sanford trailed 14-8 at halftime in a physical game. They went ahead 16-14 in the fourth quarter on a speed-option play.
“The kids never dropped their heads,” Cary said. “Never once did they let the doubt creep in. They just fought and fought.”
It was a shootout back-and-forth kind of game between the two teams that saw a number of lead changes.
Granada led 46-38 in the fourth quarter, but a long touchdown run cut it to 46-44 for Fleming. The Wildcats then took the lead for good on an 8-yard pass.
“It was a great game,” Fleming coach John King told the Scoreboard Show.
Fleming, the defending champion, will head back to the championship game for a second year in a row, and for the seventh time in program history.
“I’m sure it’s going to be one heck of a test for us again,” King said.
•••
(2) Stratton/Liberty 36, (3) Cheyenne Wells 15
It’ll be a fourth-straight title game appearance for the Knighted Eagles, and a rematch of last year’s title game, won by Fleming.
Against Cheyenne Wells, Stratton/Liberty trailed 15-14 at halftime. They closed with 22 unanswered points.
“I thought we just played harder, with more heart, and more urgency, in the second half,” Stratton/Liberty Toby Kechter told the Scoreboard Show. “The second half, we just ran right at them and we finally found some holes.”
This will be Stratton/Liberty’s 15th championship game in program history.
“We’re excited. You take away our best player Week 2, and our kids really stepped up,” Kechter said. “They played with a lot of heart and desire and want-to.”
After a thrilling week of Colorado playoff football games, teams roll into semifinals this weekend. With upsets in nearly every small-school classification, intriguing matchups have been set as teams prepare to earn a chance to get to the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl in Pueblo to compete for state football championships.
Here is a look at the semifinal games for the small-school games this weekend.
Breakdown: After five games of not surrendering a point, Resurrection Christian finally allowed a couple of touchdowns to their opponent. The Cougars (6-0) still got a 40-14 win over Moffat County to move on to the 1A semifinals where they’ll travel to Eaton.
Will Schrotenboer threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns last weekend and the Cougars still rushed for 177 yards as a team presenting a very dangerous and balanced offense.
Eaton traveled to Pagosa Springs and got a big 41-7 win over the Pirates to earn the right to host its semifinal game. In order to keep that dangerous Rez offense off the field, Eaton (5-2) will have to lean on its rushing attack. That’s how the team grabbed its upset win over the Pirates.
Ethan Florez rushed for 121 yards and three scores while Scott Grable added 84 yards and another rushing touchdown.
• • •
(7) Lamar at (6) Delta
(Paul Shepardson)
Date and time: Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: With both teams coming off big upset wins last weekend, the second 2A semifinal brings about an intriguing matchup. Lamar’s shifty quarterback Zane Rankin has shown he has the athleticism to lead his team to something like a win over the defending 2A champs. He rushed for 117 and a touchdown as Lamar (6-1) knocked off Sterling 14-6.
Jesus Reyes led Lamar with 123 rushing yards. Rankin threw a total of one pass in the course of the game and it fell incomplete.
Without Nolan Bynum, Delta was able to travel to Platte Valley and get a 38-6 win over the Broncos. Timothy Horn rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the effort. The Panthers (5-1) advanced to the 2A title game a year ago but ultimately lost to Sterling.
A win over Lamar would give them another shot to claim that elusive state championship.
Breakdown: Limon’s quest for a third straight state title is alive after a big 41-15 win over Holyoke in the 1A quarterfinals. Trey Hines completed four of his five passing attempts for 89 yards and a touchdown. The Badgers (5-0) were very balanced on the ground as four players rushed for at least 40 yards.
Kory Tacha and Jeremiah Leeper each ran for 63 yards and a touchdown. Tacha caught Hines’ touchdown pass.
Wray trailed 7-0 after the first quarter last weekend, but a 24-point second quarter sparked the Eagles (6-1) to a 38-13 win over Hotchkiss.
Tyler Collins was outstanding running the ball as he amassed 203 yards and scored four touchdowns. He’ll try to counter Limon’s ground game on Saturday.
• • •
(2) Strasburg at (6) Centauri
(Barry Smith)
Date and time: Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Second-seeded Strasburg received quite the fight from No. 7 Meeker in the 1A quarterfinals. Strasburg (7-0) came out victorious and we have to refocus their efforts on a Centauri team that upset a solid Florence squad.
Trystan Graf led the ground effort for Strasburg by rushing for 94 yards and two touchdowns. The team totaled five rushing touchdowns in the win over Meeker.
While Florence had two standout backs in Owen Busetti and Jacob Kennedy, Mason Claunch was more than up to the task of carrying the offensive load for the Falcons (7-0). Centauri came away with the 20-17 lead which now earns them a home game in the 1A semifinals.
The Falcons have outscored their opponents 368-32 this year and can certainly claim their second upset win in a row this weekend.
Breakdown: Sedgwick County liked right at home in its playoff opener. The Cougars (7-0) have not lost a playoff game since Nov. 1, 2014 and are playing like they intend to keep that streak going into 2021.
The Cougars have won consecutive games, the most in the state. They, of course, are seeking a sixth-straight state title — something done only once before, by Limon, from 1963-68.
Dove Creek got off a strong star in its playoff opener against Rangely and rode it to a 30-12 win to advance to the semifinals. In order to take down Sedgwick County the Bulldogs (5-1) will have to lean on the combined rushing attack of Chorbin Cressler and Gage Bailey.
The duo each rushed for at least 120 yards and a touchdown in the win over Rangely and will try to carry that momentum into the semifinals.
• • •
(2) Sanford at (6) Merino
Date and time: Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Sanford (6-0) opened the playoffs with a 36-28 win over Mancos, a game that was probably a bit closer than it had hoped for. The 28 points for Mancos was the most points Sanford has given up all year so the defense will look to clamp down as it hits the road this week.
Merino pulled off the stunner of the week when it knocked off Fowler, last year’s state runner-up. The 22-6 win over the Grizzlies was the lone upset in the 8-man bracket and adjust the home game slate as the Rams (6-1) will play host to Sanford on Saturday.
Breakdown: Following a big 58-14 win over Kit Carson, the defending 6-man champions are back into the state semifinals. Kade Comstock completed just three passes for 88 yards, but two of them went for touchdowns. Chris Goss and Charles Hobbs each went for over 100 rushing yards and they both scored two touchdowns for the Wildcats.
It was a much better game than what the tandem did against Granada in the final regular season. They combined for 166 rushing yards, although they did each score two touchdowns in the 49-44 win.
Granada had a bit more trouble with Eads than Fleming did with Kit Carson. The Bobcats got the 44-35 win thanks in big part to a 22-point second quarter. They’ll get another crack at Fleming after having one of the best overall performances against the defending champions.
Dominic Coleman threw for 199 yards and two touchdowns while John Hainer ran for a blistering 219 yards and four scores.
• • •
(3) Cheyenne Wells at (2) Stratton/Liberty
Date and time: Nov. 28, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Stratton/Liberty returns to the semifinals following a comfortable 59-38 win over Briggsdale. Sophomore Alex Cruz ran for 108 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
He’ll be key for the Knighted Eagles (5-0) if they plan on returning to the 6-man state title game.
Cheyenne Wells took full advantage of playing at home, getting a 43-22 win over Prairie in the quarterfinals. The Tigers (6-0) are a run-heavy team that will rely on Evan Worely who has averaged over nine yards per carry for the bulk of the year.
They’re also averaging 53 points per game making them one of the top offensive units left on the bracket.
The state football playoffs are underway this week. Each bracket consists of eight teams with quarterfinals taking place this week before semifinals are played next week, ahead of the state championship games, all of which will be played at Colorado State University Pueblo.
With four games in all seven classifications, here is a breakdown of this week’s small-school matchups:
Breakdown: Scoring on Resurrection Christian (5-0) this year has been tougher than difficult. It’s been impossible. The Cougars have allowed zero points all season and scored at least 32 in each game. Will Schrotenboer has been solid under center, tossing 11 touchdown passes this year.
Despite stumbling in its season opener, Moffat County (4-1) has played solid football and rattled off four straight wins to end the regular season. Caleb Frink is responsible for 753 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns.
• • •
(5) Eaton at (4) Pagosa Springs
(@PagosaAthletics/Twitter)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: A traditionally strong slate of 2A opponents didn’t stop Pagosa Springs (5-0) from ending the regular season undefeated. Dylan Tressler averaged over 200 rushing yards per game to end with a total of 1,052. Grant Aucoin led the team with eight rushing touchdowns.
Eaton (4-2) suffered a couple of losses, but both were to 2A playoff teams. The team showed a diverse rushing attack as three players have rushed for over 400 yards and scored at least six touchdowns each.
• • •
(7) Lamar at (2) Sterling
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Sterling (5-0) begins its state championship defense after an undefeated regular season. The Tigers have been tough on defense, totaling 13 turnovers in their five games.
Lamar (5-1) had high expectations coming into the 2020 season and making the playoffs was a big part of that. Zane Rankin leads a balanced offense where he has thrown for 1,178 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for 417 yards and six scores.
• • •
(6) Delta at (3) Platte Valley
(Barry Smith)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Platte Valley (5-1) missed out on the 2020 state title game after getting there back in 2019. The Broncos have looked strong this year with their only loss coming at the hands of Sterling. Kade McDaniel has thrown for 890 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 600 yards and eight touchdowns.
Delta (4-1) was last year’s runner-up, but the Panthers lost star quarterback Nolan Bynum three weeks ago. Nathan Scharnhorst, previously a receiver, has completed 14 of 23 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns in the past two games, while also rushing for three scores. Timothy Horn (436 yards rushing, two touchdowns) is also a focal point of the offense.
Breakdown: Same story, different year for the Badgers (4-0), who are looking for a third straight title. Kory Tacha and Jeremiah Leeper have been a force for Limon, combining for 1,006 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Holyoke (5-1) will head into the game with some revenge on its mind. The Dragons lost to Limon 15-7 in last year’s semifinals. Miles Sprague ended the season rushing for 10 touchdowns and throwing for four more.
• • •
(5) Hotchkiss at (4) Wray
(Photo: Matt Hall)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 12 p.m.
Breakdown: There was a lot of diversity on the schedule this year for Wray (5-1). The Eagles beat Niwot but lost to Platte Valley. They also went undefeated against the 1A teams they played. Tyler Collins threw for over 1,000 yards and nearly added 1,000 rushing yards to his offensive effort this season.
Hotchkiss (6-0) put together a list of impressive wins en route to ending the regular season undefeated. The Bulldogs average over 300 rushing yards per game as a team and Mordecai White carries the bulk of that load, averaging 102.8 yards per game. He has also scored 10 rushing touchdowns this year.
• • •
(7) Meeker at (2) Strasburg
(Austin Hogan-McCool)
Date and time: Nov. 20, 7 p.m.
Breakdown: Perhaps no one was better defensively as a team than Strasburg (6-0). Through six games, Strasburg allowed a total of zero points. The team wasn’t bad offensively either as Cam Russell threw 13 touchdown passes through the course of the season.
A lot of lopsided wins defined Meeker’s (5-1) season. The Cowboys’ lone loss was a 14-8 nailbiter against Hotchkiss. Jeremy Woodward and Kelton Turner each ran for over 500 yards and scored at least seven rushing touchdowns apiece.
• • •
(6) Centauri at (3) Florence
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: With a ground heavy attack, Florence (5-0) looks like it could make some noise in the 1A field. Owen Busetti and Jacob Kennedy have combined for over 800 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Centauri (6-0) ran the table in the regular season and shouldn’t be counted out of any game until the buzzer sounds. Mason Claunch has rushed for 870 yards and a staggering 21 touchdowns.
Breakdown: Sedgwick County (6-0) begins its hunt for a sixth straight state title. The Cougars have been sound on both sides of the ball, outscoring their opponents 296-50 this year.
Crowley County (3-1) started the season off with three big wins before running into Flower the last game of the regular season. Senior Adam Schultz has averaged 205 rushing yards per game this year and has scored nine touchdowns.
• • •
(5) Rangely at (4) Dove Creek
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: A promising run through the regular season has made Dove Creek (4-1) a team that shouldn’t be ignored. Gage Bailey leads the Bulldogs in rushing yards (716) while Gauge Thompson leads them in rushing touchdowns (8).
Rangely (6-0) also looked impressive this year, giving up no more than 12 points in any game. Zane Varner’s 920 total rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns have been a big reason for the Panthers success on offense.
• • •
(7) Mancos at (2) Sanford
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1:30 p.m.
Breakdown: Of the five games on Sanford’s (5-0) schedule this year, only Dove Creek made the playoffs. Still, Sanford won the game 36-12, giving every indication it is ready for a state title run.
Mancos (3-1) also played Dove Creek earlier this year, but the 18-14 loss to the Bulldogs was the lone game in which the Bluejays didn’t score 50 points. Chase Moore has carried the ball 72 times for 791 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.
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(6) Merino at (3) Fowler
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: After reaching the state title game in 2019, Fowler (6-0) is anxious to make another run. Both Damian Romero and Jackson Bates have rushed for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns each.
Each of Merino’s (5-1) wins this season came by at least two scores. The Rams played their regular season finale on Nov. 6 and lost to Sedgwick County 32-0.
Breakdown: Fleming (5-0) has been a wrecking ball for most of the season. The team had surrendered fewer than 20 points each game this season, at least until they had to grind out a 49-44 win over Granada last week. Chris Goss, Charles Hobbs and Nolan Japp have combined for 17 rushing touchdowns this year.
Kit Carson (3-1) rebounded from its lone loss of the season on Oct. 24 with a 40-20 win over Hi-Plains last Friday. Kit Carson was the No. 1 seed in last year’s tournament, but fell to Fleming 68-52 in the semifinals.
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(5) Eads at (4) Granada
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: Despite closing the regular season with a loss to Fleming, Granada (5-1) had a strong 2020 campaign. Dominic Coleman finished the year throwing for 1,137 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Although Eads (3-2) suffered a couple of losses in the regular season, they came against two of 6-man’s top three teams. Damien Barnes leads the Eagles with 801 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
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(7) Briggsdale at (2) Stratton/Liberty
Date and time: Nov. 21, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: By the time Stratton/Liberty (4-0) takes the field on Saturday, it will have been nearly a month since it saw action on the field. In the first three games of the season, the Knighted Eagles scored at least 62 points and gave up an average of just over 15.
Briggsdale (3-1) has looked solid all year and its only loss of the year was by three points to Prairie. Malik Carlson has been a threat in passing, rushing and receiving and totaled 671 yards of total offense in just three games.
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(6) Prairie at (3) Cheyenne Wells
Date and time: Nov. 20, 1 p.m.
Breakdown: On paper, Cheyenne Wells (5-0) looks like the biggest challenger to Fleming. The Tigers scored at least 42 points each game and surrendered no more than 38 in a single contest.
Prairie (5-1) has put together a solid resumé this season with its only loss coming to Fleming. Andy Long threw for an average of 178.2 yards per game and also threw 19 touchdown passes.
