Colorado Rural Football League: Players to watch

There will be high school students playing contact football in Colorado this week. No, it is not the high school season starting immediately, though it appears the door is now more open than ever to get the season going this fall. Four communities have instead formed a club football league to play some games this fall after it was announced the high school sports season would take place in the spring. The Colorado Rural Football League will feature four communities that field six-man football teams. They will play each other a short season, giving players a chance to take the field this fall. Teams from Briggsdale, Peetz, Prairie (in New Raymer) and Walden (North Park High School) will play each other in the round-robin league. Peetz and Prairie will face off on Thursday, Sept. 17, while Briggsdale and North Park square off on Friday, Sept. 18 for Week 1. With this new club season getting underway, here is a look at some of the six-man stars from those respective communities that return and who will be ones to watch. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Briggsdale</span></strong> After seeing some sparse time on the field as a freshman, Malik Carlson (2022) made a mark in the 2019 fall, finishing with 959 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He was a steady presence on defense as well with 61 tackles, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. A few more from the same class that shined on defense were Isiah Nava (2022) and Shane Dooho (2022), both of whom also had 61 tackles and who do a good job flying all over the football field. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Peetz</span></strong> Nolan Hill (2021) is a speedster who flies all over the field. His presence is especially felt on defense with his 100 tackles and four interceptions in 2019. He has great length with his 6-foot-2, 165-pound frame to make plays in the passing game. A bruiser on defense that returns is Ryan Schliz (2022) with his 45 tackles. Another lengthy player who will see more time and can put up some numbers is Aiden Curtis (2021). <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Prairie</span></strong> One of the more complete players back in six-man football from the plains is Arek Wulf (2021). He has a good, tall frame at 6-foot and plenty of good speed to go with him, making him a home-run threat every time he touches the ball. In 2019, he had 618 rushing yards, 418 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns and 61 tackles. A similar type of athlete and playmaker for Prairie is Maverik Mertens (2022) who left his mark on defense with 70 tackles and some pass breakups in the secondary. Andy Long (2022) played a lot on defense and could see more time on offense this year, potentially as the team’s starting quarterback with his 6-foot-1 frame throwing down the field. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Walden</span></strong> If you’re looking for the next receiving star from the A-6 North, consider Montgomery Ramsey (2023) after his playmaking freshman campaign. He was able to create separation, catch the ball and make defenders miss after the catch for a few big plays that led him to finish with 283 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his first high school season. The team’s big bruiser of an athlete is Cordell Garriott (2022) at 5-foot-10 and 235 pounds, and he does not shy from contact along the line, but he has enough athleticism to get in the open field as well, resulting in 70 tackles on defense. Evan Pieper (2022) helps in all three phases, using his 6-foot frame to good use in the passing game but also finding some decent returns in the special teams game.