Class 1A state championship game preview

It should be no surprise that the two teams who have met in the state championship games the last two seasons will do so a third straight time this week. The Limon Badgers and Strasburg Indians came in as the favorites to make it to Pueblo for the title game in this shortened season, and both have lived up to their expectations to do so. Now we will see if Limon can continue to have success and get a third straight win over Strasburg, or if some new wrinkles will put the runner-ups back on top. Here is a look at the Class 1A state championship game that is set to kick off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. <h2><strong>Limon Badgers</strong></h2> <strong>How they got there:</strong> The two-time defending state champions have been a defensive force this season, averaging just eight points per game against them this season. That defense was important as Limon defeated Holyoke 41-15 in the quarterfinal round and then fended off an upset-minded team from Wray 24-14 last week to make it to the title game. Limon is a proud program that can boast about having the most state titles in football with 19, according to CHSAANow.com. Before going back-to-back the last two seasons, the Badgers had not played for the title since 2007. But they are hopeful to make it three state titles in a row this week. <strong>Offensive stars: [player_tooltip player_id="22618" first="Kory" last="Tacha"]</strong> came in as the player everyone expected to watch this season, and he has not disappointed with 596 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. But the running back leading the team in rushing is <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22738" first="Jeremiah" last="Leeper"]</strong>, a fast back 706 yards and eight touchdowns this year. Both have the luxury of running behind a big, veteran offensive line with seniors <strong>John Jaklich</strong>, <strong>Trey Jeffries</strong> and <strong>Kaysen Schmidt</strong> anchoring the unit. One secret weapon for the Badgers is <strong>Alex Carr</strong>. The 6-foot-6 senior can win 1-on-1 battles with smaller defenders and provides a reliable target for senior quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22733" first="Trey" last="Hines"]</strong> to throw to. Look for him to be the focal point when Limon does go to the air, and look for Hines to make a few plays with his legs as well when the pocket breaks downs. <strong>Defensive stars:</strong> Carr’s length makes him a good target to throw to, but it also makes him a target difficult to throw against in the secondary. His length has helped him record three interceptions this season to lead the team. Hines can also cover receivers well and has a pair of interceptions himself. <strong>Ky Brandy</strong> is a two-year starter from his linebacker spot and the anchor of the defense. He has 62 total tackles this year and stacks up well in the middle of the field to read the play and get to the ball. He is a regular at making tackles. The next man behind him for the team high in that category is fellow linebacker Tacha with 31 total stops. <h2><strong>Strasburg Indians</strong></h2> <strong>How they got there:</strong> There was little trouble in the regular season for Strasburg as it won all five games by a combined score of 325-0 against lesser talent. They would end up facing a pair of challenges in the postseason, starting with a thrilling 36-34 win over Meeker in the quarterfinal round that came down to the final minute. Strasburg looked closer to form from the regular season last week with its 27-14 road win at Centauri. Making it to state has been a constant for Strasburg in recent history. The Indians will be playing in their fifth state championship game in a row. While the team did win against Meeker in 2016 and Centauri in 2017 for the title, they have come up short against Limon in each of the last two seasons. They hope the third time is the charm to get back on top. <strong>Offensive stars: Trystan Graf</strong> will line up all over the field, but no matter where he is, they will get him the ball. He’ll line up at running back and follow a lead blocker for a run in between the tackles, or he will split as a slot receiver and be used in the jet sweep. He has 866 rushing yards, 171 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns this season. <strong>Mattias Brown</strong> and <strong>Wilson Ames</strong> are the two offensive tackles who can get those edge blocks so runs can break outside or get up to the second level when they run up the middle. Quarterback <strong>Collin Russell</strong> can extend plays by moving in the pocket or rolling away from pressure and throwing on the run, resulting in 759 passing yards and 13 touchdowns with a completion percentage of 58 percent. His favorite target to go to is <strong>A.J. Hemphill</strong>, a versatile and sure-handed wide receiver who can win against a cornerback on the outside but is also fearless in going over the middle of the field. <strong>Defensive stars:</strong> Strasburg is strong at all three levels, but perhaps its strongest point is on the back end. This season, the Indians have 17 total interceptions, most of which come from the secondary. <strong>Jack Swanson</strong> leads the way from the safety spot with five interceptions, followed by Russell with three from the cornerback position. Hemphill and Brown are two key players against the run who will have to play big this week to slow down the Limon run game. Hemphill is a versatile linebacker not afraid of delivering a big hit and has 51 tackles on the season. Brown will play in the box and has 59 tackles.