Class 2A state championship preview
Chaos unfolded in the Class 2A state tournament thanks to the Eaton Reds and Lamar Savages. The No. 5 seed and No. 7 seed beat a pair of higher-seeded teams in the playoffs to make it to an unlikely state…
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Continue ReadingChaos unfolded in the Class 2A state tournament thanks to the Eaton Reds and Lamar Savages.
The No. 5 seed and No. 7 seed beat a pair of higher-seeded teams in the playoffs to make it to an unlikely state championship game. And while both teams have had its share of success, neither has been on the biggest stage in quite some time. That will change this Friday at 2 p.m. in Pueblo when they face off.
Here is a look at the players to watch in this week’s game.
Eaton Reds
How they got there: One of only a couple of teams to make it to the playoffs with two losses, Eaton has certainly played at a higher level on the biggest stage, starting with a 41-7 thumping of Pagosa Springs on the road in the quarterfinals. Because of the road win, the Reds were given the chance to host the No. 1 seed Resurrection Christian Cougars in the semifinal round, and they took advantage of a big third quarter to win 27-13 to make it to state.
It has been a while since Eaton has been a part of the state championship game in Class 2A. The last time they played for the title was in 2003, which was the final of four consecutive state title appearances. The last state title Eaton won was in 2000 with a 21-7 win over Roosevelt.
Offensive stars: A trio of runners will carry the ball for the Reds in this game. Running back Ethan Florez is the high man with 598 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Scott Grable will use his legs in the offense and has 522 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. The other running back expected to get some of the carries will be Salvador Rojas.
Grable will go to the air on occasion and he has a pair of senior play-making wide receivers to get the ball to. Gage Butler is the leading receiver with 18 receptions for 274 yards and a score. Right behind him is Juan Maravilla with 15 receptions for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Both are shorter receivers but can move in the open field and get away from defenders for Grable to throw to.
Defensive stars: Tanner True is a big presence along the interior of the defensive line. The 6-foot-2, 275-pound defensive lineman has been a force with 41 tackles and two sacks this year. Lamar will have to find a way to contain him at the line of scrimmage. The other defensive lineman who can make his presence felt is Ryan Dirksen, a quick edge rusher with three sacks.
Butler is the other big play-maker for the Reds on defense. He has five interceptions, two pass breakups and two fumbles recovered in the secondary. While he is a key in stopping the pass, Butler will also play well against the run for Eaton.
Lamar Savages
How they got there: Lamar got two big road wins in the playoffs thanks to its defense to reach the state championship game. The first win came against Sterling, the defending state champs and No. 2 seed, by a score of 14-6. After that, Lamar went to Delta to face the state runner-ups and would come away with the 7-6 victory.
According to CHSAANow.com, it has been 59 years since Lamar has won a state title, doing it against Delta 40-14 back in 1961. And the last time Lamar played for the state title was 1963.
Offensive stars: Zane Rankin and Jesus Reyes are the one-two punch that will keep Lamar chugging along on offense. The two are great with their legs and can break a big run at any point. Reyes is the running back and had 609 rushing yards while Rankin, the starting quarterback, has 606 yards on the ground. Both also have seven rushing touchdowns each. Rankin has also thrown for 1,272 yards and 14 touchdowns, making him one of the top yardage leaders in the classification.
Lamar also has a pair of big-time wide receivers in the passing game. Blake Buxton leads the way with 28 receptions, 708 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, including the lone touchdown last week versus Delta. Damian Antonio Ramos has 18 receptions for 264 yards and a score. Lamar likes to go deep or find room after the catch to run, evident by the 19.6 yards per reception it is averaging.
Defensive stars: A stat stuffer to keep an eye on in this game is Devyn Kincade. The senior leads the team with 73 tackles and can get in the backfield and create havoc, resulting in eight sacks so far. Kincade will also deliver a hard hit and can knock the ball out as he has forced four fumbles this season. Expect Eaton to be aware of where he is lined up at all times.
One of the top interception leaders in Class 2A is Ramos in the secondary with six. Buxton and Brenden Sneller will also get interceptions and have shown an ability to return them for big plays to change the momentum. One more defender to watch is Luis Delatorre, who has 58 total tackles.