Five Gem Games In Week Nine: Eight-Man Division I

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This week in eight-man division I should be intriguing. We'll see some separation between the contenders and pretenders after this week as there are multiple games on the schedule which should be highly competitive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at five of those top games and a prospect to watch from each game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Attica/Argonia (5-3) at Moundridge (8-0) – </strong>Moundridge heads into the playoffs unbeaten, but they better remember the Titans. The 8-Man DI Bracket is loaded with games where winning teams will face each other in the first round. The winner of this game will face the winner of Chase County (5-3) and Oswego (4-4).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1229106' first='Carson' last='Vineyard'],</strong> LB, 5'9”, 155, Attica/Argonia, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Titans have a hard-hitting sophomore leading the Titans' defense. He leads the teams in tackles with 93. He also has four rushing touchdowns through eight games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Burlingame &nbsp;(5-3) @ West Elk (7-1)</strong> – This could be one of the elite match-ups of the first round. Both teams can put up big numbers on the scoreboard. The winner will get a tough match-up in the regional round whether it is Little River (6-2) or Oxford (5-3).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JD Tyson</strong>, QB, &nbsp;5'6”, 170, Burlingame, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyson has thrown for over 1,000 yards for the Wildcats and has thrown 19 touchdowns. On the ground, he has carried the ball 88 times for 441 yards and nine scores.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lincoln  (5-3) @ Rawlins Co.  (7-1) – </strong>Here is a tough match-up between a team that finished second in the district, Rawlins Co., and one who finished third in its district is Lincoln. The winner of this game would then face either Trego Community (6-2) or Spearville (2-6) in the regional round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1103759' first='Brayan' last='Rodriguez']</strong>, LB/TE,&nbsp; 5'10”, 160, Rawlins Co., ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defensive side of the ball is where Rodriguez really excels. He has a team-high 93 tackles and is looking for back-to-back seasons of 100 or more tackles. Fifteen of his tackles are for loss, proving he has the speed to get in the backfield. He has also caught 31 balls for 543 yards and nine touchdowns for the Buffaloes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Skyline (4-4) @ Meade (7-1) – </strong>The Buffaloes could get a tough game from the Thunderbirds. Both teams have offensive weapons that rack up yards and put points on the board. The winner of this game will square off with the winner of Quinter (5-3) and Ell-Saline in the following round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brayden Berens</strong>, QB, 5'9”, 180, Skyline, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Berens is a run-first quarterback with excellent speed. He has rushed for 1,195 yards on 156 carries and has toted the ball to the end zone 19 times. He also has a nice touch in the air throwing for 424 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sublette (5-3)  at LaCrosse  (5-3) – </strong>These two teams should really compete. Both teams played in difficult districts and were battle-tested. The winner gets a potential second-round game against Hoxie (7-1) who will face Bennington in Week Nine.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gage Burk</strong>, RB/DE, 6'4” 160, LaCrosse, ‘24</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burk is a physical player. He has 59 total tackles for the Leopards. Offensively he has 50 receptions for 481 yards and nine touchdowns. On the ground, he has collected 339 yards and two more touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->