Prospect Matchup: 8-Man & 6-Man Championship Previews

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The moment folks have been waiting for all season is finally here. State championship weekend features a number of intriguing matchups across each classification level. The higher classes naturally will receive the most coverage given the programs slated to play, and the highly ranked prospects that will be taking the field. However, the matchups in the lower levels are some folks should consider tuning into.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lower classes such as the Eight-Man and Six-Man ranks can produce some very unpredictable outcomes. Folks in attendance may see a lopsided game that could end early, or they may witness a thrilling back and forth high-scoring affair. Needless to say these games can be exciting, and they move at an extremely fast pace. The three matchups in this report have the potential of being exactly that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Eight-Man D-I State Championship</span></em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central Plains (10-2) vs. Hoxie (12-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The matchup of the Central Plain Oilers and the Hoxie Indians kicks off this report. These two programs don't see each other often, as their last meeting took place in 2018. It's also been over five years since both squads have hoisted a state title. Which means they'll equally be motivated to bring some hardware back to campus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Players to Watch</em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two seniors that are sure to have their fingerprints all over this game are <strong>Eli Hurley</strong> (CP) and <strong>Easton Nickelson</strong> (Hox). It'll be important for the Oilers to get on the board early against a dominant Indians defense, and Hurley is just the player that can help Central Plain's offense. Hurley is an intricate piece in the Oilers' rushing attack, as he's a physical lead blocker and a tough ball carrier on inside runs. For Hoxie, they'll rely on Nickelson to help slow down Hurley and the Oilers. Nickelson spearheads a defense that allows just under 10 points per game. He is their leading tackler with 170 total on the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Eight-Man D-II State Championship</span></em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Axtell (12-0) vs. Victoria (12-0) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This next game is one of the marquee matchups from the lower classification levels, as it features two programs that have dominated the Eight-Man ranks in recent years. The Victoria Knights have not finished a season under nine wins since 2019. But, it's been nine years since their last state title. On the other side, Axtell has established itself as one of the premier programs in the state. The Eagles have not lost a game in 1,484 days, and they head into this matchup with their sites set on a fourth straight state title. Something will have to give when these two titans clash Saturday morning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Players to Watch</em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both squads boast some talented athletes on their rosters, but two folks should keep an eye on are [player_tooltip player_id='281972' first='Brandon' last='Schmelzle'] (Axtell) and [player_tooltip player_id='1260106' first='Wyatt' last='Griffin'] (Vic). These two seniors are very impactful for their respective teams, and they are sure to be difference makers in this huge matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline">Six-Man State Championship</span></em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cunningham (10-0) vs. Weskan (11-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final game from this small-school triple header is between the Cunningham Wildcats and the Weskan Coyotes. There might be some folks in the state that may not be familiar with Six-Man football. They've unfortunately been missing out. It's as fast paced as Eight-Man, just with less players on the field. This title game features two of the more successful programs from the Six-Man ranks over the last few years. They've each been very impressive this season, but only one can remain unbeaten.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Players to Watch</em></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are some versatile players on both rosters, but the two that headline this matchup are <strong>Will Wegerer</strong> of Cunningham and <strong>Nick Cottrell</strong> of Weskan. This season Wegerer has helped the Wildcats average just over 37 points per game, and the senior has accounted for 1,630 yards of total offense with 37 total touchdowns. For Weskan, Cottrell has been very efficient during his junior campaign, as he's completed over 70% of his passes while throwing for over 1,695 yards and 29 touchdowns. Expect for these two to put on a show.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->