Key headlines for small schools advancing to state finals

The state semifinal round concluded last weekend and all seven state championship games are set to be played in Pueblo in a few days. Before looking ahead to this week’s championship games, we take a look back at a key trait learned in the small school classifications for 6-man, 8-man, Class 1A and Class 2A from last week. <h4><strong>6-man: turnovers key for winning teams</strong></h4> If you look at the offensive numbers, things were tight in both games. Granada had 442 total yards compared to 402 from Fleming, and Stratton/Liberty outgained Cheyenne Wells slightly 286-240. So, what led Fleming and Stratton/Liberty to each get a home win last week and set up a rematch for the state title this week? Turnovers. Fleming won its rematch with Granada 52-46 in large part due to the three turnovers it forced in the win. Junior linebacker <strong>Joel Muller</strong> led the way getting an interception and recovering a fumble while senior defensive back <strong>Kade Comstock</strong> had an interception, giving him three for the season. The three turnovers on Saturday gives Fleming 16 total turnovers forced this season. In the 36-15 win for Stratton/Liberty, they had three interceptions to slow down a Cheyenne Wells offense that was capable of putting up yards and points this season. Two of those interceptions were recorded by junior linebacker <strong>Will Witzel</strong>, giving him three for the season, and sophomore defensive end <strong>Alex Cruz</strong> had the other one for his second of the season. The three turnovers forced last week gives them seven turnovers forced this season. Since both teams do a good job taking care of the football, it may be difficult for either team to add to their turnover totals this week. Fleming had the lone turnover forced in the state championship game last year in its 28-27 win over Stratton/Liberty. <h4><strong>8-man: Sedgwick County still ahead of the curve in the classification</strong></h4> Sometimes, you just have a team and a program that rise to an extra level well above its competition. Sedgwick County has taken that leap this season and continue to be on an impressive run in the decade. The Cougars have dominated on both sides of the ball, scoring 40 or more points in seven of eight games played while allowing fewer than 16 points against them in all eight games played. Their run in the playoffs continued with an impressive 46-6 win last week over Dove Creek to remain undefeated. They are explosive and can break a big play at any point, and they will fly to the football and shut you down on the other side. That does not make Sedgwick County a guarantee to win. Sanford, who edged Merino 16-14 in the other semifinal game, have been just as solid on defense this year, allowing 14 or fewer points in six of seven games this season. They may possess the best chance to slow down Sedgwick County, but the Cougars and their recent run in 8-man football makes them an early favorite for sure. <h4><strong>Class 1A: Familiarity returns, but what will be new this time?</strong></h4> There are a handful of rematches in the state championship this season, but the Class 1A championship game pits Limon and Strasburg against each other for a third straight season in the final. Limon has gotten the better of Strasburg the first two times, winning 13-7 in 2018 and 26-13 last year. In the two championship games before then, Strasburg was victorious 10-7 over Centauri in 2017 and 34-14 against Meeker in 2016. We know some of the stars who played in the last two meetings who are back and could produce big numbers. There is Limon’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22618" first="Kory" last="Tacha"]</strong>, the reigning Class 1A Player of the Year at running back and linebacker. Throwing the ball and stopping some passes in the secondary will be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22733" first="Trey" last="Hines"]</strong>. Strasburg has <strong>Trystan Graf</strong> ready to lead the rushing game and <strong>A.J. Hemphill</strong> to produce from his wide receiver and defensive back spot. So, who or what will make things different this time around? What new wrinkles will be put into play for these teams this time around? They have game film against each other from the previous two meetings and will need to find ways to bring something different to catch their opponents off guard this time around. The chess match between coaches Mike O’Dwyer (Limon) and Brian Brown (Strasburg) will be fun to watch. <h4><strong>Class 2A: the league of chaos and surprise in Colorado</strong></h4> Out of the seven state brackets, five saw the No. 1 seed reach the state championship game, and four of them will see the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds collide in the final this week. That leaves little parody in the bracket. And then there’s Class 2A, where the No. 5 seed and No. 7 seed both won and created chaos in the bracket. The No. 5 seed Eaton Reds have not played like a middle seed in the bracket. They pounced on Pagosa Springs 41-7, and then with the home game against the top-seed Resurrection Christian, they cruised to a 27-13 win to reach the final. As for the No. 7 seed Lamar Savages, they knocked out both teams who played in the state championship game last season to make it this year, winning 14-6 at Sterling and then winning 7-6 at Delta last week. Both are similar in their approach. They like to run the ball with multiple backs on offense and can find some big pass plays when needed. <strong>Ethan Flores</strong>, <strong>Scott Grable</strong> and <strong>Salvador Rojas</strong> each have ran for more than 430 yards for Eaton while <strong>Zane Rankin</strong> and <strong>Jesus Reyes</strong> each have more than 600 yards on the ground for Lamar. The two teams also have two of the top interception leaders in Class 2A, with Lamar’s <strong>Damian Antonio Ramos</strong> tied for the lead with six interceptions and Eaton’s <strong>Gage Butler</strong> tied for third with five interceptions. Their similarities helped them upset two higher-seeded teams and make it to Pueblo this week.