Class 8 Man-I
8M-I East: No. 2 Madison (10-1) at No. 3 Mankato-Rock Hills (10-1)
Saturday’s 3 p.m. 8-Man Division I semifinal game in Mankato matches up the second-ranked Madison Bulldogs against third-ranked Mankato-Rock Hills.
Each team can score a load of points and has been dominant since early-season losses.
Madison, the defending state champion, has won 10 consecutive games since falling to 8-Man Division II’s top-ranked Baileyville B&B 34-22 in the season opener.
Since the loss, Madison has scored no fewer than 44 points in a game and has kept opponents to one touchdown or fewer six times.
The Bulldogs even kept rolling after the loss of leading rusher Dallas Thompson, who was hurt in a playoff win against Pike Valley and is out for the season.
Madison ran through South Haven 66-28 to get one step closer to another state championship appearance.
Without Thompson, the Bulldogs relied on running backs Owen Reed and Ed Alvarez. Reed rushed for 184 yards and four TDs, while Alvarez ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
The defense also came up big against a South Haven team that entered the game not scoring fewer than 46 points in a single outing this season. The Bulldogs forced four South Haven turnovers.
Rock Hills has won seven straight since falling 42-22 to Clifton-Clyde in Week 4.
The Grizzlies have been on an offensive rampage since then, scoring more than 50 points in the last seven games and more than 70 in the past two.
Rock Hills is coming off a 76-48 road win over previously unbeaten Marmaton Valley. Joel Broeckelman and running back Clay Cosand each rushed for more than 100 yards in the game.
For the season, the duo has combined for more than 1,500 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns. The Grizzlies are primarily a running team, averaging 323.2 yards on the ground, while passing for only 64.7 yards per game.
Madison 44, Rock Hills 36 (Schremmer)
Fan vote: Madison (63%)
8M-I West: No. 4 Solomon (10-1) at No. 1 Ness City (11-0)
Ness City is the lone undefeated team in Eight-Man, Division I and has dominated every team on its schedule.
The Eagles have outscored opponents 551-62. No other team in its classification has allowed fewer than 154 points this year. The Eagles have won their two playoff games by a combined score of 96-14.
Third-year coach Chris Bamberger has now led a three-win improvement in each of his seasons with the program from 5-5 to 8-2 to 11-0 this year.
Seniors Dalton Gantz (995 rushing yards) and Garrett Flax (994 yards) should each exceed 1,000 yards this week. Senior Blake McVicker leads the team with 95 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Solomon has won its two playoff games by small margins, beating Kiowa County 54-42 and Hodgeman County 22-18 – Ness City had beaten Hodgeman County by the mercy rule earlier this year. The victories are the first for the Gorillas in the playoffs since their last postseason appearance in 2008. Solomon defeated Pretty Prairie 20-18 in Week 9 of the regular season; a team that Ness City bested 46-0 last Saturday.
Junior quarterback Colton Shirack leads the Gorillas with 188 carries for 1,200 yards and 16 scores, while senior Daniel Durant has rushed for 629 yards and 17 scores.
Solomon has averaged 260 rushing yards a game, but Ness City easily moves into the state final.
Ness City 50, Solomon 12 (Nicholl)
Fan vote: Ness City (82%)
Class 8 Man-II
8M-II East: No. 3 Hanover (9-2) at No. 1 Baileyville B&B (11-0)
Twin Valley League rivals Baileyville B&B and Hanover will meet on Friday with a spot in the 8-Man, Division-II championship game on the line. The Falcons and Wildcats are among the most successful programs in 8-Man football over the past ten seasons, having combined for nine state championship game appearances and four state titles during that time.
A win for the B&B on Friday would mean a fifth consecutive state championship game appearance for the Falcons.
It will mark the second time the schools have met both in the regular season and in the playoffs since 2006. The other occurred in 2010 when B&B won 31-28 in overtime during the regular season, before pulling away for a 48-22 victory in the state semifinals.
This season’s regular season contest was also decided in overtime as the Falcons rallied from a 38-22 fourth quarter deficit to pull out a 52-46 win in double overtime.
In that game, B&B junior quarterback Dustin Rottinghaus rushed for 151 yards and six touchdowns on 18 carries. He also passed for 143 yards on 14 completions. The Falcons have been refining their aerial attack in the past three games as Rottinghaus has thrown for nearly 500 yards and nine touchdowns during that span.
Dustin Deters remains the Falcon’s primary ground threat having rushed for 827 yards and 14 scores on the season. Deters had 141 yards on the ground in the first meeting with the Wildcats.
Mark Zarybnicky has been exceptional for Hanover in the playoffs. In Saturday’s 80-30 win over Colony-Crest, Zarybnicky rushed for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He also intercepted two Lancer passes on the defensive side of the ball. In the opening-round shutout of Chase, Zarybnicky rushed for nearly 80 yards and a pair of scores.
Both teams were tested during the regular season. Hanover’s other loss came in Week 2 in a 26-0 shutout loss to Mankato-Rock Hills. The Grizzlies will play in the 8-Man, Division-I semifinals against Madison on Saturday. B&B handed two-time defending champion Madison its only loss of the season 34-22 back in Week 1. The Falcons also beat a quarterfinal team in Pretty Prairie along the way.
B&B has won the last six meetings in the series with the Wildcats.
B&B 45, Hanover 32 (Gilmore)
Fan vote: B&B (72%)
8M-II West: No. 2 Sharon Springs (10-0) at No. 4 Thunder Ridge (10-1)
This marks the third straight season the two teams have met in the playoffs. All three contests have been played in Kensington.
However, it’s the first time where Sharon Springs is ranked higher. Two years ago, the Wildcats went 5-4 in the regular season and lost 76-42 in the first round to a Thunder Ridge squad that finished 8-3. Last year, Thunder Ridge was the favorite to win the Eight-Man, Division II state title and eventually went 13-0 and won the state title. The Longhorns defeated Sharon Springs 48-0 in the first round of the playoffs.
Sharon Springs went 8-2, but returned six starters on both sides of the ball and is looking for its first state title since a 13-0 run in 2007. Sharon Springs leads Eight-Man, Division II in fewest points allowed and has outscored opponents 491-56.
Senior Gavin Mote has completed 52 of 84 passes for 835 yards with a 15/4 TD/INT ratio. He also leads the team with 783 yards and 20 scores. The Wildcats have 24.5 sacks a team, including seven sacks and six quarterback hurries from junior Clay Schemm. Sharon Springs is also plus-9 in turnover margin and has blocked three kicks.
Thunder Ridge is 23-1 in the last two seasons and has won 10 straight games. The Longhorns are 23-4 at home in program history. Senior fullback Trevor Lowe has rushed for 1,344 yards and 24 scores, including 149 yards and two TDs last week in a win against Otis-Bison.
This is going to be a great, low-scoring battle, but Sharon Springs’ experience, especially at quarterback, will lead the Wildcats back to Newton.
Sharon Springs 26, Thunder Ridge 20 (Nicholl)
Fan vote: Sharon Springs (51%)
Use your Facebook account to add a comment or start a discussion. Posts are subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment.
