The high school football season got into full gear for teams in the area last week.
IN 6-MAN ACTION, the No. 3 preseason state-ranked Granada Bobcats hosted the Branson/Kim Bearcats.
It was all Granada from the opening kickoff as the Bobcats exploded for a 58-13 victory at Manuel Gonzales Field on Thursday, Aug. 24.
Granada is now 4-0 against Branson/Kim.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 22-0 lead after the first quarter and extended that lead to 34-7 at halftime.
Granada’s lead ballooned to 58-7 after three quarters.
Branson/Kim scored again in the fourth quarter.
Granada junior quarterback Maddox Coleman had a phenomenal night for the Bobcats as he fired 5 TD strikes.
Coleman completed 8-of-9 pass attempts for 169 yards with no interceptions.
He also rushed for a 45-yard touchdown and returned a kickoff 70-yards to paydirt.
Terence Hainer was the leading receiver with three receptions for 77 yards. All three of his catches went for touchdowns.
Jonus Guevara had two receptions for 32 yards and one TD strike.
Elijah Rodriquez had one reception as he made a circus catch for an 8-yard touchdown.
On the ground, Guevara rushed for 123 yards on nine carries and scored on a 65-yard touchdown run.
On defense, Coleman registered 14 tackles (12 solo). Hainer followed with 7 tackles (6 solo). Lupe Martinez added 7 tackles and Alan Ayala and Javier Tejada both had 5 tackles apiece.
Hainer and Tejada both had one fumble recovery.
Jose Sanchez kicked 5-of-7 PATs.
Granada prepares for a big showdown against the defending 6-man state champion and No. 1 state-ranked Stratton Eagles on Friday, Sept. 1 in Stratton.
Granada is 0-6 against Stratton since 2008.
The Eagles rolled past the Bobcats, 70-28, last year.
Stratton is coming off a lopsided 65-16 victory over the Cheyenne Wells Tigers on Saturday, Aug. 26.
IN CLASS 8-MAN ACTION, the McClave Cardinals opened their 2023 season with a 28-6 victory over No. 9 state-ranked Crowley County on Saturday, Aug. 26.
The game was tied 6-6 after the first quarter before the Cardinals rolled to a 28-6 lead at the half.
Gavin Tempel had a big game for the Cardinals as he rushed for 222 yards on 22 carries and scored 2 TDs.
Ethan Bronniman and Will Pacino also scored one touchdown each.
Tuff Kelley led the McClave defense with 7 tackles. Pacino followed with 6 and Tempel had 5.
Mason Barr had two interceptions and Bronniman had one.
“Crowley is a young hard-hitting team and it was good for us to meet the challenge and play well,” said McClave head coach Jeremy Mallard. “We felt like we gave that game away last year, so it was important for our guys to not only beat them but start the season off with a win.”
McClave will next host the Merino Rams at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1.
The Cardinals have lost five straight games to Rams since 2014.
Merino beat McClave, 40-14 last year.
No. 10 ranked Holly won a defensive struggle at home against the Dayspring Christian Eagles, 19-6, on Aug. 25.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Wildcats scored in the second quarter and held a 7-0 lead at halftime.
The Wildcats took a 13-6 after the third quarter and added another score in the fourth to make it 19-6.
Holly senior quarterback completed 8-of-21 passes for 114 yards with one interception.
The leading receiver was Devin Eaton with four catches for 67 yards.
On the ground, the Wildcats generated 281 yards rushing.
Salgado paced the ground attack with 14 carries for 117 yards and one touchdown.
Rueben Maldonado added 103 yards on 11 carries and one touchdown.
Dylan Tamayo followed with seven carries for 48 yards and one touchdown.
Maldonado sparked the Holly defense with 15 tackles.
Tamayo followed with 12 tackles (5 solo).
Jacob Noriega registered 9 tackles (5 solo), Eaton had 9, Cael Nordyke 9, Nick Vazquez 7, Salagado 6, Cael Schwab 6, Damian Molina 5, and Brandon Sanchez 5.
Eaton and Schwab both had one sack each.
The Wildcats picked off five interceptions in the contest. Vazquez had 2 and Tamayo, Noriega, and Dominic Torres all had one each.
Holly is idle this week as the Wildcats prepare for an 8-man showdown at defending state champion Haxtun on Sept. 8.
The Wiley Panthers, under new head coach Brad Phillips, will start the season hosting Walsenburg at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1.
