2017 Class C 6-Man Playoffs (Semifinals)
Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2017 10:36 am
Playoff Bracket: http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/docu ... ket-C6.pdf
White Sulphur Springs (#1 West) at Bridger (#1 South)
White Sulphur Springs Key Players - RB/LB Dawson Clayton (Sr.), RB/DB Will Collins (Jr.), QB/LB Will Syverson (Sr.)
Bridger Key Players - QB/RB/LB Colter Zentner (Sr.), WR/LB Russell Zentner (Sr.), WR/LB Colby Zentner (Jr.)
I predicted that Wibaux at White Sulphur Springs would be the closest game of the quarterfinals and it turned out to be closer than expected. Wibaux and WSS battled for four quarters with the Hornets of White Sulphur Springs coming out on top with a 34-31 win. After a scoreless 1st quarter, both teams got on the board in the 2nd to make it 6-6 at halftime. WSS RB Dawson Clayton punched in a 1-yard TD run for the game's first score while Wibaux responded with a Riley Begger touchdown pass from QB Tel Lunde. Clayton scored the Hornets second touchdown early in the 3rd quarter on a fumble recovery in the endzone. But another Lunde to Begger touchdown cut the Hornet's lead to only 14-12. RB Will Collins got loose for a 49-yard touchdown run to make it 20-12 heading into the 4th quarter. WSS would continue to capture the momentum in the 4th quarter as they sandwiched two touchdowns from QB Will Syverson between another touchdown pass from Wibaux QB Tel Lunde making it 34-18 in the 4th. However, Wibaux would not go away as Lunde tossed two more touchdown passes to cut the lead to 34-31 with about two minutes left to play. But the Hornets would run out the clock to secure a semifinal berth in the 6-Man playoffs. Along with Dawson Clayton, WSS RB Will Collins was also excellent on both sides of the ball with a 49-yard touchdown run on offense and picking off a Tel Lunde pass on defense. Wibaux QB Tel Lunde accounted for every Wibaux score with five touchdown passes. The sophomore from Wibaux will be a handful to stop the next two years in 6-Man. Overall, the Longhorns had a successful first season in 6-Man and return a lot of talent in 2017.
My prediction for the Big Sandy at Bridger game was a 32-point victory (50-18) for the Scouts. Bridger officially won the game 42-7 behind six Colter Zentner touchdowns (4 passing/2 rushing). The Scouts scored all 42 of their points before halftime. Zentner tossed three touchdowns in the 1st quarter, hitting WR Nick Althoff for a 14-yard score (that he blindly threw over his shoulder while getting sacked) and TE Russell Zentner on throws of 60 & 20 yards. After taking an 18-0 lead into the 2nd, his next threw touchdowns came on consecutive touchdown runs and one more touchdown pass to Russell Zentner (his 3rd TD catch of the day). Big Sandy RB Weston Allderdice would score the lone touchdown for the Pioneers on a 1-yard run. Bridger has put on a dominant two-game performance so far in the playoffs as they have outscored their first two opponents 108-7.
White Sulphur Springs is coming off their toughest game of the season thus far as they never really played a close game during the regular season. Bridger was battled test in their first game of the year as they fell 47-48 to Westby/Grenora. Westby/Grenora trounced Wibaux 57-29 while WSS beat them by three. Hopefully everyone sees what I'm comparing here as I believe White Sulphur Springs will struggle against Bridger, despite getting this game at home. Bridger is an experienced team as they fell in the semifinals last year in a heartbreaker to Westby/Grenora. The Zentner's are tough to contain on offense. However, the Hornets played a sloppy game against Wibaux and could bounce back as their two star running backs (Dawson Clayton and Will Collins) were held to only two touchdowns combined on offense. Regardless, Bridger has a ton of momentum on both offense and defense heading into this game. The weather should be decent in White Sulphur Springs on Saturday so both offenses should be able to get good footing.
Prediction: Bridger wins 44-20
Westby/Grenora (#1 East) at Valier (#1 South)
Westby/Grenora Key Players - QB/DB Jeremiah Paine (Sr.), RB/DE Brian Field (Sr.), RB/LB Brandon Ledahl (Jr.)
Valier Key Players - QB/LB Koltin Christaeans (Sr.), TE/DE Colten Curry (Sr.), RB/LB Trever VandenBos (Sr.)
Westby/Grenora scored 59 points in the first three quarters on their way to a 59-6 blowout over West Yellowstone. RB/WR Brian Field scored the Thunder's first four touchdowns on two touchdown receptions from QB Jeremiah Paine and two short touchdown runs. The first half closed with a 78-yard interception return from DB Ridge Sargent and 26-yard fumble recovery from Field to make the score 38-0 at halftime. Backup QB Darian Holecek took over in the second half as Westby/Grenora took their foot off the gas. Holecek scored three touchdowns in the 3rd quarter while the Thunder also producted a safety to make it 59-0 entering the 4th. West Yellowstone RB Miguel Salinas scored the lone Wolverine touchdown, plunging in from 10 yards out. Overall, Westby/Grenora came out of this game healthy and ready to hit the road for the remainder of the playoffs (all #1 seeds made the semifinals meaning Westby/Grenora would not get a home game because of the current rotation of divisions).
The Thunder will travel across the hi-line to take on the Valier Panthers, who shook off a poor first-round performance to blowout the Grass Range/Winnett Rangers 40-7. Panther RB Trevor VandenBos started the scoring with a 3-yard run making it 6-0 heading into the 2nd quarter. QB Koltin Christaeans threw two 2nd quarter touchdowns to make it 20-0 at halftime. Christaeans would continue to toss the ball effectively as he tossed two more touchdowns in the second half to put the game out of reach. TE Colten Curry hauled in touchdowns of 7 and 33 yards while Dustin Steele and Trever VandenBos caught a touchdown each from Christaeans. RB Brock Barcus scored the final touchdown for Valier in the 4th quarter. The Rangers got a touchdown run from Caleb Hess in the 4th quarter to give Grass Range/Winnett their only score of the game. I predicted this game would be 40-26 in favor of Valier but the Panther defense really bounced back from the Jordan game where they gave up 59 points. Grass Range/Winnett shouldn't hold their heads too low as most of their core players are juniors so I'd expect another solid season from the Rangers in 2018.
Weather across the state will be much improved from last week's snowy/cold outing. This is important because Westby/Grenora is arguably the strongest passing outfit in 6-Man and when they get rolling they are virtually impossible to stop. They have the best QB in 6-Man, QB Jeremiah Paine, and a slew of talented wide receivers/running backs that Paine finds each game. I also think Valier has a strong passing attack as QB Koltin Christaeans options includes a Division 1 recruit (Colten Curry) and a trio of solid players in RB Trever VandenBos, RB Wacey Running Crane, and TE Dustin Steele. I also think Valier has the bigger team but Westby/Grenora has some dudes on defense. In order to compare 6-Man teams, I usually rely on common opponents. Valier and Westby/Grenora each played Jordan and Sunburst this season. Valier beat Jordan and Sunburst by scores of 61-59 and 55-20, respectively. Westby/Grenora beat Jordan and Sunburst by scores of 76-26 and 66-31, respectively. In my opinion, this game will come down to how well Valier can contain the Thunder passing attack. If they can and make this a close game late in the 2nd half, this one should get interesting. If Jeremiah Paine gets hot in the passing game, Valier is in for a long day.
Prediction: Westby/Grenora wins 60-34
White Sulphur Springs (#1 West) at Bridger (#1 South)
White Sulphur Springs Key Players - RB/LB Dawson Clayton (Sr.), RB/DB Will Collins (Jr.), QB/LB Will Syverson (Sr.)
Bridger Key Players - QB/RB/LB Colter Zentner (Sr.), WR/LB Russell Zentner (Sr.), WR/LB Colby Zentner (Jr.)
I predicted that Wibaux at White Sulphur Springs would be the closest game of the quarterfinals and it turned out to be closer than expected. Wibaux and WSS battled for four quarters with the Hornets of White Sulphur Springs coming out on top with a 34-31 win. After a scoreless 1st quarter, both teams got on the board in the 2nd to make it 6-6 at halftime. WSS RB Dawson Clayton punched in a 1-yard TD run for the game's first score while Wibaux responded with a Riley Begger touchdown pass from QB Tel Lunde. Clayton scored the Hornets second touchdown early in the 3rd quarter on a fumble recovery in the endzone. But another Lunde to Begger touchdown cut the Hornet's lead to only 14-12. RB Will Collins got loose for a 49-yard touchdown run to make it 20-12 heading into the 4th quarter. WSS would continue to capture the momentum in the 4th quarter as they sandwiched two touchdowns from QB Will Syverson between another touchdown pass from Wibaux QB Tel Lunde making it 34-18 in the 4th. However, Wibaux would not go away as Lunde tossed two more touchdown passes to cut the lead to 34-31 with about two minutes left to play. But the Hornets would run out the clock to secure a semifinal berth in the 6-Man playoffs. Along with Dawson Clayton, WSS RB Will Collins was also excellent on both sides of the ball with a 49-yard touchdown run on offense and picking off a Tel Lunde pass on defense. Wibaux QB Tel Lunde accounted for every Wibaux score with five touchdown passes. The sophomore from Wibaux will be a handful to stop the next two years in 6-Man. Overall, the Longhorns had a successful first season in 6-Man and return a lot of talent in 2017.
My prediction for the Big Sandy at Bridger game was a 32-point victory (50-18) for the Scouts. Bridger officially won the game 42-7 behind six Colter Zentner touchdowns (4 passing/2 rushing). The Scouts scored all 42 of their points before halftime. Zentner tossed three touchdowns in the 1st quarter, hitting WR Nick Althoff for a 14-yard score (that he blindly threw over his shoulder while getting sacked) and TE Russell Zentner on throws of 60 & 20 yards. After taking an 18-0 lead into the 2nd, his next threw touchdowns came on consecutive touchdown runs and one more touchdown pass to Russell Zentner (his 3rd TD catch of the day). Big Sandy RB Weston Allderdice would score the lone touchdown for the Pioneers on a 1-yard run. Bridger has put on a dominant two-game performance so far in the playoffs as they have outscored their first two opponents 108-7.
White Sulphur Springs is coming off their toughest game of the season thus far as they never really played a close game during the regular season. Bridger was battled test in their first game of the year as they fell 47-48 to Westby/Grenora. Westby/Grenora trounced Wibaux 57-29 while WSS beat them by three. Hopefully everyone sees what I'm comparing here as I believe White Sulphur Springs will struggle against Bridger, despite getting this game at home. Bridger is an experienced team as they fell in the semifinals last year in a heartbreaker to Westby/Grenora. The Zentner's are tough to contain on offense. However, the Hornets played a sloppy game against Wibaux and could bounce back as their two star running backs (Dawson Clayton and Will Collins) were held to only two touchdowns combined on offense. Regardless, Bridger has a ton of momentum on both offense and defense heading into this game. The weather should be decent in White Sulphur Springs on Saturday so both offenses should be able to get good footing.
Prediction: Bridger wins 44-20
Westby/Grenora (#1 East) at Valier (#1 South)
Westby/Grenora Key Players - QB/DB Jeremiah Paine (Sr.), RB/DE Brian Field (Sr.), RB/LB Brandon Ledahl (Jr.)
Valier Key Players - QB/LB Koltin Christaeans (Sr.), TE/DE Colten Curry (Sr.), RB/LB Trever VandenBos (Sr.)
Westby/Grenora scored 59 points in the first three quarters on their way to a 59-6 blowout over West Yellowstone. RB/WR Brian Field scored the Thunder's first four touchdowns on two touchdown receptions from QB Jeremiah Paine and two short touchdown runs. The first half closed with a 78-yard interception return from DB Ridge Sargent and 26-yard fumble recovery from Field to make the score 38-0 at halftime. Backup QB Darian Holecek took over in the second half as Westby/Grenora took their foot off the gas. Holecek scored three touchdowns in the 3rd quarter while the Thunder also producted a safety to make it 59-0 entering the 4th. West Yellowstone RB Miguel Salinas scored the lone Wolverine touchdown, plunging in from 10 yards out. Overall, Westby/Grenora came out of this game healthy and ready to hit the road for the remainder of the playoffs (all #1 seeds made the semifinals meaning Westby/Grenora would not get a home game because of the current rotation of divisions).
The Thunder will travel across the hi-line to take on the Valier Panthers, who shook off a poor first-round performance to blowout the Grass Range/Winnett Rangers 40-7. Panther RB Trevor VandenBos started the scoring with a 3-yard run making it 6-0 heading into the 2nd quarter. QB Koltin Christaeans threw two 2nd quarter touchdowns to make it 20-0 at halftime. Christaeans would continue to toss the ball effectively as he tossed two more touchdowns in the second half to put the game out of reach. TE Colten Curry hauled in touchdowns of 7 and 33 yards while Dustin Steele and Trever VandenBos caught a touchdown each from Christaeans. RB Brock Barcus scored the final touchdown for Valier in the 4th quarter. The Rangers got a touchdown run from Caleb Hess in the 4th quarter to give Grass Range/Winnett their only score of the game. I predicted this game would be 40-26 in favor of Valier but the Panther defense really bounced back from the Jordan game where they gave up 59 points. Grass Range/Winnett shouldn't hold their heads too low as most of their core players are juniors so I'd expect another solid season from the Rangers in 2018.
Weather across the state will be much improved from last week's snowy/cold outing. This is important because Westby/Grenora is arguably the strongest passing outfit in 6-Man and when they get rolling they are virtually impossible to stop. They have the best QB in 6-Man, QB Jeremiah Paine, and a slew of talented wide receivers/running backs that Paine finds each game. I also think Valier has a strong passing attack as QB Koltin Christaeans options includes a Division 1 recruit (Colten Curry) and a trio of solid players in RB Trever VandenBos, RB Wacey Running Crane, and TE Dustin Steele. I also think Valier has the bigger team but Westby/Grenora has some dudes on defense. In order to compare 6-Man teams, I usually rely on common opponents. Valier and Westby/Grenora each played Jordan and Sunburst this season. Valier beat Jordan and Sunburst by scores of 61-59 and 55-20, respectively. Westby/Grenora beat Jordan and Sunburst by scores of 76-26 and 66-31, respectively. In my opinion, this game will come down to how well Valier can contain the Thunder passing attack. If they can and make this a close game late in the 2nd half, this one should get interesting. If Jeremiah Paine gets hot in the passing game, Valier is in for a long day.
Prediction: Westby/Grenora wins 60-34