Monte Vista teams face challenges this weekend

ALAMOSA — Both Sargent and Monte Vista football will be home this weekend and both Sargent and Monte Vista have tough opponents coming to town. Sargent will play host to Mancos Friday evening while Monte Vista will welcome Florence.

Mancos at Sargent

Sargent (1-1) couldn’t get past Fowler falling 50-27 against the No. 2 team according to the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) Coaches Poll. Last week the Farmers took out their frustrations on Springfield to the tune of a 40-point deficit with Kage Pepper going 4-of-7 for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Pepper and fellow junior Blake Behil combined for 256 yards rushing reaching the end zone 5 times.

The Farmers will need to keep the pedal to the metal as they’ll be facing the Mancos Blue Jays on Friday evening. Mancos (2-0) holds the No. 4 spot on the CHSAA Coaches Poll and is rated as the seventh in the state according to CHSAA’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).

The Jays are undefeated and are currently outscoring opponents by an average of 41 points per game. The tape on Mancos begins and ends with sophomore Chase Moore. As is common in high school football and even more common in 8 Man Football the Blue Jays are a run-first team, handing the ball off at a 90-to-10 ratio.

Most offensive touches go to Moore who leads Mancos in rushing yards, having cranked out 392 yards and 6 touchdowns on 32 carries. Moore is the only Blue Jay with a catch thus far logging two receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. With 477 total yards and seven touchdowns in his first two games, Sargent’s defensive game plan is likely predicated on knowing where No. 13, Moore is at all times.

Defensively Moore is just as prominent tying for the lead in just about every stat – tackles (11), sacks (1), interceptions (1), fumble recoveries (1) and throwing in a blocked field goal for good measure.

If Sargent can contain Moore on offense and defense, then Mancos could be the Farmers’ ticket up in the rankings. Sargent hosts Mancos Friday night, kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Florence at Monte Vista

Friday can’t get here soon enough if you’re Monte Vista Football (0-2). The Pirates haven’t earned a notch in the win column yet this season and are likely eager to get the taste of a two-game skid out of their mouths.

The Pirates went on the road to face Alamosa (2-0) to start the season. Monte Vista looked to be in control in the first quarter but lost their grip as the game wore on, eventually falling 40-14. Last weekend the Pirates fought their way back to a 14-14 tie with Paonia (1-1) falling in overtime 17-14.

Things don’t get any easier for Monte Vista this week. The Pirates will need to get their first win of the year against Florence (2-0). The Huskies have posted two impressive games thus far beating opponents by a combined 74-6. The undefeated Huskies are ranked 5th in the state in the coaches’ poll and 19th by RPI in 1A football.

A running team, the Huskies have relied thus far on Owen Busetti and Jacob Kennedy. The pair of rushers combine for 552 yards and 9 touchdowns at this point in the season.

Facing a defense that is allowing 3 points per game will present its own set of challenges for the Monte Vista offense. The Huskies are active on defense and have collected 6 takeaways thus far. There’s little doubt that Florence’s defense is opportunistic but the offense may seem to present a chink. The Huskies offense has put the ball on the ground 7 times, mercifully only losing three of those to give Florence a +3-turnover differential to Monte Vista’s +1.

The Pirates will look to correct course at home against Florence Friday kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Other teams that are home on Friday include Alamosa and Sierra Grande. Alamosa will play Mitchell for homecoming.

In two different classes, Alamosa (2-0), Mitchell (0-2) is not a terribly common meeting. The only game in the series over the last decade took place last year and Mitchell was on the receiving end of a 21-7 defeat. Nonetheless, the Moose host the Marauders Friday night for homecoming. Festivities start at 4:30 p.m. with kickoff at 7 p.m.

Sierra Grande (1-2) started the season with a big win against La Veta, they followed that with a two-game skid. The Panthers will look to break even when they host Primero (0-2) Friday afternoon. Sierra Grande has picked up the last three wins in the series, winning by an average margin of 47 points.