When CHSAA released the 8-man football state bracket a couple of weeks ago, the prospect of a Mancos-Haxtun state final rematch loomed large on the horizon.
Fast-forward through the opening two rounds of the postseason, and here we are.
No. 4 seed Mancos earned their fourth straight state semifinal appearance courtesy of some home cookin’ – the Jays offense proved to be unstoppable on their home field in their playoff-opening victories over Plateau Valley (48-6) and last weekend over Byers (44-20).
Continued success will require a different level Saturday afternoon in Phillips County, where Mancos (10-1) collides with the No. 1 seed Fightin’ Bulldogs (10-1) for the fifth time in the past four seasons. Much like Mancos, Haxtun has turned into a perennial power on the strength of an impenetrable defense.
On their path to the postseason, Haxtun stymied opposition, allowing only four touchdowns combined in the most recent nine contests. Only twice have opponents found the end zone in the first half during that stretch.
Both the Bluejays and Bulldogs lost to Melrose in their opening games of the season – Mancos by a 50-22 margin while Haxtun lost a second half lead in a 44-36 defeat. Since then, both teams have been on a mission to ensure that their early-season blemish remains as the only one on their record.
Mancos overpowered the Mountain League this season, outscoring opponents 236-42 on their path to a second straight league crown. Running behind one of the sturdiest offensive lines in the state led by junior Colten Vannest, senior quarterback Brandon Vannest led the way with 23 rushing scores – including four in their round of 16 win over Plateau Valley. He also crossed 1,000 yards passing with four scores through the air to help the Jays pulls away from Byers.
Senior Kaiden Wyatt and junior Jonah Ritter have combined for over 1,500 yards out of the backfield, while junior Ethan Wyatt and sophomore Michael Resner have supplemented the Bluejay passing game that may be called upon again this weekend.
On defense, the Jays turn to junior defensive end Jacob Martin to stir things up in the backfield, where his 15 sacks are among the state leaders. Senior Seth Oakes provided a big lift from his linebacker spot this past week, while classmate Tilden Begay picked off his second pass of the season to help lead the Bluejay secondary.
The Mancos defense will be thoroughly tested Saturday against dual threat quarterback Ryland Wolff, who has featured prominently in each of the recent meetings between the two programs. In Fairplay last year, Wolff collected a walk-off pick-six to down Mancos in September, only for the Jays to exact revenge in the state final.
Wolff leads an offense that features senior tailback Grant Statz and his 17 rushing scores, while junior Zach Statz has added a dozen more. When the ‘Dogs go to the air, junior Chase Goddard serves as Wolff’s favorite target, with six touchdown connections this season.
Haxtun holds a 3-1 advantage in their previous four meetings, but Mancos had the last laugh at the CSU-Pueblo Thunderbowl last November in a 40-0 thrashing of Haxtun to win their first state title. This year’s winner will return to Pueblo for the third time in four years – with a date at Dutch Clark Stadium on Friday, Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. against either No. 7 Simla or No. 3 Akron.
Fans can follow the 1 p.m. clash with Haxtun on Saturday, Nov. 23 on local radio station KRTZ 98.7 and 106.3 FM and on krtzradio.com. Pregame is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. with kickoff set for 1.
