Bulldog FB clinches number one seed in 16-team playoff bracket

The Bulldog football team clinched the number-one seed in all of Colorado 8-man football action following a shutout in Akron Friday night to wrap up regular season play. Haxtun is set to host the first round of playoffs at Adam Wernsman Field on Friday night in a contest against Byers. The Bulldogs took the top spot with a perfect 9-0 record and remain one of three unbeaten teams in Colorado 8-man football.

Haxtun made a strong statement in just the first minute in Akron on Friday as the Bulldogs scored on the first drive of the game with a 50-yard pass from Michael Gerk to receiver Kyle Fryrear. The Bulldogs drove in the two-point conversion for an early 8-0 lead.

The Bulldogs held Akron in their first offensive drive and as they attempted to punt away the ball on fourth down, junior Maclin Tempel flew off the line, blocked the punt and capitalized on the ball in the end zone for another six points. With just minutes off the clock, Haxtun held a 14-0 advantage and the Bulldogs continued to grind. The team scored once more before the end of the first quarter with a short eight-yard run from quarterback Owen Knode to up the score by another eight.

Haxtun pounded away on offense, tacking on another three touchdowns in the second quarter including two from senior running back Isaac Andersen. Andersen first punched one into the endzone with a 47-yard run and just seven seconds later, came up with an interception for a pick six. As the clocked ticked away towards half-time Gerk found an opening to put the Bulldogs up 44-0 at the half.

The Bulldogs would score once more in the third and again in the fourth while defensively holding the Rams from their home turf end zone to go onto claim a 58-0 win over Akron; a fellow Plains League team and a top contender in the recently released playoff bracket.

The team completed 45 plays in Akron on Friday night, including 17 first downs while suffering just three penalties for a loss of 30 yards. According to stats on Maxpreps, under center Knode connected with four of seven passes for 50 yards. Gerk, in his one play as quarterback, completed one pass for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Gerk and Andersen each were on the receiving end of two passes from Haxtun quarterbacks. Andersen tallied 38 yards in the air while Gerk nabbed 12. Fryrear caught one pass for 50-yards for the Bulldogs first touchdown of the game.

On the ground, Gerk registered 106 yards from 15 carries and two touchdowns. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry. Andersen had 101 rushing yards from eight carries and two touchdowns. The senior running back averaged 12.6 yards per carry. Grant Statz carried the ball three times for 32 yards and one touchdown. Knode had seven carries for a total of 25 yards and one touchdown.

The Bulldog defense racked up 40 total tackles against Akron, led by Andersen with seven. Andersen registered three solo and four assisted tackles. Kailin Kelley and Statz each tallied five total tackles followed by Ryland Wolff with four and Gerk, Gage Helgoth and Tempel, each with three.

Tempel sacked the Akron quarterback three times in the contest. Ryan Davis sacked him once.

"We are very excited to be the number-one seed going into post season, but that was never our goal," Head Coach JD Stone said early this week. "Winning a championship has always been the goal we are reaching for every day. We are starting to get some guys back and we feel the playoff bracket worked out really well for us."

As the number-one seed, the Bulldogs will face the 16th ranked team, Byers, who according to Maxpreps, holds a 6-3 overall record. The Byers Bulldogs went 5-0 in their league.

"Byers is a familiar face, they just left our league last year," Stone said. "They won their league and have some good size and some athletic guys, and are well coached. They are a good football team. It will be fun with two league champions going at it in the first round."

The Bulldogs will host Byers on Friday, Nov. 5 at Adam Wernsman Field at 7 p.m. A win will advance them to face the winner of a contest between number-eight ranked Akron and number-nine ranked Calhan.

"With the volleyball and football teams both playing at home' our town, our community, our Bulldog family will be electric," said Stone. "I hope the kids are ready to see what Haxtun has to offer when it comes to support. Go Bulldogs!"