Sedgwick County beats Akron to repeat as 8-man football champion
JULESBURG — Sedgwick County has a longstanding tradition on the gridiron. After a 41-11 triumph over Akron in the 8-man football state championship game, the Cougars added to that legacy by winning back-to-back titles.
“This county, from both sides, has a lot of tradition over the years,” Sedgwick County coach Chris Michel said. “To bring home a couple championships to this community is important to the people who live here.”
The co-op program is comprised of Julesburg and Revere. Overall, the two schools and the co-op are now 15-3 all-time in championship games. Julesburg won four titles between 1963 and 1970 and Revere won nine trophies, six between 1989 and 1997.
Sedgwick County (12-1), which defeated Akron 36-6 in last year’s state finals and 46-8 in a Plains Division game this season, was equally emphatic Saturday on their home field.
In the first quarter, they established the ground game while piling up 104 yards and taking a 12-0 lead. Junior running back Tyce Marquez had an 11-yard touchdown run and sophomore back Layne Green had a 54-yard burst that set up a 22-yard touchdown catch by Chad Mikelson.
A 43-yard scamper for a score by Marquez with 3 minutes, 16 seconds left in the opening half made it 20-0. Green added a 6-yard touchdown run and Sedgwick County tallied 222 of their 367 yards before halftime.
“Setting up the run game was very important, so that we can pass it and have more balance,” Mikelson said. “That run game set up the pass game.”
Akron (10-3) moved the chains for the initial time with 11:04 left in the second quarter, but could only muster half of Sedgwick’s yardage with 111 yards. An impressive 40-yard field goal by Raul Alvarez in the final ticks of the second quarter was all the Rams tallied to the scoreboard as they trailed 28-3 at the break.
On the second play of the third quarter, Green rumbled his way to a 29-yard touchdown. Then, Mikelson added an acrobatic grab for another score. As the senior wide receiver was falling down, the football just fell out of his grasp. But the play was kept alive as it was bobbled twice before finally getting caught while lying on his backside.
“I was just trying to catch it at first and I saw it was batted up,” Mikelson said of the highlight-reel snag. “It was kind of off to the side, so I just tried to tip it to myself. Luckily it fell into my hands.”
Mikelson had a habit of making fantastic plays for Sedgwick County throughout the season, sealing his career with one final memorable touchdown. He finished the game with four catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns, capping his senior year with 21 touchdown receptions.
“I think sometimes you’re better off being lucky than good, but Chad has really good ball skills,” Michel, in his third season as the head coach, said. “He has the ability to catch the ball in some weird places sometimes. He’s a pretty special kid. Anytime the ball is in the air around him he has a shot to go and get it.”
Mikelson and fellow 6-foot-3 wide receiver Cade McKinley (32-yard catch in third quarter), backs Marquez (83 yards, two touchdowns), Green (111 yards, two touchdowns) and Beau Parker (12 touchdowns in 2016), and quarterback Brennan Ehmke (27 touchdown passes) comprised an offensive unit that no team in the state could stall. And the defense only gave up 86 points the whole year, allowing a lone touchdown to Akron, which came on a 49-yard catch and score by Brock Benson in the fourth quarter.
For the second year in succession, Sedgwick County was a force. With a 25-1 record in the two seasons, the only loss was a 34-28 setback to Perkins County (Neb.) this year, the Cougars have been just about untouchable in 8-man. Don’t look for them to take their foot off the gas any time soon — Marquez, Green, Parker, McKinley, and Ehmke will all be back.
For Coach Michel, after the Cougars won on Akron’s field last year, claiming the championship on home ground this time around felt even a touch sweeter.
“I think any time you win at home it’s a little more special,” he said. “You get a lot more people from your community. These kids worked really hard all year long. They just did a really good job developing throughout the season. Both (titles) feel pretty good.”
The Rams, appearing in their 11th state final since 1999, found a few seams in the run game as Tyler Wylie, Derrick Poss, and quarterback Levi Basler all had some success. Basler led the way with 112 yards, but Akron also fumbled twice in the first half. Akron will return a strong contingent on both sides of the ball next year.
