Previewing the 6-man football championship game: Stratton/Liberty vs. Fleming

The 6-man football championship game is Saturday in Stratton, matching Stratton/Liberty against Fleming.

Here’s a breakdown of the game:

Game notes:

The two teams have not met this season. In fact, they haven’t played since Oct. 30, 2015 in what was then a crossover game just before the postseason.
They have never met in the playoffs, ever, according to the Colorado Preps playoff database.
This will be Stratton/Liberty’s fourth championship game appearance as a program since the co-op began in 2012. They have won two championships as a co-op, and are the defending champions. Prior to the co-op, Stratton went to nine championship games, winning six. Liberty went to two, winning one.
This will be Fleming’s sixth state championship appearance, and first since 2012. Their first came in 1964. The Wildcats have won two championships, the most recent in that 2012 game.
Both teams played Kit Carson, Prairie, Peetz, Idalia and Arickaree/Woodlin this season. Fleming is 6-0 against that group, beating Prairie twice. Stratton/Liberty went 4-1 against those teams, only losing to Kit Carson in their season-opener.

Stratton/Liberty notes:

Record: 11-1
Seed: No. 2
Mascot: Knighted Eagles
Rushing offense: 4,366 yards, and 75 touchdowns. Both totals are the highest in 6-man.
Passing offense: 777 yards, and 17 touchdowns.
Scoring: They are averaging 61.58 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 20 turnovers, including 13 fumble recoveries. They are allowing 26.25 points per game.
Special teams: They’ve returned four kickoffs for a touchdown, and three punts. Braden Wedel is 59-of-72 on PATs, and has not attempted a field goal this season.
Top players: Jaret Lichty has a team-high 1,633 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing. He has 2,004 all-purpose yards, and is also the team’s top tackler with 120 tackles. Trevor Frank has 1,203 yards and 20 touchdowns rushing, and has also hauled in eight touchdowns. He also has 109 tackles. Zeke Craig has thrown for 684 yards and 16 touchdowns, and has 76 tackles.

Fleming notes:

Record: 12-0
Seed: No. 4
Mascot: Wildcats
Rushing offense: 3,004 yards and 60 touchdowns. Both are the second-most in 6-man.
Passing offense: 936 yards, and 22 touchdowns.
Scoring: They are averaging 58.75 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 41 turnovers, including 22 interceptions, which is the most of any 6-man team. They are allowing 17.58 points per game.
Special teams: They’ve returned five kickoffs for a touchdown, and one punt. Kenny Bandy is 59-of-93 on extra points, and 2-of-8 on field goals, including a long of 30 yards. They’ve blocked 13 field goals.
Top players: Brandon Williams has rushed for 1,375 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also has 1,760 all-purpose yards, a team-high 125 tackles, and five interceptions on defense. Kade Comstock has thrown for 893 yards and 22 touchdowns. On defense, Comstock has picked off five passes. Eric Resendiz is their top receiver with 401 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he also has six interceptions on defense. Brady Kuntz has returned five kickoffs for a score, is second on the team with 108 tackles, and leads them with nine sacks.