Previewing the 1A football championship game: Strasburg vs. Limon

The Class 1A football championship game is Saturday in Strasburg, matching Strasburg vs. Limon.

Here’s a breakdown of the game:

Game notes:

This is a rematch of last year’s 1A championship game which saw the Badgers win 13-7, claiming a state-record 18th football championship. They squared off the in regular season with Strasburg getting a 20-13 win.
Limon’s 92 playoff wins and 18 state titles are ranked first in both categories for all classes of Colorado football.
This is the fourth-straight championship game appearance for Strasburg. Prior to winning back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. It also won back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990, beating Fowler both times.
Prior to Saturday, Limon and Strasburg have combined for 30 state championship game appearances.

Strasburg notes:

Record: 12-0
Seed: No. 1
Mascot: Indians
Rushing offense: 2,769 yards, and 38 touchdowns. Strasburg ranks third in rushing yards (with Limon right in front) and touchdowns in all of 1A
Passing offense: 1,206 yards, and 18 touchdowns.
Scoring: They are averaging 37.25 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 16 turnovers and has totaled 22.5 sacks this season.
Special teams: They’ve returned four kickoffs for a touchdown, and two punts. Trystan Graf is averaging 41 yards per kickoff return.
Top players: Graf leads the team with 1,278 yards and 17 touchdowns. Once his receiving yards and returning yards are factored in, he has amassed 2,119 all-purpose yards. Collin Russell has thrown for 1,176 yards and 17 touchdowns. AJ Hemphill has 99 tackles to his name which include a team-high 8.5 sacks. Jack Swanson leads the team in interceptions with four.

Limon notes:

Record: 10-2
Seed: No. 3
Mascot: Badgers
Rushing offense: 2,967 yards and 45 touchdowns. Limon ranks second in 1A in rushing yards, but first in touchdowns.
Passing offense: 911 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
Scoring: They are averaging 34 points per game.
Defense: The defense has forced 20 turnovers, including 13 fumble recoveries. They are allowing 13.33 points per game.
Special teams: They’ve returned just kickoff for a touchdown, and one punt. As a team, the Badgers average 22.5 yards per kick return and 12.9 yards per punt return.
Top players: Kory Tacha has rushed for 1,341 yards and 13 touchdowns. He accounts for the punt and kick return touchdowns and also has 63 tackles.Jeremiah Leeper has also broken the 1,000 rushing yard mark and leads the team with 20 rushing touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Trey Hines has been good through the air when he has needed to be with 885 yards and a 53.6 completion percentage. He’s also picked off two passes. Defensively, Ky Bandy leads the team with 132 tackles. Hines and Bready Rockwell share the team lead with two interceptions. Chance Cannon and Alex Carr have each forced two fumbles.