For Akron High School, halfway between Brush and Otis off of U.S. 34, football is more than a birthright. And tradition for the Rams is more than a buzzword – it’s a strategy.
Year after year, the Rams have been one of Class 1A’s best teams, with seven state championship appearances since 1987, including two consecutive titles in 2001-02. The formula for consistency at Akron – in a class where inconsistency is the rule among schools with small enrollments – is as old-fashioned as the leather helmet.
The Rams keep alive the legacy of the single-wing attack – a pinball-like rushing style where the quarterback is not quite a quarterback and a running back can be any player among a blur of spinning backs. It’s an offense requiring strong linemen and discipline, which Akron has.
“They don’t appear to be weak at all,” Dolores coach Don Story said of Akron. “And it’s hard in three or four days to prepare for them because we don’t see that single-wing style all year.”
Akron (9-2), the smallest school by far remaining in the 1A postseason, travels more than 535 miles from northeast Colorado to the southwest corner to take on Dolores (10-1) in a semifinal Saturday at 1 p.m. Limon (11-0), the two-time defending champion, hosts Lyons (10-1) in the other semifinal.
Akron last season found itself on the losing end of one of 1A’s biggest upsets. Center, a Cinderella if ever there was one, eliminated Akron 28-7 in the first round.
That loss carried over to this season. Losses in consecutive weeks, to Limon and Lyons, stung the Rams. Since, Akron has returned to the top of the class. A 14-13 victory over Wray in the seventh week solidified its place in the postseason. And the Rams have outscored opponents 163-29.
Dolores has also been on a roll. After a loss to 2A’s Hotchkiss, the Bears have cruised. They beat Nucla for the San Juan Conference title, then handled Hayden and Byers.
“We’ve gone from preparing blitz packages one week, to trying to defend the single wing the next,” Story said.
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
Akron (9-2) at Dolores (10-1)
Not to be outdone by the other heavyweights in 1A, Dolores has remained one of the better teams in recent years.
The Bears are 31-3 since 2003, with losses only to Akron, Wray and 2A’s Hotchkiss. And this is their second straight trip to the semifinals.
In countering Akron’s speed, Dolores will rely on its size. The Bears average more than 230 pounds on the lines, and will replace starting center Kenny Joseph, who broke his leg against Byers last weekend, with 6-foot-1, 230-pound Kelly Garvin, a sophomore. The size of the Bears’ line helped produce a 1,400-yard season from running back Eric Hurst, who will see the ball early and often.
“We’ve been a blue-collar team all year,” Dolores coach Don Story said. “There’s no secret to us, we’ve hung our hat on the running game all year.”
Akron lacks a superstar breakout player as in years past, but will rely on rushers Dillon Davisson and Austin Woods, who combined for more than 1,000 yards this season.
Lyons (10-1) at Limon (11-0)
Limon, owner of a record 16 state championships, is riding a 37-game winning streak since 2002. The last team to beat Limon? That’s right, Lyons. The Lions eliminated Limon from the preliminary round that year on its way to a runner-up finish to Akron.
Limon this season has beaten two of 1A’s best: Akron, in the third week, and Wray, in the quarterfinal round. Lyons’ only loss was to Wray, 42-14 in the final week, and it beat Akron and Holyoke.
Lyons is led by Jake Becker and Sam Fortier, who have combined for more than 2,000 yards rushing.
But Lyons’ chore will be in stopping the Badgers, who were held to 15 points against Wray, their lowest total in three years.
“We’ve been showing them film of Limon this week,” Lyons coach John Nichols said of his team. “Telling them, selling them, that those big plays don’t have to happen, that we can win. We just have to get on the field, have a little success and let go.”
Nick Groke can be reached at 303-820-1960 or ngroke@denverpost.com.
