Word to the wise: Don’t show up late to Saturday’s Class A 8-man title game in Iliff.
Not that you would, but in case you do, this game could move rather quickly given the clock-eating, between- the-tackles smashmouth offenses that Caliche and Hoehne both put on the field.
“It sure isn’t anything fancy or pretty,” said Hoehne coach Bob Schafer, who will be a part of his first championship game in Colorado since his senior season at John Mall in 1981 against Yuma. “That one didn’t go so well. Hopefully, this one does.”
The Farmers (12-0) are in the title game for the first time since winning the 1A championship in 1980, their first and only state title.
“These kids are so excited, they can’t even think in class,” Schafer said. “But we are going to try to make it as normal a week of preparation as we can.”
Normal includes their second straight lengthy bus ride to northeastern Colorado.
One week after dispatching defending champion Merino — behind a trio of 100-yard rushing games from Cody Roberts, Bryan Schafer and Martin Waln — the Farmers know they are “going to have to dance with the girl that got them there.”
“It might be who can control their emotions the best,” Schafer said.
Or step it up defensively. Caliche coach Paul Zink, whose only loss this season came in Zero Week in an 11-man game against defending champion Yuma, understands that.
“We know we can’t try to shut them out,” Zink said. “We just have to control them as much as we can.”
The Buffs (11-1), playing in their fifth state title game and second 8-man championship game, will ride the strong running of Aaron Stieb.
The senior was a workhorse last week in the 41-0 rout of Norwood, rushing for 248 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns.
The week of preparation may be tougher mentally for Zink, a born and raised Caliche man, than it will be for the kids.
“I don’t sleep,” he said. “All I can think about is football.”
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
