6-Man
Who: Ashland (10-1) vs. Cunningham (12-0)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium, Dodge City
Overview:
- Ashland won 1976 11-man title when coach Ben Fox’s dad and uncle played for the team.
- Cunningham looks to clinch the undefeated season with a state championship.
Ashland Bluejays
Coach Ben Fox
Key players:
Britt Grigsby, junior (44-67 for 795 yards, 15 touchdowns, one interception thrown, 79 total tackles and seven TFLs)
Landen McPhail, junior (113 rushes, 1,227 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns, 58 total tackles, 5 TFLs and 2 safeties forced)
Kale Harris, junior (94 total tackles and three TFL’)
What makes your team special?
“Discipline, selflessness, grit, physicality and athletic playmakers have got us to where
we are.”
Who have been key players for you this season?
“Kale Harris, Britt Grigsby and Landen McPhail, all three are juniors, have been the playmakers
on both sides of the ball this season. Kale, a formidable ball-carrier, has great hands, is
our best lead-blocker and sideline-to-sideline guy on defense. Britt, our on-field coach
and point-guard, is keyed-in on system and strategy. He has sharp ball-skills,
coordinates blocking, changes plays, and is a ball-hawk. Landen has been a tough,
slippery ball-carrier with great hands. His speed and ability to play a ball in the air is high-
level. A lot of times, the playmakers get the easiest assignments and the real strength
comes from the guys doing the hard jobs. Those guys for us are Gus Hink, Trae Vera
and Nathan Lynn.”
Have any players been a surprise?
“No, these guys have been a special group for years. Young guys have made massive
improvements.”
What got your team into the state championship game?
“Being aligned on a ‘team over self’ mentality. They love the game and play for the joy of
being young men chasing huge dreams.”
What does your team need to do in order to win the state championship game?
“In what we think will be a tight match-up, the ball is the game. Offensively we must take
care of it and move it effectively, especially in the redzone Defensively we must get
ballcarriers on the ground, roll with the punches, and stay in the fight. Special teams,
especially the extra-point kick game (worth 2) can make or break a team in a tight game.”
Cunningham Wildcats
Coach Lance McGuire
Key players:
QB Trey DeWeese, senior (86-119 for 1052 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, five interceptions thrown)
RB Luke McGuire, senior (36 rushes, 526 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns)
LB Lane Halderson, senior (60 total tackles)
Who have been key players for you this season?
Trey Deweese, Luke McGuire, and Lane Halderson.
What makes your team special?
“Having 9-12 contribute. The hard work they put into the offseason being rewarded with a fun season.”
Who have been key players for you this season?
“On defense all the starters with a few subs have really played physical and been disciplined. On offense, we have traded key players for different games. We spread the ball around depending on what the defense is doing. A player may have three TDs one game and the next game is someone else’s turn.
Have any players been a surprise?
“Luke Albers moved into our school and had never played 6-man football before. He has played very well.”
“What got your team into the state championship game?
“Aggressive and physical defense. Sharing the ball on offense. Pretty good special teams.”
What does your team need to do in order to win the state championship game?
“We have to be more physical than Ashland. Tackle them in open space. Take care of the football. Score a lot.”
