The Mancos Blue Jays’ postseason fate was up in the air after their 58-6 loss to the Sargent Farmers on Saturday afternoon.
The Farmers scored in four plays on their opening drive to start things off, and then they found the end zone again with a pick six on Mancos’ first possession to go ahead 14-0.
Mancos senior Axel Bonde broke away for a 61-yard touchdown run on the Jays’ second possession to trim the lead to 14-6, but Sargent shut down the Blue Jays offense from then on and scored 44 unanswered points to go on to win 58-6.
“Their speed hurt us,” said Mancos co-head coach Josh Gardner. “We couldn’t establish a running game, and it’s because the other team was being more physical than us today and they were fast.”
The win made Sargent the A-8 Southwest League champions and secured the Farmers a top eight seed in the 8-man football state playoffs, while Mancos’ destiny was uncertain.
Sixteen teams make the 8-man bracket, with league champs automatically receiving a top eight position and the final eight teams selected based on RPI standings.
The Jays were at No. 18 in the RPI standings entering Saturday’s contest, but even with the loss, Sargent’s No. 3 RPI ranking helped them. And when CHSAA released its updated RPI standings at 5:06 a.m. on Sunday, the Blue Jays were No. 16 – the final team to qualify for the postseason.
Still alive, and seeded 13th in the 8-Man Football Playoffs, Mancos (5-4, 4-2 A-8 SWL) will continue its 2016 campaign next Saturday against the fourth-seeded Hoehne Farmers (7-2, 5-0 A-8 Southern League) in Hoehne at 1 p.m.
