The 2021 State Football Championships take place on Saturday across the state. In 8-Man Division II, it will be the 12-0 Axtell Eagles against the 11-1 Wheatland/Grinnell Thunderhawks.

The Eagles and Thunderhawks will square off at Fischer Field in Newton with a 3:00 PM scheduled kickoff. Coverage can be heard beginning at 2:30 PM on 92.1 KMZA.

Axtell has been dominate all season long with only one game that was played close. It was week four in late September as they were able to hold off Hanover with a late interception to seal it 30-24.

The next closest result was in the playoffs with a rematch against Hanover where the Eagles pulled away late and won by 26 points.

One of the most impressive parts about Axtell’s season has been because of youth filled with a lot of juniors and freshman who have compiled the most contributions.

Junior quarterback Isaac Detweiler is arguably the best 8-Man quarterback in the state this season. Detweiler has thrown for over 1,700 yards and has rushed for more than 1,100 yards with 57 total touchdowns to just two interceptions.

The running back group is a pair of freshmen who have jumped on the scene and have been major factors on both sides of the ball. That would be Eli Broxterman and Brandon Schmelzle. Schmelzle is second on the team with 709 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while also adding 565 receiving yards which is the most on the team with 11 more scores.

Broxterman has added 397 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 12 yards per carry. Broxterman has also added 438 receiving yards and five more touchdowns.

Sophomore Grady Buessing is one of Detweiler’s top targets with 27 receptions for 522 yards and a team leading 13 touchdowns while averaging a stellar 19 yards per reception.

Junior Evan Buessing has also been a factor with over 220 receiving yards and three touchdowns while averaging 20 yards per reception.

Defensively, the Eagles are giving up just 12 points per game and has forced 21 interceptions and forced 19 fumbles while recovering 17 of them. Axtell’s offense puts up 55 points per game.

Sawyer Deters, Grant Buessing, and Owen Strathman lead the charge on defense up front with Deters and Buessing only sophomores while Strathman is a junior.

Wheatland/Grinnell has gone from 6-Man level to the 8-Man Division II Title Game within a handful of seasons. The Thunderhawks moved from 6-Man to 8-Man after the 2017 season and that’s when Jesse Vincent took over as head coach.

In the 2018 season, they finished just 1-8 but since then they’ve been a factor at this level. They finished 8-2 in 2019, 8-3 in 2020, and now are 11-1 and won win away from winning their first state title.

They will look to have their revenge on the Eagles as Axtell has won the last two meetings in the last two years. This season in the season opener, Axtell beat Wheatland/Grinnell 62-16. They also played in the season opener last season with Axtell winning 58-18.

Coverage around 2:30 PM on Saturday on 92.1 KMZA with the kickoff set for 3:00 PM. The 8-Man Division I Title Game will be played before so that could affect the start time.