The Wolves are in the playoffs

The Wolves football team showed the rest of the 3A Conference they deserve to be in the playoffs, after a convincing 45-20 win over Worland.

Green River is the third seed in the 3A West, while Worland was knocked out of playoff contention. The Wolves will play the Buffalo Bison at 7 p.m. Friday in Buffalo. The winner of that game will go on to face the winner of the matchup between Riverton and Jackson Hole, which also takes place Friday at 7 p.m. If the Wolves win, it will be a chance for revenge either way as both Jackson Hole and Riverton handed losses to Green River earlier in the season.

At the start of the game, Green River established an early lead after a seven-play, 79-yard drive capped of by a pass play to Candon Croft for a touchdown. A PAT by Chance Hofer posted seven points for the Wolves with 8:38 left in the first quarter. The Wolves defensive line held Worland at bay, keeping the Warriors away from their end zone as the Wolves offense continued to increase Worland’s deficit.

A second score by Green River late in the first quarter resulted in a 14-0 lead. During the Warrior’s second possession, Blake Waite knocked the football away from a Worland player, which Riley Yeager recovered. The first quarter ended with the Wolves on their third possession of the game. That possession ultimately resulted in another Green River touchdown at the start of the second quarter, as well as a 21-0 lead after a successful PAT. Worland next possession would also end in a turnover for Green River. A few incomplete passes caused Green River to punt for the first time. The next offensive drives by Worland and Green River would both end in turnovers, with a pass by Tyler Vendetti getting picked off. The Warriors found the end zone on the following drive with a 73-yard touchdown off of their first play. However, their PAT attempt failed and ended with a score of 21-6.

Green River’s next possession ended in a touchdown after Vendetti dived across the goal line during a third down and goal play.

After another successful PAT following an encroachment penalty on Worland, Green River’s lead increased to 22 points.

The following kickoff by Keanu Hill ended with Worland fumbling on the reception and Hill gaining possession of the ball for the Wolves on the Worland 33-yard line. A pass from Vendetti to Jacob Olsen ended at the 4-yard line and set the two up for a scoring play when Vendetti handed the ball to Olsen during the second down. Hofer’s fifth PAT of the night flew between the goalposts and ended Green River’s drive with a 35-6 lead.

Worland’s problem with turnovers would haunt them in their final possession of the half after hit from Brendan Hopkins forced a turnover and Chance Anderson recovered the ball on Worland’s 35-yard line. In the seconds of the half, Green River ended its possession with a successful field goal from Hofer and a 38-6 lead over Worland.

The third quarter was a scoreless affair for both teams and in the fourth, head coach Don Maggi benched the starting line in favor of allowing younger players time on the field.

Maggi said Green River is in a very competitive conference, which results in few opportunities to play less experienced players. Maggi said he wanted to give the starters a break to save them for their upcoming playoff game with Buffalo.

“We want to stay fresh for the games and keep the kids injury free,” Maggi said.

Green River, off of a pass from Hofer to Yeager, scored an 83-yard touchdown with 2:13 left in the game. The subsequent PAT from Hofer was good and gave the Wolves a 45-6 lead. During the final few minutes, Worland scored two more touchdowns and a successful two-point conversion to bring their score to 20.

Maggi said one of the goals the coaching staff had for the team at the start of the season was for the Wolves to make the playoffs.

“We’re certainly excited to have achieved that goal,” he said.

Buffalo, the No. 2 Seed in the playoffs, finished the season with a 4-4 record and will prove to be a strong opponent, according to Maggi. The Bison ended the season with a victory over the Douglas Bearcats, a team Maggi said is a powerhouse in the 3A East.