GRHS Hall of Fame to induct 2024 class

The Green River Hall of Fame is inducting the 2024 class at the Hall of Fame Banquet on September 14 and introducing them during halftime at the Friday night football game on September 13. This year's Hall of Fame inductees are the 2004 Green River High School Football Team, the 2004-05 State Cheer team, Richard Smith and Bob Maddox.

2004 Football team

The 2004 Green River Wolves Football team had high expectations. The previous season was a huge success after the Wolves finished the season 8-2 after a State semifinal loss to eventual State champion Casper Natrona. The Wolves had several key players returning for the 2004 season.

When the preseason polls came out prior to the start of the season, the Wolves were ranked second behind the defending state champs, the Natrona Mustangs. It would take just one week for the Wolves to take over the top spot and stay there the rest of the way.

Green River opened the season on the road at longtime rival Evanston. The Wolves started fast and rolled over the Red Devils 40-7. Natrona lost in week one, and the Wolves took over the number ranking in the Wyopreps.com coaches media football poll and would remain there for the entire season.

The Wolves continued to beat the upcoming teams during the season: Cody Broncs 48-0, Sheridan Broncs 32-7, Trona Bowl against Rock Springs 42-2, Cheyenne East 44-0, and Cheyenne Central 41-14.

The Wolves would play their final two games of the season on the road at Star Valley and at Laramie. Both games were blowouts, as the Wolves got a rare win with Star Valley 45-6 and defeating the Plainsmen 48-0.

Now it was off to the playoffs. Green River drew the Rock Springs Tigers at a home game and beat them 27-7. The following week, the Wolves would host the Riverton Wolverines. The Wolves prevailed 24-21 and would head to the State championship game for the first time since 1976.

The State championship game would be in Casper and would give the Wolves a chance to avenge the semi-final loss to Natrona in the previous season. Natrona had won 20 straight games against Wyoming teams and had won 30 straight home games. The Wolves won the state championship 20-0.

The Wolves jumped out to a 17-0 lead at halftime following two big plays, a Lyndon Schmidt pick-6 and an 89-yard run from Casey Cutler. Jacob Bosh added a field goal in the third, and after four Nick Mamalis interceptions, the Wolves won the state championship 20-0.

2004-2005 State Cheer Team

It has been said that Green River, Wyoming is the powerhouse of high school cheerleading competition. A large part of this saying can be attributed to the 2005 state championship cheerleaders led by Head Coach Tim Chilcott and Assistant Coaches Careea Collins and Kerri Galea.

After the exuberance and exhilaration of cheering the 2004 5A undefeated Green River football team to their tumultuous championship, the cheer team started their heroine journey of preparing for the 4A Wyoming State Spirit Championships. Putting in practices of up to 20 hours a week, sometimes beyond including all day Saturdays, these cheerleaders put in the effort for their goal of being the best in the state. In their preparation for the state championships, they put together three routines, but ultimately only participated in two routines: the all-girl cheer stunt and the all-girl cheer non-stunt events. With fear in their eyes, but pride in their hearts, these girls were ready by the time March 2005 rolled around.

At the Wyoming State Spirit Championships in the year of 2005, there were three different categories for teams to participate in: all-girl cheer non-stunt, all-girl cheer stunt, and coed cheer stunt. To determine the Overall State Spirit Champion Team, a team's best two events scored would be tallied for a final score: first given 10 points, second given eight points and third given seven points. Green River debuted in the all-girl cheer non-stunt category and finalized the deal in the all-girl cheer stunt event.

Once the girls stepped out onto the blue mat for their first routine in the non-stunt category, black-and-white sleeves flew through the air in sync as rhythm and screams filled the Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. One couldn't help but bob their heads and cheer on these cheerleaders. Finishing this routine, the girls stepped off the mat with wide grins upon their faces, knowing they had gone out there and done their very best. However, the competition was not over yet. Their next routine was their hardest routine, the stunt routine. The girls, as well as their coaches, knew that if even one stunt didn't go correctly or one stunt didn't hit, they would lose the championship to their cheer rivals of the year, the Cheyenne Central Indians. Before heading onto the mat, the girl's head coach Tim Chilcott, dubbed by the girls as "Coachee," gave them the pep talk of their lives. With renewed strength, and once again excitement beaming on their faces, the ladies took the floor.

Their carefully timed music began with the famous words of, "Automatic, systematic, hydromatic...why it's greased, lightning" from the famed musical "Grease," and the girls fell into step. Two minutes and 30 seconds later, the girls knew! They had hit every single move in the entirety of their routine. Not a single stunt fell; not a single step went out of place. Now it was just time to wait and see what the judges officially scored their routines.

As anyone knows, judged sports are subjective, and cheerleading is no different. Even though the Lady Wolf Cheerleaders and their coaches knew that they had performed both of their routines to the utmost ability that they could, not having a single step out of place, it was still ultimately up to the judges' perceptions of what they did to see their outcome in the championships.

After each team had performed, all cheer teams were called onto the floor of the Events Center for the announcement of the winners. The GR girls exploded as they were named premier in both the non-stunt and stunt events that they had participated in. They secured the cheer non-stunt division with a score of 255 points, ahead of Riverton with 244 points, and Cheyenne Central with 238 points. In the cheer stunt division, the girls from Green River were top of the crop with a score of 260 points, second place going to Cheyenne Central with a score of 225 points, followed by Evanston in third with a score of 216 points. The Lady Wolves received 10 points for each win and took the overall title of 4A Overall State Championship Cheer Squad with an overall total of 20 points, followed by Cheyenne Central with an overall total of 18 points. With the combination of the scores, the Lady Wolves were crowned 4A Overall State Spirit Champion Team in blissful chaos of hugs and howls.

This would be the first, and sadly, last time that Green River would solely hold this elite title. After the 2005 cheer championship event, the Overall State Spirit Champion Team scores and titles were disbanded as it was argued that a team only participating in two of the three events should not have been depicted as the overall team champions, even though the scores reflected as such. Thus, in the years after 2005, the Wyoming State Spirit Championships would only have three title trophies given out, one per each event.

Richard Smith

Richard Smith graduated from Green River High School in 1976. During his high school years he played on the Wolves Basketball team. In 1975 the Wolves brought home Conference, Regional, and State honors and in 1976 they were Conference and Regional champions and State runner up. Richard gained two Regional All-Tournament, two State All-Tournament, two Associated Press All-State and two Most Valuable Player by the Associated Press. In 1975 he averaged 18 points per game and in 1976 he averaged 28 points per game. He led all scorers in the state tournament in 1976 with 91 points. He also set a game scoring record of 45 points for GRHS.

In 1976 he signed a letter of intent to play basketball for the Weber State University Wildcats and played in the first Montana vs Wyoming NCAA Prep All-Star game that same year. Richard Smith played four years of basketball for the Wildcats from 1976-1980 and was part of some of the best teams in that school's history. Under Head Coach Neal McCarthy, Smith helped lead the Wildcats to two Big Sky titles, three Big Sky tournament titles and three trips to the NCAA tournament. He came to Weber State as a freshman for 1976-77. The seven-foot center was joined that year by three other freshmen who over the next four years would form one of the strongest groups of players that Weber State has ever seen. Smith joined freshman Bruce Collins from Rock Springs, Wyoming, David Johnson from Loomis, California and Mark Mattos from Santa Barbara, California. Those four players would become known as McCarthy's Kids and formed a strong bond that continued long after their careers ended. As a sophomore in 1977-78, he averaged 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as Weber State moved into the brand new 11,500-seat event center. As a junior in 1978-79, Smith started in all 34 games and averaged 14.4 points, leading the team in rebounding and field goal percentage. The Cats finished 25 and 9, won the conference title and again advanced to the NCAA tournament. Mccarthy's Kids became seniors for the 1979-80 season, one of the best seasons in Weber State history. The Wildcats finished 26 and 3. Weber State had an 18-game winning streak during the season and had set a school record. They were ranked as high as 15th in the nation in the AP Polls, and advanced at the NCAA tournament in the Dee Event Center. Smith started all 29 games as a senior and averaged 11.6 points and a team best of seven rebounds per game that season. For his career he played in 109 games for the Wildcats. He earned first-team Big Sky Honors as a junior and second-team honors as a senior. During his four years the Wildcats posted 90 and 30 overall record.

In 2013 he was named to the Weber State 50th Anniversary Team along with his McCarthy Kids teammates and in 2016 was inducted into the Weber State Hall of Fame. Smith was drafted in the seventh round of the 1980 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. That same year he signed a two-year contract to play professionally in Australia for Launceston Casino City. In 1981 Launceston Casino City won the first Australian National Basketball League Championship.

After his basketball career, Smith graduated in 1985 from Weber State with a BS degree in Environmental Geology and a minor in Chemistry. He worked until 2022 when he retired from Bayer in Soda Springs, Idaho and is now living in Lava Hot Springs with his wife Colleen.

Bob Maddox

Bob Maddox graduated from Custer High School in 1959. He started his college career in the fall of that year. He attended Black Hills State for two years, at which time he took two years off. He married Laurie in 1961 and in the fall of 1963 he continued college and graduated in 1965 with his teaching degree. He accepted a position as a junior high English teacher at Monroe School, which he continued to do for 35 years. Bob loved teaching and became lifelong friends with a number of students he taught.

For two years he was transferred to Lincoln High school. During this time, he accepted a position as assistant seventh grade boys' basketball coach. In 1986 he transferred back to Monroe, where he continued to teach until 2000. During this time, he became head coach of seventh grade boy's basketball and head coach of eighth grade girl's basketball. He continued to coach these two teams for two years after he retired from teaching. He coached for 22 years.

Bob was instrumental in the creation of the Green River High School Hall of Fame from its inception in 2009 until his death in 2023. He helped not only with the selection committee but also many aspects of the Hall of Fame.

Bob was not only a teacher to many, but he was also a loving and caring father of his three children, Bret, Tracy, and Tammy, along with seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. At this time of death he had been married to his loving wife Laurie for 61 years.