Wolves Football team falls to Riverton in well-played game

The Green River Wolves Football team, which was 1-3 for the season, traveled north this past week to take on the 4-1 Riverton Wolverines.

The game was a reunion involving the two head coaches for each team as the Wolves' Head Coach Blaine Christensen coached under Riverton's Head Coach Mark Lenhardt while they were both coaches at Rock Springs High School for several years.

The game was played before a large, loud, enthusiastic crowd at Riverton High's stadium.

The Wolves were without two of their top players as James Herwaldt has not returned from an injury suffered in the Rawlins game, and Declan Henderson, their second highest point producer on defense, was hurt on the second play of the night and did not return.

Green River won the toss but deferred to the second half and kicked off to Riverton to start the game. Riverton mounted an 11-play drive, moving the ball down the field mostly on run plays with solid gains. However, on a fourth and 11 play the Wolves stopped Riverton one yard short of their first down.

The Wolves got the ball deep in their own territory at the 13 yard line to start their first offensive series. The Wolves mounted their own long drive, with the big play being a 24-yard run by quarterback Maddux Hintz, but they were eventually stopped and turned the ball back to Riverton.

After a short Riverton drive, which was stopped by Green River's defense, the first quarter ended at 0-0. The Wolves got the ball back for the second quarter. Their next drive ended up in a 35-yard field goal attempt by the Wolves' kicker Braxton Doak, but the kick was blocked.

Riverton took over and had another long drive which ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass. With the P.A.T. good, Riverton took a 7-0 lead.

Green River was not able to score and turned the ball back to the Wolverines, who completed another pass for their second touchdown. Again the P.A.T. kick was good, and Riverton had a 14-0 lead at the half.

The second half was much of the same as Green River moved the ball but missed a long field goal and Riverton scored two more touchdowns to take a commanding 28-0 lead.

The Wolves scored two touchdowns late in the game, scoring on a 29-yard Hintz run and later scoring again on a pass from Hintz to Dax Taylor. With the P.A.T. snap fumbled, the game ended with Riverton prevailing 28-13.

"I thought it was one of our best played games in two years," Head Coach Christensen commented after the game. "We played the East conference champs to a two-score game. If we capitalize on a turnover and good field position in the first half, I believe we have a chance to win the football game."  

Christensen noted, "This upcoming week we play Evanston in our first conference game. We are treating this game like the biggest game of the year. We know how difficult it is to go to Evanston and play. We are preparing hard this week and want to start conference play 1-0."

Green River will be on the road again to take on the Evanston Red Devils this Friday.