The regular season came to a close for the Wind River Cougars at Cowley Thursday evening with a convincing 46-14 win over the Grizzlies.
The win leaves the Cougars with a perfect 8-0 season, six of those wins coming in Class 1-A West 9-man action on the field, and a pair by forfeit.
They take the top seed into next weekend’s playoffs hosting the fourth seed from the East, the Niobrara County Tigers, better known as Lusk to most of the state.
The Cougars opened slowly at Cowley, running three plays and punting, but a Rocky Mountain fumble at the 43-yard line recovered by Chris Burk started the offensive ball rolling.
A pair of runs by senior Cooper Frederick moved the ball to the Rocky 22-yard line and Brayden Tatro took it from there, scoring on an off-tackle run with 5:47 remaining in the opening period. Frederick’s conversion lifted the score to 8-0.
The visitor’s side of the scoreboard was lit up again later in the first period when Frederick connected with Aidan Ruby for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Joaquin Stevens added the conversion and the Cougars looked to be on cruise control with the early 16-0 lead.
A 28-yard counter by Stevens lifted the score to 24-0 with Frederick’s conversion run. It looked like the blowout was imminent but Rocky had different plans.
Isaac Gardner harassed Grizzly quarter Lafe Files all game, with a pair of sacks and a half dozen forced passes. Files was called for intentional grounding on one Gardner rush, forcing Rocky back to a third and 37 play.
Files made a desperation pass high in the air as he was drilled again, this time by Gardner and Rowdy Shearer. The ball fell perfectly into Jacob Bischoff’s hands. One Cougar tackler bounced off, Bischoff made a cut and three more Wind River defenders missed him and it was off to the races on a 76-yard catch and run. The conversion cut the score to 24-8 at the half.
Wind River has passed the ball more often this season, but Frederick only had seven attempts on Thursday, completing five of those.
The Cougar ground game was exceptional behind 206 yards from Frederick and substantial gains by Tatro, Joaquin Stevens, and Burk.
Burk fumbled at 7:14 of the third at the Rocky 22 ending a promising drive, but the Cougars were back on the move the next play when Stevens picked off Files at the 42.
Burk capped a drive featuring four different ball carriers a minute later on a four-yard touchdown run.
Frederick added a pair of scoring runs in the final period, the first from four yards and the second a scampering, classic cut-back against the grain style run from 53.
Rocky added a score between the two Frederick touchdowns on a 14-yard pass from Files to Wil Loyning.
Rocky Mountain 0 8 0 6 – 14
Wind River 16 8 8 14 – 46
First Quarter
WR – Brayden Tatro 22-run (Cooper Frederick run) 7:49
WR – Aidan Ruby 17-pass from Frederick (Joaquin Stevens run) 3:21
Second Quarter
WR – Stevens 28-run (Frederick run) 10:06
RM – Jacob Bischoff from Lafe Files to 82 76-yards (Clayton Thompson from Files) 6:24
Third Quarter
WR – Chris Burk 4-run (Tatro run) 3:06
4th Quarter
WR – Frederick 4-run (Tatro run) 7:09
RM – Wil Loyning-14 pass from Files (run failed) 4:29
WR – Frederick 53-run (kick failed) 4:16
Wind River Statistics
Total Offense: 459
Passing Offense: 83
Rushing Offense: 376
Individual Rushing: Cooper Frederick 29-206, Joaquin Stevens 5-66, Brayden Tatro 9-57, Chris Burk 6-22, Blake Snyder 3-20, Wambli Romero 1-1, Jacob Hardcastle 2-5, Ryker Roberts 1-0
Individual Passing: Cooper Frederick 5-7 83
Individual Receiving: Aidan Ruby 3-53, Chris Burk 1-7, Brayden Tator 1-23