For the second time in three weeks, the Dubois Rams are headed to Big Horn County to play the Burlington Huskies. Dubois handed Burlington their only loss of the season in a 60-52 shootout last week, but this rematch is for all the marbles in a semi-final matchup with the winner headed to Jonah Field at the University of Wyoming in two weeks for the state championship game, most likely against Little Snake River.
Dubois rolled over the Longhorns earlier this month with a lopsided 71-18 score that ended the game with a running clock via the mercy rule.
When teams meet again after such a wide point margin the underdog usually comes out swinging, and the team on top comes out flat. That’s how it played out in the opening minutes Saturday afternoon in Dubois.
The Rams were just going through the motions, despite exhortations from head coach David Trembly.
Meeteetse scored on their first possession on a 23-yard pass from Ben Reinker to Luukas Ryhti and the Rams answered on the next drive with a 30-yard scoring run by Wyatt Trembly, but they weren’t as aggressive, or efficient as usual.
They bumped their lead to 16-6 on a four-yard Trembly run with Nick Navas adding both conversion kicks, but the Longhorns wouldn’t go away. This time they scored on a 35-yard run by Joe Pina with the conversion kick narrowing the margin to 16-14.
A pair of timeouts by Trembly to focus his team paid off with 60 unanswered points over the next two periods.
Wyatt Trembly broke open on a 21-yard scamper behind a pancake block by Kaden Chamley and the Rams led 24-14 to end the opening period.
The second quarter was a whirl of Dubois offense as the boys from the “High Country” found another gear.
Trembly tallied scores on runs of 51 and 16 yards, Clayton Rux caught a 15-yard pass from Ryan Wells and Jonah Oard crashed in from the one to convert four straight touchdowns as the Dubois defense forced the Longhorns to turn the ball over on downs on each possession.
The final score was a wild affair bringing the wide-open style of 6-man football clearly into focus.
With just 23 seconds left in the half Wells ran an option to the left and lateralled the ball to Gavin Clouse as he was tackled. Clouse gained a couple of yards, was hit, and tossed the ball back to Rux. Rux bounced off one Meeteetse player, then lateralled the ball as he was falling to Chamley. Chamley spun around, twisted, and fell into the end zone on the combined 24-yard scoring play. Navas converted the kick and the Rams led 60-14 at the half after putting up 40-points in the second period.
The running clock ensued as soon as the third period opened.
Dubois had covered an onside kick, and a long squib kick in the first half but just played basic football in the final two periods as the clock ran non-stop except for scoring plays and the end of the quarter.
Trembly added a final touchdown, this one from 12-yards, and Oard scored another for the final points of the game.
The win was the 100th for head coach David Trembly at Dubois. The post-game celebration featured fans holding up signs for “100,” a presentation, and a cake to honor the achievement.
DUBOIS 24 40 12 0 – 76
MEETEETSE 14 0 0 0 – 14
MEET – Luukas Ryhti 23-pass from Ben Reinker (kick failed) 7:52
DUB – Wyatt Trembly 30-run (Nick Navas kick) 6:17
DUB – Trembly 4-run (Navas kick) 3:36
MEET – Joe Pina 35-run (Johnathan Ogden kick) 3:27
DUB- Trembly 21-run (Navas kick) 1:40
Second Quarter
DUB – Trembly 51-run (Navas kick) 8:35
DUB – Trembly 16-run (Navas kick) 8:29
DUB – Clayton Rux 15-pass from Ryan Wells (Navas kick) 7:25
DUB – Jonah Oard 1-run (Navas kick):43
DUB – Kaden Chamley 4-run (kick failed):12
Third Quarter
DUB – Trembly 12-run (kick failed) 6:56
DUB – Oard 8-run (kick failed):51