It was the third trip for the Wind River Cougars to a state championship game, and the first playing 9-man football. The Cougars opened up a quick 14-0 lead on Big Piney but the Punchers roared back with 39 unanswered points to end the dream of an unbeaten, state championship season 39-14.
The loss was the first of the year for Wind River and avenged a 28-21 loss by Big Piney earlier in the season at Pavillion.
Big Piney also finished 10-1, albeit as Class 1-A 9-man state champions.
The conditions are War Memorial Field on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie are always questionable in November, but aside from an occasional brisk gust of wind, the game was unphased by the weather.
The Cougars marched 73 yards on their first possession for an early 6-0 lead but an omen of what was to come arrived on the first play of the game. Wambli Romero returned the kick to the 27-yard line but fumbled in the process and Blake Snyder was able to recover for the Cougars.
Four turnovers, including a pair of interceptions and a pair of lost fumbles, were key factors in Wind River’s lack of offense after the opening period.
Cooper Frederick paced the early offense with his feet and his arm during a nine-play scoring drive. Frederick ran the ball well and hit Aidan Ruby for a pair of passes in the drive.
Moving to their familiar “Stacked I” formation, Wind River scored on a one-yard run by Chris Burk with 6:25 left in the first.
Kyzaia Jones has found success in line-drive style kicks in the final half of the season and the ensuing one hit a Puncher blocking back and was recovered by Brayden Tatro as the Big Piney 35.
Turnabout is fair play, especially in football, and three plays later Joaquin Stevens fumbled the ball back to the Punchers.
The ball was slippery, despite the dry conditions, and four plays into Big Piney’s first possession a jailbreak-style sack of quarterback Champ Snively by Rowdy Shearer, Jones, and Isaac Garnder knocked the ball loose with Gardner recovering at the 40.
A counter to Stevens and a Frederick run set up a 23-yard scoring strike from Frederick to Stevens with Frederick adding the conversion run and the Cougars jumping to a 14-0 lead with 1:57 remaining in the opening period.
The early success put momentum squarely in Wind River’s corner, but it was short-lived.
Two carries by junior running back Caden Clifford gained 47 yards and the Punchers were in the red zone. Reuben Stautenberg scored two plays later on a six-yard run with Roger Young cutting the score in half at 14-7 on his point after kick.
Wind River was ineffective offensively, but Frederick halted the next Big Piney drive with an interception at midfield.
Karsyn Gurr ended the Wind River drive by intercepting Frederick two plays later.
Big Piney attempted a fourth-down conversion but Jones crushed Snively and the Cougars took over.
Wind River fumbled again, this time deep on their end of the field when Blake Snyder coughed it up at the seven-yard line.
Clifford scored from the five, but the Punchers missed the conversion kick and the Cougars held a tenuous 14-13 lead going into halftime despite their fourth turnover of the half when Steven’s fumbled on a sweep.
The third period was a nightmare for Wind River. Big Piney scored three times on passes from Snively to Gurr and a Clifford run to break the game open at 33-14.
Wind River never threatened again, and Stautenberg broke open on an 85-yard run late in the final period for the game’s last score.
WIND RIVER 14 0 0 0 – 14
BIG Piney 6 7 20 6 – 39
First Quarter
WR – Chris Burk 1-run (Run failed) 6:25
WR – Joaquin Stevens 23-pass from Cooper Frederick (Frederick run) 1:57
Second Quarter
BP – Reuben Stautenberg 6-run (Roger Young kick) 11:53
BP – Caden Clifford 5-run (kick failed) 2:50
Third Quarter
BP – Karsyn Gurr 28-yards from Champ Snivley (kick failed) 10:24
BP – Clifford 10-run (Stautenberg run) 4:41
BP – Gurr 34-yards from Snively (run failed):20
Fourth Quarter
BP – Stautenberg 85-run (run failed) 7:21