Cody graduated 23 seniors last year from a Class 3-A state runner-up squad, but you wouldn’t know it by the offensive production their no-huddle offense generated Friday even at Riverton High School. The high-powered Broncs rolled over the Wolverine 56-7 in a game that ended via the running clock.
The game was the first official contest of the season, though the Broncs handled Lander at home 56-2 in Zero Week action last Friday, and Powell, who handed Riverton a 42-24 loss in another Zero Week game blasted Worland 51-0.
The West 3-A is as strong as ever after the opening weekend of the season.
Riverton showed improvement over their first action of the season, playing much better defense, and running the ball effectively through most of the first half. Talon Thoman had a good game defensively, playing the run well.
“Offensively there was some improvement in running the football,” Riverton head coach Mark Lenhardt said. “Defensively I thought we were a totally different team.”
The problem with Cody is depth. The Broncs needed three school buses to bring their 115 man roster to Wolverine Field Friday night and they stretched three players deep inside the team box on the east side of the field.
The Broncs scored first on a 21-yard scamper by AJ Baustert with 6:38 remaining in the opening period.
Riverton started sophomore quarterback Blake Gantenbein after senior Darrick DeVries was sidelined with a high ankle sprain suffered against Powell.
“When you play a team of that caliber, they obviously saw the film and exploited the things that worked against Powell. They used their hands to get on our receivers. They had a good plan,” Lenhardt said.
The sophomore signal called had a solid effort completing 20 of 30 attempts for 182 yards and Riverton’s lone touchdown. Ty Sheets and Nick McIntosh were his favorite receivers with Sheets snagging nine balls for 90 yards and a touchdown and McIntosh catching seven for 58 yards.
The running game remained a challenge for the Wolverines with Jordan May gaining 41 hard earned yards on 13 carries.
In quick succession, Cody tallied a pair of second quarter touchdowns including the first of three breakaway plays from beyond 50 yards. Grady McCarten broke open for a 70-yard touchdown, and Maddox Ball added a scoring pass to Conner Moss for a 21-0 Bronc lead.
Riverton drove the ball effectively on a nine-play drive that featured short passes to Sheets, McIntosh, and Clay Sheets, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Gantenbein with 1:14 left in the half.
“At the end of the first half, we just did not execute our prevent coverage very well, we let the ball get behind us,” Lenhardt said. “I thought that was a big turning point. It took the wind out of our sails.”
Cody can move the ball quickly in their no-huddle offense, and they made a quick march to the end zone on a 20-yard pass from Ball to his brother Jacob Ball with just seven seconds left in the half.
Trailing 28-7 at the half, the Wolverines played well defensively on the first two series of the third period, but McCarten found a seam on a 52-yard scoring run, and Baustert caught a 75-yard touchdown pass that broke the game open.
A final pair of scores, the last coming with 9:28 left in the game started the running clock in motion via the mercy rule with the Broncs up 56-7.
“Coach McFadden deserves a ton of credit, they have a good mix of coaches, players, and winning tradition in Cody,” Lenhardt said.
Cody is away at Worland this Friday on a short bus ride, while Riverton makes the long trek to Evanston. The Red Devils have their first Wyoming opponent in the Wolverines after dropping a pair of games against Utah schools.
Riverton 0 7 0 0 – 7
Cody 7 21 21 7 – 56
First Quarter
COD – AJ Baustert 21-run (Conner Moss kick) 6:38
Second Quarter
COD – Grady McCarten 70-run (Moss kick) 7:13
COD Moss 8-pass from Maddox Ball (Moss kick) 3:03
RIV – Ty Sheets 11-pass from Blake Gantenbein (Hunter Saltsgaver kick) 1:14
COD – Jacob Ball 20-pass from Maddox Ball (Moss kick) :07
Third Quarter
COD – McCarten 52-run (Moss kick) 11:20
COD – Baustert 75-pass from Ball (Moss kick) 5:03
COD – Owen Peterson 21-run (Moss kick) 1:47
Fourth Quarter
COD – Dillon Bullock 5-fumble return (Moss kick) 9:28
Total Offense: Riverton274, Cody 510
Rushing Offense: Riverton 24-73, Cody 26-193,
Passing Offense: Riverton 21-38 201, Cody 12-19 211
Individual Passing: Riverton – Blake Gantenbein 21-38-2, Cody Maddox Ball 12-19 211
Individual Rushing: Riverton -Ty Sheets 4-20, Nick McIntosh 1-9, Talon Thoman 4-0, Blake Gantenbein 2-3, Jordan May 13-41, Cody – McCarten 7-147, M. Ball 4-45, Baustert 2-27, Hogan 1-6, J. Ball 1-12, Shultz 1-5, Petersen 4-29, Moulton 5-23, Decker 1-(-1)
Individual Receiving: Riverton -Ty Sheets 9-81, Nick McIntosh 9-118, Branson Saltsgaver 2-1, Jordan May 1-1, Cody – smith 1-6, Hatch 3-29, McCarten 1-3, Baustert 2-91, J. Ball 2-26, Jarrett 2-5, Moss 2-6