Tigers claw into Midwest in first varsity game with score of 63-7, prepare to face Little Snake River Valley
The Encampment Tigers hosted their first game of the season on September 5 as they welcomed the Midwest Oilers. Encampment wasted no time in clawing into Midwest and, ultimately, won the game leading by nearly 60 points.
"One of our goals this season is to set the tone of each game from the first snap," said Kegan Willford, head coach of the Encampment Tigers. "I feel like we did that for our first game. Getting ahead early in the game, like we did, also allowed everyone on the team to have a lot of playing time for this game. Getting extra playing time for everyone in these games really helps build our program and gives the younger players experience at the high school level."
The first quarter of Encampment's first varsity game saw them keep the Oilers scoreless. Not only that, but Midwest did little to cause the Tigers to slip-up as Encampment put 35 points on the scoreboard. In fact, the first 35 seconds saw the Tigers put their first 7 points on the board with ease. Those first 7 points were scored by Dalton Peterson, who completed a 16 yard rush for a touchdown and a three yard rush for a conversion.
Caysen Barkhurst, not to be outdone, scored two touchdowns in the first quarter with a combined 81 yards. The first touchdown, which saw Barkhurst rush for 43 yards, was followed by a conversion from Koye Gilbert. Gilbert would also make a 40 yard pass to his brother, Kagan Gilbert, for a 6 point conversion.
The second quarter saw Willford putting in many of the younger players, who continued to get points on the board. Kaben Picket blocked a punt and returned it to the goalpost for the first 6 points of the second quarter. Lane LaBorde scored another 6 points with a 7 yard rush and Michael Anderson added two more points.
While the first half saw the Tigers score double digits, Encampment would end up scoring only 6 points in the third quarter and 8 points in the fourth quarter. Midwest scored their 7 points in the beginning of the second half.
Barkhurst was the rushing leader for Encampment with 105 yards on Saturday. LaBorde followed with 47 yards and Quade Jordan had 30 yards. The Gilbert brothers were the passing and receiving leaders with Koye passing for 40 yards and Kagan receiving for 40 yards.
With a score of 63-7, the Encampment Tigers began their first varsity season in three decades on a high note. This weekend, however, the Tigers will face the Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Rattlers. Last season, LSRV was the unstoppable force that clashed with the immovable object that was the Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) Miners during the 1A Six-Man State Championship. On September 5, the Rattlers took HEM down with a score of 44-19.
The game between the Tigers and the LSRV, however, has garnered attention as it has been placed on WyoPreps' "Game of the Week" poll.
"It was great to get our first official varsity win in 30 years," Willford said. "We are looking forward to our first conference game this coming Saturday against Snake River."
Reader Comments(0)