Eagles return to state championship game
Mike Dunn
November 4, 2016SHERIDAN — Last year, when the Tongue River Eagles made their way to the state championship football game, they felt surprised. This year, they felt it was expected. But if you ask head coach John Scott, both feelings are equally great.
Tongue River will be making its second appearance in the state championship in as many years after rolling the top seed out of the 1A East Conference, Shoshoni, 37-6 Friday. “We feel just as thrilled this year as we did last year,” Scott said. “This was really a fulfilling win for us, for different reasons this year.”
Brennan Kutterer picked up four touchdowns, three rushing and one off of a fumble recovery. Running back Matt Lobach punched in the other touchdown for the Eagles. Shoshoni got off to a hot start. The Wranglers returned a kickoff deep within Eagles territory, then scored on their first play on offense. The Eagles couldn’t get on the board until the second quarter.
“It was a bit of a shaky start,” Scott said. “They were a pretty physical team. Once we settled in, we started to play a little bit better.” The Eagles took the lead in the second quarter and continued its offensive production. After grabbing a 21-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles went on to score two more in the fourth quarter for good measure.
Tongue River has a tough opponent ahead of it, though. To earn a state championship title, they have to get past the Pine Bluffs Hornets. Pine Bluffs earned a spot in the state championship game after taking down Upton-Sundance Friday, shattering the team’s 16-game winning streak.
The Eagles previously beat the Hornets in a hard-fought 28-14 victory in the regular season.
Tongue River will kickoff at 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.
Mike Dunn
November 4, 2016SHERIDAN — Last year, when the Tongue River Eagles made their way to the state championship football game, they felt surprised. This year, they felt it was expected. But if you ask head coach John Scott, both feelings are equally great.
Tongue River will be making its second appearance in the state championship in as many years after rolling the top seed out of the 1A East Conference, Shoshoni, 37-6 Friday. “We feel just as thrilled this year as we did last year,” Scott said. “This was really a fulfilling win for us, for different reasons this year.”
Brennan Kutterer picked up four touchdowns, three rushing and one off of a fumble recovery. Running back Matt Lobach punched in the other touchdown for the Eagles. Shoshoni got off to a hot start. The Wranglers returned a kickoff deep within Eagles territory, then scored on their first play on offense. The Eagles couldn’t get on the board until the second quarter.
“It was a bit of a shaky start,” Scott said. “They were a pretty physical team. Once we settled in, we started to play a little bit better.” The Eagles took the lead in the second quarter and continued its offensive production. After grabbing a 21-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles went on to score two more in the fourth quarter for good measure.
Tongue River has a tough opponent ahead of it, though. To earn a state championship title, they have to get past the Pine Bluffs Hornets. Pine Bluffs earned a spot in the state championship game after taking down Upton-Sundance Friday, shattering the team’s 16-game winning streak.
The Eagles previously beat the Hornets in a hard-fought 28-14 victory in the regular season.
Tongue River will kickoff at 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.
Tongue River falls in state championship game
Mike Dunn
November 12, 2016
LARAMIE — The Tongue River Eagles football team held up the second-place banner in the end zone of War Memorial Stadium while trying to hold back tears Saturday afternoon. The athletes forced tired smiles for the slew of parents and supporters who showed them support. Then, the voice of head coach John Scott boomed over the crowd of Eagles fans. “Hey, who would have thought this motley crew would have put Tongue River football back on the map?” Scott asked.
Saturday’s game against the Pine Bluff Hornets was not the result that Tongue River wanted, but back-to-back trips to the state championship game did, in fact, put Tongue River football back on the map. The Eagles fell to Pine Bluffs 10-7 in a hard-fought, grind-it-out game for the 1A 11-man state title.
“We left every ounce of what we had out there,” Scott said. “That’s the kind of team that they are.”
Tongue River’s defense held the Hornets to only 128 yards of offense. Defensive efforts were spearheaded by Matt Lobach with 10 tackles, along with Skyler Dillon-Bennett and Brennan Kutterer; each had seven tackles.
Kutterer led all offense with 171 rushing yards on 34 carries for an average of 5 yards per carry.
Just like expected, the game turned out to be a defensive battle, and Tongue River held the state’s leading rusher to just a fraction of his usual performance. Ruger Lewis, who came into the day averaging 170.3 yards per game, was limited to only 61 yards. Scott said that was a victory for his team.
“We gave him no gaps, and the credit goes to our defensive line,” Scott said. “Our second level took great angles. (Lewis) is a jump-cut, run-to-daylight kind of kid, so we really did a good job of stopping him.” Both offenses struggled to get into the end zone.
Drive after drive stalled in the opening 24 minutes until Pine Bluffs caught a break. An intercepted pass was brought to the Eagles 19. After driving the ball deep into the red zone, the Eagles made a handful of crucial stops to force a field goal. The Hornets went into halftime with a 3-0 lead. Tongue River responded on the first drive of the second half. The Eagles worked an impressive drive using a series of Kutterer runs, capped off by a clutch, 12-yard completion from Kutterer to Jay Keo to set up a first and goal. Kutterer punched the ball in from 1 yard out to grab the team’s only score. But the offensive drives for the Eagles stalled after that. Pine Bluffs loaded up the box and keyed in on Kutterer, who had to keep running the ball up the middle.
“I just had that internal drive to keep going,” Kutterer said. “I didn’t want to quit.” Pine Bluffs connected with a 19-yard fade route midway through the third quarter to put the game away for good. The Eagles finished the season 8-3 overall. Even though the season ended with a loss, Kutterer said he and his teammates are holding their heads high. “I’m dang proud of everyone on this team,” Kutterer said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team. I love playing this sport; I love playing with these guys.”
Scott said he could not say enough about his senior class, which led Tongue River to two state championship games, and helped turn a defunct program into a force with which to be reckoned.
“They are kind of part of this thing that brought football back to Tongue River,” Scott said. “No town should be without a football team, and seeing how the community came behind these guys is validation of how great a sport football is and what these guys have done.”
Mike Dunn
November 12, 2016
LARAMIE — The Tongue River Eagles football team held up the second-place banner in the end zone of War Memorial Stadium while trying to hold back tears Saturday afternoon. The athletes forced tired smiles for the slew of parents and supporters who showed them support. Then, the voice of head coach John Scott boomed over the crowd of Eagles fans. “Hey, who would have thought this motley crew would have put Tongue River football back on the map?” Scott asked.
Saturday’s game against the Pine Bluff Hornets was not the result that Tongue River wanted, but back-to-back trips to the state championship game did, in fact, put Tongue River football back on the map. The Eagles fell to Pine Bluffs 10-7 in a hard-fought, grind-it-out game for the 1A 11-man state title.
“We left every ounce of what we had out there,” Scott said. “That’s the kind of team that they are.”
Tongue River’s defense held the Hornets to only 128 yards of offense. Defensive efforts were spearheaded by Matt Lobach with 10 tackles, along with Skyler Dillon-Bennett and Brennan Kutterer; each had seven tackles.
Kutterer led all offense with 171 rushing yards on 34 carries for an average of 5 yards per carry.
Just like expected, the game turned out to be a defensive battle, and Tongue River held the state’s leading rusher to just a fraction of his usual performance. Ruger Lewis, who came into the day averaging 170.3 yards per game, was limited to only 61 yards. Scott said that was a victory for his team.
“We gave him no gaps, and the credit goes to our defensive line,” Scott said. “Our second level took great angles. (Lewis) is a jump-cut, run-to-daylight kind of kid, so we really did a good job of stopping him.” Both offenses struggled to get into the end zone.
Drive after drive stalled in the opening 24 minutes until Pine Bluffs caught a break. An intercepted pass was brought to the Eagles 19. After driving the ball deep into the red zone, the Eagles made a handful of crucial stops to force a field goal. The Hornets went into halftime with a 3-0 lead. Tongue River responded on the first drive of the second half. The Eagles worked an impressive drive using a series of Kutterer runs, capped off by a clutch, 12-yard completion from Kutterer to Jay Keo to set up a first and goal. Kutterer punched the ball in from 1 yard out to grab the team’s only score. But the offensive drives for the Eagles stalled after that. Pine Bluffs loaded up the box and keyed in on Kutterer, who had to keep running the ball up the middle.
“I just had that internal drive to keep going,” Kutterer said. “I didn’t want to quit.” Pine Bluffs connected with a 19-yard fade route midway through the third quarter to put the game away for good. The Eagles finished the season 8-3 overall. Even though the season ended with a loss, Kutterer said he and his teammates are holding their heads high. “I’m dang proud of everyone on this team,” Kutterer said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team. I love playing this sport; I love playing with these guys.”
Scott said he could not say enough about his senior class, which led Tongue River to two state championship games, and helped turn a defunct program into a force with which to be reckoned.
“They are kind of part of this thing that brought football back to Tongue River,” Scott said. “No town should be without a football team, and seeing how the community came behind these guys is validation of how great a sport football is and what these guys have done.”
Wyoming Coaches Association 1A Football All-State 2016
Hunter Chenney – Cokeville
Trenton King – Cokeville
Rick Nate – Cokeville
Anthony Petersen – Cokeville
Cordell Viehweig – Cokeville
Cole Mellot – Lusk
Haize Fornstrom – Pine Bluffs (2015 selection)
Wyatt Fornstrom – Pine Bluffs
Alex Graves – Pine Bluffs
Hunter Jeffres – Pine Bluffs
Ruger Lewis – Pine Bluffs (2015 selection)
Kyle Steger – Pine Bluffs
Brian Crawford – Rocky Mountain
Tristan Jewell – Rocky Mountain
Cole Simmons – Rocky Mountain
Gehrig Sweat – Rocky Mountain (2015 selection)
Garret Vezain – Rocky Mountain
Wyatt Cox – Saratoga
Alex Zieger – Saratoga
Colter Jordan – Shoshoni
Zach Pickinpaugh – Shoshoni
JJ Pingetzer – Shoshoni (2015 selection)
Jason Thoren – Shoshoni (2015 selection)
Jacob Cushman – Southeast
Jasper Heggem – Southeast (2015 selection)
Dalton Keller – Southeast
Jacob Schmitt – Southeast
Chance Werner – Southeast (2015 selection)
Skyler Dillon-Bennett – Tongue River
Dean Hatzenbiler – Tongue River
Kyler Heiling – Tongue River
Brennan Kutterer – Tongue River (2015 selection)
Mason Schroder – Tongue River
Dawson Butts – Upton-Sundance (2015 selection)
Cort Ingals – Upton-Sundance
John Sullivan – Upton-Sundance (2015 selection)
Hunter Woodard – Upton-Sundance (2015 selection)
John Thoman – Wind River
Kane Leithead – Wright
Brian Two Crow - Wyoming Indian
1A Offensive Player of the Year: Brennan Kutterer – Tongue River
1A Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Pingetzer – Shoshoni
1A Coach of the Year: Will Gray – Pine Bluffs
Hunter Chenney – Cokeville
Trenton King – Cokeville
Rick Nate – Cokeville
Anthony Petersen – Cokeville
Cordell Viehweig – Cokeville
Cole Mellot – Lusk
Haize Fornstrom – Pine Bluffs (2015 selection)
Wyatt Fornstrom – Pine Bluffs
Alex Graves – Pine Bluffs
Hunter Jeffres – Pine Bluffs
Ruger Lewis – Pine Bluffs (2015 selection)
Kyle Steger – Pine Bluffs
Brian Crawford – Rocky Mountain
Tristan Jewell – Rocky Mountain
Cole Simmons – Rocky Mountain
Gehrig Sweat – Rocky Mountain (2015 selection)
Garret Vezain – Rocky Mountain
Wyatt Cox – Saratoga
Alex Zieger – Saratoga
Colter Jordan – Shoshoni
Zach Pickinpaugh – Shoshoni
JJ Pingetzer – Shoshoni (2015 selection)
Jason Thoren – Shoshoni (2015 selection)
Jacob Cushman – Southeast
Jasper Heggem – Southeast (2015 selection)
Dalton Keller – Southeast
Jacob Schmitt – Southeast
Chance Werner – Southeast (2015 selection)
Skyler Dillon-Bennett – Tongue River
Dean Hatzenbiler – Tongue River
Kyler Heiling – Tongue River
Brennan Kutterer – Tongue River (2015 selection)
Mason Schroder – Tongue River
Dawson Butts – Upton-Sundance (2015 selection)
Cort Ingals – Upton-Sundance
John Sullivan – Upton-Sundance (2015 selection)
Hunter Woodard – Upton-Sundance (2015 selection)
John Thoman – Wind River
Kane Leithead – Wright
Brian Two Crow - Wyoming Indian
1A Offensive Player of the Year: Brennan Kutterer – Tongue River
1A Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Pingetzer – Shoshoni
1A Coach of the Year: Will Gray – Pine Bluffs
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2015 EAGLE FOOTBALL
SEASON HIGHLIGHT "FIGHT EM ON THE ICE" |
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TR Football Exceeds Expectations in Best Season Since 2006
Mike Dunn
November 19, 2015
DAYTON — Four months ago, a trip to Laramie wasn’t on John Scott’s radar. Going to the state championship seemed implausible for the Tongue River head football coach. The last three years, they had won a combined eight games. Four years ago, they didn’t have a team. Fewer than 20 kids showed up to play football for the Eagles in the middle of August.
But Scott said his kids were fighters. And it ended with a remarkable playoff run. “The first part of the season, it was a lot of trial and error,” Scott said. “We spent most of the season trying to figure out what our identity was going to be.”
They began the season 2-2 and frustrations started to mount from both coaches and players. It wasn’t until a post-game conversation after an ugly, week four 28-21 loss to Niobrara County that the Eagles began to form their identity. “We had to get out there, coaches and players alike. I was brutally honest with them, and I wanted them to be honest with us,” Scott said, adding that, “We quit talking; we quit making excuses.… We started to pull on the strengths of each other.”
Tongue River won each game in the rest of the regular season, mostly by nail-biting margins. The mesh at quarterback between Brennan Kutterer and Will Kerns began to pay off. Defensively, the Eagles started to make key stops on big downs. A key victory for the Eagles came via their homecoming game against the top-ranked Lingle-Fort Laramie in a 48-39 shootout. That victory threw a wrench into the playoff picture in the 1A East and gave the Eagles the third seed heading into the playoffs.
They spent the entire playoff run on the road; an 800-mile roundtrip to the home of the defending state champs Cokeville, then another 600-mile roundtrip to Lingle, where they beat the Doggers 28-9 in what Scott said was their best defensive performance of the year. “When the (Lingle-Fort Laramie) game was over, we didn’t know how to act,” Scott said. “That was really the first time we really talked about going to the state championship.”
They made their last long bus trip to Laramie to take on Upton-Sundance, a team that had beat them earlier in the year by a large margin. At the half, it looked like it was shaping up to be another blowout.
But the Eagles didn’t give up. “We were going to leave it all on the field, we might not have the best team, but we wanted to leave the game letting people know that we are the TR Valley,” Scott said. “Our community can hang their hat on the fact that we were down and out, but dang it, we are fighters.”
The Eagles fell 33-14 in the championship game. But they can hold their heads high.
Tongue River finished with an impressive 8-3 overall record, two out of the three of those losses coming from state champion Upton-Sundance. They won more games this year than their previous three years combined. It was standout performances that made it happen. Kerns threw for a 1A-leading 1,291 passing yards on the year, the most for any Tongue River signal caller since 2007. Defensive do-it-all Kutterer cemented himself in the history books finishing second all-time in defensive points. Senior running back Dillon Lyons had 1,309 yards rushing, the second most in the classification.
Kerns and Kutterer are returning next year, but Scott said success is short lived. Next year, they need to come back bigger and strong, and that begins with hard work in the off season.
“Fame is but a vapor,” Kerns said. “You are what you are today and each and every day. We aren’t going to get stronger with recognition.”
Eagles Dominate Lingle, Earn Trip to State Final
Mike Dunn
November 7, 2015
SHERIDAN — For the first time in nine years, the Tongue River Eagles football team is making its way to the state title game. Through the air, on the ground and on defense, the Eagles controlled every facet of the game in their 28-9 victory over the Lingle-Fort Laramie Doggers during the semifinal game Friday night in Lingle. “It validates our program. These guys have worked hard all year,” head coach John Scott said of the win. “These guys have had a lot of little victories throughout the year, and our guys have really bought into our program.”
The Eagles made it clear early on they were the best team on the field. On the opening drive, quarterback Will Kerns and the Tongue River receiving corps picked apart the Doggers’ defensive backs. Going 47 yards on three completions, the Eagles capped it off with a 7-yard slant to Jamie Dickerson for the first score of the night.
Lingle-Fort Laramie looked to respond on the next drive. Marching all the way down to the 3-yard-line, a third-down sack by the Eagle defense sent the Doggers back to the 20-yard-line. The Doggers settled on a field goal, concluding the first quarter with a 7-3 lead. The Eagles stuck again on their next drive. They got themselves out of a fourth-and-long bind after Kerns connected with receiver Cody Buller, bringing Tongue River to the 3-yard-line. Running back Dillon Lyons carried the ball three yards for the score to give them a two-possession lead.
The Doggers’ offensive production was spoiled again near the end of the half by a well-disciplined Tongue River defense. Lingle-Fort Laramie charged all the way down to the Eagle 18-yard-line, but the Doggers were turned away on a fourth-and-short situation. The only time the Eagles faced adversity was on the opening drive of third quarter. The Doggers found a rare mishap in Tongue River’s defense as the home team broke off a 62-yard touchdown. The failed two-point try made it a one-score game.
That would be the last time the Doggers would sniff the end zone.
“Our defense set the tone for our team,” Scott said. “We had some things working for us on offense but our defense got it done … our defensive coaches came up with a great scheme and our kids executed it.”
The Eagles maintained an effective run-pass balanced attack on both their next scoring drives. In the third quarter, the Eagles converted twice on fourth down and capped off the remarkable drive with an even more remarkable catch by Kutterer in the back of the end zone. Tongue River put the nail in the coffin with a Kerns-to-Buller touchdown catch midway through the fourth quarter.
Kerns was 11-of-15 through the air with 198 yards passing and three touchdowns. He did not have an incomplete pass in the second half. Part-time quarterback and receiver Kutterer had a big day with 126 yards receiving with two touchdown catches. Lyons, who was nursing a knee injury, rumbled to 101 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Tongue River did not have any turnovers throughout the game. It will be back to work for the Tongue River Eagles this week. They will take on powerhouse Upton-Sundance in the state championship game next Saturday in Laramie. The last time these teams squared off was on Sept. 18, when the Patriots beat the Eagles 36-6 in Dayton.
Mike Dunn
November 7, 2015
SHERIDAN — For the first time in nine years, the Tongue River Eagles football team is making its way to the state title game. Through the air, on the ground and on defense, the Eagles controlled every facet of the game in their 28-9 victory over the Lingle-Fort Laramie Doggers during the semifinal game Friday night in Lingle. “It validates our program. These guys have worked hard all year,” head coach John Scott said of the win. “These guys have had a lot of little victories throughout the year, and our guys have really bought into our program.”
The Eagles made it clear early on they were the best team on the field. On the opening drive, quarterback Will Kerns and the Tongue River receiving corps picked apart the Doggers’ defensive backs. Going 47 yards on three completions, the Eagles capped it off with a 7-yard slant to Jamie Dickerson for the first score of the night.
Lingle-Fort Laramie looked to respond on the next drive. Marching all the way down to the 3-yard-line, a third-down sack by the Eagle defense sent the Doggers back to the 20-yard-line. The Doggers settled on a field goal, concluding the first quarter with a 7-3 lead. The Eagles stuck again on their next drive. They got themselves out of a fourth-and-long bind after Kerns connected with receiver Cody Buller, bringing Tongue River to the 3-yard-line. Running back Dillon Lyons carried the ball three yards for the score to give them a two-possession lead.
The Doggers’ offensive production was spoiled again near the end of the half by a well-disciplined Tongue River defense. Lingle-Fort Laramie charged all the way down to the Eagle 18-yard-line, but the Doggers were turned away on a fourth-and-short situation. The only time the Eagles faced adversity was on the opening drive of third quarter. The Doggers found a rare mishap in Tongue River’s defense as the home team broke off a 62-yard touchdown. The failed two-point try made it a one-score game.
That would be the last time the Doggers would sniff the end zone.
“Our defense set the tone for our team,” Scott said. “We had some things working for us on offense but our defense got it done … our defensive coaches came up with a great scheme and our kids executed it.”
The Eagles maintained an effective run-pass balanced attack on both their next scoring drives. In the third quarter, the Eagles converted twice on fourth down and capped off the remarkable drive with an even more remarkable catch by Kutterer in the back of the end zone. Tongue River put the nail in the coffin with a Kerns-to-Buller touchdown catch midway through the fourth quarter.
Kerns was 11-of-15 through the air with 198 yards passing and three touchdowns. He did not have an incomplete pass in the second half. Part-time quarterback and receiver Kutterer had a big day with 126 yards receiving with two touchdown catches. Lyons, who was nursing a knee injury, rumbled to 101 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Tongue River did not have any turnovers throughout the game. It will be back to work for the Tongue River Eagles this week. They will take on powerhouse Upton-Sundance in the state championship game next Saturday in Laramie. The last time these teams squared off was on Sept. 18, when the Patriots beat the Eagles 36-6 in Dayton.
TONGUE RIVER OVER PINE BLUFFS - SECURE PLAYOFF SEED.
CHEYENNE – The Pine Bluffs football team will sit out the postseason after a 28-25 loss to Tongue River on Friday at Carlstrum Field.
The Hornets (3-4 overall, 2-4 Class 1A East Conference) needed to beat the Eagles and also needed Southeast to beat Upton-Sundance. Neither of those things happened.
Pine Bluffs trailed 8-6 at halftime and the Eagles (6-2, 4-2) scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter to take a 21-6 lead. The Hornets closed the gap to 21-18 but couldn’t make a point-after touchdown until it was too late.
Senior running back Dillon Lyons scored all four of Tongue River’s touchdowns, adding the last one with 4 minutes, 1 second left in the game. Pine Bluffs junior running back Ruger Lewis scored his second touchdown of the game with 1:19 left and senior Trent Werner kicked the extra point. The Hornets couldn’t recover an onside kick after that and the Eagles ran out the clock.
Lewis finished with 160 yards on 32 carries. Sophomore quarterback Haize Fornstrom passed for 129 yards and a touchdown and added a touchdown on the ground. Werner caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Lyons rushed for 212 yards to lead the Eagles into the playoffs. The Eagles secured the number three seed in the East Conference and will travel to Cokeville to play the #2 seeded Panthers.
CHEYENNE – The Pine Bluffs football team will sit out the postseason after a 28-25 loss to Tongue River on Friday at Carlstrum Field.
The Hornets (3-4 overall, 2-4 Class 1A East Conference) needed to beat the Eagles and also needed Southeast to beat Upton-Sundance. Neither of those things happened.
Pine Bluffs trailed 8-6 at halftime and the Eagles (6-2, 4-2) scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter to take a 21-6 lead. The Hornets closed the gap to 21-18 but couldn’t make a point-after touchdown until it was too late.
Senior running back Dillon Lyons scored all four of Tongue River’s touchdowns, adding the last one with 4 minutes, 1 second left in the game. Pine Bluffs junior running back Ruger Lewis scored his second touchdown of the game with 1:19 left and senior Trent Werner kicked the extra point. The Hornets couldn’t recover an onside kick after that and the Eagles ran out the clock.
Lewis finished with 160 yards on 32 carries. Sophomore quarterback Haize Fornstrom passed for 129 yards and a touchdown and added a touchdown on the ground. Werner caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Lyons rushed for 212 yards to lead the Eagles into the playoffs. The Eagles secured the number three seed in the East Conference and will travel to Cokeville to play the #2 seeded Panthers.
Eagles take down No. 1 Lingle-Ft. Laramie
Staff Reports
October 17, 2015
DAYTON — In a huge upset Friday night, the Tongue River Eagles football team brought down 1A giants Lingle-Ft. Laramie, 48-39. “To me, it is about them,” Tongue River High School coach John Scott said of his team after the game. “I’ve been around a long time and this is as sweet of a win as any I’ve ever had.”
The two teams battled throughout the game, trading leads and rushing up and down the field.
Lingle-Ft. Laramie scored early, finding the end zone in the first two minutes of the game. But the Eagles kept their cool.
“It was the whole group not allowing themselves to get down,” Scott said. The coach added that he hopes the win helps validate for his team what they’ve been working on throughout the season.
“That’s what it’s been about from day one,” Scott said. “It is less about me and more about we.”
But now the team has to respond. Scott said it is easy, as a coach, to blow a sigh of relief, but then he has to start thinking about the next game.
While things are starting to click for the Eagles, the season won’t get easier. The TRHS team will head to Pine Bluffs next week. “We need to keep building, that is the part now,” Scott said. “You believe, you saw what we did, what you did. Is that enough? Or do you want more?”
Staff Reports
October 17, 2015
DAYTON — In a huge upset Friday night, the Tongue River Eagles football team brought down 1A giants Lingle-Ft. Laramie, 48-39. “To me, it is about them,” Tongue River High School coach John Scott said of his team after the game. “I’ve been around a long time and this is as sweet of a win as any I’ve ever had.”
The two teams battled throughout the game, trading leads and rushing up and down the field.
Lingle-Ft. Laramie scored early, finding the end zone in the first two minutes of the game. But the Eagles kept their cool.
“It was the whole group not allowing themselves to get down,” Scott said. The coach added that he hopes the win helps validate for his team what they’ve been working on throughout the season.
“That’s what it’s been about from day one,” Scott said. “It is less about me and more about we.”
But now the team has to respond. Scott said it is easy, as a coach, to blow a sigh of relief, but then he has to start thinking about the next game.
While things are starting to click for the Eagles, the season won’t get easier. The TRHS team will head to Pine Bluffs next week. “We need to keep building, that is the part now,” Scott said. “You believe, you saw what we did, what you did. Is that enough? Or do you want more?”
Tongue River Eagles Score Huge Road Victory
Travis Pearson
October 10, 2015
SHERIDAN — The Tongue River High School football team felt like underdogs Friday night. The Eagles took only 18 players on the long drive to Yoder to face Southeast High School, which entered the game with a 4-1 record and happened to be celebrating Homecoming.
After the game ended, however, it was Tongue River doing the celebrating after the Eagles pulled out a 12-7 victory and moved their record to 4-2. “Our kids maybe matured a little bit tonight and took a step toward that next level,” head coach John Scott said after the game.
Tongue River struck first when quarterback Will Kerns hit Brennan Kutterer on a touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead in the opening quarter. Just before halftime, the Eagles added to their advantage when Dillon Lyons intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
In the second half, Tongue River left it up to the defense to maintain the lead, and that unit proved up to the task. The Eagles collected three turnovers and stopped the Cyclones three times within their own 10-yard-line, once on a turnover on downs and twice on fumbles.
“We were really conscious of their run game, so we really tried to sell out on defending both the power game, and they run an option game,” Scott said. Tongue River kept Southeast off the board until partway through the fourth quarter, when a Cyclone touchdown and extra point cut the lead to five.
But the Eagles recovered the onside kick and ran the final four and a half minutes off the clock behind a power running game led by Lyons, the senior tailback. Scott lauded the play of Lyons and the offensive line, who out-smashmouthed a tough, physical team. When Tongue River did make mistakes, the coach said the players banded together, moved on and made the next play.
“It was just really going to come down to how physical we could be, and if we could not defeat ourselves, maintain some enthusiasm out on the field and remain spirited,” he said, later adding, “It was really fulfilling the way we had to win this on the road.” The coach hopes the victory helps Tongue River take the next step and rack up some more wins this season.
The Eagles will take on Lingle-Fort Laramie next week in Dayton.
Tongue River Eagles defeated on the road Friday
Staff Reports
September 25, 2015DAYTON — Despite battling back from a 22-0 deficit at halftime, the Tongue River Eagles football team didn’t have enough to pull out a win on the road at Lusk Friday. Eagles coach John Scott said his team performed in a way quite different than normal — they had a rough first half, but played well in the second half. “We’re just still not polished enough to spot someone 22 points and come back,” Scott said. The Eagles lost 28-21.
Scott said Lusk’s team controlled the clock for much of the game and ran the ball well, wearing on the Eagles’ defense. And while the Tongue River team was eventually able to figure out the game plan, it was too late. On the offensive side, Scott said Will Kerns had a rough start, but responded well in the third and fourth quarters. The Eagles relied on Kerns Friday rather than utilizing their two-quarterback strategy. The Eagles were able to make the game close, and could have tied it in the last possession, but an on-side kick attempt was unsuccessful.
Scott noted that usually when his team loses, they lose big. But Friday’s game showed that the team can battle back from adversity and hang in there. “That’s something to build from,” Scott said. “We’ll see what we can learn from.”
The Eagles now sit at 2-2, mirroring last year’s start to the season. Scott noted that each game moving forward is important. “We can’t stumble from here,” he said.
Travis Pearson
October 10, 2015
SHERIDAN — The Tongue River High School football team felt like underdogs Friday night. The Eagles took only 18 players on the long drive to Yoder to face Southeast High School, which entered the game with a 4-1 record and happened to be celebrating Homecoming.
After the game ended, however, it was Tongue River doing the celebrating after the Eagles pulled out a 12-7 victory and moved their record to 4-2. “Our kids maybe matured a little bit tonight and took a step toward that next level,” head coach John Scott said after the game.
Tongue River struck first when quarterback Will Kerns hit Brennan Kutterer on a touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead in the opening quarter. Just before halftime, the Eagles added to their advantage when Dillon Lyons intercepted a pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
In the second half, Tongue River left it up to the defense to maintain the lead, and that unit proved up to the task. The Eagles collected three turnovers and stopped the Cyclones three times within their own 10-yard-line, once on a turnover on downs and twice on fumbles.
“We were really conscious of their run game, so we really tried to sell out on defending both the power game, and they run an option game,” Scott said. Tongue River kept Southeast off the board until partway through the fourth quarter, when a Cyclone touchdown and extra point cut the lead to five.
But the Eagles recovered the onside kick and ran the final four and a half minutes off the clock behind a power running game led by Lyons, the senior tailback. Scott lauded the play of Lyons and the offensive line, who out-smashmouthed a tough, physical team. When Tongue River did make mistakes, the coach said the players banded together, moved on and made the next play.
“It was just really going to come down to how physical we could be, and if we could not defeat ourselves, maintain some enthusiasm out on the field and remain spirited,” he said, later adding, “It was really fulfilling the way we had to win this on the road.” The coach hopes the victory helps Tongue River take the next step and rack up some more wins this season.
The Eagles will take on Lingle-Fort Laramie next week in Dayton.
Tongue River Eagles defeated on the road Friday
Staff Reports
September 25, 2015DAYTON — Despite battling back from a 22-0 deficit at halftime, the Tongue River Eagles football team didn’t have enough to pull out a win on the road at Lusk Friday. Eagles coach John Scott said his team performed in a way quite different than normal — they had a rough first half, but played well in the second half. “We’re just still not polished enough to spot someone 22 points and come back,” Scott said. The Eagles lost 28-21.
Scott said Lusk’s team controlled the clock for much of the game and ran the ball well, wearing on the Eagles’ defense. And while the Tongue River team was eventually able to figure out the game plan, it was too late. On the offensive side, Scott said Will Kerns had a rough start, but responded well in the third and fourth quarters. The Eagles relied on Kerns Friday rather than utilizing their two-quarterback strategy. The Eagles were able to make the game close, and could have tied it in the last possession, but an on-side kick attempt was unsuccessful.
Scott noted that usually when his team loses, they lose big. But Friday’s game showed that the team can battle back from adversity and hang in there. “That’s something to build from,” Scott said. “We’ll see what we can learn from.”
The Eagles now sit at 2-2, mirroring last year’s start to the season. Scott noted that each game moving forward is important. “We can’t stumble from here,” he said.
Eagles Repeating History: Drop Game to Upton-Sundance
Staff Reports - September 19, 2015 DAYTON
— The Tongue River Eagles are repeating a little bit of history. The team started off strong with two wins to start the season, but lost to Upton-Sundance on Friday 35-6. “We had a few drives, didn’t convert some key things and turned the ball over when we needed the plays,” Eagles head coach John Scott said after the game.
The Eagles seemed to start off strong, answering a first-quarter Upton-Sundance touchdown with one of their own on a 68-yard run from Dillon Lyons. But the extra point kick from Will Kerns was blocked, leaving the Eagles one point behind their opponent. From there, Upton-Sundance scored one touchdown in the second quarter, one in the third and two in the fouth. Upton-Sundance dominated on the offensive side of the ball with a total of 340 yards compared to Tongue River’s 193. Most of Upton-Sundance’s yardage came on the ground, with 324 yards rushing.
And while the Patriots had 11 penalties for 90 yards compared to the Eagles’ five for 40 yards, the Eagles weren’t able to capitalize. “The anxiousness maybe of what we were confronted with was maybe a little too much for us,” Scott said after the game. The Eagles also had three turnovers compared to the Patriots’ two on the game. “We can’t do that,” Scott said. “We’re not near talented enough to overcome the things and the holes that we put ourselves in.”
Kerns went 10-23 for 68 yards Friday night at quarterback. Lyons led the Eagles in rushing, with 96 yards on 13 attempts. Tongue River will head to Lusk on Sept. 25.
Coach Scott said he is trying to keep it simple and hold true to what the team is trying to do.
“It’s hard because this is what the better teams will do to us,” he said.
Staff Reports - September 19, 2015 DAYTON
— The Tongue River Eagles are repeating a little bit of history. The team started off strong with two wins to start the season, but lost to Upton-Sundance on Friday 35-6. “We had a few drives, didn’t convert some key things and turned the ball over when we needed the plays,” Eagles head coach John Scott said after the game.
The Eagles seemed to start off strong, answering a first-quarter Upton-Sundance touchdown with one of their own on a 68-yard run from Dillon Lyons. But the extra point kick from Will Kerns was blocked, leaving the Eagles one point behind their opponent. From there, Upton-Sundance scored one touchdown in the second quarter, one in the third and two in the fouth. Upton-Sundance dominated on the offensive side of the ball with a total of 340 yards compared to Tongue River’s 193. Most of Upton-Sundance’s yardage came on the ground, with 324 yards rushing.
And while the Patriots had 11 penalties for 90 yards compared to the Eagles’ five for 40 yards, the Eagles weren’t able to capitalize. “The anxiousness maybe of what we were confronted with was maybe a little too much for us,” Scott said after the game. The Eagles also had three turnovers compared to the Patriots’ two on the game. “We can’t do that,” Scott said. “We’re not near talented enough to overcome the things and the holes that we put ourselves in.”
Kerns went 10-23 for 68 yards Friday night at quarterback. Lyons led the Eagles in rushing, with 96 yards on 13 attempts. Tongue River will head to Lusk on Sept. 25.
Coach Scott said he is trying to keep it simple and hold true to what the team is trying to do.
“It’s hard because this is what the better teams will do to us,” he said.
Tongue River Advances Record with Win over Moorcroft
Staff Reports - September 12, 2015 DAYTON
The season seems to be mirroring last year for the Tongue River Eagles. The team from Dayton is now 2-0, advancing their record with a 26-16 win over Moorcroft Friday night on the road.
“We’re in the same situation as we were a year ago,” Eagles head coach John Scott said. “We just need to handle being 2-0 a little bit differently than we did last year.”
Scott said the win Friday did not come easy. The Eagles played a solid first half, scoring 14 and only allowing seven. But the Moorcroft team controlled the clock for much of the game.
“We got off minimal plays, but we got the most out of it,” Scott said, adding that for how much time Moorcroft controlled the ball, to only give up seven was good.
But the Eagles crumbled a bit in the second half, fumbling three times and acquiring some “foolish” penalties, Scott said.
“When it got chaotic, we didn’t slow it down, we got caught up in it,” Scott said.
He added that there is plenty of work to be done for his team. A year ago, the Eagles earned a win in the same way, but forgot there was work to be done. They followed their 2-0 start by getting thrashed 54-14 against Upton-Sundace.
This year, Scott said, his veteran players aren’t satisfied with the win alone.
“They understand that we had the ability to put more distance between us and we didn’t do it,” Scott said.
The Eagles’ defense had a good night, though, shutting down most of Moorcroft’s running game.
Scott noted that as an improvement over last year, when the Eagles’ defense resembled a sieve with offenses running right through.
The Eagles will see if they can improve on their record again next weekend when they face Upton-Sundance Friday in Dayton.
Staff Reports - September 12, 2015 DAYTON
The season seems to be mirroring last year for the Tongue River Eagles. The team from Dayton is now 2-0, advancing their record with a 26-16 win over Moorcroft Friday night on the road.
“We’re in the same situation as we were a year ago,” Eagles head coach John Scott said. “We just need to handle being 2-0 a little bit differently than we did last year.”
Scott said the win Friday did not come easy. The Eagles played a solid first half, scoring 14 and only allowing seven. But the Moorcroft team controlled the clock for much of the game.
“We got off minimal plays, but we got the most out of it,” Scott said, adding that for how much time Moorcroft controlled the ball, to only give up seven was good.
But the Eagles crumbled a bit in the second half, fumbling three times and acquiring some “foolish” penalties, Scott said.
“When it got chaotic, we didn’t slow it down, we got caught up in it,” Scott said.
He added that there is plenty of work to be done for his team. A year ago, the Eagles earned a win in the same way, but forgot there was work to be done. They followed their 2-0 start by getting thrashed 54-14 against Upton-Sundace.
This year, Scott said, his veteran players aren’t satisfied with the win alone.
“They understand that we had the ability to put more distance between us and we didn’t do it,” Scott said.
The Eagles’ defense had a good night, though, shutting down most of Moorcroft’s running game.
Scott noted that as an improvement over last year, when the Eagles’ defense resembled a sieve with offenses running right through.
The Eagles will see if they can improve on their record again next weekend when they face Upton-Sundance Friday in Dayton.
Eagles still trying to make a name for themselves amongst 1A ranks
Mike Pruden - September 10, 2015
DAYTON — The Tongue River Eagles are trying to make a name for themselves on the football field. A lack of bodies bumped them down to 1A last year, helping them jump from a 2-6 finish to a 5-4 record. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
To open the 2015 season, the Eagles, although just an unofficial scrimmage, put a thumping to Riverside. They battled through a gamut of distractions a week ago to take down Rocky Mountain 14-7.
But there’s still a steep hill to climb to establish themselves as a formidable foe in Wyoming 1A football.
“We’re still just Tongue River right now,” head coach John Scott said. “We’re going to be tested the whole way. Every team on our schedule thinks they can beat us.”
That’s not to say the Eagles are a bunch of slouches, and Rocky Mountain — now 0-2 against Tongue River in the past two seasons — can vouch for that. It just means that Scott’s team isn’t exactly intimidating anybody.
This week’s matchup with the Moorcroft Wolves (1-0) is a tough one, Scott says, because both teams believe they can beat the other. They are two very similar teams, striving for a chance to bang with the big boys atop the conference.
Moorcroft is the three-time defending state champions in wrestling, and that’s how Scott said they attack the football field.
“They have a very scrappy, physical mentality,” Scott said of the Wolves. “They might not be the most athletic or fundamentally sound team, but they just simply scrap.”
One edge that Tongue River feels they have this year is maturity. Scott said his teams have struggled to find an identity in previous years. But this season, Scott feels he has a core group of guys that understand how to play through adversity.
The Eagles already tasted some of that adversity in last week’s season opener. Other than it being the school’s first night game under new lights, the team had to battle some unexpected distractions late in the game.
After battling with Rocky Mountain for nearly the entire game, a lightning delay halted a Tongue River drive with just a few minutes to go. Scott’s squad came back on the field and secured the 14-7 victory.
“We just have to duplicate that at Moorcroft,” Scott said. “Not panicking. We can’t lose ourselves in a game, and we have to find different ways to win. Holding a lead, coming back. We just have to maintain focus for 48 minutes.”
This will be Moorcroft’s first game under new lights, so Scott expects the excitement to be equally as high in Tongue River’s first road game of the year.
“They’re going to be jacked,” he said. “If we flinch or are gun shy, they will take it to us.”
The Eagles will look to emulate last year’s start to the season.
After their 14-7 win over Rocky Mountain, they took down the Wolves 28-8 the following week.
The road ahead doesn’t get easier for Tongue River. They will turn around and play 2A No. 3 Upton-Sundance next week and No. 4 Lusk the following week.
Friday’s kickoff with Moorcroft is at 7 p.m. at Wolves Field.
Mike Pruden - September 10, 2015
DAYTON — The Tongue River Eagles are trying to make a name for themselves on the football field. A lack of bodies bumped them down to 1A last year, helping them jump from a 2-6 finish to a 5-4 record. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
To open the 2015 season, the Eagles, although just an unofficial scrimmage, put a thumping to Riverside. They battled through a gamut of distractions a week ago to take down Rocky Mountain 14-7.
But there’s still a steep hill to climb to establish themselves as a formidable foe in Wyoming 1A football.
“We’re still just Tongue River right now,” head coach John Scott said. “We’re going to be tested the whole way. Every team on our schedule thinks they can beat us.”
That’s not to say the Eagles are a bunch of slouches, and Rocky Mountain — now 0-2 against Tongue River in the past two seasons — can vouch for that. It just means that Scott’s team isn’t exactly intimidating anybody.
This week’s matchup with the Moorcroft Wolves (1-0) is a tough one, Scott says, because both teams believe they can beat the other. They are two very similar teams, striving for a chance to bang with the big boys atop the conference.
Moorcroft is the three-time defending state champions in wrestling, and that’s how Scott said they attack the football field.
“They have a very scrappy, physical mentality,” Scott said of the Wolves. “They might not be the most athletic or fundamentally sound team, but they just simply scrap.”
One edge that Tongue River feels they have this year is maturity. Scott said his teams have struggled to find an identity in previous years. But this season, Scott feels he has a core group of guys that understand how to play through adversity.
The Eagles already tasted some of that adversity in last week’s season opener. Other than it being the school’s first night game under new lights, the team had to battle some unexpected distractions late in the game.
After battling with Rocky Mountain for nearly the entire game, a lightning delay halted a Tongue River drive with just a few minutes to go. Scott’s squad came back on the field and secured the 14-7 victory.
“We just have to duplicate that at Moorcroft,” Scott said. “Not panicking. We can’t lose ourselves in a game, and we have to find different ways to win. Holding a lead, coming back. We just have to maintain focus for 48 minutes.”
This will be Moorcroft’s first game under new lights, so Scott expects the excitement to be equally as high in Tongue River’s first road game of the year.
“They’re going to be jacked,” he said. “If we flinch or are gun shy, they will take it to us.”
The Eagles will look to emulate last year’s start to the season.
After their 14-7 win over Rocky Mountain, they took down the Wolves 28-8 the following week.
The road ahead doesn’t get easier for Tongue River. They will turn around and play 2A No. 3 Upton-Sundance next week and No. 4 Lusk the following week.
Friday’s kickoff with Moorcroft is at 7 p.m. at Wolves Field.
