Buffs kick off season with nonconference game in Wright

Coach Jeremy Pouska saw a lot of things he liked about his team’s performance at a Week 0 jamboree Saturday morning.  The Buffs hosted the scrimmages, tussling with a pair of conference rivals in Wind River and Rocky Mountain as a tune-up for this week’s season opener in Wright.

“The defense played very well ... and the offense did a great job of executing,” Pouska said as a way of summarizing.  “That said, there are definitely some areas we need to improve. On offense, blocking was good, but I’d like for us to climb to the second level and stay on our blocks a little better.

“On defense, it’s just a matter of getting back into the swing of things — little things like making sure we’re watching the ball and not jumping offsides.”

While no scores were kept, the Buffs showed an ability to move the ball on the ground, with Lucas Bolzer doing most of the toting after Wyatt Didrickson went down with a shoulder injury, and through the air with junior quarterback Caden Hunt.

They will be the leaders of this year’s offense.

Bolzer and Didrickson give the Buffs a dynamic one-two punch.  Bolzer, an all-state selection, led the team in rushing last year, gaining 446 yards on 95 attempts. Didrickson wasn’t far behind, gaining 311 yards on 43 carries.   They combined for six touchdowns.  Pouska said Didrickson may only miss a couple of weeks with his shoulder injury, giving him an outside chance to be ready for the start of the conference slate.

Caiden Sorenson plays fullback in some sets and Jesse Brown and Aaron Corral back up the seniors. Pouska described them as “shifty runners,” each with big-play potential. “They’re a little more finesse runners compared to our two power backs,” said the coach.

For the jamboree, the Buffs started a line of sophomores Jaxson Hunt at center, flanked by junior CJ Fink at right guard and junior Jacob Shelley at left guard.  All three gained valuable experience last season, with Fink and Shelley starting more often than not. “I’m very confident in them as a group,” said Pouska. “They’ve worked hard and done everything we’ve asked them to do.”

Hunt leads the passing attack. Last year, he completed 39 of 73 passes for 480 yards. His line included seven touchdown and six interceptionis.  “This year, his confidence is through the roof,” said Pouska. “He believes in the system, he believes in his  teammates and trusts the offensive line to give him time.

“I think it was pretty evident during the jamboree.  You could see him flowing with the pressure and being able to deliver throws to open receivers.  That was huge for us. If he can keep doing that, we’ll be a two-headed monster  — not only with a very effective running game but also a very good aerial game.”

Pouska said he loves his group of pass catchers this year, describing them as perhaps his top unit. In pro sets, junior Yandel Hernandez and freshman William Harlow will line up at end.  On the outside, a pair of sophomores, Larry Lonshore and Anthony Chacon, “stepped up big” at the jamboree, according to Pouska. He also named Carter Jacobs, a junior, as a player to watch in the receiving corps.

On the  defensive side, the Buffs return their three statistical leaders from last season.  Didrickson, Sorenson and Bolzer ranked one, two and three, respectively, in points.  Longshore ranked sixth (behind then-seniors Joel Miller and Jesus Rodriguez), followed in seventh by Hernandez.

The Buffs will open the season with back-to-back non-conference games, tangling with Wright on Friday before returning home for a Saturday, Sept. 14 game against the Powell JV.  Wright went 3-5 last year, missing the playoffs.  Kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Looking at the 1A nine-man classification as a whole, Pouska said Lingle-Fort Laramie “returns almost everyone” from last year’s team, which won the East.  Pine Bluffs is also expected to be strong on that side of the state.

The West is a little more wide open. Big Piney is the reigning state champ. Wind River won the conference last year, but was hard hit by graduation.  

Rocky Mountain is on the upswing as well, according to Pouska.