Four Buffs make all-conference

With the conclusion of the high school football season came the release of all-conference and all-state teams in Wyoming’s five classifications.
The Greybull Buffs, who play in 1A nine-man, put one player, junior Lucas Bolzer, on the all-state team and four on the all-conference team, where Bolzer was joined by senior Joel Miller and juniors Wyatt Didrickson and Caiden Sorenson.  Senior Isaak Gaytan and sophomore Caiden Hunt made second team.
The all-state team has yet to be announced, but Bolzer made the squad, according to GHS football coach Jeremy Pouska.   The junior impressed coaches around the state with his hard-running, physical style of play. He led the Buffs in rushing, averaging 63 yards per game, and in scoring, with four touchdowns. Defensively, he ranked third (66 points) over seven games, tying for the team lead in solo stops with 25.
“Lucas put in a tremendous amount of work in the offseason in the weight room with his teammates and was a kid who practiced and played with full effort,” said Pouska, adding that coaches were surprised that he’s just a junior and that they’ll need to deal with him for another season.
Miller ranked fourth in defensive points with 58, but it was his versatility that caught the attention of other coaches. “He played every position on the team essentially,” said Pouska. “We could throw him anywhere  — I think the only positions he didn’t play were guard and safety. He’s going to be missed.”
Didrickson, meanwhile, keeps getting better.  In only his second season playing the sport, he led the team in defensive points with 91, including 54 tackles, six tackles for loss and  two sacks.  He ranked second in rushing, averaging 45.7 yards per game, but with a very healthy average of 7.1 yards per tote.
“He had almost as many yards on the ground as Lucas but with half the carries,” said Pouska. “I tried to do a good job of balancing their workloads, but the numbers don’t lie.  I apparently needed to put the ball in Wyatt’s hands a little more often.”
With both returning next season, the Buffs should boast one of the strongest backfields in the state.
Sorenson made his mark on defense, finishing second with 88 points. He was credited with 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception.  His success “was not because we were funneling plays to him,” said Pouska. “He just has a good knack for being around the ball.  He’s aggressive, plays with his ears back and is not afraid to lay a hit on someone.”
Conference champion Big Piney was rewarded with nine selections, including lineman of the year Zach Murphy, special teams player of the year Karsyn Gurr, Preston Bennett, Caden Clifford, Jarett Fear, Champ Snively, Reuben Stoutenberg, Dylan Woodward and Roger Young.  The coach of the year honor went to the Big Piney staff.
Wind River was next with eight selections, including defensive player of the year Cooper Frederick, Chris Burk, Isaac Gardner, Kyzaia Jones, Aidan Ruby, Blake Snyder, Joaquin Stevens and Brayden Tatro
Riverside put six players on the team, including offensive player of the year Ty Strohschein, Avery Clifford, Hayden Paxton, Curtis Strohschein, Reece Whisenant and Josh Wildman.
Rocky Mountain’s selections included Tayt Beall, Lafe Files, Tucker Jackson, Triffen Jolley, Wil Loyning, Brenner Moore and Hayden Wambeke.
Quinton Clark and Carson Kisling represented Shoshoni.