GMS boasts strong numbers as it prepares for season openers

Forty Greybull Middle School students are playing football this fall, giving head coach Logan Burningham one of the strongest and most balanced rosters of his tenure.

The 16 eighth graders, 12 seventh graders and 12 sixth graders open the season on their home field Saturday, hosting games with Rocky Mountain.

“With numbers the way they are, we want to try to stick with eighth graders playing only eighth ... and keep the seventh graders down in their game and not have to bring as many up to play,” said Burningham.

The eighth graders include Jose Acuna, Angelo Aguilar, Alan Burgos, Quin Coyne, Briston Craft, Tell Edeler, Baron Eichelberger, Jayden Marchant, Jax Miller, Carlin Mulley, Cody Myers, Cruz Sorenson, Riley Wiggins, Grey Wipplinger, Jace Julson and Braxten Link.

Noah Blakley, Marshall Brown, Colt Collingwood, Brendyn DeShazier, Casen Foster, Kayson Herebia, Jace Pouska, Irving-Rodriguez-Atilano, Jackson Stanley, Jaden Warren, Jack Winkler, and Colby Thacker are the seventh graders.

The sixth graders include Joey Campos, Kaiser Eichelberger, Kru Keisel, Wyatt Kunkel, Trenton Lowe, Dietrich Otto, Korbin Stewart, Jason Torres, Elijah Vigil, Jayden Winkler, Kade Julson and Irving Gallegos.

While acknowledging that “there never seems to be enough practice time before the first games,” Burningham said he likes what he’s seen so far.

“Our kids have been fully engaged and have picked up what we have put in well so far this year,” he said. “We have a really high IQ eighth grade team and this has allowed us to expand our blocking schemes more than we ever have and we hope to see it come to fruition during the games this season. 

“We want to run, run, run and then hit a pass when the defense starts to pack the box.”

First and foremost, the goal at the middle school level is improvement — both as players and as individuals off the field.

“A more specific goal we set for the eighth graders is to run the table and go undefeated,” said Burningham. “It will take some really good football but they have the potential to do so. 

“The goal for the sixth and seventh graders is to get them lots of playing time for them to develop and learn our system.”

The games against Rocky Mountain start at 9:30 and 11 a.m.