Greybull football ‘in a great place’ after strong seasons

As the varsity squad looks ahead to the playoffs and the possibility of hosting a first-round game, there are signs that suggest this season is not going to be an outlier. 

Every Greybull football team that took the field this fall posted either a .500 or better record, including an eighth-grade squad that just completed the first undefeated season under the leadership of Logan Burningham.

The JV team, under coaches Daryl Shiplet and Will Levine, was one of the .500 teams. It took the field six times, beating Shoshoni and Wind River while losing to Rocky Mountain and Thermopolis. 

In six-man contests, the young Buffs defeated Riverside but fell to Burlington. The latter occurred Monday night by a final score of 37-26 in the team’s final game.

“We were at a little disadvantage, since we play nine-man,” said Coach Daryl Shiplet. “In six-man, it’s so much easier to score, but we still got quality reps in and that’s all that counts.”

Shiplet said this year’s freshman class brought a lot of size to the program, with some even earning significant varsity time.

While it hurt to lose a potential standout in Aaron Corral due to injury, Shiplet said several players stepped up, touting Cord Edeler for his play at quarterback and Blade Baker for his playmaking. Baker finished with 142 yards and three touchdowns in Greybull’s weekend win over Wind River.

The season’s defensive standouts included Jordy Araiza and Carter Peasley. Both began the season playing defensive end, but were moved to linebacker and played inside and out.  Peasley “led the team in tackles just about ever game,” said Shiplet, who also credited Sy Schlattmann for his play at linebacker.

Middle school

At the middle school level, the Greybull eighth graders did not lose a game, beating Shoshoni 41-14 on Saturday, Oct. 12 to finish with a 7-0 record.

“This was the first undefeated season we have had since we’ve been coaching and these players earned it with their passion and enthusiasm for the game of football,” said Coach Logan Burningham, who was assisted this year by Jack Lipp and Tate Carney.

The season final was a one-sided affair.  Shoshoni — a program three years removed from winning a state championship — showed up with only eight players for the eighth grade game. To play a full game, GMS lent the Wrangers two of its seventh grade linemen.

Greybull’s starting offense scored on all four of its possessions in the first half to take a 27-14 lead and outscored the Wrangers 14-0 in the third and fourth quarters to notch the win.

Team members included 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. 

“This group has a ton of talent and with the linemen in the freshman group, Greybull football is in a great place for the next four years,” said Burningham. “Last season, Rocky beat us in the seventh grade game and this year we blew them out in both games. I attribute this to a couple things but one of the biggest is we had a half a dozen kids hit the weight room hard and it paid off.”

The seventh graders didn’t finish with a win, losing to the Wranglers by an 18-14 score, but they showed improvement as the season progressed.

Burningham’s season-ending assessment: “As a whole, this group needs to hit the weight room, get a little stronger and also do some speed and agility training. They are not far off being a solid football team, but if time is not put into the offseason, it will be an uphill battle next season to win games.”

Intramurals

Chris Dalin just completed his 14th season at the helm of Greybull’s intramural football program, which is for boys and girls in grades three through five.

Dalin said one of the highlights of the season was seeing the way the fifth graders gelled. They went 4-2, with their only losses being to Lovell and Thermop. He described the 17-member squad as being “loaded with athletic ability and strong, competitive personalities.”

The third and fourth grade team, meanwhile, went undefeated.

“These kids battled hard and earned it,” he said. “This group of fourth graders is also a very athletic group who meshed into a formidable team this year.

“I’m very proud of all the kids this year; they played hard, didn’t quit and gave 100%.”

Dalin said the Greybull intramural teams play 11-man ball because its player count is typically in the high 40s and low 50s, their opponents are 11-man teams and the community lacks the facilities and equipment to field more than two teams.

The high school coaches have been very supportive of the program over the years.

“I believe we are building a culture of not just football, but all sports and activities in our schools again,” he said. “We have a great group of educators and administration in our schools, a very supportive school board, and community that shows great spirit in all the things our kids are involved in.”