Second-half rally lifts Buffs over Shoshoni

Big Piney in town Saturday for key conference game

Like they did in their season opener, the Greybull Buffs played like they were running in quicksand in the early stages of their game Friday afternoon in Shoshoni.  But unlike the Wright game which ended in defeat, they were able to overcome it, rallying for three second-half touchdowns to stun the Wranglers, 26-21, and post their first conference win.

“I joked with some of the guys afterwards, asking if we needed to start walking or running to games because riding there, getting off the bus and playing doesn’t seem to be our forte,” Coach Jeremy Pouska said of his team’s “flat” and “unmotivated” first half, which ended with his team trailing 21-6.

He didn’t see it coming.  Yes, the Buffs were coming off an emotional win over Rocky Mountain in week three, but they had a good week of practice and appeared “locked in” on the bus ride, looking forward to not only the start of conference play but the return of standout Wyatt Didrickson.  The senior running back and linebacker had missed the first two games with a shoulder injury. 

But it was the Wranglers who got off to a fast start, limiting the Buffs to just a single first down in the opening quarter and just one big play in the first half. Didrickson provided it in the form of a 49-yard touchdown run.

A different team took the field in the second half, said Pouska. “We had a little chat with them at the half, reminding them what the expectation is for them as a team and that we, as a coaching staff, knew they were capable of so much more. They needed a reminder that the outcome was in their hands — they could either answer it and play Greybull football or roll over and let it happen.” 

They chose the former, rather than the latter. On their first rushing play from scrimmage in the third, Didrickson took it 62 yards for a touchdown.  Moments later, after forcing Big Piney fumble and recovering, the Buffs struck again, this time with a 4-yard touchdown run by Lucas Bolzer.

“Those two drives reignited the belief that we were capable of being a good team and controlling the outcome of games,” said Pouska.

They weren’t over the hump yet, however. Even with the scores, the Buffs just pulled to within a point, at 21-20.  Another score was needed.  Caden Hunt, the quarterback, provided it with a 12-yard scamper to account for the 26-21 final.

The Buffs weren’t as run-heavy as they were against Rocky Mountain, rushing 44 times for 285 yards while attempting 10 passes, 3 of which were completed for 21 yards.  Didrickson led with 138 rushing yards on 10 carries, followed by Bolzer with 67 yards on 17 carries, fullback Caiden Sorenson with 41 yards on 10 carries, Hunt with 31 yards on five carries and Larry Longshore with 8 yards on two carries.

Pouska said the return of Didrickson “added another dynamic to our offense that makes it harder to defend.” As a group, the trio of Didrickson, Bolzer and Sorenson have similar styles in that they keep their shoulders down and their feet churning, said the coach.

Statistics for Shoshoni were unavailable.  Leading the charge on defense for Greybull were Sorenson with 25 points (nine tackles, including one for loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries), followed by Garrett Wiggins with 23 (five tackles, including  three for loss and two sacks), Bolzer with 16 (nine tackles, including one for loss) and Longshore with 15 (six tackles, a pass breakup and an interception).

With the win, the Buffs jumped to the top of the Class 1A West Conference standings, joining Big Piney and Wind River which are also unbeaten in league play.  The Buffs will get a shot at the Punchers later this week in their annual homecoming game. The game will kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday.’

Pouska described the Punchers as  “a tough opponent” with an outstanding running back in Zavier Clifford.  After two weeks, he ranked third among all 1A nine-man players in rushing, averaging 122 yards per game.

“Defensively, we have to make sure we’re playing assignment-sound football,” said Pouska, when asked for the keys to victory. “And if there’s one takeaway from Shoshoni that I hope continues, it would be playing almost penalty-free. We didn’t jump offside on defense a once, and if you’re not giving away free yards, it’s a huge help.”