Seven Buffs capture all-conference spots

Bolzer, Didrickson, Sorenson also make all-state

All-conference and all-state honors were announced last week and the Greybull Buffs were well represented on both after a season in which they posted a 5-3 record and made it back to the playoffs.

Seniors Lucas Bolzer and Wyatt Didrickson, juniors CJ Fink, Yandel Hernandez, Caden Hunt and Caiden Sorenson and sophomore Jesse Brown filled seven of the 36 slots on the all-conference team.  Bolzer also made the all-state team, doing so for a second consecutive seasion.

The Buffs finished in a three-way tie with Shoshoni and Big Piney for the conference crown, all of them with 4-1 records.  The Wranglers, who won the tiebreaker used to determine the league’s top playoff seed, led the way with nine all-conference picks, followed by the Punchers with eight.  After Greybull’s seven, Wind River got six, Rocky Mountain four and Wyoming Indian two.

Bolzer and Didrickson each made the state’s top-10 rushing list. Didrickson ranked fifth, averaging 116 yards per game and finishing with seven touchdowns, while Bolzer ranked eighth with 110 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“They were the heart and soul of the team ... and both were very good at leading the team in a positive direction,” said Coach Jeremy Pouska.  “Wyatt is so explosive as a runner — we saw it many times — and as a defensive end, he caused a lot of problems for other teams.

“Lucas was another backer and a force to be reckoned with,” he said. “As a running back, he had close to 900 yards.  If he’d had one more game — I think of the one we were supposed to play against the Powell JV that got cancelled — I think there’s a good chance he’d have gone over 1,000 yards.”  

Fink, a guard, shared conference lineman of the year honors with Zef Zuniga of Big Piney.  “A lot of coaches in our conference recognized that he was a key the success of our running game — not only as a dominant force on the O line, but also for the attitude he brought, as he was a good sportsman.”

Hunt, who ran the show from the quarterback position, ranked third on the team in total offense, accounting for 63 yards per game. “We didn’t air the ball out a lot ... but I think without a doubt, he was the best quarterback at running the option style offense,” said Pouska. “A lot of our success was due to him reading his keys correctly and making plays on his own.”

Sorenson, Hernandez and Brown, meanwhile, were defensive stalwarts, ranking first, third and fourth, respectively, in points.  Sorensen led the team with 148, which included 87 tackles (solo and assisted), five tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

Bolzer was next with 128 defensive points (71 tackles, five TFLs, one sack, one fumble recovery and four forced fumbles), followed by Hernandez with 127 (76 tackles, eight TFLs, four sacks, one forced fumble) and Brown with 83 (36 tackles, five interceptions and four pass break-ups).

Pouska described Sorenson as “the centerpiece of our defense.  As a unit they played so well together. We had a lot of guys flying around with their hair on fire. Sorenson was the bring at the center of it all.”  The junior also starred as a fullback — blocking and carrying the ball.

The coach added that Brown “stepped up in a big way” in the defensive secondary and that Hernandez was a “terror” on defense, “made some nice catches” and did a fine job opening holes on the right side of the offensive line, where he lined up next to Fink.

ALL CONFERENCE

Big Piney: Caden Clifford, Zavier Clifford, Ben Ferguson, Gerardo Galvan, Cache Hall, Saki Meador, Finley Strong, Zef Zuniga

Greybull: Lucas Bolzer, Jesse Brown, Wyatt Didrickson, CJ Fink, Yandel Hernandez, Caden Hunt, Caiden Sorenson, 

Rocky Mountain: Tayt Beall, Triffen Jolley, Mason Moss, Hayden Wambeke 

Shoshoni: Quinton Clark, Bo Fowler, Wiley Hegwer, Oakley Hicks, Landon Kasper, Carson Kisling, Carlos Marrufo, Braxton Mills, Morgan Neil

Wind River: Mato Amos, Logan Jensen, Isaiah Remacle, Jeffrey Rushing, Brayden Tatro, Troy Tidzump, 

Wyoming Indian: Darian Augustine, Adriano Brown

Offensive Player of the Year: Caden Clifford, Big Piney

Defensive Player of the Year: Carson Kisling, Shoshoni

Lineman of the Year: CJ Fink, Greybull and Zef Zuniga, Big Piney

Special Teams Player of the Year: Quinton Clark, Shoshoni

ALL STATE TEAM

Big Piney: Caden Clifford, Zef Zuniga

Greybull: Lucas Bolzer, Wyatt Didrickson, Caiden Sorenson

Lingle-Ft. Laramie: Anthony Arnusch, Louden Bremer, Colt Brown, Brady Cook, Colter McFarlin, Kaiden Riggs, Cooper Smith 

Lusk: Raynce Brott, Jackson Smith

Pine Bluffs: Ethan Bomberger, Coalton Bymer, Carsten Freeburg, Justin Lerwick, Ryan Mohren, Shawn Shmidl, Jesus Solis 

Rocky Mountain: Tayt Beall, Triffen Jolley

Saratoga: Griffin Bartlett, Burris Berger, Easton Mason, Jace Westring, Hazen Williams, 

Shoshoni: Quinton Clark, Landon Kasper, Carson Kisling 

Southeast: Ayden Desmond, TJ Moats, Chase Sauer

Wright: Mitchell Strohschein, Owen Thompson

Offensive Player of the Year: Louden Bremer, Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Defensive Player of the Year: Cooper Smith, Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Lineman of the Year: Ethan Bomberger, Pine Bluffs

Special Teams Player of the Year: Kaiden Riggs, Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Coach of the Year: Will Gray and Pine Bluffs staff