Sheridan Press Football Capital by Kristen Czaban

TABLE OF CONTENTS Heavy load pg. 4

balancing act pg. 9

time to shine pg. 12

the mighty o

A 2018 publication of

pg. 14

run, eagles, run pg. 18

senior send-off pg. 22

Taking over pg. 24

front + center pg. 29

double duty pg. 32

2018 schedules pg. 36

144 E. grinnell Plaza sheridan, WY 82801 (307) 672-2431 thesheridanpress.com Kristen Czaban Publisher

Deb Mclain Graphic designer

Patrick Cossel Marketing director

Janea LaMeres Marketing

Mike Pruden Managing editor Chad Riegler Operations manager Becky Martini Ofﬁce manager

Mandi Hicks Marketing Josh Lovingood Marketing

Caitlin Addlesperger Director of special projects

Mike Pruden, Ryan Patterson and Bud Denega Journalists

Jon Cates Graphic designer

Justin Sheely Photojournalist

Troy Burger Graphic designer

Mike Pruden Art director

ON THE COVER From left: Tongue River’s Zach Schankey, Sheridan’s Parker Christensen and Big Horn’s Kade Eisele

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HEAVY LOAD BY MIKE PRUDEN

he Sheridan Broncs rushed for 240.8 yards per game during their 2017 championship campaign. That impressive number ranked them second in 4A, 4 yards behind Natrona, and their 7.3 yards per carry were

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the top in the class. Parker Christensen and Kyle Custis churned up most of those yards for Sheridan to create the state’s top backfield. But with Custis graduating, will the load be too heavy for Christensen to bear by himself ?

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Christensen ended the 2017 season as the Broncs’ top back, so his return in the Broncs backfield is a positive sign for an offense that will see plenty of new faces. The 6-2, 205pound back has collected a boat load of carries in his career, earning gobs of varsity time as a sophomore and junior. He’s expected to get the lion’s share of carries in

his final season with the Broncs before heading to Laramie to play at the University of Wyoming, where he committed earlier this summer. Needless to say, the state will have its collective eyes on Sheridan’s top contributor. To help alleviate some of that burden on one of just a few returning players for the Broncs will be

junior Garrett Coon and senior Quinn Heyneman. The two rushers aren’t new to the varsity playing field, but their duties will grow exponentially with the loss of Custis. Having those three upperclassmen in the backfield will provide at least one area of certainty for Sheridan’s play book, but it also adds comfort for the players with less experience. “The guys in the backfield have had some time back there, so they really help me out and on the right track and keep me calm,” junior quarterback

Jacob Boint said. “Parker and Quinn are really good vocal leaders for us, so they really help out.” While Christensen and his fellow running backs have shown their speed and power in the running game throughout their careers, arguably the biggest catalyst for Sheridan’s rushing attack in 2017 was its veteran offensive line. This year, the line might provide the team’s biggest question mark early in the season. Not one offensive lineman from last year’s squad returned, leaving a boat load of open spots

for young guys looking to prove themselves. And as those newbies fight for spots on the varsity roster, they’re forced to carry the pressure of blocking for one of the best running backs in the state and a backfield that could cause a lot of trouble for opposing defenses. “We know that we don’t have any experience coming back,” lineman Eli Johnston said. “We’ve just got to have five guys step up and keep grinding. Nothing goes if we don’t go, so we’ve got to put in the work.” Just like their quarter-

back, though, many of the Sheridan linemen have been calmed by the presence behind them. “It kind of helps to have Parker Christensen in the backfield to help carry that load with us, because he’s a good running back and we still have good running backs with us,” center Sherman Husted said. “So they kind of help out with that, and coach (Kevin) Rizer has done a good job with us throughout our high school careers, so he’s really prepared us as seniors to carry on this load.”

From left, Hunter Murphy, Pacey Grover, Brenden Clem, Drake deCastro, Camden McArthur, Sherman Husted, Ethan Lewallen, Joel Sayer, Nate Roe, Eli Johnston and Ethan Johnson

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New head coach Jeff Mowry doesn’t expect to surprise many teams when his offense revolves around his experienced backfield. But in order to keep the offense churning at the pace it has kept during its three-year championship run, he’s relied heavily on offensive line coach Rizer to get the entire rushing team on the

same page. The Broncs put in hours and hours before the season started to create a rapport among all the new faces, and the veteran running backs have been the nucleus of that push to keep Sheridan football at the top. But even that nucleus has some room to push forward, and they’re looking at the big picture

From left, Quinn Heyneman, Parker Christensen and Garrett Coon

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to keep moving in that direction. “It kind of happens year by year,” Heyneman said of the shift in personnel. “We’ve always trusted in the process and success that we’ve had over the years and been able to just put new guys in and they step up and do their job; everyone works really hard to accomplish what

we need to as a team.” Having an All-State, 1,000-yard rusher to lean on makes Sheridan’s offensive voids less drastic. But they still have gaps and opportunities across the board that need to be filled and taken advantage of in order for the Broncs’ dangerous rushing attack to remain near the top in 2018.

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BALANCING ACT BY ryan patterson

teve Hanson has a full schedule this year. He is in his second year as Tongue River High School head football coach and teaching a full load of social studies courses. In the spring, Hanson will helm the track and field program as well, as he’s done for the past several years. If that wasn’t enough, Hanson also recently began his first year as activities director at the high school. He replaced John Scott, who now teaches health and physical education and coaches football at Lander High School. Scott stepped down as TRHS football head coach after the 2016 season — he led the Eagles to two state runner-up finishes in 2015 and ‘16 — but remained activities director and a physical education and health instructor last year. Hanson said no one can replace Scott’s organizational skills or attention to detail, but he will do his best and is excited for the opportunity. “I’ve never in my entire life, even when I was in the military, met someone who was as detail-oriented and passionate about the details as coach Scott,” Hanson said. Hanson will follow most of the structure Scott already had in place but will also need to figure

out the best way for things to fit his style. He talked with Scott about the role and took over a few things after Scott announced he was leaving for Lander in March. Hanson also spoke with Big Horn High School activities director Mike Daley and Sheridan High School activities director and former football head coach Don Julian to get their perspectives on the new job.

Steve Hanson

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Hanson has three football assistant coaches but will still call the offensive and defensive plays. However, he said he will not be as hands-on as Scott was in all the minute details of other sports. During the school year, Hanson will start his day around 4 a.m. and make the 30-minute drive from his home in Sheridan to Dayton. He said the commute should help him focus in the morning and decompress in the evening. Hanson will have two prep periods throughout the day for a total of 1 hour and 40 minutes. He plans to use one prep period for teaching and the other for AD responsibilities. Scott had a similar schedule and always utilized his prep periods but

sometimes didn’t have enough time to finish everything during the day. “In six years, I ate lunch in my office or in my classroom doing AD stuff,” Scott said. “It pretty much consumed my prep period for PE and the AD time they gave me, and then it might even be some evening time.” This year will test Hanson’s discipline and ability to use his time in the most efficient way possible. Every day, his attentions will be shared among students, players, coaches, coworkers, bosses and family members. “I want to be in the room that I’m in with all my attention,” Hanson said. “If that means I stay up an hour later at night after the wife and kids go to bed to do work, then so be it.”

Hanson is married with two kids, a 6-year-old son and 14-month-old daughter. He looks forward to having his son observe how he interacts with his players, peers and superiors. “The example that I’m setting for him of hard work is really important to me,” Hanson said. “I cherish those opportunities to show him how I do it.” Scott, who called himself a compulsively organized person, said it was tough to juggle his responsibilities along with family time. He won’t miss the additional AD tasks because it provides him more breathing room as a teacher, coach and husband. “I probably put in far greater time just because of a certain way I wanted

things,” Scott said. “If it’s going to have my name attached in some way, shape or form, I really wanted it a certain way. I wanted to have whatever we’re hosting be as firstclass and as organized (as possible).” Scott told Hanson he didn’t have to follow everything he did but wanted to keep the same level of quality. “I know that Steve loves athletics and he likes having that role as well, to be that figurehead,” Scott said. “He’ll find his balance.” Hanson hasn’t been one to shy away from his responsibilities as both a teacher and coach, but this year will provide an even greater number of challenges as he looks to create more success in Dayton.

Luke Stutzman, left, and Zach Schankey

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THESHERIDANPRESS.COM

TIME BY MIKE PRUDEN

heridan had a top-two offense in 2017, and that’s depending on what stat you’re looking at and who you ask. In fact, many would argue the Broncs offense has been the best in the state during its three straight state title runs. It certainly played a significant role in raising three new banners at SHS. While the offensive numbers were preposterous a season ago — 391.5 yards and 43.9 points per game to go with just 12 total turnovers — the numbers seemed to do a little bit more than just ignite the scoreboard. Sheridan’s defense has felt slighted each of the last three seasons. The offense puts on a show, fills the stat sheet and overshadows the guys trying to prevent the opposing offenses from doing the same. First of all, it’s not like Sheridan’s defensive stats were atrocious by any means. The Broncs finished fourth in 4A for team defense, allowing 264.9 yards per game. They gave up just 11.5 points per contest and thrived off a state-best 31 turnovers. Frankly, Sheridan’s defense did a good job quickly putting the ball back in the hands of the offense.

Matt Roma

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TO SHINE But with just three returning defensive starters, And with the way Sheridan’s flashy offense scored quickly and often, the defense was right back on the in order to make the big plays happen, the young bucks have to focus even more heavily on the small field too. Eventually, the gas ran out. things — if it’s not an interception, it has to be a By the time the gas ran out, whether it came on batted pass; if it’s not a batted pass, it has to be an offense or defense first, the game was typically immediate tackle; if it’s not an immediate tackle, it already out of reach and most of the starters had has to be a chase down to prevent a touchdown. made room for some of the younger guys to get Little successes breed big wins within the reps. That sometimes turned a shutout into a touchSheridan program. down or two, or one big rush or pass could skew the “The main part on defense is just to give a lot of stat sheet. effort,” defensive back Matt Roma said. “They’ll So the Broncs defenders always felt a bit cheated teach us a technique, we’ve when it came to the headlines just got to use it.” and bulletin board material. Mowry hopes as the new “Our offense has put up faces get up to speed throughpoints, points, points,” lineout the season, some of them man Sherman Husted said. can lean on their non-football “So our defense has been kind skill sets to become important of overlooked because the pieces to the Sheridan defense. state has looked at us like, Joining the Broncs this year is ‘You don’t have to be that good Alec Riegert, who didn’t play on defense if you’re scoring last year but won the 4x400-methat many points.’” Lineman Sherman Husted ter relay state title in the But with so many uncertainon the Sheridan Broncs’ defense spring alongside Roma. ties outside the rushing attack Putting the tracksters in the for Sheridan’s offense this secondary allows the defense to play a bit faster, but year, Husted feels the pressure defensively as more it also adds a few more guys with championship-levthan just a silencer to the critics. el experience, even if it’s not on the gridiron. “The mindset for us this season is not to be over“We kind of have that mindset since we won the looked,” he said. “We’ve got to go out and make a 4x4,” Roma said. “We know what it takes to be there name for ourselves.” and be on top.” So how do the defensive guys make a name for Experience has its benefits on defense, as do the themselves? They know they have to make plays on little things like technique and big things like turnevery down, no matter how big or small it might be. overs. But at the end of the day, this year’s defense For head coach Jeff Mowry, he thinks the big plays has something to prove, and hunger is its biggest will be as critical as ever in helping the offense this motivating factor. season. “Once I get on the defensive side of the ball and I “We have to put an emphasis on creating turnsee opposite caller, then it’s time to go,” Husted said. overs,” Mowry said. “[Defensive backs] have to be ball hawks; they’ve got to go get everything they can “It’s time to get aggressive. “We want the state to say, ‘These guys shouldn’t be get their fingers on and bat it down or pick it off. overlooked.’” We’ve got be game changers on the defensive end.”

‘The mindset for us this season is not to be overlooked. We’ve got to go out and make a name for ourselves.’

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MIGHTY BY Bud Denega

hen asked about his quarterback, Will Pelissier quickly answered only to amend his response almost immediately. “I have 100 percent confidence in Quinn (McCafferty) — 110 percent confidence.” Pelissier said. “He’ll get the job done.” McCafferty returns to the sidelines this season as a junior for the Big Horn High School football team. He’ll look to help guide a large group of seniors to the school’s first state title since 2016 and fifth in the last 16 years. All but one starter returns alongside McCafferty; however, an integral piece roaming the sidelines has since bid adieu to the Rams. Last year’s head coach, Michael McGuire, left to take an offensive coordinator position at Dickinson State University. In McGuire’s wake, Kirk

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McLaughlin — the longtime defensive coordinator — received the callup and will wear the main headset in 2018. Colter Brantz and Andrew Marcure remain on staff, while Mike Daley will join the Rams to help with increasing football participation. McCafferty knows little will change, or as McLaughlin put it, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but the junior quarterback looks forward to some of the subtle nuances the offense will have in the fall. “There’s a couple things that will be taken out and a couple extra new things we’ll have from McLaughlin,” McCafferty said. “It will be fun, and I’m excited for the new plays.” McCafferty threw for a state-best 164 yards per game last season with 21 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He stood as the only quarterback with a completion percentage higher than 50, coming in at 60 percent (120 for 201).

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Kade VanDyken, left, and Will Pelissier

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McCafferty will have the keys to the offense this season, encompassing the freedom to audible at the line of scrimmage upon seeing how a defense lines up. His knowledge runs deep as he not only started under center last season but also played outside linebacker. McCafferty understands formations and tendencies and how to best position the Rams for success. And similar to Pelissier’s confidence, everyone on the team agrees their signal caller has the highest football IQ of anyone the in maroon and gold. “He led us last year, and he’s probably one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with,” offensive lineman Seth Mullinax said. “I really like having him behind me because he knows exactly what’s going on, on both sides of the ball, even when he’s just playing quarterback.” Mullinax returns to anchor an offensive line that paved the way for one of the most potent offenses in the state of Wyoming and certainly the best in 1A. The Rams averaged 38 points per

game in 2017, scoring more than 50 points on four different occasions. Big Horn cultivated 461 yards per contest — 7.6 yards per play — nearly 100 yards better than the nextbest team, Upton-Sundance. The Rams stood as the best running team, gaining 295 yards per contest, and the top passing team, collecting 166 yards per game. The Rams tallied 62 touchdowns and 155 first downs. Big Horn’s only departure occurred on the offensive line, meaning every specialty player, from the running backs to the wide receivers, responsible for those gaudy offensive numbers in 2017 returns to the field in 2018. And all are confident in the offense’s capabilities. “We are going to be very dynamic, so it’s going to be a blast,” said Kade Eisele, who plays running back and receiver for the Rams. “We know anyone out on the field can make plays. We are all play makers.” Big Horn’s explosiveness may even draw a few extra fans to Big Horn for Friday nights. “People have been telling me

From left, Kade Eisele, Quinn McCafferty, Kade VanDyken, Will Pelissier and Jack Nance 16

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they’re going to be coming out from Sheridan to come watch us,” lineman Jaxon Parker said. “I think we have an opportunity to do something this school hasn’t seen in quite some time. We are just going to being able to play free and fast. I think with the weapons we have, it’s going to be fast and explosive. “We are going to put on a show for the fans.” Eisele led the state with 161 yards rushing per game last season with 25 touchdowns. On average, Eisele gained 8 yards every time he touched the ball. Pelissier added 99 yards per game on the ground with 10 touchdowns. He also accumulated 39 yards receiving per game with five scores, while wide receiver Kade VanDyken collected 52 yards per contest and four touchdowns. The numbers leave numerous question marks for opposing defenses — Who do we hone in on? What player do we try to take away? And the Rams’ confidence within their dynamic offensive system could make those questions even harder to answer in 2018.

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RUN, EAGLES RUN BY RYAN PATTERSON

efensively, Wyoming 1A football teams typically know what to expect from opposing offenses: rushing, rushing and more rushing. Tongue River High School is no exception. The Eagles rushed on 82 percent of their offensive snaps last year, usually in some version of a triple-option formation. Head coach Steve Hanson said the option will remain the team’s bread and butter this year, but he added that the Eagles will mix up their play calls and formations with a more experienced group. Adding a few more passing plays could help open the running game, but the majority of snaps will be taken under center as the Eagles stick to the game plan. “We have to come back to the fact that we’re a small school,” Hanson said. “We have who we have and we’ve got to be able to hang our hat on executing some simple things really well.” The young Tongue River team finished 2-6 last year and struggled offensively, but the Eagles return their top four rushers in running backs Zach Schankey, Elias Dillon-Bennett and Kyle Breen and quarterback Luke Stutzman. “They’ve got their feet wet and played a season of varsity football on both sides of the ball and know what to expect,” Hanson said. “They’re not running out of fear. Hopefully they’re running with a little more confidence.” Schankey, a power runner, was the team’s leading rusher last year, totaling 367 yards and three touchdowns, but all backfield players will receive significant playing time in 2018. “There won’t be one guy that anybody needs to watch out for,” Hanson said. “We’re hoping that that’s the mistake teams make, is key on one guy so the other three get a good look.” Hanson said it takes a perfect balance to make a run play work and that each player on the field makes up one-eleventh of the equation. 18

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Zach Schankey, left, and Luke Stutzman

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Along with a good exchange from quarterback to running back, Schankey said the key to a good run is quality blocking from the receivers and linemen. Hanson will put two or three running backs alongside and behind Stutzman on nearly every play and rely on the offensive line, led by AJ Lytton and Marcus Sharp, to pave the way for the offense. Lytton and Sharp both enjoy run blocking far more than pass blocking because of the physicality it brings. Lytton added that quickness is paramount on offense and strength is a bit more important when trying to stop the run as a defensive lineman. The team will expand its offensive packages to include more outside runs this year and utilize a few players’ speed but will keep the ball in the middle most of the time. Hanson believes in the importance of the running game and ball security, especially as the season goes along and weather gets worse. “We’re still going to be primarily a smash mouth, between the tackles (team),” Hanson said. “We want to get after people.” Defensively, Hanson emphasizes a disciplined, nine-

five-nine approach — nine players are within 5 yards of the ball 90 percent of the time when a play ends. “That’s an effort thing for us,” Hanson said. “We want to make sure that we’ve got everybody involved.” As a linebacker, Stutzman said reading the running back is key, along with sticking to his pre-assigned gap. Most of the time, the linebackers are designated a backfield player and follow them when a play begins, rather than everyone trying to figure out who has the ball every time. “Against a good option team, everyone is going to fake like they have the ball,” Stutzman said. “Good fakes are so important.” The defensive mindset helps many of the players when they switch sides, too. On offense, Stutzman said the team must hold each other accountable for carrying out fakes — especially when they get tired — to keep the defense off-balance. Tongue River plans to expand the offensive play book a bit this year, but when the going gets tough, all 11 players will line up and work together to move the ball on the ground.

Marcus Sharp, left, and AJ Lytton 20

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THESHERIDANPRESS.COM

SENIOR SEND-OFF BY Bud Denega

ll of them have played alongside each other for years. For some, as long as they can remember. From favorite colors to optimal skill sets on the football field, to say the Rams are familiar with each other would be a gross understatement. And most familiar is a universal goal — win the last one. “As a group we all we want to have the trophy,” senior lineman Jaxon Parker said. The expectations and importance of winning the last one and getting their hands on the trophy was instilled in the Rams before they even entered the high school ranks. As seventh-graders, this year’s

seniors watched as BHHS claimed the fourth title in school history, toppling Mountain View 47-22 in the 2A state championship game. The margin of victory in the title bout marked the largest in more than a decade, and it was safe to assume the Rams looked poised and had all the makings of winning another crown the next year. But the pressure to do so may have proven too great. A tad bit of cockiness may have clouded the Rams’ vision as Mountain View got its revenge and made BHHS the runner-up in 2014. While the script in 2018 isn’t the same as it was in 2014, the Rams would like to avoid a similar fate. With only one starter missing from

a team that came up just a fraction shy of the school’s sixth state championship in 2017, Big Horn stands, once again, as one of the favorites to hoist the Wyoming 1A crown this fall. And the Rams aren’t taking those expectations lightly. “We know what it looks like to see a big class like ours fall because of cockiness,” Seth Mullinax said. “We’ve definitely tried to keep our heads straight and eyes on the prize this year.” Mullinax grew up playing football with many of his senior teammates such as Parker, Kade Eisele, Kade VanDyken and Jack Nance, to name a few. They slung the football around in

Kade Eisele

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oversized shoulder pads and bulky helmets, learning just how much the sport means to their little town. “Football is the bedrock of our community,” Parker said. “It brings everyone together.” It has brought the players closer together, as well. Countless hours on the field as part of Little Guy Football, junior high football and games as underclassmen at the high school level have formed a 2018 senior class partly responsible for the team going a combined 26-5 over the last three years, which includes a state championship. Now, the Rams want to go out on top, or as Nance said, “Put the cherry on top.” Each group, offensively and defensively, boasts multiple seniors. Some of those veterans navigated their way through a leadership camp this June to help them remain humble. They also led the team through a conditioning program this summer that saw a majority of the roster get bigger and stronger. “I thought we had a great summer,” head coach Kirk McLaughlin said. “Weight-room numbers were great, and I was really happy to see that.” McLaughlin took the team up to Bozeman, Montana, to participate in a Montana State University football camp. He walked away pleased with what the camp had to offer and the things his team learned. McLaughlin, taking over as head coach, represents just one of a few new aspects to the Rams

Jack Nance

this fall. The players know their positions, know their roles and know what is expected. The few non-seniors like Quinn McCafferty and Will Pelissier started last season, leaving very few, if any, question marks ahead of the 2018 season. “It’s definitely going to be fun,” Nance said. “All of these special players like Kade, Kade, Quinn,

Will and the incoming juniors, it’s just definitely going to be fun with all the weapons we have. “I think the whole state has to watch out.” Big Horn likely won’t sneak up on anybody. Their recent success speaks volumes and will get their foes’ fullest attention. But that’s nothing new to the Rams. They are used to the spotlight.

They were introduced to it as kids, hardened by it as players and motivated by it as seniors looking for one final benchmark in what has been a collectively storied career. “There’s no other way we should end the season than with a state title,” VanDyken said. “After everything we’ve been through and stuff, it would be perfect and storybook.”

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TAKING

OVER BY Mike Pruden

on Julian spent 11 seasons under the headset at Sheridan High School. During that stretch, the Broncs won five state championships, completed one undefeated season and Julian amassed more than 100 wins with the program. So when he stepped away from the sideline after the 2017 season — and a third-straight state title — Julian left a massive pair of shoes to fill. But if you asked Julian about those sneakers and who could fill them or how they could do it, he wouldn’t look far. Julian always made it a point to acknowledge that his staff won five state championships; his staff won more than 100 games. His staff would be the ones to fill those shoes. Jeff Mowry spent all 11 seasons with Julian at SHS. His role changed and grew over the years and begin to morph into a position poised to step into the head coach’s role at some point. He finally stepped into that role ahead of the 2018 season. While he admitted to a few changes to make it his own, he almost scoffed at the idea of rebranding. “I don’t know why a new coach would come in here and try to change a thing,” he said. “[Julian] has put

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together some successful ccessful seasons, three state championships ionships in a row; I don’t know why you’d change a thing.” And Mowry isn’tt afraid to use his old boss ass an advisor, either. “The benefit in my situation is I’ve known Don for a long time, and I’ve ve got him on my cellphone,” one,” Mowry said, adding ng that Julian even stopped ed by the team’s first pracactice in early August. st. “I can pick his brain n at any time, so I do that.” hat.” Another crutch — or crutches — for the e new head coach are the e rest of the guys who fill ill out his staff, guys who o also spent years and years ears under Julian and alongside Mowry. All of Mowry’s fellow assistants stayed on staff and have helped keep the tradition of the program rogram alive and pushing forward. Chad Conley joinss the staff from Midwest and d will replace Mowry as an assistant. Jeff Mowry

However, the core unit of DJ Dearcorn, Darin Gilbertson, Jeff Martini, Kevin Rizer and Marshall McEwen will still roam the sidelines and lead the Broncs this season. Some of the roles have been expanded or revamped, but for the most part, the 2018 Jeff Mowry era in Sheridan won’t sway much from the past. Keeping a similar staff has alleviated much of the pressure and commitment from the new head coach. But, more importantly, the lack of change has proved most beneficial to the players. “We are really just building off the foundation,” lineman Eli Johnston said of the head coaching change. “There are some changes, but just minor things. Coach Mowry just stepped in and picked up where [Julian] left off.” Senior Parker Christensen had two full seasons under Julian — seasons in which he

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saw major success both individually and with the team. It would be easy for the running back to approach his senior year a bit sour with the loss of his head coach. Instead, he and his teammates have taken full advantage of their prior relationships with Mowry and the rest of the staff. “It’s just like last year, honestly,” Christensen said. “Coach J, he still kind of sticks around with us and he’s always there for us too, but coach Mowry is in every right position to be a head coach.” The Sheridan High School football team has always emphasized having a trust in the process. That quite often entails a “next man up” mentality, whether that means stepping in for an injured teammate or crouching at the line of scrimmage in the same spot All-Stater Blayne Baker used to stand. For Mowry, it translates to

swapping headsets, continuing to trust his fellow coaches and riding the waves of success that bred five state titles in 11 years. Mowry knows that no matter who bears the head coach title in Sheridan, every 4A team in the state has “Sheridan” circled on its schedule. “Every week we’re going to get the team’s best,” he said. “We’ve got to embrace that. But at the same time, we can’t be hesitant to think we’re just better than them. “It’s not three state championships that got us to this point,” he continued. “It’s the work ethic and the grinding and just the belief in the system.” Mowry challenged his players to believe in the system — Julian’s system, his system; same thing. If they do that, he said, they’ll be successful this season. The same can be said about the coach stepping into the biggest shoes on the field.

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FRONT + CENTER BY Bud Denega

icture two separate jobs, each one as physically and mentally tasking as the other. Now, picture having to work those jobs at the same time without so much as a snack break. That’s the life of Big Horn’s offensive and defensive linemen. The biggest players on the roster wear two hats to work every day, compete in the most contact-heavy position and rarely receive a snap off. Big Horn’s linemen may not garner all

the glossy headlines when it’s all said and done, but they remain an essential piece to the Rams push for a state championship in 2018. “We’ve got size, and I like our toughness,” BHHS head coach Kirk McLaughlin said. “We’ve got kids that are going to play aggressively and are going to get after it. They are not going to play soft. The experience thing is just so helpful. They’re going to come in and know the schemes, and they can just work on perfecting their technique and

being aggressive. Our line is going to be bigger than everyone else, but we are not slow. They’re athletes too.” Those athletes will be the bread and butter of the Big Horn offense. “One thing we want to do is call our plays according to what we got with our offensive line and not with what we have with our skill positions,” McLaughlin said. “But with what our O-line can do, a lot, and that’s where we think we can dominate teams.”

From left, Isaac Pierce, Seth Mullinax and Jaxon Parker

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Seniors Seth Mullinax, Jaxon Parker and Isaac Pierce anchor both offensive and defensive lines at Big Horn. They open holes for running backs on one possession and minutes later may be tasked with trying to run down the opposing quarterback. And while it certainly can get taxing physically, the trio of Rams agreed the most difficult aspect of the positions sits upstairs. “It’s honestly more overbearing mentally than the physical aspect,” Mullinax said. “I feel like the sport is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” Parker added. “We are constantly thinking about what we need to do on this play and how we need to do our job.” The job as an offensive lineman has a little more

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to it. The position involves moving backward or forward depending on if it’s a pass play or a run play, while pass protections and run-blocking assignments come with their fair share of complexities. Offensive linemen do all that knowing at the end of the day they won’t even touch the ball once it’s snapped unless something goes very wrong. But that doesn’t mean the position up front isn’t fun. Mullinax particularly enjoys counters where he gets to pull and get a violent kick-out block. “That’s my favorite because I just get to knock them over as hard as I can,” Mullinax said. Defense allows the linemen to have a more onetrack mind. Creating running lanes and forming a pocket for their quarterback gets

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replaced by, well … attacking. “Just hit someone,” Pierce said. Pierce’s senior year will mark just his second playing football. Mullinax and Parker have played since they were little tykes, and that experience makes playing both sides not as daunting as it was a few years ago. “At first, it’s kind of a hassle, but as the game gets easier you know your assignments and definitely react to the ball quicker,” Parker said. “Honestly, me and Seth have been doing this for so long it’s kind of second nature to us. We just know what our priorities are on both sides of the ball and know what we need to take care of.” Parker sits on an island, enjoying the offensive line duties more so than the

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defensive line duties. The Rams had the most effective offense in 1A last season, and with every key specialist back, BH will look to keep that going. And that adds a little excitement to the O-line. “It’s going to be great because we are not going to have one targeted player,” Mullinax said. “We are going to have all these kids that are going to be weapons. If they shut down Kade (Eisele), here comes other Kade (VanDyken) and then here comes Will (Pelissier). I played with these kids since I was young, so it’s going to be sweet to watch them this year.” The offensive and defensive linemen are hard to miss. Their size alone makes it difficult for them to hide, but they rarely sit, so they’re impossible to miss on Friday nights.

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DOUBLE

DUTY By Ryan Patterson

bout 25 players comprise the 2018 Tongue River High School football team, a typical number throughout recent years. Eight or nine of those players start on both offense and defense and play special teams as well. With so many guys playing every snap of the game, head coach Steve Hanson emphasizes an old-school, iron man mantra predicated on mental toughness and outworking the opposition. To prepare for that physical and mental challenge, the Eagles suited up twice per day during the first week of practice. They conditioned from 6-7 a.m. and then focused on football drills from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The team also works on conditioning after nearly every practice in the first part of the season by either sprinting on the field, running hills or jogging around town. Hanson also has a lot of quick, sudden changes throughout practice — like going directly from offense to punt coverage — to better simulate game scenarios. Similarly, the team plays games of fullfield tag to decrease the number of practices where full tackling occurs. It takes a few days to recover from every Friday night game, so Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the main contact days, with lighter sessions Mondays and Thursdays. “We want our guys kind of excited for contact on Friday and not dreading it on Tuesday,” Hanson said. From the players’ perspective, they said fatigue comes more quickly at the beginning of the year when temperatures soar and they are still working themselves into top shape. Quarterback and linebacker Luke Stutzman said small details go away first when fatigue sets in, such as selling the fake on an option play, not crouching low enough on defense or lacking intensity when breaking the offensive huddle. Body language reveals fatigue, 32

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Luke Stutzman

Hanson said. If hands fall to hips or players are slow getting into or out of the huddle, it tells him the Eagles are worn down. When players get tired, they have communication breakdowns or get out of position because they were too eager to make a play. Offensive guard and defensive tackle AJ Lytton said staying mentally engaged is the toughest aspect when dealing with weariness. “Once you’re tired, you kind of stop realizing and seeing a lot of things that you would’ve seen before,” Lytton said. “You kind of let the team down too (because) you can’t keep doing your job.” Conversely, guard and defensive end Marcus Sharp noted the importance of noticing fatigue in the opposition as well. “When you notice they’re tired, you try to hype up everybody on your team,” he said. To help ward off exhaustion, players drink water and Gatorade at halftime, along with having food options like oranges, granola bars, honey sticks, protein bars, energy gels and

candy at their disposal. “Even if it’s not a full recovery, it gives you a little boost,” Hanson said. “We have to do those things. With the numbers, there’s not always time or an opportunity for a substitute.” In certain situations, Hanson will also take the maximum allotted time between plays on offense or strategically call timeouts to give his players a rest. “We had several (drives) last season where we just ate clock up,” Hanson said. “That’s sometimes our best defense and it’s also easier on our guys because we’re absolutely controlling that tempo.” Tongue River finished 2-6 last season, but most starters this year are juniors and seniors with at least one year of significant experience, so the Eagles expect to be better prepared to handle adversity. “We’re way ahead of where we were last year at this point,” Stutzman said. “That’s really reassuring.” To work on improving, Hanson pushes his team in practice and tries to get his players comfortable being

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uncomfortable. “Being winded does not mean you’re tired,” Hanson said. “A lot of young guys don’t get that, but our seniors, I hope, really embrace the fact that being sweaty and winded are not an indication of physical fatigue.” Moreover, the coaches work to improve a player’s ability to fight through feelings of tiredness up to a certain point, but a lot of it rests on the individual player. That is a point of emphasis for Hanson, who often talks about the concept of self-reliance. “Having a teammate there to extend his hand and help you off the ground is a great thing, but we don’t always have that in life,” Hanson said. “You have to know how to pick yourself up (and) find the strength within yourself.” The burden is heavy for several of Tongue River’s two-way starters, but the team appears more equipped to fight through the difficulties this season, which will be necessary for one of the smaller football teams in the state.

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