Kelly Walsh, Natrona County football head into Week 7 with eye on postseason
Natrona County is in; Kelly Walsh has its foot in the door.
When the high school football postseason starts in two weeks the Mustangs (4-3) will be involved for the 33rd consecutive year (1992-2024). NC can all but secure the No. 4 seed and a home playoff game with a win at Cheyenne South tonight. The Bison have lost a state-record 45 consecutive games.
The Mustangs have won two in a row, including last week's 27-0 Oil Bowl shutout of Kelly Walsh.
Senior Tyler Palermo has emerged as a threat at running back with 507 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Junior quarterback Kanai Olsen has found his stride and senior Rogan Potter has returned to the lineup after battling injuries to bolster the Mustangs' passing attack.
Defensively, senior linebacker Tucker Sides leads the state with 90 tackles and Gus Bertagnole has added 56 tackles.
NC also has cut back on penalties that plagued the team earlier in the season and is plus-7 in turnover margin. Cheyenne South, meanwhile, is mnus-21.
The Mustangs are 13-0 all-time against South.
The postseason scenario for the Trojans (3-4) is a little more up in the air.
KW is currently tied with Rock Springs for the No. 5 seed heading into tonight's game at Cheyenne Central (1-6). The Trojans, who have lost three in a row after a 3-1 start, can punch their playoff ticket with a win over the Indians.
Despite Central's record, KW head coach Randy Roden knows the Trojans have their work cut out for them.
"They don't look like a 1-6 team to me," he said of Central. "They have a bunch of formations and they're starting to click. To me, they pose a lot of problems and they're a very dangerous team ... a lot better than their record. They're in a must-win situation and they're on their home field. They scare me."
With good reason. Not only has the Trojans' run game been held to less than 150 yards the past six quarters - the second half against Cheyenne East two weeks ago and last week's game against Natrona County - but Central is holding teams to just 100.0 rushing yards per game.
"The last two weeks we have seen the exact same defense ... five front, put a backer in that four-hole, overhang your corners," Roden said. "And I'm Kelly Walaa Central will do the same thing."
Kelly Walsh is hoping to get Landon Walker back on track. The senior rushed for 197 yards and three first-half touchdowns, including 65- and 79-yard scores, against East, but the Mustangs limited him to 1 yard on eight carries. The Trojans were held to a season-low 111 rushing yards in the 27-0 Oil Bowl loss.
Roden believes the coaching staff has a plan in place to reinvigorate the Trojans' Double Wing attack against the Indians.
"We've concentrated on our assignments and what we're trying to do and what we anticipate we might see," he said. "We're not at full strength, but we've got a plan and we'll see how it works out."
In addition to Walker, the Trojans are hoping that running backs Wyatt Humbel, Ethan Hague and Jaxon Terry can find some running room to open things up for junior quarterback Carter Alvar.
KW can not only punch its playoff ticket with a win tonight, but can improve its positioning with victories against Central and against Rock Springs next week. With that in mind, Roden is confident his team is ready to finish the regular season on a positive note.
"I don't see a lack of focus," he said. "I'd be shocked if we don't come out and try to win a ball game."
