Natrona County football hosts Gillette; Kelly Walsh travels to Thunder Basin
Natrona County is looking to bounce back. Kelly Walsh is hoping to keep the momentum going.
The Mustangs host Gillette on Friday night while the Trojans play at Thunder Basin. Kickoff for both games is 6 p.m.
Both NC and KW are 2-1 on the season, but they had decidedly different outcomes last week.
Sheridan returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and the Broncs scored 23 consecutive points in the second quarter in a 29-7 victory at Natrona County.
The Mustangs led 7-6 on a 24-yard pass from junior Kanai Olsen to senior Gage Brooks on the first play of the second quarter. After that, though, Sheridan took advantage of its speed and NC mistakes for its 34th consecutive victory to tie the all-time state mark.
"We just have to forget about it and move on," NC senior lineman Josh May said after the game. "Everyone on the team preaches going 100 percent, so if we can all get on board with that as a team, we'll be able to come back from this. We just have to fix all the small things that we control, like penalties and temper."
All of that will be put to the test against the Camels.
Gillette (3-0) has outscored its competition 90-22 and has the state's best passing offense through three weeks, averaging 255.0 passing yards per game. Senior quarterback, who has committed to the University of Wyoming, has completed 56 of 80 passes for 757 yards, with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Senior Adam Gibson has been Drube's main target, with 16 catches for 430 yards and six TDs.
NC will look for May and fellow defensive linemen Tays Turnbull, Hunter Borud and Charlie True to put pressure on Drube and slow down Gillette running back Trent Rosenau, who has rushed for 176 yards and four scores.
The Mustangs should also get help from seniors Tucker Sides, Tyler Palermo, Jay Siemens and Payton Maggi, who form one of the best linebacker units in the state.
Offensively, NC has relied on the run while first-year starter Olsen continues to progress at quarterback. Palermo leads the Mustangs' ground game with 175 yards and two touchdowns.
NC also has weapons at wide receiver in seniors Brooks, Aiden Youmans and Blaine Nelson.
Olsen had moments last week, but struggled overall, finishing 12-of-26 for 114 yards with the touchdown to Brooks and an interception.
"I just have to be better," Olsen admitted. "My linemen gave me time, the wide receivers ran good routes and the scout team got us ready ... sometimes you need to execute and you just don't.
"Eventually every team is going to go through it," he added. "Failing is sometimes a good thing, so we're going to learn from this and play our Natrona best next week."
On the other side of town, Kelly Walsh had five interceptions and two fumble recoveries in rolling to a 54-7 homecoming victory over Cheyenne South. It was the Trojans' second win in a row after shutting down Laramie 34-13 in Week 1.
Neither the Bison, who have lost a state-record 41 consecutive games, nor the Plainsmen are expected to be title contenders this season, but it is the first time in three years the Trojans have won back-to-back games.
They'll face a Thunder Basin team that opened the season with losses to Natrona County, Sheridan and Cheyenne East, who have a combined record of 8-1. The Bolts have scored only 13 points and are facing a Kelly Walsh defense that is allowing just 44.0 rushing yards per game and leads 4A with 27 tackles for loss.
Offensively, the Trojans are averaging 174.0 ypg on the ground behind their Wing-T attack. Seniors Wyatt Humbel (141 yards) and Logan Walker (107) and junior Ethan Hague (85) have rushed for a combined 333 yards and seven TDs.
They and the KW offensive line will have to try and neutralize a Thunder Basin defense that features two of the state's best linebackers in Cort Catlin and Logan Mendoza.
KW junior quarterback Carter Alvar has been efficient in limited opportunities, completing 10 of 18 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns, with just one interception.
It's still early in the season, but Natrona County and Kelly Walsh can remain in the thick of the 4A race with victories Friday night.
