Green River names alumnus as its new head coach

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Green River native Blaine Christensen will be the next head coach at his alma mater.

Christensen’s hiring was first reported Thursday by SweetwaterNow.

He comes to Green River after four years as an assistant coach at nearby Rock Springs. In a statement published on SweetwaterNow, Christensen said the opportunities provided by coaching in Green River were hard to pass up.

“As a graduate of Green River High School I know and understand the tradition and pride the community of Green River has,” he wrote. “The ultimate goal is to make sure that anyone involved with the program becomes better husbands, fathers, and employees. Along with making them better people we are also going to compete day in and day out to put a product on the field the community of Green River can be proud of.”

Christensen was an all-state choice for Green River in 2012 and later played at Black Hills State. He is the son of former Rock Springs head coach Jamie Christensen, who led the Tigers to back-to-back state championships in 2001 and 2002.

He takes over for Kevin Cuthbertson, who resigned in November. The Wolves last made the Class 3A playoffs in 2017.

Statewide, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Lander, Glenrock and Guernsey are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Riverton has hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Two Wyoming schools look for new head coaches

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Both Glenrock and Guernsey-Sunrise will be in search of new head football coaches this year.

For the fourth time in four years in 2023, Glenrock’s football team will have a new head coach.

Longtime assistant Carl Federer, who took over the team as head coach in 2022, will not return to the position, co-activities director Sharon Tietema confirmed to wyoming-football.com via email Sunday.

The coaching position is listed as accepting applicants on the Converse County School District No. 2 website. Tietema said application review will begin at the end of April.

The Herders went 1-7 last year and did not make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Previous head coaches recently for Glenrock have included Paul Downing in 2021 and Ryan Collier in 2019-20.

Meanwhile, after seven years as the head football coach at Guernsey-Sunrise, Curtis Cook has resigned.

In an email to wyoming-football.com, Cook said he will stay in Guernsey and continue to coach basketball — Cook took over as the girls head coach for the Vikings this year. Cook said he made the change to spend more time with his family.

Cook finished 24-37 with the Vikings, including five playoff appearances in seven seasons. The Vikings made the transition from Class 1A six-man to Class 1A nine-man last year but finished 0-8, being outscored 529-32.

Statewide, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River and Lander are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Riverton has hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Lenhardt makes jump to Riverton from Rock Springs

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Mark Lenhardt, the coach at Rock Springs for the past four seasons, has become the new head football coach at Riverton.

Lenhardt announced the decision Thursday in a letter that was subsequently reported by SweewaterNow and the Rock Springs Rocket-Miner.

In the letter, Lenhardt thanked the administration, assistant coaches, parents and players.

“I love these players, parents and coaches which have made my life so fulfilling,” Lenhardt wrote, “and hopefully they can take something from our experience together to enhance their lives and future.”

Lenhardt, a Cheyenne native, wrote that the move will help him spend more time with his children, Brandon and Bradie, and open up a career opportunity for his wife, Kim.

“For a large part of Kim’s and my marriage she has had to move where my opportunities existed,” Lenhardt said, “and it is time for her career to become more important and watch her chase her career dreams as well.”

Rock Springs went 22-20 under Lenhardt and reached the Class 4A championship game in 2021. Prior to that, Lenhardt coached at then-Class 3A Torrington, going 46-31 over eight seasons and leading the Trailblazers to two 3A title games in his final two seasons.

Riverton, a Class 3A school for football, has had seven consecutive losing seasons and has missed the playoffs the last two years, winning only one game in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Riverton is the first Wyoming program to announce a new head coach for the 2023 season. Statewide, Campbell County, Evanston, Green River and Lander are also searching for a head coach for next season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Campbell County seeks new head coach

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The Campbell County Camels will have a new head football coach in 2023.

The Gillette News-Record reported last week that Andrew Rose, who had been the Camels’ head coach the past four seasons, resigned in November.

The Camels had two winless seasons before Rose, a Campbell County alumnus, took over prior to the 2019 season. The program had steady improvement, going 4-6 each of the past two seasons, but did not notch a playoff victory in that time. The Camels finished a combined 11-28 under Rose the past four years.

Statewide, Evanston, Green River, Lander and Riverton are also searching for a head coach for next season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Two Class 3A football coaches step down

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Two Class 3A football coaches have resigned from their positions.

Both Lander coach John Scott and Evanston coach Jim Burton have stepped down.

Scott’s resignation was first reported by WyoToday. Burton’s resignation was first shared by WyoPreps on Twitter.

Scott led Lander for five seasons, but his head coaching resume in Wyoming goes all the way back to 1992. He was the head coach at Kemmerer, Campbell County, Tongue River and Lander, winning four state championships in his 19 years as a head coach in Wyoming.

He was also the head coach at Black Hills State University from 2003-08.

Scott has notched a career record of 117-61, a victory total that ranks fifth among active head coaches. He went 26-19 with Lander, leading the Tigers to the playoffs five times in five seasons.

Burton, meanwhile, led Evanston for four seasons. Evanston went 8-27 in that span, failing to reach the playoffs.

This brings the total of open head coaching positions in Wyoming to four, all at Class 3A schools. Green River and Riverton are also searching for a head coach for next season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Riverton fires head football coach

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Riverton football coach Troy Anderson was fired from his position on Monday.

Anderson, the Wolverines’ head coach the past three seasons, said via telephone to wyoming-football.com on Wednesday that he was caught by surprise by the move.

Anderson said he was given no reason for the firing “other than a change of direction.”

“I wish I had a chance to finish the job,” Anderson said.

Riverton activities director Reggie Miller declined to give specifics for the reason for Anderson’s hiring when reached via email Wednesday. Miller said the position would be opened and candidates considered, “and (we’ll) make a decision when the time allows.”

The Wolverines have gone 1-8 the past two seasons as members of the Class 3A East Conference; they were 4-6 in Anderson’s first season, 2020. 

Anderson said he will continue to stay in Riverton and teach as a special education and social studies teacher at Riverton High School. He said he may continue to coach in Fremont County, but nothing was definitive. 

“I think there will be some football options available for me,” he said. 

Anderson said he had good support from the majority of the community, and that he learned and logged lots of lessons about working with people. 

“(I) love the dudes – players first, always,” he said. 

Green River is also searching for a head coach for next season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Green River football coach resigns after three seasons

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Green River football coach Kevin Cuthbertson resigned at the end of the season, shortly after the Wolves’ season-ending loss to Evanston.

The Green River Star reported that Cuthbertson notified his players of his resignation on Oct. 24, three days after Green River’s season ended with a 44-7 loss to Evanston.

Cuthbertson was the Wolves’ coach for the past three seasons. Green River went a combined 4-21 over that span, including a 2-7 finish this season.

Cuthbertson, a Green River alumnus, is the first Wyoming high school football coach to resign this offseason. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Week 4 picks: Big Piney’s push into nine-man’s title discussion is anchored by a single question

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Big Piney’s refrain bounced across the valley, hitting the Wind River Range to the east, the Wyoming Range to the west. But then it settled into the basin of the upper reaches of the Green River, just like the famous inversions that keep Big Piney cold in the winters. It stayed there, unheard but still present through times of change — new coach, new classification, new style of play. Still, the Punchers asked.

What about us?

The call grew louder as the Punchers’ season started. A road victory over Lusk to start the season barely turned any heads; close game, not unexpected, welcome to nine-man. But the shout grew in Week 2 after the Punchers shocked last year’s runner-up and this year’s expected contender, Rocky Mountain. This wasn’t a whisper; this was a yell.

What about us?

A 20-point victory against Greybull last week sent Big Piney to 3-0, one of four remaining undefeated teams in Class 1A nine-man along with Pine Bluffs and Lingle from the East and Wind River from the West.

This week, though, one undefeated will fall, as Wind River ventures into Sublette County.

The Cougars were expected to be here, though, and they’ve followed through. Like Big Piney, Wind River is also 3-0, outscoring their opponents so far by a combined tally of 172-26. The Cougars have every reason to think this year is their year.

However, in a top-heavy classification that just got a little bit heavier, the Punchers’ rallying cry is now less of a plea and more of a demand. Rocky Mountain learned the hard way, and Wind River has the luxury of learning from the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Punchers keep moving forward, so far perfect against a new set of rivals.

What about us?

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Some other Week 4 games will help me understand what I’ve seen so far in 2022, because I’m easily confused:

Thunder Basin has lost two in a row heading into its game against undefeated Sheridan. But the ‘Bolts should be ready for this one, and Sheridan can’t get caught looking ahead to Cheyenne East next week. If they do, Thunder Basin could turn 4A upside down in one fell swoop. …

Cody and Jackson meet in a rematch of the past two Class 3A championship games. Cody is obviously Cody, so far the dominant team in the classification, but Jackson is no slouch — something I wasn’t sure I could say in August but I am sure of now. …

Worland’s trip to Douglas is super intriguing. The 3A East has been a crapshoot so far, and these two teams have represented that uncertainty with dominating victories surrounded by losses surprising either by the margin or the opponent. If either one of these teams strings together some consistency, they will be dangerous, and that starts right here. …

The Bridger Valley Bowl has an undefeated team in it — and it’s not Lyman. Instead, 3-0 Mountain View has the loss goose egg it’s trying to protect against the 2-2 but two-time 2A champ Lyman (say that twice fast). …

I do find it interesting that by the end of Friday night, every 4A team (and a handful of others) will have played five games and Farson will have played one. …

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Let’s pick some games. Bold teams, I pick to win. All teams, I pick as my valentine. No, it’s not February.

Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Greybull at Wyoming Indian
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Meeteetse
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Laramie
Cheyenne East at Rock Springs
Cheyenne South at Natrona
Kelly Walsh at Campbell County
Thunder Basin at Sheridan
Class 3A
Buffalo at Lander
Cody at Jackson
Powell at Green River
Riverton at Rawlins
Star Valley at Evanston
Worland at Douglas
Class 2A
Glenrock at Wheatland
Kemmerer at Cokeville
Lyman at Mountain View
Newcastle at Tongue River
Torrington at Big Horn
Upton-Sundance at Burns
Class 1A nine-man
Lingle at Wright
Pine Bluffs at Moorcroft
Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni
St. Stephens at Riverside
Saratoga at Guernsey
Southeast at Lusk
Wind River at Big Piney
Class 1A six-man
Encampment at Hanna
Midwest at Kaycee
Interstate
Rich County, Utah, at Thermopolis
Saturday
Class 2A
Pinedale at Lovell
Class 1A six-man
Farson at Dubois
Ten Sleep at Hulett
Interclass
Green River JV at Snake River

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 4” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 26-7 (79 percent). This season: 94-24 (80 percent).

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Also of note this week is the change in head coach for St. Stephens, as Melvin Blackburn takes over for Dee Harrison. The change was posted by WyoPreps on Twitter on Wednesday. Blackburn was the Eagles’ coach in 2013 and 2014.

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Which teams that were under-appreciated in the preseason are showing us all why they should be appreciated? Who’s going to come out of the woodwork in the second half of the season and pull some surprises, maybe starting this week? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Why Lovell is Wyoming’s high school football coaching capital

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Lovell has had its fair share of football success.

With a pair of championships to its name and a runner-up finish in Class 2A last year, the Bulldogs have a proud gridiron history.

And now, Lovell can also call itself the capital of high school football coaches in Wyoming.

Three Lovell alumni will be head coaches across the state this year — Nicc Crosby for his alma mater, Richard Despain at Rocky Mountain and Eli Moody at Cheyenne South.

With three alumni among Wyoming’s head football coaching ranks, Lovell can claim more than any other program.

While seven other schools (Campbell County, Cheyenne Central, Douglas, Green River, Hulett, Kelly Walsh and Wheatland) have two alumni leading up Wyoming high school football programs, no one can touch Lovell’s trio.

Here’s a quick glimpse of where Wyoming’s high school football coaches went to high school:

Crosby is one of 11 coaches who ply their trade at their alma mater. The others:

  • Andrew Rose, Campbell County
  • Mike Apodaca, Cheyenne Central
  • Kevin Cuthbertson, Green River
  • Patrick Sweeney, Worland
  • Travis Romsa, Burns
  • Jeromy Moffat, Big Piney
  • Trent Aagard, Burlington
  • Boz Backen, Hulett
  • Dave Largent, Kaycee
  • Jack Cobb, Snake River

Most Wyoming head football coaches come from Wyoming high schools, with 42 of the 64 coaches statewide graduating from in-state high schools. The count of 42 is up quite a bit from the total of 34 in 2018. Fifteen others come from bordering states, with Nebraska and Idaho (four each) the most popular. Coaches also hail from Montana and Utah (three apiece) and Colorado (one).

The remaining seven head coaches come from Washington (two) and New York, North Carolina, California, Maryland and Ohio (one each).

On the college level, though, only 19 coaches are graduates of the University of Wyoming. It’s still the most of any college, though, as Black Hills State claims nine alumni, and Chadron State has four.

Schools with two alumni among the ranks of Wyoming high school head football coaches include Sioux Falls, Montana State, Colorado Mesa, Weber State, Utah State, Southern Utah, Dakota Wesleyan and Dickinson State. Schools with a single alumnus are Augustana (South Dakota), Dana (Nebraska), Hiram (Ohio), Idaho State, Marist (New York), MSU-Billings, MSU-Northern, Montana-Western, Northern State, Tabor (Kansas), UNLV and Wayland Baptist (Texas). Four coaches statewide have not finished a bachelor’s degree.

–patrick

Wright moves former assistant into head coach’s spot

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A former assistant coach for Wright’s linemen will take over for one of Wyoming’s most experienced head coaches this season.

Adam Shankle, who was Wright’s offensive line coach for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, has been selected as the Panthers’ new head coach. He will replace Larry Yeradi, who stepped down after 27 years as the Panthers’ head coach.

Shankle teaches social studies at Gillette’s Sage Valley Junior High. He was selected Thursday, he said in a phone call with wyoming-football.com on Friday.

Shankle moved to Campbell County in 2019 after spending six years as a middle-school line coach in his home state of Ohio. He was a line coach with Sage Valley’s seventh graders last year, he said.

“I’m happy to be back on the sideline in Wright and happy to be back with these boys,” he said. “(I) can’t wait to see what that equates to this season.”

Yeradi said he resigned his football coaching position in part to spend more time with is family and to have the chance to watch his son Dax play football for Chadron State.

Yeradi said he will remain at Wright as co-activities director and head wrestling coach. He will also assist with the football program and with track, as well.

One of Wyoming’s longest-tenured head coaches, Yeradi took over the Wright program in 1995. In his 27 years as head coach, he helped Wright to the playoffs 17 times, including an appearance in the Class 2A championship game in 2005.

Wright was 4-5 last season and was a Class 1A nine-man playoff qualifier.

Yeradi has accounted for more than 70% of the victories in Wright’s program history. He finished with a career record at Wright of 93-139.

Cheyenne South, Jackson, Rawlins, Burns, Cokeville, Glenrock, Pinedale, Big Piney, Lusk, Moorcroft, Wind River, Farson and Ten Sleep have also hired new head coaches for the upcoming season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

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