Big Piney coach takes Utah HC job

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Big Piney head coach Ryan Visser will leave his post with the Punchers to become the next head coach at Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah.

Visser posted his farewell to Big Piney on Twitter on Thursday.

He was hired at Big Piney in 2019. Visser’s teams at Big Piney went 16-12 the past three seasons, qualifying for the postseason in Class 2A in 2019 and 2021. The Punchers are scheduled to join Class 1A nine-man in 2022.

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Rawlins, Burns, Cokeville, Glenrock, Moorcroft and Farson. Meanwhile, Cheyenne South and Pinedale have 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

Burns’ coach steps down after four seasons

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Burns head coach Brad Morrison has resigned his position leading the Broncs.

Morrison’s resignation was first reported Thursday on Twitter by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s Jeremiah Johnke.

Morrison had been Burns’ coach the past four seasons, going 15-19.

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Rawlins, Glenrock, Moorcroft, Cokeville and Farson. Meanwhile, Cheyenne South and Pinedale have 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

Updates: Big Piney, Moorcroft, Cokeville, Guernsey-Sunrise

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A few quick updates over the weekend:

Fixed the score for the 1959 Class B eight-man championship game on Nov. 14, 1959; Big Piney beat Moorcroft 25-12, not 15-12.

Added Cokeville’s 45-6 victory against Big Piney on Oct. 23, 1953, in Cokeville.

Updated the location of the November 1935 game between Cokeville and Inkom, Idaho; it was in Cokeville. The date is still unknown but was between Nov. 6 and Nov. 9.

Corrected Guernsey-Sunrise’s coach for 1995; it was Dean Rahmig, not Trevor Williams.

All of the updates have been made on all the relevant pages.

–patrick

Moorcroft head coach takes new opportunity in Montana

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Moorcroft’s head football coach is taking a new teaching and coaching job in Montana, leaving the Wolves’ top football coaching spot open.

Travis Santistevan, a native of Lusk, has spent the past four years as head football coach in Moorcroft.

Santistevan said via email to wyoming-football.com Thursday that he will move to Baker, Montana, before the next school year and will teach and coach there.

The Moorcroft position is listed as open on the Crook County School District No. 1 website.

The Wolves have opted down to play Class 1A nine-man football the past two seasons, as a lack of players has kept Moorcroft from playing at the Class 2A level. The Wolves will continue to do so for the next two years. As a consequence of opting down from Class 2A, Moorcroft is ineligible for the playoffs.

Under Santistevan, the Wolves went 3-5 for three consecutive years before finishing 0-8 last year. The program has had one winning season in the past 20 years.

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Rawlins, Glenrock, Cokeville and Farson. Meanwhile, Cheyenne South and Pinedale have 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

Farson coach Applequist steps down after 10 years

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Farson head football coach Trip Applequist has resigned after 10 seasons leading the Pronghorns.

Applequist confirmed his resignation via email to wyoming-football.com on Monday.

“It was an agonizing and difficult decision to step down as football coach,” Applequist wrote. “It has been a cherished experience and I have been so fortunate. I have had the opportunity to work with the most amazing and dedicated young men who have inspired the community and me personally. I have also been given the opportunity to work with an amazing coaching staff who are really the source of all the success that our program has seen. The support of the parents, administration, and community has been incredible.”

Applequist led the Pronghorns to two state championships and four appearances in title games in his decade as head coach. Combined, Farson has gone 66-29 with Applequist at the helm, including state championships and 11-0 seasons in both 2018 and 2020. Farson finished as runners-up in both 2016 and 2017.

Farson finished 3-4 last season, just missing the Class 1A six-man playoffs. The position was listed as open on Sweetwater County School District No. 1’s job listings for head coaches.

Applequist said he was interested in pursuing other passions, including a planned trip in June to climb Alaska’s Denali.

“The athletes deserve a coach that has the time and desire to commit to what it takes to be successful,” he wrote. ” … I am sad to be leaving football coaching behind, but excited about the possibilities ahead. I love high school football, and look forward to watching and cheering from the stands.”

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Rawlins, Glenrock and Cokeville. Meanwhile, Cheyenne South and Pinedale have 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

Moody named head coach at Cheyenne South

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Former Greybull head coach Eli Moody has been named the head coach at Cheyenne South.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle first reported Moody’s hiring on Friday.

Moody, a Lovell native and former University of Wyoming player, was Greybull’s head coach for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons, twice taking the Buffaloes to the playoffs. He was an assistant coach for Cheyenne South last season.

He takes over for Dan Gallas, who retired at the end of last season. South enters the 2022 season on a 20-game losing streak, the longest active losing streak in the state.

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Rawlins, Glenrock and Cokeville. Meanwhile, Pinedale has hired a new head coach for the upcoming season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Rawlins on the hunt for new head football coach

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The Rawlins Outlaw football team is searching for a new head football coach for the 2022 season.

Clayton McSpadden, a Rawlins alumnus, resigned after four seasons as the head coach. Rawlins activities director Kasey Garnhart said in an email Thursday to wyoming-football.com that a search is underway for a new coach. He said interviews taking place now, with an expected hire likely to be announced in April.

In his four seasons, McSpadden’s Outlaw teams finished a combined 6-29. The Class 3A Outlaws have not won a game the past two seasons.

McSpadden did not reply to an email sent Tuesday.

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Cheyenne South, Glenrock and Cokeville. Meanwhile, Pinedale has hired a new head coach for the upcoming season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Glenrock seeks new head coach for second year in a row

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After just one season, Glenrock is back on the lookout for its next head football coach.

Glenrock co-activities director Jason Horn confirmed via email Wednesday to wyoming-football.com that the position is open. Horn said the school is still in the hiring process for its new head football coach. The position was listed as open on the Converse County School District No. 2 website.

Paul Downing spent one season as the Herders’ head coach. A Class 2A East team, Glenrock went 2-7 last year and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Downing did not reply to an email sent Tuesday night.

Other programs in Wyoming seeking new head coaches this year are Cheyenne South and Cokeville. Meanwhile, Pinedale has hired a new head coach for the upcoming season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Thrash hired as Pinedale’s new head coach

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David Thrash, who previously was an assistant and freshman coach in Gillette, will be the new head football coach in Pinedale.

Thrash’s hiring was approved during Thursday’s meeting of the Sublette County School District No. 1 board and confirmed Friday via email from Thrash to wyoming-football.com.

Thrash said he was inspired to apply by a desire to help players gain skills for a lifetime of success.

“When I heard that this position was posted, I felt a desire to put in and help provide a chance for student/athletes to become a part of a team and sport where the chance to learn skills and characteristics that can be used well beyond high school,” he wrote.

Thrash previously was a varsity offensive and defensive line coach for five years in Gillette; he also helped coach freshman teams in Gillette.

Thrash came to Pinedale in 2019. He is an assistant principal at Pinedale Elementary. He graduated from the University of Wyoming and is a native of North Carolina.

Thrash replaces Clay Cundall, who led the Wranglers each of the past three seasons. Pinedale, a Class 2A West program, went 3-21 in that span, including 0-8 last season.

Pinedale is the first football program to hire a new head coach for 2022. Cheyenne South and Cokeville are both seeking new head coaches. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Updates: Laramie, Newcastle, Saratoga, Hanna, Snake River, Farson, Clearmont, Carpenter, Huntley

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Some digital digging around over the holidays led me to one new game, a couple corrections and a couple other updates of note:

Added Laramie’s 11-6 victory against the UW third team on Nov. 14, 1898. This is Laramie’s first victory as a high school team that I can find.

Fixed the opponent for Laramie’s game against the UW third team on Oct. 18, 1901 — it wasn’t against the UW varsity.

Noted that Hanna beat Saratoga on Oct. 21, 1949; I’m still searching for a final score.

Noted that the Sept. 25, 1954, game between Hanna and Baggs and the Nov. 2, 1951, game between the same two teams were not played.

I also found three coaches for the Coaches Project — Hanna’s coach for 1949, Ted Rogers; Clearmont’s coach for 1935, Chester Stiteler; and Farson’s coach for 1951, Keith Sorenson. I also found the first name for Carpenter’s head coach in 1941, Devon Clark, and for Newcastle’s head coach in 1930, Ollie Hulse. Also, Huntley’s head coach in 1961 and 1962 was Bill Perich, not LeRoy Cundall.

All the updates have been made on all the relevant pages.

–patrick