Wilson ascends to head coach’s spot at Rocky Mountain

by ⋅ 3 Comments

Former Rocky Mountain player and, more recently, assistant coach Jessee Wilson will take over as the Grizzlies’ head football coach this season.

The move comes as former head coach Richard Despain has resigned to take over as the activities coordinator and athletic director at Powell High School. Despain has taught and coached in the Powell schools for more than 20 years and had been the head football coach at Rocky Mountain since 2016.

Wilson’s hiring was finalized Thursday at the meeting of the Bighorn County School District No. 1 board and was announced Monday on the Rocky Mountain football Facebook page:

Wilson and Despain also confirmed the changes Tuesday via email to wyoming-football.com.

Wilson is a 2011 graduate of RMHS and played football at Dickinson State for a year and the University of Wyoming for three years, where he finished his career. He has been an assistant football coach at Rocky Mountain for seven years, the past two as defensive coordinator, and teaches middle school science at Rocky Mountain.

Under Despain, the Grizzlies went 42-23. The 2020 team picked up the program’s first playoff victory since 2000, and the 2021 team reached the Class 1A nine-man championship game. The Grizzlies were playoff semifinalists in both 2020 and 2022; the program is 23-6 the past three years.

His hiring as Powell’s activities coordinator was approved March 21 by the Park County School District No. 1 board of trustees and will begin with the 2023-24 school year.

Statewide, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Lander, Glenrock, Guernsey and Saratoga are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Green River and Riverton have 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

Wright resigns as Saratoga’s head football coach

by ⋅ 2 Comments

Saratoga head football coach Logan Wright has resigned leading the Panthers but plans to stay in Saratoga.

Wright confirmed his resignation Monday via Twitter message to wyoming-football.com.

The Panthers went 18-20 over the past five years with Wright as head coach, including two years in six-man and three in Class 1A nine-man. Saratoga has gone 3-5 in each of the past three seasons in nine-man.

“I have so many great memories here as the football coach and am excited to see the program continue to grow and find success in the future,” Wright wrote.

Wright, a physical education and health teacher, will stay in Saratoga. Wright said he wanted to “focus on my young and growing family. Coaching is still in my future, but not at this time.”

Statewide, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Lander, Glenrock and Guernsey are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Green River and Riverton have 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

Rosters announced for 2023 Wyoming Shrine Bowl

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

The rosters for the 2023 Wyoming Shrine Bowl all-star football game were announced Thursday by Frank Selby, the Shrine Bowl’s executive chairman.

Rosters include:

SOUTH
BIG PINEY: Thomas Howard.
BURNS: Cody Hape, Cooper Lakin.
CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Keagan Bartlett, Auggie Lain, Richard Prescott.
CHEYENNE EAST: Ethan Brinkman, Trevor Eldridge, Dominic Kaszas, Garet Schlabs.
CHEYENNE SOUTH: Robert Campbell, Isaiah Hernandez.
COKEVILLE: Jesus Bencomo, Landon Walker.
DOUGLAS: Jackson Hughes; Luke Skeen.
EVANSTON: Braxton Bauer, Carson Van Gieson.
GLENROCK: Rylan Bloem.
GREEN RIVER: Kyler Bartlett, Tanner Moseley.
LARAMIE: Adrien Calderon, Christopher Gonzales.
LYMAN: McKoy Smith.
MOUNTAIN VIEW: Braden Walker.
PINE BLUFFS: Diego Paniagua; Dalton Schaefer.
ROCK SPRINGS: Carter McBurnett.
SNAKE RIVER: Hadley Myers, Kannadis Peroulis.
SOUTHEAST: Wyatt Campbell.
STAR VALLEY: Derek Astle, Brandon Beck, Jacob Hodges, Taft McClure, Chase Stewart.
Student manager: Kylee Erickson, Star Valley.
Student trainer: Quincie Moser, Cheyenne East.
Coaching staff: McKay Young, Star Valley (head coach); Jesse Blunn, Cheyenne East; Cody Peacock, Lyman; Ballard Johnson and Tyrel Clove, Star Valley; Brian Anderson, Pine Bluffs; Jack Cobb, Snake River.
Trainer: TL Espinoza, Cheyenne East.

NORTH
BIG HORN: Wyatt Brown, Cooper Garber, Dylan Greenough-Groom.
BUFFALO: Blake Bell, Michael Ihnat.
CAMPBELL COUNTY: Jeffrey Pelton.
CODY: Remy Broussard, Jace Grant, Matt Nelson, Luke Talich.
HULETT: Hunter Reilly.
KELLY WALSH: Erich Hulshizer, Chris Pickering.
LANDER: Gabe Harris, Matisse Weaver.
LOVELL: Benjamin Nichols, Preston Nichols, Connor Strom.
NATRONA: Cody Crawford, Breckin McClintock, Kayden Pharr, Wyatt Powell.
NEWCASTLE: Holden McConkey.
RIVERTON: Braden Vincent.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN: Nate Minemyer.
SHERIDAN: Dillan Bennett, Colson Coon, Deed Kirschner, Casen Wilson.
SHOSHONI: Pehton Truempler.
THUNDER BASIN: Kayden LaFramboise, Logan Loftus, Jayden Luciano.
TONGUE RIVER: Tavis Aksamit.
WORLAND: Brock Douzenis, Kade Weber.
Student manager: Hannah Zent, Big Horn.
Student trainer: Olivia Ballew, Sheridan.
Coaching staff: Kirk McLaughlin, Big Horn (head coach); Colter Brantz and Andrew Marcure, Big Horn; Boz Backen, Hulett; Richard Despain, Rocky Mountain; Jim Talich, Cody; Aaron Papich, Kelly Walsh.
Trainer: Christian Galindo, Thunder Basin.

The game will be June 10 at Casper’s Harry Geldien Stadium, home of Kelly Walsh. It raises money for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City.

Selby also extended an invitation to all former Shrine Bowl alumni — including coaches, players, trainers, officials and more — to help celebrate the Shrine Bowl’s 50th anniversary. Former participants can email wyshrinebowlalumni@gmail.com for more information.

The North leads the all-time series 26-19-3. The game was not played in 2020.

–patrick

Updated 6:10 p.m. March 24 to add Skeen and Paniagua, who were left off the initial list of players sent out.

Two Wyoming schools look for new head coaches

by ⋅ 3 Comments

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

Young, McLaughlin named 2023 Wyoming Shrine Bowl head coaches

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

Two head coaches who led their teams to state championships were named the head coaches for the 50th Shrine Bowl all-star football game.

McKay Young, who led Star Valley to the Class 3A championship in November, will lead the South team, while Kirk McLaughlin, whose Big Horn team won the Class 2A title, will be the head coach for the North.

The announcement was made Monday night in an email release from Frank Selby, the Wyoming Shrine Bowl’s executive director.

The game will be played June 10 in Casper.

The head coaches will work to an assemble a staff of coaches from around the state, who will then choose players for each team.

Young was previously the South’s head coach in 2018. This is McLaughlin’s first Shrine Bowl head coaching selection.

With the first Shrine Bowl game played in Laramie in 1974, the 2023 game will mark the 50th edition of the game in Wyoming. The North leads the all-time series 26-19-3 and won last year’s game 37-3.

–patrick

Riverton fires head football coach

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

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

Casper Christian School begins athletics path

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

Wyoming’s newest high school football program will be in Casper.

Casper Christian School, which opened last year, will offer athletics for the first time this year, starting with six-man football and basketball.

CCS became a member of the Wyoming High School Activities Association and will play a sub-varsity six-man schedule this year. The Mountaineers will play Midwest in Week 0 to start the season for both programs. CCS football coach Ryan Harrison said via email the rest of the program’s schedule is in flux, as no other games are set and “we have become many teams’ backup options if another game on their schedule falls through.”

WHSAA Commissioner Ron Laird said via email Thursday that Casper Christian School will spend this year and next year playing a sub-varsity schedule, “and then will need to show that they have the numbers to sustain varsity level numbers.”

Harrison said about 10 students will make up the football team to start the season, but more could show up as the season starts. He said about 60 students will be enrolled to start the year across the seven grades (6-12) that the school offers. That is up from the 40 students enrolled last year, the school’s first. Home-school students will also be eligible to play sports.

He said he envisions the program growing as the school grows.

“Our expectation is that we will not be a six-man program forever,” Harrison said. “Casper is large enough that we have a lot of room to grow and I foresee us growing to the nine-man and eventually the 11-man levels at some point. Who knows how long that will take and what type of success we will have at the six-man level before that point, but I’m excited to see how everything turns out this year.”

Right now, Harrison said the only other sport on the horizon is boys basketball, but it too will play at the sub-varsity level to start. However, middle-school football and basketball, as well as volleyball, are also in the planning stages.

“At the size we’re at right now, it’s just about the interest our students have and if we can field a team or not,” he said.

CCS shares its building with the Restoration Church on the east side of Casper. It offers classes for sixth through 12th graders.

–patrick

Wright moves former assistant into head coach’s spot

by ⋅ 1 Comment

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

Ten Sleep switches coaches ahead of 2022 season

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

Dan Cheatham, formerly an assistant at Snake River, will be Ten Sleep’s new head football coach this season.

Ten Sleep activities director Ernie Beckley confirmed Cheatham’s hiring via text to wyoming-football.com on Wednesday.

Cheatham takes over a program that has not fielded a team in three of the past four seasons. The Pioneers fielded a team in 2020 but did not have enough players to make a go of it in 2018, 2019 or 2021.

He was a science teacher at Snake River and was an assistant football coach with the Rattlers. He has also previously taught at Cloud Peak Middle School in Manderson. He could not be reached via telephone this week.

Cheatham takes over for Dane Weaver, who was Ten Sleep’s coach in 2020, going 1-7 in his only season.

Cheyenne South, Jackson, Rawlins, Burns, Cokeville, Glenrock, Pinedale, Big Piney, Lusk, Moorcroft, Wind River and Farson 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

Assistant promoted to top spot at Lusk

by ⋅ 1 Comment

Chris Skeen, an assistant with the Lusk football program for the past nine seasons, will be the Tigers’ new head coach this season.

Skeen’s hiring was approved during a meeting of the Niobrara County School District No. 1 board on Monday, Lusk activities director Ryan Nelson said via email to wyoming-football.com Wednesday.

Skeen teaches social studies in Lusk. He replaces Nelson, who recently resigned after seven seasons as the Tigers’ head coach but will remain as the school’s AD. Skeen could not be reached via email Wednesday.

Cheyenne South, Jackson, Rawlins, Burns, Cokeville, Glenrock, Pinedale, Big Piney, Moorcroft, Wind River and Farson 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

Post Navigation

← Older Posts