School: Green River
Nickname: Wolves
Colors: green and black
Stadium: Wolves Stadium
State championships: 1976 and 2004
Times worth remembering: Green River was consistently at its best in the 1950s, when, from 1952-59, the Wolves did not have a losing season. Although the Wolves made the playoffs only twice in that span — and never won a playoff game — they were the perennial team to beat in the Southwest region.
Times worth forgetting: Green River has had its ups and downs, but honestly, the downs were never really all that bad. Green River has never had a winless season, and if a bad streak has to be highlighted, it’s the one from 1997-2001, when the Wolves went 2-6, 1-7, 4-4, 1-7 and 2-8.
Best team: Of the Wolves’ two undefeated teams, it’s the 2004 team that truly stands out. Green River was a juggernaut in 5A play, winning all but one game by at least 20 points. The Wolves, led by 11 first-team all-staters, were rarely challenged and had their way with Natrona — in Casper — in a 20-0 championship-game victory.
Biggest win: The 2004 championship game was Green River’s crowning moment. The Wolves, who had won just one playoff game in the previous nine years, completed an undefeated season — the school’s first since 1963 — and won a state championship for the first time since 1976. Laden with talented, experienced players, the Wolves made every single big play, including an 89-yard TD run by Casey Cutler right before halftime, and avenged a semifinal loss to Natrona one year earlier.
Heartbreaker: It’s hard to argue against the 2008 championship game, which Green River lost 23-21 to Gillette. The two teams had staged a classic regular-season game earlier in the season in Gillette, a game the Camels won 14-13 on a blocked extra point. The title game again came down to a kick, and again the Wolves ended up on the wrong side of it, as Colter Rood’s 40-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds sailed just wide — a kick set up by a botched punt by Gillette in the final minute. Not only that, Green River led 14-0 early, but its usually dependable defense couldn’t hold the lead.
Just a note—Green River state titles in 73, 49 and 50–no playoff in 73, but playoffs held in 49 and 50—-steve
two other notes—-the 08 game was not a blocked punt, but the center sailed the snap over the punters head—also, your records show that gr went winless in 1951, following a state championship season—-steve
Steve,
I haven’t been listing mythical titles for any schools with these, and GR’s was posted before I added the 1949 and 1950 seasons, hence the differences there. Also, I don’t think I said there was a blocked punt in the ’08 title game, just a botched punt…. I’ve since rewritten this a bit to reflect the 1949 and ’50 title seasons.
–patrick