Top returning Wyoming high school football players of 2023, by uniform number

It’s time to choose the annual summertime team that has become a staple of discussion in, well… my house, at least: Wyoming’s top returning high school players, as chosen by uniform number.

You’re probably reading this part last, if you read it at all. You’ve already jumped to the list by now, looking up the number of your favorite player to see if they were ignored. And I know, I know, I know… You think I “left someone off.” Trust me when I say no one was left off; every returning player was considered. And the decisions were TOUGH, just like they always are. Certain numbers are tough to choose because of an overload of returning talent; in particular this year were Nos. 1 and 8.

In the end, I had to make choices, because that’s what this exercise is really about. And how do you compare? I’ll simply say the process is different for every single number, in part because the players wearing each number bring different skills, and stats, to the discussion.

That doesn’t mean that players not on this list aren’t worthy of attention. There are returning all-state players who couldn’t crack this list, but players with single-digit defensive points last year who did. But that’s the beauty of a list like this. It narrows down your competition by 99%.

And if I’m a freshman this year, and No. 38 is available… I’m claiming that jersey like it’s worth its weight in gold.

(If you want to see how these teams have come together in the past, here are links to the 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 preseason teams.)

My annual disclaimer: I can’t guarantee that the numbers players wore last year will be worn again by them this year. I can’t even guarantee that they’ll go out, or that they haven’t moved since the end of last year. I used last year’s stat listings and rosters posted online to determine what jersey number players wore; if your team didn’t compile stats or didn’t post a roster, I didn’t (moreover, couldn’t) include those players. Also, at least two of these players wore more than one number last year; they’re noted with asterisks.

Number	Name	School
1	Jhett Schwahn	Powell
2	Drew Jackson	Cheyenne East
3	Dane Steel	Sheridan
4	Micah Petersen	Cokeville
5	Jared Mangus	Lovell
6	Karsyn Gurr	Big Piney
7	Nathan Mirich	Cheyenne East
8	Alonso Aguilar	Thunder Basin
9	Mason Counter	Cheyenne Central
10	Cooper Frederick	Wind River
11	Hazen Camino	Buffalo
12	Connor Cummins	Tongue River
13	Jayce Schultz	Mountain View
14	Louden Bremer	Lingle
15	Isaiah Skalberg	Snake River
16	Eli Patterson	Buffalo
17	Cam Hayes	Cheyenne East
18	Chase Mills	Upton-Sundance
19	Ben Malone	Laramie
20	Goodness Okere	Rock Springs
21	Wyatt Trembly	Dubois
22	Kolbe Dierks	Cheyenne East
23	Ryan Arends	Thermopolis
24	Jayden Crook	Star Valley
25	Thomas Prell	Newcastle
26	Brady Roberts	Evanston
27	Wyatt Ramsbottom	Kaycee
28	Noah Sides	Natrona
29	Trevon Abraham	Powell
30	Jason Moody	Meeteetse
31	Ty Strohschein	Riverside
32	Nate Brady	Lyman
33	Quade Jordan	Encampment
34	Terran Grooms	Sheridan
35	Jonah Oard	Dubois
36	Cole Hansen	Sheridan
37	Kaison Macy	Farson
38	No returners identified
39	Jack Melger	Tongue River
40	Zane Graft	Powell
41	Justin Castagno	Jackson
42	Carter Archuleta	Douglas
43	Alex Barker	Tongue River
44	Eli Gill	Upton-Sundance
45	Randal Reddon	Farson
46	Caiden Roberts	Buffalo
47	Logan Class	Cody
48	J.D. Holman	Glenrock
49	Jackson Asay	Cody
50	Morgan Hatch	Lyman
51	Peyton Brown*	Thunder Basin
52	Colby Olson	Cheyenne East
53	Max Gregory	Lyman
54	Zaryc Prosser	Riverton
55	Caden Parker	Thunder Basin
56	Caleb Ruff	Cheyenne East
57	Clay Merritt	Star Valley
58	Zaim Cabriales	Lander
59	Nico McQueeney	Cheyenne East
60	Jethro Awtrey	Cokeville
61	Colter Percifield	Campbell County
62	Jesse Gibson	Star Valley
63	Colten Prindle	Cheyenne Central
64	Malachy Lehnen	Douglas
65	David Merryfield	Pine Bluffs
66	Jimmy Dees	Powell
67	Wesley Downes	Lander
68	Tyler Mair	Mountain View
69	Noah Williamson	Sheridan
70	Ty Bennick	Torrington
71	Tiegen Thompson	Southeast
72	Noah Maneval	Tongue River
73	Royal Olsen	Hanna
74	Miles Packard	Buffalo
75	Lance Rabel	Buffalo
76	Coby Jones	Mountain View
77	Cooper Smith	Lingle
78	Alex Haswell	Sheridan
79	Tegen Seeds	Douglas
80	Mickey Maroni	Burlington
81	Vaun Pierson	Kaycee
82	William Beastrom*	Newcastle
83	Prescott Veigel	Star Valley
84	Jacob Ormseth	Sheridan
85	Beau Weaver	Shoshoni
86	Brenner Moore	Rocky Mountain
87	Nolan Hottell	Thunder Basin
88	Colter Hanft	Tongue River
89	Joe Bassett	Burlington
90	Vaughn Grant	Rawlins
91	Isaac Gardner	Wind River
92-98	No returners identified
99	Tyler Ennist	Laramie

*-Brown also wore #84; Beastrom also wore #85.

–patrick