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They’ve met 128 times since that first game on October 21, 1922, a 60-0 route by the Lander Tigers on Riverton’s original field in City Park.
The series stands at 65-56 in Riverton’s favor. There have been seven ties between the two Fremont County rivals with the final one coming 62 years ago when former Fremont County Sheriff Tim McKinney quarterbacked the Tigers with a broken finger and kicked a tying field goal late in the game for 9-9 final at Tonkin Stadium.
Riverton had their final tie in the second game of the 1971 season with a 7-7 score against visiting Rock Springs.
Three years ago, last week, the Tigers and Wolverines played a two-day classic. It was the only two-day game in series history and one of only a handful ever played in the state over the last century.
Riverton took an early 7-0 lead that Friday, before a thunderstorm moved in with flashes of lightning in the distance towards Sand Draw. As the first-period clock dipped below three minutes, game officials called a timeout and huddled in the middle of the field. All outdoor athletic events in Wyoming now have lightning meters to measure approaching storms. When lighting is in proximity, teams will clear the field. It happens often in football, soccer, and track.
Just last Saturday, the Riverton 8th-grade game with Dean Morgan from Casper was delayed by lightning in an early morning thunderstorm.
Back in 2022, the rain began to fall, and the lightning moved closer. The game was postponed 30 minutes per procedure. The concept is to wait 30 minutes after the last lightning strike, then resume play. Only Mother Nature didn’t see it that way. A couple of times, the clock moved tantalizingly close to the limit, only to have another strike. When the rain intensified, the thunder boomed, and more lightning hit, officials moved the game to Monday at 6 pm with Riverton leading 7-0.
The Monday continuation was a little icing on the cake of the long rivalry. The game went into overtime tied at 21.
Lander won the toss and elected to play defense first. Most teams do in overtime.
Riverton scored on second down on a one-yard run by Nathan Hutchison. Branson Saltsgaver added the conversion, and it was Lander’s turn.
It took the Tigers all four downs to score. On a brilliant, gambling call, Lander head coach John Scott went for two, and Brenon Stauffenberg hit Gabe Harris on a three-yard slant for the 29-28 win.
In 1997, Riverton edged Lander 24-17 in the only other overtime contest between them.
Can we expect that kind of intensity this Friday at Bill Bush Stadium in Lander when the fourth-ranked 5-0 Tigers host the third-ranked 4-1 Wolverines?
Don’t be surprised if we do.
With all the chips on the table 31 years ago, the greatest high school football game (arguably) and the most attended in Fremont County history unfolded for the Class 3-A state championship with Riverton edging Lander 33-27.
Neither head coach likes to say this, and high school sports are incredibly unpredictable, but with both teams winning over Douglas and with just two games remaining in the regular season, the winner of Friday’s tilt will most likely win the East 3-A and host the first two rounds of the playoffs. The loser will likely host a first-round game, then have to travel to the Death Valley of Class 3-A football in Afton, against the powerhouse Star Valley Braves.
It won’t be an easy road for the winner either, with Cody coming to Fremont County most likely in the semi-finals.
Friday is Lander’s last home game of the regular season. From there, they travel to winless Rawlins and finish the regular season against an injury-decimated Buffalo Bison team.
Riverton is home against Torrington then finishes the season with Rawlins.
Statistically, both teams have offensive players at the top of the Class 3-A division.
Riverton running back Hunter Saltsgaver had 745 yards on 99 carries after four games, and quarterback Blake Gantenbein completed 74 of 111 passes for 956 yards, 10 touchdowns, and only one interception. He has a bevy of receivers to choose from in Payton Larson, Clay Sheets, Saltsgaver, Dane Cox, Kaiden Arnold, Gage Treber, and Eric Smith.
Lander lost its leading rusher, Brayden Baker, to a knee injury on a late hit in Torrington. Cody West took the tailback position and had an outstanding game in the Tigers’ 35-14 win over Douglas. Entering the Douglas game, West was averaging 8.8 yards per carry with four touchdowns.
Lander quarterback Paxon Hollingshead is having a good season, completing two-thirds of his passes, 36 for 54, and tallying eight touchdowns against just one interception. His favorite receiver is the fleet-footed Finn McFadden, who led the team after four games with 19 receptions. Caleb Andrews, Parker Burton, and West are frequent targets as well.
While the quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs get most of the attention, coaches know the game is won in the trenches by the big boys up front.
Lander has a pair of dynamic offensive linemen in Gavin Romer and Kaleb Hamilton. They’ve opened holes all season for the Tiger backfield; they’re joined by Gus Childers, Taj Prine, and Corbin Fidler. Lander has a solid offensive line.
Riverton has one classic-sized offensive lineman in left tackle Kayden Liebrecht and four other enthusiastic overachievers in center Nick Hendrix, guards Daniel Clawson and Trevor Eckhardt, and right tackle Ayden Sanchez. The Wolverine line is quick and ideal for getting Saltsgaver into the second level.
If it comes down to kicking, both teams are solid on conversions and field goals. Caleb Andrews has a 48-yard field goal to his credit and is money on conversion kicks for Lander.
For Riverton, Saltsgaver has a long of 40 on field goals and has just a single miss on conversions, with the ball bouncing off the south crossbar last Friday against Buffalo.
It’s a battle for the driver’s seat in the Class 3-A East on Friday in Lander. A big crowd is predicted.