(Riverton, WY) – Flags flew like leaves in front of a brisk autumn wind Friday night at Wolverine Field in Riverton’s home opener. The Wolverines committed a plethora of penalties, including one that called back a touchdown, and a pair of disastrous turnovers in a 35-14 loss to the Jackson Broncs.
“We had penalties all over the field,” Riverton head coach Mark Lenhardt said in a post-game interview. “When we play that poorly that’s on me, one hundred percent on me.”
Jackson is a team blessed with speed. Riverton doesn’t have that luxury and plays power football between the tackles, with senior running back Brayden Martin toting the mail on most plays.
Riverton opened the game with the Wolverine offensive line driving Jackson defenders off the ball and Martin picking up steady gains of four to seven yards on most plays. The drive came to an end with a Martin fumble at the Jackson 43-yard line.
Jackson went to the air with quarterback Ace Emery connecting with Cameron Bizer on a long strike inside the 15-yard line. Riverton defenders Nick Hendry and Aaron Hutchison knocked the ball loose, with Hutchison recovering it at the eight-yard line.
The turnover led to a long, sustained Riverton drive culminating in a two-yard scoring run by Martin after an 11-play drive.
Jackson went back to the air, and two minutes later former Dubois standout Cooper Kintzler caught a pass in the right flat, then burst past the Riverton defense on a 44-yard catch and run. The ensuing point-after kick tied the game at 7-7.
“I give a lot of credit to Jackson,” Lenhardt said. “Give that quarterback credit, he threw some great balls.”
The Wolverines scored an apparent touchdown with 1:27 remaining in the half on a 30-yard pass from Cameron Vincent to Hutchison, but it was called back on an ineligible man downfield penalty. Riverton had three of those in the game.
The half ended with the game tied at 7.
Penalties continued to stymie the Wolverine offense in the second half.
Jackson scored again on another long pass play, this one covering 64 yards from Emery to Jake Simmons.
Jackson’s third touchdown came after a high snap that sailed over Brayden Terry’s head on a punt attempt. The Broncs made the short 20-yard drive in five plays, capped by a Carson Bizer two-yard run for a 21-7 Jackson lead with one second remaining in the third period.
Riverton cut the margin to a single score on their first passing touchdown of the season. Kamen Miller caught a 21-yard scoring pass from Vincent with 10:38 remaining in the game.
That was as close as the Wolverines would come. Jackson scored two more times, both on one-yard runs by Kintzler.
“We have some flaws. We have to work like crazy to address them. Sometimes the only way to learn is to get your butt kicked,” Lenhardt said. “We’re going to work hard to fix it.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Riverton as they host second-ranked and unbeaten Cody next Friday.
RIVERTON 0 7 0 7 – 14
JACKSON 0 7 14 14 – 35
Second Quarter
RIV – Brayden Martin 2-run (Brayden Terry kick) 8:16
JAC – Cooper Kintzler 44-pass from Ace Emery (Alexi Balog kick) 6:03
Third Quarter
JAC – Jake Simmons 64-pass from Emery (Balog kick) 5:51
JAC – Carson Bizer 2-run (Balog Kick) :01
Fourth Quarter
RIV – Kamen Miller 21-pass from Cameron Vincent (Terry kick) 10:38
JAC – Kintzler 1-run (Balog kick) 5:21
JAC – Kintzler 1-run (Balog kick) 1:13