(Shoshoni, WY) – It’s not often that you see three field goals kicked in a Class 1-A 9-man football game, but the Wranglers and Doggers are both blessed with solid kickers this season and it came down to a 46-yard attempt by Lingle Ft. Laramie Anthony Amusch with just 31 seconds remaining in the game Thursday night in Shoshoni.
The Lingle senior split the uprights with plenty of distance to lift the Doggers over the Wranglers 34-31 in a classic high school football game.
Shoshoni promptly shot themselves in the foot to open the game but played inspired football after that.
Amusch hit the end zone on every kickoff, setting the Wranglers at their own 20-yard line. On first down Shoshoni jumped, on second down a low snap sent junior quarterback Caden Kisling scrambling for the ball on a nine-yard loss. Forced to punt, the Doggers blocked Kisling’s punt with Lingle sophomore defensive tackle DeAnglo Gann scooping up the ball and scoring on a four-yard return.
The opening mishaps were forgotten as the Wranglers rolled on a 17-0 run to build a solid lead in the second period.
“We grew up, it was a grow-up game,” Shoshoni head coach Tony Truempler said. “We played really hard, you can’t spot a team six, that hurt us a little bit.”
Junior quarterback Kaden Kisling had a solid game through the air. He found a new receiver, fellow junior Brodie Shepard on mid-range, out routes behind the Lingle linebackers on four occasions, including a 19-yard touchdown halfway through the second period.
Anatomy of a “stiff arm” Caden Kisling – h/t Randy Tucker
Shoshoni’s first score came at the culmination of a long drive on an angry run by Kisling down the east sideline. He left Dogger defenders in his wake on a 10-yard power rumble into the end zone. Kolbe Brink added the conversion kick and the Wranglers had a 7-6 lead.
Shoshoni drove inside the 15 on their first drive of the second period, but penalties dropped them back to the 19. Brink came on and split the uprights with plenty of distance remaining on a 36-yard field goal that lifted the Wranglers to a 10-6 lead.
Shepard’s scoring catch made it 17-6 with 6:39 remaining in the opening half.
“We don’t play for the first three or four possessions, then we play,” Truempler said.
Lingle mounted a long drive capped by a 14-yard run from Colt Brown and a two-point conversion for a short-lived three-point difference.
After Amusch drove the ball into the end zone on the ensuing kick, Kisling found Oakley Hicks in the seam on a post pattern and the senior receiver did the rest on an 80-yard catch and run with 42 seconds left in the half.
Cameron Eder recovered a Lingle fumble on the ensuing kickoff at the 15, but Kisling’s pass was intercepted in the end zone by Amusch.
The Wrangler held a comfortable 24-14 advantage at intermission.
Lingle came out an inspired football team in the third period, driving inside the 20 before Carlos Murrafo sacked Cook, setting up a 46-yard field goal by Amusch.
Shoshoni went three and out with Lingle marching again. Despite a sack by Murrafo and Eder for a nine-yard loss that drove the Doggers back to the 24, Lingle scored again, this time on a 24-yard run by Colt Brown that tied the game at 24.
The Doggers scored again on a 63-yard pass from Cook to Brayden Posten to take the lead at 31-24.
“We put it on cruise control a little bit at halftime. Linge came out hungry and we didn’t wake up until we were tied,” Truempler said.
With momentum firmly in the visitors’ favor, Shoshoni mounted perhaps their best drive of the season so far with a 13-play, 80-yard march that featured off-tackle runs by Carson Kisling, inside runs by Shepard, and passes from Caden Kisling to Hicks and Shepard.
Kisling capped the drive on a one-yard plunge on fourth down to tie the game at 31.
Lingle picked up two first downs as the clock ticked away. Then, set up for a 51-yard field goal attempt, but Shoshoni jumped offsides. The extra five yards didn’t make much difference as Amusch drove the ball easily over the uprights for the game winner.
The Wranglers open West 1-A 9-man play at Greybull on Friday under the lights at 7 p.m.
SHOSHONI 7 17 0 7 – 31
LINGLE FT. LARAMIE 6 8 17 3 – 34
First Quarter
LFL – DeAnglo Gann 4-yard blocked punt return (kick failed) 10:38
SHO – Caden Kisling 10-run (Kolbe Brinks kick) 3:01
Second Quarter
SHO – Brink 36-field goal 10:13
SHO – Brodie Shepard 19-pass from Kisling (Brink kick) 6:39
LFL – Colt Brown 14-run (Nathan Lira pass from Brady Cook) :57
SHO – Oakley Hicks 80-pass from Kisling (Brink kick) :42
Third Quarter
LFL – Anthony Amusch 46-field goal 8:58
LFL – Brown 24-run (Amusch kick) 4:15
LFL – Brayden Posten 63-pass from Cook (Amusch kick) 1:38
Fourth Quarter
SHO – Kisling 1-run (Brink kick)
LFL – Amusch 46-field goal :31