(Shoshoni, WY) – The Wranglers took the field for the final time this season hosting the fourth seeded Saratoga Panthers at Bailey Field Friday afternoon in Shoshoni. In and back-and-forth, defensive battle, the Panthers advanced to the semi-finals next Friday in Pine Bluffs with a 22-20 come-from-behind win over the Wranglers.
The game was a series of three-and-out offensive drives, accentuated by breakaway plays.
The first period opened with five punts exchanged between the two teams.
The Panthers took the first break in the game, blocking a Morgan Neal punt and recovering the ball on the Wrangler 15-yard line.
Solid Shoshoni defense, and a holding penalty backed the Panthers up and they turned the ball over on downs at the 25 with 2:23 remaining in the opening period.
The Wranglers turned the ball over again on the second play of the series and Saratoga recovered the fumble at the 10-yard line.
Senior Quinton Clark ended the threat, intercepting Saratoga’s Jace Westring and returning the ball to mid field.
Carson Kisling broke the scoring drought on a sweep left, with a couple of cutbacks, and spin moves before diving into the endzone on a 46-yard run with 5:43 left in the half. The conversion kick was wide and the Wranglers led 6-0.
Saratoga scored on a long pass from Westring to Hazen Williams with just over a minute left in the second period and took the lead on a conversion catch by Griffin Bartlett from Westring.
The lead didn’t last long as Clark took a short pass from Braxton Mills and turned it into a 69-yard touchdown. Oakley Hicks made a leaping catch for the conversion and Shoshoni took a 14-8 lead into the half.
A scoreless third period featured a shower of penalty flags by the game officials and neither team could move the ball inside the opposing 35-yard line.
Saratoga threatened once late in the third but Hicks broke up a fourth-down pass attempt and the Wranglers stopped the drive.
Mills connected with Clark again on a crossing route and the 6-2 senior took the ball to the 27-yard line.
The Wranglers have had success with Morgan Neal throwing halfback passes this season, but Saratoga scouted the play well.
Clark took the ball in the right flat trying to hit Clark but Bartlett stepped in front of it, intercepting the ball at the six-yard line and returned it to the 40.
Seven plays later, Westring connected with freshman Dusty Williams for a 13-yard go-ahead score with 10:18 remaining in the game.
The Wranglers came back quickly on a 63-yard run by Wiley Hegwer to the two-yard line. They lost yardage but a blatant facemask penalty on Saratoga moved the ball back to the two and Landon Kasper scored on a two-yard plunge. The conversion pass failed and the Wranglers held a tenuous 20-16 lead with 9:18 left in the game.
Saratoga methodically advanced toward the end zone on a 10-play drive, that ate up the clock, capping the effort on a one-yard touchdown by Hazen Williams.
Shoshoni moved quickly on offense, but three incompletions left them facing a fourth-and-10 with just 47 seconds left in the game.
Neal caught a 14-yard pass from Mills to keep the drive alive but on the ensuing play, a middle screen attempt to Kisling, Saratoga’s defensive tackle Newt Williams read the play, and intercepted the ball.
The Panthers took two snaps in victory formation and the game was over.
The Wranglers were much improved this season under head coach Tony Truempler with a final record of 6-3. Two of those three loses came from the East 1-A 9-man conference.
SHOSHONI 0 14 8 6 – 20
SARATOGA 0 8 0 14 22
Second Quarter
SHO – Carson Kisling 46-run (kick failed) 5:43
SAR -Hazen Williams 20-pass from Jace Westring (Griffin Bartlett from Westring) 1:05
SHO – Quinton Clark 69-pass from Braxton Mills (Oakley Hick from Mills) :46
Fourth Quarter
SAR – Dusty Williams 13-pass from Westring (Burris Berger from Westring) 10:18
SHO – Landon Kasper 2-run (pass failed) 9:18
SAR – Williams 1-run (pass failed) 1:14