(Dubois, WY) – If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Dubois Rams would have no luck at all.
Friday, the second-ranked Encampment Tigers came to the High Country in the Rams’ final home game of the season. Nothing seemed to go right for head coach Dan O’Brien and his 6-man team in a 64-14 runaway.
Encampment is a solid Class 1-A 6-man team that will give either Burlington or top-ranked Snake River trouble when the playoffs arrive in a few weeks.
Onside kicks have become the standard in 6-man football. Ahead, behind, or even, many teams never kick it deep. Encampment is one of those squads that goes to the onside early and often.
They opened the game with an onside kick, then repeated kicking onside the remainder of the game, on all 11 kicks.
It took two minutes for Encampment to score on their first possession, followed by another onside kick recovery. This time, it took just one play for Chase Brown to catch a 36-yard touchdown pass from Kannon Gilbert.
Without taking a snap, Dubois trailed 12-0.
The Rams had a brief spark when Dylan Chamley broke around the left side on a 41-yard touchdown run.
It was the catalyst they needed, holding the Tigers on four downs, before taking over the ball in good field position.
The hope of a tying score ended when quarterback Zander Hawkins was intercepted by Gilbert, who returned the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. It was Gilbert’s fifth “pick 6” of the season.
Trailing 19-6 at the end of the first, it didn’t get any better.
Encampment scored on two runs, a pair of passes, and a 65-yard fumble return after Korbyn Barkhurst ripped the ball away from Hawkins.
Dubois trailed 52-6 at the half. The running clock began with the third period kickoff.
Encampment has only 10 players on the roster. A sign of a black cloud over the Rams came in the final period with Encampment’s four reserves on the field.
On four consecutive plays, the snap sailed high over the quarterback but took a few fortuitous bounces and landed directly into the tailback’s hands.
The Rams added a final score on a 6-yard Dylan Wagner run. Wagner then kicked the two-point conversion.
Dubois is on the road at Casper Christian next week, then finishes the regular season at Farson.
A win at either location will get the Rams into the playoffs and likely a game in Big Horn County against Burlington. Two losses and it’s time to pack the trunk for another season.
DUBOIS 6 0 0 8 – 14
ENCAMPMENT 19 33 6 6 – 64
First Quarter
ENC – Raden Miller 4-pass from Chase Brown (Kannon Gilbert pass from Dashaal Baysinger) 8:00
ENC – Brown 36-pass from Gilbert (pass failed) 7:40
DUB – Dylan Chamley 41-run (kick failed) 6:24
ENC – Gilbert 42-interception return (kick failed) 4:09
Second Quarter
ENC – Gilbert 12-run (Baysinger kick) 9:53
ENC – Baysinger 7-pass from Gilbert (kick failed) 5:59
ENC – Korbyn Barkhurst 65-fumble return (Baysinger run) 5:18
ENC – Gilbert 22-run (kick failed) 4:39
ENC – Gilbert 31-pass from Brown (pass failed) 2:40
Third Quarter
ENC – Gilbert 15-run (run failed) 5:24
Fourth Quarter
DUB – Dylan Wagner 6-run (Wagner kick) 7:57
ENC – Baysinger 27-run (run failed) 2:17