(Riverton, WY) – Riverton dominated the visiting Powell Panthers Friday Night 52-14 in a zero-week contest. While the Wolverine offense was in high gear, their defense was equally or perhaps more impressive.
They held the Panthers to a single first down in the opening half. The varsity unit yielded just one score, an 81-yard pass and run.
It took Riverton just 1:52 to score their first touchdown. Clay Sheets ran a route designed to pull the outside linebacker off the edge but he didn’t bite and stayed home. Head coach Mark Lenhardt took the message from assistant Corte McGuffey up in the booth to run the play again.
“On the first play we ran quarterback draw, we noticed when we motioned Vincent out, nobody took Clay,” Lenhardt said.
This time, Sheets ran a dig from his slotback position, and quarterback Blake Gantenbein hit him in stride for a 46-yard touchdown.
Clay Sheets on the game’s first score – h/t Randy Tucker
Gantenbein had a solid effort at quarterback, hitting 14 or 19 for 234 yards.
“He made a couple of really good throws on his back foot,” Lenhardt said.
Hunter Saltsgaver converted the kick, the first of many for the talented running back and place kicker. Saltsgaver was perfect in eight kicks, seven conversion kicks and a field goal as the opening half ended.
“Hunter is one of the best kickers in the state, he’s headed to Casper College for soccer next year,” Lenhardt said. “When you can make people start on their own 20, that’s a big weapon.”
Just over a minute after their first score, Saltsgaver broke open on a 35-yard scamper for a 14-0 Riverton lead.
It took the Wolverine seven minutes for their final touchdown of the opening period, a five-yard drag by Sheets from Gantenbein.
Leading 21-0 early in the second period, Riverton went to a power game, and Brayden Martin looked like Moses crossing the Red Sea as the Wolverine line opened a gaping hole for a five-yard score and a 28-0 lead.
Powell was three-and-out on every possession until only a minute remained in the half, but they found the endzone on an 81-yard bomb from Karcher Foley to Rowan Diaz.
Powell senior, Ivy Agge, a girl with a strong leg, hit the conversion and kicked to inside the five on her three kickoffs.
Kaiden Arnold caught a 27-yard pass from Gantenbein for a 35-7 lead with 6:02 left in the half, then Riverton scored twice more, the first time on a three-yard Saltsgaver run, and the second on a 26-yard field goal by Saltsgaver as time expired.
Leading 45-7 at the half, the Wolverines put the running clock in play via the 45-point rule with 2:26 remaining in the third when Camden Heil for a 20-yard touchdown run and a 52-7 lead.
Powell scored late in the game against Riverton reserves for the 52-14 final score.
Riverton entertains traditional Class 3-A powerhouse Cody next Friday in non-conference action. 
“I thought our guys came out and played really well, we got away with a couple of things we know we won’t get away with this week against Cody,” Lenhardt said. “We need to cut down on penalties against Cody. A lot of it is technique. We have to improve our technique by blocking out of the wide receiver spot.”
A Friday Night in America – h/t Randy Tucker
First Quarter
RIV – Clay Sheets 46-pass from Blake Gantenbein (Hunter Saltsgaver kick) 10:08
RIV – Saltsgaver 35-run (Saltsgaver kick) 9:00
RIV – Sheets 5-pass from Gantenbein (Saltsgaver kick) 1:52
Second quarter
RIV – Brayden Martin 5-run (Saltsgaver kick) 9:39
POW – Rowan Diaz 81-pass from Karcher Foley (Ivy Agee kick) 8:23
RIV – Kaiden Arnold 27-pass from Gantenbein (Saltsgaver kick) 6:02
RIV – Saltsgaver 3-run (Saltsgaver kick) 1:04
RIV – Saltsgaver 26-field goal :00
Third Quarter
RIV – Camden Heil 20-run (Saltsgaver kick) 2:26
Fourth Quarter
POW – Pratt Wambeke 29-pass from Foley (Agee kick) 5:12