ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs Tigers will look to bounce back from a difficult opening night when they travel to Laramie on Friday to face the Plainsmen.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with TRN Media’s pregame coverage beginning at 5 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on 97.9 FM KZWB, with Keith Trujillo providing play-by-play and Jayson Klepper on color commentary. TRN Media will also provide a free live HD video stream on SweetwaterNOW’s Facebook page.
Rock Springs enters the matchup 0-1 after opening the season against defending Class 4A state champion Sheridan. The Broncs pulled away for a 54-10 victory, extending their Wyoming-record winning streak to 56 games.
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Despite the final score, the Tigers showed several encouraging signs, particularly as the game progressed. Rock Springs finished with 236 yards of total offense against Sheridan, including 198 yards on the ground. Kaleb Praytor led the Tigers with 91 rushing yards on six carries, while Boston James added 57 yards on 11 carries and Jernee Padilla had 45 yards on 10 attempts. The Tigers produced several chunk plays in the run game, including a 68-yard touchdown run by Praytor in the fourth quarter that provided Rock Springs with its first touchdown of the season.
The Tigers will be looking for a faster start offensively. Rock Springs struggled to move the ball early against Sheridan, going through its first three offensive possessions without recording a first down. The offense eventually found a rhythm, putting together a long scoring drive late in the first half before continuing to show flashes after halftime. Rock Springs will need to find that rhythm earlier against Laramie.
Defensively, the Tigers also showed reasons for optimism despite Sheridan’s success on the ground. Rock Springs recovered two fumbles and generated pressure in the pass rush.
The Laramie Plainsmen opened their season last week with a 34-13 loss to Natrona County. Like Rock Springs, Laramie enters Friday’s game looking for its first victory of the season. With both teams coming off losses, Friday provides an early opportunity for one program to move to .500 while gaining its first conference victory of the season.
For Rock Springs, the goal will be to carry the positives from its matchup with Sheridan into a more competitive start against Laramie.
