EVANSTON – The Green River Wolves fell short against the Evanston Red Devils on Friday night, losing 32-7 in their first conference matchup of the season. Evanston’s strong rushing attack and a series of missed opportunities in the red zone proved costly for Green River, as the Red Devils controlled the game from start to finish.
Evanston took an early lead and never looked back, going up 7-0 by the end of the first quarter. Green River came out strong on their first two offensive drives, making it inside Evanston’s five-yard line each time. However, the Wolves decided to go for it on fourth down on both occasions, and Evanston’s defense held, denying Green River any points.
By halftime, Evanston extended their lead to 17-0, capitalizing on Green River’s inability to finish drives. The Red Devils added another touchdown in the third quarter to make it 25-0.
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Green River’s lone touchdown came late in the fourth quarter, with 1:43 left in the game. Dax Taylor turned a jet sweep into a four-yard touchdown run, and after the successful PAT, the Wolves got on the board, making it 32-7, which held as the final score.
Quarterback Max Hintz led the Wolves, completing 16 of 29 passes for 115 yards. He also had 15 carries for 110 rushing yards, displaying his dual-threat abilities. Taylor added two carries for nine yards and the lone touchdown while also catching seven passes for 36 yards. Hunter Lake had three catches for 29 yards.
Evanston’s Brayden Wallace was the star of the game, rushing for 197 yards, while the Red Devils collectively rushed for over 300 yards, highlighting their dominance on the ground.
Despite the score, Green River showed discipline, committing only three penalties compared to Evanston’s twelve. Max Hintz was named TRN Media’s Offensive Player of the Game, and Zach Dalton earned Defensive Player of the Game honors for his solid play on the defensive side.
After the game, Green River head coach Blaine Christensen spoke to TRN Media’s Erick Pauley about the team’s struggles in the red zone. “I feel like our kids all year, when things get tough, they respond well,” Christensen said. “I felt like when we got down there on the goal line and it wasn’t easy to run the football, we weren’t moving guys, and we had four plays to get six feet. We needed two yards, and it would have been a 14-17 game at half. I challenged the guys at halftime to play hard, and I thought they played hard in the second half, but we’re just continually sick of losing.”
Christensen emphasized the need for improvement in the weight room. “I’m sick of not winning, the kids are sick of not winning. I know this town is sick of not winning, so we’ve got to figure something out. I think our scheme is working, we’re moving the ball up and down the field, but what it ultimately comes down to is we’ve got to fix our weight room problem in Green River.”
He also praised some of his players, highlighting Hintz and the offensive line. “Maddux is a really good quarterback, and anyone who doesn’t think that clearly isn’t watching our games. He does a really good job. And our o-line has done a phenomenal job. Compared to last year, they’re miles ahead. You see us gashing teams on runs; we just have to finish drives.”
On defense, Christensen had high praise for Zach Dalton. “Zach Dalton has been a star for us this year. He was a d-lineman and offensive lineman, and he’s a little undersized for that. He’s a great wrestler from a wrestling family, so we put him at linebacker. He’s an aggressive kid, and I think he’s done a really good job for us.”
Christensen concluded, “I’m a competitor, and I want to win.”
The Wolves will look to bounce back as they continue their conference schedule next week as they host Jackson for Senior Night, hoping to turn their hard work into wins.
