As the weather changes for the worse, the high school football season only gets better. This year has certainly been a dramatic season for both the Rock Springs Tigers and Farson-Eden Pronghorns.
With both teams playing in the first round today, I thought I’d get you a quick and easy read with everything you need to know before today’s games begin.
Rock Springs High School
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Rock Springs Tigers vs Cheyenne Central Indians
The Rock Springs Tigers travel to Cheyenne to take on the red-hot Central Indians who have been one of the best teams in 4A this season. Weather for this game will be cold, but wind doesn’t appear to have a say in the forecast. Kickoff for this entertaining matchup is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
In their previous matchup, the Tigers lost at home to the Indians 36-29. Missed opportunities hurt Rock Springs and gave Central their first win of the year.
Rock Springs has proven that they can compete with any team in 4A over the course of the season. However, the Tigers have also proven that they can’t put together four quarters of football against top teams. If you’ve followed the Tigers over the last couple of weeks, you’ll recall that they’ve had a few heartbreaking performances.
The key for the Tigers lies within the trenches. In their previous matchup, the Tigers had great success on both the offensive and defensive lines. The good news for Rock Springs is that they still have a better offensive and defensive line going into this game.
On the flip side, Rock Springs maintained their status as one of the best defenses in 4A football. The Tigers finished the regular season with a first-ranked pass defense and second-best overall defense. Central loves to throw the ball and the Tigers’ secondary will be busy tonight. Controlling third down and getting to the quarterback has to be a focus for Rock Springs.
In short, my keys to unlocking the first playoff win for Rock Springs will be to establish the run game early, dominate third down and put pressure on the quarterback.
Farson-Eden Pronghorns vs Hulett Red Devils
Farson-Eden will travel to take on Hulett this afternoon. Weather will be cloudy with mild winds. Kickoff for the game is set for 12:00 p.m.
The Pronghorns ended the season on a high note in a victory last week against St. Stephens after suffering back-to-back losses.
The defending state champs have their work cut out for them against the Red Devils this afternoon. Hulett finished the regular season with a record of 7-1 — their only loss coming from HEM, the best team in six-man football.
Unfortunately, Hulett doesn’t believe in reporting statistics, so getting an accurate read on who the Red Devils really are isn’t possible through statistics. However, their record speaks for itself and this is a very good football team.
The major focus for the Pronghorns will be their defense as that has been their strong point all season long. Farson finished the regular season with the second-best defense in six-man football. Considering the fact that the Pronghorns are giving up an average of 30.7 points-per-game, the defense will need to step up against a team that can quickly put points on the board.
As much as I wish I had more information to share with you about the Pronghorns’ first-round matchup, all you need to know is that the Pronghorns defense is going to have to get the job done to push them towards another championship title.
Best of luck to both teams today!
Brayden is a sports and community reporter for SweetwaterNOW. You can submit comments, questions or ideas regarding Sweetwater County sports to brayden@sweetwaternow.com.
