GREEN RIVER — The Green River Hall of Fame is inducting its 2024 class this weekend, which includes two individuals and two teams from 2004.

The induction banquet will be Saturday, and the class will also be introduced during halftime at the Green River High School football game against the Rawlins Outlaws Friday night.

The inductees are Bob Maddox, Richard Smith, the 2004 Green River High School football team, and the 2004-05 GRHS cheer team. 

Bob Maddox

Bob Maddox graduated from Custer High School in 1959. He started his college career in the fall of that year. He attended Black Hills State for two years at which time he took two years off. Bob married Laurie in 1961 and in the fall of 1963 he continued college and graduated in 1965 with his teaching degree. He accepted a position as a junior high English teacher at Monroe School which he continued to do for 35 years. Bob loved teaching and became lifelong friends with a number of students he taught.

For two years he was transferred to Lincoln High school. During this time, he accepted a position as assistant seventh grade boys basketball coach. In 1986 he transferred back to Monroe where he continued to teach until 2000. During this time, he became head coach of seventh grade boys basketball and head coach of eighth grade girl’s basketball. He continued to coach these two teams for two years after he retired from teaching. He coached for 22 years.

Bob was instrumental in the creation of the Green River High School Hall of Fame from its inception in 2009 until his death in 2023. He helped not only with the selection committee but also many aspects of the Hall of Fame.

Bob was not only a teacher to many, but he was also a loving and caring father of his three children, Bret, Tracy, and Tammy, along with seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.  At this time of death, he had been married to his loving wife Laurie for 61 years.

Richard Smith

Richard Smith graduated from GRHS in 1976. During his high school years he played on the Wolves basketball team. In 1975 the Wolves brought home conference, regional, and state honors and in 1976 they were conference and regional champions and state runner up. Richard gained two regional all-tournament, two state all-tournament, two Associated Press all-state and two most valuable player by the Associated Press. In 1975 he averaged 18 points per game and in 1976 he averaged 28 points per game. He led all scorers in the state tournament in 1976 with 91 points. Richard also set a game scoring record of 45 points for GRHS. 

In 1976 he signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Weber State University Wildcats and played in the first Montana vs Wyoming NCAA Prep All-Star game that same year. Richard played four years of basketball for the Wildcats from 1976-1980. Under head coach Neal McCarthy, Smith helped lead the Wildcats to two Big Sky titles, three Big Sky tournament titles and three trips to the NCAA tournament. He came to Weber State as a freshman for the 1976-77 season. The seven-foot center was joined that year by three other freshmen: Bruce Collins from Rock Springs, David Johnson from Loomis, California, and Mark Mattos from Santa Barbara, California. Those four players who would become known as McCarthy’s Kids.

As a sophomore in 1977-78 he averaged 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as Weber State moved into the brand new 11,500 seat event center. As a junior in 1978-79, Smith started in all 34 games and averaged 14.4 points led the team in rebounding and field goal percentage. The Cats finished 25 and 9, won the conference title and again advanced to the NCAA tournament. McCarthy’s kids became seniors for the 1979-80 season, one of the best seasons in Weber State history. The Wildcats finished 26 and 3. Weber State had an 18 game winning streak during the season and had set a school record. They were ranked as high as 15th in the nation in the AP Polls, and advanced at the NCAA tournament in the Dee Event Center. Smith started all 29 games as a senior and averaged 11.6 points and a team best of seven rebounds per game that season. For his career he played in 109 games for the Wildcats. He earned 1st-team Big Sky Honors as a junior and second team honors as a senior. During his four years, the Wildcats posted a 90 and 30 overall record.  

In 2013 he was named to the Weber State 50th Anniversary Team along with his McCarthy Kids teammates, and in 2016 was inducted into the Weber State Hall of Fame. Smith was drafted in the seventh round of the 1980 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. That same year he signed a two-year contract to play professionally in Australia for Launceston Casino City. In 1981, Launceston Casino City won the first Australian National Basketball League Championship.

After his basketball career Smith graduated in 1985 from Weber State with a BS degree in Environmental Geology and a minor in Chemistry. He worked until 2022 when he retired from Bayer in Soda Springs, Idaho, and is now living in Lava Hot Springs with his wife Colleen.

2004 Football Team

The 2004 Green River Wolves football team had high expectations. The previous season was a huge success after the Wolves finished the season 8-2 after a state semifinal loss to eventual state champion Casper Natrona. GRHS had several key players returning for the 2004 season.

When the preseason polls came out prior to the start of the season, the Wolves were ranked second behind the defending state champs, Natrona Mustangs. It would take just one week for the Wolves to take over the top spot and stay there the rest of the way.

Green River opened the season on the road at longtime rival Evanston, winning 40-7. Natrona lost in week 1, and the Wolves took over the No. 1 ranking in the Wyopreps.com coaches media football poll and would remain there for the entire season.

Wolves continued to beat the upcoming teams during the season: Cody Broncs 48-0, Sheridan Broncs 32-7, Trona Bowl against Rock Springs 42-2, Cheyenne East 44-0, Cheyenne Central 41-14.

The Wolves would play their final two games of the season on the road, at Star Valley and at Laramie. The Wolves got a win with Star Valley 45-6 and defeated the Plainsmen 48-0.

Then it was off to the playoffs. Green River drew the Rock Springs Tigers at a home game, beating them 27-7. The following week, the Wolves would host the Riverton Wolverines, prevailing 24-21, and would head to the state championship game for the first time since 1976.

The state championship game would be in Casper and would give the Wolves a chance to avenge the semi-final loss to Natrona in the previous season. Natrona had won 20 straight games against Wyoming teams and had won 30 straight home games.

The Wolves would jump out to a 17-0 lead at halftime following two big plays — a Lyndon Schmidt pick-6 and an 89-yard run from Casey Cutler. Jacob Bosh would add a field goal in the third, and after four Nick Mamalis interceptions, the Wolves won the state championship 20-0.

2004-05 Cheer Team

Led by head coach Tim Chilcott and assistant coaches Careea Collins and Kerri Galea, the 2004-05 cheer team earned the 2005 state championship win.

After cheering the 2004 5A undefeated Green River football team to their championship, the cheer team composed of seniors Ashley Drane, Kaylee Johnston, Ashlee Dean, Natalie Castillon, Cayla Gomez, Kayla Rider, Amber Brady, Michelle Harris, Emily Hoops, Lindsey Paxton; juniors Tiffany Antila, Laura Chilcott, Talia Sanders, Leticia Upwall, Courtney Wagner, Destry Van Wagner; sophomores Samantha Fischbach, Krystal Mounteer; and freshman Brianna Dodd, started their journey of preparing for the 4A Wyoming State Spirit Championships. Putting in practices of up to 20 hours a week, sometimes including all day Saturdays, these cheerleaders put in the effort for their goal of being the best in the state. In their preparation for the state championships, they put together three routines, but ultimately only participated in two routines; the all-girl cheer stunt and the all-girl cheer non-stunt events.

At the Wyoming State Spirit Championships in the year of 2005, there were three different categories for teams to participate in: all-girl cheer non-stunt, all-girl cheer stunt, and coed cheer stunt. To determine the Overall State Spirit Champion Team, a team’s best two events scored would be tallied for a final score: first given 10 points, second given eight points and third given seven points. Green River debuted in the all-girl cheer non-stunt category and finalized the deal in the all-girl cheer stunt event. 

After each team had performed, all cheer teams were called onto the floor of the Events Center for the announcement of the winners. The GRHS team secured the cheer non-stunt division with a score of 255 points, ahead of Riverton with 244 points, and Cheyenne Central with 238 points. In the cheer stunt division, the girls from Green River were first with a score of 260 points, second place going to Cheyenne Central with a score of 225 points, followed by Evanston in third with a score of 216 points. The Lady Wolves received 10 points for each win and took the overall title of 4A Overall State Championship Cheer Squad with an overall total of 20 points, followed by Cheyenne Central with an overall total of 18 points.