LARAMIE — In their first road win of the year, the Rock Springs Tigers’ passing attack proved too much for the Laramie Plainsmen on Friday night in a 21-14 victory.
Now on a two-game win streak, Rock Springs faces off at home against Cheyenne Central for their final game of the regular season.
Here’s tonight’s postgame thoughts.
Rock Springs High School sports coverage is brought to you by these amazing sponsors:
Explosive Plays Made the Difference
Establishing the run is typically an important part of winning a football game, however, the Tigers struggled to run the ball in tonight’s win and instead relied on airing the ball out for explosive plays.
Laramie ran the ball effectively, but they lacked the explosive plays that could get them ahead in this game. When they did have a big play, either a turnover or penalty ruined the drive. We can also give a lot of credit to the Tigers’ secondary which held up well and got their hands on a lot of throws.
The Tigers have in my mind solidified an identity as a dangerous team here late in the season in part to their passing attack and getting the ball to their best players in space. Explosive plays have been the key ingredient in the three wins for the team this year, and they’ll need to continue producing those big plays next week and into the postseason.
In addition, my other takeaway tonight was the team’s composure. Rock Springs didn’t pick up a first down until about halfway through the second quarter. That’s a tough spot to be in when things aren’t going your way. But as we’ve seen time and time again this season, the squad’s composure stayed intact and eventually they found a rhythm.
Flack’s Game Ball 🏈
Quarterback Michael Faigl gets his second game ball of the season after a solid performance.
After a very slow start for the Tigers offensively, Faigl put the team on his back late in the first half and delivered a really impressive throw for a touchdown to tie the game up at halftime.
That momentum continued in the second half as Faigl continued to rely on using his feet to extend plays and his big arm down to get the ball down the field. Faigl ended the night with three passing touchdowns and another victory for the Tigers. His approach to the quarterback position is fun to watch and when he’s on point he’s difficult to stop.
Keep balling out kid!
– Flack
Finishing With a Win
As I’ve written the past few weeks, momentum is everything in this game and the Tigers have so far taken advantage of the opportunities that they have faced the past two games.
Next week Rock Springs will have a great opportunity against Cheyenne Central at home before heading into the postseason. This team has an identity and it’s easy to see how this win streak is impacting their confidence.
Be sure to come out next week for the final home game of the season. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at Tiger Stadium. And if you can’t make the game, you can always catch the livestream of the game on TRN Sports YouTube.
