ROCK SPRINGS — After taking a step backward in the win column in 2025, the Rock Springs Tigers believe they have the foundation in place to compete for a playoff berth this fall.

Head coach Kasey Koepplin enters his third season leading the program as Rock Springs prepares to open official fall practice Monday, Aug. 10. The Tigers will then have just under three weeks to prepare for their season opener against defending Class 4A state champion Sheridan on Friday, Aug. 28, at Tiger Stadium.

Rock Springs fielded one of Class 4A’s top defenses throughout the season, consistently keeping games within reach against some of Wyoming’s best teams. The Tigers held eventual state champion Sheridan to just 14 points in what became the Broncs’ lowest-scoring game in five years.

The challenge came on the other side of the ball.

Rock Springs averaged just 11.2 points per game in 2025, the program’s lowest scoring average since the 2013 season, when the Tigers averaged 8.5 points per contest. Improving offensive production while maintaining one of the state’s better defenses will likely determine whether the Tigers can return to postseason play.

“Our goal heading into the offseason and now the season is to return to the playoffs and the bonus ball that includes,” Koepplin said.

Although the Tigers graduated several key defensive contributors, including star defensive backs Cammeron Blake and Santiago Cruz, Koepplin believes the next group is ready to step in.

“So far the combination of guys we have worked through there have looked like they are up to the task of filling those roles for us this up coming season,” he said.

Rock Springs returns plenty of experience in key areas, particularly at linebacker.

“I think our offensive backfield is one of our strongest positions, considering both depth and talent,” Koepplin said. “Defensively we return three starting linebackers who all received some form of all conference recognition last year. It is no surprise that a few of those players cross over into both groups.”

The Tigers bring back several All-Conference players from last season, including First Team selections Boston James at running back and at-large defense, Jernee Padilla on the defensive line and Kaleb Praytor at linebacker. James also earned Second Team honors at linebacker, while Carter Gard returns next to him on defense after receiving Honorable Mention recognition.

Koepplin has also been encouraged by what he has seen from the team’s commitment throughout the offseason.

“The entire group committed to showing up consistently this summer starting with team camp and carrying their efforts through our summer program,” Koepplin said. “We finished our testing work last week with a lot of improvements both in their field testing and the weight room. As we move into the season we look to maintain that momentum and attitude in the weight room and on the field.”

Depth has also been an emphasis for the program. Koepplin said the Tigers have seen encouraging numbers entering the season.

“We have a pretty large freshman class coming in from what we had at our signing day event,” he said. “The goal has been to get more freshmen out for football in an effort to grow our roster. We also have a number of underclassmen who got valuable varsity work last year who I look forward to taking on larger roles this season.”

While some sophomores could compete for varsity playing time, Koepplin said competition during fall camp will determine those roles.

“Until we get going and really get into fall camp we won’t know anything for certain as there stands to be a lot of competition those first few weeks,” he said.

Koepplin described this year’s senior class with one word: “Diverse.”

“We have players who play in all three phases of the game, who contribute in various ways, and who pay multiple positions carrying multiple assignments,” he said.

The Tigers open the season at home against Sheridan, renewing a matchup that nearly produced one of the biggest upsets in Wyoming last fall. Rock Springs held the defending champions scoreless over the final three quarters before falling 14-6.

Koepplin expects a different challenge this season despite last year’s close contest.

“We absolutely look forward to kicking off the season at home,” he said. “Coming into that first game we want our base work set, consistent execution, and as much fine-tuning done as possible heading into game one. That was a very exciting game last year, and we have been using our film study to see what we executed well that might carry over. Regardless, both teams are different now, and we have to have our 2026 squad ready to compete.”

The Tigers know every week will matter in Wyoming’s balanced Class 4A race.

“I think my answer to this has been the same each year: really, all of them,” Koepplin said when asked which games stand out. “With our schedule from Week 1 to Week 9, every game matters for seeding and playoff opportunities. The last two years when we played Kelly Walsh provide the best evidence of that. I think the parity in 4A makes each week that important, and ultimately we need to work on competing consistently throughout that schedule week to week.”

That consistency is something Rock Springs showed defensively throughout much of last season. The Tigers closed the year with a 15-13 loss to Kelly Walsh after driving for a late touchdown and coming up inches short of a potential game-tying two-point conversion. They also gave eventual state champion Sheridan one of its closest games during another title run.

Koepplin hopes the Tigers can build on that momentum while continuing to benefit from one of Class 4A’s strongest home environments.

“Since I arrived here the community support has been absolutely great,” he said. “I think we have a great home atmosphere at Tiger Stadium, and the fans are a big part of that. Last season it seemed as though we always had a large crowd there to support our kids. We definitely appreciate their commitment and support of Tiger Football, and we plan to give them more to cheer about in the upcoming season.”

If Rock Springs can find more consistency offensively to complement a defense that proved it could compete with the state’s elite teams, the Tigers believe they can take a significant step forward in 2026 and return to the Class 4A playoffs.