CASPER — In their final regular-season game, the Rock Springs Tigers fell short on the road against Kelly Walsh, finishing with a 22-15 loss and securing the No. 7 seed for the upcoming state playoffs. After a promising start, the Tigers struggled to maintain momentum against a resilient Kelly Walsh team.
Rock Springs opened scoring late in the first quarter when Ben Fowler found the end zone on a 20-yard run, giving the Tigers a 7-0 lead with just under three minutes left in the first. However, Kelly Walsh responded in the second quarter, scoring 22 unanswered points to take control of the game. At halftime, Rock Springs faced a daunting 22-7 deficit.
Rock Springs High School sports coverage is brought to you by these amazing sponsors:
Despite the setback, the Tigers’ defense held strong in the second half, preventing Kelly Walsh from scoring again. Rock Springs managed to cut into the deficit in the fourth quarter with a 4-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion, bringing the score to 22-15 with over eight minutes remaining. However, their comeback attempt ultimately fell short, and the score remained unchanged as time expired.
The Tigers were led in rushing by Fowler who had 102 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown. Thornhill had 72 yards on 20 attempts, Jernee Padilla gave the team a solid burst with 31 yards on two carries. In the air, Logan Condie had two completions for 43 yards. 41 of those yards came from Andre Hilton.
The Tigers’ loss places them in the seventh seed, setting up a tough first-round playoff matchup on the road next week against Campbell County, the No. 2 seed, in Gillette.
