SWEETWATER COUNTY — Sweetwater County’s soccer teams hit the halfway point of the Class 4A West season this weekend with a full slate of games against Kelly Walsh and Natrona County. While both Green River and Rock Springs found some success, the weekend results highlighted areas to build on as the conference race heats up.
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Boys Recap: Tigers Roll Over NC, Wolves Split
Rock Springs earned a split in their two-match home stand. The Tigers fell to No. 3 Kelly Walsh 5-1 on Friday, with Trojan forward Brandon Gonzales netting a first-half hat trick to set the tone. But Rock Springs quickly turned the page on Saturday, overwhelming Natrona County 8-2. Azra Moses scored twice, Mark Hamilton had a pair of goals, and Alex Herrera exploded for a second-half hat trick to seal the victory.
Green River also split their weekend, but in the opposite order. The Wolves opened strong with a 4-1 win over Natrona on Friday. Irie Kuball opened the scoring early, Braxton Doak added two second-half goals, and Gavin Mares cashed in a penalty kick to cap a strong team effort. The Wolves’ defense held Natrona to a lone goal in the final seconds.
Saturday, however, was a different story. Green River ran into a buzzsaw in Kelly Walsh, falling 8-1 at home. The Trojans’ offense proved relentless, and the Wolves couldn’t keep pace despite a hard-fought effort.
Girls Recap: Green River Battles, Rock Springs Shut Out
Green River’s girls were tested heavily this weekend and came away with a pair of tough losses. On Friday, they dropped a close 4-3 match to Natrona County despite a brace from Isa Vasco and a goal from Brookelyn Phillips. Vasco tied the game at 1-1 on a penalty kick, assisted Phillips early in the second half, and later added a goal to make it 4-3. But the Lady Wolves couldn’t find the equalizer in the final stretch.
Things didn’t get any easier Saturday against top-ranked Kelly Walsh. The Lady Trojans overwhelmed Green River with a 9-3 win, handing the Wolves their second straight conference loss after entering the weekend near the top of the standings.
Rock Springs struggled to get their offense going in either game, losing 3-0 to Kelly Walsh on Friday and 4-0 to Natrona on Saturday. The Lady Tigers held strong defensively in both games but couldn’t turn their opportunities into points on offense.
Midseason Snapshot
With the season at its midpoint, Rock Springs’ boys sit at 5-2. Green River’s boys are still in the mix at 3-3-1.
On the girls’ side, Green River stands at 4-3. Rock Springs sits at 2-5 as they continue to look for consistency in the second half of the schedule.
