CHEYENNE — The scoreboard showed a 52-13 loss for the Rock Springs Tigers on Friday night, but the Tigers showed the kind of fight they will look to carry into Homecoming Week.
Rock Springs entered the road matchup against the Cheyenne Central Indians without two of its key senior leaders. Quarterback Kason Cahill and leading rusher Boston James were both unavailable, leaving the Tigers without two important contributors on both sides of the ball.
With those absences, Rock Springs leaned on familiar senior leaders such as Kaleb Praytor and Jernee Padilla while also turning to younger players, including junior quarterback Max Gard.
Central entered the game 3-2 and ranked No. 3 in Class 3A behind Natrona County and Sheridan. The Indians quickly established control, scoring 21 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 42-0 lead into halftime. Central continued to capitalize on opportunities throughout the first half. After scoring its third touchdown, the Indians recovered an onside kick, and Central later added an interception as the game continued to swing in its favor.
For Rock Springs, however, the circumstances never changed the effort. After Central added another touchdown early in the second half to make it 49-0, the Tigers finally got the break they had been working toward.
Praytor, who leads Class 4A in defensive points per game, was involved in a tackle on a Central ball carrier when he recognized another Rock Springs defender had the runner held up. Praytor took advantage of the opportunity, stripping the ball and racing 83 yards for a touchdown.
The defensive score gave the Tigers their first points of the night and provided a spark after spending much of the game battling against a Central team that had controlled the contest. Central turned to its backups from that point, but Rock Springs continued to compete.
The Tigers held the Indians to three points the rest of the way and added another touchdown of their own late in the fourth quarter. With less than a minute remaining, Padilla powered into the end zone from 1 yard out. The touchdown gave Rock Springs 13 points after the Tigers’ first extra-point attempt was blocked.
The final score did not reflect the effort Rock Springs showed throughout the night. The Tigers continued to play through the circumstances, remained engaged after Central built a large lead and finished the game still pushing for points.
Central finished with 260 rushing yards on 28 attempts and scored five rushing touchdowns as a team. Tyrone Richards led the Indians with 126 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Central also found success through the air despite throwing only 11 passes. Owen Woods completed eight of 10 attempts for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Rock Springs found much of its offensive production on the ground. Praytor led the Tigers with 90 yards on 20 carries, while Padilla added 62 yards on 11 carries and scored the Tigers’ final touchdown.
The loss dropped Rock Springs to 0-6, but the Tigers will not have to wait long for another opportunity. Homecoming Week arrives next, with the Tigers returning home to face the Cheyenne South Bison, who also enter the matchup at 0-6.
