CASPER — The Rock Springs Tigers struck first but ultimately couldn’t keep pace with the undefeated Sheridan Broncs, falling 49-12 in a game that had been moved to Natrona County High School due to poor air quality in Sheridan. The Tigers came out swinging, capitalizing on a first-play interception to take an early 10-0 lead, but Sheridan’s powerful offense responded, and by halftime, the defending state champions had taken control.
The game’s tone was set on the first play, when Rock Springs’ Santiago Cruz intercepted Sheridan quarterback Ty Gilbertson, returning the ball to the Tigers’ 15-yard line. Rock Springs turned the turnover into points with a 30-yard field goal from kicker Micahel Rubich, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead just two minutes into the game.
Check out the interception by Cruz here.
After forcing Sheridan into a quick three-and-out on their next drive, the Tigers built on their momentum. Starting near midfield, they converted a key fourth-and-1 with a Sam Thornhill run, and Ben Fowler followed it up with a 32-yard dash to put the ball inside the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Thornhill punched it in from a yard out, giving Rock Springs a stunning 10-0 lead over the top team in the state.
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Sheridan, however, quickly regrouped. The Broncs responded with a 34-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, cutting the lead to 10-7, and that would prove to be the turning point. By halftime, Sheridan had surged ahead 35-10, putting the Tigers on their heels with a relentless offensive attack.
Rock Springs struggled to regain their early form, as penalties and turnovers halted their progress. Despite a strong start, the Tigers couldn’t maintain the execution that had given them an early advantage. Sheridan extended their lead to 42-10 by the end of the third quarter.
The Tigers managed to score once more in the fourth, though not in the way they expected. With just over five minutes left in the game, a high snap on a Sheridan punt led to a safety, making the score 49-12, which would hold as the final.
Ben Fowler led the Tigers on the ground with 10 carries for 81 yards, also contributing 33 yards on three receptions. Jernee Padilla added 54 rushing yards on nine carries, while Thornhill finished with 33 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts.
After the game, Rock Springs head coach Kasey Koepplin spoke with TRN Media’s Keith Trujillo, addressing what went wrong after the Tigers’ strong start.
“Protecting the football and execution and discipline,” Koepplin said. “In the first quarter, I think with 3:55 left, it was 10-0, we didn’t have any penalties, we hadn’t fumbled the football, and we were playing hard, we were executing at a high level. Then we had five straight penalties, then we have a couple fumbles, throwing an interception. It hurts because we had what we wanted, we just put the ball in the wrong place.”
Despite the loss, Koepplin remains confident in his team’s potential.
“We showed that when we execute and we protect the football, it doesn’t matter who’s on the field, we can play with them,” he said.
The Tigers will look to bounce back next week at home for their final home game of the season against Cheyenne East.
