GREEN RIVER — The Green River Wolves had to come from behind Friday night, but they found a way to finish Homecoming Week with their first 3A West Conference victory under head coach Brennan Walk.

Green River defeated Powell 27-21, improving to 3-2 overall and earning its first conference win of the season. Powell fell to 3-3 after entering the game also looking for its first 3A West victory.

The Wolves faced an early deficit after Powell turned a fourth-down conversion into an extended scoring drive. Lincoln Crawford capped the possession with a 16-yard touchdown run with 7:17 remaining in the first quarter, giving the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

Green River answered on its third possession. After a short Powell punt, the Wolves took over at the Panthers’ 36-yard line, and a penalty moved Green River another 10 yards before the Wolves ran their first offensive play. Brylan Ginestar then found Noah Hemphill for a 26-yard touchdown, although the extra point was unsuccessful, leaving Powell ahead 7-6.

Powell responded after blocking Green River’s next punt and taking over at the Wolves’ 26-yard line. Crawford scored again, this time from 2 yards out, to put the Panthers ahead 14-6 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

Green River immediately answered again. Ginestar connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit to 14-13 after the extra point, setting the stage for a defensive stretch that saw both teams trade turnovers.

Hemphill intercepted Powell on the Panthers’ next possession, but Powell got the ball back on the following play when Braxton Nelson intercepted Ginestar at the Green River 37-yard line. The Wolves defense responded by forcing a turnover on downs, with Jake Stanton making a tackle for loss to end the possession.

Green River then took over at its own 38-yard line with 1:28 remaining in the half. On the first play, Ginestar found Hemphill on a short hitch route. Hemphill found a lane and used his track skills as he raced 60 yards to the Powell 2-yard line, giving the Wolves another scoring opportunity.

A few plays later, Ginestar found Irie Kuball for a 7-yard touchdown. Kuball made a difficult catch in traffic for Ginestar’s third touchdown pass of the half, putting Green River ahead 20-14 at halftime.

Powell opened the second half with the ball, but penalties continued to hurt the Panthers. A 56-yard touchdown run was wiped away by a penalty, and Powell eventually punted. Powell was hindered by penalties throughout the night, finishing with 14 penalties for 135 yards. The Panthers also had two plays of more than 50 yards erased by flags.

Green River then put together its longest scoring drive of the night. The Wolves marched 79 yards before Ginestar connected with Kuball again, this time for a 16-yard touchdown. The score gave Green River a 27-14 lead and marked Kuball’s second touchdown of the game.

The Wolves defense continued to make key stops. On Powell’s next possession, sophomore Izik Gardea recorded a tackle for loss as Green River forced another turnover on downs.

Powell refused to go away, however. The Panthers intercepted a Green River pass in the end zone on the next Wolves possession and later put together an 80-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Crawford scored his third touchdown of the game from 3 yards out, cutting Green River’s lead to 27-21.

With less than three minutes remaining, Green River needed either a first down or points to help protect its six-point advantage. The Panthers forced a three-and-out, but the Wolves were able to burn valuable time on the possession.

On third down, Green River used a trick play with Hayden Smith preparing to throw. Smith was hit as he released the ball, but the pass found offensive lineman Johnathan Warner. The completion kept the clock moving and forced Powell to use its final timeout with about two minutes remaining.

Green River punted, giving Powell the ball at its own 49-yard line with a chance to tie or take the lead. Hemphill ended the threat two plays later. The senior intercepted Powell for his second pick of the night, sealing the Homecoming victory for the Wolves.

Green River finished with 51 rushing yards and 233 passing yards. Ginestar completed 19 of 24 passes for 233 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions, setting single-game career highs in both passing yards and touchdown passes. Quintin Brown led the Wolves on the ground with 39 yards on 13 carries.

Green River spread the ball around through the air, with six players recording receptions. Hemphill led the team with 94 receiving yards on three catches and a touchdown, including the 60-yard reception that marked the Wolves’ longest offensive play of the season to that point. Kuball led Green River with seven catches and two touchdowns for 33 yards, while Smith caught five passes for 58 yards and Jonah Friebel added two receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown.

Hemphill also led the Wolves defensively with 20.5 defensive points, recording six tackles, two interceptions and half a tackle for loss. Gardea followed with 18 defensive points on eight total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Dom Hamel added eight tackles and half a tackle for loss.

The victory gave Green River its first conference win under Walk and provided the Wolves with a Homecoming victory after they had opened 3A West play with a narrow loss at Evanston.

The Wolves will now face their biggest conference test of the season when they travel next week to face No. 1 Star Valley.