GREEN RIVER — In a game marred by penalties, the Green River Wolves fought back from an early deficit but ultimately fell short against the Jackson Broncs, losing 35-21 on Senior Night.
Jackson took control early, jumping out to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Broncs extended their lead with just over a minute left in the first half, making it 21-0. The first half was a stop-and-go affair, with a combined 17 penalties between the two teams that disrupted any rhythm either side tried to build.
The Wolves found some momentum in the third quarter. With just under seven minutes left, Green River faced a 4th-and-12 from Jackson’s 36-yard line. Quarterback Max Hintz connected with Dax Taylor for a crucial 19-yard gain, putting the Wolves inside the red zone. Two plays later, Hintz found Taylor again for a 16-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 21-7 with 6:09 left in the third.
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Green River continued their comeback effort early in the fourth quarter when Hintz rolled out and connected with Chaz Helmandollar for a five-yard touchdown, bringing the Wolves within eight points at 21-13 with just under 11 minutes remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, Jackson appeared to respond immediately with a kickoff return for a touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty. Two plays later, Grant Johnson’s pass was tipped by Helmandollar, and Taylor snagged it for a pick-six. Hintz then found Zach Dalton for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 21-21 with 9:33 left in the fourth.
Check out Taylor’s pick-six here.
The score remained tied until Jackson regained the lead with 3:28 left in the game. The Wolves’ hopes of a comeback were dashed when the Broncs forced an interception, which led to another Jackson touchdown, sealing the game at 35-21.
The matchup saw a staggering 33 combined penalties, with Jackson committing 17 and Green River 16, disrupting the game’s flow and frustrating both teams. Green River finished with 222 total yards of offense—191 through the air and just 31 on the ground—but also accrued 115 yards against them in penalties.
Taylor, who came into the game with 36 receptions on the season, continued his stellar play, catching nine passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. He now has 45 receptions on the season, closing in on his brother Dylan Taylor’s Green River Wolves record of 47 catches in a single season.
Jackson’s offense was more balanced, totaling 330 yards—221 passing and 109 rushing but they had 148 penalty yards against them, making the total amount of penalty yards on the game 263.
TRN Media’s Offensive Player of the Game was Dax Taylor, while Jaydon Walther earned Defensive Player of the Game honors for the Wolves. Walther had an impressive performance, recording 11 tackles, including one for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
After the game, Wolves head coach Blaine Christensen spoke about the high penalty count, expressing frustration with the lack of game flow. “I’m a little discouraged about a lot of the penalties thrown,” Christensen said. “I know these officials give everything they have to these kids, their weekends, but at some point, it’s gotta be about the kids and letting them play a little bit. We didn’t win or lose because of the officials, I’m not saying that, but the flow of this game—if I was watching this thing on ESPN, I would have turned it off at halftime.” He also acknowledged that his team needs to address the penalties, stating, “We got to be cleaner.”
Christensen also emphasized his pride in the team, especially in how they fought back from the early deficit. “I’m a Green River kid, and I’m a fighter—those kids are fighters,” Christensen said, reflecting the spirit of a team that, despite setbacks, continues to battle.
Check out some photos from the game below.
