RIVERTON — The Green River Wolves fell to the Riverton Wolverines 28-13 on Friday night, dropping their record to 1-3 as they head into conference play next week. The matchup featured a reunion between Green River head coach Blaine Christensen and Riverton’s Mark Lenhardt, who previously coached together at Rock Springs High School, where they made a state championship appearance.
The first half was all Riverton, as the Wolverines controlled the game and built a 14-0 lead by halftime. Green River’s offense struggled to find its rhythm early, with kicker Braxton Doak attempting two field goals in the first half, one of which was blocked and the other narrowly missed from 47 yards out as time expired in the second quarter.
The Wolves received the ball to start the second half but were quickly forced into a three-and-out. Riverton capitalized on their next possession, driving deep into Green River territory. Facing 3rd-and-11 from the Wolves’ 13-yard line, a costly offsides penalty moved the Wolverines closer, and Riverton’s Blake Gantenbein found Jackson Larsen for an 8-yard touchdown pass, making it 21-0. It was Larsen’s second touchdown catch of the night and Gantenbein’s third passing touchdown.
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Green River’s offense continued to struggle, with Riverton’s defense forcing an interception late in the third quarter. Gantenbein then capped off Riverton’s dominance with a 2-yard quarterback sneak early in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 28-0.
The Wolves finally found some life in the fourth quarter. After a defensive stand forced a short Riverton punt, Green River took over on the Wolverines’ 37-yard line. Facing a 4th-and-2 on the 29-yard line, quarterback Max Hintz broke free for a 29-yard touchdown run, putting Green River on the board with 5:11 left to play. Doak’s PAT made it 28-7.
Check out the 29-yard rush here.
Green River attempted an onside kick, but the ball bounced out of bounds, giving Riverton possession on the 43-yard line. The Wolves’ defense held strong, forcing a turnover on downs with just over a minute left.
With 17 seconds remaining, Hintz connected with Dax Taylor on a 23-yard pass, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Taylor on a jet sweep with nine seconds left. A mishandled snap on the PAT attempt left the score at 28-13.
Despite the late effort, Green River’s comeback fell short, and Riverton took a knee to seal the victory. The loss drops Green River to 1-3 on the season, with conference play set to begin next week.
TRN Media named Jakob Lloyd as the Player of the Game for Green River, recognizing his consistent performance in the trenches throughout the season.