GREEN RIVER — The Green River Wolves will return home Friday night for Homecoming when they host the Powell Panthers in a 3A West Conference matchup.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with TRN Media’s pregame coverage beginning at 5 p.m. TRN Media’s Jayson Klepper will have the call. Fans can listen on 104.9 FM or 1490 AM KUGR, or watch the free live HD video stream on The Radio Network’s Facebook page.
Green River enters the game 2-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play after falling 25-20 to No. 4 Evanston last week. The Wolves took a 14-6 lead in the third quarter before Evanston rallied for the victory, with Green River’s final possession ending inside the Red Devils’ 5-yard line as time expired.
Powell enters Friday’s game 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference after a 48-7 loss to No. 1 Star Valley last week.
The Panthers have struggled to produce consistently this season, averaging 76 rushing yards and 117 passing yards per game. Powell’s rushing average ranks bottom of 3A, while its passing average ranks eighth. The Panthers enter the week averaging 193 total yards per game.
Green River has produced a more balanced offensive attack, averaging 117 yards rushing and 123 yards passing per game. Those figures rank sixth and fifth, respectively, in Class 3A, with the Wolves averaging 240 total yards per game.
Quintin Brown has been one of Green River’s leading offensive weapons, averaging 84.5 rushing yards per game to rank third in 3A. Brylan Ginestar has also provided production through the air, averaging 116.3 passing yards per game, which ranks seventh in the classification.
Powell’s leading rusher is Lincoln Crawford, who averages 56.2 yards per game and ranks 10th in 3A. Tanner Seifert averages 97.2 passing yards per game for the Panthers, ranking eighth in the classification.
While the offenses have produced at different levels, both teams enter Friday’s matchup with defenses ranked among the top four in 3A in total yards allowed.
Green River remains atop the classification, allowing 187 yards per game and 3.9 yards per play. The Wolves have allowed seven touchdowns through four games, also the fewest in 3A. Powell ranks fourth in total defense at 244 yards allowed per game. The Panthers have allowed 14 touchdowns this season.
Green River’s defense will look to build on its performance against Evanston, when the Wolves held the undefeated Red Devils to 25 points and forced multiple turnovers. Special teams have continued to provide another source of production for the Wolves. Irie Kuball leads 3A in made field goals, while Green River also produced a special teams touchdown against Evanston when Noah Hemphill returned a punt 74 yards for a score in the second quarter.
The punt return gave Green River a 7-0 lead, and the Wolves carried a 7-6 advantage into halftime before Evanston rallied in the second half.
Friday’s game will be Green River’s second straight 3A West Conference matchup. The Wolves enter the contest seeking their first conference victory of the season, while Powell will also be looking for its first West win.
