GREEN RIVER — The Green River Wolves claimed their first victory of the season, defeating the Rawlins Outlaws 28-15 in front of a home crowd during the Hall of Fame Game. James Herwaldt and Hunter Lake led the charge for the Wolves, making game-changing plays on both sides of the ball and earning TRN Media’s player’s of the game.
The Wolves struck first with a 27-yard touchdown run from Herwaldt on their opening drive, taking an early 7-0 lead just four minutes into the game. The rest of the first half was a defensive battle, as neither team managed to score again.
Just a minute into the second half, Herwaldt made another big play—this time on defense. After stripping the ball near midfield, he scooped it up and ran it back for a touchdown, giving Green River a 14-0 advantage. “James with that strip-sack, we had all the momentum,” said Hunter Lake after the game. “Our defense was phenomenal.”
Check out Herwaldt’s defensive touchdown here.
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Rawlins responded late in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run, cutting the Wolves’ lead to 14-7 with 2:42 left in the quarter. Green River’s defense stiffened from there, preventing the Outlaws from gaining much ground.
With 4:51 remaining in the game, quarterback Max Hintz connected with Lake on a 2-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 21-7. Shortly after, Lake made his presence felt again, intercepting a pass over the middle and returning it 78 yards for his second touchdown of the night, making it 28-7. “Sports are a game of ups and downs,” Lake said. “They scored one, and we got one right back, just keeping the intensity up the entire game.”
Rawlins managed one final score late in the game after Green River inserted some backups, but it was too little, too late. The Outlaws added a two-point conversion to make the final score 28-15.
After the game, head coach Blaine Christensen praised his team’s effort and resilience. “I’m just really proud of this team and the way they fought with some adversity,” Christensen said. “They battled back after a tough loss last week, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Statistically, the Wolves finished with 144 rushing yards on 32 carries, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, with Herwaldt leading the way. Hintz rushed for 66 yards on 19 carries, while Herwaldt added 59 yards on six carries, including his 27-yard touchdown. In the air, Hintz completed 19 of his 23 passes for 154 yards, with Dax Taylor catching 10 passes for 84 yards and Lake adding 6 receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Wolves were dominant, holding Rawlins to zero passing yards on six attempts and forcing six turnovers. Herwaldt led the defense with 11 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown before leaving the game with an apparent shoulder injury in the third. Evan Maser also had a strong night, forcing and recovering a fumble, while Lake, Hintz, and Maser each contributed interceptions.
With the win, Green River moves to 1-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. The Wolves will look to carry the momentum into next week’s game as they continue their season.
Check out photos from the game below.
