By: Shawn O’Brate
RIVERTON – The Wolverines’ football team, on a three-day rest after finishing their Homecoming matchup against Lander last Monday night, had their work cut out for them as the Douglas Bearcats came to town on Friday night.
Friday’s game was the final one at home for the Riverton Wolverines and the #1 team in the 3A East did not seem to care that the Riverton High School (RHS) seniors were playing their final game in front of their home crowd that night.
Less than four minutes into the first quarter the Bearcats found the end zone thanks to a screen pass to senior Jackson Hughes, but they would not stop there. About four minutes later quarterback Trey Rinn took a direct snap 20 yards to pay dirt to make the game 14-0.
Riverton would try to come back through the air, instantly throwing a 22-yard streak over the middle to Kade Gabrielsen before the end of the first quarter. The throw came from Nathan Hutchison who was forced to fill in for Darrick DeVries at quarterback after DeVries has been in concussion protocol since the last play of regulation for Riverton on Monday.
Hutchison, who played QB for the Wolverines last year, attempted to air it out throughout the game but was unsuccessful on many throws due to the stifling defense from the Bearcats. Douglas would score consistently, needing very few plays on some drives, and would go up 21-0 before Riverton would ever find the end zone.
With just under seven minutes left in the first half the Wolverines found themselves on the Bearcats’ 13-yard line and called a direct snap to senior Braden Vincent, who took it all the way through the defense and into the end zone for the Wolverines’ touchdown.
It didn’t take the Bearcats long to get back into the end zone themselves, running down the field before halftime and scoring their fourth touchdown of the first half on a simple pitch to the running back. Then, when the Bearcats got the ball back right before the halftime horn was blown, Douglas called a jet sweep to Hughes which turned into a 64-yard touchdown run.
Then, thanks to an interception with just under a minute, the Douglas offense would run a quick series into the end zone to go up 42-7 at halftime.
The game would not go any better in the second half. Douglas would score two more touchdowns while Riverton could not get anything going offensively. The final score would end up being 56-7 in favor of the #1 team in the 3A East, Douglas.
Riverton has another tough game this Friday as they take on the 3-3 Buffalo Bison team, who ranks second in the 3A East thanks to their victory over Lander two weeks ago. After that the Wolverines take on Worland at their field to end the season.