Lander Journal - Randy Tucker
WEEK #1 VS. GREEN RIVER
The Lander Tigers made the trip over South Pass to face Green River in opening season action Friday. Lander scored first but Green River prevailed 31-20 behind 14 point second and fourth quarters.
“We hung in their despite, then fill in the blank,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “We made a lot of mental errors and made up for some of them with grit and hustle. It was players and staff alike. There were things we should have corrected as a staff and a combination with the boys.”
Lander scored first on a broken play. Quarterback Max Mazurie scrambled to the outside and found John Fawson open on a quick move. Fawson’s catch and run covered 45-yards.
“It was a boost for us to get the first score,” Scott said. The Tiger defense held the Wolves scoreless through the first period but a pair of scores in the second, the first on a broken run by quarterback Dallan Serrano for 20 yards and the second on a three-yard pass from Serrano to Anthony Johnson with a pair of point after kicks by Erik Gwaltney put Green River up 14-6 at the half.
Lander scored again in the third on a 19-yard pass from Mazurie to Conrad Swenson with the point after pass going to Niieihii Black but Green River led 17-14 entering the final period after a Gwaltney field goal.
A pair of Green River scores by Serrano on runs of 13 and six yards put the Wolves comfortably ahead 31-14 but the Tigers showed a little moxie with a final score on a pass from Mazurie to Fawson.
“We had some breakdowns but once they came out on the field they scrambled and did some things. We played with anxiousness that wasn’t always productive,” Scott said. “We’re hanging our hat on being more iron man than anything, but we have to be in shape and have the condition to do that. When we got tired, we didn’t think as clearly. I was pleased with the genuineness of the effort but we have to have the same mental effort as physical. Green River converted an impressive seven for seven on fourth down attempts in the game. Lander hits the road again this Friday in an opposite direction playing at Powell.
“Our number one aspect of being productive on Friday is ourselves, not duplicating the errors we had. Our biggest improvement will come from that.”
Lander 6 0 8 6 – 20
Green River 0 14 3 14 – 31
First Quarter
LAN – John Fawson 45-pass from Max Mazurie (kick failed)
Second Quarter
GR – Dallon Serrano 20-run (Erik Gwaltney kick)
GR – Anthony Johnson 3-Pass (Gwaltney kick)
Third Quarter
LAN – Conrad Swenson 19-pass from Mazurie (Niieihii Black pass from Mazurie)
GR – Gwaltney 36-FG
Fourth Quarter
GR – Serrano 13-run (Gwaltney kick)
GR – Serrano 6-run (Gwaltney kick)
LAN – Fawson 17-pass from Mazurie (kick failed)
Total Offense: – Lander 193 yards, Green River 299 yards
Rushing Offense: Lander - 19-44, Green River 52-182
Passing Offense: Lander- 13-151, Green River 6-117
Individual: Passing: Lander - Max Mazuire 11-23 151, Green River – Serrano 6-15-1 117
Individual Rushing: Lander - Eli Mazurie 13-38, Slater Coffee 1-7, Jack Sweeney 4-6, Green River – Serrano 18-54, King 7-60, Jensen 4-12, Ivie 19-48, Burdette 5-8
Individual Receiving: Lander - John Fawson 3-71, Antonio Coando 1-4, Justin Bever 1-4, Conrad Swenson 3-33, Niieihii Black 1-3, Ozzadie O’Neal 1-16, Connor Jay 1-20, Green River – Johnson 2-63, Burdette 1-9, White 2-30, Mitchell 1-15
WEEK #1 VS. GREEN RIVER
The Lander Tigers made the trip over South Pass to face Green River in opening season action Friday. Lander scored first but Green River prevailed 31-20 behind 14 point second and fourth quarters.
“We hung in their despite, then fill in the blank,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “We made a lot of mental errors and made up for some of them with grit and hustle. It was players and staff alike. There were things we should have corrected as a staff and a combination with the boys.”
Lander scored first on a broken play. Quarterback Max Mazurie scrambled to the outside and found John Fawson open on a quick move. Fawson’s catch and run covered 45-yards.
“It was a boost for us to get the first score,” Scott said. The Tiger defense held the Wolves scoreless through the first period but a pair of scores in the second, the first on a broken run by quarterback Dallan Serrano for 20 yards and the second on a three-yard pass from Serrano to Anthony Johnson with a pair of point after kicks by Erik Gwaltney put Green River up 14-6 at the half.
Lander scored again in the third on a 19-yard pass from Mazurie to Conrad Swenson with the point after pass going to Niieihii Black but Green River led 17-14 entering the final period after a Gwaltney field goal.
A pair of Green River scores by Serrano on runs of 13 and six yards put the Wolves comfortably ahead 31-14 but the Tigers showed a little moxie with a final score on a pass from Mazurie to Fawson.
“We had some breakdowns but once they came out on the field they scrambled and did some things. We played with anxiousness that wasn’t always productive,” Scott said. “We’re hanging our hat on being more iron man than anything, but we have to be in shape and have the condition to do that. When we got tired, we didn’t think as clearly. I was pleased with the genuineness of the effort but we have to have the same mental effort as physical. Green River converted an impressive seven for seven on fourth down attempts in the game. Lander hits the road again this Friday in an opposite direction playing at Powell.
“Our number one aspect of being productive on Friday is ourselves, not duplicating the errors we had. Our biggest improvement will come from that.”
Lander 6 0 8 6 – 20
Green River 0 14 3 14 – 31
First Quarter
LAN – John Fawson 45-pass from Max Mazurie (kick failed)
Second Quarter
GR – Dallon Serrano 20-run (Erik Gwaltney kick)
GR – Anthony Johnson 3-Pass (Gwaltney kick)
Third Quarter
LAN – Conrad Swenson 19-pass from Mazurie (Niieihii Black pass from Mazurie)
GR – Gwaltney 36-FG
Fourth Quarter
GR – Serrano 13-run (Gwaltney kick)
GR – Serrano 6-run (Gwaltney kick)
LAN – Fawson 17-pass from Mazurie (kick failed)
Total Offense: – Lander 193 yards, Green River 299 yards
Rushing Offense: Lander - 19-44, Green River 52-182
Passing Offense: Lander- 13-151, Green River 6-117
Individual: Passing: Lander - Max Mazuire 11-23 151, Green River – Serrano 6-15-1 117
Individual Rushing: Lander - Eli Mazurie 13-38, Slater Coffee 1-7, Jack Sweeney 4-6, Green River – Serrano 18-54, King 7-60, Jensen 4-12, Ivie 19-48, Burdette 5-8
Individual Receiving: Lander - John Fawson 3-71, Antonio Coando 1-4, Justin Bever 1-4, Conrad Swenson 3-33, Niieihii Black 1-3, Ozzadie O’Neal 1-16, Connor Jay 1-20, Green River – Johnson 2-63, Burdette 1-9, White 2-30, Mitchell 1-15
Randy Tucker - Lander Journal - September 9, 2018
WEEK #2 - POWELL
It was a wild one in Park County Friday night. The Lander Tigers picked up their first win of the season 28-26 in a nail biter over the Powell Panthers to move to 1-1 on the season. The game came down to a two-point conversion attempt by the Panthers with just 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
Powell quarterback Ethan Asher had four touchdowns through the air already and tried to knot the score at 28 on a rollout pass. He looked for 6-3 senior tight end Carson Heinen on the conversation attempt and had the ball in Heinen’s hands but Lander linebacker Jasper Roy read the play well and knocked the ball away at the last instant.
The Tigers covered the ensuing pooch kick and ran out the clock for the exciting two point win.
“You’re pleased at different levels and different parts of the game,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “Early on we were flat but created some good conditions off good defense. Those happen, it can be feast or famine, I told the guys we have to go out and defend and it could go our way and it did.”
Lander erupted for all 28 points in the second period with Max Mazurie opening scoring on an eight-yard run.
In a close game conversion points are often the difference between a win and a loss and Lander sophomore Tyler Massey was perfect in four point after kicks. Max Mazurie kept the ball on a six-yard quarterback keeper for the second score and connected with Connor Jay on a 27-yard pass and run for a 21 point Tiger lead late in the second period.
Powell’s talented quarterback Ethan Asher found Kaelan Groves on 28-yard pass for their first score but the Panthers missed the conversion. With just seconds to play in the opening half Lander defensive end Conrad Swenson broke into the backfield and knocked the ball out of Asher’s hands, launching it high into the air. Tiger linebacker Mason Cronk snagged the ball and raced 60-yards for the final score of the half.
Holding a comfortable 28-6 advantage at the half the third period turned out to be anything but in a furious Powell comeback.
Early in the third Eli Mazurie was ejected from the game after officials flagged him for a personal foul and indicated he had thrown a punch at a Powell player. “The referee has to make a judgment, I wanted to get a better interpretation of what happened,” Scott said. “We were already undermanned depth wise. We had to throw some people around into new positions.”
Powell went into a no-huddle offense throughout the second half. Asher scored on a 12-yard quarterback option but the Panthers missed the kick again. Lander had chances to score in the final half of play but couldn’t convert. “We had second and short at the 10 but committed three miscues in a row with a bad quarterback center exchange, an offside call and a fumble on fourth down,” Scott said.
In the final period Asher found tight end Dalton Woodward twice on nearly identical scoring plays of 10 and nine yards respectively. Powell finally converted a two-point try on an Asher run to close the game to 28-20 and the second pass to Woodward closed the gap to 28-26 setting up the final decisive defensive play.
The Tigers return home Friday to host a solid Evanston team that pummeled Riverton 48-8 last Friday.
Powell 0 6 14 6 - 26
Lander 0 28 0 0 - 28
Second Quarter:
LAN – Eli Mazurie 8-run (Tyler Massey kick)
LAN – Max Mazurie 6-run (Massey kick)
LAN – Connor Jay 27-pass from Mazurie (Massey kick)
POW – Kaelan Groves 28-pass from Ethan Asher (kick failed)
LAN – Mason Cronk 60-interception return (Massey kick)
Third Quarter:
POW: Asher 12-run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter:
POW – Dalton Woodward) 10-pass from 3 (Asher run)
POW – Woodward 9-pass from Asher (pass failed)
Total Offense: Powell - 347, Lander – 233
Rushing Offense: Powell 46-151, Lander – 11-82
Passing Offense: 11-82, Lander- 46-151
Individual Rushing: Powell – Ethan Asher 9-22, Kaelan Groves 9-58, Kadden Abraham 7-21, Brody Karhu 14-73, Lander – Max Mazurie 11-44, Eli Mazurie 10-32, Slater Coffee 7-31, Jack Sweeney 18-44
Individual Passing: Powell - Ethan Asher 14-28-3 173, Lander – Max Mazurie 4-11-1 82
Individual Receiving: Powell – Dalton Woodward 5-51, Kaelan Groves 5-75, Reese Hackenberg 1-6, Brody Karhu 2-8, Carson Heinen 1-33, Lander – Eli Mazurie 1-7, John Fawson 1-19, Conrad Swenson 1-29, Connor Jay 1-27
WEEK #2 - POWELL
It was a wild one in Park County Friday night. The Lander Tigers picked up their first win of the season 28-26 in a nail biter over the Powell Panthers to move to 1-1 on the season. The game came down to a two-point conversion attempt by the Panthers with just 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
Powell quarterback Ethan Asher had four touchdowns through the air already and tried to knot the score at 28 on a rollout pass. He looked for 6-3 senior tight end Carson Heinen on the conversation attempt and had the ball in Heinen’s hands but Lander linebacker Jasper Roy read the play well and knocked the ball away at the last instant.
The Tigers covered the ensuing pooch kick and ran out the clock for the exciting two point win.
“You’re pleased at different levels and different parts of the game,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “Early on we were flat but created some good conditions off good defense. Those happen, it can be feast or famine, I told the guys we have to go out and defend and it could go our way and it did.”
Lander erupted for all 28 points in the second period with Max Mazurie opening scoring on an eight-yard run.
In a close game conversion points are often the difference between a win and a loss and Lander sophomore Tyler Massey was perfect in four point after kicks. Max Mazurie kept the ball on a six-yard quarterback keeper for the second score and connected with Connor Jay on a 27-yard pass and run for a 21 point Tiger lead late in the second period.
Powell’s talented quarterback Ethan Asher found Kaelan Groves on 28-yard pass for their first score but the Panthers missed the conversion. With just seconds to play in the opening half Lander defensive end Conrad Swenson broke into the backfield and knocked the ball out of Asher’s hands, launching it high into the air. Tiger linebacker Mason Cronk snagged the ball and raced 60-yards for the final score of the half.
Holding a comfortable 28-6 advantage at the half the third period turned out to be anything but in a furious Powell comeback.
Early in the third Eli Mazurie was ejected from the game after officials flagged him for a personal foul and indicated he had thrown a punch at a Powell player. “The referee has to make a judgment, I wanted to get a better interpretation of what happened,” Scott said. “We were already undermanned depth wise. We had to throw some people around into new positions.”
Powell went into a no-huddle offense throughout the second half. Asher scored on a 12-yard quarterback option but the Panthers missed the kick again. Lander had chances to score in the final half of play but couldn’t convert. “We had second and short at the 10 but committed three miscues in a row with a bad quarterback center exchange, an offside call and a fumble on fourth down,” Scott said.
In the final period Asher found tight end Dalton Woodward twice on nearly identical scoring plays of 10 and nine yards respectively. Powell finally converted a two-point try on an Asher run to close the game to 28-20 and the second pass to Woodward closed the gap to 28-26 setting up the final decisive defensive play.
The Tigers return home Friday to host a solid Evanston team that pummeled Riverton 48-8 last Friday.
Powell 0 6 14 6 - 26
Lander 0 28 0 0 - 28
Second Quarter:
LAN – Eli Mazurie 8-run (Tyler Massey kick)
LAN – Max Mazurie 6-run (Massey kick)
LAN – Connor Jay 27-pass from Mazurie (Massey kick)
POW – Kaelan Groves 28-pass from Ethan Asher (kick failed)
LAN – Mason Cronk 60-interception return (Massey kick)
Third Quarter:
POW: Asher 12-run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter:
POW – Dalton Woodward) 10-pass from 3 (Asher run)
POW – Woodward 9-pass from Asher (pass failed)
Total Offense: Powell - 347, Lander – 233
Rushing Offense: Powell 46-151, Lander – 11-82
Passing Offense: 11-82, Lander- 46-151
Individual Rushing: Powell – Ethan Asher 9-22, Kaelan Groves 9-58, Kadden Abraham 7-21, Brody Karhu 14-73, Lander – Max Mazurie 11-44, Eli Mazurie 10-32, Slater Coffee 7-31, Jack Sweeney 18-44
Individual Passing: Powell - Ethan Asher 14-28-3 173, Lander – Max Mazurie 4-11-1 82
Individual Receiving: Powell – Dalton Woodward 5-51, Kaelan Groves 5-75, Reese Hackenberg 1-6, Brody Karhu 2-8, Carson Heinen 1-33, Lander – Eli Mazurie 1-7, John Fawson 1-19, Conrad Swenson 1-29, Connor Jay 1-27
Evanston at Lander - September 14th - Randy Tucker, Lander Journal
WEEK #3
It was a classic football game in perfect late summer conditions Friday at Bill Bush Stadium in Lander. The host Tigers fell behind 14-0 to the Evanston Red Devils but rallied in the second half to take the lead twice before Evanston held on 35-28. “I’m pleased at different times of the game,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “Being down, coming back and taking the lead in the fourth quarter was good.”
Evanston running back Tyus Cornia tallied all five Red Devil touchdowns while gaining 206 yards on 27 carries. “His vision is impressive, not too many high school kids see the field and the creases the way he does, he’s a very unique back,” Scott said.
Cornia opened with a 40-yard scoring jaunt just three minutes into the game and added another on a one-yard plunge with 5:24 remaining in the first period. The Lander crowd grew quiet with the sudden 14-point deficit but the Tigers rallied early in the second period, something they would do all night. Eli Mazurie broke around the end on a 32-yard scoring run and the Tigers trailed just 14-7 but Cornia found the end zone again after a long Red Devil drive on another one-yard dive. The Tigers mounted a late drive but facing a fourth and long at the 17 yard line head coach John Scott elected to attempt a 34-yard field goal. Kayden Heil split the uprights with ease on his first field goal of the night.
Trailing 21-10 entering the second half the Tigers played perhaps their best quarter of football so far this season.
Lander’s initial drive stalled at the 15 but Heil drilled another field goal to cut the margin to 21-13. Senior quarterback Max Mazurie kept the ball on a rollout and snaked through the Red Devil defense on a 21-yard run to close the gap to 21-19 but the conversion pass failed.
Lander wasn’t finished scoring in third quit yet. They regained possession and drove deep again but stalled at the 10-yard line. Heil’s 27-yard field goal gave the Tigers their first lead of the game 22-21 with 2:29 on the third period clock. “We knew he could pound the ball and through the first couple of kicks he had in week zero,” Scott said.
Cornia picked up the pace and tallied his fourth score on a 31-yard run but Evanston’s two-point conversion failed and the Tigers trailed by five, 27-22. Lander took the lead for the final time when Slater Coffee found 6-4 senior Conrad Swenson in the end zone on a 14-yard pass, lifting the Tigers to a tight 28-27 advantage. The conversion pass failed. Lander’s passing game was erratic at times in the game.
“We’re very inconsistent, either off target or dropping catchable balls,” Scott said. “We hit a few we needed to sustain a drive and score.” The game winner came with 3:29 left in the final period on another Cornia run, this one of 11-yards.
The Tigers showed great poise and continue to improve with each game. It’s another tough challenge next Friday when the Tigers host the talented Torrington Trailblazers at 7 pm. “It’s a tall order. They come at you with a lot of sets,” Scott said. “We have to just play our responsibilities and try to play downhill.”
Lander 0 10 12 6 – 28
Evanston 14 7 0 14 – 35
Total Offense: Lander 282, Evanston 432
Rushing Offense: Lander 236, Evanston 321
Passing Offense: Lander 46, Evanston 111
Individual Rushing: Lander – Eli Mazurie 17-86, Jack Sweeney 8-76, Max Mazurie 4-51, Slater Coffee 7-23, Evanston – Tyus Cornia 27-206, Pablo Escalante 5-54, Angel Rodriguez 3-45, Seth Lloyd 5-16
Individual Passing: Lander – Max Mazurie 2-14-17, Slater Coffee 2-6 29, Evanston – Seth Lloyd 8-12-1 111
Individual Receiving: Lander – Conrad Swenson 2-29, Connor Jay 2-17, Evanston – Kody Smith 4-81, Angel Rodriguez 2-14, Rigden Wagstaff 1-14, Pablo Escalante 1-2
WEEK #3
It was a classic football game in perfect late summer conditions Friday at Bill Bush Stadium in Lander. The host Tigers fell behind 14-0 to the Evanston Red Devils but rallied in the second half to take the lead twice before Evanston held on 35-28. “I’m pleased at different times of the game,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “Being down, coming back and taking the lead in the fourth quarter was good.”
Evanston running back Tyus Cornia tallied all five Red Devil touchdowns while gaining 206 yards on 27 carries. “His vision is impressive, not too many high school kids see the field and the creases the way he does, he’s a very unique back,” Scott said.
Cornia opened with a 40-yard scoring jaunt just three minutes into the game and added another on a one-yard plunge with 5:24 remaining in the first period. The Lander crowd grew quiet with the sudden 14-point deficit but the Tigers rallied early in the second period, something they would do all night. Eli Mazurie broke around the end on a 32-yard scoring run and the Tigers trailed just 14-7 but Cornia found the end zone again after a long Red Devil drive on another one-yard dive. The Tigers mounted a late drive but facing a fourth and long at the 17 yard line head coach John Scott elected to attempt a 34-yard field goal. Kayden Heil split the uprights with ease on his first field goal of the night.
Trailing 21-10 entering the second half the Tigers played perhaps their best quarter of football so far this season.
Lander’s initial drive stalled at the 15 but Heil drilled another field goal to cut the margin to 21-13. Senior quarterback Max Mazurie kept the ball on a rollout and snaked through the Red Devil defense on a 21-yard run to close the gap to 21-19 but the conversion pass failed.
Lander wasn’t finished scoring in third quit yet. They regained possession and drove deep again but stalled at the 10-yard line. Heil’s 27-yard field goal gave the Tigers their first lead of the game 22-21 with 2:29 on the third period clock. “We knew he could pound the ball and through the first couple of kicks he had in week zero,” Scott said.
Cornia picked up the pace and tallied his fourth score on a 31-yard run but Evanston’s two-point conversion failed and the Tigers trailed by five, 27-22. Lander took the lead for the final time when Slater Coffee found 6-4 senior Conrad Swenson in the end zone on a 14-yard pass, lifting the Tigers to a tight 28-27 advantage. The conversion pass failed. Lander’s passing game was erratic at times in the game.
“We’re very inconsistent, either off target or dropping catchable balls,” Scott said. “We hit a few we needed to sustain a drive and score.” The game winner came with 3:29 left in the final period on another Cornia run, this one of 11-yards.
The Tigers showed great poise and continue to improve with each game. It’s another tough challenge next Friday when the Tigers host the talented Torrington Trailblazers at 7 pm. “It’s a tall order. They come at you with a lot of sets,” Scott said. “We have to just play our responsibilities and try to play downhill.”
Lander 0 10 12 6 – 28
Evanston 14 7 0 14 – 35
Total Offense: Lander 282, Evanston 432
Rushing Offense: Lander 236, Evanston 321
Passing Offense: Lander 46, Evanston 111
Individual Rushing: Lander – Eli Mazurie 17-86, Jack Sweeney 8-76, Max Mazurie 4-51, Slater Coffee 7-23, Evanston – Tyus Cornia 27-206, Pablo Escalante 5-54, Angel Rodriguez 3-45, Seth Lloyd 5-16
Individual Passing: Lander – Max Mazurie 2-14-17, Slater Coffee 2-6 29, Evanston – Seth Lloyd 8-12-1 111
Individual Receiving: Lander – Conrad Swenson 2-29, Connor Jay 2-17, Evanston – Kody Smith 4-81, Angel Rodriguez 2-14, Rigden Wagstaff 1-14, Pablo Escalante 1-2
Randy Tucker - Lander Journal
WEEK #5 - RIVERTON
The Lander Tigers moved to 2-3 on the season and evened their 3-A East Conference record to 1-1 after a 35-27 win over Fremont County rival Riverton Friday on the artificial surface of Wolverine Field. Riverton dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in league play with the loss. Riverton trailed by 22 late in the game but rallied with 14 unanswered points in the final four minutes of play.
“It’s been a lot of learning about different situations, getting a lead, learning how to hold a lead and now that we’re midway through the season we have a lot to play for. These are all fairly new,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “It’s a learning experience, what changed in the last four minutes, what stepped it up for them?”
Rivertons’ hopes this season ride on the skills of quarterback Treyton Paxton and the 6-0 senior came out throwing the ball well. An opening 27-yard pass to Isaac Devries and another a few plays later to Dillon Lange quickly moved the ball inside the Tiger 11-yard line.
A crushing power run by Kaden Werbelow set the ball just inside the five and Paxton took it from there on a wide rollout to the right for the game’s first score. The ensuing kick failed and Lander wasted little time in finding the opposite end zone.
Max Mazurie took the kick at the 14, feinted right, then turned left up the middle of the field. Rivertons’ coverage broke down and the fleet footed senior raced 86 yards for an avenging score. Tyler Massey converted the kick and the Tigers led 7-6 with 8:05 remaining in the opening period. A cloud of flags and a turnover thwarted the Tigers through much of the remaining half. Lander was called for two pass interference penalties on the game.
With 3:44 remaining in the first period the Tigers were on another drive after picking up a pair of first downs behind solid blocking. Lander used six different backs in the opening half with Mazurie, his sophomore brother Eli, Slater Coffee, Jack Sweeney and John Fawson all picking up yardage. “Six backs lets us be as versatile in a running game as some teams are with receivers,” Scott said.
Werbelow knocked the ball loose at the Riverton 44-yard line and Kaden Poll recovered the fumble to end the Lander drive.
A pass interference call on the Tigers and a 21-yard burst by Dawson Lane had the Wolverines in first and goal at the 10 later in the opening period. Werbelow drove the ball to the one but the ensuing shotgun snap sailed over Paxton’s head and the Wolverines lost 24 yards on the play. Paxton recovered 11 of the lost yards on a keeper as the horn sounded. On the first play of the second period Paxton found Lang on a crossing pattern for 14-yard touchdown. Hjalte Dencher converted the kick and the Wolverines regained the lead at 13-7.
Lander came out throwing the Mazurie completing four passes in the ensuing drive including a 14-yard connection to tight end Conrad Swenson for a first down at the 23. A completion to Justin Bever and 19-yard run by Kayden Heil set up Sweeney for a two-yard plunge that tied the game at 13. Sweeney powered in the two-point conversion and Lander regained the lead 15-13.
A second pass interference call gave Riverton good field position but a jail break style pass rush engulfed Paxton for a nine-yard loss and the Wolverines were forced to punt.
Landers’ defensive line was the difference in the game. The Tigers dominated Rivertons’ offensive line on most plays with Swenson, Ozzadie O’Neal, Jasper Roy, Kyler Lesher and Mason Cronk spending a lot of time in the Riverton backfield.
“On the defensive and the offensive side those guys helped us control the line of scrimmage, they let us run the ball and maybe put Riverton into the passing game,” Scott said. A personal foul on the Tigers for a late hit put Riverton in field goal position as the clock ticked away but Dencher was wide right on 32 yard attempt and the half ended 15-13.
The third period was all Lander. The Tigers came out of the half with an offensive intensity that Riverton didn’t adjust too. Sweeney scored on a 5-yard run, Coffee on a 6-yard dive and Sweeney again on another 5-yard plunge as the Tiger offensive line took over the game. In between the ground assault Bever made a nice diving comeback catch for a first down through the air.
“We came out and played a real sound third quarter running the ball and defending, it put us in a good place,” Scott said.
Only a Tiger fumble recovered by Gage Bland at the 37 prevented the game from turning into a blowout. Trailing 35-13 Riverton found some success through the air but Max Mazurie intercepted Paxton at the five to end the first Wolverine drive of the final period.
It was an almost exclusive aerial attack for Riverton in the final five minutes of the game. Paxton was impressive in finding open receivers in spite of constant pressure from Landers’ front four and linebackers.
Passes to Brennan Ibach and runs by Paxton when Landers’ coverage was tight moved the ball to the one where Lane darted in for the score with 3:55 left in the game.
An ensuing Riverton onside kick sailed high out of bounds landing behind the Riverton bench but Lander didn’t move the ball and Riverton had a final chance. Paxton scrambled once again moving the ball to the 17 where he found Isaac Devries in the corner of the end zone for the final score of game.
Riverton has a tough challenge coming this week facing top ranked Torrington in Goshen County.
The Tigers host Rawlins on Friday.
Riverton 6 7 0 14 - 27
Lander 7 8 20 0 – 35
First Quarter
RIV – Treyton Paxton 4-run (kick failed) 8:18
LAN – Max Mazurie 86-kickoff return (Tyler Massey kick) 8:05
Second Quarter
RIV – Dillan Lange 14-pass from Paxton (Hjalte Dencher kick) 11:56
LAN – Jack Sweeney 2-run (Sweeney run) 7:52
Third Quarter
LAN – Sweeney 5-run (kick failed) 7:40
LAN – Slater Coffee 6-run (Massey kick) 4:06
LAN – Sweeney 5-run (Massey kick) 2:06
Fourth Quarter
RIV – Lange 1-run (Dencher kick) 3:55
RIV – Isaac Devries 17-pass from Paxton (Dencher kick) 1:50
WEEK #5 - RIVERTON
The Lander Tigers moved to 2-3 on the season and evened their 3-A East Conference record to 1-1 after a 35-27 win over Fremont County rival Riverton Friday on the artificial surface of Wolverine Field. Riverton dropped to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in league play with the loss. Riverton trailed by 22 late in the game but rallied with 14 unanswered points in the final four minutes of play.
“It’s been a lot of learning about different situations, getting a lead, learning how to hold a lead and now that we’re midway through the season we have a lot to play for. These are all fairly new,” Lander head coach John Scott said. “It’s a learning experience, what changed in the last four minutes, what stepped it up for them?”
Rivertons’ hopes this season ride on the skills of quarterback Treyton Paxton and the 6-0 senior came out throwing the ball well. An opening 27-yard pass to Isaac Devries and another a few plays later to Dillon Lange quickly moved the ball inside the Tiger 11-yard line.
A crushing power run by Kaden Werbelow set the ball just inside the five and Paxton took it from there on a wide rollout to the right for the game’s first score. The ensuing kick failed and Lander wasted little time in finding the opposite end zone.
Max Mazurie took the kick at the 14, feinted right, then turned left up the middle of the field. Rivertons’ coverage broke down and the fleet footed senior raced 86 yards for an avenging score. Tyler Massey converted the kick and the Tigers led 7-6 with 8:05 remaining in the opening period. A cloud of flags and a turnover thwarted the Tigers through much of the remaining half. Lander was called for two pass interference penalties on the game.
With 3:44 remaining in the first period the Tigers were on another drive after picking up a pair of first downs behind solid blocking. Lander used six different backs in the opening half with Mazurie, his sophomore brother Eli, Slater Coffee, Jack Sweeney and John Fawson all picking up yardage. “Six backs lets us be as versatile in a running game as some teams are with receivers,” Scott said.
Werbelow knocked the ball loose at the Riverton 44-yard line and Kaden Poll recovered the fumble to end the Lander drive.
A pass interference call on the Tigers and a 21-yard burst by Dawson Lane had the Wolverines in first and goal at the 10 later in the opening period. Werbelow drove the ball to the one but the ensuing shotgun snap sailed over Paxton’s head and the Wolverines lost 24 yards on the play. Paxton recovered 11 of the lost yards on a keeper as the horn sounded. On the first play of the second period Paxton found Lang on a crossing pattern for 14-yard touchdown. Hjalte Dencher converted the kick and the Wolverines regained the lead at 13-7.
Lander came out throwing the Mazurie completing four passes in the ensuing drive including a 14-yard connection to tight end Conrad Swenson for a first down at the 23. A completion to Justin Bever and 19-yard run by Kayden Heil set up Sweeney for a two-yard plunge that tied the game at 13. Sweeney powered in the two-point conversion and Lander regained the lead 15-13.
A second pass interference call gave Riverton good field position but a jail break style pass rush engulfed Paxton for a nine-yard loss and the Wolverines were forced to punt.
Landers’ defensive line was the difference in the game. The Tigers dominated Rivertons’ offensive line on most plays with Swenson, Ozzadie O’Neal, Jasper Roy, Kyler Lesher and Mason Cronk spending a lot of time in the Riverton backfield.
“On the defensive and the offensive side those guys helped us control the line of scrimmage, they let us run the ball and maybe put Riverton into the passing game,” Scott said. A personal foul on the Tigers for a late hit put Riverton in field goal position as the clock ticked away but Dencher was wide right on 32 yard attempt and the half ended 15-13.
The third period was all Lander. The Tigers came out of the half with an offensive intensity that Riverton didn’t adjust too. Sweeney scored on a 5-yard run, Coffee on a 6-yard dive and Sweeney again on another 5-yard plunge as the Tiger offensive line took over the game. In between the ground assault Bever made a nice diving comeback catch for a first down through the air.
“We came out and played a real sound third quarter running the ball and defending, it put us in a good place,” Scott said.
Only a Tiger fumble recovered by Gage Bland at the 37 prevented the game from turning into a blowout. Trailing 35-13 Riverton found some success through the air but Max Mazurie intercepted Paxton at the five to end the first Wolverine drive of the final period.
It was an almost exclusive aerial attack for Riverton in the final five minutes of the game. Paxton was impressive in finding open receivers in spite of constant pressure from Landers’ front four and linebackers.
Passes to Brennan Ibach and runs by Paxton when Landers’ coverage was tight moved the ball to the one where Lane darted in for the score with 3:55 left in the game.
An ensuing Riverton onside kick sailed high out of bounds landing behind the Riverton bench but Lander didn’t move the ball and Riverton had a final chance. Paxton scrambled once again moving the ball to the 17 where he found Isaac Devries in the corner of the end zone for the final score of game.
Riverton has a tough challenge coming this week facing top ranked Torrington in Goshen County.
The Tigers host Rawlins on Friday.
Riverton 6 7 0 14 - 27
Lander 7 8 20 0 – 35
First Quarter
RIV – Treyton Paxton 4-run (kick failed) 8:18
LAN – Max Mazurie 86-kickoff return (Tyler Massey kick) 8:05
Second Quarter
RIV – Dillan Lange 14-pass from Paxton (Hjalte Dencher kick) 11:56
LAN – Jack Sweeney 2-run (Sweeney run) 7:52
Third Quarter
LAN – Sweeney 5-run (kick failed) 7:40
LAN – Slater Coffee 6-run (Massey kick) 4:06
LAN – Sweeney 5-run (Massey kick) 2:06
Fourth Quarter
RIV – Lange 1-run (Dencher kick) 3:55
RIV – Isaac Devries 17-pass from Paxton (Dencher kick) 1:50
Randy Tucker - LANDER JOURNAL 10-14-2018
WEEK #7 - DOUGLAS
It opened like a classic fight scene from a Hollywood blockbuster with heavyweights landing huge punches -on each other. Lander and Douglas stood toe to toe offensively in the opening five minutes of Friday’s East A Conference tilt in Converse County exchanging four combined touchdowns. Douglas maintained the pace through the first half, racking up 511 yards of total offense while the Tigers couldn’t match the Bearcats and fell 47-20.
The loss moves Lander into third place in league play with a single regular season game remaining against Worland next Friday at home. Lander kicked off and Douglas just stood there looking at the ball. The Tigers recovered on the Bearcat 19 and Eli Mazurie sprinted in for the game’s first score just 10 seconds into the first period. Douglas answered on a 31-yard run by quarterback A.J. Yeaman, the first of four touchdowns by the Bearcat signal caller and regained the lead 7-6 after Lander’s conversion attempt failed earlier.
The Tigers took just 12 seconds to score again with Max Mazurie connecting with Conrad Swenson on an 80-yard catch and run. The duo combined on the conversion pass and Lander led 14-7. Douglas took six plays 3on the next series to knot the game at 14 on Yeaman’s eight-yard run. Vince Heukeried converted four of five first half kicks for Douglas.
Land14 0 6 0 – 20er punted when it was their turn with the ball and it broke the scoring exchange. Douglas scored again late in the period on a 47-yard pass from Yeaman to Dylan Case and the Bearcats led 21-14 after one period of play. The second quarter featured a pair of Douglas drives capped by scoring runs of 38 and one yards by Yeaman and the Bearcats slowly pulled away to a 34-14 lead at intermission.
Douglas bumped the margin to 41-14 on a Dax Reed four-yard run midway through the third period but Swenson put the Tigers back on the board in spectacular fashion. The 6-4 senior scooped up a Bearcat fumble at the Tiger 21 and raced 79 yards on the fumble-return for the score. Douglas added a final touchdown on a five-yard pass from Yeaman to Case. Yeaman either ran or threw six of the Bearcat’s seven scores. Lander is in the playoffs after Riverton lost 28-25 to Rawlins and can secure a third seed with a win over Worland this Friday.
WEEK #7 - DOUGLAS
It opened like a classic fight scene from a Hollywood blockbuster with heavyweights landing huge punches -on each other. Lander and Douglas stood toe to toe offensively in the opening five minutes of Friday’s East A Conference tilt in Converse County exchanging four combined touchdowns. Douglas maintained the pace through the first half, racking up 511 yards of total offense while the Tigers couldn’t match the Bearcats and fell 47-20.
The loss moves Lander into third place in league play with a single regular season game remaining against Worland next Friday at home. Lander kicked off and Douglas just stood there looking at the ball. The Tigers recovered on the Bearcat 19 and Eli Mazurie sprinted in for the game’s first score just 10 seconds into the first period. Douglas answered on a 31-yard run by quarterback A.J. Yeaman, the first of four touchdowns by the Bearcat signal caller and regained the lead 7-6 after Lander’s conversion attempt failed earlier.
The Tigers took just 12 seconds to score again with Max Mazurie connecting with Conrad Swenson on an 80-yard catch and run. The duo combined on the conversion pass and Lander led 14-7. Douglas took six plays 3on the next series to knot the game at 14 on Yeaman’s eight-yard run. Vince Heukeried converted four of five first half kicks for Douglas.
Land14 0 6 0 – 20er punted when it was their turn with the ball and it broke the scoring exchange. Douglas scored again late in the period on a 47-yard pass from Yeaman to Dylan Case and the Bearcats led 21-14 after one period of play. The second quarter featured a pair of Douglas drives capped by scoring runs of 38 and one yards by Yeaman and the Bearcats slowly pulled away to a 34-14 lead at intermission.
Douglas bumped the margin to 41-14 on a Dax Reed four-yard run midway through the third period but Swenson put the Tigers back on the board in spectacular fashion. The 6-4 senior scooped up a Bearcat fumble at the Tiger 21 and raced 79 yards on the fumble-return for the score. Douglas added a final touchdown on a five-yard pass from Yeaman to Case. Yeaman either ran or threw six of the Bearcat’s seven scores. Lander is in the playoffs after Riverton lost 28-25 to Rawlins and can secure a third seed with a win over Worland this Friday.
SENIORS - FINAL HOME GAME VS WORLAND
(Introductions at 5:50 pm prior to kick off vs Worland on October 19th)
#2 Max Mazurie
#7 Slater Coffee
#9 Keegan Whitesides
#27 Dominic Tejada
#30 Kayden Heil
#48 Conrad Swenson
#51 Jake Skinner
#52 Jasper Roy
#54 Elias Rivera
#55 Kyler Lesher
#64 Wyatt Bournazian
#77 Mason Cronk
#89 Connor Jay
Thank you seniors - for representing Lander Valley High School and Tiger Football. Your efforts in representing our school and community are recognized and appreciated.
(Introductions at 5:50 pm prior to kick off vs Worland on October 19th)
#2 Max Mazurie
#7 Slater Coffee
#9 Keegan Whitesides
#27 Dominic Tejada
#30 Kayden Heil
#48 Conrad Swenson
#51 Jake Skinner
#52 Jasper Roy
#54 Elias Rivera
#55 Kyler Lesher
#64 Wyatt Bournazian
#77 Mason Cronk
#89 Connor Jay
Thank you seniors - for representing Lander Valley High School and Tiger Football. Your efforts in representing our school and community are recognized and appreciated.
Randy Tucker - Lander Journal 10/21/2018 TIGERS HANDLE WARRIORS
WEEK #8 - WORLAND
A stifling run defense that limited the visiting Worland Warriors to just two yards per carry propelled the Lander Tigers into the three seed from the East 3-A and into a 5 pm Friday tilt with the Jackson Broncs in Teton County in the opening round of the playoffs. Paced by the dominating defensive front of Conrad Swenson, Jasper Roy, Elias Rivera, Mason Cronk, Kyler Lesher and Slater Coffee the Tigers were in the Warrior backfield as often as their running backs.
“We kept the scheme as simple as we could to play as fast as we could, once the kids made the adjustments they need to do on the field they were able to do that,” Lander head football coach John Scott said.
Worland sophomore quarterback Rudy Sanford was sacked five times on the game and finished with negative 20 yards rushing. Offensively the two teams ended with identical totals of 229 yards in total offense but the statistic was deceptive since 43 of those yards came on the final play of the game in a bomb from Sanford to Devon Mercado. Worland has scored on long passes against good teams all season and Scott worked to prevent the big play all week in practice.
“Stay in coverage, they had gotten their big scoring plays over the top on fades. We’re content letting them throw in front of us and play coverage,” Scott said. “The safeties and corners got that all week. We’d love to be good at both run and pass defense, but if we can be solid at one and play a team like Worland we have to stop the run.”
The game was a defensive struggle for much of the night but Tigers found a little magic in sophomore running back Jack Sweeney who gashed the Warrior defense early in the second quarter on a 37 yard jaunt to the one-yard line. Fellow sophomore Eli Mazurie took it from there and plunged in for the first score of the game. Lander held the Warriors consistently through the first half but Worland picked up two points on a safety when John Fawson chased down an errant punt snap in the end zone and fell on the ball.
Safeties are relatively rare in high school football but Lander picked up one of their own in the third period when a shotgun snap flew wide near the goal line and Sanford was engulfed by a host of Tiger defenders as he recovered in the end zone.
The ensuing kick from the 20 yard line gave the Tigers good field position and they used it a few minutes later on a four-yard touchdown pass from Max Mazurie to Conrad Swenson for a 16-2 lead in the third period. The Tiger defense continued to dominate and scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Wyatt Bournazian after Sanford was rocked near the goal line and coughed up the ball.
” Our kids made good adjustments,” Scott said. Maybe the best hit of the season came in the final period when Lander safety Kayden Heil came up on a short pass reception by Worland running back Chase Hoffman. Heil drilled Hoffman just as he caught the ball with a resounding thud that brought cheers from the Lander crowd and a delayed penalty flag from game officials. Tyler Massey was perfect on all three of his conversion kicks and the Tigers were cruising 23-2 late in the game when Mercado’s touchdown pass came with eight seconds left to play.
Lander enters the playoffs for the first times since a 49-19 loss to Cody in 2005.
The last Tiger playoff win came in 2004 with a 30-27 win over Thermopolis.
Lander 0 7 9 7 - 23
Worland 0 2 0 7 - 9
Second Quarter
LAN – Eli Mazurie 1-run (Tyler Massey kick)
WOR – Safety bad punt snap downed in the end zone
Third Quarter
LAN – Safety bad shotgun snap downed in end zone
LAN – Conrad Swenson 4-pass from Max Mazurie (Massey kick)
Fourth Quarter
LAN - Wyatt Bournazian fumble recovery in end zone (Massey kick)
WOR – Devon Mercado 43-pass from Rudy Sanford (Sanford kick)
Total Offense: Lander 229, Worland 229
Rushing Offense: Lander 34-206, Worland 40-81
Passing Offense: Lander 23, Worland 148
Individual Rushing: Lander -Eli Mazurie 14-92, Max Mazurie 1-(-1), Slater Coffee 5-14, Jack Sweeney 12-85, Kayden Heil 3-12, John Fawson 1-(-6), Worland - Rudy Sanford 5-(-20), Devon Mercado 6-8, Andrew Edholm 23-80, Jaime Luna 5-13, Chase Hoffman 1-0
Passing: Lander - Max Mazurie 4-8 23, Worland - Rudy Sanford 13-21 148
Individual Receiving: Lander – Eli Mazurie 1-(-3), Justin Bever 1-6, John Fawson 1-10, Conrad Swenson 2-10, Worland - Andrew Edholm 1-19, Bryan Viktorin 4-31, Luke Mortimer – 6-56, Chase Hoffman 1-7, Devon Mercado 1-35
WEEK #8 - WORLAND
A stifling run defense that limited the visiting Worland Warriors to just two yards per carry propelled the Lander Tigers into the three seed from the East 3-A and into a 5 pm Friday tilt with the Jackson Broncs in Teton County in the opening round of the playoffs. Paced by the dominating defensive front of Conrad Swenson, Jasper Roy, Elias Rivera, Mason Cronk, Kyler Lesher and Slater Coffee the Tigers were in the Warrior backfield as often as their running backs.
“We kept the scheme as simple as we could to play as fast as we could, once the kids made the adjustments they need to do on the field they were able to do that,” Lander head football coach John Scott said.
Worland sophomore quarterback Rudy Sanford was sacked five times on the game and finished with negative 20 yards rushing. Offensively the two teams ended with identical totals of 229 yards in total offense but the statistic was deceptive since 43 of those yards came on the final play of the game in a bomb from Sanford to Devon Mercado. Worland has scored on long passes against good teams all season and Scott worked to prevent the big play all week in practice.
“Stay in coverage, they had gotten their big scoring plays over the top on fades. We’re content letting them throw in front of us and play coverage,” Scott said. “The safeties and corners got that all week. We’d love to be good at both run and pass defense, but if we can be solid at one and play a team like Worland we have to stop the run.”
The game was a defensive struggle for much of the night but Tigers found a little magic in sophomore running back Jack Sweeney who gashed the Warrior defense early in the second quarter on a 37 yard jaunt to the one-yard line. Fellow sophomore Eli Mazurie took it from there and plunged in for the first score of the game. Lander held the Warriors consistently through the first half but Worland picked up two points on a safety when John Fawson chased down an errant punt snap in the end zone and fell on the ball.
Safeties are relatively rare in high school football but Lander picked up one of their own in the third period when a shotgun snap flew wide near the goal line and Sanford was engulfed by a host of Tiger defenders as he recovered in the end zone.
The ensuing kick from the 20 yard line gave the Tigers good field position and they used it a few minutes later on a four-yard touchdown pass from Max Mazurie to Conrad Swenson for a 16-2 lead in the third period. The Tiger defense continued to dominate and scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Wyatt Bournazian after Sanford was rocked near the goal line and coughed up the ball.
” Our kids made good adjustments,” Scott said. Maybe the best hit of the season came in the final period when Lander safety Kayden Heil came up on a short pass reception by Worland running back Chase Hoffman. Heil drilled Hoffman just as he caught the ball with a resounding thud that brought cheers from the Lander crowd and a delayed penalty flag from game officials. Tyler Massey was perfect on all three of his conversion kicks and the Tigers were cruising 23-2 late in the game when Mercado’s touchdown pass came with eight seconds left to play.
Lander enters the playoffs for the first times since a 49-19 loss to Cody in 2005.
The last Tiger playoff win came in 2004 with a 30-27 win over Thermopolis.
Lander 0 7 9 7 - 23
Worland 0 2 0 7 - 9
Second Quarter
LAN – Eli Mazurie 1-run (Tyler Massey kick)
WOR – Safety bad punt snap downed in the end zone
Third Quarter
LAN – Safety bad shotgun snap downed in end zone
LAN – Conrad Swenson 4-pass from Max Mazurie (Massey kick)
Fourth Quarter
LAN - Wyatt Bournazian fumble recovery in end zone (Massey kick)
WOR – Devon Mercado 43-pass from Rudy Sanford (Sanford kick)
Total Offense: Lander 229, Worland 229
Rushing Offense: Lander 34-206, Worland 40-81
Passing Offense: Lander 23, Worland 148
Individual Rushing: Lander -Eli Mazurie 14-92, Max Mazurie 1-(-1), Slater Coffee 5-14, Jack Sweeney 12-85, Kayden Heil 3-12, John Fawson 1-(-6), Worland - Rudy Sanford 5-(-20), Devon Mercado 6-8, Andrew Edholm 23-80, Jaime Luna 5-13, Chase Hoffman 1-0
Passing: Lander - Max Mazurie 4-8 23, Worland - Rudy Sanford 13-21 148
Individual Receiving: Lander – Eli Mazurie 1-(-3), Justin Bever 1-6, John Fawson 1-10, Conrad Swenson 2-10, Worland - Andrew Edholm 1-19, Bryan Viktorin 4-31, Luke Mortimer – 6-56, Chase Hoffman 1-7, Devon Mercado 1-35
Lander Football Falls to Jackson in Opening Round of Class 3-A playoffs
Oct 28, 2018 By Randy Tucker, Staff Writer
The Jackson running game was as good as their advanced billing Friday night in Teton County. Lander played well but couldn't stop the Broncs ground game when it mattered most and fell 32-17 in the opening round of the Class 3-A playoffs. The loss ended an inspiring season for the Tigers at 4-5. After years of dismal play the Tigers under head coach John Scott improved every week and gave the Broncs everything they wanted in a classic high school football game. "It was a really good effort," Lander head coach John Scott said. "We had to have guys step up and fight through that adversity and we were able to do that."
The Broncs feature 150-pound scatback Jeydon Cox one of the state's best ball carriers. Cox got the ball early and often in the game gaining 238 yards on 37 grueling carries. Jackson amassed 518 yards in total offense on the night and 416 of those came on the ground.
As a scoreless first period drew to a close Tiger quarterback Max Mazurie was intercepted to set up a drive by the Broncs. Cox scampered 11 yard to the five and Kirby Castagno powered in from there for the game's first score. The kick sailed wide and the Tigers trailed 6-0. The Tigers were hampered by two serious injuries early in the game, just two plays apart. Kayden Heil suffered a broken ankle and Justin Bever a dislocated shoulder putting the Tiger coaching staff into a scramble to replace their positions.
"We lined some other people up and they played hard and we gave ourselves a chance," Scott said.
Landers' next drive ended with a hustling play by John Fawson on a punt. Two bad snaps and a bad punt snap sent Fawson chasing the ball but he was able to get the punt off. Tyler Massey has stepped in at quarterback with Mazurie moving to receiver all season and the junior quarterback had a big night converting 13 of 23 for 201 yards but giving up three interceptions.
Massey connected with Fawson on a nice 15-yard catch and run to move into the red zone but the drive stalled at the 12 and Massey connected on a 29-yard field goal for the Tigers' first score with 9:41 remaining in the second period. Jackson drove deep into Tiger territory on the next drive but the Lander defense held at the 16 and the Broncs turned the ball over on downs. The defensive stand was short lived as the Tiger offense fumbled the ball at the 27 and they were right back on the field. Cox scored on a seven-yard run but the kick failed for the second time and the Tigers trailed 12-3 at the half.
Mazurie was lightning in a bottle early in the third quarter when he took the snap and broke into the secondary, out running all the Jackson defenders for a 58-yard touchdown. Massey kick the point after and the Tigers trailed just 12-10. Cox fumbled but Massey was intercepted for the third time and neither team did much offensively until late in the period when Cox capped a short drive on a two-yard plunge. The kick failed again and Lander was within one touchdown at 18-10. Fawson was a weapon all night for Lander and hit perhaps his best punt of the season with the ball rolling dead at the one-yard line.
Jackson showed why they had beaten solid opponents in Cody, Green River and Evanston with a clock killing five minute drive capped by a Castagno 24-yard run and a 25-10 lead with 8:46 left in the game.
"They controlled the ball when they needed to," Scott said. The Tigers weren't quite finished and passes to Conrad Swenson and Fawson set Lander in a first and goal at the seven. Jack Sweeney scored on a three-yard dive with Massey added another point and Lander was in contention 25-17 with 7:34 to go.
Cox put the game away for the Broncs on a 28-yard run four minutes later to cap another long drive and Jackson held on for the 32-17 win.
The Tigers graduate a good group of 14 seniors but return a bevy of talent for next season.
"The support of the parents of that group, the seniors buying in and the staff, that's what you need in a rebuilding situation," Scott said. "They set the groundwork for what you want from your seniors."
Jackson 6 6 6 14 - 32
Lander 3 0 7 7 - 17
First Quarter
JAC - Kirby Castagno 5-run (kick failed) 2:13
Second Quarter
LAN - Tyler Massey 29-field goal 9:41
JAC - Jeydon Cox 7-run (pass failed) 4:41
Third Quarter
LAN - Max Mazurie 58-run (Massey kick) 10:12
JAC - Cox 2-run (kick failed) 3:52
Fourth Quarter
JAC - Castagno 24-run (Castagno kick) 8:46
LAN - Jack Sweeney 3-run (Massey kick) 7:34
JAC - Cox 28-run (Castagno kick) 3:29
Total Offense: Lander 354, Jackson 518
Rushing Offense: Lander 30-139, Jackson 69-416
Passing Offense: Lander 27-215, Jackson 13-102
Individual Rushing: Lander - Jack Sweeney 14-47, Max Mazurie 6-76, Eli Mazurie 4-16, Slater Coffee 5-11, Tyler Massey 1 (-5); Jackson - Jeydon Cox 37-238, Kirby Castagno 8-80, Pearson Evans 10-49
Individual Passing: Lander- Max Mazurie 2-4-1 14, Tyler Massey 13-23-3 201; Jackson - Pearson Evans 5-13-0 102
Individual Receiving - Lander - Connor Jay 6-42, Max Mazurie 4-4, Conrad Swenson 2-57, John Fawson 3-41; Jackson - Jeydon Cox 1-17, Evan Brunner 1-14, Curren Tepe 3-17
Oct 28, 2018 By Randy Tucker, Staff Writer
The Jackson running game was as good as their advanced billing Friday night in Teton County. Lander played well but couldn't stop the Broncs ground game when it mattered most and fell 32-17 in the opening round of the Class 3-A playoffs. The loss ended an inspiring season for the Tigers at 4-5. After years of dismal play the Tigers under head coach John Scott improved every week and gave the Broncs everything they wanted in a classic high school football game. "It was a really good effort," Lander head coach John Scott said. "We had to have guys step up and fight through that adversity and we were able to do that."
The Broncs feature 150-pound scatback Jeydon Cox one of the state's best ball carriers. Cox got the ball early and often in the game gaining 238 yards on 37 grueling carries. Jackson amassed 518 yards in total offense on the night and 416 of those came on the ground.
As a scoreless first period drew to a close Tiger quarterback Max Mazurie was intercepted to set up a drive by the Broncs. Cox scampered 11 yard to the five and Kirby Castagno powered in from there for the game's first score. The kick sailed wide and the Tigers trailed 6-0. The Tigers were hampered by two serious injuries early in the game, just two plays apart. Kayden Heil suffered a broken ankle and Justin Bever a dislocated shoulder putting the Tiger coaching staff into a scramble to replace their positions.
"We lined some other people up and they played hard and we gave ourselves a chance," Scott said.
Landers' next drive ended with a hustling play by John Fawson on a punt. Two bad snaps and a bad punt snap sent Fawson chasing the ball but he was able to get the punt off. Tyler Massey has stepped in at quarterback with Mazurie moving to receiver all season and the junior quarterback had a big night converting 13 of 23 for 201 yards but giving up three interceptions.
Massey connected with Fawson on a nice 15-yard catch and run to move into the red zone but the drive stalled at the 12 and Massey connected on a 29-yard field goal for the Tigers' first score with 9:41 remaining in the second period. Jackson drove deep into Tiger territory on the next drive but the Lander defense held at the 16 and the Broncs turned the ball over on downs. The defensive stand was short lived as the Tiger offense fumbled the ball at the 27 and they were right back on the field. Cox scored on a seven-yard run but the kick failed for the second time and the Tigers trailed 12-3 at the half.
Mazurie was lightning in a bottle early in the third quarter when he took the snap and broke into the secondary, out running all the Jackson defenders for a 58-yard touchdown. Massey kick the point after and the Tigers trailed just 12-10. Cox fumbled but Massey was intercepted for the third time and neither team did much offensively until late in the period when Cox capped a short drive on a two-yard plunge. The kick failed again and Lander was within one touchdown at 18-10. Fawson was a weapon all night for Lander and hit perhaps his best punt of the season with the ball rolling dead at the one-yard line.
Jackson showed why they had beaten solid opponents in Cody, Green River and Evanston with a clock killing five minute drive capped by a Castagno 24-yard run and a 25-10 lead with 8:46 left in the game.
"They controlled the ball when they needed to," Scott said. The Tigers weren't quite finished and passes to Conrad Swenson and Fawson set Lander in a first and goal at the seven. Jack Sweeney scored on a three-yard dive with Massey added another point and Lander was in contention 25-17 with 7:34 to go.
Cox put the game away for the Broncs on a 28-yard run four minutes later to cap another long drive and Jackson held on for the 32-17 win.
The Tigers graduate a good group of 14 seniors but return a bevy of talent for next season.
"The support of the parents of that group, the seniors buying in and the staff, that's what you need in a rebuilding situation," Scott said. "They set the groundwork for what you want from your seniors."
Jackson 6 6 6 14 - 32
Lander 3 0 7 7 - 17
First Quarter
JAC - Kirby Castagno 5-run (kick failed) 2:13
Second Quarter
LAN - Tyler Massey 29-field goal 9:41
JAC - Jeydon Cox 7-run (pass failed) 4:41
Third Quarter
LAN - Max Mazurie 58-run (Massey kick) 10:12
JAC - Cox 2-run (kick failed) 3:52
Fourth Quarter
JAC - Castagno 24-run (Castagno kick) 8:46
LAN - Jack Sweeney 3-run (Massey kick) 7:34
JAC - Cox 28-run (Castagno kick) 3:29
Total Offense: Lander 354, Jackson 518
Rushing Offense: Lander 30-139, Jackson 69-416
Passing Offense: Lander 27-215, Jackson 13-102
Individual Rushing: Lander - Jack Sweeney 14-47, Max Mazurie 6-76, Eli Mazurie 4-16, Slater Coffee 5-11, Tyler Massey 1 (-5); Jackson - Jeydon Cox 37-238, Kirby Castagno 8-80, Pearson Evans 10-49
Individual Passing: Lander- Max Mazurie 2-4-1 14, Tyler Massey 13-23-3 201; Jackson - Pearson Evans 5-13-0 102
Individual Receiving - Lander - Connor Jay 6-42, Max Mazurie 4-4, Conrad Swenson 2-57, John Fawson 3-41; Jackson - Jeydon Cox 1-17, Evan Brunner 1-14, Curren Tepe 3-17