Bulldogs stop Kemmerer to keep playoff hopes alive

A week after coaches believed the Lovell Bulldogs were dead in the water when it came to qualifying for the playoffs, a new analysis has changed the team’s fortunes, head coach Nicc Crosby said on Tuesday, especially with the Bulldogs beating Kemmerer last Thursday night.

The Bulldogs made the long drive to Lincoln County and beat the Kemmerer Rangers 21-14. The win boosted Lovell’s conference record to 2-4, with wins over Lyman and Kemmerer. Cokeville tops the 2A West Division at 5-0, with Thermopolis second at 4-1. Mountain View is 3-2, Lyman 2-3, Lovell 2-4, and both Pinedale and Kemmerer 1-4.

Mountain View would be favored over Pinedale this week, leaving Pinedale 1-5 behind Lovell. Thermopolis would be favored over Lyman, as well, leaving Lyman 2-4 but with a loss to Lovell. Even if Kemmerer upsets Cokeville, Lovell has the tiebreaker over the Rangers with Thursday’s win.

And so Lovell is not out of it after all despite a 2-4 conference record, and the team had that opportunity on their minds as they traveled to the game Thursday.

“In the two games that impact us, the outcomes we need are the favored outcomes right now,” Crosby said. “We saw more of the analytics and realized what it would take. We also knew that this was huge for Kemmerer. They just came off beating Pinedale. This was senior night for them, and a win against us on their home field would give them a pretty good chance of qualifying for the playoffs.”

With everything on the line, the Bulldogs played one of their best games of the season Thursday after a bit of a slow start. Both teams moved the ball, and the team that completed more drives successfully – Lovell – came out on top.

“We actually forced two turnovers in the end zone,” Crosby said. “They did move the ball, but we came up with a couple big plays to help us hang around until we really got rolling. With that second turnover, they were at 7-0 and looking to go up 14-0, and Kyson (Crosby) caused the fumble while Joaquin (Scheeler) recovered in the end zone, and that was kind of a momentum changer because we pretty much dominated the game after that. We went down and scored right before half to tie it up, and then we were pretty much in control until the fiasco at the very end (a blocked field goal for touchdown).

“I feel like it took us a while. We were saying the right things, but it took a while for us to do the right things. But yeah, once we started making some plays and played with confidence, we were in good control of the game from the last drive of the first half until the last little series of the second half.”

Lovell took to the opening kickoff and drove to the Bulldog 37, but quarterback Crosby was hit on a rollout as he threw, and the pass was intercepted. Kemmerer then drove to the Lovell 11, but Kannon Owens picked off a pass in the end zone.

After a Lovell three-and-out the Rangers drove 42 yards to score, taking advantage of a short field as Noah Parks punched it in from four yards out. The home team led 7-0, and after the Bulldogs gave the ball back to Kemmerer on downs at midfield, the Rangers looked to make it a two-score lead, driving to the Lovell 10 before Crosby punched the ball free and Scheeler fell on it in the end zone. Lovell had dodged a bullet.

Given new life, the Bulldogs drove 80 yards to score as Crosby ran twice then hit Mac Morgan for a 33-yard gain into Kemmerer territory. Lovell worked the ball to the Ranger 35, and Crosby found Morgan again for a 34-yard gain to the 1-yard line. Scheeler scored from there, and the game was tied 7-7.

Second half

Kemmerer took the second-half kickoff and drove to the Lovell 29, but the Bulldog defenders Jett Hessenthaler and Grant Hill put a strong rush on the quarterback, and Owens again intercepted a pass to end the threat.

Lovell took the ball at the 33, and Owens burst around the end on a jet sweep for 64 yards to the Ranger 3. Scheeler scored on the next play, and Lovell led 14-7 midway through the third quarter.

Taking firm control of the game, the Bulldogs forced a Kemmerer three and out and drove 82 yards to score. The drive started with an 11-yard shovel pass from Crosby to Scheeler, and Crosby then hit Morgan for a 16-yard pass to the 50, with 15 yards tacked on thanks to a Kemmerer unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Three plays later, Crosby found Nathan Cornia wide open slicing across the middle for a 31-yard touchdown pass, and the Ryan Oaks PAT put Lovell up 21-7.

Kemmerer returned the ensuing kickoff to the Lovell 11, but the Bulldogs held at the five, then took several minutes off the clock with a drive deep into Ranger territory. Crosby and Owens had big runs, and Crosby found Cornia for 29 yards to the Ranger 25. After that, the Bulldogs kept hitting big plays, only to see the plays called back on penalties. 

The drive reached the Kemmerer one, but two penalties and two incomplete passes left the ball at the 11, and the Bulldogs attempted a 28-yard field goal. Unfortunately, the Rangers broke through to block the kick, and Sam Thatcher returned the block some 85 yards for a touchdown. After nearly going up 28-7, the Bulldogs clung to a 21-14 lead with 40 seconds left.

Two onside kicks (the second after an offsides penalty) were unsuccessful as Crosby covered the second kick to preserve the win.

Coach Crosby was pleased with his team’s effort for the most part.

“The only thing that I didn’t love is I felt we just took too long to be the aggressor, and once we started playing more aggressively, we were successful,” he said. “We played with confidence and really seized the momentum of the game. You’ve heard me say this several times this season, but we’re down there. Long trip. It’s seven to zero. They’re about to score another touchdown. The kids could have been, ‘Oh well, whatever. We’re probably not going to make the playoffs.’

 “Instead, we create a turnover, and we turn that turnover into a touchdown and then just take that momentum and ride it through the rest of the game. And so, yeah, it was impressive how we were able to battle back from adversity. I’d just like to see us be the aggressor, go out there and seize control of a game and play with confidence. And not give your opponent opportunities to get back into the game.”

The Bulldogs rushed for 163 yards and passed for 182, giving them 345 yards of total offense. Owens gained 71 yards rushing on two carries, Crosby 55 yards on 12 carries, Scheeler 28 yards on 11 carries and Morgan 9 yards on two attempts.

Crosby completed 14 of 21 passes for 182 yards, and Morgan caught four passes for 87 yards, Scheeler four for 21 yards, Cornia three for 41 yards, Owens two for 25 and Wilson Hendershot one for 8.

Owens finished with 18 defensive points, Travis Asay 17.5 and Cornia 13.5.

Home finale

Now 3-4, the Bulldogs will hope to reach .500 for the season as they host the Casper Natrona junior varsity tonight (Thursday) at 6 p.m. at Robertson Stadium. The team will celebrate senior night, and Crosby hopes to send the seniors out with a win, the team currently 0-3 at home this season.

“We haven’t won at home, and it’s their last (home) game,” Crosby said. “It’s going to be senior night, so we’d like our seniors to be able to have opportunities to shine in front of the whole home crowd one last time and have some success, have some fun and then see what happens on Friday if we’re in the playoffs or not.

“That’s what we’re hoping for. We give ourselves a chance to go to the playoffs, and who knows? Crazy things have happened, injuries happen, turnovers happen. You just never know, but you get yourself in the playoffs and give yourself a chance.”