Eleven Lovell gridders receive postseason honors

A strong season for the Lovell Bulldogs has resulted in a strong showing in the postseason awards arena, with eight players plus three honorable mention selections being selected for the Class 2A West All-Conference team last week.

Six players were picked for the 2A All-State team.

Named all-state were seniors Davin Crosby and Braxton Felkins and juniors Kalell Gruell, Brody Muller, Matthew Newman and Owen Walker.

The six all-staters were joined on the all-conference squad by juniors Chase Crosby and Halen Strom.

Seniors Kasey Jordan and Mikkel KIepp and junior Kyle Wilson received honorable mention recognition.

Senior quarterback and linebacker Davin Crosby also had the distinction of being selected for the first team of the Casper Star-Tribune’s annual Super 25 all-class football team.

Crosby led the state (Class 2A) in passing with 227.4 passing yards per game, completing 154 of 254 passes (60.6 percent) for 2,274 yards and 27 touchdowns, with only four interceptions. He produced a quarterback efficiency rating of 167.8. He also ran for 37.8 yards per game, gaining 378 yards on 102 attempts, scoring eight touchdowns. He led the Bulldogs and was second in the state with 265.2 all-purpose yards per game.

Crosby was second on the team with 155 defensive points, recording 76 tackles -- 23 solo tackles and 53 assisted plus seven tackles for a loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and five interceptions, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns.

But what really stood out about Davin was his leadership ability, father and head coach Nicc Crosby said.

“Davin’s main contribution, far beyond any offensive or defensive statistics, is that he is a very passionate football player and a great team leader,” Coach Crosby said. “He did a lot to help his team be successful on and off the field. It was a blessing in disguise that he was never the biggest, strongest or fastest player, so that gave him the opportunity to learn the value of hard work. He put in the time and effort to become one of the best players in the state.”

Felkins was the starting middle linebacker and an “everything back” on offense, Crosby said, playing running back, fullback, tight end and receiver. Felkins led the team with 168 defensive points, recording 118 tackles -- 19 solo tackles and 99 assisted -- plus eight tackles for a loss, one sack, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, with one defensive touchdown.

On offense, he carried the ball 54 times for 352 yards, 6.5 yards per carry, scoring four touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns.

“He just kept getting better and better as the season went on (as a linebacker),” Crosby said. “Offensively, he did a little bit of everything for us. He picked up on things so quickly. He was a really valuable weapon to have. He’s a hard worker and a great character kid who had a huge impact on the success and culture of our football team.”

Both Davin Crosby and Felkins were voted team captains by their teammates this season.

The juniors

Gruell played offensive guard and defensive tackle for the Bulldogs and recorded 87 defensive points including 70 tackles – 57 assisted tackles and 13 solo stops.

“Kalell was a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball,” Crosby said. “He had to battle a bunch of double-teams on the defensive line but was still incredibly productive in making plays and eating up blocks. On offense he’s a great blocker whether it’s man blocking or pulling. He would be in the right spots and execute his blocks very well.

“He even played a little bit of fullback for us in our heavier set. He did a great job blocking and showed his versatility by carrying the football for us. He’s another hard-working kid and made great contributions to our team.”

Muller played offensive tackle and defensive end for the Bulldogs and was almost always on the field, Crosby said.

“He might have logged the most snaps of any player this year,” the coach said. “He rarely came off the field on offense, defense or special teams.”

Muller finished the season with 52 defensive points with 37 tackles and six tackles for a loss.

“Brody did a great job of fulfilling his defensive responsibilities setting the edge and as one of our best blockers on the offensive line,” Crosby noted. “I give Brody a lot of credit for staying in great condition and being able to have the stamina to play as many snaps as he did.”

Newman was an explosive player on offense and one of the top tacklers on defense, playing free safety and cornerback on defense and receiver on offense, primarily the slot position.

The junior was second on the team in all-purpose offense, catching 47 passes for 773 yards to lead the team – 16.4 yards per catch – with 11 touchdowns. He led the state with 85.9 yards per game. He also carried the ball 21 times for 150 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. On defense he was fourth on the team with 93 defensive points, recording 37 tackles, two fumble recoveries, four interceptions and five pass breakups. 

“Matthew had a great season on defense,” Crosby said. “He proved to be a very versatile defender in the defensive backfield and was a very sure tackler.

“Matthew is one of those guys we tried to find ways to get him the ball on offense. He’s a very dynamic player with the ball in his hands and a good guy to get the ball to as Owen (Walker) got double-teamed quite frequently.”

Walker, a defensive back and receiver, caught 46 passes for 799 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 17.4 yards per catch. He also had 68 defensive points with 30 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups.

“I was really impressed with Owen this year on the defensive side of the ball after not playing much on defense last year,” Crosby said. “He defended the pass well and was a really good tackler. Offensively, he did a great job of being productive as a receiver despite all the attention he faced from opposing defenses.”

Chase Crosby played nickel linebacker, running back and slot receiver for the Bulldogs. He finished third on the team with 116 defensive points including 77 tackles, five tackles for a loss, two sacks and one interception. On offense he rushed for 245 yards on 56 carries and three TDs, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He also caught 16 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown.

“Chase had a very productive season on both sides of the ball in his first full season as a varsity starter,” Coach Crosby said. “His vision and instincts as a runner made him a threat with the ball in his hands, and his route running and hands really improved as the season went on. On defense he was one of our leading tacklers and did a really good job in pass coverage.”

Strom was a strong interior lineman for the Bulldogs, starting at defensive tackle and offensive guard. He missed six games after suffering an injury against Big Horn in the season opener.

“Halen battled through injuries to still have a very successful season,” Crosby said. “He made our defense much better by commanding so much attention from opposing offenses, which really freed up his teammates to make a lot of plays. He was a great blocker (on offense) and really improved as a pulling guard as the season went on.”

Honorable mention

Wilson played defensive end and offensive tackle for the Bulldogs this season.

“Kyle was another lineman who rarely came off the field,” Crosby said. “He’s a high character, hard-working kid who really improved a ton as a varsity starter this year. We pull him quite a bit at tackle, and he’s a great guy to run behind on offense. He has a great frame and length on defense.”

Jordan, a senior, played offensive guard and defensive tackle for the Bulldogs and did a great job after taking a year off, Crosby said.

“He filled in really nicely while Halen was hurt and gave us a lot of depth when Halen came back,” the coach noted. “He played some really solid games on defense and made several plays in the backfield. He turned into a very solid blocker on offense.”

Klepp, an exchange student from Norway, had never played a down of football before arriving in Lovell but turned into one of the best kickers in the state, Crosby said.

“Coming here as an exchange student, he really wanted to play all over the place and get that experience,” he noted. “He was capable of doing more, but he was so valuable as a placekicker and kickoff specialist that we couldn’t afford to get him hurt.”

Crosby said Klepp hit both of his field goal attempts this season and more than 90 percent of his Point After Touchdown kicks.