Grizzlies look to take big step forward this fall

To say that the 2024 season was a disappointment for the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies would be an understatement. The Grizz went 1-6 last fall and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

But a new season has brought new optimism for the Grizz under third-year head coach Jessee Wilson, who says the Grizzlies are playing with a chip on their shoulders and feature a more experienced lineup.

Indeed, the Rocky Mountain gridders played with fire as they played the Greybull Buffaloes in a week zero scrimmage Saturday in Greybull. Wilson said the Grizz outscored Greybull 26-6 in the varsity portion of the game – the first half – and also won junior varsity half -- the second half – 20-18.

Greybull took an early 6-0 lead, but the Grizz answered quickly as senior running back Triffen Jolley broke loose for a 49-yard run. He was tackled just short of the end zone but scored on the next play, Wilson said, adding, “I figured I’d better pay him back (for that run), so we ran again and he scored on the next play.”

Jolley added a two-yard run after that, and quarterback Mason Moss scored twice: a 15-yard scramble that saw the sophomore reverse course and juke defenders and about a 10-yard run, Wilson said.

He added that Sam Loyning scored two touchdowns in the junior varsity half.

Wilson said strong line play was a key to the game Saturday and is looking to be a strength this season.

“I thought up front we were really physical, and that’s what we wanted to do,” Wilson said. “That’s where I think the strength of our team lies. Also, (I liked) the little things that we’ve been emphasizing in practice. We didn’t have a turnover. On the varsity side, I think we won the turnover battle like three to zero. Greybull coughed up the ball three times, or maybe four times, actually, and we didn’t turn it over once, which was great.”

Wilson recalls two recovered fumbles and an interception by Will Watts.

Asked about things to work on heading into week one of the regular season, Wilson didn’t hesitate.

“Oh yeah, we’ve got to work on everything,” he said. “There’s a lot of stuff that we’ve got to take care of. Like I said, we were big and strong and physical up front, but we’ve still got to nail down our blocking assignments and understand who to block and when to block them. There are some other little things that need to be cleaned up with some route running by our receivers and play fakes with our quarterbacks.

“Our running back play was pretty solid between Triffen and Cooper Ward. They kind of shared carries in our scrimmage, and they both did a fantastic job running the ball. It’s kind of a thunder and lightning relationship between those two. It’s pretty fun. Cooper’s a bit more shifty, whereas Triffin is kind of a downhill runner. So it’s a fun dynamic between those two. It’s nice to have two backs.

The lineup

Looking at the offense, Wilson said Moss will get the nod at quarterback and brings not just skill to the position but leadership and savvy.

“He’s kind of the full package in terms of just being a great athlete, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders, understands sports and is a great learner,” the coach said. “I can tell him something one time and it’s going to be fixed the next time, so just the way that he processes the game is pretty cool.”

Watts will be the emergency varsity backup, and freshman Jaxx May is the junior varsity quarterback. Wilson called May “a good athlete and a smart kid who has some learning to do as a freshman.”

Jolley will start in Wilson’s single-back offense, with Ward providing a change of pace. Wilson said of Jolley, “He’s powerful and strong, and he’s fast. He runs in the 4.7 range as far as the 40-yard dash goes, and he’s becoming a better runner. He’s seeing the field so much better this year, which is great.”

The versatile Ward will see plenty of snaps, too, depending on the formation used, Wilson said.

Wilson said the best way to describe the Grizzly offense is calling it a “spread wing T,” noting, “It’s kind of a Frankenstein. I just think about all the stuff that I hated to cover when I was a defensive coordinator, and I try to make that our offense. The spread wing T is probably the best way to do it, lots of misdirection, lots of motion. We try to spread the ball around a little bit, too, if we can.”

Wilson said offensive weapons include senior tight end Landon Pruett, backed by senior Rylan Stebner; senior “Z” receivers Watts and Coby Wachob; “X” receivers Colten Bitton (senior) and Cooper Winland (sophomore) and wingback/H back Paul Shetler, a junior.

The line is a team strength, Wilson said, with senior Juan “the Juan Mower” Rodriguez (200 pounds) at center, senior Tayt Beall (210-220) at left guard and junior Masen Twomey (230-240) at right guard. Backups are junior Treysen Merrill and sophomores John Mader and Alex Walker.

Defense

Like the offense, the line will be a strength on Rocky’s stack 3-3-3 defense with the six players mentioned on offense rotating in on defense, plus junior William Torres. 

“I don’t have any issues going five deep or even six deep (on the line),” Wilson said. “It really is a strength of our team. It’s never been this way before, and I’m happy about it.”

Jolley will be the middle linebacker, with Pruett and Shetler as outside backers. He added that Loyning “really impressed us this week.”

The defensive backfield will include cornerbacks Watts and Bitton and free safety Moss, with Wachob and Ward also seeing action. On special teams, Winland is the long snapper with Moss at punter, Moss and Watts kicking and Watts and Ward returning kicks and punts.

Wilson is the offensive coordinator as well as head coach and coaches the offensive and defensive lines. Justin Moss is the defensive coordinator and coaches the linebackers, quarterbacks and running backs. Josh Sponsel coaches the cornerbacks and wide receivers, and Austin Haslem coaches the H backs and tight ends and helps with the secondary.

Lusk to start

The Grizzlies will open the regular season by making the long trip to Lusk Friday for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Tigers were 4-4 last season including a 22-12 win over the Grizzlies in Cowley. Lusk has some key players returning, and the Tigers employ a spread option attack with some motion, Wilson said, adding, “They throw it around a little bit.”

The Tigers have a 4-2 defense and use a lot of man-to-man coverage in the secondary, Wilson noted.

Optimism abounds

Wilson said he’s optimistic about the 2025 season with the strong group of athletes he has.

“I’m excited for this group of kids,” he said. “I feel they’ve bought into what we’ve been talking about, and they have a chip on their shoulder. They weren’t pleased with last season and are looking to remedy that. That was evident in the Greybull game.

“They’re a pretty physical group with a lot of kids who like to hit people, which is cool. We have a good blend of physicality and athleticism. The Greybull game was a good confidence boost to go in there and play the way they did.”

The schedule is challenging, Wilson said, with the Grizzlies meeting pre-season number one Pine Bluffs in week two, second-ranked Saratoga in week three and third-ranked Big Piney in week four.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Wilson said. “If you want to be the best you play the best. It’s a cliché, but our message is to play one game at a time and focus on the things we can control.”