Local gridders prep for 2015 season

The pads have been popping at local high school practice fields as the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies and the Lovell Bulldogs prepare for the 2015 season.Lovell held a blue-white intrasquad scrimmage Saturday evening, and Rocky Mountain will hold a brown-gold scrimmage tomorrow (Friday) at 5 p.m.The Bulldogs will see live game action Saturday when they host the Buffalo Bison at noon in a “week zero” practice game. Coach Doug Hazen said the game will be played with modified rules, with a quick whistle to minimize contact on special teams but the teams going full speed on offense and defense.[caption id="attachment_10244" align="alignright" width="285"] Lovell senior quarterback Beau Green rolls out while looking for a receiver as Riley Abraham gives chase during the Lovell Blue-White scrimmage Saturday evening at Robertson Stadium. Pass-rushing at the left is end Nic Haskell.
David Peck Photo[/caption]Rocky MountainGrizzly coach Dave Hayes said he has 42 players out for football this fall: nine seniors, 10 juniors, 13 sophomores and 10 freshmen.The Grizz are coming off a successful 6-3 season that saw the Grizz host a first-round playoff game but fall to the Upton-Sundance “U.S. Patriots” in that home game, 48-14.“It was another great regular season but a disappointing home playoff loss to the U.S. Patriots,” Hayes said. “Our goal is to host another playoff game in the first and/or second round and get one game closer to our ultimate goal – a trip to Laramie (for a state title game).”Hayes and his staff held two-a-day practices last week, tapering to one practice a day as school began this week. He said the first week of practice went very well with the Grizz working on conditioning and learning the offensive and defensive sets and plays.“The addition of a few new players and a quality freshman class has been encouraging,” the coach said. “Our team has great leadership with a solid and fun-to-coach senior class. They are competitive, well-balanced and ready to win.”Rocky Mountain graduated eight seniors last year but return nine this fall in Travis Banks, Dakota Bond, Ben Estes, Kelton Hennrich, Wes Homewood, Jared May, Cordell McFarlane, Dylan North and Cole Wambeke.Hayes said the players are working hard and are eager to learn and grow with the program. He said the team has seven junior varsity games scheduled this year, which should help develop the younger players.Hayes will be the defensive coordinator and co-special teams coordinator as well as the head coach. He will be assisted by Tobee Christiansen as offensive coordinator and co-special teams coordinator, Pat Winland as offensive and defensive line coach and Daniel Robertson as assistant offensive and defensive coordinator. Robertson is new to the program after moving from Lovell High School.The Grizzlies will open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 4, on the road in Dayton to take on 1A East foe Tongue River Eagles. The Grizz hosted the Eagles in last season’s opener, falling 14-7.LovellThe Lovell Bulldogs are coming off a disappointing 4-5 season, at the end of which they lost a first-round playoff game to the Big Horn Rams in Big Horn, 23-12.The Bulldogs graduated 13 seniors, but there are 49 players out this year including 13 seniors, 10 juniors, 12 sophomores and 14 freshmen, coach Doug Hazen said.There are six starters returning on offense and seven on defense. Returning on offense are senior quarterback Beau Green, senior tight end Nic Haskell, senior guard Merrill Beck, junior receiver Brandon Teter (a tailback last year), senior receiver Britton Woody and junior lineman Jaret Collins.Returning on defense are Green at linebacker, juniors Tyler Teter, Brandon Teter and Riley Abraham at linebacker, senior Kenneth Powell at tackle, Beck at tackle and Haskell at end.“Our numbers are very good this year,” Hazen said, “and our leadership is very good. Morale is very high. The kids have worked their tails off so far.”Hazen will be the defensive coordinator for varsity games once again and is coaching the quarterbacks and defensive backs. Bob Weber returns as the offensive coordinator for the varsity and coaches the wide receivers and linebackers. He is also the associate head coach.New coach Jeny Gardner coaches the offensive and defensive lines and will serve as the defensive coordinator for junior varsity games. She replaces Daniel Robertson, who took a new position at Rocky Mountain High School.Another new coach, Nick DeWitt, coaches the running backs and linebackers and will serve as the offensive coordinator for JV games. He replaces Craig Lundberg, who is the new golf coach.Also new to both the Lovell and Rocky Mountain programs is trainer Cammie Brost, who is serving both programs through Powell Valley Healthcare.“This is outstanding for us,” Hazen said. “I’m excited about it, and parents should be excited, too, to have someone qualified along the sidelines.”The Bulldogs will open the regular season on Friday, Sept. 4, against the 2A East rival Big Horn Rams on the road in Big Horn at 7 p.m.By David Peck