LHS roundup: Tennis teams third at regionals

By Wyoming Sports.org

Both the Laramie High School tennis teams finished in third place Saturday at the East Regional Tournament at the UW Tennis Complex.

For the Plainsmen, the No. 2 doubles team of Ryne Ibarra and Zeke Denison led the way with a second-place finish. The No. 3 doubles team of Mathias Goldenstein and Shivam Patel placed.

In singles play, Dan Nachtigal (No. 1 singles) and Tanner Williams (No. 2 singles) both placed fourth.Two Lady plainsmen doubles teams came away with second-place finishes -- Widya Adidharma and Taryn Young at No. 2 doubles and Megan Bedessem and Ellen Nye at No. 3 doubles.The No. 1 doubles team of Jessica Swierczek and Kiley Dodson finished in fourth.

In singles play, Kristyn Wykert finished third at No. 1 singles and Lisa Herbert was fourth at No. 2 singles."I'm proud to say that LHS was well-represented on the tennis court today,” Laramie coach Carlos Mellizo said. “The kids fought hard and a third place team showing is a great accomplishment for all of them. Kristyn Wykert was an especially bright spot for us today on the girls side. Her game is maturing by the day. On the boys side, Mathias and Shivam beat Jackson in a third set tie-break with 3rd place on the line. They came through for us with style and class."

The Laramie teams will now prepare for the state tournament Thursday through Saturday in Cheyenne.

Fry, Nerone lead Laramie golfers
EVANSTON -- Cameron Fry jumped from 33rd place to a final seven-place finished Saturday at the Wyoming Class 4A State Golf Tournament.

Fry opened the tournament with an 84, but shot a 75 on Saturday to finish in a tie for seventh place in the 59-golfer field with a 159. As a team, the Plainsmen finished in fifth place out of 12 teams with a 654.

While Fry surged ahead, a couple of Plainsmen struggled a bit, as Eric Parish shot an 81 to finish in a three-way tie for 13th place at 160 and Patrick Pajak dropped down to a three-way tie for 25th at 164 when he shot an 85 after an opening 79.

Also for the Plainsmen, Christian Rundberg tied for 35th place with a 171 and Burke Florum was 59th with a 239.

Sheridan won the boys' tournament with a 622, followed by Evanston at 633, Gillette at 645 and Central at 651.

Hannah Nerone continued her solid play for the lady Plainsmen with a 93 on Saturday to finish in a tie for seventh place at 187. Maigen Rettinger also improved with a 102 and placed tied for 18th place with a 212. Also for the Laramie girls, Carissa Cutbirth tied for 31st with a 246, Zoe Brian was 35th with a 265 and Christine Bulgrin was 36th with a 267.

Gillette won the girls’ field with a 548, followed by Central at 566 and East at 581. Laramie was seventh with a 645.

LHS tennis off to good start at regionals

By Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie High School tennis teams will have nine of 10 positions still alive at the East Regional tournament going into today’s final round of action at the UW Tennis Complex.

All three Laramie doubles teams and the two singles players will be in action on Saturday, with just one Laramie boys’ doubles team eliminated.

"We are thrilled to have to have all five girls positions competing on the last day of conference,” Laramie head coach Carlos Mellizo said. “We nearly had five out of five on the boys side, which is still very exciting. Saturday, our aim is to secure the highest seeding possible for the state tournament next weekend. I am very proud of how the kids responded to the challenge and adversity, which typify a tournament of this magnitude."

Ryne Ibarra and Zeke Denison placed the Laramie boys as they went 2-0 on the first day and will compete for the No. 2 doubles finals,

In singles play for the Plainsmen, both Dan Nachtigal and Tanner Williams went 2-1 at No. 1 and No,. 2 singles respectively and will compete in the consolation finals.

In No. 3 doubles, the Laramie team of Shivam Patel and Mathias Goldenstein were 2-1 and will compete in the consolation finals.

The Laramie No. 1 team of Sean Gardea and Colton Proctor were 1-2 and were eliminated.

Two Laramie girls’ doubles teams will be playing for titles on Saturday. The No. 2 team of Widya Adidharma and Taryn Young were 2-0, as was the No. 3 team of Megan Bedessem and Ellen Nye.

The No. 1 team of Jessica Swierczek and Kiley Dodson were 2-1 and will compete in the consolation final.

Also going 2-1 and playing for the consolation finals on Saturday were Kristyn Wykert at No. 1 singles and Lisa Herbert at No. 2 singles.

Golfers open state tournament
EVANSTON -- The Laramie High School golf teams are off to an up and down start at the Class 4A State Tournament at the Purple Sage Golf Course.

The Plainsmen are tied for fourth out of 12 teams, with the Lady Plainsmen seventh out of nine scoring teams.

For the Plainsmen, Eric Parish and Patrick Pajak are tied for 15th with opening 79s. Also for Laramie, Christian Rundberg is tied for 22nd with an 80. Cameron Fry is 33rd with an 84 and Burke Florum is 59th with a 117.

Sheridan leads the boys’ field with a 305, followed by Central and Evanston at 316, Green River and Laramie at 322 and Riverton at 325.

For the Lady Plainsmen, Hannah Nerone is tied for eighth place with an opening 94, followed by Maigen Rettinger in 22nd place at 128. Also competing for the Laramie girls are Carissa Cut birth (34th, 128), Christine Bulgrin (38th, 137) and Zoe Brain (39th, 141).

Gillette is well ahead of the girls’ field with a 271, followed by Central at 286 and East at 292. Laramie opened with a 332.

Action conclude son Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

Bearcats run over Plainsmen

Richard Anderson photo
Scottsbluff running back Tyler Geary ran for 172 yards against Laramie Friday night in the Bearcats' 23-0 win.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Laramie head coach Bob Knapton was hard pressed to find anything positive about Friday night’s 23-0 loss to Scottsbluff, Neb., at Deti Stadium.

In fact, Knapton thought it was just a "horrible" night all around for his team.

“We don’t tackle nobody, we don’t block nobody,” Knapton said. “I think we came out here and we expected them to lay down and let us win.”

After the Plainsmen, now 1-4, earned their first win of the season with a solid 24-16 victory over Casper Kelly Walsh last week, Knapton felt like Laramie had some momentum going and would be guarded against a letdown.

It turned out to be a classic case of one step forward and two steps back for the team in the last two weeks.

“That was a giant step backwards,” he added. “We had kids get frustrated, kids getting penalties. We have to start regrouping again, that’s ridiculous. They come out with a couple of different things and we have to learn how to make adjustments. We didn’t.”

The game began as a penalty-fest, with the local Albany County Officials Association crew throwing yellow flags on six of the first 12 plays. By halftime, there were 143 total yards of offense and 123 yards of penalties.

It took both teams a little time to recover and neither team really got into a groove offensively in the first half, as Scottsbluff led by just 3-0 count at the break. Laramie didn’t get its first first down until three minutes into the second quarter. It would get worse. The Plainsmen would finish with just 50 yards of total offense, three first downs and none in the second half.

The Bearcats came out and put the game away in the third quarter with a 3-yard touchdown run by shifty halfback Tyler Gealy, a 66-yard punt return by Trey Wilberger for a 17-0 and a 38-yard run by sophomore reserve quarterback Mike Klein with two minutes left in the period.

“They were a pretty good team. They got some big kids in there and we didn’t see some of those kids on film,” Knapton said. “They came out with a good scheme to stop us and we got frustrated. We have to learn to stick to our rules and do it right. We started freaking out and didn’t do it right.

“We have to learn to sit there and play tough ball and we have to learn to show up every night to play tough ball. That’s just part of getting used to your team, I guess. We played a tough game last week and I thought, ‘now we’re on a roll, let’s get going.’ We over did it. We thought this was going to be easy now. No, it is not going to be easy. Every week is tough.”

Geary was a tough Bearcat to bring down as the Plainsmen defense was unsuccessful with many arm-tackle attempts. The result was 172 yards on 25 carries. Scottsbluff finished with 275 yards rushing on 43 carries. Starting quarterback Brett Klein and his younger brother, Mike, combined to complete just 4 of 10 passes for 21 yards.

“They have a great running back,“ Knapton said. “I don’t know where they have been in the last three or four ballgames to be losing like that. They are a good team, but sheesh, we’re in a ballgame and we have to play ball, we have to make adjustments, we have to learn how to do it. That’s football.”

Laramie’s lone bright spot on the night came from junior free safety Rylan Harding, who had two pass interceptions. Junior linebacker Tyler English also had a fumble recovering.

Junior fullback Charles Shearingen led the Plainsmen with 32 yards on nine carries. Junior wingback Jon Sorenson, who had 137 yards rushing against KW, had just four yards on seven rushes and junior wingback Luke Knapton had seven yards on six carries. As a team, Laramie ran for 32 yards on 29 rushes.

Senior quarterback Coleton Wilson was 5 of 12 passing for 18 yards and one interception. Laramie’s lone scoring threat ended on the pass interception by Wilberger on the Scottsbluff 5-yard line.

The Plainsmen will look to bounce back next Friday as they return to South 5A Conference play at Evanston.

Plainsmen looking for second straight win

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie junior fullback Charles Swearingen looks to get past an East defender earlier in the season.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie Plainsmen had a little extra bounce in their step this week in practice after picking up their first win of the season last week against Casper Kelly Walsh.

Laramie head coach Bob Knapton, however, made sure the bounce wasn’t too obvious this week, as they host Scottsbluff, Neb., in a non-conference game at Deti Stadium (7 p.m.).

While it is noticeable that the 1-3 Plainsmen have a little momentum, Knapton said that from their standpoint, they are going through a normal routine.

“We try to keep everything the same way that we have been doing it,” Knapton said. “The kids seemed a little bit more focused, they asked more questions about certain plays. That was a bright spot. They have got it in their head that we have to do a few more things here.”

While Knapton said that every coach worries about a team being over confident after a big win, he doesn’t think the Plainsmen are at that point yet.

“I think they know that the reason we have been doing all of this stuff is because when you get into the game and do it that way, it works,” he said. “At least make people beat you; you don’t have all of the mistakes that give them gifts that help them finish their drives. That’s a learning process and I think they have learned that now. I told them you don’t have to be perfect, but you want to be better than the other team.”

The Plainsmen beat Kelly Walsh 24-16 in Casper last week and got the game going on the right foot with a touchdown drive on the opening series. Laramie led 12-0 and 18-6 in the game before holding off the Trojans.

At times this season, the Plainsmen have made critical mistakes early that has either stalled drives or prolonged their opponents time on the field offensively. Last week’s success in curbing those problems made that week a confidence booster, Knapton said.

“When you go down and score on somebody, that gives your team something like, ‘Let’s do it again, let’s drive again.’ It’s very important,” he said. “You’re talking about momentum, you’re talking about high school kids. When they think they can do it, it makes a heck of a difference, rather than not thinking they can do it.”

Friday’s game against Scottsbluff is the final non-conference game of the season for both teams. The Plainsmen will get back in South 5A action for their final four games. Knapton said that Friday’s contest is a game where you want to finalize everything.

“You don’t want to come out of this game and say, ‘We need to work on this,’” Knapton said. “You want to come out of this game and say, ‘Everything is in place.’ The next game is where your start your conference up again. We want to say, ‘We got it now and everything is rolling and there is not a lot of mistakes to fix.’”

The Bearcats, 1-3 on the season, are in the same boat. Scottsbluff beat Hastings, Neb., 35-7 two weeks ago for their only win of the season. In their three losses, they have just one other touchdown. Last week Scottsbluff fell to McCook, Neb., 44-7.

“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot early in the year; we could of won a couple of games, losing 6-0 and 14-0,” Scottsbluff co-head coach Derek Deaver said. “We have four or five turnovers in each game. We can’t win too many games doing that.”

Friday’s game could likely come down to which team doesn’t make mistakes and which team is ready to go early.

“We’re in mid season right now,” Knapton said. “You’re taking a look at the people you play, where the standings are and where are our opportunities going to be, where are we going to end up. Everything is starting to fall into place.”

Last week the Plainsmen welcomed back senior quarterback Coleton Wilson, who missed the previous week with a shoulder injury. Wilson was 5 of 13 passing for 60 yards. Junior wingback Jon Sorenson had his best game of his career with 137 yards rushing. Sorenson ran for two touchdowns and caught another score, a 20-yarder from Wilson on that critical first Laramie drive. Laramie had 290 yards rushing against the Trojans.

Deaver said he looks for two pretty evenly-matched teams.

“Watching film on Laramie, they have had some bad breaks here and there and they are definitely a team that has gotten better. That’s what you want to do,” Deaver said. “They have some good athletes there with the Sorenson kid, the Knapton (Luke) kid and the Wilson kid. We’ve definitely taken some steps forward.

We’re not in district play yet, so we’re in pretty good shape. We just have to keep getting better.”
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Plainsmen vs. Bearcats
LHS starting lineup
Offense
QB -- Coleton Wilson (6-2, 205, Sr.)
FB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
TE -- Marshall Fisher (6-2, 205, Jr.)
LT -- James Van Kirk (6-1, 230, Sr.)
LG -- Allan Saunders (5-11, 215, Jr.)
C -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
RG -- Allen West (6-3, 225, Sr.)
RT -- Nick Yelton (6-3, 245, Sr.)
TE -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
WB -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
PK -- Alex Zuniga (5-8, 155, Sr.)
Defense
Tackle -- Trent Schneider (6-3, 210, Sr.)
Nose guard -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
Tackle -- Nick Armijo (6-0, 205, Sr.)
DE -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WLB -- Austin Ontiveroz (6-0, 195, So.)
BLB -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
MLB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
FC -- Nathan Cowper (6-2, 175, Jr.)
BC -- Kelby Wilkison (5-11, 165, Jr.)
SS -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
FS -- Rylan Harding (5-11, 175, Jr.)
---
Plainsmen Statistics
(Counting Steamboat Springs game)
Rushing
Jon Sorenson: 61-374 & 3TD; Charles Swearingen: 45-223 & 1 TD; Mike Lanich: 27-40 & 1TD; Coleton Wilson: 16-(minus 66) & 1TD; Kelby Wilkison: 1-17 & 0TDs; Allen West: 1-0 & 0TDs; Luke Knapton: 38-172 & 0TDs, Phillip Callahan 14-41 & 0TDs. Totals: 212-765 & 6 TDS
Passing
Coleton Wilson: 16-38-1 189 & 1TD, Jon Sorenson 0-9-1 0. Totals: 16-47-2 189 & 1TD.
Receiving
Tyler English: 1-25 & 0TDs; Marshall Fisher 1-14 & 0TDs, Nathan Cowper 2-31 & 0TDs; Jon Sorenson 5-43 & 1TD; Luke Knapton 4-38 & 0TDs; Charles Swearingen 2-26 & 0TDs, Rylan Harding 1-13 & 0TDs. Totals: 16-189 & 1TD.
Defense
Luke Knapton 75.5 points, Kelby Wilkison 45, Tyler English 35, Allen West 35, Nathan Cowper 30, Jon Sorenson 31, Nick Armijo 27, Nathan Clark 22, Austin Ontiveroz 20, Charles Swearingen 19, Trent Schneider 12, Ben Farber 12, Rylan Harding 11, Coleton Wilson 7, Alex Zuniga 4, Bryce Kemzt 2, Nick Yelton 5.5, Dylan Kramshuster 2, Dillon Elliott 1, Phillip Callahan 1, Brody Burnett 1.

Plainsmen tennis stop Scottsbluff

By Wyoming Sports.org

CHEYENNE -- The Laramie High School boys’ tennis team did a little fine tuning and adjusting in stopping Scottsbluff, Neb., Tuesday at the Cheyenne East courts.

With the regional tournament in Laramie this weekend, LHS coach Carlos Mellizo made a couple of changes -- moving Dan Nachtigal from No. 1 singles to No. 1 doubles and matching him up with Mason Orcutt; moving Zeke Denison from No. 1 doubles to No. 1 singles and Ryne Ibarra from No. 1 doubles to No. 2 singles.

The Plainsmen had mixed results in the 4-1 victory.

Nachtigal and Orcutt defeated Scottsbluff’s Tommy Briggs and Jared Kerr 6-2 4-7(5) and 6-3 and Ibarra downed John Haslan 3-6, 6-1, and 6-0. Denison, however, fell to Nate Goodwin of Scottsbluff 6-4, 6-4.

“We were very happy to have played this match, only three days before regionals,” Mellizo said. “It allowed us to continue to refine certain strategies that we’re going to try to implement at both regionals and state. It was also nice to end our regular season on a winning note.”
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Laramie 4, Scottsbluff 1
No. 1 singles: Nate Goodwin (S) def. Zeke Denison 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 singles: Ryne Ibarra (LHS) def. John Haslan 3-6, 6-1, 6-0
No. 1 doubles: Dan Nachtigal/Mason Orcutt (LHS_ def. Tommy Briggs/Jarred Kerr 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Colon Proctor/Sean Gardea (LHS) def. Skyler Sullivan/Kyle Hertig 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 doubles: Mathias Goldenstein/Shivam Patel (LHS) def. Holden Reichert/Tyler Webber 6-4, 6-4

LHS tennis plays well at Rawlins

By Wyoming Sports.org

RAWLINS -- The Laramie High School tennis teams had a big day, winning three of the four matches played against Jackson and Rawlins on Saturday.

The Plainsmen moved to 8-2 in dual matches this season by defeating Rawlins 5-0 and Jackson 4-1. The Lady Plainsmen, 5-6, fell to Jackson 5-0, but beat Rawlins 4-1.

Laramie head coach Carlos Mellizo was pleased with both teams on Saturday, especially his boys.

“We faced a solid Jackson (boys) team and felt good to come out with a 4-1 win,” Mellizo said. “We were particularly tough in doubles. Colton (Proctor) and Sean (Gardea) came through for us in a big way with a 6-0, 7-5 win.”

Against Rawlins, it was more of the same.

“Tanner Williams turned in another yeoman-like performance at No. 2 singles with two victories today, making it four wins in two days,” Mellizo said. “That’s quite a weekend.”

For the Lady Plainsmen, Mellizo said they competed well against the defending conference champions despite not getting a win.

“Widya (Adidharma) and Taryn (Young) gave their opponents all they could handle in a tough three-set loss,” he said. “Jackson is the team to beat in our conference and we were competitive in several matches today.”

Mellizo praised the doubles play of Jessica Swierczek and Kiley Dodson, saying they continued to sharpen their skills, especially against Rawlins. The No. 2 double team won that match in a wash, 6-0, 6-0.

“They managed to build on the momentum of (Friday’s) wins, which will only help them come tournament time,” he said.

Laramie returns to action this weekend with the conference tourney in Laramie at the UW Tennis Complex.
---
BOYS
Laramie 5, Rawlins 0
No. 1 singles: Dan Nachtigal (LHS) def. Kei Ratcliffe-Cox 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Tanner Williams (LHS) def. Josh Ford 6-1, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Sean Gardea/Colton Proctor (LHS) def. Dylan Scott/Tanner Nicholls 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 doubles: Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Denison (LHS) def. Adam McFarland/Logan Taylor 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 doubles: Steven Rahel/Mathias Goldenstein (LHS) def. Gage McSpadden/Mitch Taylor 7-6, 6-2
Laramie 4, Jackson 1
No. 1 singles: Cody Blum (JACK) def. Dan Nachtigal 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Tanner Williams (LHS) def. Nate Trautenberg 6-1, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Sean Gardea/Colton Proctor def. Ben Walker/Rob Brennan 6-0, 7-5
No. 2 doubles: Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Denison (LHS) def. Ben Trauner/Thomas Harrison 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 doubles: Steven Rahel/Mathias Goldenstein (LHS) def. Max Janotta/Hayden Leeds 7-5, 6-3
GIRLS
Laramie 4, Rawlins 1
No. 1 singles: Rose Burke (RAW) def. Parul Agarwal 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Lisa Herbert (LHS) def. Chelsea Woolsey 6-0, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek (LHS) def. Jennifer Parker/Lindsey Paschke 6-0, 6-0.
No. 2 doubles: Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young (LHS) def. Adrienne Griebel/Chelsea Hansen 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 doubles: Megan Bedessem/Ellen Nye (LHS) def. Meryl ford/Caitlin Garner 6-1, 6-3
Jackson 5, Laramie 0
No. 1 singles: Mady Gerard (JACK) def. Kristyn Wykert 6-3, 7-5
No. 2 singles: Madison Pachoe (JACK) def. Megan Shively 6-2, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Kathleen Eastman/Alex Jononotta (JACK) def. Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 doubles: Jenna Stafford/JoLynn Leisinger (JACK) def. Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 doubles: Jesse Cole/Kelsi May (JACK) def. Megan Bedessem/Ellen Nye 6-3, 6-3

Plainsmen beat KW for first win

By Wyoming Sports.org

CASPER -- The Laramie Plainsmen finished the job this time.

Laramie earned its first win of the season and first in the Bob Knapton Era with a 24-16 victory over Casper Kelly Walsh on Friday night. The loss snapped an eight-game losing skid dating back to last season and moved Laramie to 1-3 on the season. KW fell to 0-3 on the year.

The Plainsmen, who had never led this season in its previous three games, never trailed against the Trojans on Friday night. Laramie jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first quarter, and clinging to a two-point lead, got a big fourth-quarter turnover and drove 80 yards for the insurance score.

The Achilles Heel for the Plainsmen offense this season had been not finishing plays and drives, resulting in slow starts, and last week, a blowout loss to Sheridan.

That was the emphasis this week, along with the return of starting quarterback Coleton Wilson, who missed the loss to Sheridan last week with a shoulder injury.

Laramie took the opening drive and marched 72 yards on nine plays, scoring on a 20-yard pass from Wilson to junior wingback Jon Sorenson.

The Plainsmen then took a 12-0 lead late in the first quarter when wingback Mike Lanich went around the corner from 5 yards out for the score. Laramie missed on the 2-point conversion but took a 12-point lead into the second quarter.

Kelly Walsh, however, got going offensively and cut into the Laramie lead. After a big kickoff return by Kevin Bell, the Trojans moved 50 yards on six plays and got into the end zone on a 7-yard run by fullback Thomas Manning. Bell’s kick made it 12-7.

The Plainsmen answered on another 72-yard drive and made it 18-7 on a 23-yard run by Sorenson. Again, the Trojans had an answer themselves and cut the lead to 18-13 on a 42-yard run by halfback Joe Munsell.

That’s how the first half ended and KW took the opening drive in the third quarter and cut the lead to 18-16 on a 45-yard field goal by Bell.

The two teams then battled for the rest of the quarter without a score and it appeared as is Kelly Walsh was on its way to take its first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter.

The Trojans moved from mid-field to inside the Laramie 20-yard line, but a bad exchange between quarterback Lucas Nolan and Munsell ended the drive as Sorenson pounced on the fumble on the 20.

The Plainsmen took advantage and put together another impressive drive, led by power runs from Sorenson, Charles Swearingen and wingback Luke Knapton.

Sorenson scored his third touchdown of the game with another outstanding run, this time from 27 yards out. The 2-point extra point try failed and Laramie built its lead to 24-16 with 5:48 left.
Kelly Walsh still had a chance to at least tie the game, but the Plainsmen defense stiffened and took over on downs near mid-field with 3:27 to play. Laramie then ran out the clock and celebrated the win.

In unofficial statistics provided by KOWB radio, the Plainsmen finished with 290 yards on the ground, led by Sorenson's 137 yards. Swearingen and Knapton added 79 and 65 yards respectively. Wilson was 5 of 13 passing for 60 yards.

Kelly Walsh was led by Munsell with 102 yards, followed by Manning with 51. KW had 202 total yards.

The Plainsmen will return home next Friday when they host Scottsbluff, Neb., beginning at 7 p.m. at Deti Stadium.

Plainsmen seaching for first win at KW

Richard Anderson photo
Jon Sorenson, 26, looks for some running room with the help from fullback Charles Swearingen last week against Sheridan.


By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The get-to-know-the-new-program-probationary-period is about over for the Laramie High School football team.

The Plainsmen, 0-3 (counting the Steamboat Springs, Colo., game) are at about the point of the season where they need to step up and quit making young mistakes. They’ll get their chance Friday night in Casper against Casper Kelly Walsh (7 p.m.).

If improvements aren’t shown in critical areas soon, first-year head coach Bob Knapton said some changes will have to be made.

“We’ve taken a look at some of these players for three games, and if some of them haven’t been producing, they know that. The hammer is coming down and it is time to get going," Knapton said. “The first couple of weeks were like, ‘OK, you don’t know the system very well, but now you know it.’ We see mistakes being made and you should know what you are doing by now.”

Against Steamboat and Cheyenne East, Laramie showed signs of improvement in the second half that left the coaching staff somewhat upbeat. But last week in the 32-3 loss to Sheridan, the Plainsmen were without starting quarterback Coleton Wilson and they struggled with consistency after a little quicker start.

“We took the ball right off the bat and moved it all the way down the field; we hadn’t been able to do that in a while and now we have done that,” Knapton said. “Now, we have to finish our mistakes. We go down there and we have kids getting tired, kids not doing their blocking assignments. A lot of that is discipline, so we’ve worked a lot on that this week to get them down there. Once we get down there, we’re going to finish up and get a score. We want to be able to see this week that we can put it all together, drive down the field and put in the end zone and score.”

The Plainsmen also need to execute on defense. Last week Laramie stopped Sheridan on a drive early to force a field goal attempt (which was missed), but ran into the kicker. A couple of plays later, the Broncs got in the end zone and they took control of the momentum and the game.

“Once again, we’re making mental mistakes and stupid mistakes that are keeping (the other team) in the ballgame. We have to shut them down and take the ball over,” Knapton said. “We’re trying to make the kids realize that you are creating your own problems by having dumb penalties and mistakes that keeps drives alive or shuts your drive down.”

This will be a big game for the Plainsmen, who take on an 0-2 KW team that has also struggled, although the Trojans nearly came back to get East last week before falling 33-32.

“They came alive,“ Knapton said of the Trojans. “They had a lot of big from that veer option and that is something we’re concerned with. We have to stop that. When they were coming back, they still ran the ball. Even when they were behind, they didn’t go to a shotgun or spread; they stuck to their game plan. They opened up some holes and came back on East.”

This will basically be the first game for Laramie against a team that doesn’t generally spread the field out. Laramie has struggled against the pass, giving up an average of 174 yards passing per game, which is last in the state.

“We’ve been doing pretty good against the run; hopefully we can shut that down a little more and force them into doing something that maybe they don’t like to do, pass more or get into formations they are not used to getting in ,” Knapton said. “We’re going to load up and we’re going to try to play some smash mouth with them and try to stop them.”

Joe Munsell leads KW in rushing with 181 yards and a 6.2 per carry average. Quarterback Lucas Nolan has 150 yards on the ground. Although KW doesn’t throw the football much, Nolan has been pretty accurate, hitting 11 of 16 passes for 101 yards.

The Plainsmen also look to get back to the air a bit on Friday with the return of Wilson, who missed last week with a shoulder injury. Wilson is close to 100 percent.

“That makes us do a lot of things more,” Knapton said. “We can get out there and hit the flats, throw more; do some of the things we have been working on so they can’t just bunch up on us. Last week they (Sheridan) had a good defense, they ran a 62, but they were giving us the flats and we have to have our people in there to take that away from them.”

Junior Jon Sorenson, who admirably filled in for Wilson last week at quarterback, will go back to his normal wingback position.

Laramie’s success Friday night will all depend on “playing tough” without making mistakes, Knapton said.

“It seems like when the pressure starts getting on us, we start making mistakes,” he said. “We have to clean that up. We have to get the personnel in there, so either you don’t make mistakes, you don’t let it get to you and you stay focused.”
---
Plainsmen vs. Trojans
LHS starting lineup
Offense
QB -- Coleton Wilson (6-2, 205, Sr.)
FB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
TE -- Marshall Fisher (6-2, 205, Jr.)
LT -- James Van Kirk (6-1, 230, Sr.)
LG -- Allan Saunders (5-11, 215, Jr.)
C -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
RG -- Allen West (6-3, 225, Sr.)
RT -- Nick Yelton (6-3, 245, Sr.)
TE -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
WB -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
PK -- Alex Zuniga (5-8, 155, Sr.)
Defense
Tackle -- Trent Schneider (6-3, 210, Sr.)
Nose guard -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
Tackle -- Nick Armijo (6-0, 205, Sr.)
DE -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WLB -- Austin Ontiveroz (6-0, 195, So.)
BLB -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
MLB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
FC -- Nathan Cowper (6-2, 175, Jr.)
BC -- Kelby Wilkison (5-11, 165, Jr.)
SS -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
FS -- Rylan Harding (5-11, 175, Jr.)
---
Plainsmen Statistics
(Counting Steamboat Springs game)
Rushing
Jon Sorenson: 43-235 & 1TD; Charles Swearingen: 32-152 & 1 TD; Mike Lanich: 25-33 & 0TDs; Coleton Wilson: 13-(minus 66) & 1TD; Kelby Wilkison: 1-17 & 0TDs; Allen West: 1-0 & 0TDs; Luke Knapton: 16-107 & 0TDs: Totals: 144-517 & 3 TDS
Passing
Coleton Wilson: 11-25-0 129 & 0TDs, Jon Sorenson 0-9-0 0. Totals: 11-34-0 129 & 0TDs,
Receiving
Tyler English: 1-25 & 0TDs; Marshall Fisher 1-14 & 0TDs, Nathan Cowper 2-31 & 0TDs; Jon Sorenson 4-23 & 0TDs; Luke Knapton 2-21 & 0TDs; Charles Swearingen 1-15 & 0TDs. Totals: 11-129 & 0TDs
Defense
Luke Knapton 57.5 points, Kelby Wilkison 37, Tyler English 29, Nathan Cowper 28, Allen West 29, Jon Sorenson 21, Austin Ontiveroz 30, Nick Armijo 33, Charles Swearingen 10, Coleton Wilson 7, Rylan Harding 9, Alex Zuniga 4, Trent Schneider 9, Ben Farber 8, Bryce Kemtz 2, Nathan Clark 9, Nick Yelton 5.5, Dillon Elliott 1.

LHS tennis gets past Torrington

By Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie High School tennis teams earned a sweep over Torrington Monday at the UW Tennis Complex.

The Plainsmen earned a tough 3-2 win over the Tigers, with the Lady Plainsmen having an easier time of it with a 4-1 win.

For the Laramie girls, Lisa Herbert earned her first varsity win with a tough 3-6, 6-4 and 6-2 win over Torrington’s Bailie Cole at No. 2 singles

Also earning wins for the Lady plainsmen were Kristyn Wykert at No. 1 singles and the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams. Wykert defeated Torrington’s Taylor Lenz 6-3, 6-1.

The Laramie No. 2 doubles team of Widya Adidharma and Taryn Young earned a 6-0, 6-1 win and the No. 3 team of Megan Bedessem and Ellen Nye came out on top 6-0, 6-2.

“Lisa Herbert duked out a tough three-setter for her first varsity win and Bedessem/Nye were solid at No. 3 doubles for us,” Laramie coach Carlos Mellizo said.

For the Plainsmen, Dan Nachtigal and Tanner Williams both earned singles wins, with the No. 2 team of Ryne Ibbara and Zeke Denison also coming out on top. Nachtigal battled back at No. 1 singles with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Derek O’Garro and Williams blasted Torrington’s Gordon Kautz 6-0, 6-0.

Ibarra and Dennison earned a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

“We had some big performances in singles from Dan Nachtigal and Tanner Williams and Denison and Ibarra continued to shine for us at No. 2 doubles,” Mellizo said.

Overall, Mellizo said both teams continue to get better.

“We came out today and scratched down a couple of big wins,” he said. “We needed some momentum heading into our big road swing later this week.”

Laramie will be at Rock Springs and Green River on Friday and then take on Jackson and Rawlins on Saturday in Rawlins.
---
LADY PLAINSMEN 4, TIGERS 1
No. 1 singles: Kristyn Wykert (LHS) def. Taylor Lenz 6-3. 6-1
No. 2 singles: Lisa Herbert (LHS) def. Bailie Cole 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Libby Childs/Amaya De Aguirre (TOR) def. Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 doubles: Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young (LHS) def. Laurie Gurney/Carly Carman 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 doubles: megan Bedessem/Ellen Nye def. Angelica Garcia/Brittney Mitchell 6-0, 6-2
PLAINSMEN 3, TIGERS 2
No. 1 singles: Dan Nachtigal (LHS) def, Taylor Lenz 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 singles: Tanner Williams (LHS) def. Gordon Kautz 6-0, 6-0
No. 1 doubles: Gage Milner/Ryan Kelly (TOR) def. Sean Gardea/Colton Proctor 6-7, 2-6
No 2 doubles: Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Denison (LHS) def. Garrett Gordon/Dylan Prahl 6-2, 6-1
No. 3 doubles: Jordan Adkins/Nick Brower (TOR) def. Shivam Patel/Mathias Goldenstein 6-4, 6-4

Broncs roll past Plainsmen

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie junior Luke Knapton runs for some big yards early against Sheridan.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Playing to win or just playing to look good. For the Laramie Plainsmen, neither happened Friday night.

The Plainsmen, after two relatively strong second-half outings in losses to Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Cheyenne East, came out flat not only in the game but in the second half, falling to Sheridan 32-3 at Deti Stadium in the annual Homecoming contest.

The loss dropped Laramie to 0-3 in the season and left Bob Knapton a frustrated first-year head coach.

“We need to figure a way to come out here and try to win,” Knapton said. “I think sometimes the kids are trying too hard.”

Desperate to get off to a good start this time, the Plainsmen appeared to be on their way to do just that. Led by a power running game of junior wingback Luke Knapton and junior fullback Charles Swearingen, Laramie moved the ball on the opening drive from its 26-yard line to the Sheridan 20 on eight plays. Knapton had runs of 11, 7, 10 and 10 to give the Plainsmen ideal field position.

But Laramie stalled, gaining just six yards on three plays before junior Phillip Callahan lost six yards on fourth and four.

The Plainsmen got the ball right back on a pass interception by junior Kelby Wilkison near mid-field, but couldn’t move the football.

Sensing the momentum defensively, the Broncos took advantage on offense, connecting on a 51-yard pass play from quarterback Austin Woodward to wide receiver TJ Stender. The Broncs had to settle for a field goal attempt, which was missed, but Laramie was called for a running into the kicker and Sheridan capitalized by scoring two plays later on a 5-yard run by Scott Alltop.

The game went downhill in a hurry for the Plainsmen.

“We didn’t have a block on that field goal attempt and we went ahead and roughed him and gave them a touchdown,” Bob Knapton said. “We can’t be doing stuff like that. Some of our kids are trying too hard and they got to relax. They have to play the ball, play the way it is called.”

Laramie trailed 14-0 at halftime when Woodward hit Mitch Hoy on a 9-yard touchdown pass with 5:21 left in the half.

The Broncs came out in the third quarter and took a 20-0 lead on a 10-play, 57-yard drive. Justin Will scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Woodward.

Laramie’s only score of the day came on a 33-yard field goal by Alex Zuniga. The kick capped a 13-play drive.

Sheridan closed the scoring on a 53-yard run up the middle by Woodward and a late a 17-yard run by Alltop.

The Plainsmen played without senior quarterback and free safety Coleton Wilson, who suffered a slight shoulder separation last week against East. Junior Jon Sorenson filled in, moving over from his normal wingback position.

Sorenson finished with 72 yards rushing on 11 carries, but was 0 for 9 passing with one interception.

“There was a lot of pressure on Jon,” Bob Knapton said. “He’s zipping it in there and he’s waiting, trying to make sure. He’s unsure of himself on some of those plays; that’s the first time he took that many reps at quarterback. That’s a tough thing for Jon to do. I think he did a good job of stepping up. But we have to learn to finish, we have to learn to step up and finish. We have to learn to get over that hump and we have to play to win, not play to look good and lose.”

Knapton led the Plainsmen with 76 yards on 14 carries, with Swearingen adding 62 yards on 11 rushes. Callahan chipped in with 36 yards on 13 carries. As a team, Laramie rushed for a season-high 249 yards.

While Laramie moved the ball at times, Bob Knapton said the Plainsmen reiterated that they have to learn to finish.

“That’s the biggest thing when you come into a program and they are not used to having success; you have to finish, you have to suck it up and finish,” he said. “You have to get tough, that’s what we need to do. You can’t come close, you have to finish the drive and see their morale go down if you drive on them. We drive all of the way down and give them reason to get fired up because they stopped us. We have to learn how to finish and learn how to win.”

Sheridan, 1-1 on the season, finished with 347 yards of total offense -- 175 on the ground and 172 through the air. Woodward completed 14 of 24 passes and two touchdowns.

“They’re good at that outside curl,” Bob Knapton said. We slowed them down as much as we could. They’re good at it, that’s their second year running it. We have to get better.”

The Plainsmen will return to action next week at Casper Kelly Walsh.

We’ll just keep plugging away,” Bob Knapton said.

Plainsmen make changes for Sheridan

Richard Anderson photo
Senior Coleton Wilson (letterman's jacket) and junior Jon Sorenson listen as the Plainsmen close practice on Thursday. Sorenson will start at quarterback Friday against Sheridan for the injured Wilson.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Jon Sorenson has been a big part of the Laramie Plainsmen offense this season; now he's going to be running it.

Sorenson, for likely just one game, will move over from his normal wingback position to quarterback Friday against the Sheridan Broncs in the annual Homecoming contest, which kicks off at Deti Stadium at 7 p.m.

Sorenson will fill in for senior Coleton Wilson, who had a slight separation of his right shoulder against Cheyenne East last week. Wilson said he suffered the injury in the first quarter, but played the entire game. He’s likely to be out just for this game.

For Sorenson, it’s kind of a return to a familiar position, as he played quarterback from seventh grade through his freshman season. He switched to running back last year.

“It will be nice to be out there playing (quarterback) again, but I’m a little nervous,” Sorenson said before practice on Thursday “I think I have enough handle of the offense to where we can put ourselves in position to win.”

While the Plainsmen will go from more of a pure a thrower to a runner at the position, head coach Bob Knapton said they won’t change things offensively in that sense.

“We’ll still do all of the same plays,” Knapton said. “Jon has a different touch on the ball that Coley does. Jon tries to zip it a little more to make up for his passing style being different. The kids will have to get used to that this week because a different ball is coming at them. But there is not much we can do about that.”

Sorenson leads the team in rushing with 163 yards. He’ll likely add to that total if things go as planned.

“We’re trying to work things in where I can run the ball. We’ll get out on some roll outs where, if I don’t see anything open, I can just run the ball,” Sorenson said. “I think nothing has really changed in the offense; we’re going to throw, we’re going to pass … try to kick some butt.”

A catcher and infielder in baseball, Sorenson has a strong arm … maybe a little strong for the touch he needs at this time. Yet, he said he is working on that.

“I just have to learn to get some more touch on the ball, get some more arc on my deep routes,” he said. “Other than that, I think I have the throwing down. A little rust came off this week; I think I am ready to go.”

Despite the changes offensively and defensively (Wilson was a stating free safety as well), the Plainsmen, 0-2, are looking to get off to a better start against the Broncs than they did in their last two games. Laramie started slow against Steamboat Springs, Colo., trailing 21-6 at halftime before losing 21-14, and even slower at East last week, trailing 13-0 early before losing 19-6.

“Our big emphasis is finishing and getting off to a good start," Sorenson said. “We’re going to try to start out on offense and minimize their time of possession in the first half, so maybe we will get a good score right off the bat and energize our defense.”

Defensively, the Plainsmen have struggled early against good quarterbacks who have picked them apart. Laramie recovered in most cases with better pressure, but could never quite make up for the slow start.

Knapton said they have simplified things defensively.

“Obviously, we have been having trouble recognizing where trips receivers are,” Knapton said. “We went back over that again. That comes from that Zero Week and not having an extra week to go over a lot of these kind of things. I was kind of assuming that many of them knew that and I don’t think a lot of them knew that. In the last couple of weeks, we have been giving people free passes right down the middle, just because we weren’t in the coverage that we should have been in.”

The Plainsmen will face a Sheridan team that is officially 0-1 on the season, losing to Miles City, Mont., 14-10 last week. Under head coach Don Julian, the Broncs spread the field offensively, something the Plainsmen have seen in their previous two games.

Quarterback Austin Woodward was 16 of 31 passing last week for 131 yards and one interception. Woodward also led the team in rushing with 62 yards.

“They are a pretty good team. They have a good quarterback and they spread it out like crazy. They’ll try to run him or they’ll try to throw it,” Knapton said. “They had a little trouble in their first game, but they probably played a team that started a week earlier like every body else. I think they will come out here and play a tough game. We’re going to work on things that we need to improve on and keep banging along.”
---
Plainsmen vs. Broncs
LHS starting lineup
Offense
QB -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
FB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
TE -- Marshall Fisher (6-2, 205, Jr.)
LT -- James Van Kirk (6-1, 230, Sr.)
LG -- Allan Saunders (5-11, 215, Jr.)
C -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
RG -- Allen West (6-3, 225, Sr.)
RT -- Nick Yelton (6-3, 245, Sr.)
TE -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
WB -- Phillip Callahan (5-10, 165, Jr.)
PK -- Alex Zuniga (5-8, 155, Sr.)
Defense
Tackle -- Trent Schneider (6-3, 210, Sr.)
Nose guard -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
Tackle -- Nick Armijo (6-0, 205, Sr.)
DE -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WLB -- Austin Ontiveroz (6-0, 195, So.)
BLB -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
MLB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
FC -- Nathan Cowper (6-2, 175, Jr.)
BC -- Kelby Wilkison (5-11, 165, Jr.)
FS -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
SS -- Nathan Clark (5-8, 165, Jr.)
---
Plainsmen Statistics
(Counting Steamboat Springs game)
Rushing
Jon Sorenson: 32-163 & 1TD; Charles Swearingen: 21-90 & 1 TD; Mike Lanich: 22-33 & 0TDs; Coleton Wilson: 13-(minus 66) & 1TD; Kelby Wilkison: 1-17 & 0TDs; Allen West: 1-0 & 0TDs; Luke Knapton: 2-11 & 0TDs: Totals: 92-248 & 3 TDS
---
Passing
Coleton Wilson: 11-25-0 129 & 0TDs. Totals: 11-25-0 129 & 0TDs,
---
Receiving
Tyler English: 1-25 & 0TDs; Marshall Fisher 1-14 & 0TDs, Nathan Cowper 2-31 & 0TDs; Jon Sorenson 4-23 & 0TDs; Luke Knapton 2-21 & 0TDs; Charles Swearingen 1-15 & 0TDs. Totals: 11-129 & 0TDs
---
Defense
Luke Knapton 44.5 points, Kelby Wilkison 22, Tyler English 19, Nathan Cowper 19, Allen West 17, Jon Sorenson 16, Austin Ontiveroz 15, Nick Armijo 14, Charles Swearingen 10, Coleton Wilson 7, Rylan Harding 6, Alex Zuniga 4, Trent Schneider 3, Ben Farber 3, Bryce Kemtz 2, Nathan Clark 2, Nick Yelton 1.5

Central edges Laramie tennis teams

By Wyoming Sports.org

CHEYENNE -- The Laramie High School tennis teams both came up just a bit short, dropping identical 3-2 decisions to Cheyenne Central on Tuesday.

For the Lady Plainsmen, 1-3 in duals, the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams came away with wins. The No. 2 team of Widya Adidharma and Taryn Young came away with a three-set win over Cati Calvetti and Katherine Imig, 6-1, 3-6 and 6-2, with the team of Megan Bedessem and Ellen Nye coming out on top, 6-1, 6-1 over Central’s team of Emily Lindy and Valerie Boone.

For the Plainsmen, 2-2 in duals, Tanner Williams was dominating in No. 2 singles, beating Andy Bush, 6-0, 6-1 and the No. 2 doubles team of Mathias Goldenstein and Shivam Patel rallied for a 3-6, 6-3 and 6-3 win over Central’s Sam Means and Garret Cowley.

Laramie returns to action Friday at Gillette against Sheridan and Gillette.
---
LADY INDIANS 3, LADY PLAINSMEN 2
No. 1 singles -- Katie Stewart (CC) def. Kristyn Wykert 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 singles -- Stephanie White (CC) def. Megan Shively 6-1, 6-1
No. 1 doubles -- Erin Sims/Frannie Murray (CC) def. Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 doubles -- Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young (LHS) def. Cati Calvetti/Katherine Imig 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
No. 3 doubles -- Megan Bedessem/Ellen Nye (LHS) def. Emily Lindy/Valerie Boone 7-6, 6-1
INDIANS 3, PLAINSMEN 2
No. 1 singles -- Ryan Joyce (CC) def. Dan Nachtigal 62-, 6-1
No. 2 singles -- Tanner Williams (LHS) def. Andy Bush 6-0, 6-1
No. 1 doubles -- Austin Fernelia/Patrick Schum (CC) def. Sean Gardea/Colon Proctor 6-0, 7-5
No. 2 doubles -- Adam Hefeneider/Austin Stege (CC) def. Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Dennison 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
No. 3 doubles -- Mathias Goldenstein/Shivam Patel (LHS) def. Sam Means/Garret Cowley 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

LHS tennis splits with East

By Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie High School tennis teams split with Cheyenne East Friday at the UW Tennis Complex.

The Lady Plainsmen earned their first win of the season with a 5-0 victory over the T-Birds, while the Plainsmen suffered their first loss, 3-2. Both teams have now played three duals in this early portion of the season.

No only did the Lady Plainsmen pick up their first team wins, so did singles players Kristyn Wykert and Megan Shively. Wykert defeated Kacie Washburn 6-3, 6-2 and Shively downed Melina Gonzales 4-6, 7-5 and 6-3.

The Laramie No. 1 doubles team of Kiley Dodson and Jessica Swierczek also won for the first time this season, defeating their East opponents in straight sets.

The Laramie boys got wins from the No. 2 doubles team of Ryne Ibarra and Zeke Denison and the No. 3 team of Nick Mayes and Steven Tahel.

The Plainsmen will be at Scottsbluff, Neb., on Friday in an invitational, with the Lady Plainsmen hosting Central and East, beginning at 9 a.m.
---
Lady Plainsmen 5, East 0
No. 1 singles: Kristyn Wykert (LHS) def. Kacie Washburn 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Megan Shively (LHS) def. Melinda Gonzales 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 1 doubles: Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek (LHS) def. Kyley Barela/ Samantha Wieseman 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young (LHS) def. Cody Sanford/Brianna Hubka 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 doubles: Megan Bedessen/Ellen Nye (LHS) def. Sierra Bates/Michael Hensel 6-0, 6-0
East 3, Plainsmen 2
No. 1 singles: Aaron Lapkin (CE) def. Dan Nachtigal 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Bryce Melcher (CE) def. Tanner Williams 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
No. 1 doubles: Alex Mulberry/Will Rick (CE) def. Sean Gardea/Colton Proctor 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Denison (LHS) def. Brandon Shadakofsky/Josh Hall 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 doubles: Nick Mayes/Steven Rahel (LHS) def. Jared Fanning/Chris Shepard 6-4, 6-1

Plainsmen start slow, fall to T-Birds

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie junior fullback Charles Swearingen looks for some running room Friday night against Cheyenne East.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

CHEYENNE -- There was no getting around it: The Laramie Plainsmen have seen this before and they don’t like it.

“It was a really hard loss; we played hard, though,” Laramie junior fullback/linebacker Charles Swearingen said after the Plainsmen dropped a 19-6 decision to Cheyenne East Friday night at Okie Blanchard Stadium “We just have to play the first quarter harder, I guess. We have to start off stronger because it sucks losing.”

East, the defending Class 5A state champions didn’t look like a team early that had lost seven all-state performers, scoring the first three times they touched the football.

As was the case last week in the seven-point loss to Steamboat Springs, Colo., the Plainsmen showed marked improvement in the second half, but could not overcome their early deficiencies.

“We did the same thing that we did last week, and that is not something we want to do,” Laramie head coach Bob Knapton said. “We’re going to have to make some changes and do something because we can’t come out there and play defense like that and act like we are having a Chinese fire drill until we wake up and start playing ball.”

Kanpton said that the Plainsmen will need to take a couple of steps back and go through the base coverages.

“Maybe we’re trying to think too much,” he said. “Maybe we need to slow down and get it down right. When we make our adjustments, we play great ball. But we have to figure out how to make those adjustments when the game starts, so when we start, we’re not surprised by anything.

“They came out in a double tight (end) and I think that kind of shook some of our guys up. It’s like, just get into some coverages, settle down and play some ball. That’s on me. I have to have them ready to go and get them to settle down and be ready to play ball. If we’re going to be in a situation where we are going to get shocked, we have to find a way to relax, come to our checks and play ball.”

East senior Shane Potter, in his first varsity start at quarterback, looked polished early and had plenty of time to pick apart the bewildered Laramie defense. Potter drove the T-Birds 80 yards on seven plays on their first possession, highlighted by a 35-yard pass to Bruce McHenry and a 21-yard pass to Jeremiah Hunter. Potter then took it in himself on a 12-yard touchdown run.

After a three-and-out by the Plainsmen offense, Potter and Co. were at it again, going 10 plays and 56 yards, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by Marcus Phippin. The Plainsmen found themselves down 13-0 with 2:59 still remaining in the third quarter.

East then made it 16-0 mid-way in the second quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Tyler Haak. Potter highlighted that drive with a 33-yard run.

Laramie did make some adjustments in the second half and finally got on the scoreboard on a 7-yard run by senior quarterback Coleton Wilson, but with just 7:17 to play in the game.

The drive began after a fumble recovery by sophomore linebacker Austin Ontiveroz. Laramie drove the ball 73 yards on 13 plays.

The Plainsmen saw a nice drive stall earlier in the third quarter when the ball was snapped over Wilson’s head on a 41-yard field goal attempt.

East responded with a nice drive that resulted in a 28-yard field goal by Haak. The Plainsmen had one more drive in them, but stalled on downs on the East 26-yard line with a little under two minutes to play. Wilson connected with Nathan Cowper on consecutive passes of 19 and 12 yards, but he misfired on his last three attempts.

Laramie had just 46 total yards on offense in the first half, but finished with 195 in the game.

“We have to make sure we do everything right and not have penalties,” Knapton said. “We got ourselves in a little hole with penalties and sometimes we let them stunt on us. We’re just not clicking on all cylinders on offense just yet, although it was a little better.

“We’ll take look at film, but we have to move the ball a little better than that.”

The Plainsmen had five offensive penalties for a minus 30 yards.

Senior running back Jon Sorenson led the way with 73 yards on 15 carries, with Swearingen adding 45 yards on 12 rushes, Mike Lanich added 25 yards on 10 carries, but Wilson lost 36 yards on the day with several sacks.

Wilson, despite hurting his arm in the game, was much improved over the opener by completing 9 of 16 passes for 90 yards.

Potter had an outstanding all-around day for the T-Birds, as he led the team in rushing with 79 yards on 15 carries, while competing 9 of 14 passes for 176 yards. East had 213 yards on the ground, with Michael Galicia adding 59 yards and McHenry 58 yards on three carries.

Laramie will now look to bounce back Friday at home when it hosts Sheridan in the annual Homecoming contest.

Laramie opens tennis season

Richard Anderson photos
Laramie senior Jessica Swierczek returns a shot in doubles play Thursday against Casper Natrona at the UW Tennis Complex. At right, Tanner Williams competes in singles play.

By Wyoming Sports.org

The Laramie High School tennis teams kicked off the 2008 season with a split of the Casper schools Thursday at the UW Tennis Complex.

The Plainsmen had a successful day, sweeping Kelly Walsh and Natrona by identical 4-1 scores, while the Lady Plainsmen had a tougher time of it, falling to KW 5-0 and Natrona 3-2.

For the Plainsmen, Tanner Williams had a big day, winning both of his matches at No. 2 singles. Williams defeated Matt Binder of KW 6-2, 6-1 and then got by Ted Huss of Natrona 7-5, 7-5.

The No. 2 doubles team of Ryne Ibarra and Zeke Denison was also 2-0 on the day for the Plainsmen, stopping Jon Whipps and Logan Hendrickson of Kelly Walsh 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 and Mike Masterson and Chris Clapp of NC 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

Both teams will return to action on Friday against Cheyenne East at 4 p.m. at the UW courts. On Saturday, the Plainsmen will be at Scottsbluff, Neb., for an invitational, with the Lady Plainsmen hosting Central and East, beginning at 9 a.m. at the UW courts.
---
BOYS
Laramie 4, Natrona 1
No. 1 singles: Cole Milliken (NC) def. Dan Nachtigal 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
No. 2 singles: Tanner Williams (LHS) def. Ted Huss 7-5, 7-5
No. 1 doubles: Sean Gardea/Colton Proctor (LHS) won by default
No. 2 doubles: Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Denison def. Mike Masterson/Chris Clapp 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
No. 3 doubles: Mathias Goldenstein/Shivam Patel def. Spencer Rhodes/Mitch Kiester 6-3, 6-1.
Laramie 4, Kelly Walsh 1
No. 1 singles: Dan Nachtigal (LHS) def. Hayden Christensen 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 singles: Tanner Williams (LHS) def. Matt Binder 6-2, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Cobi Eskew/Derek Munday def. Sean Gardea/Colton Proctor 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Ryne Ibarra/Zeke Denison def. Jon Whipps/Logan Hendrickson 6-2, 4-6, 7-6
No. 3 doubles: Nick Mayes/Steven Rahel (LHS) def. Adam Katz/Ryan Lojo 6-1, 6-1
GIRLS
Natrona 3, Laramie 2
No. 1 singles: Jamie Magrum (NC) def. Kristyn Wykert 6-3, 7-5
No. 2 singles: Jordan Hendricks (NC) def. Megan Shively 6-1, 6-4
No. 1 doubles: Corey Ellbogen/Natalie Jennings (NC) def. Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young (LHS) def. Ashley Tuschling/Kelcey Karch 6-1, 5-7, 6-0
No. 3 doubles: Emmie Matsuno/Parul Agarwal (LHS) def. Alissa Sandoval/Holland Tatman 6-4, 6-0
Kelly Walsh 5, Laramie 0
No. 1 singles: Nicokke Dvorak (KW) def. Kristyn Wykert 67-6, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Micelle Burback (KW) def. Megan Shively 6-2, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Maddy Graham/Bridget Sharon (KW) def. Kiley Dodson/Jessica Swierczek 7-6, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: April Luberow/Alexa Munday (KW) def. Widya Adidharma/Taryn Young 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
No. 3 doubles: Laruen Bradley/Paige Dvorak (KW) def. Emmie Matsuno/Parul Agarwal 6-4, 7-6

Plainsmen open conference at Cheyenne East

“We’re looking at coming out, shooting right out of the gates and putting pressure on people. We have a game under our belt and they don’t. Maybe we’ll turn the tables and get them in a bad situation and hopefully stay on top of it.” -- LHS coach Bob Knapton


Richard Anderson photo
Laramie senior captain Coleton Wilson tries to fire up his team last week against Steamboat Springs, Colo.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

From the first quarter to the fourth quarter, the Laramie Plainsmen improved in their season opener last week against Steamboat Springs, Colo.

From the first game to the second game, Laramie will be looking to do the same Friday night in its South 5A opener against Cheyenne East. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Okie Blanchard Stadium.

The Plainsmen came up short against Steamboat 21-14, but shut down the Sailors in the second half after a struggle to begin the game.

Laramie head coach Bob Knapton said the Plainsmen went a long way in just one ballgame.

“Hopefully, we walk down that field and we take off from where we left off, so we don’t have to go through what we did before, so we don’t have a few mistakes and get behind right away,” Knapton said. “We’re looking at coming out, shooting right out of the gates and putting pressure on people. We have a game under our belt and they don’t. Maybe we’ll turn the tables and get them in a bad situation and hopefully stay on top of it.”

As a program, East has been among the best, with three straight appearances in the state title game. The third was a charm last season, as the Thunderbirds beat Evanston 24-14 for the championship trophy. The T-Birds, however, return just seven starters from last year and lost a plethora of all-state performers.

“Now, you look at some skill people coming up that really don’t have the experience; they haven’t been getting the reps the last couple of years,” Knapton said. “When you lose a class like that and a quarterback who has been there the last three or four years … we’re going to put pressure on them.”

East also just scrimmaged cross-town rival Central last week. Now, the Plainsmen have the edge in playing another team this season compared to last week when Steamboat had the advantage.

“We weren’t really ready for a game. I think we can correct those mistakes and I think we can look much better, especially at the start of the game,” Knapton said. “It’s tough to get on the kids when you haven’t put them in a game-type situation, on how they are going to react. A lot of that was like a deer in the headlights. A lot of that was just nerves and just settling down and playing ball. Hopefully, we’ll settle down and play some ball.”

Knapton admitted that some of the Plainsmen, especially the younger players, might not have been ready for last week. He’ll like make a few changes in the lineup, particularly at center, where junior Ben Farber gets the start. He also said that there might be some changes in the defensive secondary.

It all comes down to getting off to a good start and putting pressure on your opponent. That’s Laramie game plan for the Thunderbirds.

“We put more pressure on the quarterback in the second half and when we did that, he (Austin Hinder) started hurrying his throws; he started throwing pics and he started throwing incompletes,“ Knapton said. “We’re playing a team that has some of the same formations and does the same thing. We have to come out and come after them off of the bat.”
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Plainsmen vs. Thunderbirds
LHS starting lineup
Offense
QB -- Coleton Wilson (6-2, 205, Sr.)
FB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
WB -- Mike Lanich (5-10, 170, Jr.)
TE -- Marshall Fisher (6-2, 205, Jr.)
LT -- James Van Kirk (6-1, 230, Sr.)
LG -- Allan Saunders (5-11, 215, Jr.)
C -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
RG -- Allen West (6-3, 225, Sr.)
RT -- Nick Yelton (6-3, 245, Sr.)
TE -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
WB -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
PK -- Alex Zuniga (5-8, 155, Sr.)
Defense
Tackle -- Trent Schneider (6-3, 210, Sr.)
Nose guard -- Ben Farber (6-1, 245, Jr.)
Tackle -- Nick Armijo (6-0, 205, Sr.)
WLB -- Austin Ontiveroz (6-0, 195, So.)
SLB -- Charles Swearingen (6-0, 215, Jr.)
BLB -- Tyler English (6-2, 195, Jr.)
MLB -- Luke Knapton (6-2, 180, Jr.)
FC -- Nathan Cowper (6-2, 175, Jr.)
BC -- Kelby Wilkison (5-11, 165, Jr.)
SS -- Jon Sorenson (6-0, 195, Jr.)
FS -- Coleton Wilson (6-2, 205, Sr.)
P -- Wilson
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Plainsmen Statistics
Rushing
Jon Sorenson: 17-90 & 1 TD; Charles Swearingen: 9-45 & 1 TD; Mike Lanich: 12-8 & 0TDs; Coleton Wilson: 9-(minus 40) & 0TDs; Kelby Wilkison: 1-17 & 0TDs; Allen West: 1-0 & 0TDs; Luke Knapton: 2-11 & 0TDs: Totals: 51-131 & 2 TDS
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Passing
Coleton Wilson: 2-9-0 39 & 0TDs. Totals: 2-9-0 39 & 0TDs,
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Receiving
Tyler English: 1-25 & 0TDs; Marshall Fisher 1-14 & 0TDs. Totals: 2-39 & 0TDs
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Defense
Kelby Wilkison 20 points, Luke Knapton 19, Jon Sorenson 12, Tyler English 10, Nick Armijo 7, Nathan Cowper 7, Austin Ontiveroz 5, Allen West 5, Charles Swearingen 4, Coleton Wilson 3, Trent Schneider 3.

New challenges face Hudson, Lady Plainsmen swim team

Richard Anderson photo
Veteran Laramie swim coach Tom Hudson keeps an eye on his swimmers during a recent Lady Plainsmen practice.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The word challenge is in Tom Hudson’s vocabulary. It might as well be tattooed on his massive calves. Challenge is embedded in his mind.

Entering his 36th season as head Laramie High School swim coach (18 completed boys’ seasons, he is beginning his 18th with his girls’ program), Hudson’s office wall, full of awards, says it all.

He’s won eight state titles -- five boys and three girls (state runner-up 12 times, nine third-place finishes). His dual meet record is 417-72-2. He’s been the state coach of the year 15 times; conference coach of the year 18 or 19 times (something like that, he says). He won one national coaching award this spring and was up or another national award this summer. Arguably, he’s one of the most successful coaches in Wyoming history.

“Lots and lots of years I have been very lucky to have the Laramie Swim Club feed the program,” Hudson said last week as he prepared his undermanned Lady Plainsmen team to its season-opening meets in Casper and Gillette. “I know that I am going to have five freshmen who know how to swim, particularly in girls. This year, we have that with 10 freshmen, but through attrition, moving away, some girls losing interest, whatever, we’re down to 10 freshmen and only 21 on the team. That is different.”

Hudson could drive himself crazy analyzing his situation this season. At times, he probably does.

“As a coach, in my 36th season, I wonder why there is the loss of numbers in girls, and in the boys, it is more than ever,” he said. “What is going on? Is it something I am doing? Is it something program-wide? I don’t know. But it is a big challenge.”

For the time being, Hudson just goes with the flow. What choice does he have? He’s the kind of coach who credits others for his success.

It's been a combination of reasons why the Lady Plainsmen program is a bit down this season. Hudson has had seven of his best swimmers move, for one reason or another. That is always a concern for a coach in a college town. Swimming seems to be hit hard in that instance.

“I feel snake bitten in that respect,” he said. “That feeds off of itself with some of the kids who didn’t come out who had been on the team. They’re like, ‘why bother, when we know we’re not going to have a real strong team. To put in all that work, why should I do that? I’m not going to swim in college.’ It’s fun when you are on a good team, but this year we’re going to have to work extra hard to maybe just get fifth.”

The challenge for Hudson is to now make it fun and exciting for this group of swimmers. That’s exactly what he has talked about with his assistant coaches.

“If we are going to coach the team, we have to do the very best that we can with them, very similar to the first year that I coached; we had 11 kids on the team and got 10th in the state,” he said. “You have to make it special for those kids on the team, no matter how many you have.”

Times change in high school athletics and so does coaching. Hudson said he has tried to modify some of his coaching techniques. He now spends more time now on stroke development and stroke videos, “like a stroke-camp atmosphere,” than he did in his earlier or middle years. Then, he said, the emphasis was to just “pound out as many yards as you can get done.”

Not that Hudson still doesn’t like his yardage.

“I’ve evolved, I think, for the good that way,” he said. “There are other things that I question all of the time. I’m always trying to pick up more stuff and do different things. The basic structure, I’ve thought about, is should I back it off, maybe it is too hard. Maybe I should chill out a little bit.”

Chill is not in Hudson’s vocabulary.

“Not have morning practices, some coaches are doing that,” Hudson said. “But I think that is the beginning of the end, when you start watering down what you are doing and make it too easy. I can’t do that.”

Sometimes the key for coaches, especially veteran coaches like Hudson, is to not over think. When the Laramie boys’ season begins, he’ll have about 50 swimmers out for the team.

“That’s a whole different challenge,” he said. “Whatever is going on the boys’ side is obviously going great. I think the system we have here works, but for whatever reason, we’re just in a low spot (with the girls’ program). I have to change some things, but I don’t think it is that broke. It is something I am going to have to work through as a coach.”

Hudson has maintained that the Lady Plainsmen will have to work hard to finish in the middle of the pack. That’s what he plans to do. Last year’s team was a prime example of what happens with hard work and things going your way.

The Lady Plainsmen were ranked fifth or sixth for much of the year and Hudson said that they went into the state meet thinking that if they got fifth place, it would be a good meet. His eight seniors had outstanding meets and Laramie finished in third place.

“You have to set your goal, and some people probably think that Hudson sandbagged on that and they got third: You know, finishing in the top three again, blah, blah, blah,” Hudson said with a smile. “But it was special and they did feel like they won. This year, we’ll set our goal and hopefully they can overachieve.”

Last spring, Hudson was honored by receiving the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) Service Award. He was one of eight coaches from across the country nominated and he received the award at the NCAA Championships in Tacoma, Wash.

“It was a very emotional time for me," Hudson said. “My wife came with me and my high school coach presented the award to me. It was a very special time. Not many coaches in the country get that award.

“That was something I brought up with one of the parents here. Here I was being honored three months ago as one of the top coaches in the country, and I’m struggling to put together a girls program this year. You go from all these highs to lows. It doesn’t happen every year. Winning a state title, even when you have a great, stacked team, it’s not easy. Different challenges, that is exciting, that’s what gets me going.”

Later in the summer Hudson was also a finalist for the National High School Coach of the Year, which is the top coaching award presented by the National High School Coaches Association. A coach from Oregon won the award in about his fifth time being nominated.

“That was a tremendous honor, too,” he said.

Like many coaches, Hudson isn’t a season-only coach. After the girls’ season ends, he begins with the boys. After the boys’ season ends, basically two days later, he begins as the Laramie Junior High coach. When that season ends, he works with the Laramie Swim Club.

It’s a never-ending cycle that he would not have any other way.

“It takes a lot of time, but I don’t know anything else,” he said.

As Hudson gets older, his own kids are now coming through the program. He said he has now evolved from being a coach to a parent and a coach. He’ll then likely go from a parent and a coach to just a coach again.

Hudson said he questions situations, like when his best swimmers move away and he knows he is not going to have as strong of a team than in the past. Sometimes, he admits, the thought gets him a little down.

“You’re obviously going to be more excited when you have a chance to win a state title,” he said. “You question, ‘is it really worth it to get up at 5 in the morning, every single day, when you know that when you achieve the very best with this team, and you get fifth.’ It gets harder.”

Yet, Hudson still has the drive to do what he does and that picks him up again.

“I still have the passion. When I ask myself why I am doing it and I can’t come up with a good answer, then that is when I am done," he said. "But I'm not giving up."

Even in 36 swim seasons, there are new challenges every step of the way.