It's an exciting time for Wolves

My mom always says she knows when I’ve been to her house. There is food gone and the television is always left on ESPN.

She is right. When I’m home and I’m cleaning or relaxing, I usually have some sort of game on in the background.

I’m a sports junkie and love watching a great game.

While I prefer to watch college football and basketball, I still will tune in every Sunday to watch pro football, but each year it gets less fun.

Every time I turn on the television, the story is not about a game or why in the world Peyton Manning choses to say “Omaha” instead of say “Fargo,” it instead is about Adrian Peterson whipping his children a bit too hard, or Ray Rice punching his wife.

It just sickens me, for the amount of money these people are getting, they should behave.

As much as I can’t stand what professional sports has become, there is always some sporting events that never get old.

With my job, I watch a lot of high school events, and it is truly sports in its purest form.

Starting tomorrow, local fans will get a chance to see some hard working kids who put it all on the line every time they play.

It’s not for money. It’s not for a scholarship. They are doing for the love of the game and it really doesn’t get any better than that.

The winter sports season should be an interesting one at Green River High School and I encourage everyone to get out and support the four teams that started practice last week. It’s going to be an entertaining year.

BOYS BASKETBALL

I have a feeling things will be a lot different for the 2014-15 Green River High School boy’s basketball team.

After a tough first season for head coach Dan LaRose, the Wolves have had a full year and offseason to learn his system and return a lot from last year’s team.

LaRose had an incredible record at Burlington High School. The guy can flat out coach, but his system is complex. Sometimes it takes awhile for things to click and I fully expect it to do so this season.

Green River will not be the biggest team height wise, but the team makes up for it with strength and hustle. Hayden Love will battle in the paint with the best of them. Watching himplay last year was a lot of fun. He plays hard and never give up on any rebound.

One of the best things about high school sports is seeing kids achieve success in multiple sports and this is very evident on the basketball court.

Tanner Trumble will also be a key player for the Wolves and is hands down one of the best athletes in the state.

Another key returner will be Chase Erickson, who showed during the soccer season that he is one of the quickest high school students in the state. He could be a real boon to the Green River offense with his ability to push the ball up the floor. There will also be key underclassmen who will make a huge impact.

The schedule to start the season is also much easier on the Wolves this season. Instead of making the toughest road trip in the state like they did last season, with their opening two games against Gillette and Sheridan, Green River will open the season at home against Class 3A Star Valley.

LADY WOLVES

Much like LaRose last season, Green River Lady Wolves coach Aric Hanusa will be entering his first season with the program.

The former boy’s coach at Dubois High School will certainly not find the cupboard empty with several key players back from last years squad.

Senior Kasey Turnbull will always be one of the better athletes on the floor know matter the opponent.

The three-sport star will give the team a boost with her overall athleticism and hustle every second she is on the court.

Green River will also return their floor general, Taylor Stoeger who started at point guard last season as a freshman. With one year under her belt on the varsity level, this could be a break out season for the sophomore, who also shined earlier this season at volleyball and last spring as possibly the best soccer player in the state. The Lady Wolves will also benefit with the return of Hattie Hix and Averee Cobb, who both saw increased play time near the end of last season.

As often times is the case with a new coach, the team may have some bumps in the road adjusting to a new system, but don’t be surprised to see this team playing at the state tournament next March in Casper.

WRESTLING

The 2014-15 season could be a very special one for the Green River High School wrestling team who return a bulk of the team who finished second at the state tournament earlier this year.

Taking a closer look at the program, head coach Marshall Rhodes and his staff have slowly been building the program back to one of the premier teams in the state.

It has not been an overnight process, but the Wolves are once again beginning to show they cannot only hang with anyone in the state, they can also fare well against teams from around the Rocky Mountain region.

The team will be sparked by defending state champion Cole Verner.

After losing in the state finals as a sophomore, he bounced back with an incredible 2014 season and dramatic 4-1 win over Taylor Jeffries of Gillette in extra time to capture the state championship.

Look for much of the same from Verner this year, and for several other Green River wrestlers to make a run for state titles.

Hunter Hanks, Cyro Montoya, Shandon Welsh, Brendan Hopkins Gage Byers, Jacob Olsen, Austin Waters and Matthew Medina all placed last season at state and should be even better this year.

This is a very talented team and local fans will get a chance to see them early on as they open against a tough Vernal squad tomorrow night at the high school.

SWIMMING

The Green River boy’s swim team will be young, but that certainly does not mean their will not be a lot of talent in the pool.

Diver Keyan Moore, Brendan Bloomquist, and Paul Wright will all return after qualifying for the 2014 state tournament.

It will be interesting to see the progress of the young team under the direction of Colleen Seiloff.

It will also be a special season for the team who will be the first to practice and compete in the new Green River High School Aquatic Center.

Seiloff also deserves a lot of credit with the positive direction of Green River swimming, with the difficult task of coaching both the girls and boy’s team.