Wolves advance to final showdown

The Wolves ended the Jackson Hole Broncs' dreams of an undefeated season and a state championship Friday night.

The Wolves, walking into William T. McIntosh Stadium with a 5-4 record and No. 3 seed in the playoffs, had already lost to Jackson once in an earlier meeting between the two. Jackson, on the other hand, was coming off of a 44-21 win against Riverton at McIntosh Stadium and prepared to host the Wolves a second time.

Head coach Don Maggi said he was confident the Wolves would win in their return trip to Jackson Hole.

"We weren't intimidated by Jackson," Maggi said. "We prepared ... We work hard all week and prepared to win."

The preparation the team made resulted in Green River being the first to post points on the scoreboard in Jackson. Quarterback Tyler Vendetti ran the ball into the end zone, capping a six-play, 82-yard drive by the Wolves in the first quarter. The added PAT from Chance Hofer gave Green River an early seven point lead with nine minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Jackson responded in kind, scoring their first touchdown and extra point less than a minute later through a two-play, 66-yard drive. What followed was a long battle between the two team, neither of which capable of getting the upper hand on the other throughout much of the first half.

Green River's fortunes changed near the end of the second quarter when Vendetti, playing on the defense, was able to intercept a pass and ran it in for a 20-yard touchdown following a punt to the Jackson squad. Vendetti's touchdown was the first defensive touchdown the Wolves scored this year and with the following extra point by Hofer, Green River reclaimed its seven-point lead.

The following possession by the Broncs ended prematurely when Jacob Olsen knocked the ball out of a Jackson player's hands and directly to Vendetti. The Wolves fought hard towards the Jackson goal, but were forced into what most would believe to be a field goal situation.

However, the following play took Jackson by surprise and Green River used a fake field goal play to score their third touchdown of the half and allowed them to walk into the locker room with a 14-point lead.

The second half would feature another long battle between the two teams. Green River would only be able to score a field goal during the half while Jackson, off of a blocked punt from Keanu Hill, would score another eight points through a touchdown and two-point conversion.

At the end of the night, Green River earned their state championship berth and go to Laramie to face Star Valley in War Memorial Stadium. The Wolves lost a heartbreaker to Star Valley earlier in the season, losing a home game 16-15 on Oct. 9.

The game starts Friday at 3 p.m.

Maggi said the team has grown accustomed to playing on the road. While War Memorial Stadium has the capability to seat the entire populations of Green River and Star Valley with room to spare, Maggi said he's working on helping the players understand that the field is the same size as it is at home.

The team gets an opportunity to tour the stadium Thursday and Maggi said it's a point he wants to make with the Wolves before their final game.

"We appreciate the support," Maggi said about the fans throughout the season. "We hope to see the fans in Laramie."