TORRINGTON – Four talented soccer athletes on the Torrington High School Blazers varsity roster captured postseason awards from the Wyoming Coaches Association for the 2025 spring season.

Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) High School senior Anthony Arnusch collected 3A all-state and all-conference honors as well as the 3A underclassman player of the year award as a midfielder (see profile on Arnusch in Friday’s paper).

LFL graduates Elijah Hatch (forward) and Kaiden Riggs (defender) both clinched 3A all-state and all-conference accolades. Fellow LFL graduate Skyler Thomas earned 3A all-conference recognition as a forward.

Arnusch and Riggs also received all-state in 2024 and 2023. Hatch bagged all-state in 2023.

Anthony Arnusch

Arnusch excelled as midfielder for the Blazers and led Torrington in assists with 14. The incoming senior also scored 10 goals over the course of the season in addition to two penalty kicks in overtime shootouts.

“Ant made me proud all season because of the work ethic he brought to practice,” coach Jeshua Arnusch said. “I thought his practice mentality transferred to games almost perfectly. He dribbled and kept the ball on his foot when we needed him to make plays. He had some beautiful passes this year and did most of his work while being double- and triple-teamed by our opponents.”

Arnusch scored “big goals” for Torrington versus Worland, Lander and Rawlins, coach Arnusch added.

“I was impressed with how (Arnusch) took what teams gave him this year and how he attacked space when his opponents tried to keep him from turning upfield,” coach Arnusch wrote. “Anthony puts in a ton of extra time outside of the high school season and it’s awesome to see it pay off for him.”

Elijah Hatch

Hatch made a statement as the Blazers’ striker, setting the pace on offense with 15 goals. 

“Elijah did a great job this year and was rewarded as a captain for his efforts,” coach Arnusch remarked. “My favorite play from him this year was his goal against Buffalo with just two minutes left in the game. It was an incredible strike and was something we got to witness multiple times in his career.”

The LFL graduate also posted four penalty kicks in overtime shootouts during the season.

“Hatch was perfect this year in his penalty kicks,” coach Arnusch said. “Whenever we needed him to score in shootouts, he was always up to the task.”

“I’m glad (Hatch) was able to be rewarded his senior year with his second all-state nod,” coach Arnusch added.

Kaiden Riggs

Riggs demonstrated tenacity on defense for the Blazers.

“Kaiden is one of the best center backs in the state,” coach Arnusch said. “He understands the game and is fearless. Having him in the middle of our defense made it nearly impossible for teams to come up the middle and score on us.”

Riggs outshone the competition in slide tackles and headers, two skills he “dominated” all season, coach Arnusch continued.

“Kaiden’s work ethic and IQ on defensive rotations will always set him apart from others, hence why he was selected as a team captain,” coach Arnusch wrote. “It has been a joy to coach him these past 10 years of his soccer career. It was really cool to see him be all-state three years in a row.”

Skyler Thomas

Thomas demonstrated excellence on both offense and defense with coach Arnusch calling the LFL graduate a “jack of all trades” for the Blazers.

“This year, Skyler played defense, midfield and striker,” Arnusch stated. “His unselfish attitude really was something to be admired. He cared more about helping the team find ways to win compared to putting an emphasis on his stats.”

Thomas did fill out the stat sheet, though, tallying seven goals and nine assists. He also collected three penalty shots in overtime shootouts.

“Skyler was a great passer, dribbler and one of the best, technically sound guys on our roster,” coach Arnusch said. “He was a great role model for our young guys, which is why he was selected as a team captain.”