This is a season that may never be topped. Our guys have put in the time for 10 years with the goal of putting a banner on the wall for the Doggers. Well, some things are worth the wait.”

Coach Chris Cook

CASPER –. A grueling, hard-fought title game between the Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) Doggers and the Upton Bobcats at the 1A state championships in Casper on Saturday, March 8 came down to the wire.

A tenacious Dogger defense held Upton to 30 points for the first 29-plus minutes of regulation.

“We’ve always played with hard defense and we like to get to the rim – finish,” senior Elijah Hatch said. “We just use our defensive pressure to mess everybody up. Our strategy (against Upton) was to play the way we play.”

The Doggers emphasized defense throughout the 2024-2025 season, junior Anthony Arnusch said.

“Our motto this year has been hard-nose defense – win your one-on-one matchups,” Arnusch added.

The game reached a 30-30 deadlock with 2:39 remaining on the clock. It was time for the Dogger offense to show its teeth and break the stalemate. LFL called a timeout.

“We talked about how the next 4-0 run was going to win the game,” junior Brady Cook said. “We came out and got a 4-0 or 5-0 run right away and that’s when things shifted and we got up three of four (points). In these close games, four points is everything. The momentum switched and we finished it off.”

Cook pulled down a defensive rebound on Upton’s ensuing possession at around 2:30. Senior Brody Roberts took the ball and nailed a close-range shot, placing LFL ahead, 32-30.

Roberts rebounded a missed shot by the Bobcats on Upton’s next possession, setting up Cook to score from inside the perimeter. 

Cook reached up for a block while Roberts grabbed a defensive rebound. 

Roberts went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line and the Doggers found themselves up, 36-30.

Senior Skyler Thomas pulled down a defensive rebound and Arnusch scored a pair of free throws. 

Roberts drew a foul and netted a free throw. Arnusch rebounded the second free throw and drained a layup.

With 13 seconds left on the clock, a beaten Upton let the ball roll. 

The final buzzer sounded with the Doggers in control of the scoreboard, 41-32. 

LFL punched in an historic 28th season victory against the Bobcats to remain undefeated for the 2024-2025 season while claiming the 1A boys’ state title.

All glory to God

“It feels like we’re on top of the world,” Roberts said moments after the Doggers’ final victory. “We fought to get to this moment and we pulled it out. All glory to God.”

Roberts and the team relied on their faith to navigate the pressures of playing at the Ford Wyoming Center in front of hundreds of fans and going head-to-head against tough competition.

“I just try to stay focused and talk to God throughout the day,” Roberts said. “He is going to soothe your mind and take away all your anxieties. It helps me stay mentally locked in throughout the day.”

For many of the players on the team, the work toward a state title began in elementary school when most of the Doggers’ starting lineup first hit the court.

“This started when we played together in third grade,” Arnusch said. “All the hard work paid off in the end. We played hard the whole game and we gave ourselves a fighting chance there towards the end to pull away.”

Hatch agreed:

“We’ve worked since third grade,” Hatch remarked. “You dream about (a state title) every day, every night. But this is better than the dream.”

Senior Ned Nelson also summed up the experience.

“It’s just crazy,” Nelson said. “This is something we’ve dreamed about so many times. It’s just awesome to leave this year with a different taste and end the year on a win and be state champions.”

Thomas also dedicated the title victory to God.

“I’m glad we finally came out on top and all the hard work paid off,” Thomas said. “I’m glad everyone could be a part of it. We had a big thing (throughout the season) of taking it one game at a time and not overlooking anything.”

The camaraderie between the Doggers on and off the court played a significant role in LFL’s historic season.

“We knew we’re going to help each other through games,” Cook noted. “We got each other’s back. If somebody messes up, or they’re kind of nervous, we pick them up. It was a great season and a great group of guys to do this with.”

For the younger reserve players on the team, the memories from LFL’s state run will last for years.

“There were a lot of fun experiences to really cement this into my memory,” sophomore Tyler Smith said. “It was a great season.”

Quarterfinals

The state tournament opened with the Doggers taking on the Encampment Tigers.

LFL left no doubt they owned the court against Encampment with the Doggers pulling ahead, 18-8, in the first eight minutes of regulation.

A 15-6 run by LFL in the second quarter established an overwhelming 33-14 halftime lead for the Doggers.

LFL’s starting lineup netted 16 more points in the third quarter while a solid Dogger defense held Encampment to four points. 

LFL’s reserve players stepped onto the court to finish off the job in the fourth quarter.

Three Doggers tallied double digits against Encampment, led by Nelson with 15 points, Roberts 13 and Arnusch 11.

Thomas collected four points, Hatch four, senior Kaiden Riggs three and junior Jace Schlagel and Cook two apiece.

LFL dominated the boards, outrebounding the Tigers, 41-25, with Cook leading the effort at 13.

“We got to open up state in the first round against a familiar team in Encampment,” coach Chris Cook said. “They are a team that plays hard but is a good matchup for us. The guys came out ready to play on Thursday. We were ahead 33-14 at half and we went on to outscore them, 16-4, in the third to open a big lead. Our younger guys got a chance to play at the state tournament in the fourth and we were able to rest our main guys, knowing they had a lot of minutes ahead in the final two days.”

Semifinals

Progressing to the semifinals on Friday, LFL squared off against Little Snake River (LSR).

The Doggers came out hard and fast in the first quarter against the Rattlers, topping LSR in scoring, 17-12. Nelson and Roberts both tossed in six points while Hatch drained a trey and Riggs scored from inside the perimeter.

LFL nearly doubled LSR in scoring in the second quarter, 22-13. Roberts paced the Doggers offense in the second with eight points while Cook and Riggs each collected four points. Hatch and Arnusch both lined up for 3-pointers.

The Doggers continued to top LSR in scoring in the third quarter, 14-10. Nelson scored a pair of close-range shots while Hatch and Arnusch both fired off their second outside shots.

LFL led, 53-35, as the fourth quarter began. Cook pulled down a defensive rebound on LSR’s final possession of the game and the Doggers ended regulation in control of the ball and the scoreboard.

Roberts led the Dogger offense against LSR with 16 points. Hatch and Nelson also scored double digits at 11 and 10 points, respectively. Cook and Riggs each netted eight points with six from Arnusch.

“On Friday, we got to play in the semifinals against a team we have never played,” coach Cook said. “The guys once again got off to a great start and we were ahead, 39-25, at half. The guys played well in the third to build on the lead. Snake River came back with some low scoring in the fourth, but it wasn’t nearly enough.”

LFL passed the ball “beautifully” throughout the game, coach Cook added, shutting down LSR’s 2-3 zone for much of regulation and ending the game with 23 assists, including nine by Cook and five from Roberts.

LFL once again dominated the boards with 36 rebounds to 25 by LSR. Cook pulled down 14 rebounds and Roberts nine. Roberts reached up for a career high of five blocks.

The title game

The first quarter between LFL and Upton resulted in a 9-9 deadlock. Roberts swished a trey while Nelson, Cook and Riggs each collected a bucket.

The Dogger defense struck early in the first quarter with steals by Roberts and defensive rebounds from Roberts, Thomas and Nelson. Hatch pulled down a defensive rebound at the end of the first.

The Doggers pulled up by one possession in a physical second quarter to lead at halftime, 15-13. 

The back-and-forth for control of the scoreboard continued into the third quarter. Upton pulled ahead, 17-15, before Cook tossed in a jumper to tie the game at 17.

Hatch fired off a deep 3-pointer and LFL regained the lead, 20-17. 

The game reached a stalemate again at 20 points. Roberts responded with a close-range shot to place LFL up, 22-20.

Upton matched LFL in scoring at 22. Taking possession, Roberts netted a buzzer-beating inside shot to place the Doggers ahead, 24-22, at the end of the third quarter.

Upton moved back into the lead by one point, 25-24, at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Roberts rebounded a missed shot on the Bobcats’ subsequent possession and went on to score from inside the perimeter. Roberts then went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line, widening LFL’s advantage to three points, 28-25.

Cook reached up for a block on Upton’s next possession and scored a close-range shot to place LFL up, 30-25.

Upton responded with a five-point run to tie the game, 30-30, at 2:39. 

An 11-2 run by the Doggers in the final two minutes of regulation clinched the win.

Roberts set the momentum offensively against Upton with 20 points. Cook contributed 10 points, Arnusch four, Hatch three with two apiece from Nelson and Riggs.

Cook pulled down 12 rebounds and Roberts eight. Cook rounded out the stat sheet with four assists and four blocks.

“The guys were focused and had a great approach to the game,” coach Cook said. “They were locked in and ready to complete the mission of a state championship and a perfect 28-0 season. It was a low scoring but fast paced first half. The scoring picked up in the fourth and we opened the lead, outscoring them 17-10 I the fourth.”

Cook called the title win a “complete team effort” on the defensive end to hold Upton to 32 points after a season where the Bobcats averaged 60 points per game.

“The guys contested shots and held (Upton) to only 28-percent shooting,” coach Cook noted. “We outrebounded them, 33-23, as well. We were 7-8 from the foul line in the final quarter to help seal the victory.”

An historic season

LFL posted an undefeated record for the first time in program history dating back to 1932 – the first season winning streakby the Doggers in nearly a century.

Cook and Roberts finished the season as the No. 1 and No. 2 shooters, respectively, for all classifications in Wyoming. The Doggers led the state in team defense, holding their opponents to an average of 32 points. LFL also rounded out the season No. 1 for team shooting in the state with a field-goal tally of 55.4 percent.

“It has been an incredible season that our guys have been able to put together and sustain for 28 games,” coach Cook said. “We never really talked about going undefeated. Our guys were just always ready for the next challenge and ready to continue to play as a team and for each other on both ends of the floor. They took tremendous pride in playing great defense and making their opponents uncomfortable with ball pressure. They genuinely cared to make the next right pass for their teammates on the offensive end to get the shot we wanted to take.”

The Doggers also set a new season record with its total of 28 wins.

“The only bad thing about the season was that it went by too fast,” coach Cook added. “This is a season that may never be topped. Our guys have put in the time for 10 years with the goal of putting a banner on the wall for the Doggers. Well, some things are worth the wait.”

The Doggers thanked their families, fans and coaches for support over the years. Arnusch also gave a shoutout to Gene Roberts for “getting us here.”

The coaching staff extended a thank you to families and fans as well for “supporting these great young men” as they “play a game they truly love,” coach Cook said:

“It has been a huge effort from so many and with that teamwork, we have a state championship team that calls the Dogger Dome their home.”