LINGLE – The Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) Doggers football team dominated the gridiron against cross-county rival the Southeast Cyclones to punch in a 49-7 victory for Homecoming Week on Friday, October 3.
A powerful Dogger offense combined with an airtight LFL defense to establish a 35-0 halftime lead. Two additional touchdowns by the Doggers in the third quarter sealed the deal.
To Southeast’s credit, the Cyclones’ young starting lineup played with tenacity down to the final moments of the game on Friday. The Doggers hit the gridiron with a senior- and junior-stacked varsity starting lineup with experience playing in the playoffs and state championship game. Southeast, on the other hand, fielded a lineup largely containing underclassmen or players with limited or no varsity experience before the 2025 season.
The Cyclones refused to throw in the towel and stepped back up to the line of scrimmage regardless of the heavy blows inflicted by the Doggers. Southeast’s no-quit attitude culminated in a Cyclones touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The win highlighted the Doggers’ “high energy” and “selflessness” on the gridiron, LFL head coach Brandon Gifford said.
“I was really pleased with how our kids came out to start the game,” Gifford added. “With a rivalry game and a Homecoming game, you want to be able to get out to fast starts and our guys did just that. We had an excellent first quarter and were able to execute our offense well. We did a nice job controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball consistently and that allowed us to make some big plays in the run game.”
The game was a tough one for the Cyclones, head coach Shawn Burkart said.
“We had trouble getting anything going offensively and on defense, our ability to step up and tackle was a big issue,” Burkart remarked. “It has hurt us all year long and it showed again tonight. Not having our best defensive player, Chase Sauer, didn’t help. Then losing our other all-state player in (senior) T.J. Moats on the first play of the second half put a big dent in what we could do. Lingle ran the ball hard and our youth struggled with that. Give (LFL) credit – they outplayed us for sure.”
First Half
The Doggers commenced the first quarter in possession. Sophomore Dutch Ogburn returned Southeast’s opening kickoff to the Doggers’ 31-yard line.
LFL initially met stiff resistance from the Southeast D-line with stops by sophomore Gauge Howe, freshman Bryce Booth and junior Connor Coxbill.
Carries by LFL senior Colt Brown, sophomore Lincoln Speckner and junior Nathan Lira ultimately brought the Doggers within 16 yards of the end zone.
Brown took a handoff from senior quarterback Anthony Arnusch and barreled up the right and into the end zone for LFL touchdown No. 1.
A good kick by Arnusch resulted in the extra point and the Doggers led, 7-0.
Southeast took possession. A 26-yard run by Moats resulted in a first down before the LFL defense closed ranks.
Tackles for no gain by Speckner, senior Colter McFarlin and sophomore DeAngelo Gann, plus pass coverage from Speckner forced Southeast to punt.
Arnusch returned the punt to LFL’s 46-yard line and the Doggers’ launched another drive into the end zone. On the final play, Brown broke tackle and swept 60 yards up the field to score LFL touchdown No. 2.
Another good kick by Arnusch placed the Doggers up, 14-0.
Southeast found itself in possession once again. A sack by senior Colter McFarlin and stops from Brown and senior Brayden Posten grounded the Cyclones offense down and Southeast punted.
Cyclones senior kicker Beaux Shimic punted the ball approximately 60 yards down the field, setting the LFL offense up at its own 30-yard line.
Despite tackles by Howe, Coxbill and senior Liam Haas for Southeast, the Doggers drove the ball toward midfield.
Speckner took the ball for LFL, shifted into high gear and chewed up 63 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.
Arnusch delivered on the PAT-1 and LFL pulled ahead, 21-0.
The Cyclones offense found momentum on Southeast’s subsequent drive through the beginning of the second quarter. Moats drove the ball forward for a first down. A 19-yard pass play between freshman quarterback Tatum Wiedman and Booth also resulted in a first down. Coxbill rushed up the middle for enough yards to record a first down as well.
Tackles for no gain by freshman Gaige McFarlin and Gann for LFL eventually forced Southeast to turn over possession.
The Doggers reached the end zone again on the ensuing possession. The Southeast defense made LFL work for the touchdown, however, with tackles by Coxbill, Haas, Moats, Howe, junior Joaquin Ramirez and Ben Gibbons.
LFL fought its way into the Cyclones territory. On the final play of the drive, Speckner bulldozed up the middle and into the end zone for another Doggers touchdown.
Arnusch kicked in the extra point to place LFL up, 28-0.
Southeast regained possession but tackles by Brown, Gann and junior Kaleb Smith forced the Cyclones to punt.
Possession returned to the Doggers. A pass under pressure from Arnusch to Brown resulted in a 48-yard play and placed LFL at Southeast’s 12-yard line. Brown and Speckner relentlessly drove the ball closer to Southeast’s goal line.
On the final play, Brown churned up the middle for a touchdown to the tune of four yards.
Arnusch kicked in the extra point and the halftime score favored LFL, 35-0.
Second half
The Cyclones began the third quarter in possession. Freshman Brayden Baldridge carried the ball into LFL territory for a Southeast first down.
LFL’s defense tightened its line and stops from Smith, Gaige McFarlin, Brown and Arnusch resulted in the Cyclones punting. Shimic kicked the ball to LFL’s 18-yard line.
LFL took possession and carries by Speckner and Lira advanced the Doggers into Cyclones territory. Arnusch completed a pass to Lira and LFL reached Southeast’s 17-yard line.
Brown took the handoff and charged up the left side of the field into the end zone.
Arnusch lined up for his fifth extra point and the Doggers led, 42-0, prompting the running clock with 7:15 remaining in the third quarter.
The Cyclones took possession at their own 20-yard line following a touchback by Arnusch (the fifth by LFL’s talented kicker). Baldridge – a freshman – took primary responsibility for driving the ball forward due to an injury.
A tackle by Posten with the Cyclones far short of a first down resulted in Southeast punting.
On LFL’s subsequent possession, Arnusch found himself under pressure. The senior kept the ball and sprinted through an opening in Southeast’s defense to reach the end zone on a 15-yard run to score LFL’s seventh touchdown.
Moments later Arnusch kicked in the extra point and the Doggers opened the fourth quarter ahead, 49-0.
LFL’s reserve players entered the game in the final quarter. The Doggers fumbled the ball. Haas swept in to recover the ball and raced 45 yards into the end zone to score a Cyclones touchdown. Shimic kicked in the extra point to put a dent in LFL’s lead, 49-7.
Defense on both teams dominated the remainder of the fourth quarter. Southeast’s defense included stops by junior Trevor Jolovich, Baldridge, sophomore Rico Ramirez, Booth, Coxbill and freshman William Moats.
LFL’s reserve offense, led by sophomore quarterback Matthew Cook, found positive yards with carries by Ogburn and freshman Will Cochran.
LFL stats
The LFL offense recorded an impressive 434 yards rushing to 74 by the Cyclones, including 199 yards in the first quarter alone.
Brown paced the Doggers offense with 153 yards rushing on 13 carries for four touchdowns. Speckner tallied 121 yards rushing on nine carries for two touchdowns. Lira posted his best rushing game of the season with 108 yards on eight carries.
Arnusch completed three passes for 53 yards with Brown on the receiving end for 37 yards and Lira 16.
Arnusch made life difficult for the Southeast offense with a total of six touchbacks.
Colter McFarlin led the LFL defense with nine tackles, including two for loss and one sack. Smith totaled eight tackles and one for loss. Brown tallied seven tackles and one for loss.
Speckner and Gann both posted six tackles with Gann making three for loss and one sack. Gaige McFarlin and Lira each collected four tackles. McFarlin’s tally included one tackle for loss and a sack.
Southeast stats
Southeast collected 74 yards rushing. Moats led the offense with 45 yards rushing on nine carries. Baldridge tallied 36 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Wiedman completed five passes for 23 yards with Booth on the receiving end for all 23 yards.
Haas led the Cyclones D-line with 15 defensive points. Coxbill recorded 13 defensive points, Jolovich nine, Moats and Joaquin Ramirez seven and Baldridge five.
