I can’t say enough positive things about our young men and the way they play this game. They continue to battle and are willing to make the plays necessary to win a big football game. We have a lot of things that we can still fix and get better at and that will be our focus moving forward, but hats off to our kids and the way they played.”

Coach Brandon Gifford

Up Next

The Doggers host Saratoga for Senior Night on Friday, October 25 at 6 p.m.

LINGLE –  An epic showdown between the two undefeated teams in the 1A 9-man East classification culminated in the Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) Doggers picking up their fifth conference win with a 30-27 victory against the Pine Bluffs Hornets at home on October 18.

Both teams pulled out all the stops on Friday and the game reached a 27-27 deadlock midway into the fourth quarter. LFL sealed its win with a sustained drive deep into Pine Bluffs territory at the end of the fourth quarter, topped off by a field field goal kicked by junior Anthony Arnusch with seconds remaining in regulation.

The Doggers remain at the top of the conference with an undefeated record, locking in the No. 1 seed for LFL in the upcoming playoffs.

Coach Brandon Gifford called Friday’s game “great high school football” by both sides.

“I can’t say enough positive things about our young men and the way they play this game,” Gifford added. “They continue to battle and are willing to make the plays necessary to win a big football game. We have a lot of things that we can still fix and get better at and that will be our focus moving forward, but hats off to our kids and the way they played”

LFL’s victory against Pine Bluffs boosted the Doggers’ momentum as they gear up for the final game of the regular season against Saratoga on Friday and then the playoffs.

“Great things happen when you have belief in your job and belief that you can go out and execute that job and that is what our team was able to do Friday night (against Pine Bluffs),” Gifford added. “We have another big game next week and will continue to improve and make adjustments to get ourselves ready for the late season push.”

Senior Cooper Smith was named the WyoPreps athlete of the week on October 16 for contributing to LFL’s offense as a guard against Southeast on October 10 and tallying 18 tackles against the Cyclones, including three for loss and two sacks.

Four neck-and-neck quarters

The Doggers opened the game with a touchdown on their first possession. Senior Kaiden Riggs took the handoff from junior quarterback Brady Cook and bulldozed nine yards into the end zone. A good kick by Arnusch placed LFL up, 7-0.

The Doggers defense shut out Pine Bluffs on the Hornets’ first possession, including tackles by junior Colter McFarlin, junior Colt Brown, senior Ned Nelson, Smith and Riggs, along with pass coverage from Arnusch.

The Hornets reached the end zone on their second possession in the first quarter and the game deadlocked, 7-7.

The Doggers responded with a touchdown on the subsequent possession. Cook launched a pass to senior Louden Bremer. Bremer took the ball and dashed into the end zone to complete a 31-yard touchdown pass play and LFL took the lead, 13-7.

Pine Bluffs pulled up, 14-13, with another touchdown early in the second quarter.

LFL took possession and Brown rushed for 36 yards on the Doggers’ first play, placing the ball at the Hornets’ 29-yard line.

Carries by Riggs, Brown and Bremer advanced the ball to Pine Bluffs’ three-yard line. Finding himself under pressure, Cook delivered a pass to junior Brayden Posten in the end zone for Dogger touchdown No. 3 and LFL took the lead, 19-14.

A solid LFL defense ground down the Hornets on Pine Bluffs’ ensuing possession. A tackle by Brown and McFarlin for no gain brought Pine Bluffs to a stop. Pressure by senior Brody Roberts resulted in an incomplete pass by the Hornets.

LFL blocked Pine Bluff’s attempt at a field goal and the halftime score favored the Doggers, 19-14.

The point-for-point battle continued in the second half. Pine Bluffs opened the third quarter in possession and scored a touchdown to pull ahead, 21-19.

LFL answered back on the subsequent possession. Bremer, Riggs and Brown moved the ball deep into Hornets territory over the course of a long, sustained drive. Bremer took the handoff and charged 10 yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

Riggs reached the end zone to convert two extra points and the score stood at 27-21 in favor of LFL.

Pine Bluffs found itself going nowhere on the following drive with tackles by Brown, McFarlin and Nelson. The Hornets dropped the ball and Smith recovered the fumble.

Pine Bluffs managed to score another touchdown early in the fourth quarter. McFarlin blocked the Hornet’s attempt to kick in an extra point and the game tied, 27-27, with 8:15 remaining on the clock.

Nelson returned Pine Bluffs’ kickoff to LFL’s 39-yard line. Riggs, Brown and Bremer relentlessly drove the ball forward, striking deep into the Hornets’ territory.

A carry by Brown brought the ball to the Pine Bluffs 14-yard line. Bremer reached 11 yards on the next carry with Riggs placing the ball at nine yards.

Under pressure, Cook delivered a pass to Nelson at Pine Bluffs’ one-yard line with seconds remaining on the clock. Pine Bluffs managed to stop LFL twice at the one-yard line and the Doggers opted for a field goal.

Arnusch kicked the ball with precision between the goal posts and the Doggers won, 30-27.

LFL tallied 299 yards rushing against Pine Bluffs while the Doggers defense held Pine Bluffs to 165 yards.

Riggs led LFL in rushing with 137 yards on 22 carries. Bremer totaled 88 yards rushing on 23 carries with Brown recording 60 yards on six carries.

LFL excelled at the game in the air with Cook completing five of five passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

On defense, Brown tallied nine tackles, Riggs seven, Smith five with three apiece by Nelson and McFarlin. The total for Smith and Riggs included one tackle for loss with Smith making one sack. Coverage by Arnusch broke up two passes and Smith recovered a fumble for LFL.