Hello, Victory!

By RJ Morgan

When it comes to numbers, nothing has gone in favor of the Glenrock High School football program for years. Participation has been extremely low, fell a couple points short in several games and overtime, and entered last week on a 24-game losing streak. 

Those numbers are now history as that era came to a crashing halt Sept. 12, 2025. Four dozen boys putting on the pads this year, new leadership and a hunger to win is making a quick difference and the streak was put to rest Friday night in a 47-6 shellacking of Moorcroft.

“Our effort was amazing. Backs were breaking runs and the offensive line with help from the wide receivers kept working down field,” head coach Heath Hayes said. “We still have some missed assignments that need attention but the relentless will to win and play for each other never stopped. They played for each other.”

The home opener had a different feel to it compared to recent years. One glance at the stadium seating was a clear sign of the enthusiasm this year. Once the whistles blew, the Herders spent the next 48 minutes proving why change has arrived.

“These guys know what a loss feels like as much as anyone, so we talked about enjoying the moment and doing it the right way.  Don’t give people ammo through social media,” Hayes said. “How about that student section of GHS students! Seeing them run onto the field to celebrate with the team was awesome. I encourage them to meet us in the end zone after every win.”

The Glenrock defense might have been overlooked because of the offensive assault delivered on the scoreboard. The unit blanketed the Wolves all four quarters, beginning with the opening drive that quickly ended with a punt. 

“Defensively, we had 26 players score defensive points. We were led by Kelton Stewart, Brady Calmes, Joel Williams, Crais Fleck, Brody Allen and Preston Sorensen,” Hayes said. 

The GHS offense was not denied on its first home drive of the season. Senior Brady Dona toted the pigskin and sprinted through the heart of the defense on his way to a 59-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with 6:06 left in the first. 

Moorcroft had one response all night, and it followed that TD. The guests drove 62 yards on the ground and scored from 23 yards out to get within one 7-6 after a failed conversation.

The only time Moorcroft saw the end zone again was chasing a Herder into it on touchdown runs. The next possession started at midfield and didn’t last long. Freshman Joel Williams hit four defenders on his big run, which led to a six-yard touchdown run via junior Allen to increase the lead to 14-6 with 8:53 remaining in the second quarter.

The opportunistic GHS defense struck again and forced a turnover on downs to get another shot at points before the break. A few of the guys in the trenches – Jayden Pasko, Chance Mendoza, Thomas Fowler and Calmes, to name a few – paved the way.  Starting at midfield, Easton Low had pair of positive gains to spark the drive, and he capped it with a TD run from two yards out with 48 seconds left to make it 20-6 at halftime.

Once the Herders proved in the third quarter that the first half was not luck, it was lights out for Moorcroft. Allen carried the first play 20 yards, ending with an impressive 36-yard touchdown burst by Low around the left end to make it 27-6.

“As the game was entering mid-third quarter – into the fourth – you could feel the energy from the fans,” Hayes said. “Our Monday night crew set the tone for last week, beating Burns 18-16, and had the same opportunity on Monday against Thermopolis.”

The energy also lifted the defense. The unit forced a turnover on downs and a fumble to allow the offense to put the game out of reach.

That fumble recovery made it happen by getting the ball 13 yards out. A 20-yard pass from sophomore Kelton Stewart to Dona increased the lead to 34-6 with 1:42 to go in the third.

The Herders waited three years for this kind of momentum so they rode it to the final seconds. Sophomore Kristian Martin bounced off three defenders on his way to a 12-yard TD run to begin the fourth and go up 41-6.

Korbian Hill had the final say. The sophomore bolted straight up the middle and rumbled 66 yards to his first touchdown to seal the deal.

For the game, Glenrock accumulated 346 yards of offense with six rushing and one passing touchdowns. Low had six carries for 72 yards and two TDs, while Dona two runs for 62 and a score.

Allen recorded 36 yards and one TD along with 20 yards in the air and one more touchdown. Martin finished with 51 yards and a score, Hill added 66 yards and one TD,Williams continued with 13 rushing, and Calmes had 10.

“Right now, only four teams are 1-0 in conference play. We are joined by Big Horn, Burns and Newcastle. We have work to do and need to clean up a few things while working on moving forward,” Hayes said. “We treat every opponent the same with respect to what they do. This week we go from a heavy run team to a team that is pretty similar to us in running multiple formations.”

The Herders will attempt to collect more wins this week against Burns. The last time GHS had more than two victories in the same year was in 2020 and the last trip to the playoffs was 2018. This group is hungry for more and the community will support them as they wrote their own story.

“This win was for everyone who has been a part of Herder football – parents, players and managers. Everyone was ready for that moment!  It certainly helps with confidence but now we have to get back to work and our focus and attention to Friday’s game at Burns,” Hayes said. “Every player on our team played in the game and took advantage of their opportunities.  

Accolades

Every player left their mark on the first win of the season. Four of those Herders earned a little extra recognition by coaches beginning with Ayden Lamb being selected as Scout Team Player of the Week.

Special Teams Player of the Week is achieved by standout Miles Wieser, while Fleck is Defensive Player of the Week. In a big night for scoring, Offensive Player of the Week is Low who recorded two touchdowns and made five extra points.