Talk about a breakout game! Having lost to two of the top teams in Class 3A to start the season, the Lovell Bulldogs took out their frustrations on the Wright Panthers – their third conference foe to start the season – with a 44-14 pounding in Wright Friday night.


Senior quarterback Grant Geiser was sensational, lighting up the Panthers for 434 yards of total offense. Geiser completed 15 of 23 passes for 254 yards and five touchdowns and also ran the ball 24 times for 180 yards and a touchdown.


“It was one of the best individual performances maybe Lovell’s ever witnessed,” coach Ken Boatwright said, and after noting Geiser’s total offense numbers, remarked, “That’s pretty phenomenal. Everyone on offense who could score a touchdown did.


“I’m not sure we could play a better offensive game than we did Friday night…Grant is learning and becoming more comfortable every week with the quarterback role. It was a privilege to watch the kid play. He was having a tremendous night. Our vertical game was outstanding, and Wright is not a bad ballclub.”


The offensive explosion was the continuation of higher output that started Sept. 12 when the Bulldogs led Glenrock – one of the top teams in the state in all classifications – 20-14 at the half after opening up the passing game following a 14-8 loss to Moorcroft in week one.


“Since we reinvented ourselves, in two weeks we’ve scored 64 points,” Boatwright said. “We’ve finally arrived at an offense we’re capable of doing with our talent. This offense is two weeks old and it was designed on the floor of my trailer, basically.”


One of the keys to the offense, besides Geiser’s execution, is better blocking, and Boatwright noted that junior fullback Tyler Anderson “very unselfishly” agreed to move to the offensive line, where he is playing guard.
“We needed some more beef up front,” Boatwright said. “I can’t say enough about him. Trevor Harrison ran fullback for us (and ran well). It was a very good move for us.


“We drove the ball consistently all night. We did everything pretty much how we wanted. And we got to play our younger kids the last seven minutes.”


Anderson also moved to the line on defense, strengthening the line and allowing sophomore Billy Davila to move to middle linebacker, where he flourished.


“He led the team with two solo and 14 assisted tackles,” Boatwright said. “He also had an interception and had a couple of hits that brought total silence to the crowd. It was another nice move our coaching staff made. Billy is a physical player. He brought an element the whole team responds to and has made the entire defense better players.


“One of the biggest things we’ve done is play as many kids as we can so we can rest some kids. We’ll continue to try to do that whenever we can…Some of the younger kids are starting to step up and play tougher. Our coaches feel we are not sacrificing much when they come in and play.”

After trailing early, the Bulldogs exploded for 38 points in the second and third quarters Friday to blow the game wide open. The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and drove 73 yards to score. Geiser completed four of five passes for 29 yards on the drive and carried the ball five times for 49 yards, including a 21-yard scamper that set up the first touchdown.


On first and goal at the Wright 9, Geiser scrambled to his right and found Trevor Harrison in the left corner of the end zone. A fumbled snap led to a failed PAT, but Lovell led 6-0 with 7:09 left in the first quarter.


Wright took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Lovell 7 before the Lovell defense rose up to shove the Panthers back. Bo Grant and Jordan Mickelson teamed up to hit a Panther for a two-yard loss, and Mickelson then sacked the quarterback for a five-yard loss. A fake field goal pass was broken up by Kade Baxendale, and Lovell took over on downs.


Geiser got the Bulldogs out of the deep end with a 16-yard run, but then the drive stalled and the Bulldogs had to punt early in the second quarter. Wright then drove 77 yards to score as quarterback Duncan Jones dashed for 59 yards, then scored on a two-yard run.


Wright led 7-6 with 9:18 to play in the second quarter.
After that it was all Lovell. Geiser found Steven Durtsche for a 50-yard gain on a slant route on the following series, then hit Durtsche for a seven-yard touchdown pass in the right side of the end zone. A two-point pass failed, and Lovell led 12-7.


Wright had a nice kickoff return and drove to the Lovell 43, but on fourth and three, the Panthers went for the first down and Chris Davila separated the receiver from the ball, forcing an incomplete pass.


Geiser completed a 14-yard pass to Baxendale, and after a pair of runs, the senior quarterback found tight end Ben Long for a 32-yard touchdown pass. Geiser’s PAT was good, and Lovell led 19-7 with 4:36 to play in the half.


Wright went three and out, and Lovell scored again, this time driving 54 yards to score. Geiser started the drive with a 16-yard run, then found Durtsche for a 16-yard completion. Four more Geiser runs netted 21 yards, and Geiser capped the drive with a one-yard run with 35 seconds to play in the half. A PAT fake pass fell incomplete, and Lovell led 25-7 at halftime.

The scoring spree continued in the third period after Wright made it interesting with an early touchdown. Ryan Burget scored from nine yards out, capping a 69-yard drive. The PAT was good, cutting the Lovell lead to 25-14.


Lovell then scored on three consecutive drives to break the game open while holding the home team scoreless.
The Bulldogs first drove 71 yards, capped by a 30-yard touchdown pass to Baxendale at the 7:37 mark (31-14), then 53 yards in only four plays capped by a 29-yard TD pass to Shane Dickerson (38-14). The final touchdown came following a Billy Davila interception at the Wright 34-yard line. Lovell scored in five plays including a one-yard run by Harrison. Lovell led 44-14 after three, and a final Wright threat in the fourth quarter was snuffed out by a Shane Dickerson interception. Boatwright said he went to a delay game after that to control the clock.


Besides Geiser’s heroics, Harrison finished with 66 yards rushing on 15 carries, and Durtsche had six receptions for 116 yards, Baxendale five receptions for 68 yards, Long two for 32 yards, Shane Dickerson one for 29 yards and Harrison one for 9. Each receiver caught a touchdown pass. Lovell passed for 254 yards and rushed for 246 yards. Wright rushed for 212 yards and passed for 67.


Besides Billy Davila’s play at middle linebacker, Boatwright noted the play of Shane Dickerson, Anderson and defensive ends Jordan Mickelson and Harrison, who he said were “in the quarterback’s face for us all night long.”

The Bulldogs will host the Greybull Buffaloes for Homecoming Friday night with kickoff at 7 p.m. Greybull is 2-1 on the season. The Buffs crushed Lyman 41-6 at home, lost to Wind River 29-0 at home and defeated Big Piney 21-12 at Big Piney.


“Greybull is always going to be competitive because they have a wonderful football coach,” Boatwright said.


“Coach (John) Cundall has done great things throughout his career. They’re young, but they’ll be a disciplined club.


“The coach’s kid (Clay Cundall) does a great job at quarterback. This will be another one of those real good tests for us. It will be a little bit tougher game.


Homecoming distractions worry a coach to death, but I hope it will be a fun week for the kids.”


Editor’s note: Thank you to Bob Geiser for taking play-by-play notes of Friday’s game.