Grizzlies look to build on successful ’25 season

Some teams rebuild after graduating a senior class, others reload, and in the case of the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies, they are hoping for the latter as they attempt to build on a 2025 season that saw the Grizz go 7-4 and play in the 1A 9-man division state championship game in Laramie.

The Grizzlies lost seven seniors to graduation, but they have five starters returning and eight or nine with significant varsity experience, head coach Jessee Wilson said.

After not initially having a zero-week game on the schedule, the Grizz were able to schedule Wright for a visit, and Rocky clobbered the Panthers in the practice game 51-0.

The Grizz struggled early as coaches worked different combinations on the field, and there was no scoring in the first quarter, but the offense began to click in the second as quarterback Mason Moss broke free for a 23-yard touchdown run, then connected with Jaxx May on a 15-yard touchdown pass as Rocky led 14-0 at halftime.

Moss hit Ryan Grant for a five-yard touchdown pass, and then sophomore May took his turn behind center and scored on a 25-yard run as Rocky built a four-touchdown lead after three.

As younger players continued to take the field in the fourth quarter, the Grizz scored three more touchdowns on a four-yard pass from May to junior Gary Gardner, a 39-yard run by freshman Brooks Brost and a 35-yard scoop by sophomore linebacker Benson Jolley after freshman Dally Malson forced the fumble.

Wilson was pleased with the practice game.

“The biggest thing that I wanted to get out of this game was just to see a bunch of different guys play, especially on the line and at our receivers (positions),” he said. “I would blame some of our struggles in that first quarter really on myself because we were rotating linemen in a lot of different ways, but we got out of it what we wanted to. Everybody came out healthy.

“We’re just trying to find the best combination with those guys up front, because unlike years in the past, we’ve got about six that could be starters at any given time.”

Wright played well early and hit hard, but the Panthers then appeared to wear down.

“I think that is a testament to the depth that we have up front,” Wilson said. “I think as a team we’re going to wear people down over the course of the season.”

Outlook

The Grizz went 7-4 last season and beat Saratoga and Greybull in the playoffs before falling to Pine Bluffs in the championship game. They lost all-state players Triffen Jolley, Tayt Beall, Juan Rodriguez and Landon Pruett to graduation, plus all-conference selection Colten Bitton and honorable mention picks Will Watts and Coby Wachob. But they return all-state players Masen Twomey and Moss.

Asked about team strengths, Wilson noted the team’s size on the line, adding, “I think we’re going to be a lot bigger than a lot of teams. I haven’t set the offensive line starting lineup yet, but we’re going to average probably 230 or 240 (pounds) on the offensive line.

“I’m also excited about just our overall baseline speed at skill positions, which is going to increase quite a bit with Cooper (Ward) and Sam (Loyning),” Wilson continued. “If we get them into the open field, boy, they’ve got some wheels. They can scoot. Jaxx is fast. Mason’s fast. So I’m excited about that. I think we have a good combination of size and speed.”

Wilson also noted that it’s always nice to have a returning starting quarterback, which the Grizz have in Moss.

“I feel like having a year under his belt, he’s way ahead of where he was last year, which makes me excited,” Wilson said.

Asked about challenges the team is facing as the season unfolds, Wilson noted, “Like with any new team, I think we’ve got to find our niche offensively, and we’ve got to build a little bit of chemistry together, especially up front on the line. Those guys are all really big, but we’ve got to be able to gel together up front. We were so spoiled with Tate and Juan and Landon. Those guys all started and played for three years in a row. And so now there’s a bunch of new faces up front. So we’ve got to work on getting our communication and stuff down up front.

“I would say our defensive side challenges are the same thing. We’re pretty green in our secondary, young guys filling in some of those cornerback roles and stuff. That’s very similar to the offensive line. Especially playing in coverage, they’ve got to learn how to work with one another and all that. So it’s going to come with time.”

Wilson said the Grizz will again employ the “gun power spread wing T” offense, adding that the offense is a “gap run scheme” with some run/pass option and spread passing components. He said his team was 70-30 percent run over pass last season but could be closer to 60-40 this year.

The lineup

Moss brings multiple skills to the quarterback position, Wilson said, as he returns for his junior year after starting as a sophomore and playing some varsity as a freshman.

“Google ‘good high school quarterback’ and write down whatever they say,” Wilson joked when asked what Moss brings to the team. “He’s the total package. He’s a really good kid, but he’s smart and just happens to be six foot six and runs like a deer. And he can throw it, too. We don’t get very many kids like that around here.”

May will be the backup, and Hudson Moore and Ty Samson are up-and-coming freshmen at the quarterback position.

The Grizzlies have two speedy running backs in Ward (junior) and Loyning (senior). Recalling a University of Wyoming tandem called Thunder and Lightning, Wilson said the Rocky pair could be called “Lightning and Lightning.” Rather than having a traditional fullback, the Grizzlies employ an H-back, which Wilson described as an off-the-ball tight end. Senior Paul Shetler, junior Gardner and sophomore Jolley will play H-back.

Working at wide receiver are juniors Cooper Winland and Cache Thompson, along with senior Jaxson Miller. Competing at the slot receiver are May and sophomore Jaxson Sponsel. Juniors Ryan Grant and Evin Clendenen are the tight ends.

Working on the line are junior John Mader and senior Treyson Merrill at center and seniors Twomey, William Torres and Travis Crosby and junior Alex Walker at guard.

Defense

Defensive coordinator Justin Moss said the Grizzlies will once again use a 3-3 stack defense with three down linemen and three linebackers. Working at nose guard are Mader and Torres, with Twomey, Clendenen, Winland, Merrill and Walker at defensive tackle.

Inside linebackers are Twomey, Shetler and Jolley, with Loyning, Miller, Grant, Sponsel and Crosby outside.

“We had 21 different players record a defensive stat Saturday,” Moss noted, showing the depth of the team. “I’m trying to get looks at a lot of guys and see where they play and what (they can do). It’s fun to see the depth of our crew.”

Moss returns at safety, and working at cornerback are May, Ward and Thompson.

Coach Moss called his defensive style “selectively aggressive,” adding, “We’re aggressive in spots. We don’t blitz every down, but we find good opportunities to blitz and attack at certain times. … I would say that our best group this week were our outside linebackers; they played really well. Especially Sam Loyning. He played really well. Ryan Grant played really well. Jaxson Miller played really well. I think those were our biggest standouts.”

Moss is the kicker and punter, and the long snapper is Clendenen. Return specialists are Ward, Loyning and May.

As for coaching, Wilson has offensive coordinator duties and coaches offensive and defensive line. Moss is the defensive coordinator and coaches quarterbacks, running backs and linebackers. Josh Sponsel coaches receivers and defensive backs, Austin Haslem tight ends, H-backs and defensive backs. Volunteer Russell Crosby helps with the offensive line and linebackers. Managers are Charlee Anderson and Whisper Isabell.

Rocky is a member of the 1A 9-man West along with Greybull, Big Piney, Saratoga, Wyoming Indian, Wind River and Shoshoni, but Shoshoni has cancelled its varsity season, leaving the Grizzlies potentially without a regular season home game until October as the Wranglers were to be the conference home opener on September 18.

Wilson sees Greybull, Big Piney and Saratoga, along with the Grizz, as division favorites, with Pine Bluffs once again strong out of the east, along with Lingle-Ft. Laramie.

Junior varsity

The Rocky JVs fell to Greybull at home Monday afternoon, 36-14.

“Defensively, we had a hard time stopping the run and made some adjustments that helped a little in the second half,” Coach Moss said. “Offensively, I was happy about the way we were able to move the ball. Unfortunately, all of our drives in the first half ended with turnovers. In the second half we did a much better job protecting the ball and were able to get scores on our drives. Definitely a learning experience for our young players on the importance of ball security.”

Road trips

The Grizzlies will open the season a long way from home, traveling nearly 400 miles to Yoder for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Friday to meet Southeast High School. That trip will be followed by a more than 300-mile trip to Big Piney for the conference opener against the Punchers on September 11 at 1 p.m. Right now, the September 18 slot in the schedule is open, followed by a trip to Wind River on Thursday, September 24.

Southeast is down on numbers but has some good athletes, Wilson said, noting that the  Cyclones run a spread offense and a 3-3 defense. The Cyclones were 1-7 a year ago.

“I’m excited for the year,” Wilson said. “I think the fact that we have this much competition early on just means that we’ve got depth in places that we’ve never really had depth before, and so to make a run, you kind of need that.”