Rocky Mountain Grizzlies fall to Big Piney despite strong rushing performance

The Rocky Mountain Grizzlies football team traveled across the state to face off against the Big Piney Punchers last Friday in a challenging road matchup. Despite a strong rushing effort, the Grizzlies fell short in a 17-6 loss.

Head coach Jessee Wilson emphasized that preparation for the game was impacted by injuries from the previous week’s contest against Greybull.

“A lot of our preparation for Big Piney was moving players around to account for some of the injuries we acquired,” Wilson said. “Our guys did a good job of adjusting to playing in new positions and embraced a next man up mentality.” 

The Grizzlies entered the game with a simplified game plan, focusing heavily on the run due to the lineup changes.

“We wanted to establish the running game and sustain long, time-consuming drives that would result in points,” Wilson said.

Early on, this strategy worked well as the team was able to grind out some effective rushing plays, particularly in the first half.

Running back Joaquin Scheeler, stepping up in place of injured star Triffen Jolley, led the charge. Scheeler had a standout performance, carrying the load for the Grizzly offense with significant runs that helped keep the game close.

“Joaquin stepped up big time and carried the rock well,” Wilson said. “Landon Pruett also did a nice job filling in and blocking for Joaquin.

“Joaquin scored our lone touchdown to cap off a 14-play, 80-yard drive on the first or second play of the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed.”

Big Piney scored the Punchers’ first touchdown on a one-yard quarterback sneak in the second quarter, then scored on a 62-yard reverse play late in the second quarter, Wilson said. The Punchers kicked a 20-yard field goal toward the end of the fourth quarter to ice the game.

As the game progressed, Rocky Mountain found themselves needing to air it out more often than they would have liked.

“We ran the ball pretty effectively in the first half, but we had to start throwing more, and we struggled in that area,” Wilson said.

The Grizzlies’ passing game saw some success with quick, short throws, but when forced to stretch the field vertically, their completion rate dropped.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Grizzlies faced challenges in stopping Big Piney’s run game. The Punchers controlled the clock with their ground attack, limiting Rocky Mountain’s opportunities to score.

“We struggled to stop the run on defense,” Wilson said. “Some schematic breakdowns, combined with new guys playing in different spots, put us in a tough position.”

Despite the loss, there were bright spots on both sides of the ball. The defense, though inconsistent at times, did have moments of really solid play, while special teams executed well, helping to keep the Grizzlies in the game. However, mistakes in critical moments ultimately led to the team’s downfall.

“We made some critical errors in crucial moments on both offense and defense,” Wilson said. “We definitely didn’t play our best game, and we continued to make some mistakes that have plagued us in past games.” 

As the Grizzlies move forward Coach Wilson is focused on refining the finer details of their play. The quarterback and running backs are working on improving play fakes, ball placement and footwork, while wide receivers continue to work on route consistency and blocking schemes. The team’s determination and focus on improvement has grown even stronger.

“My main message to our players is to stay persistent,” Wilson said. “We’re really close to breaking through and playing our best football. Right now, we’re chipping away at a boulder with a butter knife, but eventually, we’re going to bust that thing open and play some really good football.”

The Grizzlies will enjoy a home game this week as they host Wyoming Indian Friday at 6 p.m.