The ground game was prolific on a night where the Star Valley Braves earned the program’s 32nd consecutive win and punched their ticket to the Wyoming 3A state championship game next week in Laramie as they collected a 37-3 victory over the Lander Tigers.
Nathan Haderlie joined the 200-club as he rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries to set the tone for the game. Kyan Watson rushed nine times for 72 yards and found the end zone twice on a night where the running game rolled up 335 yards.
The offense was vitally unstoppable as Phoenixx Hovey passed for 334 yards on 13 of 21 passing. It’s the sixth time this season he has thrown for last least 300 yards in a game. Travis Thomson had the biggest plays through the air as he hauled in four catches for 137 yards. Roman Erickson finished with four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.
While the offense rolled up nearly 700 yards of offense, the defense clamped down on the Tiger attack, allowing a paltry 35 yards on 31 rushes. The Braves’ pass rush was in the backfield all night with multiple tackles for loss. Lander didn’t help their cause with a pair of mismanaged snaps for big losses as well. The Star Valley defense also forced a pair of lost fumbles and recovered both of them on the night as Lander was held to under 200 total yards.
Paxon Hollingshead completed 13 of 21 passes for 162 yards in the Tiger aerial attack. Finn McFadden led the way with six catches for 57 yards. Cody West rushed 19 times for 68 yards.
• State Title Games
The win gives the Braves a chance for their fourth consecutive state title and they will face the Cody Broncs for the fourth time in that run. The Broncs scored a late touchdown to win in Riverton over the Wolverines, 28-21. The two schools have combined to win the last 11 3A state titles dating back to the culmination of the 2014 season. The Braves have won seven of the last ten.
Kickoff for the game will take place at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie on Friday, November 14 at 3 p.m.
SVI Media will be producing all five state championship games for the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS). Unlike the rest of SVI’s broadcasts, viewers will need to subscribe to the NFHS feed. Look for more information at svinews.com next week.
The early game next Friday will feature the 2A championship at 12 noon between the Big Horn Rams and the Mountain View Buffalos.
A trio of championship games will be played on Saturday, November 15. Little Snake River will face Burlington in the 6-man title game at 10 a.m. Pine Bluffs will square off against Rocky Mountain at 1 p.m. in the 9-man championship. Finally, the Sheridan Broncs will be going for their fifth straight 4A title as they take on Campbell County at 4 p.m.
