HEM buries wolves

The Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School, Miners went to Sheridan on October 10 to face the Normative Services Institute Academy (NSI) Wolves in a conference game.

The Miners were the first to score and took control of the game early on. Senior Devon Grosstick accounted for 31 of the Miners 54 points that HEM scored.

“Devon had an amazing offensive game that day,” Zach Scott, head football coach for HEM, said. “He kind of exploded with 335 yards. He got some kick off returns which helped us and then he threw for 52 yards which isn’t counted in his total yardage. He really had a great game offensively.”

Scott was also happy with his defensive players.

Bryce Cripes and Ura Schmidt had an amazing day defensively,”Scott said. “Ura had 11 tackles, which was his best performance to date, and Bryce Cripes had a phenomenal day with three tackles for a loss, two sacks and part of the group that got the safety. He just exploded. Bryce played sideline to sideline and he has really figured football out.”

Cripes is a sophomore.

The defense kept the Wolves to one score before going into halftime whereas the Miners had scored several times.

“Tom Wagner is really starting to figure out his linebacker duties, and he had eight tackles and is really doing a good job,” Scott observed.

Scott also praised Taylor Kennedy’s performance.

“He has been a ’Steady Eddie’ for us this year,” Scott said. “He brings what he has and it is what we need every game. He threw a touchdown in this game.”

Kennedy threw four passes, completed three for 52 yards and one touchdown.

A Miner fan favorite, Anthony Solaas, the four foot ten freshman, had two solo tackles and two assisted tackles for a total of four.

“We told him to just go low after he missed a tackle and from that point he went low and just shot in, and another thing he does amazingly well, is he contains the outside on our kickoffs and he hasn’t let one go by yet,” Scott said. “That is amazing.”

Scott applauded his quarterback’s contribution to the win.

“Dylan (Romero) had two touchdown passes and was six completions for six attempts,” Scott said. “Besides that, he played really good defense. He was a sure tackler and was part of the safety, had a sack. He kicked deep every time. What we have been trying to do all season, he did. Dylan had a very good game.”

Scott said the team had all engines running during the entire game.

“We had a lot of balance and a lot of kids have stepped up right now,” Scott said. “Anybody who has been watching us from the beginning of the season would notice that we have been improving every week.”

The Miners ended up winning the 54-23.

Scott said the win has put the HEM team in playoff contention.

“Now it is up to us where we sit in those playoffs,” Scott said. “So if we continue to win, we move up in the ranks. Every game we win is a leapfrog. We can be anywhere from one to four.”

He said the next team they face at 12 p.m. on October 17 at home is Hulett.

“They are a good team and it will be tough,” Scott said. “But like I said, we improve with every game.”