Tigers take second

With the high school football season over, the Encampment Tigers have ended it as the No. 2 team in 1A Six-Man Football. 

Not only was this the first time in school history Encampment had made it to the State Championships, it was the first time the Tigers were State Runner-ups. Just three years into their program, Encampment had a nearly undefeated season with their only regular season loss being to the Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Rattlers. 

LSRV would also deal the Tigers their championship loss with a score of 65-24.

As the two Carbon County teams faced off in the 1st quarter of the Championship Round, it initially appeared as if fans would be treated to a low-scoring and high intensity game. It took nearly three minutes before any team scored and it would be the Rattlers who scored first as they put 7 points on the board. Encampment answered back with a 55 yard kickoff return from Caysen Barkhurst. This, followed by a point-after-touchdown from Michael Anderson, put the Tigers ahead by a single point for the remainder of the 1st quarter.

In the 2nd quarter, Encampment would score another 6 points with a 45 yard pass from Kaben Pickett to Koye Gilbert. While the point-after-touchdown from Anderson failed, a safety just before halftime gave the Tigers an additional 2 points. Though Encampment secured 8 points, they were unable to keep the scoring low from LSRV as the Rattlers surged ahead with 28 points before the half. At halftime, Encampment trailed 35-16.

When the Tigers returned to the field in the 3rd quarter, it seemed as if they had recharged and regrouped. Returning from halftime, Encampment would score 8 points while keeping the Rattlers low on scoring with 8 points as well. The Tigers' scoring came following a 53 yard pass from Pickett to Gilbert and a point-after-touchdown from Anderson. Going into the final quarter, Encampment trailed the Rattlers 43-24.

The 4th quarter would, ultimately, seal the Tigers' fate. While Encampment had managed to score in the previous three quarters of the championship round, the Rattlers would keep them scoreless in the final 10 minutes. LSRV, meanwhile, would throw up another 22 points to secure their 41 point win over Encampment.

"This is a great group of young men and it has been an honor to coach them," said Head Coach Kegan Willford. "I'm proud of all of their efforts and the time they put into this season. Congratulations to Snake River.  They have a great team with great athletes and coaches.  They earned this championship every step of the way."

Throughout the regulars season, Encampment rushed for over 200 yards on a regular basis, often with Quade Jordan leading. On November 12, the Rattlers cut that amount down with a net total of 25 yards rushed. While the Tigers had gained 62 yards rushing throughout the game, they also lost 37. Jordan led Encampment with a net of 30 yards rushed against the Rattlers.

Pickett was the passing leader with a total of 219 yards with Gilbert receiving most of those passes at 127 yards. Anderson received for 43 yards, Jordan received for 31 yards and Eddie Buford received for 11 yards.

The Encampment Tigers end their season as the 1A Six-Man Runner Ups with a season record of 8-2. Willford will lose some senior leadership as Gilbert, Barkhurst and Anderson graduate this year. They will be joined by Buford, Ben Wagy, Jacob Fairbanks and Lane LaBorde. The Tigers will have a number of returning athletes next season, however, with Jordan and Pickett among others.