JHHS Broncs savor 1st undefeated season in 26 years

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-With the bright lights and the pouring rain, it felt like the final moments of some great sport film. Mud and sweat mixed on the field. The packed stadium echoed with cheers. It was the Jackson Hole High School Broncs’ final football game of the season, against Cody. On the line was nothing less than the team’s first undefeated season since 1981.

In the end, the local boys came through, beating Cody 37-25 to become the 4A Class Western Conference Champions. Next comes post-season playoff games, starting with a 6 p.m. kickoff on Friday, once again against Cody. Because the Broncs are the number 1 seed in their class, they will enjoy the home field advantage against their number 8 seed opponents.

Although the final score of last Friday’s game would suggest an even-keeled game, Jackson dominated offensively. They were first to score, late in the first quarter, and led Cody for the rest of the game. Quarterback Blane Woodfin scored two touchdowns, Tail Back and Free Safety Alex Bush scored twice, and Wide Receiver and Corner Back Daniel Goe caught a 55-yard touchdown pass from Woodfin.

Despite Jackson’s offensive dominance – securing their win by the end of the third quarter, when the team scored two touchdowns and a safety that made a win for Cody pretty much unattainable – Cody didn’t go out without a fight. In the second quarter, Cody had a touchdown after a fake field goal play.

“They snuck their tight end out and he was wide open,” said Jackson Head Coach Bill Wiley.

Then, after several unanswered touchdowns by Jackson, Cody had a spurt of touchdowns starting at the very end of the third quarter, when they scored with 24 seconds left. In the fourth, they scored twice more with 2:45 seconds left in the game. Their last touchdown came with just 44 seconds left on the clock.

“They’ve got a good football team,” Coach Wiley said of Cody, “but I think they ran up against a more aggressive football team.”

Wiley noted that the fact that Cody was able to put up 25 points on Jackson, especially with the majority of their touchdown’s occurring at the end of the game, was “very much an anomaly.” Whether of not that’s true should be proven when the two teams go head-to-head again this Friday.

“They’re going to have nothing to loose,” Wiley said of the Cody team. “They’re going to come out and play aggressive and throw caution to the wind.”

Although Jackson Hole has achieved its first undefeated season in 26 years, Wiley still looks to the future, “Our goal wasn’t to go 8-0. Our goal is to win a state title in Jackson. Our goal is still ahead of us. We still have unfinished business to attend to.”
Calls to Cody’s Head Coach Chris Williams for comment were not immediately returned.

Photo by NEAL HENDERSON
Quarterback Blane Woodfin celebrates the Jackson Hole Broncs’ 36-25 victory against Cody on Friday. The team wrapped up its regular season with an undefeated record.

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JHHS Broncs savor 1st undefeated season in 26 years | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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