Broncs advance to championship game on Saturday

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-It was a nail-biter, but last Saturday afternoon, the Jackson Hole High School Broncs bested Douglas 16-14 to win the Wyoming State 4A Football semi-finals.

The undefeated Broncs (10-0) next play Buffalo, also undefeated, in the championship game scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at the William T. McIntosh Stadium. According to Broncs Head Coach Bill Wiley, it may be the first time the two high school football programs have ever met on the field.

“They are a big aggressive football team,” Wiley said of Buffalo. “They run the ball right up the middle. They are well coached. This is the fourth time they’ve been to the State Championships in five years. They are no fluke.”

But Wiley said that his Broncs are confident and ready to go, that the team has a levelheaded approach to the upcoming championship game.

“We have to play lower, harder and faster than these guys to stay competitive with this team,” he said.

During last week’s game against Douglas, the Broncs trailed for a portion of the game – only the second time this season the Broncs have been behind. In the end, though, they managed to take the lead and advance to the championship game.

“We were scared to lose,” said Wiley, “We knew we had to make it to the championship game.”

The trick now is to remain focused and poised.

“We are going to have a very business-like approach to it,” said Wiley. “We are going to approach this game as we would with any other game, only with bigger implications.”
If the Broncs win the final game of the post season, it will be the team’s third state championship win since 1952. Jackson Hole High School won its last state football title 21 years ago, in 1986.

Needless to day, Saturday should boast the game of the decade.
It will at the very least be the game of week for Sports Illustrated, which will preview the big final in the “Friday Night Lights” section of its magazine.

Photo by NEAL HENDERSON
Coach Bill Wiley celebrates with the team after the game on Saturday.

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Broncs advance to championship game on Saturday | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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