Alter-35 Wyoming-21

Once again, the curtain has been drawn early on the Wyoming Cowboys football season. Unlike last year, the 2013 Cowboys made their way to the first round of the playoffs where they met the powerful Knights from Archbishop Alter. In a near home game for the Knights, they bested the Cowboys by two TDs and a final score of 35-21.
 Coming into this game an 8 seed was already a challenge for the Cowboys (who finish the season at 9-3), but coming against such an offensive juggernaut as the GCLC Champion Alter squad would be quite a demand. Unfortunately, stats were not provided by Alter to the CHL or GCLC website at presstime.
 The Cowboys hopped on the Knights right off the opening kickoff however, as Oliver Reinecke forced a Knights fumble which lead to a game opening TD drive by the Cowboys. Will Marty found Dominic Vamosi for a 51 yard pass to set the score at 7-0. However, the Knights came back quickly, scoring on a 17 yard run from RB Tommy Ruff. A Marty pick on the next possession inside their own 10 lead to a 4 yard score and a 14-7 deficit after one quarter.
  In the second quarter, the Alter ground game continued it's success and punched in a score from 2 yards out to make it a 21-7 game. Although the Cowboys showed an inability to convert on their offense most times throughout the night, Alter turnovers kept the score from getting out of hand. JR Parker Chalmers forced two fumbles on the night. With .2 seconds on the clock before half, the Cowboys offense pulled out a reverse pass, with a handoff from Marty to RB Terrell Dailey, and Dailey to WR Duke Brunke, who found the QB in the endzone for a 10 yard, buzzer beater, role reversal score. Marty finished the night with 161 yards through the air, 1 passing TD, 2 INTs, 42 rushing yards and his first career receiving TD.
  In the 3rd quarter, the Alter rushing attack scored again, this time on an 18 yard run from Tommy Ruff, and with a scoreless quarter from Wyoming, the score remained at 28-14.
 In the final quarter of the season, the Knights again found the endzone, this time through the air on a 15 yard pass from Dusty Hayes to Dillon Daxe. The final Cowboys TD of the year was scored by Terrell Dailey on a 2 yard run, which put the final at 35-21.
 Will Marty wraps up his Senior year as the CHL passing champ for the second consecutive year, throwing for 1946 yards, 25 TD passes and a 184.3 QBR. He finishes his career at Wyoming as the school record holder for career completions with 424, most career passing yards with 6,590, and most career TD passes with 70. Terrell Dailey finishes 3rd in the CHL for Rushing, with 1082 yards, and leaves the school with the highest yards per rush average since 1999. Dominic Vamosi finishes his career with 94 receptions, 1654 yards and 18 TDs. Griffin O'Gara finishes #1 in the league with 13 sacks, as well as fellow defender Parker Chalmers finishes the year tied for 1st in Interceptions with 4.
 Wrapping up my final report of this year, it truly has been a great season and an exciting year to write about, and I look forward to picking up again next summer.

State Tournament Round 1 Preview: Archbishop Alter

ALTER KNIGHTS (9-1)

WYOMING COWBOYS (8-2)

    
                                              

A year after being held out of the playoffs by one game, the 8-2 Wyoming Cowboys enter the Division IV tournament this year with a daunting task. As an eight seed, they will travel to the home field of the one seed, Kettering Archbishop Alter (9-1).

  This is a formidable opponent, and will be one of the hardest games of the year for the Cowboys. The Knights sit atop the powerful GCL Co-ed conference, and have a record of 9-1. They are a complete ground and pound offense, only attempting a measly 15 passing plays all season. Their run game is atop the conference, averaging 336 yards per game, but they really shine in their offensive balance. Although they lead the conference in rushing, they have no players in the top 5 for the statistic. In their game against McNicholas, the one opponent the Knights share with Wyoming, they rushed for 385 yards and 6 TDs, all split between 3 players. Alter won this game by a score of 51-20.

   Knights QB Dusty Hayes is a run-first passer, with 481 yards and 9 TDs. Their backs are a tandem of Nick Coleman and Tommy Ruff, who have 911 yards and 10 TDs between them. To stay in this game, the Wyoming defensive front must have the game of their lives to slow down a team that lives by the run and dies by the run.

  On the other side of the ball, QB Will Marty will lead the high-powered Wyoming offense against a stingy Knight defense that has only allowed 163 ypg against it's conference opponents. They show no real tendencies against the run or pass, so a balanced attack will be necessary to unseat the 1 seed. The Cowboys need to cash in on all their possessions, and not leave points on the field, because this Alter squad can break away from teams late in the game.

                Playoffs Round 1

               vs. Kettering Archbishop Alter (9-1)

          @ Kettering Fairmont

          Friday, November 8th

                       7:30

Wyoming-46 Finneytown-7

photo courtesy of Rod Apfelbeck

  Another game, another victory. After two close losses early in the season, the Cowboys have bounced back strong, with 7 straight victories. With their 39 point win at Finneytown on Friday, the Wyoming Cowboys (8-2) finish off their season, and make their way into November headed for the playoffs. Another dominant offensive performance led the 'Boys to a 27-0 first quarter lead, which only went up through the night. 

  Will Marty opened up the game with his legs, scoring from ten yards out to go up 7-0.

Then, Terrell Dailey took it to the corner of the endzone on a 12 yard run later in teh quarter. After forcing a Wildcat turnover, the Cowboys struck fast, with a 51-yard TD pass to Dominic Vamosi on the first play. However, a failed snap and a tackle in the backfield on the extra point put the score at 20-0. Dailey scored again on the ground, this time from 10 yards out to put the score at 27-0 after one quarter. 

 In quarter 2, Marty scored again on the ground, on a 2 yard run  to put the score at 34-0. Soon after, backup QB Andrew Marty relieved his cousin and threw a 13 yard TD pass to Duke Brunke. This made the score 40-0 at half. 

 With no scoring in the 3rd quarter, the Cowboys defense got a score in the fourth when Justin Shields picked up a Wildcat fumble and returned it 23 yards. This was one of two fumbles by Finneytown, and 5 total turnovers. Parker Chalmers had a fumble recovery and INT on Friday, along with Ken Darlington and Elijah Kemper who both had interceptions. The Wildcats finally got on the board with a 76 yard TD run from Dante Goodwin. 

 The offense rolled through the Wildcat Defense, with 347 total yards and 202 through the air. Will Marty finished with 170 yards and 1 TD, and Andrew Marty finished with 32 yards and 1 TD. Dailey finished with 12 attempts for 78 yards and 2 TDs. The defense shined on Friday, forcing 5 turnovers and giving the offense more chances to score, as well as scoring themselves.

 In the final playoff projections, Wyoming comes in with the 8th seed, and will travel to Kettering Friday night to take on the one seeded Archbishop Alter Knights. Look for my preview of the playoff game later this week. 

Finneytown Preview

 Coming off yet another big CHL victory, the Wyoming Cowboys (7-2) look to finish off the season strong and start off the month of November on Friday, when they travel to Finneytown High School to take on the Finneytown Wildcats (2-7), who sit in last place in the league. With the playoff standings now, the Cowboys would be the 7 seed and play Archbishop Alter. After this weekend's games, the playoff picture will be finalized and we can get a good look at the Cowboys postseason.

  The most important part of this game for the Cowboys is repetition. They need to keep what they've got going. After destroying all of their opponents in the CHL so far, anything less than a 3 score victory would be surprising against such a bottom of the pack team. RB Terrell Dailey looks to repeat the success of last week, when he had 356 all purpose yards and 6 TDs. He should find some good holes thanks to the talented Cowboy front 5, especially against a run defense that was gashed by the Taylor Yellow Jackets for 278 yards in Week 7. QB Will Marty looks to end the season with the CHL lead for passing, which he currently holds with 1776 yards.
 On Defense, DE Griffin O'Gara also has the CHL lead in sacks, with 12, and will look to bring Wildcat QB Brad Steimle to the turf on Friday. Steimle has only 3 TDs this year, but 12 INTs. Finneytown's offense is highlighted by Junior RB Dante Goodwin, who has 676 yards this year on 119 carries, with 8 TDs. Getting tackles behind the line of scrimmage and stopping Goodwin will be crucial to a Cowboy victory.

Friday, November 1st

vs. Finneytown Wildcats (2-7)

@ Finneytown High School

7:30 

     

Wyoming-46 Indian Hill-6

photo courtesy of Rod Apfelbeck

 The Cowboys (7-2) winning streak continues against the crosstown rival Indian Hill (4-5), blowing out the Braves by a 40 point margin. This game was a total offensive and defensive domination by Wyoming, amassing 496 yards of total offense while only allowing one score in the 4th quarter. The real star for the Cowboys on Senior Night was Running Back Terrell Dailey, who rushed for 265 yards and 4 TDs and 91 receiving yards and 2 TDs, scoring all the Cowboy TDs on the night.
  In the first quarter, the Cowboys came out of the gate red hot, with CB Jalen Fox returning the opening kickoff back 94 yards for the score. This was the 2nd TD on special teams for the Cowboys this year, and the first kickoff return. Later in the corner, Dailey broke away from his defenders to score on a 79 yard pass and catch. This would be the first of Dailey's 3 50+ yard TDs on Friday night.
  In the second frame, Dailey worked his magic all quarter, scoring all the points for both teams. He scored from 70 yards again, this time on a 74 yard run to put the score at 20-0. Then, Dailey punched it in after a long drive with a 12 yard run. To wrap up the half, Dailey caught an 8 yard pass from Marty to put the score at 33-0. Marty finished the game with 165 yards and 2 TDs.
   In the second half, the Cowboys delivered more of the same. Dailey reached the endzone for the 5th time, scoring from 34 yards out. Then, just for fun, Dailey scampered his way to paydirt for his 6th TD and final TD of the night. This remarkable performance was enough to earn Dailey a nomination for the Beacon Orthopaedics Primetime Performer on News 5.
  On Defense, the Cowboys let up 289 yards of offense but held the Braves out of the endzone until nearly the end of the game. Sophomore Tucker Berger led the team in tackles, with 11, and Casey Howell scooped up a fumble for the only Braves turnover on the night.
 The Cowboys wrap up the regular season on the road this Friday at Finneytown, look for my preview later in the week.

Indian Hill Preview (Senior Night)

INDIAN HILL BRAVES (4-4)

WYOMING COWBOYS (6-2)

Coming off a 40 point win at Mariemont, the Wyoming Cowboys enter their final home game at 6-2, and atop the CHL. In 2nd place, are the visiting Indian Hill Braves (4-4). The Braves come into Bob Lewis on Friday after a 38-7 win against Finneytown. This is the final home game of the season for most, but also the Senior Night for those who won't return to the Wyo.
 Last season, the Indian Hill game proved to be harder than expected for the Cowboys, escaping from Arrowhead stadium with a 6 point win over the Braves. This year, the Cowboys should have a little bit more control on the outcome of this game. Home field advantage is one thing for the Cowboys, but the up-tempo offense is a whole new beast this year. Outscoring CHL opponents 264-58 through 5 games, the Cowboys look to tear up an Indian Hill Defense that was gashed by Madeira for 514 yards in Week 6. The rushing game should work wonders on Friday, look for RB Terrell Dailey and QB Will Marty wreak havoc on the ground.
 Marty looks to add to his school record for TDs, which stands at 66 for his career. He will have his eyes down field for fellow Senior and Wide Receiver Dominic Vamosi. Dailey, too, is a Class of 2014 player, and will most likely receive the lion's share of the offensive plays. On the line, Logan Schneider and Bo Graham will protect and block for their classmates.
 On defense, the senior class are fantastic players and leaders, such as Casey Howell, Griffin O'Gara, Jermaine Sorells, Ken Darlington, Jalen Fox, Ike Palmer, Gordon Dominique, Chris McEntee and Michael Whaley. These players along with the underclassmen, will be dealt with the task of defending against Senior QB Matt Thompson for the Braves. Thompson is  100/182 on the season, with 10 TDs and 7 INTs.

                                                             Friday, October 24th
                                                          vs. Indian Hill Braves (4-4)
                                                           @ Bob Lewis Stadium
                                                                  Senior Night
                                                                     7 oclock

Wyoming-47 Mariemont-7

The Wyoming Cowboys (6-2) picked up their 5th straight win in a row on Thursday night, blowing out the Mariemont Warriors(5-3) at home by a score of 47-7. This 40 point win puts the 'Boys average margin of victory at 42.5 points, a stunning stat that they hope to maintain in the last two weeks of the season. This was a historic game for QB Will Marty, as he broke the Wyoming school record for career touchdown passes.

The game started well for the Cowboys, picking up a two score lead by the end of the first quarter. Marty got on the board first with his legs, scoring on a 17 yard carry. He ended his day with 113 rushing yards on 22 attempts. The ground game succeeded again in quarter one, as RB Terrell Dailey leaped the pile from the 1 yard line to put the score at 14-0.

In the 2nd quarter, the Cowboys lost a long drive when Marty threw his lone interception of the night to Warriors DB Collin Widecan, whose pick started the drive that ended with a 18 yard touchdown pass from Kane Coates to David Cowart. Coates finished the game 6/16, with 67 yards a TD and an INT. Wyoming finished off the quarter strong however, with Dailey getting his second TD on a 5 yard run. Dailey finished the night with 60 yards on 21 attempts and the 2 TDs. This rushing attack was split almost down the middle for the Cowboys, with 22 carries for Marty and 21 carries for Dailey. 

The 3rd quarter was scoreless for both teams, and the score stayed at 21-7 until Duke Brunke caught a 7 yard pass in the corner of the endzone to go up by 21 early in the fourth frame. It was in this quarter where the Cowboys pulled away from their opponents. Needing only one score to break the tie between him and former Cowboy Kyle Seyfried in passing TDs, QB Will Marty earned his place in the record books after slinging his 66th career TD to WR Dominic Vamosi on a 28 yard connection. Marty finished up with 316 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT.

  With the score now at 34-7, the Cowboys kept the foot on the gas pedal with two defensive TDs on consecutive plays. First, Hudson Rogers scooped up a failed handoff inside Warrior territory and returned it 33 yards for the score. Rogers finished the day with 9 tackles and the FR. After the kickoff, the first play from scrimmage was a handoff that was immediately bottled up at the line of scrimmage. In the standup pile, Sophomore DB Mason Rogers was able to strip the ball away from the Mariemont back, where it caromed off of 2 players and squirted out to the open field where speedster and DB Jalen Fox picked it up and took it 20 yards for the touchdown. Fox was also part of the pair of Cowboys with Interceptions on Thursday, along with Junior DB Parker Chalmers.

 The Cowboys wrap up their home games this week against the CHL's 2nd place team, the Indian Hill Braves (4-4). Look for my preview later this week.

Mariemont Preview

WYOMING COWBOYS (5-2)

 

MARIEMONT WARRIORS (5-2)

 The Wyoming Cowboys (5-2) look to continue their winning streak this week, and there is no better stage than statewide TV. Their opponent will be the 2nd place Mariemont Warriors (5-2), who are a 3 game winning streak of their own. The Cowboys will travel to Warrior territory on Thursday, and look to make a big CHL statement on Fox Sports Ohio. A win would also show that they deserve to be in the projected playoff spots in the Harbin points rankings. 

 For any readers that are curious, the rankings are updated weekly, and the Cowboys are currently seeded 12th.The region's rankings can be found here: www.joeeitel.com/hsfoot/region.jsp?region=14&year=2013

 The Warriors enter week 8 with a record of 5-2, and sit right behind the Cowboys in CHL rankings. They come off of 12-7 win against Madeira, which shows us how dismal the offense looks statistically. This same Madeira D let up 55 points and 602 total yards to the Cowboy offense. If our offense clicks on all cylinders, this game should follow suit to the last 4 games. All Wyoming wins this season have come by 5 TDs or more, and we lead the league in points for with a staggering 217. Madeira is at number two in that statistic with 89.

 QB Will Marty looks to break away from the pack in the CHL passing yards race, which he leads by 3 yards. Wyoming may have to look to the ground for support, however, as the Warrior Defense has been stingy against the pass this year, allowing only 65 yards per game. RB Terrell Dailey should split the offensive burden with the passing game Thursday night. 

 On the other side of the ball, Mariemont's O is lead by Junior Quarterback Kane Coates, who has been quite successful this season, throwing for 1241 yards and 7 TDs. On the ground, the Warriors returned RB Ryden Lewis, who I profiled last year as a prolific rushing threat. He's repeated success this year, carrying the ball for 806 yards and 8 TDs. The Cowboy Defense will have their hands full, but should be able to come out strong under the lights. 

                                                        vs. Mariemont Warriors (5-2) 

                                                              @ Kusel Stadium

                                                          Thursday, October 16th

                                                          TV: FSO (Fox Sports-Ohio)

                                                                        7:00

Wyoming-67 Deer Park-19

The Wyoming winning streak keeps rolling through week 7, with a 48 point demolition of the last place Deer Park Wildcats. This wild win keeps the Cowboys in control of the CHL, at 5-2, but drops them out of the projected playoff picture. They now sit in 12th place in Harbin points, while fellow CHL team Taylor moves into the 9 seed. A win against Mariemont this week could help us regain some ground however.

WR/CB Jalen Fox points to photographer Rod Apfelbeck
after a Cowboy score.

 The game was a blowout from start to finish, as the Cowboys jumped ahead to a 27 point lead at the first quarter, with 2 TDs from Will Marty, a punt return for Dominic Vamosi, and a Logan Schneider 1 yard touchdown.  Vamosi finished the game with 99 yards, 2 receiving TDs and the PR.
 In the second quarter, there was more of the same. Vamosi caught his second TD on an 8 yard strike, while JR Oliver Reinecke added two more to bring the score to 48-0. Reinecke had a career day with 116 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Terrell Dailey got a score in the first half as well, this one from 8 yards out. Dailey finished with 7 carries for 53 yards.
 With mostly all of the Varsity out for the 2nd half, the Wildcats found the scoreboard. But the Wyoming JV was not to be denied on this night either, with SO Running Back Justin Shields scoring on two huge carries, one for 48 and another for 63. These were his first touchdowns of the year for the backup. Will Marty had himself a day as well, racking up 249 yards and 5 TDs. This heap of yardage moves him into 1st place in the CHL passing stats with 1295, 3 yards more than Madeira's Matt Ballweg.
 The Cowboys will look to continue their success on Thursday at Mariemont, which will be a locally televised game for those of you who can't make it out. Look for my preview later this week.

Deer Park Preview

Wyoming Cowboys (4-2)

Deer Park Wildcats (1-5)

  3 big wins could not have come at a better time for the Cowboys. After early season out-of-conference losses to McNicholas and Turpin, Wyoming righted the ship, and now sits atop the CHL at 4-2. They are 3-0 against CHL competition, and have beaten their last 3 opponents by an average of 39 points.

The 'Boys will look for win number 5 this week against the Deer Park Wildcats (1-5). The Wildcats are in last place in the league, and will be a great opportunity for a big win to follow suit to the last few weeks. 

The Wildcats have a defense who were torn up by Taylor for 226 yards and 33 points 3 weeks ago. RB Terrell Dailey should succeed against this defense, who've been poor against the run all year. QB Will Marty is 209 yards short of the CHL lead, and should have a statistically explosive night against the Wildcats. 

 The Cowboys will be defending against a relatively young offensive unit, led by Sophomore QB Austin Osborne. Osborne has thrown only 4 TDs and 6 INTs this year, and Wyoming will look to take the underclasman down early and often.

                Friday, October 11th 

       vs. Deer Park Wildcats (1-5)

           @ Bob Lewis Stadium 

                    7:00 pm

       

Wyoming-41 Reading-0

WYOMING-41 READING-0

On a cool Friday evening in Reading, the Wyoming Cowboys (4-2) played spoilers to the Reading Blue  evils (3-3) Homecoming game, winning by a score of 41-0. This game puts the Cowboys atop the CHL rankings, and still undefeated against CHL teams. Wyoming now sits at 8th place in Harbin points for region 14. 

photo credit to Rod Apfelbeck

  Coming out of the gate, the Cowboys really underachieved against the Blue Devils, being held scoreless in the first quarter and allowing the Reading D line to get to Marty early and often. The Cowboys finally got their offense clicking with a four yard TD pass to Terrell Dailey in quarter 2. Dailey underachieved on the ground, as the Blue Devils proved to be stout against the run, but made up for it with his 78 receiving yards and two receiving TDs.

  Marty also hooked up with Oliver Reinecke for a 54-yard strike down the middle of the field to take a 14-0 lead. Dailey had his 2nd TD in the second as well, when he took a pass underneath the secondary, turned upfield and juked his way through corners and safeties as he sprinted 46 yards down the sideline. 

  After halftime, the Cowboys remained dominant and put the game out of reach for the Blue Devils. For the 2nd week in a row, the Cowboys got on the board with a defensive score, both from Fumble returns as well. This week, Casey Howell returned one for a 45-yard touchdown, to add to his stat sheet of 11 tackles and 1 sack. Wyoming then got a rushing TD from Will Marty, who finished his day with 248 passing yards, 4 TDs and an INT, and -24 rushing yards (but 1 TD). WR Dominic Vamosi finished the scoring for both teams, weaving his way through Blue Devils for a 55 yard score.

 The Cowboys tallied up 296 total yards, with 248 coming through the air. The ground game was not able to move at all on Friday, but luckily it was no matter. The Cowboy defense earns their second shutout of the season, and although offensive stats from Reading were not recorded, the 'Boys did a fantastic job holding back the Blue Devil offense.

 Will Marty moves into 2nd place in the CHL rankings for QBs, with 1046 yards, still behind Madeira's Matt Ballweg at 1255. JR Parker Chalmers is now tied for the CHL lead in tackles with 52, while SR Griffin O'Gara now has taken ahold of the Sack lead with 7.5.

This game leads right into next week, against one of the weakest teams in the league, Deer Park, who sit at 1-5 and lost to Taylor 36-0. 

Reading Preview

After two consecutive wins, and two consecutive blowouts, the Wyoming Cowboys (3-2) make their CHL road debut at the home of the Reading Blue Devils (3-2). This marks the beginning of the decidedly easier part of the season for the Cowboys, as their opponents for the next 3 weeks share 7 total wins.

The Cowboy offense will look to maintain the results it's had so far, scoring 109 points in the past two weeks, and they'll be facing a team who conceded 34 points to Madeira last week. Running Back Terrell Dailey will look to repeat his success from last week, when he rushed for 108 yards and 2 TDs. Dailey will also look back to the Reading game last year, where he scored 4 TDs on Homecoming night. To get to pay dirt on Friday, however, Dailey will have to get past the Blue Devils daunting Defense, who have 4 out of the top 5 leading tacklers in the CHL, lead by Senior Michael McKinney.

On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys D will try to get QB Jacob Blair early and often, as the Senior has 5 fumbles on the year to go with 8 interceptions. Cowboy lineman Griffin O'Gara will look to bring down Blair as well, and add to his league leading 5.5 sacks. 

               October 4th, 2013

            @Reading High School

     Vs. Reading Blue Devils (3-2)

                       7:00

Wyoming-54 Taylor-12

In a game that was supposed to be a challenge for CHL supremacy, the Wyoming Cowboys (3-2) took all the expectations and trashtalk of the Taylor Yellow Jackets (4-1) and shoved it right back in their faces, pummeling the Yellow Jackets by 42 points on Homecoming night. This win ended Taylor's chance at a perfect season, and moves the Cowboys back above .500 to 3-2. It also moves Wyoming into first place in the league.

The Yellow Jackets came out of the gates hot, and after being held on their first possession capitalized off a tipped pass by Will Marty that was intercepted by Hunter Gillespie. Yellow Jackets QB Nick Koehne rushed for a 1 yard score, but a missed XP left the Cowboys down by six. Early on the ensuing drive, Cowboys QB Will Marty found WR Dominic Vamosi for a 35 yard TD strike up the middle to get up by 1. RB Terrell Dailey had his way on the field all night, switching fields with ease and beating tacklers to the sideline. He found the endzone twice, including a 15 yarder to close out the first quarter. He finished with 108 yards on 15 attempts.

In the second quarter, Taylor brought themselves back in striking distance, scoring a 7 yard pass into the back of the endzone on a broken play, but were unable to convert a two point try which left the score at 14-12 Cowboys. Wyoming scored twice on the ground before halftime, with Dailey weaving his way in from 9 yards out and Will Marty capitalizing from 8 yards. Marty finished the game with 150 yards on 13 attempts with 3 TDs through the air, as well as 63 yards on the ground.

The second half was where the Cowboys put their foot on the gas, scoring on two remarkably exciting plays. The first came on a fourth down from 20 yards out, with Marty evading tackles, rolling to his left, and throwing to the edge of the endzone. The ball was sent into double coverage, only where Dominic Vamosi could reach, where he pulled it down and tiptoed the endzone to put the 'Boys up 34-12. Then, after a whole night of defensive dominance, Griffin O'Gara picked up a Nick Koehne fumble and returned it 85 yards the other way for the TD. This was the icing on the cake for a Cowboys defense who outperformed the Taylor offense, and although they allowed 286 yards, forced three Yellow Jacket turnovers.

The fourth quarter saw two TDs from the best QB family since the Mannings, with a 65-yard pass to Junior Oliver Reinecke from Will Marty, as well as backup Andrew Marty's first varsity TD pass to Reinecke again for 17 yards. Wyoming finished the game with 386 yards of total offense and had a running dominant game plan, although being very efficient on passing plays, with 50% of their completions resulting in TDs.

The Cowboys will look to continue their success this week at Reading, as Taylor takes on Mariemont.

Taylor Preview

With inter league play over, the Wyoming Cowboys (2-2) got their first CHL win of the year last week in a 55-20 victory against the Madeira Mustangs. This week, they'll face another tough opponent in the current CHL leading Taylor Yellow Jackets (4-0). 

The Yellow Jackets come into Bob Lewis Stadium on Friday leading region 14 in Harbin points, which are used to determine playoff teams in Ohio. A big win on Homecoming night this Friday will be exactly what the Cowboys need to bounce back from two tough losses early in the season and get back above .500.

Cowboys RB Terrell Dailey had a monster game last week, racking up 310 rushing yards and 3 TDs. A good ground game  this Friday will certainly take pressure off QB Will Marty, who had himself a huge rushing game as well, going for 182 yards and 2 TDs. The Cowboys shied away from their passing game against the Mustangs, only attempting 5 passes to the 57 rushing attempts. The ground game paid off however, and will have to work in tandem with the passing game against the Yellow Jackets, who are extremely weak against the pass. 

The Taylor offense is led by RB Koty Kendall, who leads Taylor in offensive yards with 437, and in TDs with 5. The Yellow Jackets are shaky at the QB position, with JR Nick Koehne passing for only 278 yards all year. Shutting down Kendall will be the most important job for the Wyoming D as they look to hand Taylor their first loss of the year. They'll have to repeat the defensive success of last week, where they forced 3 turnovers and held the Mustangs to 325 yards and 3 scores.

              September 27th, 7:00

           @ Bob Lewis Stadium

      vs. Taylor Yellow Jackets (4-0)

             Homecoming Night

Wyoming-55 Madeira-20

SR Running Back Terrell Dailey
(photo courtesy of Rod Apfelbeck)

In a 55-20 demolishing of the Madeira Mustangs, the Wyoming Cowboys returned to their winning ways. The torrential downpour on Friday couldn't stop the beatdown of the defending CHL champs, which was just what the Cowboys needed to open off their CHL play. After losing two close games to out of league teams, Wyoming looks to win out the rest of the season in order to make the playoffs.

This game went Wyoming's from start to finish, beginning on the 'Boys second play, when Terrell Dailey took it down the sideline for a 98 yard TD. After Will Marty rushed for his first of 3 rushing TDs on the night, a botched XP play put the score at 13-0, but a touchdown from Madeira's Jewels Edmerson (with a failed XP as well) put the score at 13-6, not yet out of the Mustang's grasp.

 The second quarter is where things got out of reach. QB Will Marty rushed for two 50+ yard runs in this quarter, bobbing and weaving his way through the Mustang secondary for 65 and 51 yard scores. Terrell Dailey also had a humongous TD run for 84 yards, and after Madeira's Edmerson got on the board again with a receiving TD, the score was 34-13 Cowboys at the half.

 In the 3rd quarter, the Wyoming ground game was explosive as it was all game, with two more rushing TDs by Dailey and another by Dominic Vamosi to bring the score to 55-13, and the JV players held Madeira to only a consolation score in the 4th to bring the final score to 55-20.

 Coach Aaron Hancock told me that, "This win was very important for the team's confidence level, and it was very important for the Harbin points we earned after beating a 3-0 team." Harbin points are what is used to decide what teams in Ohio High School Football advance to the playoffs, with the state divided into regions and points awarded for victories.

 This game clearly showed what wonders a ground game can work, with only 57 yards through the air but a whopping 545 rushing for the Cowboys, demolishing the Mustang offense by 277 total yards. This game was a great breakout for Senior RB Dailey, who finished the day with 4 TDs and 310 yards. This was in stark contrast to the last two games, where he had been held off the scoreboard and picked up sub-30 yards in both contests.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys D forced 3 turnovers, one pick in the endzone by JR Parker Chalmers, and two fumbles recovered by SO Tucker Berger and SR Griffin O'Gara.

Dailey will need to have a stellar performance again this week, as the league leading and undefeated Taylor Yellow Jackets (4-0) who boast a defense that's only allowed 6 points all year. The Cowboys move into 3rd in the league standings, behind Taylor and Reading (3-1), and a win this week will greatly help Wyoming move up in the Harbin rankings, which decide who moves on to the playoffs. Taylor currently sits at the top of region 14 while the Cowboys are in 16th.

Madeira Preview

WYOMING COWBOYS (1-2)

MADEIRA MUSTANGS (3-0)

Entering it's first week of CHL play, the Wyoming Cowboys had just come off two heartbreaker losses, one by a 2OT field goal and another by a late touchdown that gave them a one point defeat. This week will be extremely important, as they Cowboys face the reigning CHL Champs, the Madeira Mustangs (3-0).

Madeira enters Week 4 coming off a 49-12 win over North College Hill, where Mustang QB Matt Ballweg threw for 182 yards and 2 TDs.  Madeira is, like the last two teams Wyoming has played, a rush heavy offense, with 61 percent of their plays on the ground. They hand the ball to Senior Jewels Edmerson, who currently has 313 yards, good enough for 3rd in the league. Not that this Mustang offense can't pass, in fact it's quite the opposite. QB Matt Ballweg leads the CHL is passing yards with 785, and is trailing the passing TD lead behind Will Marty by one.

Last season, the Cowboys lost a rainy final game of the season at Madeira 21-7, with an offensive showcase of 689 total yards between the two teams. This year I think we can see more of the same. Two offense savvy teams, and two defenses that have lots of holes. The Mustangs D has allowed more than 800 total yards in 3 games, while Wyoming has let up 614. As it turns out, these 800 yards were still good enough for an undefeated start to the season, while the Cowboys need a win to claw back into CHL contention.

Friday, September 20th

7:00 

@ Bob Lewis Stadium

McNicholas 21- Wyoming 20

After what could have been the hardest loss to take all year, the Cowboys turn in two losses in two weeks by a combined total of 4 points. Coming off of the last second 2OT loss last week to Turpin, the Cowboys found themselves in the same situation against the McNicholas Rockets, where the Cowboys fought hard to have the lead going into the 4th quarter, only to have a last minute drive turn the game sour.

The game started out well for Wyoming, getting on the board first with a 17 yard Jalen Fox touchdown catch, but kept McNick in the game with two Rocket TDs in the second quarter. A touchdown in the 3rd quarter got the Cowboys a one score lead, but a missed extra point would prove costly for Wyoming. A last minute drive by McNick and a short TD run was all it took for the Rockets to grab a one point lead with 30 seconds to go.

Wyoming battled fiercely to get in field goal range, and Jalen Fox had a spectacular catch on the sidelines with less than 10 ticks to go, but was ruled out of bounds on the play. A last second attempt for a miracle play was blown dead, and the first home loss of the 2013 campaign was finished.

Even without a victory, the Cowboys did have some good play from their upperclassmen leaders. Will Marty played well on Thursday night, throwing for 245 yards and three TDs, but two interceptions off of tipped passes proved to slow down the Wyoming offense. Dominic Vamosi lead the receivers in catches and yards, finishing with 11 receptions for 145. Running Back Terrell Dailey was stifled at the line of scrimmage, rushing for only 29 yards on 10 attempts.

These players will have to step up big next Friday as the Cowboys take on league leading Madeira Mustangs, who sit atop the CHL at 3-0 alongside Taylor. The Mustangs are led by the CHL passing yards leader Matt Ballweg, who holds the lead over Marty by 12 yards. The Mustangs defense, however, is where the Cowboys should find some even ground, as Madeira has allowed over 300 total yards per game this year, which should bode well for an offense heavy Wyoming squad.

Archbishop McNicholas Preview

               

WYOMING COWBOY (1-1) 

MCNICHOLAS ROCKETS (1-1)

Coming off of a hard fought double overtime defeat against Turpin, the Wyoming Cowboys need nothing more than a big victory against the Archbishop McNicholas Rockets (1-1) this week. The Cowboys will play the Rockets, who hail from the powerful GCL, on Thursday night this week, as the Yom Kippur holiday begins on Friday evening.

Wyoming looks to have a good momentum builder against McNick, and a win against a strong, higher division team will greatly help them come playoff time. They will certainly have a strong matchup, however, as the Rockets put 66 on the board last week and recorded a shutout on defense against Oakridge Secondary school from London, Ontario. The Rockets sit in 3rd place in their division, while the Cowboys sit at 3rd in the CHL. A win against this strong team on home turf will really help the Cowboys as they head into CHL play next week against Madeira.

McNick is a team located within our playoff region, and as Head Coach Aaron Hancock explained to me we are tied with them for points right now, which adds to the importance of this Week 3 Game. "Anytime you play a team that is in your region, its important to win so you can come out on top of them at the end of year," Hancock told me.

The Cowboy defense will need to do what they couldn't against Turpin, stop a dual pronged rushing attack. The Rockets backfield consists of QB Luke Sulken and RB Sean Byrne, who both carried 24 times against Northwest in Week 1, and rushed for 258 yards. Coach Hancock told me that stopping the run is number one on his priority list this week. The Rockets rushing attack will have to be stifled, as the McNick offense through the air only accounted for a dismal 59 yards.

Cowboys Senior Terrell Dailey needs to have a big game out of the backfield, as QB Will Marty and the receiving corps will be challenged by the Rockets secondary. Marty sits at 3rd in the CHL standings for passing yards as of this week, and needs on 1,600 more yards to break a school record. Senior D-Lineman Griffin O'Gara is tied for the league lead in sacks, and looks to edge out players from Madeira, Taylor, and Reading for the lead.

Thursday, September 12th

@Bob Lewis Stadium 

7:30

Turpin Recap

In a heartbreaking finish, the Wyoming Cowboys (1-1) lose 31-28 in double overtime to the Turpin Spartans (1-1). A last second 34 yard  field goal by Austin Jackson was all it took to end this back and forth battle.

Turpin opened off the game with a 12 yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, but the Cowboys responded quick with a 48 yard bomb to Dominic Vamosi just 4 minutes later. Wyoming capitalized late in the quarter with Will Marty's second TD of the game, throwing to Duke Brunke for an 8 yard score, putting the Cowboys up 14-7. This game was far from over however. 

The Spartans tied things up with a long drive culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run from Patrick Fetch, and the 3rd quarter ended with both teams in a stalemate. Early in the fourth quarter, Spencer Singh took a pass from Fetch, broke a few tackles, and was almost taken out by his own teammate, but managed to rumble his way into the endzone for a 52-yard touchdown.

 Down by a score, the Cowboys drove down the field and pulled out all the stops to tie the game. Duke Brunke kept the drive alive with a 23 yard 4th down catch inside the Turpin 20, surrounded by Spartan defenders but managing to hold on to the football. Wyoming's drive ended with a Touchdown to Jalen Fox, as QB Will Marty was forced out of the pocket and had to scramble to throw a short pass to Fox, who took it 6 yards to the corner of the endzone for a score.

Turpin's last minute drive could not execute, as the kicker Austin Jackson missed a FG to end regulation and send things to Overtime. In the first overtime period, the Spartans got the ball first, and made short work of their drive, with Adrian Baker scoring on an 8 yard rush. The Cowboys possession looked in trouble, but on 4th down, a Turpin offsides gave the Boys a new set of downs, where Will Marty punched it in from one yard out.

In the second overtime period, the Cowboys failed to score and were left to try a 37 yard field goal, which was put just short of the uprights by kicker Tucker Marty. On Turpin's possession, the Cowboys played very strong defense, and held the Spartans out of the endzone, forcing a FG try from 34 yards for a kicker who had missed twice already. Turpin kicker Austin Jackson, was the hero last night, as he nailed his 3rd attempt in 2OT, ending the game 31-28.

This game, if nothing else, was an offensive showcase, with 300 yards and change for each team. Will Marty finished with 216 yards passing for 3 TDs and two interceptions, with a receiving corps lead by Jalen Fox (7 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD) and Dominic Vamosi (5 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD). The running game for the Cowboys was relatively quiet, with 117 yards on the ground and only 26 coming from Running Back Terrell Dailey.
 
 The glaring error in this game was the inability to defend against the run. The Spartans carried the ball on 80% of their offensive plays, only passing the ball 14 times. The heavy ground attack broke through the defense for 286 yards and 3 TDs, and was extremely successful against the Wyoming line. This will be extremely important to build on, as on Thursday the Cowboys will take on the McNicholas Rockets (1-1) from the co-ed GCL, who ran an extremely run-heavy offense against Northwest in Week 1. This game will be decisive in the season outlook for the Cowboys, and really separate them from other teams especially in their conference. 

Turpin Preview

WYOMING COWBOYS (1-0) 

TURPIN SPARTANS (0-1)

      

                                         

After a big win last week against Aiken, the Wyoming Cowboys look to carry the momentum into Week 2's game against the Turpin Spartans (0-1). This will be the fourth straight year that the Cowboys have met with Turpin.  The Cowboys have gone winless in the last three meetings against Turpin , including a 34-14 loss last season.

This isn't the same Spartan team Wyoming faced last year however.  Turpin Head Coach Rob Stoll graduated 16 seniors last season, including QB Conner Jansen, who scarred the Cowboys for 2 passing TDs and 2 rushing TDs in last year's contest. Jansen will be replaced by Junior Patrick Fetch.

The D2 Spartans opened off their season in the Skyline Crosstown Showdown, where they were beaten 33-14 by the formidable Withrow Tigers. Following a loss to one of the best teams in the city, Turpin will come out hungry at home, looking to earn their first win of the season against a familiar face.

Coming off a 49-0 victory against Aiken, the Cowboys hope to earn a win against a team they've come up short against every year. Senior Will Marty needs 1,800 passing yards to break the school record, and he'll look to classmate Dominic Vamosi at the Wide Receiver position for a good number of those yards. The pair hooked up for 571 yards and 5 TDs last year.  Vamosi will have to be a big target this year to fill the shoes of the CHL's leader in receiving yards Ben Kurtz, who graduated last year.

To win, the Cowboy's Defense will have to control the game against the Spartans, and play as well against them as they did against Aiken. Last week, the Cowboys defense shut out Aiken, and recovered 3 fumbles. This week, the defensive unit will have to slow down Turpin to turn the game in the Cowboy's favor.

                                                 Friday, September 6th

                                                 @ Turpin High School

                                                              7:30

                                              

Wyoming-49 Aiken-0

WYOMING-49 AIKEN-0

Photo courtesy of Rod Apfelbeck http://affy.smugmug.com

  

In the first game of the new season, the Cowboys came out to their home crowd on newly christened Bernie Barre Field and pummeled the Aiken Falcons 49-0.

  This game was run and gun offense for the Cowboys, who scored 43 of their points in the first quarter, before the starters were relieved by the JV team.

  Leading the team in offensive stats was Senior Running Back Terrell Dailey, who  amassed 105 total yards in one quarter, and accounted for 5 touchdowns for the Cowboys. Quarterback Will Marty also played well in his limited playing time, throwing a perfect 5/5 for 129 yards and 2 TDs. 

  This game was completely controlled by the Cowboys varsity from start to finish, with a two play touchdown drive to start the game. The offense clicked on all cylinders, from Dailey’s dominant rushing to the smooth passing offense commanded by Marty. “We really executed the game plan Coach Hancock put out for us,” Marty told me. “As a team, when you do that it’s a lot of fun.”

  Marty's big target on Friday was Junior WR Duke Brunke, who caught 2 passes for 84 yards and a TD, including the 63 yard reception on the first play of the game. Wyoming finished the game with 305 yards of total offense, and even added a score on the defensive side when the Falcons QB chased a botched snap into the endzone was tackled by LB Casey Howell for a safety.

   If nothing else, this game was a great confidence builder for the Cowboys as they enter what could possibly be their hardest game of the year. They take on the Turpin Spartans (0-1) next Friday, who have beaten Wyoming the past four years. Marty said that “Turpin is a great team, and we need to have a great week of practice to prepare for them. But the team is very excited to play against them”.

 This team, however, is not the same Turpin team that beat the Cowboys 34-14 last year, and although this is a meeting of two playoff caliber teams, it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys will compete against a well-known opponent. 

                                                                                                                                                                    

2013 Wyoming Cowboys Season Preview (including Game 1 vs. Aiken)

                                                                                                                                

 

PRESEASON PREVIEW

  After a long year's wait, the fall has almost arrived. School is back in session, the weather is cooling down, and football returns this week. All around the country there have been seasons beginning, with some high profile High School games on ESPN, and the NFL preseason is full swing. Although not set on the same national stage as the likes of Washington High School in Miami, the first game for the Wyoming Cowboys is nothing short of town gathering, in anticipation of a long fall filled with cold nights and football victories. This first game comes on the last weekday of the summer, and 2nd year Head Coach Aaron Hancock looks to finish off these long summer months of hard work with a season starting victory.

   Wyoming comes off a 7-3 season last year, and a 2nd place finish in the CHL in 2012, and were one game away from earning a playoff spot. Coach Hancock told me that he's very excited to have lots of players returning at skill postions, such as Senior WR Dominic Vamosi, and that the Senior class has done a great job so far in leading the team. Their leadership is important, as the Cowboys do lose a bulk of their offense last year, graduating CHL leader in receiving yards Ben Kurtz, and other wide receivers Dawson Rogers and Bilal Dawson. Wyoming returns, however, the CHL leading passer (by almost 750 yards) Senior QB Will Marty. The Cowboys will also look towards their dominant back from last season, as RB Terrell Dailey shredded tackles and left defenders in the dust in the preseason.
 
  The Cowboys have had a strong showing in scrimmages against Purcell Marian and CHCA, and Coach Hancock related to me that, "The scrimmages are just like practice to us, and we have to get better every day. It doesn't matter who we play, every scrimmage is against ourselves." At long last, Wyoming gets ready to put all their off season work behind them to earn a W that will count on their record as they take on the Aiken Falcons.

WYOMING COWBOYS

                                           

AIKEN FALCONS

As the Cowboys return from a great season to build off of, Aiken returns from a season they'd like to forget. The Falcons went a dreadful 0-10 last season, bad enough to put them in last place in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference. The Falcons will come into the game searching for their first win since October of 2011. Aiken will come out ready, as most of these players have yet to taste victory in a Falcon uniform. However, they are not to be overlooked. It is most important, Coach Hancock says, to win this game, the Cowboys have to "focus on limiting their turnovers on offense, and forcing turnovers from the defensive side of the ball." They'll have to use their explosive attack to their advantage, and get fresh faces such as the JR wide receiver tandem of Duke Brunke and Oliver Reinecke the ball early and often. Wyoming's biggest area of improvement would definitely be on the defense, which last season allowed a CHL worst 3217 yards of offense against them. This game should be, if nothing else, a good preview for the rest of the season, and we definitely see which parts of the game the team needs to improve upon.


                         August 30th                                

                  vs. Aiken Falcons (0-0) 

                 @ Bob Lewis Stadium

                                7:30