TMS football pulling together

The Thermopolis Middle School football team had a bit of a rough start to the season, coach Shane Corpening said, with their first two games resulting in 40-point losses to Shoshoni and Lander.

"After that," the coach said, "I felt like we had a turning point in our season, a complete 180-degree turnaround. We've been a different team." Part of that, he said, is having Roedy Farrell back and healthy to help the team. The Bobcats saw victory against Rocky Mountain on Saturday, Sept. 15, and most recently had an 8-6 win against Worland on Thursday, Sept. 20.

Corpening also noted Seth Weyer, who has really stepped up on defense. The offensive line has also shown dramatic improvement since day one, Corpening said, and Gavin Shumway is also showing great leadership. He added Carson Williams and Elijah Skelton are a couple steady players who bring their all to the field, day in and day out.

"We've honestly been a completely different team the last two weeks," Corpening said. "That's a huge testament to the boys, how hard they've been working in practice and what they've been able to do."

As for continued improvement, Corpening said they still need to work on their physicality, being better tacklers and blockers.

The team's biggest strength is their defense, the coach said, noting that's largely due to the work defensive coordinator Dean Despain has put in, and assistant coach Will Farrell providing an extra set of eyes for things Corpening and Despain might not otherwise see.

The middle school team's schedule has two games left at Lovell on Saturday, Sept. 29 and at Greybull on Saturday, Oct. 6. Both games begin at 10 a.m. Both teams are traditionally tough, Corpening said, and will be conference games for the boys in the future. "We always mention that to the boys," he said. "Send a message to them now. They'll remember when you play them again in high school."