No. 1 Broncs top Worland 63-14

WORLAND - For the fourth-straight season, the Worland Warriors football season ended at Cody High School as the Broncos eliminated the Warriors from postseason play.

Traveling to Cody on Oct. 28, the Warriors took on the two-time defending 3A state champion and No. 1-seed Cody Broncs. While the Warriors fought to the bitter end, ultimately, the Broncs prevailed 63-14.

"We wanted to play some hard football," said WHS football coach Patrick Sweeney. "They did some good things and didn't quit and haven't quit all year. They keep playing football. This team never checked out and did the best they could until it was over. They'd come back the next day and work hard until practice was over. That was cool to watch and be a part of. They were resilient and played football regardless of the situation and outcome."

The Broncs have been 3A's top football team all season and have gone 30-1 since 2020. Cody played as advertised, and as hard as the Worland played, they couldn't make up the difference.

Cody took a quick 14-0 lead, but Worland cut it back to a one-possession lead midway through the first quarter on a Kade Weber to Carter Clark touchdown. With a successful PAT, the score stood at 14-7, Cody.

From then on, the Broncs took control of the game and never looked back. The Broncs scored 49 unanswered points, 35 of which came in the second quarter.

The Warriors got on the scoreboard one last time when Brock Douzenis ran in for a touchdown, six yards out, making it 63-14.

The toughness and determination by the Warriors against Cody has been a staple of this team all season long. The Warriors could have folded a few times this season after some setbacks, most notably after the Buffalo game.

Heading into that Buffalo game, the Warriors were in a prime position to host their first playoff game since 2009 and lock in their first winning season since 2009. To achieve those goals, they needed to defeat Buffalo. Unfortunately, Weber was hurt early and had to leave the game. The Warriors battled but couldn't overcome the loss and fell to Buffalo.

Weber missed the next game against Lander, but the Warriors still showed that resilience. Clark, who had been injured since Week 1, returned to play quarterback for a game. The Warriors fell to Lander 31-13, but with players like Clark and Douzenis leading the way, they weren't going to go quietly.

The grit by the Warriors showed in their season finale game against Riverton. Needing a win to make the playoffs, Weber was back under center, and the Warriors powered their way to a 42-21 victory.

"That resiliency and commitment was excellent. Carter Clark was coming to practice every day. He'd stand next to the coaches and help coach kids up. He helped coach up Masen Decker, who took his spot when he went down with an injury. Court Gonsalez and Kade Weber were gimped up toward the end of the year. We had other kids like that, but they all persevered. The toughness was really impressive. They give it their all every time, no matter how things were looking," said Sweeney.

That toughness by the Warriors this season was instilled by this year's seniors. The seniors didn't just talk the talk, they walked the walk. There were a number of opportunities for the seniors, like Bennett Clark, Gonsalez and Weber, to call it a season with an injury, but they didn't. They persevered and showed their younger teammates the toughness needed to play 3A football.

"We had tough kids this year, and it's because of the seniors. To have the seniors lead like that and show the younger kids what toughness is, really helped the program. I hope that continues to resonate with our team and the kids returning," said Sweeney.

Weber was the Warriors leading passer with 1,148 yards, a 67.6 completion percentage, threw for 12 touchdowns and had one interception all season.

Douzenis was Worland's leading receiver with 33 receptions for six touchdowns. Court Gonsalez had 50 receptions for 432 yards and two touchdowns. Trae Bennett had 16 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns. Clark had 10 receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns, and Decker had 10 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.

The leading rusher for the Warriors this season was Weber, with 244 yards on 53 carries and five touchdowns. Rugar Mascaro carried the ball 43 times for 165 yards, and Douzenis ran 29 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

The top defensive scorers for Worland were Rugar Mascaro with 122 points (71 total tackles, a fumble recovery, blocked kick), Roman Parra with 109 points (73 total tackles), Bryce Woffinden with 87 points (56 total tackles, a fumble recovery) and Brock Douzenis with 87 points (37.5 total tackles, three interceptions, blocked kick).

With the injuries this season, many of the Warriors underclassmen were thrust into action and relied upon week to week. Those underclassmen had their ups and downs, but more importantly, they gained valuable experience.

"Experience is huge, and you saw that this year. We had some talented kids with really big hearts, but that experience is a crucial part. Having that experience come back will play a big factor in the success of the program," said Sweeney.

For the returning Warriors, next season's success will depend on a strong offseason. The Warriors have shown a commitment to the weight room. They'll need to keep building on that and make that dedication to the weight room an integral part of the program's culture.

When summer hits, the Warriors will take advantage of the various offseason camps and team workouts to improve their skill sets.

"I want to give the kids as many opportunities to be in the weight room as possible. They're all pretty good about being in a weight room class now. They're active in other sports. If we're going to take the next step, our weight room must be a priority for everybody.

"We've got a lot of skill things we do in the summer, whether that's going to camps or doing things we offer as a team. A lot of these kids are watching more football, which is really important. They're studying their position at these higher levels, and that helps," said Sweeney. "We've seen gains in the summer every year, and hopefully, we can up our level again this summer."