Back in the playoffs for the first time in two years, Laramie goes on the road to play top-ranked and defending state champion Sheridan on Friday night.

The Broncs are 9-0 on the season. The Plainsmen are 2-7 this year.

After just one win in 2021 and missing the playoffs, Laramie returns to the postseason after clinching a spot with last week’s victory over Cheyenne South. The last playoff appearance in 2020 was a loss to eventual state champion Cheyenne East, 49-7.

This game is a rematch from Week 2 of the season, when Sheridan rolled past LHS, 55-6.

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That was a game the Plainsmen would rather forget. They had less than 100 yards of total offense and three turnovers. The Broncs also took advantage of several short fields.

Laramie head coach Paul Ronga admits they are a different football team than that game on Sept. 9, but he also says so is Sheridan.

“They’re 9-0, and they’re 9-0 for a reason, and that’s talking about going through people such as East and Thunder Basin. They are excellent in everything that they do. We are aware of that. Our mission and our goal is to go back up there and do better than the last time, and to show everybody that we are a better program. We hope that manifests on the field, and it’s not going to be easy.”

Laramie is led by junior QB Ben Malone. He’s averaging 120.8 yards passing per game. Seniors Adrien Calderon and Mason Branch are fourth and ninth in receiving in Class 4A. Calderon also leads LHS in defensive points at 9.6 per game.

A couple of juniors have seen their impact on Laramie increase during the season. Dakota Ledford and Porter Trabing have moved into starting roles. KOWB’s David Settle chatted with both players about how they’re playing and how their wrestling background is helping on the football field. That's in the video above.

Sheridan is led by reigning Gatorade Player of the Year Colson Coon. He leads 4A in rushing and touchdowns with an average of 134.3 yards per game on the ground and 24 total TDs. Defensively, Alex Haswell and Dane Steel are fourth and fifth in defensive points.

The Broncs have won 18 straight games against the Plainsmen. The last Laramie win was in 2005, at Sheridan. The last playoff game was in 2013, in Sheridan, when the Broncs defeated LHS 33-0.

The kick-off is at 6 p.m. KOWB radio will provide live coverage with David Settle and Aaron Lozano calling the game. The broadcast starts at 5 p.m. You can listen on the radio (AM 1290), online, through the KOWB app, or on smart speakers.

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