Turnovers Haunt Laramie Plainsmen in Loss to Rock Springs

Friday night in Rock Springs the Ted Holmstrom Era got under way and unfortunately the Laramie Plainsmen fell a little short, losing to the Rock Springs Tigers 28-18. What Coach Holmstrom teaches is, “win the fourth quarter,” but two fourth quarter turnovers turned into the go-ahead and game clinching touchdowns for the Tigers.

Rock Springs got on the board first with 6:10 to go in the first quarter on a 13-yd touchdown pass to make it 7-0. Laramie found its way onto the scoreboard by taking advantage of a 57-yd punt by Tyler Loose that put their Tigers on their own 8-yd line to start the second quarter. The first snap went awry and Laramie picked up a safety to cut the margin to 7-2. Both teams would fumble before the half, but neither team was able to capitalize.

Laramie struck on the first play of the second half. Grant Holmstrom and Gabriel Holmstrom, the brothers and sons of Coach Holmstrom, hooked up on a 77-yd touchdown pass with Grant hitting Gabriel in stride along the sideline. The 2-pt pass to Cody Worthington was good and the score was 10-7 just 18 seconds into the second half.

Rock Springs faked a punt to keep the next drive alive, but then turned the ball over on downs in Laramie territory, where the Plainsmen offense began to roll. In six plays the Plainsmen went 73 yards in 2:21. Key passes involved a 39-yd screen play to Dillon Titensor and a 19-yd completion over the middle to John Gurzo. It was capped off by a 3-yd touchdown run by Tyler Loose which was quickly followed by a 2-pt pass to Gurzo that gave Laramie an 18-7 lead with 5:13 to go in the third quarter.

Back would come the Tigers. Just 7 plays and 50 yards later Rock Springs answered the Laramie touchdown with one of their own. The 4:01 drive ended in the endzone with a 14-yd screen pass for a touchdown. The 2-pt conversion was intercepted as Laramie held on to the 18-13 lead.

The Plainsmen started putting together some efforts, but turnovers gave rock Springs too many opportunities. After Laramie fumbled, the Tigers put together a 10-play, 56-yd touchdown drive with Rock Springs quarterback Nick Blume taking the ball in from 2 yards out, giving the Tigers a 21-18 lead with 7:01 to go.

The very next offensive play by Laramie was a tipped interception. Rock Springs came back with a 6-play, 46-yd drive in 3:24 capped off by Blume scoring on the ground. The good PAT put the score at 28-18. Laramie would have another turnover in the fourth quarter on an interception, but the Tigers gave the ball back on downs.

Rock Springs racked up 441 yard of total offense, 258 on the ground and 183 through the air. Blume accounted for all four touchdowns. He ran for 124 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns and threw for 183 yards, completing 17-of-28, with two touchdowns.

Laramie had 283 yards of offense, 91 on the ground and 192 through the air. The biggest stat for the Plainsmen though, the unfortunate four turnovers, three of which came in the fourth quarter. Laramie will face the Cheyenne East Thunderbirds on Friday, Aug. 31 at Deti Stadium in Laramie. Coverage will begin on KOWB-AM at 5:30 p.m. with kick-off slated for 7 p.m.