After two difficult losses in different ways on the road, the Laramie Plainsmen come home Friday night to face the No. 4 Natrona County Mustangs at Deti Stadium.

Laramie (1-2) is coming off a 48-41 loss in overtime at Gillette against the Camels last week.

Natrona (2-1) is also entering this game off a loss. The Mustangs fell at Sheridan to the Broncs, 31-7. They did play without star running back and linebacker Dante Wallace.

The Plainsmen have shown the ability to produce some big plays through the first three games, but have struggled to get any ground game going at only 45 yards per game. Now, Natrona comes calling with a team that typically possesses a tough defense and an offense that can produce big plays at any time.

Laramie head coach Clint Reed discussed his team’s rough loss at Gillette last week, how the coaching staff has adjusted practice for this young squad, preparing for an always tough Mustangs team, and more in the video above.

Despite some big plays last week, the Plainsmen are No. 9 in Class 4A in offense at only 217.3 yards per game. They are allowing 378 yards per game, which includes 238 on the ground. Laramie hasn’t shown an ability to run the ball effectively or stop the run this season.

Junior QB Garrett Dodd still leads the offense. He’s the No. 5 passer at 163.3 yards per game and still seventh in all-purpose yards at 182.3 per game. Coming off a game in which he had 361 all-purpose yards, senior Janson Adair is averaging 150 yards per game. Defensively, Adair is No. 3 in Class 4A at 19 points per game.

Natrona County is the top rushing team in the big school division. The Mustangs average 255.3 yards per game. Their passing game is at 129 yards per game for a total of 384 yards per game. That’s the No. 2 offense in Class 4A. NC is usually one of the better defensive teams, but they are allowing 365 yards and almost 24 points per game this season.

Their trigger man is quarterback Harrison Taubert. He averages 207 yards per game on offense and is responsible for eight touchdowns this season. Braxton Bundy and the aforementioned Wallace are both averaging better than 71 yards per game on the ground. Wilsk Jackson anchors the Mustangs defense with an average of 17.7 defensive points per game. That ranks No. 5 in Class 4A this year.

This game will mark the 89th meeting between the two schools in football. It’s one of the oldest series in high school football in the state, dating back to 1909. Natrona has won 14 straight in the series.

Kick-off is at 6 p.m. from Deti Stadium in Laramie.

You can listen to the game on KOWB (AM 1290) on the radio, through the KOWB app, online, or any Amazon-Alexa enabled or Google Home device. David Settle and Aaron Lozano will provide the call of the game. Coverage starts at 5 p.m. on Friday.

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