Thunder Basin Dominates Laramie

For the first time this season, the Laramie Plainsmen have lost back-to-back games. They were soundly defeated in Gillette last Friday night by No. 2 Thunder Basin, 50-0.

Laramie (4-5) played without leading rusher Baxter Tuggle for a second straight game, plus took other players out to preserve their health for the playoffs. That included quarterback Jason Upton, who didn’t play after the Bolts scored with 9:41 left in the second quarter. The main reason behind those decisions was LHS could not help or hurt their playoff seed no matter the outcome of the game.

Thunder Basin (8-1) earned the No. 2 seed in the Class 4A playoffs with the victory. Mason Hamilton threw for 213 yards and four touchdowns. Tyson Edwards added 66 yards rushing and two scores.

The Plainsmen stopped the Bolts on their opening drive but were pinned at the one-yard line after a punt. Laramie was forced to punt, but a bad snap went over the head of punter Ethan Sell and out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

The Bolts scored after the ensuing free kick. Hamilton threw his first TD pass, this one of seven yards, to Blaine Allen for a 9-0 lead. Thunder Basin struck again late in the first quarter when Hamilton found Allen on a 53-yard touchdown pass for a 16-0 lead.

After another Hamilton TD pass and Edwards’ first TD run from 12-yards out, it made the score 30-0 at halftime. Hamilton tossed his fourth touchdown pass on Thunder Basin’s first drive of the second half. Backup QB Dylan Hayden added a TD pass, and Edwards had his second touchdown run that capped the scoring with 9:41 left in the game. That also put the running clock into effect.

The Bolts finished with 459 yards of total offense. They held Laramie to five yards of offense. The Plainsmen had more, but sacks, fumbles that LHS recovered, and a couple of bad snaps created lost yardage for Laramie on offense. Sophomore backup quarterback Garrett Dodd was 6-19 passing for 82 yards with two interceptions.

The Plainsmen will be the No. 5 seed in the Class 4A playoffs. Their first round game will be Friday, Oct. 26 at No. 4 seed Cheyenne East. Kick-off has been set for 6 p.m.