The Wranglers played increasingly

tough games as the football season

progressed. The team ran into a string

of injuries that depleted an already small

roster. By the end of the season, only about

15 players remained in uniform and able to

play teams with much larger, stacked rosters.

Despite these odds, the Wranglers never

threw in the towel, even when they were losing

by a big margin. An example is the Oct.

4 game against Mountain View.

The wind howled as the Wranglers hit

the gridiron against an undefeated team that

would go on to win the 2A State Championships.

Mountain View showed no mercy,

and by half-time, the Buffalos had scored

enough touchdowns to force the “mercy

clock” to run.

While other teams might have decided

to forfeit, the Wranglers stayed in the game

and went on to score a few touchdowns.

“Going into the second half, we were

down, 50-0,” said Pinedale junior Colby

White. “But seeing the team come together

after halftime and score two touchdowns

was pretty cool. I looked at the seniors,

and it made me think, ‘Why should I throw

this game away for them?’ You only get to

play football for so long. Why not enjoy the

game even if you are losing.’”

White took his positive attitude and combined

it with an exceptional work ethic to

end the season on the All-State roster compiled

by the Wyoming State Coaches Association,

one of the highest honors for a

high-school athlete.

Like many of his teammates, White was

on the field for nearly every minute of every

game.

“There were games where I did not leave

the field,” he said. “With only four substitutes,

there’s not much you can do.”

On defense, White excelled as a middle

linebacker, ranked first in the 2A division

for average defensive points per game at

20.1. White pulled off a total of 72 tackles,

or 10.3 per game.

Offensively, White played fullback,

charging the ball forward right into the middle

of his opponents. He frequently came

out on the other side dragging a pile of defenders

along with him.

White was fourth in the 2A Division in

rushing yards, with a total of 764 yards for

the season – 109.1 per game. White made

the top 10 in both all-purpose yards, with an

average of 144.7 per game.

It takes a team

Football is more than numbers and stats,

though, especially for White. He never took

individual credit for the team’s successes.

Over and over again, White said that the

bonds the players formed this year kept the

Wranglers going when the going got tough.

“The team was a lot closer this year. We

were kind of like a family, a brotherhood.

Someone always had your back when you

needed it. That kept our spirits up out there.

Everyone was in the same boat. Everyone

has to play the whole game. We were all in

it together.”

This teamwork paid off, particularly with

the 32-14 victory over Kemmerer.

“At Kemmerer, it was fun to see the whole

team come together and get a win even if it

wasn’t in front of the home crowd.”

White scored the first point of the game

when he fielded Kemmerer’s kickoff in the

opening seconds at the 25-yard line. He dodged

tackle after tackle and ran the ball all the way

to the end zone for an incredible 75-yard run.

The Wranglers’ homecoming victory

against Greybull was another highlight.

“It was cool when all the fans started storming

the field, even though that made Coach a

little mad.”

White started playing football at Pinedale

Middle School in sixth grade. He found inspiration

through his father, a high school football

player and member of the University of Utah

Utes. White said that he developed his strong

work ethic from his father, “One of the hardest

working people I know.”

White also looked up to older players in

Pinedale, particularly Class of 2019 alumni

Josef McCulloch.

“I wanted to play the same way that (Mc-

Cullough) did – running through people instead

of around them.”

White also credits his teammates for helping

him improve during the season.

“Everyone on the team pushed each other to

be the best they could be,” he said.

White is a multisport athlete and the week

football ended, he was already lacing up ice

skates and hockey pads to play for the Glaciers.

In spring, White trades his ice skates for running

shoes and runs sprints for the track team.

Between a heavy school load, year-round

sports and a summer job, White does not have

a lot of free time. When he does find time for

himself, he heads for the outdoors where he

enjoys fishing and hunting – anything “out in

nature.”

In school, White’s favorite subject is math

and he is considering a future career in engineering.

At the end of the day, however, football is

number one.

“Football definitely hurts a lot more and

takes a lot out of you,” he said. “But it brings

people together.”

Playing both offense and defense is exhausting,

and White’s advice is to stay mentally focused

on the moment.

“You have to play one down at a time,” he

said. “After that down is over, you forget it and

move on to the next one.”

Despite the challenges the Wranglers faced

this year, White said he would do it all over

again, and plans to play next year.

“If I had a chance, I wouldn’t change anything

about this year,” he said. “The coaches

did really well and the team became a brotherhood,

a family.”