PINEDALE – Freezing rain dripped from helmets as the Wranglers walked onto the gridiron to receive Lovell’s kickoff.

The Bulldogs lined up, fresh from scoring their sixth touchdown in the fourth quarter during the Oct. 8 conference matchup against the Wranglers.

Junior Holden Saxton returned the ball to the 30-yard line. The Wrangler offense relentlessly drove the ball forward, striking deep into Bulldog territory.

Senior quarterback Konner Ziegler faked a handoff, tucked the ball, raced through an opening in the Lovell defense and rushed 38 yards into the end zone.

The Wranglers scored their second touchdown in the game, a morale-boosting testament to the team’s ability to tough it out and fight back.

Lovell won the game, 49-12, yet the Wranglers’ grit and determination to fight through a difficult season finally burned through the drizzle from the scoreboard.

“It was good to see some steps in the right direction and to finish some drives with touchdowns against a tough opponent,” said head coach Clay Cundall. “We just need to build on our positives as we head down to see a talented opponent on Thursday in Lyman.”

Lovell scored a touchdown and extra point on its first drive. The Bulldogs’ kickoff landed in the end zone, setting the Wranglers up at the 20-yard line. Ziegler sprinted down the field, covering 18 yards for a first down.

Lovell regained possession, but a tenacious Wrangler defense shut down the Bulldogs’ drive. Senior Bryton Nelson led a pack of Wranglers in a tackle for no gain. Pressure by Nelson and senior Tim Hosler broke up Lovell’s pass.

The Wranglers recovered the punt at their own 19-yard line. The Lovell defense stopped the Pinedale offense from gaining significant yards.

Despite a powerful punt by sophomore Austin Green to the Bulldogs’ 20-yard line, Lovell moved down the field to score a second touchdown.

The first quarter ended with Lovell ahead, 14-0.

Lovell scored its third touchdown early in the second quarter.

Junior Ethan Jensen returned the kickoff to the Wranglers’ 25-yard line. Ziegler completed a pass to Jensen, moving the ball toward midfield. Ziegler kept the ball on the next play, gaining 9 yards.

Ethan Jensen took the handoff, put his head down and powered through the Bulldog defense, racing over the 50-yard line for a first down.

Ziegler rushed up the right to the 29-yard line for a first down. Ethan Jensen chewed up another 9 yards in the next play. Ziegler drove forward for another first down.

Ziegler and Jensen ran the ball closer to the end zone. Ramming through the Lovell defense, Ziegler landed at the 1-yard line.

Ziegler then dove into the end zone to score the Wranglers’ first touchdown of the season.

Lovell struggled with penalties and incomplete passes on its ensuing drive. Nelson pulled off a tackle for little gain and the Bulldogs punted.

Ziegler, Ethan Jensen and sophomore Bodie Jensen pressed ahead as the final seconds ticked down in the second quarter.

The halftime score was 21-6 in Lovell’s favor.

Lovell reached the end zone on its first drive in the third quarter, increasing the Bulldogs’ lead to 28-6.

On the ensuing drive, Ziegler completed a deep pass to sophomore Dustin Larsen. Larsen raced across the Wranglers’ 40-yard line for a first down. Saxton caught the next pass from Ziegler before the Wranglers were forced to punt.

Despite tackles by Ziegler, Ethan Jensen, Green and pressure by Larsen, the Bulldogs scored two more touchdowns as the game moved into the fourth quarter.

Resolved to prevent a rout in the second quarter, the Pinedale offense regrouped and dug deep, moving the ball into the end zone.

Starting the drive from the 70-yard line, Ziegler muscled his way through the Lovell defense for a first down. Ethan Jensen chewed up yards on the next play.

Sophomore Dustin Larsen pushed the ball 6 yards up the field for another first down. Ziegler kept the ball and crossed the 50-yard line.

Jensen drove forward, gaining the yards for a third Wrangler first down.