EVANSTON — Playoff matchups represent a one-game season and unfortunately for the Evanston Red Devils, it wasn’t their time to shine. The curtain came down on the Red Devil season in a 34-7 postseason road loss to the Torrington Trailblazers on Friday night, Oct. 26.

Things started off very well for Evanston, with the Red Devils scoring on their first possession. The Trailblazers appeared to have halted the Evanston drive, forcing the Red Devils into a punting situation, but a roughing the kicker penalty sustained the drive, giving the Red Devils a first down at the Trailblazers’ 43. Tyus Cornia then broke free for a 40-yard run and one play later, took it in for the first score of the game from 4 yards out. Pablo Escalante’s PAT was good and with 8:37 left in the opening quarter, the Red Devils owned the first lead of the night, 7-0.

Torrington answered the Evanston score five minutes later as quarterback Casey Britton found the end zone to cap the Trailblazers’ opening drive from 2 yards out and the game was tied at 7-7.

The game featured a subplot showdown between two of the Cowboy State’s most prolific running backs in Cornia and Torrington’s Bryan Lemmon, who had both amassed over 1,200 yards in rushing on the season. The two would end the night, unofficially, with 167 and 188 yards, respectively, but Lemmon was able to reach the end zone four times, while Cornia’s score would be the Red Devils’ last.

Lemmon broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left in the first quarter. Josh Posten’s point-after-touchdown attempt was no good, but the home team had gained a 13-7 advantage.

The Red Devils committed eight turnovers in their last two games, which really spelled the difference, especially against Jackson, and turnovers again plagued Evanston and affected the outcome against the undefeated and second-ranked Trailblazers.

Evanston had the opportunity to score and tie or take the lead with the ball on the Trailblazers 5-yard line, but a David Baxter pass intended for Cornia was batted in the air and fell into the  arms of defensive lineman Scott Woodruff. The 290-pound lineman carried the ball to the Torrington 25-yard line. Four plays later, Lemmon scored from 32 yards away with just 30 seconds remaining in the half. Instead of being tied or potentially owning a one-point advantage at the break, Evanston trailed 20-7 at the half. 

The Trailblazers would tack on touchdowns in quarters three and four on scoring runs of two and 17 yards by Lemmon to win going away. 

Red Devil head coach Pat Fackrell told the Herald that Torrington did not present anything different from what he and his staff had strategized for.

“No, not a thing,” Fackrell said. 

“They showed us unconventional looks, but we expected that. They simply lined up where they needed to be and executed.”

Fackrell acknowledged the great start for Evanston, as the Red Devils lined up in double tight end sets and ran a power game as a fresh look Torrington was likely not expecting from scouting Evanston.

“We controlled the clock in the first quarter and our kids played hard, but credit Torrington,” Fackrell stated. 

“They did what they needed to do. Even on a fake punt in a fourth and five situation, they needed five yards and they picked up six.”

Fackrell also pointed to the turnovers and an injury to defensive standout and recent addition to the offense attack in senior Rylie Griggs. 

“Not having Rylie took us out of much of what we wanted to do,” Fackrell lamented. “We missed him on both sides of the ball and he’s such a vocal leader for us on the field, too.”

Griggs, ranked second in all of Class 3A football in defensive points, was injured in the first quarter and tried in vain to play in the second quarter, but to no avail.

“Our kids competed hard all game and turnovers hurt us in this game, but even more so beforehand. We should have never been in the fourth-seed position we found ourselves in. We should have been number two,” the coach added.

Torrington ran its record to a perfect 9-0 with the playoff win and will host the Jackson Broncs this Friday, Nov. 2.

On the other side of the bracket, top-ranked Star Valley has a rematch with Cody; the Braves knocked the Broncs from the ranks of the unbeaten and number-one ranking, 20-16, on Oct. 12.

Elsewhere, the Mountain View Buffalos blanked the Thermopolis Bobcats, 41-0, last Friday, and will host the Glenrock Herders this Friday at 2 p.m. The other Class 2A semifinal has Wheatland traveling to top-ranked Buffalo.