EVANSTON — If the zero week game against Altamont, Utah, is counted, Red Devil football has alternated in scoring between 48 and 35 points. Through the first three games, they held their opponents to single-digit scoring — 48-6 over Altamont, 35-7 over Rawlins and 48-8 over Riverton. The Red Devils looked to be well on their way to another blowout on the road at Lander Valley, going up early, 14-0, but then things changed. The Red Devils did pick up a 35-28 victory to remain undefeated, but they had to come from behind to do so, in a hard-fought contest last Friday night, Sept. 14.

“The good thing was we were tested more than what we have been,” head football coach Pat Fackrell told the Herald.

The Red Devils scored on their first possession on a 40-yard Tyus Cornia run, set up by a 25-yard pass completion from Seth Lloyd to Kody Smith. After the PAT by Pablo Escalante, Evanston led 7-0 with 9:17 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Red Devils struck again on a 1-yard run for paydirt by Cornia to lead 14-0 with 5:24 left in the first quarter.

Evanston held the home team in check during their first two possessions, but following a 45-yard run by Escalante, the Red Devil drive stalled and Evanston gave up on downs at the Lander 32 with just 4 ticks remaining on the clock in quarter number one.

Lander relied on the legs of sophomore Eli Mazurie, who picked up a first down to the Lander 42, scampered 26 yards to the Evanston 32 yard line and took it to the house one play later to put the Tigers on the board. With 10:29 left to play in the second quarter, it was Evanston 14, Lander Valley 7. 

Smith had a great return on the ensuing kickoff, all the way down to the Lander 32-yard line, and Cornia would carry to the Lander 18. The Lander defense stiffened and Evanston faced a 4th down and 7 from the Tigers’ 15. 

Lloyd connected with Rigden Wagstaff for a 14-yard gain to the Tiger 1-yard line and Cornia powered his way into the endzone for his third touchdown of the night to answer the Tigers’ score. With another successful point-after-touchdown, Evanston was on top, 21-7, with 7:27 left to play in the first half.

The Tigers demonstrated the ability to move the football, but turned over on downs to the Red Devils at the Evanston 22 with 4:12 left in the half.

Lloyd completed short passes to Angel Rodruigez and Cris Periman, but the Red Devils were forced to punt with just 1:36 left in the second quarter. 

Cornia shanked a punt, giving Lander a short field at the Evanston 41 and a subsequent 20-yard run by quarterback Max Mazurie placed the football at the Evanston 21. Penalties had stalled drives for both teams, but Eli Mazurie picked up a gain of 13 yards to the Evanston 13. Following a tackle for loss, Lander opted to attempt a 35-yard field goal with 18 seconds remaining. Kayden Heil connected on his first of three field goals and the half would come to a close, despite a 38-yard run by Rodriguez as time expired. Evanston led 21-10 with one half complete.

Lander started off with the football in the second half and was forced to punt, but the punt-return was mishandled and Lander was in business, deep in Evanston territory, following the fumble recovery. The Red Devil defense stepped up and held the Tigers to a second 35-yard Heil field goal. With 8:09 remaining in the third quarter, the Tigers had pulled to within eight. It was Evanston 21, Lander Valley 13.

The Red Devils committed their second turnover on a Cornia fumble with 8:01 remaining, giving the Tigers the ball at the Evanston 25 yard line. Max Mazurie would do the rest, covering 25 yards for the score to make it a 21-19 ballgame at the 7:01 mark of quarter number three. The Tigers attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game, but were unsuccessful.

Lloyd completed a pass to Rodriguez on Evanston’s next possession, but the next passing play resulted in Evanston’s third turnover on an interception by Heil at midfield and returned to the Evanston 12. The Tigers were unable to punch it in and settled for a 27-yard field goal with 2:29 left in the third, but they had their first lead of the night at 22-21, and that’s how the third quarter ended, with the Red Devils trailing for the first time on the season.

Evanston recaptured the lead on a 35-yard touchdown run by Cornia, coming on the heels of a good kickoff return by Rodriguez to the Evanston 39 yard line and double-digit gains by Cornia and Lloyd. Evanston’s two-point conversion was thwarted, but the Red Devils were back on top, 27-22, with 11:24 remaining in regulation.

Lander Valley answered the Red Devil score on a Max Mazurie pass to Conner Jay, set up by runs of 48 and 18 yards by Jack Sweeney. The Tigers’ two-point conversion passing attempt was incomplete, but with 6:46 remaining in the game, Lander led 28-27.

The Red Devils utilized a combination of run and pass on their next drive which began on their own 25 yard line, following a Periman return.

Lloyd found Smith at the Lander 44 for 31-yard gain and the pair hooked up again to advance the ball to the Lander 15, following runs by Cornia. A penalty pushed the ball back to the Lander 25. Cornia plowed forward to the Lander 17 and took it the rest of the way on the next play for his fifth score on the night. The two-point conversion was good and with 3:29 remaining, Evanston again had the lead, 35-28, and that’s how it would end.

“We had alignment issues and made a lot of mental mistakes, and I didn’t think we took a step forward this week,” Fackrell told the Herald.

“Turnovers will happen, but we showed maturity in moving past our mistakes and finding a way to win. Our guys were down on themselves because they understood they didn’t play their best, which also displayed maturity and leadership.We can fix those little things this week in practice as we prepare for Powell,” the head coach added.

In other 3A contests, top-ranked Cody remained unbeaten with a 28-7 road win at Rawlins. No. 2 Torrington rolled over Green River, 31-9. Evanston’s next opponent, the Powell Panthers, upset the the third-ranked Bearcats in Douglas, 7-6. No. 5 Star Valley pounded the Wolverines in Riverton, 54-3, and Jackson picked up a 42-12 road win at Worland to remain undefeated.

Elsewhere, the third-ranked Mountain View Buffalos blanked the Lovell Bulldogs, 57-0, in a Class 2A West Conference showdown, while the Lyman Eagles were defeated at home, 14-6, by the Cokeville Panthers, ranked third in Class 1A.

The Rich Rebels are still seeking their first win of the season after being toppled by top-ranked Milford in Randolph, 44-7.

The Wyoming Cowboys came from behind to pick up a home victory over Wofford on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie. The ‘Pokes, 2-2 on the season, won in the closing moments, 17-14, and will have a bye-week before hosting nationally-ranked Boise State on Sept. 29 at 5 p.m.