EVANSTON — After a tough home loss to end the regular season against the Star Valley Braves, the Evanston Red Devils dropped out of the Wyoming Coaches and Media poll’s top-5 this week. A new season begins as Evanston sets its sights on the postseason playoffs as the number-four seed from the 3A West Conference.    The Red Devils will travel to Torrington to face the undefeated and No. 2 ranked Trailblazers, the top-seed of the 3A East, this Friday, Oct. 26.

The Trailblazer lost last season’s 3A championship game to the Cody Broncs and were ranked No. 2 for most of the 2018 season behind Cody until the Broncs suffered their first loss, which bumped Torrington into the top spot for the second half of the regular season. In the most recent poll following the end of the regular season for the 3A classification, Star Valley edged Torrington for the top ranking by one vote.

The history between the Trailblazers and the Red Devils on the gridiron dates back to 1951, but the two teams have only played each other three times, with Evanston winning all three. 

The teams first met in a semifinal playoff game on Nov. 17, 1951 in Evanston, where the Red Devils squeaked by the Trailblazers, 28-26, to vault themselves into the state championship game. The Red Devils won their first football state title a short five days later with a 25-2 win over Worland in Evanston on Nov. 22.

The Red Devils also emerged victorious in a Nov.12 game in 1960, 32-7, which also advanced the Red Devils to a state championship game in which they were defeated by Greybull, 14-7, on Nov. 19, in Greybull.

The last time Evanston and Torrington squared off was for all the marbles in the 1985 state title game in Evanston. The Red Devil pummeled the Trailblazers, 47-8, for the 3A crown. That Red Devil team was recently inducted into the EHS Sports Hall of Fame earlier this month.

“I’ve mentioned to our kids several times that Torrington hasn’t beaten anyone that we haven’t beaten this season,” head coach Pat Fackrell told the Herald.

Indeed, both teams dispatched Green River, Lander, Riverton and Rawlins this fall.

The Trailblazers are a perfect 8-0 on the season and an unblemished 5-0 in the 3A East, with additional victories over Glenrock, Douglas, Worland and Gering, Nebraska, while the Red Devils are 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the 3A West, arguably a much tougher division, comprised of stronger, more talented teams than the 3A East Conference.

The Trailblazers feature the most prolific passing attack in 3A football and are the second-best running team, behind only Jackson. Torrington is also second in total offense, statistically speaking, again trailing Jackson, at 425 yards-per-game. Evanston ranks third, averaging 347 yards each time out.

“They are very balanced and will attempt to keep us off-balanced by showing multiple formations, offensively,” Fackrell said.

Torrington is led by returning all-state selection, Bryan Lemmon.

“He’s unique,” Fackrell said of Lemmon, “and we’re going to have to keep an eye on No. 20 at all times.”

Lemmon ranks third in rushing behind Jackson’s Jeydon Cox and Evanston’s Tyus Cornia at 177 yards per game but is also second in receiving in the 3A ranks and has definitely demonstrated big-play capability. Lemmon also leads the classification in scoring, averaging 21 points per contest. Teammate Cade Schwartzkopf is third in receiving, with both players averaging over 50 yards-per-game in receptions. Quarterback Casey Britton leads the 3A in passing, accounting for 137 yards of Torrington’s league-leading 142 yards-per-game in the aerial assault.

The Trailblazers also boast the stingiest defense in 3A football, yielding only 196 yards per game, on average. They are the best at stopping the run and second-best against the pass. The Red Devils have allowed 300 yards to the opposition, on average. The two teams mirror one another in defensive alignments, with both running 3-4 and 4-4 base defenses.

“They have two very good interior linemen and another solid defender at defensive end,” Fackrell stated, likely referring to Scott Woodruff, Braden Mechem and Josh Kingsley; Kingsley and Woodruff are also returning all-state competitors and Lemmon helps shore up the defense from a linebacker spot. Kingsley, Mechem and Lemmon all average more than 12 defensive points per outing and Jared Lemmon contributes 10.6 defensive points per game.

Red Devil senior Rylie Griggs ended the regular season averaging 20 defensive points per contest, good for the second most in 3A football. Teammates Rigden Wagstaff and Pablo Escalante are among the top-50 in individual defensive points at 12.2 and almost 10 per game, respectively.

Coach Fackrell reported a great week in practice heading into postseason play.

“We were very focused and locked in this week with the task at hand,” Fackrell said.

“Things got really competitive and our scout team did a wonderful job. Our coaching staff is feeling pretty good about the way our kids were able to refocus and respond this week.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Wiseman Field at Torrington High School. 

Should the Red Devils spring the upset over Torrington, they would face the winner of the Lander at Jackson game, and could even host a semifinal game, if Lander were to upend Jackson.   Other quarterfinal matchups include Cody traveling to Douglas and Star Valley hosting Worland on the other side of the 3A playoff brackets.