JACKSON, Wyo. — Homecoming for the Orange & Black features a powder puff game against the underdog Red Devils (1-5) but Jackson (5-1) had better not assume this one will be a cakewalk.
It was a mere week ago that the Broncs found out just how dangerous a team with nothing to lose can be. Evanston would love nothing better than to play spoiler for Jackson’s homecoming.
“We gave ‘em hope,” coach David Joyce said of last week’s slow start against Green River. The Wolves’ opening drive stayed alive after the Broncs allowed them to convert on three straight 3rd-and-long situations. An energized Green River team managed to ride that high, combined with a few trick plays, for most of the first quarter last Friday.
Jackson will have to get out to a better start tonight if they want to impose their will on the weaker Devils. Focus amid distractions should not be a concern as Joyce said one upside to COVID is a subdued week of celebration for the high school.
“If there is a silver lining in all this COVID stuff, it’s we don’t have the homecoming distractions as usual. It feels like any other week for us at practice,” Joyce said. “Because Evanston, on paper, is a little down and they turn the ball over a lot. We should be able to generate some turnovers and points off those turnovers.”
Evanston is riding a 4-game losing streak. They haven’t won since Week 2 of the 2020 season on September 4. The Red Devils are also coming off a miserable loss (61-14) to the Cody Broncs last week when they turned the ball over 5 times.
It appears to be a lopsided matchup with Jackson scoring an average of 40 points a game to Evanston’s 18.5. In head-to-head meetings, Jackson has won two of its last three contests with Evanston. A 62-13 blitzing of the Red Devils last year and a 35-28 win in 2018. Evanston beat Jackson 63-16 in 2017.
For the Broncs, it’s imperative to get the W tonight as the season ends on a tough note. Top-seeded Jackson heads to #3 ranked Powell next Friday before closing out the regular season at home against #2 Cody on October 23.
Evanston vs. Jackson at William T. McIntosh Stadium in Jackson. Kickoff at 6 p.m. Play-by-play coverage on KZ95 and videostream at SVI Media.
