• Kemmerer hosts Lyman with 6 p.m. kickoff. Listen to the game on The Spur. 

It’s a week of community spirit that most people can refer to in their core memories of growing up. Homecoming. Not just the fun of being a student or an athlete, but also being able to connect through those experiences to residents of the town over several generations. 

The Kemmerer Rangers (1-3) host the Lyman Eagles (0-5) for KHS Homecoming this Friday night with a 6 p.m. kickoff with both programs in need of a win. The winning team will also collect an important victory in the 2A West with both squads currently sitting at 0-3. Audio of the game will be carried on The Spur throughout southwest Wyoming and online using the SVI Media app.

Kemmerer coach Bart Jernigan commented on the upcoming matchup. 

“Homecoming is a big deal for our team and the community,” he remarked. “Between the pregame parade and the packed stands, there is a special feeling in the air when homecoming rolls around. All of the activities of the week build up the excitement to a Friday night crescendo, and we are lucky to be able to play in front of our families and community under the lights.”

The goal is to cap off the week with that win on the home turf. Jernigan noted what it will take to do that against the Eagles. 

“Lyman is a physical team,” he continued. “We are going to have to be ready to match that on a down-to-down basis. Putting them in late-and-long scenarios is a big focus in helping move them away from their offensive strengths. Additionally, taking the ball away from them will be key.” 

“Offensively, we need to find ways to establish the run and control time of possession. If we can do that and create a few explosives in the pass game we will be able to keep them guessing. The goal is to keep them from being able to pin their ears back or sit on our schemes. On special teams, we need to steal yardage and create extra possessions.”

• Offense

On the ground, the Lyman Eagles are averaging 174 rushing yards per game, good for sixth in the team rankings in the 2A classification. The Rangers are ninth at 151 yards per game. Neither team typically lights up the aerial attack with Kemmerer averaging 53 passing yards per game which ranks them 11th out of 16 teams. Lyman is dead last in this category with just 21 yards per game through the air. 

• Defense

The rushing defense numbers are where these two teams are on opposite sides of the stat sheet. The Eagles are ranked third in rushing defense at. Just 95 yards per game allowed. Kemmerer is last, allowing 303 rushing yards per contest. The Eagles passing defense allows the most passing yards per game at 225 yards per outing. 

• Individual leaders

Kemmerer’s Noah Parks leads the Rangers offensively in both rushing and receiving yards. He averages 67 yards on the ground and 41 through the air and has found the end zone twice so far this season. Sam Thatcher has passed for 211 yards in four games with one touchdown and one interception. Parks, Thatcher and Bryson McGill have accounted for 535 yards rushing as a trio. 

Lyman’s statistics are incomplete but they are led by C. France with 201 yards rushing in the reported numbers to this point in the season. 

The two teams do not have a common opponent so far this season. The Rangers fell to #2 Mountain View 61-6 last week while the Eagles lost to Worland in a low-scoring 7-0 final.