Rebels rally past Meeteetse, face Encampment in playoff opener

The Riverside Rebels used some fourth quarter and overtime magic to stun Meeteetse 28-22 and seize the North’s No. 3 seed for the upcoming six-man football playoffs.

The win sends the Rebels to Encampment for a quarterfinal matchup on Friday.

Coach Matt Jensen called the Meeteetse win “a great way to cap the regular season.” His team trailed 22-14 after three, but made one big play after another in the final frame to force overtime.

Zack Kuntz blocked a PAT kick, which was huge at the time because it kept it a one-score game.  

The Rebels then got a long run by Brendan Powell, followed soon after by a 3-yard run by Corbyn Godfrey to pull to within two, at 22-20. Jensen said Kenneth McClure, Zack Earl and Camden Schriner “executed flawlessly” on the PAT to tie the game at 22.

In overtime, the Rebels scored on their first play, with Powell taking it 15 yards to paydirt.  When it was their turn, the Longhorns advanced to the Riverside 2, but the Rebels turned them away with a fourth-down stop.

Jensen credited the Rebel defense, noting that Meeteetse ended the game as the fourth-highest scoring offense in the state, averaging 45 points per game.

“Holding them to just 22 was a great accomplishment,” he said. “We had some outstanding individual performances throughout the game, but more importantly, our guys played disciplined, physical, and unified team defense from start to finish.”

Defensive standouts included Godfrey, with two solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles; Kuntz, with one solo and 10 assists to go along with the blocked kick; Paul Stone, two solos, five assists, two pass break-ups; Elias Jensen, two solos, six assists, two sacks, three tackles for loss, and Alan Landis and Powell, each with a sack.

On offense, the Rebels rushed for more than 225 yards. Powell led with 136 of them and two touchdowns on 11 carries, followed by Godfrey with 89 and one touchdown on 10 carries.

“The guys up front played physical and set the tone early, opening lanes and controlling the line of scrimmage,” Jensen said, “It was a strong, team effort that showed our commitment to running the football and wearing down our opponent.” 

Through the air, Gavyn Cervantes hit 4-of-8 throws for 58 yards, with Jensen topping the receiving corps with two grabs for 39 yards.  They hooked up for Riverside’s only passing score.

As he looked ahead to this week’s practices, Jensen said. “We need to continue to focus on ball security. While we were able to overcome our turnovers this week, we can’t afford them once playoff time comes around. We also need to clean up some of our pre-snap penalties. 

“After watching the film, I was okay with a few of our holding calls—they came from us being physical and aggressive—but we need to make sure we stay within the frame to avoid those penalties moving forward.”

The Rebels will face a tough test in their playoff opener. Encampment lost its bid for the South’s No. 1 seed last week, losing to Little Snake River 66-25. 

But the Tigers took it to Riverside, 44-6, in early September. While the Rebels had some good moments on defense, they were undone by five turnovers that were too much to overcome.

“We’ve learned a lot since then and are looking forward to another opportunity to compete,” said Jensen. “We’re excited to hit the road and kick off at 1 p.m. Friday in Encampment. Go Rebels.”