Written by: Will Hoenike
It had to be tough.
Rocky Mountain Player of the Year Bridger Hatch took to Twitter on October 29, saying “They deserved it man, let them know they played awesome.”
“They” were the Camas County Mushers who, one day earlier, had sent shockwaves through the 1A Division 2 classification with a massive upset over the North Gem Cowboys. North Gem’s leader and top weapon, Hatch, showed remarkable grace after being knocked out of the postseason in the first round.
And now it’s back to work for the Cowboys, who will look to put that memory in the past and build on last season’s seven wins and Rocky Mountain Conference title. The coaching staff will have to replace seven talented seniors, led by Hatch, who ran for almost 2,000 yards as a senior and picked up 37 rushing touchdowns.
The Cowboys are a run-first (and second, and third) team, so replacing Hatch and fullback Bret Yost will be critical. Sophomore Rusty Hatch will move from the team’s offensive line to fullback behind junior quarterback Mayson Jenkins and junior center Evan O’Brian. That will form the nucleus of what head coach Corry Hatch expects to be a solid offense in 2022.
“We have new guys but the system will make them effective,” the third-year head coach said. “We have only passed the ball 69 times in two years. This will not change. We intend to run the ball, we will run the ball, and there isn’t any reason not to.”
The Rocky Mountain Conference has the look of a potent offensive league in 2022. Beyond the offensive firepower of the Cowboys, rival Rockland returns perhaps the league’s best overall player in receiver Teague Mathews. If it’s not Mathews, it’s likely Watersprings’ Jrew Plocher. That means the North Gem defense will need to be every bit as sharp as the team’s offense. Hatch says the team plans to employ the same defense as years’ past, which provide ample blitz opportunities as well as good run-stopping angles.
How quickly the newer players make this team its own will likely determine how far the Cowboys can go in 2022.
“I’m excited to watch this team figure the game out,” Hatch said. “I know that there will be a learning curve. These guys are putting in the work and they will be able to get things figured out.”
One thing that Hatch and his assistant, Tracey Corta, hope can benefit the team is its schedule. Hatch says it’s very manageable and only includes one game – on September 30 in Challis – against a 1A Division 1 opponent. The Cowboys open the season against the junior varsity team from 2A Malad High School, which will be a challenge as well, but Hatch likes his team’s chances of being in position to return to the 1A Division 2 postseason this fall.
“Until somebody wants to stop the run, we are going to be a force in this league,” he concluded. “We will be a tough ‘out’ for anyone and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if we are contending late in the season to win this league.”