The Wood River High School football team defeated South Fremont High School 12-7 in their season opener on Friday after a nail biting finish.
For the vast majority of the game, the Wolverines seemed to be in control after a second quarter touchdown—a 10 yard pass from senior quarterback Kyle Ipsen to senior wide receiver Anton Holter—gave them a 6-0 lead.
Beyond that play, the first two quarters were mostly defined by the two teams’ defenses. There were six punts and one interception to cap off every other play in those quarters.
Head coach Shane Carden kept his message simple to the boys following the half. “I said, ‘Guys, you know we haven’t executed the way we want to yet. We’re barely up. We got to come out with even more intensity, more physicality…Let’s find a way to win games.’”
And winning they did in their first game this year.
However, the Cougars made it difficult along the way.
With 2:34 left on the clock, South Fremont scored a touchdown and converted on a kick to give them a lead of 7-6. After kickoff, the Wolverines had to start from their own 27. Despite losing the lead, Carden composed his team going into the final stretch.
Wood River High School wideout Anton Holter secures the game-winning touchdown against South Fremont on Aug. 7.
Express photo by Roland Lane
“‘We’re fine, we’re fine, we’re fine, we’re fine’” Carden said to his squad in late timeouts.
All throughout the last two minutes, his team displayed their composure.
First play after the kickoff, Holter got the team to their 39 for a first down. Immediately after that, the team went for two long throws, both no good. On third down, an Ipsen run into a fourth and 2 situation on their 47 kept the team’s hopes alive. With 1:33 left, Ipsen and Holter connected again for a first down at the Cougars 48.
Fast forwarding a holding call, two incompletions, and minor yardage gain, hope was fading with just over a minute left.
Then, Ipsen and senior wide receiver Gavin Hunter connected for a clutch pass to put the Wolverines at South Fremont’s 20 with 55 seconds to go.
With a play like that, it’d be fair to think lighting doesn’t strike twice. However, immediately after that pass, Ipsen threw up another dime to Holter, this one in the back left of the end zone, to give them the lead at 12-7.
“I knew I had to make a play,” Holter said. “I broke down the ball, saw the ball, and made a play on it. It’s a big play, and I can’t believe I made it.”
While Wood River did not make the two point conversion following the score, their defense held on and intercepted the ball as the clock wound down to secure the lead and the win.
Despite scoring both touchdowns and having a number of strong carries for the team, Holter credited others for the win.
“I would not say (this game) was easy,” Holter said. “My team was working real hard, we’ve all been working real hard in practice. I just brought the right mentality and made a couple plays.”
Carden echoed Holter’s statement, emphasizing how the team all worked together in the closing minutes.
“Those two throws by Kyle (Ipsen), just two incredible throws that absolutely won the game there,” Carden said. “(Hunter and Holter) were running great routes to get open, and then Kyle just threw beautiful pinpoint balls…(and) the O-line sitting there and blocking the way they did, they just executed. I don’t know if any other team would have done that. They found a way.”
Anton Holter, 10 and Ethan Desler, 50, relish the win over South Fremont on Aug. 18.
Express/Roland Lane
This win gives the Wolverines their first win of the season, in just as many games.
“It’s one game, I told (the team),” Carden said. “Sock it and enjoy it. It’s a great win, but we have a 24-hour rule, win or lose. By Sunday, we gotta get over it and watch the film Monday morning and we’re onto the next one.”
Next up, Wood River faces McCall-Donnelly in an away matchup on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m.
