Coaches Comments 2015

Pre-Season:

We had a great Winter and Spring of lifting and nearly all of our players participate in multiple sports. That is really the key. Learning in competitive situations and working hard. Our Spring Ball was awesome, fast, crisp and snappy with older guys mentoring younger guys. We had two great camps. We took 9-12 graders to Black Hills State University and then took our Juniors and Seniors to the University of Wyoming team camp. We played more football in those 7 days than any team in America. Our guys got up in the morning and went to work every M, W, F in the weight room. The dedication and commitment of your Mustangs is impressive. We are developing strength, quickness and stamina. Mustang Mini-Camp was changed to a morning format and our Senior retreat "Camp Victory", was fantastic.

Fall Camp:

Fall Camp opened on Monday August 10th at 12:01 am with our Seniors participating in "Midnight Madness." Seniors and Coaches took the final steps to be ready for the 130 underclassmen who reported at 7am. What a great way to start the season. You can read the trib article at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/football/class-a-football-teams-kick-off-practices/article_f9d91bf9-041c-58a1-bf26-bd6d44ae7872.html The weather has been awesome! With the late start of school we can actually practice in the morning in a combined format from 7am to Noon. We are having one of the best fall camps in recent memory. We have a large and focussed Senior class. They are doing a great job of leading our team. We finished the first week of camp with pizza and a participation in a flash mob to open up the new East wing of our school. Enthusiasm is high and as well as expectation. The beauty of high school football is that everyone grows up. The young guys who go through this transformation in such a short time are amazing. It is humbling to be a part of it and witness it.

Cheyenne Central:

This is the longest continues played game in Wyoming at 96 years. First time in my memory that Central did not have a Sophomore team. They are under 2nd year coach Drew Severn. We expect a much improved team and we are working hard to get ready. This is a stressful week as there are dozens of details to tourch on and not much time to do it. We also hosted an expanded Midget Football Clinic M,T,W evenings after practice. We had 300 5th and 6th graders and our Mustangs did a great job of teaching and mentoring dozens of football skills that will benefit these young players. We had our annual Booster Club BBQ and safety/parent meetings on T and our new east addition was open to the public with back to school night and open house. We finished up our preparations on Thursday evening for our trip to Cheyenne.

We left town at 1:15 and were on schedule the entire time. It was a warm day and evening. It was a classic first game with alot of unknowns and nervousness. We improved each quarter and pulled away in the 2nd half to earn the victory. It was our first shutout in our opener in 4 years and the 6th in the last 25 years. It was a long game and we got home late. We hosted a freshmen black game and the Central JV on Saturday. You can read about the game and the start of our season at First Article 2nd Article

3rd Article 4th Article 5th Article Photo Gallery

Cheyenne East:

We are home this week with Cheyenne East at 7:00pm. School starts Wednesday and this week will fly by. East won their opener in a close game vs. Rock Springs. We have a nice little rivalry with East, it will be fun and hard fought. Check the schedule as we have 2 games on Monday 2 on Friday and 2 on Saturday.

We had a great week of practice and improved every day, it was a warm week with temps in the 90's.. We have some adversity with inuries and getting everyone healthy. We are really improving everyday. We had a lightning delay during the Sophomore game which changed our pregame schedule slightly. We played hard and continued to improve during the game. We competed and battled hard. I thought we played more and more physical as the game went on. We had a great crowd and we appreciate the support of our band, student body and community. Thank you. You can read about the game at First Article 2nd Article 3rd Article Photo Gallery

Laramie:

We travel to Laramie this Friday. The Plainsmen are 0-2 on the young season but much improved. Both losses were close and overall they are a team on the rise. We will focus on ourselves and getting better. We have such great potential and so much more room for growth. It is exciting but also we have to be focused on intentionally getting better. Saturday the Sophs play Laramie's JV and will stay for the Cowboys game vs. Eastern Michigan. Mustang Pete Bergman will be on that trip so we are looking forward to seeing Pete and the rest of the Mustangs at the game. We have 5 games on the schedule this week, check our schedules and Go Mustangs! We started fast with a Bridger Helm interception from his DT spot. We held the lead the entire game but it was certainly a game filled with big plays on both sides. Mustangs battled hard and won 43-27. You can read about the game at Preview Article Laramie Paper

Gillette:

We host the Camels this week, 9th graders play on Thursday, Sophs and Varsity on Friday and Jv's on Saturday. We have a great rivalry with Gillette. They are balanced and have several returning starters from last years state runner up team. We look forward to a great week of practice and the improvementthat must come. Our guys are working like crazy and we have more and more players emerging and getting into the Varsity mix. The weather should be cool but comfortable. Kickoff is at 7:00pm. It was a beautiful night for a game, our Freshmen split games with Gillette and our Sophomores won the early game on Friday 21-9. We had a hard fought game, Gillette is big, fast, strong and skilled. The first half remained tied at 21-21 and we took a 24-21 lead to start the 3rd qtr. The game remained close until late but Gillette took advantage of our 3 2nd half turnovers and really hurt us with the big pass play. We will get better, this game made us better. We have a very high ceiling and alot of room for growth left. You can read more at Preview Article 2nd Article Gallery

Evanston:

We take our longest road trip of the year to Evanston, 329 miles. Not bad by Wyoming standards. :) Evanston has played a tough schedule with Sheridan and Gillette and has defeated South and Laramie. They are a good football team. They have a really nice line and backs. This is a huge week for us, we have to bounce back, heal up, get better, get on the road and play a good team who in head to head competitions with Gillette and Laramie has a better scoring ratio. We have no time to waste.

We had what I would call a "different" week of practice. Good on M, Great on T, Bad on W, I always get nervous because I think you play like you practice. We had a good trip, stopped in Rawlins for our Biennial prison tour. It was a good as always and the team enjoyed it and learned a great deal. We stopped in Green River for late lunch as the Little America restraunt is closed. We had a good pregame and it was warm, sunny and beautiful at the 6pm kickoff. We started and finished on D for a nice shutout. Our D never really let Evanston threaten and we scored a safety. The game was marred by numerous penalties on both teams, surreal really. We had a good trip home and the JV's stayed and played a good game on Saturday. You will be able to read bout it in the Uinta County Hearld in a few days.

Oil Bowl:

We host the 51st Oil Bowl this Friday at 6pm at Mustang Stadium. Kelly Walsh has some explosive skill players that we will have to defend. I think you are seeing all of 4A football play very competitve. That combined with this great rivalry game you can throw the records out and just play football. We have alot of growth left in us, our challenge is to really take a step forward this week and really learn how to pull that out of us. This will be a fun week and we are blessed to live in Casper and Wyoming and have opportunities like this.

We had a good week of practice, the Sophs won their game vs. KW 28-20 on Tuesday. Friday we had an awesome pep assembly on Friday afternoon. Our pregame preparations were moved up 1:15 with the 6pm kickoff. Then the lightning came. We finished the National Anthem and had to clear the field for 90 minutes. It was one of the most exciting Oil Bowls with lead changes, turnovers, big penalties and big plays. You can read some articles at Preview Sunday Article Gallery Oil City News

Homecoming:

We host Cheyenne South for this years homecoming. It will be a fun week, we need to heal up and have a great week of practice. The season is winding down quickly and the final push for playoff positioning is here. Every week is big and getting bigger.

Thanks to all the students, parents, fans and especially the band. What a great week, all capped off by a beautiful evening of football. We are continuing to improve. The JV's, Sophs, and Frosh all won this week. All Hail! You can read about the game at Preview Saturday Sunday Gallery

Sheridan:

We travel to Sheridan this Friday for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Two 6-1 teams battling it out late in the season. There is alot on the line and as usual this game is big and they are getting bigger every week. Sheridan is Senior dominated, skilled, fast and tough. They will be well prepared. We need continuous improvement, every play and every day. It was a beautiful night in Sheridan, we had a good week of practice and I really think we improved this week. The first half was full of key plays, we held Sheridan to several 3rd and long situations but the Broncs were able to convert. We started to regain some momentum and went into the lockerroom trailing 20-7 in the second half. The Broncs made several big plays and we really could not stop their running game and they rolled up a 49-14 victory. We will heal up and use this to make us better and not bitter and fight back. Thanks to all the parents and fans who came and supported the team. Preview 1st article 2nd Article Gallery

Rock Springs:

We have Senior night this Friday and we have alot to celebrate and be thankful for. In addition we have a great game lined up with Rock Springs who is having a nice season under their 2nd year head coach. Their only losses on the year are to Gillette, East and Sheridan. They run a unique offense and will try to control the time of possesion.

We had a really good week of practice. We bounced back and got right back to work.after the Sheridan game. The Senior parents had a great week of celebration planned for our annual Senior night. It is such a journey for parents who pour everything into their son's. It is truly special and everyone is appreciative. The game was exciting, we scored first, RS came back and took the lead, we came back and extended our lead and finally they came back. It wasn't over until the end, really a great game and an exciting game. You can read about the game and an awesome feature article on Marc Feraud Preview First Article Gallery

Kelly Walsh 1st Round of Playoffs:

This was our best week of practice this year. We are getting healthy and continuing to improve. The urgency of playoffs and the finality of the season is starting to press on us. We got off to a good start and got the stop and scored on our first possesion with a 33 yard FG. We led 13-0 at half. It was an exciting game and I continue to be impressed with our mental and physical toughness. Our guys fight hard. The exciting thing is that we have not played our best football and we are still improving. Congratulations to the Seniors for winning their final game at home. We have earned one more week. Let's fight on and get ready for the Semi's Preview First Article Gallery

Sheridan Semi-Finals:

We travel to Sheridan on Friday for the Semi-Final round. They are 9-1, we are 8-2. They have an explosive team and a veteran team. The Semi's are usually the best round of any sport as 4 teams are just one game away.

We had a great week of practice and our guys prepared well. The weather was good for early November. We had a good trip and played hard. We just came up short. The Broncs move on. I can't tell you how proud of our young guys I am. We really came a long ways this year. We got stronger, executed better and became more unified every week. On behalf of the coaches we are very appreciative of the effort and commitment our Mustangs put forth. Well Done! Preview Article

Thank you for your support and More Later.

Thanks for checking in. Trust that we will do our best, hang together, protect each other, inspire each other and strengthen each other as we make this a season of growth. I can't tell you what a blessing it is to work for these kids at NCHS. "All Hail to Casper High" and remember that "Every Day is a Great Day to be a Mustang."

Regards,

"On a Scale of 1-10, Be an Eleven"

Coach Harshman

"Trust" Proverbs 3:5-6