Coaches Comments 2012

Pre-Season:

We had a great Winter and Spring of lifting and nearly all of our players participate in one or more 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 changed our camp plans and attended Mesa in Grand Junction CO. We had 115 players divided into 6 teams. We played more football in those 3 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 outstanding.

Fall Camp:

Fall Camp opened on Monday August 6th at 12:01 am with our Seniors participating in "Midnight Madness." Seniors and Coaches took the final steps to be ready for the 140 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/prep-football-natrona-county-seniors-get-their-own-midnight-madness/article_f6d730b0-858f-59e8-af47-506214ece7af.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/football/robus-an-early-look-at-class-a-football/article_2f5510e4-0b6b-5c1a-b180-cf71bc2df15c.html

We have 167 players in pads. It is an impressive site. The coaches and our older players are doing a great job of establishing a crisp, snappy and positive atmosphere. Like I said, it is impressive!

First Week is in the books. We are off and rolling. WOW! It is a well oiled machine. Our older guys are really mentoring and teaching our younger guys. The reps we are getting are impressive. We have a long ways to go but we are moving in the right direction.

CHEYENNE SOUTH:

It was nice to get to "game week." We have had a pretty nice preseason. One of the best in terms of growth, no injuries and just a good feel of guys who are really pulling for each other. It was a warm evening and a quick trip to Cheyenne. We left at 2 and arrived on time. After the initial stop by our defense, Josh Flanigan started the scoring. Final NC 69 South 8. The Bison are better and more competitive. it is tough starting out new. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-begins-title-hunt-behind-linebacking-group/article_2885b48e-368e-5f5b-86ca-024e0d9cf65d.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-repeat-history-difficult-in-a/article_9f76bf60-a4c8-51e8-b667-bd0be3adef30.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/football/top-ranked-natrona-county-cruises-against-cheyenne-south/article_ca365634-c853-5f92-91a0-ae0844b827bd.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/football/young-cheyenne-south-finds-success-on-football-field-elusive/article_6fe77f1b-f6f6-529a-baf7-c03e41e49ebf.html

The JV's and Sophs were victorious as well and the Frosh squads played hard as well and will continue to grow.

SHERIDAN:

We make our 2nd road trip in a row this season as we travel to Sheridan. Sheridan dropped their Sophomore program so we are scheduling other teams who want to play. Thus it will be a quick trip North. Homer Scott Field is a nice venue and the Broncs are always well coached and ready to play the Mustangs. It should be a dandy as we take on the defending state champions. Kick off is at 7pm.

Nice trip, we left at 2pm, bussed straight through and had a picnic in the SHS cafeteria. It was hot and humid. Kickoff was 82°. The 100th meeting between the Mustangs and Broncs featured #1 vs. #2. You can read all about it at the trib at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/football/prep-football-no-natrona-county-thrashes-no-sheridan/article_368a6746-38f2-5164-9284-868741efa329.html and http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-defense-rises-to-occasion-against-sheridan/article_6ce8416d-7c79-5fcc-8c48-143f2d57c44d.html and http://trib.com/high-school/gallery-nc-tops-sheridan/collection_351044b2-f400-11e1-b484-001a4bcf887a.html and history of the Natrona-Sheridan rivalry at http://wyoming-football.com/blog/

This past week was good for us at all levels. The JV's, Sophs and both Frosh teams were victorious. We are really starting to grow and get better. There is a huge difference between being better and getting better. We have to stay on the steep trajectory of getting better every day and every game. This expectation or requirement of improvement is not a burden, it is a way of life. It is a pursuit of excellence that is necessary. We have all heard the old saying that "you are either getting better or you are getting worse." It is so true because everyone else is getting better. The coaches are really proud of all of our guys and we are all appreciative of the efforts the kids and their families are putting forth. There is some amazing things going on and we just need to keep working through adversity and know that every great effort will require a great attitude first. Onward and Upward!

CHEYENNE CENTRAL:

The Indians are 1-1 on the season and are always well prepared. They have some amazing talent and will develop into one of the top teams in the state. We will prepare well.

We had a great week of practice. We started our Mustang Buds program and we are looking for more ways to serve others. We have all been blessed and it is by giving back that we will truly realize our potential.

It was a perfect night at Dear Old Casper High. The band sounded great, the ROTC was awesome, the cheerleaders and dance teams were excellent. It was an awesome celebration of Pride in Excellence. We had a moment of silence to remember our friend Rob Sorenson. Rob dedicated over 40 seasons to NCHS heading up the volunteers in the press box as well as the chain gang on the field. We also hosted our annual Junior High Night and recognized the players and coaches from Dean Morgan and NCHS.

We played well for most of the game. We had a few turnovers and some penalties but all in all we played well and our guys played hard. It was another great week as we won 5 games at every level. We are getting better ever day. We need to continue and have humble hearts and an attitude of grattitude. You can read about the game and see some pictures at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-picks-apart-cheyenne-central/article_07612b85-a74e-5539-b7aa-b4d526f5332e.html http://trib.com/sports/college/wyoming/prep-football-special-teams-defense-key-natrona-county-rout/article_1462e35a-7520-559d-9d4d-420edd4d6356.html http://trib.com/sports/gallery-nc-over-cheyenne-central/collection_8728ffd2-f96e-11e1-a4f3-001a4bcf887a.html

ROCK SPRINGS:

The Tigers are 1-2 on the young season and will bring speed and athleticism to Casper. We will do our homework and practice well and get ready for another quality opponent. That is the thing about 4A football. Everyone is good and anyone can beat anyone.

We had a "different" week of practice as we were "lightening" out on Monday and Tuesday with incomplete practices. We adjusted Wednesday and Thursday to make up for the missed time and reps and it worked well. It was a beautiful night, perfect weather, balloons were released to recognize Oakley the young man our school is working to raise money for to help his family with medical expenses. We also celebrated and recognized our faculty and staff at half time. The Tigers won the toss and deferred so we had the ball first and started well with a 83 yard drive. Our guys played physical and fast and we quickly jumped out to a nice lead. This was the best we have played, efficient, few penalties etc. We looked sharp and crisp. We are starting to get better and better. Our practices are getting very competitive and that is making a huge difference. In short, we are making each other better. We appreciate everyone's support and it is important to enjoy the journey and make the most of every moment as this season is flying by. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-flanigan-lay-a-lickin-on-rock/article_8956dbe6-e152-5a97-a615-8ed26cfd499c.html pictures at http://trib.com/sports/gallery-nc-vs-rock-springs-football/collection_12c03efe-ff49-11e1-8276-0019bb2963f4.html

KELLY WALSH:

We will have a mostly normal week. The game will be played on Saturday at 6pm. UWyo is on the road and the weather looks to be great so it should be a fun atmoshphere. Kelly Walsh has a nice team and has won two games by shut-out and lost a close game to Gillette last week. It should be a great game and a great event. Both teams will be wearing decals that support "Tackle Prostate Cancer" campaign. Have a nice week.

The weather was perfect, a slight breeze from the NE quickly died down in the 1st quarter and the Fall sun was brilliant and warm at kick off. We had a great week of practice. With a Saturday game and 4 games on Thursday we decided to keep our normal schedule and give our older guys Thursday off. Josh Palomo introduced the Seniors at the Friday pep assembly and we had pre-game after school followed by a "taste of Camp Victory" by our by our local chef, Coach Fittje. :) Saturday's walk through was followed by an awesome parent tailgate luncheon. The hardest part was now waiting! We warmed up at home and bussed over to complete our final preparations and it was finally game time. We lost the toss so we had the ball first. We played well and took control of the game by half-time. Both teams played with heart and sportsmanship and it was a great community event. We appreciate all the folks who worked behind the scenes to make it all happen. You can read about the history of the rivalry, read about the game and see pictures at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-oil-bowl-history/article_17026a7b-21f4-51b6-9272-c9083d4c9ad0.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-oil-bowl-recaps/article_2353b371-e707-549e-b320-a7534849e107.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/oil-bowl-saturday-game-adds-twist-to-old-rivalry/article_d105ca2f-d225-51f7-b7ed-5fc7ad7d6ffa.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-defense-stymies-kelly-walsh/article_19d0a025-5cf1-5fa7-b1c8-7be86d82d6ec.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-no-natrona-county-ousts-kelly-walsh-in-oil/article_fba7c580-2c90-50b1-8c44-0d8873d57775.html http://trib.com/sports/prep_sports/gallery-oil-bowl/collection_55f61a1c-053f-11e2-be2e-001a4bcf887a.html

CHEYENNE EAST:

We are heading into the final stretch of the regular season. This season is flying by. The Thurnderbirds come to town Friday with an outstanding team. Their only loss was a 3 point shoot out with undefeated Gillette. They have many talented and experienced players. Once again we have to learn East, practice well and get ourselves ready for one of the top teams in the state.

We had 36 hours to recover from a big game. Monday was good, Tuesday was ok and Wednesday was cancelled due to lightning. Thursday we had our meal courtesy of our parents, performed our community service and then held "Wednesdays" practice on Thursday. Thus, we never had our traditional pre-game practice. Friday, the weather was forcast to be beautiful, was threatening until 5:30 and then cleared out. It was a beautiful night. We got the stop on D and traded possesions a few times and then scored and pushed the half-time score to 17-0. We added another 17 in the second half to win 34-2. Your Mustangs continue to play physical and play well. The JV's won on Saturday to round out the week. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-top-ranked-natrona-county-eyes-cheyenne-east-in/article_c1db05ae-3da0-5078-919d-b32edb768d69.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-hammers-cheyenne-east-in-rematch-of/article_8079ce29-d3f2-5c89-9c9e-deffa1e7f71e.html http://trib.com/sports/gallery-nc-v-east-football/collection_8f726642-09f4-11e2-a3d2-001a4bcf887a.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/natrona-county-passes-test-against-cheyenne-east/article_871ca719-bc5a-5291-a152-df46c72814cc.html

EVANSTON:

The Red Devils are well coached and have some tough players. We scrimmaged each other at the Mesa team camp last summer. We will continue to stress great effort and attitude, fundamentals and physical play in order to improve our play but more importantly improve our school and those around us. It is all about service and spreading greatness. It is HOMECOMING and as always it will be a great week to be a Mustang! Thanks for your support and we will see you on Friday!

A cold front blasted through on Wednesday. It was 85° on Tuesday and 35 on Wed, 27° with wind chill, quite a change. Wednesday was picture day and Thursday was coronation. We spent a couple of hours at the James Reeb Memorial Park on H street on Thursday helping out with a project to revitalize the park. Brandon Daigle(class of 99) and head of the Casper Young Professionals contacted us as they need some help. Many hands make light work and we hope to help sod the park yet this fall. Friday was sunny and cold, it seemed very cold as the game went on. 6:00pm kickoff and Homecoming was on. We played hard and raced out to a 44-7 half-time lead and finished the game 51-7. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/natrona-county-football-mustangs-shut-down-evanston/article_2c744289-678f-5440-9177-47675004c635.html

http://www.uintacountyherald.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=73&story_id=5883 http://trib.com/sports/high-school/nc-defense-dominates-evanston/article_fca077c7-44bb-559d-838c-6e9fb0eb5cb5.html http://trib.com/sports/gallery-nc-vs-evanston/collection_e3e9d756-0f5c-11e2-9bc3-0019bb2963f4.html

LARAMIE:

The Plainsmen and the Mustangs have one of the oldest and most colorful rivalries in the state. The weather forcast looks to be great and we will spend the week working on ourselves, improving our game, improving our team and studying the Plainsmen. This season is flying by and we don't want to waste a play, a day or a moment worrying about things that don't improve one another.

We left NCHS at 2pm for a quick trip to Laramie, we planned on a picnic in Rock River but the rain changed our plans and we held our picnic on the bus. We traveled well, had a good warm up and got after the Plainsmen on their homecoming. Laramie is young and improving. It all takes time. We learned more about our guys and developed more depth. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/natrona-county-football-keys-against-laramie/article_da22e7d9-877d-5672-bf69-744f724c3030.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-top-ranked-natrona-county-ruins-laramie-s-homecoming/article_667443e6-89d6-5c99-a80d-48e44f90722c.html http://www.wyosports.net/high_school/laramie_high/mustangs-intercept-plainsmen/article_0d845fc2-14f4-11e2-9e44-001a4bcf887a.html

GILLETTE:

The final week is the big week in 4A football. All five games have playoff seeding implications. The biggest will be at Mustang Stadium. Mustangs and Camels the winner is the first seed, the loser is the 2nd seed. The Camels are 8-0 and have put together a nice season. They have an explosive offense and many playmakers. It will be a great test for us. We need to heal up, get well and STUDY like crazy. What a great game. Congratulations to the kids on both teams. Both teams played a great game. This game had a little bit of everything. Big plays on Offense, Defense and Special Teams. It was a classic. You can read about the game and view pictures at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/football/nc-holds-off-gillette/collection_c8eb7cee-1a73-11e2-877d-001a4bcf887a.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/prep-football-natrona-county-edges-gillette-after-hectic-finish/article_2f69bad7-8164-56e6-8331-ffe32292da3e.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/state-football-quarterfinal-schedule/article_ba9dbc24-1a78-11e2-bb95-0019bb2963f4.html

QUARTERFINAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

The Mustangs have earned the first seed and will host the Rock Springs Tigers on Friday October 26th. Kickoff time will be announced later, expect 6 or 7pm. The Tigers have continued to develop and are a much better team than when we played them six weeks ago. We can become much crisper and sharper and quicker. We will put the "regular season" on the shelf. It was a great regular season but now we head into the final season, the "post-season." There are no second chances, no "next week." It is all now and setting our jaw, picking up our pace and locking it down to do everything we can to be as good as we can. This includes, proper rest, crisp, sharp practice, intense weight sessions, proper nutrition/hydration, film study and a humility and grace that recognizes how fortunate we are and how fleeting this is. We had a good week of practice, crisp, snappy and somewhat shorter with parent-teacher conferences. We also had a change in the weather as a cold front came through. We practiced in snow on Wed. Friday was cold. We had a 6pm kickoff and started with the ball and scored on our first possesion. We started kind of slow but really cranked up in the 3rd quarter. The fourth quarter was running clock and we subbed quickly and played everyone. It was a great start to the playoffs. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/mustangs-football-natrona-blasts-rock-springs-after-slow-start/article_8869c980-b815-531f-9812-cd4e88d8d175.html

SEMI-FINAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

We host Cheyenne East this Friday at 7pm. The Thunderbirds were 45-6 winners over Central to advance. We played a month ago and the T-Birds have improved. They have a nice team and have lost games to Sheridan, Gillette and us. They have some tremendous athletes and it will be a great game. The weather looks to be great. We lost the toss and received the kickoff. After some tough defensive play by both teams we took the 2 minute drill and and scored to end the half 6-0. We started to roll the 2nd half playing tough defense and scoring 4 TD's. Congratulations to the Mustangs. We look forward to another great contest vs. the Gillette Camels. The weather looks to be good this week in Casper and Laramie. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/class-a-semifinal-natrona-gets-another-shot-at-east/article_aee4a4e7-0bd9-5bce-ab96-84f16ccea9a4.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/state-football-playoffs-natrona-county-shuts-out-cheyenne-east/article_a80ba419-043b-5ac9-bfe1-a1fa4c273e2e.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/state-football-playoffs-no-heartbreak-for-natrona-county/article_3361b43c-3cc9-5ef7-a0c3-7e232dd190fa.html http://www.wyosports.net/high_school/cheyenne_east/groeneweg-has-fit-in-well-with-veteran-east-linebackers/article_aa53de4a-23db-11e2-aba1-001a4bcf887a.html http://www.wyosports.net/high_school/cheyenne_east/east-must-minimize-miscues-move-the-football-against-natrona/article_4f4817d2-24a8-11e2-8509-001a4bcf887a.html http://www.wyosports.net/high_school/cheyenne_east/second-half-surge-carriers-natrona-past-east-in-class-a/article_b3a3718a-2576-11e2-bab4-0019bb2963f4.html

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP NATRONA VS.GILLETTE:

We will adjust practice this week given it is a Saturday game. The weather looks to be great this week in Casper and Laramie. Update on the weather as it will change a little Friday night while we are sleeping. We will probably wake up to a little snow on Saturday morning. We will leave a little earlier and have a good trip. You can read features about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/natrona-county-football-mustangs-offense-finds-groove/article_488abcc7-55eb-5036-a131-5e52637b9d7b.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/natrona-county-football-mustangs-defensive-line-sets-the-pace/article_c4b50564-a797-591f-bae2-08db3e5bf708.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/state-football-natrona-county-defense-assembles-for-final-test/article_80774864-18a7-57a7-adf0-98c4309b91a6.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/state-football-class-a-team-previews/article_766724bf-5bea-584f-bdb3-8a1399ebbeca.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/state-football-class-a-championship-preview/article_59c8f8f0-ce3a-5e12-8ba1-e46158d34cb5.html

We were on schedule all day. The trip down was to Laramie Saturday morning was perfect. The roads were slick until we passed Shirley Rim and then it was clear sailing. The weather held off and it turned out to be a perfect night for football. The NCHS JROTC color guard started the event in fine fashion. We were the home team and the 4:00pm kickoff had brilliant sunshine in our eyes for the first half and when we returned for the 2nd half it was a night game! What a great performance by the Mustangs! There is too much to express here but preparation was key. The game was an outcome of the TOTAL TEAM effort by all of our guys. The scout teams were awesome, the assistant coaches did a great job, the parents were terrific. Teamwork makes the Dreamwork! The band, cheerleaders and dance team were fantastic. You can read about the game at http://trib.com/sports/high-school/perfect-natrona-county-shuts-down-gillette/article_14720de2-7e61-534d-81b4-60888939887f.html http://trib.com/sports/high-school/class-a-state-football-how-they-scored/article_67c0a69b-b74c-5b96-952d-2ae91d900ead.html http://trib.com/sports/gallery-a-state-football/collection_8db3c128-2bac-11e2-b7db-0019bb2963f4.html http://www.wyosports.net/high_school/laramie_high/natrona-dominates-gillette-for-a-title-perfect-season/article_0170ee7c-2ba0-11e2-87fd-0019bb2963f4.html http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/stories/State-championship-Natrona-35-Gillette-7,80833

Thanks for your support and More Later.

Thanks for checking in. Trust that we will do our best, hang together and 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