WyoPreps Playoff Spotlight: #2 Campbell County vs. #3 East

Back in the semifinals for the first time since 2016, the Campbell County Camels host the Cheyenne East Thunderbirds at Camel Field in Gillette at 6 p.m. on Friday. The two squared off only two weeks ago (Week 8) in the last game of the regular season. Campbell County rallied for a 29-26 victory. The Camels are 9-1 on the season, and the Thunderbirds are 8-2.

That regular season game saw Campbell County rally from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter for the victory. They trailed 26-14 and scored the final 15 points of the game.

WyoPreps chatted with Campbell County head coach Orah Garst and Cheyenne East head coach Chad Goff. Both reflected on their playoff victory last week and seeing each other such a short time after the regular season game. They also said they know each team will adjust and fix errors made two weeks ago. Coach Goff addressed his team’s experience in a game of this level. Coach Garst understands his team is new to this position but feels they have what it takes to focus on their plan and not the pressure of the semifinals.

Campbell County has the No. 1 offense in 4A at 396 yards and 30 points per game. The Camels are the top passing team in the state at 240 yards per game. Cheyenne East counters with the No. 3 offense at 316 yards and 32.5 points per game. The Thunderbirds feature the top-ranked rushing attack at 217 yards per game. Defensively, the teams are nearly even. East allows 234 yards and 14.9 points per game. Right behind is Campbell County at 236 yards and 11.4 points per game.

The Camels’ offense is guided by Mason Drube. He throws for close to 233 yards per game with 20 TDs and seven interceptions. Drube completes nearly 62 percent of his passes. Trent Rosenau adds 108.1 yards rushing per game, which is the top mark in 4A. He has 8 TD runs. Treyten Sukut leads the defense and is No. 3 in the state at 15.2 defensive points per game.

Cheyenne East is led by Keyshawn Brown, who averages 101 yards rushing per game. QB Nolan Horton runs for 40 yards and adds 89 passing yards per game. Two more running backs, Anthony Pacheco and Tanner Stehwien add to the ground attack. On defense, linebacker Bobby Mathews at 12.8 defensive points per game is No. 6 in the state.

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Cheyenne East Had Controlled the Series Recently

Friday is the 55th football game between the two schools. Campbell County holds a 29-25 lead in the series, according to wyoming-football.com. The Thunderbirds have won eight in a row over the Camels. Campbell County is 8-3 in the playoff meetings. East won the most recent playoff game in 2021, 31-12.

The kick-off is at 6 p.m. at Camel Stadium in Gillette.