WyoPreps Game of the Week: #5 Newcastle at Wheatland [VIDEO]

The fan-voted WyoPreps Game of the Week, which has major playoff implications, takes us to Class 2A for the fifth-ranked Newcastle Dogies at the Wheatland Bulldogs. Both teams are in the playoffs, but which seed they are and a possible home playoff game for Newcastle are on the line. The Dogies are 5-2 on the season and 5-1 in the 2A East Conference. Wheatland enters at 4-4 on the season and 4-2 in league games.

Newcastle is coming off a 49-14 win over Burns. Wheatland shut out Moorcroft last week 42-0. Both wins create the possibility of a three-way tie between these two and Burns for the 2-3-4 seeds in the conference, pending the outcome of Friday’s action. Burns will host Moorcroft.

WyoPreps had a chance to chat with Wheatland head coach Tony Borton and Newcastle head coach Matt Conzelman. Borton discussed how he feels about his squad at this point of the season, how the Bulldogs’ defense has carried the team, what the talk has been with his group about what this game means, what he sees in the Dogies, and what he emphasized to his team. Conzelman touched on his team’s improving play, their vaunted ground attack, some key personnel, upping the ante for his team, what he sees in the Bulldogs, and a few keys to try to win on the road.

It is strength on strength in this matchup. Newcastle has 2A’s top rushing attack at 287 yards per game. Wheatland has the No. 2 rush defense. They allow only 90 yards per game. The Bulldogs only give up 193 yards and 17.1 points per game. The Dogies are No. 3 in total offense at 361 yards and 33.9 points per game. Wheatland has struggled on offense at only 179.3 yards per game, but they have put up 18.9 points per game.

Landon Hatheway and Collin McConkey combine to rush for 164 yards per game. They’ve combined for 18 TDs. Teddy Troftgruben only passes for 70.6 yards per game, but he has only 1 interception to 5 TD passes. McConkey leads the defense at 17.1 defensive points per game. Connor Stolhammer adds 11.6 defensive points per game.

Waylon Milnes is the No. 3 rusher in 2A football at 100.3 yards per game and has 9 TDs. Jake Hyche is the QB and adds 53 yards passing per game. He has 4 TDs and zero interceptions this year. Cooper Meyer has been an all-purpose threat rushing (second-most yards on the team), receiving (11 rec., 242 yards, 2 TDs), and kick return with one TD. Hyche anchors the defense at 11.4 defensive points per game.

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Friday night’s game in Wheatland will be the 55th between the two schools in football, according to the series history at wyoming-football.com. Wheatland has a 28-24-2 lead. The first meeting was in 1957. The Bulldogs have won 8 of the last 9 games, including 22-14 at Newcastle last year.

The kick-off is at 7 p.m. on Friday at Bulldog Stadium in Wheatland.