March 26, 2024 |
Photo – Wyoming Cowboy Football team – Courtesy gowyo.com
The Wyoming Cowboy football team will begin its first spring practice under new Wyoming Head Coach Jay Sawvel today.
Wyoming capped off a 9-4 season win last season with storybook 16-15 win over the Toledo Rockets. Who can forget kicker John Hoyland and the struggles he had down the stretch last season? Cinching the win in Tucson with the game winning field goal as time ran out and every hope in Wyoming carrying the ball through the uprights. Keith Kelly and Kevin McKinney had the call here on Bigfoot 99.
The field goal secured the victory and delivered Wyoming’s nine-win season since 1996 when UW posted 10 wins. It was also the fourth season of eight or more wins during the Craig Bohl era and the sixth winning season during Bohl’s 10-year tenure as Cowboy head coach.
Coach Bohl had announced his retirement earlier that month, Dec. 6.
Now it’s a new year, a new season, and a new head coach.
The Cowboys will practice 15 times in the spring including the annual spring game on Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. at Cheyenne East High School, as the game will be free and open to the public with gates opening at noon.
Sawvel returns a core of veteran players to his roster including three players who earned All-Mountain West honors a season ago along with the MVP of the Arizona Bowl.
Jordan Bertagnole earned Second-Team All-MW honors and is joined by Wyett Ekeler (Honorable Mention) to anchor a veteran group that also features the return of linebacker Shae Suiaunoa and a host of other returners, as Wyoming brings back six of their top seven tacklers from last season.
The Wyoming offense welcomes back honorable mention All-MW running back Harrison Waylee along with tight end John Michael Gyllenborg and quarterback Evan Svoboda, who stepped in and helped lead the Pokes to a comeback win over Toledo in the Arizona Bowl.
Also returning is the hero of the Arizona Bowl, Hoyland, who was named the MVP with his game winning kick.
The Cowboys will be back at Arizona State to open the season against the Sun Devils on Saturday, August 31.
The Pokes return home for two straight Saturday games inside War Memorial Stadium. First up is the University of Idaho September 7 and BYU one week later.
The Pokes then head to Denton, Texas to take on the University of North Texas. One week later, on September 28th, Wyoming opens the conference schedule at Air Force inside the War.
