<div><h2>Reflecting on the Lander Valley Tigers’ ‘26 season</h2>Simply put, being able to step into this job, where one of my main responsibilities is serving as WyoToday Media’s color commentator for the Lander Valley Tigers, has been an absolute honor.Covering the entirety of Fremont County sports is a blast and a large part of that is due to the conversations I’ve had with Tiger football players, and the coaching staff of the LVHS football team.Whether it was my weekly chat with Coach Rounds, talking to senior Corbin Fidler after his excellent display of sportsmanship during the week three Star Valley game or seeing the excitement in the players during their post game interviews, the season offered so many awesome moments.In the Tigers first game of the season against the Jackson Broncs, the game started with a bang, as the Broncs took the opening kickoff 99 yards to the house (talk about a welcome to the season), only for the Tigers immediately marched down the field and knotted the game at seven.Fast forward to the end of week three and the Tigers were 0-3, having played three ranked 3A teams.Starting 0-3 is never what a team wants, and the people who weren’t too high on the Tigers going into the season felt as though they were in the midst of being proven right.However, through those first three weeks, my play-by-play man, Andrew Garcia, and I truly felt the Tigers were growing and on the verge of really coming into their own.They had the defense, the special teams were bound to improve, and while the offense lacked consistency, it showed flashes of being a successful unit.Against the Buffalo Bison in week four, senior Caleb Andrews’ pick-six turned the game on its head and started the team on a path to a 31-7 victory.Against the Riverton Wolverines in week four – quite possibly one of the most entertaining football games I’ve seen at any level -- sophomore Afton Cox’s 76-yard receiving touchdown on a scramble drill put the Tigers up 14-0.Despite Cox’s heroics, the Tigers wound up losing, and had to defeat Douglas to keep their chances of a home playoff game alive.In the first half against Douglas, the Tigers looked incapable of stopping the Bearcats star running back Milo Oria, but in the second half, they put together their best showing when they needed it most and defeated Douglas 35-19.This was one of, if not my favorite moments from the season, as the Tigers had their backs firmly against the wall, only to play their best football when they needed to.This type of growth is one of many reasons the team was such a joy to watch throughout the season, showcasing the team’s unwillingness to roll over despite the ups and downs of the season.After thrashing a young Worland Warriors team 39-0 on senior night, the Tigers then upset (though not a single Lander Valley Tiger would refer to it as that) the Jackson Broncs, ending the Broncs’ season for the second straight year.The Tigers’ ability to perform when they needed to most, consistently prove the doubters wrong and show the ability to adapt throughout the season are far more important than any statistic, in my mind, and it’s what makes me so excited for next season and what these Tigers will become off of the football field.<h2>Andrew’s thoughts</h2>I thought the Lander Tigers’ football season went incredibly well. Not a lot of people had high expectations heading into the season, especially with a tough early-season schedule. The Tigers proved them wrong, and Head Coach John Rounds played a big part in that, as they finished 5-5After week three, the Tigers changed up their entire offense, putting senior Finn McFadden at quarterback, while putting previous quarterback Garett Romer at wide receiver, something that, at the time, had some question marks around it, considering how early it was, but I loved it.The move was at a perfect time and Finn was a perfect fit. His combination of arm talent and unique elusiveness makes it hard for the opposing coaches to game plan for him.On the other side, as the season went on, Romer seemed to make a name for himself at the wide receiver spot.Something that caught my eye throughout the season was the improvement of sophomores Afton Cox, Nolan Post, and Emery Harris, who will all have expanded roles next year as juniors, and who will only get better. All three had a season that continuously caught the eye of coach Rounds.Also, that Tiger defensive line, which had a fantastic season, made their mark all the way at the beginning of the season in week one against Jackson, and only seemed to get better all the way up to the end of the season.Some of my favorite moments from the season were Cox’s 76-yard receiving touchdown versus Riverton and the entire Jackson playoff game. Again, going in the Tigers were considered the “underdogs,” even though they matched up incredibly well with the Broncs, and coach Rounds and his players knew that and got the job done.To me, the theme of the season was the Tigers proving everyone wrong, and I believe they did that week-in and week-out.My favorite game was the Douglas game, in which the Tigers fought through adversity, put up the best second half of their season and clinched a home playoff game.Overall, I view the Tigers’ season as beyond successful. Starting off 0-3 and then finishing 5-5 is not an easy task, but coach Rounds and the Tigers did just that – even giving Star Valley some troubles in the second half of the semifinals by putting up the second most points Star Valley allowed against teams in Wyoming this year. The future is definitely bright for Lander Tigers football.</div>

Block Source: wyotoday.com

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Reflecting on the Lander Valley Tigers’ ‘26 season. Simply put, being able to step into this job, where one of my main responsibilities is serving as WyoToday Media’s color commentator for the Lander Valley Tigers, has been an absolute honor. Covering the entirety of Fremont County sports...

Allen’s analysis: Absolute honor

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Reflecting on the Lander Valley Tigers’ ‘26 season. Simply put, being able to step into this job, where one of my main responsibilities is serving as WyoTo

Allen’s analysis: Absolute honor

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