A Big Tilt in the 2A East is the WyoPreps 'Game of the Week'

A top-five match-up that will have an impact on the top four seeds in the 2A East Conference is the fan-voted WyoPreps Week 8 ‘Game of the Week.’

No. 3 Upton-Sundance hosts No. 5 Big Horn, as the two teams tangle in a game that features conference title and home playoff game implications.

Upton-Sundance is 6-1 on the season and 5-1 in the conference.

Big Horn has won five in a row after a 0-2 start. They have a 5-2 overall record and are 5-1 in the league.

WyoPreps talked with both head coaches, Andy Garland from Upton-Sundance and Kirk McLaughlin of Big Horn, before the key game. Garland talked about how his team adjusted from last season to this one, what’s led to his team’s success this year, some key personnel, getting ready to play in the cold, the big game atmosphere, and the match-up with the Rams. McLaughlin touched on what’s led to Big Horn’s 5-game win streak, how Carson Bates is key to his team’s success, his perspective on the big-game atmosphere, and the challenge Upton-Sundance presents. Both also discussed the keys for them to be successful.

The Patriots have the No. 1 offense in Class 2A that averages 405 yards and 40.3 points per game. They also have the second-rated defense that allows only 166.4 yards and 13.4 points per game. Upton-Sundance has the best rush defense, allowing just 27.4 yards per game and one yard per rushing attempt.

Big Horn’s offense is ranked fifth in 2A at 296 yards and 29.3 points per game. The Rams give up 232.3 yards and 14 points per game. They are third against the pass, allowing just 71 pass yards per game.

Upton-Sundance is led by QB Brad Krueger. He averages 193.2 yards per game to rank second in all-purpose yardage per game in Class 2A. He had 18 touchdown passes with zero interceptions. Brayden Bruce anchors the Patriots defense and averages 17.5 defensive points per game, which is No. 9 in Class 2A.

Quarterback Cooper Garber leads the Big Horn attack and averages 143.4 yards per game. He has 11 TDs and six interceptions. Sean Walker ranks No. 16 in defensive points at 15 per game.

This meeting will be just the fourth between these two programs on the football field. Big Horn has won all three of the previous games in the series. The closest margin was 27 points, which was from last year’s game. The history of this series is courtesy of wyoming-football.com.

Kick-off is at 6 p.m. in Sundance.