WyoPreps Preseason Football Tour: Thermopolis Bobcats [VIDEO]

Hope springs eternal when teams begin a new football season. With a good core returning in 2024 after playing with some younger players the last couple of seasons, the Thermopolis Bobcats hope to take the next step. That won’t be easy in the highly competitive 2A West Conference, where they finished fifth in 2023.

Thermopolis was 2-7 last year, which included a 2-4 record in conference games. The Cats struggled on offense and averaged less than 200 yards of offense and 11 points per game in 2023. They were solid on defense and allowed only 261 yards and 20.3 points per game. With one more year of experience, the Bobcats would like to return to the 2A playoffs, which they have not been a part of since 2019. Thermopolis is led by Zane Stam, Del Dukes, Ryan Arends, and Armani Dukes.

WyoPreps caught up with seniors Del Dukes and Zane Stam, plus second-year head coach Boone Bowker, to preview the upcoming season.

The Bobcats open the 2024 season on Aug. 30 versus Newcastle. Thermopolis’ first three games are at home. Besides the Dogies, they host Tongue River, Worland, Cokeville, and Mountain View at LeRoy Hayes Field. The Bobcats face Kemmerer, Lovell, Lyman, and Pinedale on the road.