Dogies battle Bulldogs to the wire

The Newcastle Dogies’ memorable 2025 football season came to a hard-fought end Friday afternoon in a 21–14 loss to the Lovell Bulldogs in the opening round of the Class 2A State Playoffs at Schoonmaker Field.

On a crisp Halloween afternoon that drew a strong home crowd, the Dogies came out swinging and took the fight to one of the West’s top teams. Newcastle started fast, driving the length of the field on its opening possession and finishing the march with a 33-yard touchdown run by Dane Crabtree to take a 6–0 lead. 

“We were able to drive down and score,” Conzelman said. “We put together a solid drive and burned five or six minutes off the clock.”

Lovell countered with a touchdown of its own to take a 7-6 lead, but the Dogies reclaimed momentum late in the second quarter when quarterback Teddy Troftgruben connected with Crabtree on a 52-yard touchdown pass. Crabtree added the two-point run to make it 14–13 at halftime.

“We knew it was going to be tough, and it was,” coach Matt Conzelman said.

The third quarter proved decisive. Lovell scored on the ground again to take the lead, and both defenses dug in from there. 

“We would have the momentum, and then something would happen and they would get it back,” Conzelman said. “It just went back and forth.”

Newcastle converted a fourth-and-17 late in the game to keep its hopes alive, but a turnover allowed Lovell to run out the clock and escape with the win.

The final stats reflected just how evenly matched the two teams were. Newcastle actually outgained Lovell 322 to 311 in total offense and averaged 7.7 yards per play compared with the Bulldogs’ 5.4. But turnovers proved costly — the Dogies threw three interceptions while Lovell lost the ball only once. Both teams leaned heavily on the run game, with Lovell scoring all three of its touchdowns on the ground, while the Dogies struck a balance by mixing in Crabtree’s big scoring reception from Troftgruben.

“We had a couple of opportunities to get points on the board in the second half and didn’t,” Conzelman said. “They made plays and we didn’t, and unfortunately they ended up on top at the end.”  

The Dogies also battled through adversity, including the loss of two-way starter Drew Conzelman to injury in the third quarter. He returned later in the game to help on offense, but the setback came at a critical moment.

“The boys fought hard all day, and they have a lot to be proud of,” Conzelman said. “This Lovell team nearly beat Big Horn early in the season, so that shows how much improvement we’ve made over the course of the year.”

Lovell (7-2) advances to face Mountain View in the state semifinals, while top-ranked Big Horn will meet Thermopolis in the other. The Dogies finish 6-3 overall after a 6-1 run through the 2A East, and Conzelman praised his seniors for leading the way. 

“The seniors gave us great leadership all year, and it really hurts for those guys,” he said. “You could see in their eyes that they wanted just one more game.”

The leadership of that senior class set a standard for effort and toughness that helped the Dogies finish as the conference runner-up and earn their first home playoff game in several years. The Dogie’s season was defined by a balanced offense and a physical defense that ranked among the best in Class 2A.

“At the end of the day, if they’re selling out and doing their best, that’s all we can ask for,” Conzelman said.

Lovell 21, Newcastle 14

Scoring by Quarter
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Newcastle 6 8 0 0 14
Lovell 7 6 8 0 21

Scoring Summary
1Q: Dane Crabtree 33-yard run (kick failed)
2Q: Crabtree 52-yard reception from Troftgruben (Crabtree run, 2 pt)

Team Comparison
Total Plays: Newcastle 42, Lovell 58
Total Yards: Newcastle 322, Lovell 311
Yards per Play: Newcastle 7.7, Lovell 5.4
First Downs: Newcastle 11, Lovell 13
Turnovers: Newcastle 3 (INTs), Lovell 1 (INT)
Penalties: Newcastle 2–25, Lovell 3–30

Rushing
Newcastle: 31 carries, 188 yards, 1 TD (6.1 avg)
Lovell: 45 carries, 226 yards, 3 TD (5.0 avg)

Passing
Newcastle: 3-of-7, 74 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Lovell: 3-of-10, 42 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT

Total Offense
Newcastle: 322 yards (7.7 avg/play)
Lovell: 311 yards (5.4 avg/play)

Special Teams
Newcastle: 1 punt (51 yds); 3 kickoffs (146 yds); 4 returns (60 yds)
Lovell: 1 punt (52 yds); 4 kickoffs (184 yds); 3 returns (43 yds)

Offensive Leaders
Rushing: Troftgruben 11-83; Crabtree 10-61-1TD; McConkey 9-36; Hatheway 1-8.
Passing: Troftgruben 3-7-74-1TD-3INT.
Receiving: Crabtree 2-57-1TD; Perino 1-17.

Defensive Leaders
Jace Rich: 19 (14 tackles)
Mason Rawhouser: 16 (12 tackles, 1 TFL)
Collin McConkey: 11 (10 tackles)
Drew Conzelman: 10 (8 tackles)
Teddy Troftgruben: 10 (3 tackles, 2 PBUs)
Dane Crabtree: 10 (7 tackles)
Cort Perino: 9 (5 tackles, 1 PBU)
Cole Erb: 8 (5 tackles, 1 TFL)
Dylan Hespe: 9 (5 tackles)
Nate White: 3 (3 tackles)
Colton Hatheway: 3 (2 tackles)
Dustin McCarthy: 1 (1 tackle)
Ty Anderson: 1 (1 tackle)
Carter Farella: 1 (1 tackle)
Lucas Benshoff: 1 (1 tackle)