The University of Wyoming football team finished 3-9 this season, so the Pokes won’t be playing in a bowl game.
Cowboys fans and others across Wyoming still have locals to cheer for when Montana State University hosts the University of South Dakota on Saturday. Both teams boast former high school players from Sheridan, and MSU Bobcats head coach Brent Vigen spent seven years in Laramie as an assistant to former UW head coach Craig Bohl.
The cross-pollination from Wyoming high schools to the Montana State football program includes three sets of brothers who became Bobcats. Their success bolsters Wyoming’s reputation for producing quality high school recruits. Plus, it’s exciting for Wyomingites to cheer on their own.
Why watch the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl or the Pop-Tarts Bowl when you can get hyped to cheer for the Steel brothers from Sheridan?
Brock and Dane Steel followed their brother Coy, a former MSU wide receiver, to Bozeman. Coy was the 2016 Gatorade Player of the Year for Wyoming as a Bronc at Sheridan High School. Now Brock plays defensive back and Dane is a wide receiver.
“Sheridan has kind of become sort of a pipeline,” said Jake Vigen, a sophomore defensive end for the Bobcats and the eldest son coach Vigen.
Jake attended a rodeo with his teammates in Sheridan this past summer.
“None of those guys are complaining about having to do crappy work or anything like that,” he said. “They're tough.”
The Laramie Connection
Jake and his brothers Grant and Luke grew up going to UW games in Laramie, where their father called the offense and Jake played for Laramie High School.
Even then before his father accepted the head coaching position at MSU, Jake had his eye on Bozeman.
“I would reach out to Montana State when I was diving into the recruiting process, like sending out emails and stuff, but it didn't really come to fruition until I found out we were moving here,” said Jake, who in 2021 along with the rest of his family, got the chance to return to Laramie right away.
Turns out, Brent Vigen’s first game as a head coach was against his old team.
“The scheduling gods made it be,” Vigen told Cowboy State Daily. “It was a unique way to start out my coaching career, no doubt.”
During the 2021 game between the Cats and Pokes, Montana State led most of the game. Jake remembers sitting among his high school pals decked out in Bobcat gear.
“That was kind of weird, but it was cool,” he said. “I wish we could have pulled that one out.”
The Bobcats lost to UW in the final minutes when Wyoming quarterback Sean Chambers led an eight-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown pass to Treyton Welch with 47 seconds remaining.
Since then, Brent Vigen’s Bobcats haven’t lost many games, and Chambers — the QB who handed Vigen his first loss — is now part of the MSU coaching staff. That’s how it is between Wyoming and Montana State.
“I think there's a lot of crossover between the two states,” said Bill Lamberty, MSU’s assistant athletic director for communications, who is a proud UW grad. “When I was in Laramie, I went to school with a bunch of kids from Montana, with great football players from Billings.
“And I think there's a lot of Wyoming people, especially from Billings and the eastern part of the state, a lot of crossover, family ties, friendships.”
Brother Vs. Brother
Like the Steel brothers, the Coon brothers — Garrett and Colson — played for Sheridan and found their college football home in Bozeman. Then the older Garrett transferred to South Dakota, setting up a sibling rivalry between two Wyoming-raised athletes in Saturday’s FCS semifinal game.
Garrett played running back for MSU (14-0). He stands at 6 feet tall, weighs 195 pounds and on Saturday, Garrett will be dressed in red and white on the visitor sidelines along with the rest of the South Dakota Coyotes (11-2).
“I know Garrett was looking for an opportunity to shift gears. He graduated undergrad here, so it was kind of a combo between school, getting to a new place, and maybe having some more opportunity on the field,” said coach Vigen. “I know he's been hurt for a bunch this season, but it's kind of worked out for him.”
Garrett’s younger brother Colson is the first two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Wyoming history, who rushed for 2,195 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2022. In a state semifinal game, Colson ran for an astounding 517 yards, setting a new state rushing record.
Still a redshirt freshman, Colson’s biggest rushing day as a Bobcat came against Mercyhurst University where he ran for 102 yards. Against the Coyotes, Colson will be part of a talented rotation of running backs and could get a chance to run right past his brother standing on the opposite sideline.
Montana State Head Coach Brent Vigen was named the 2024 Eddie Robinson Award winner as the best head coach at the FCS level. Before taking over the Bobcats in Bozeman, Vigen spent seven years as an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming. (University of Wyoming Athletics) 
Montana State University sophomore defensive end — and coach’s kid — Jake Vigen, formerly of Laramie, now living and playing in Bozeman. (Courtesy MSU and MaxPreps) 
Colson Coon was a standout for the Sheridan High School football team, and now plays for undefeated Montana State University. (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
Jake Vigen played football in Laramie, Wyoming, when his father coached for UW. Now his dad coaches at Montana State University, where Jake plays for him. (Montana State University)
Wyoming-Bred Players In National Spotlight
The Sheridan pipeline delivering talent to MSU continues to pique the interest of other talented high school players in Wyoming.
“I think in the northern part of the state, we have an opportunity to gain interest, for sure,” said coach Vigen. “You know, we have the Sheridan group. And I know we’ve recruited Cody. We’ve recruited Gillette.
“When you have guys come up to your program and have success, I think that always does help.”
Anything to get an edge in tight recruiting battles, as some top talent — like former Sheridan offensive lineman Blayne Baker — considered the Bobcats but ultimately chose the Pokes.
The nationally televised showdown against South Dakota offers Montana State a moment in the spotlight, when high school players in Wyoming might learn more about what’s happening in Bozeman.
Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. kickoff on the ABC network offers big-time exposure for an FCS program.
“I think it's our first game on ABC since the semifinal game in 1984,” said Assistant AD Lamberty, harkening back to the last time MSU won a national championship.
Bobcat Fans From Cowboy Country
For those looking for a good place to watch the game in Laramie, coach Vigen suggests The Library Sports Grille & Brewery for a sensible good time, acknowledging there are rowdier options.
“The Buckhorn would be the place where I think all the nonsense goes on, I suppose,” he said about one of Laramie’s more infamous watering holes.
If Montana State beats South Dakota, the Bobcats and the team’s ingrained Wyoming DNA will travel to Frisco, Texas, where they will compete in the 2024-25 FCS Championship Game on Jan. 6 at Toyota Stadium.
But first they have to get past South Dakota.
MSU will bring far more Wyoming talent to Bobcat Stadium on Saturday. In addition to Coon, the two Steel brothers and coach Vigen’s oldest son Jake, there are two more Vigens waiting in the wings.
Middle son Grant Vigen committed to play for his father next season at Montana State, and eighth grader Luke could emerge as a high school prospect in the coming years. Along with big brother Jake and proud papa Brent, they all spent seven formative years in Laramie.
“Through that stretch, we met some great people. Still, some of our best friends are there,” said coach Vigen. “And I think the experience working with the Cowboys was very impactful on who I am as a coach today. I can't say enough good things about our time there.”
If a top high school recruit from Wyoming asks Vigen about Laramie, his response these days might be something like, “How about taking an official visit to Bozeman?”
David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.
