Grandview’s Gentry bowing out in big way
Wide receiver Tanner Gentry had two scholarship offers coming out of Aurora’s Grandview High School in 2013, from Wyoming and Air Force. Either way, he was going to play in the Mountain West.
Gentry chose the Cowboys, and in his senior season they are playing for the Mountain West championship Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.
Gentry, a 6-foot-2 senior, will enter the conference championship game against San Diego State as one of the country’s top receivers. He ranks 20th nationally in yards receiving this year with 1,131 — which is sixthmost in Wyoming’s single-season history. He is tied for 15th nationally in touchdown receptions with 11, and 21st in yards receiving per game with an average of 94.3.
“It’s been awesome — fun to win some games and see some success,” Gentry said during a phone interview this week. “Also on a personal level, I feel like I’ve done a good job being productive this year.”
Gentry caught five passes for 112 yards last weekend in Wyoming’s 56-35 loss at New Mexico. The Cowboys, who upset San Diego State the previous week in Laramie, clinched their conference championship game berth when Air Force beat Boise State the night before at Falcon Stadium.
“We just got beat in all phases of the game,” Gentry said of losing to the Lobos. “I think we’ve moved from that. We recognized that it happened but I don’t think a lot of what happened last week is going to translate to this next game, because they’re two completely different teams. I just think our team is ready to move from last week and we know we have a big opportunity ahead of us in the championship game.”
Third-year Cowboys coach Craig Bohl, the Mountain West coach of the year, said knowing his team was ensured a berth in the championship game is being disrespectful to New Mexico to explain the Cowboys’ performance in Albuquerque.
“We need to play better, and we will,” Bohl said during his weekly teleconference with reporters. “I do believe we’ve got really good leadership within this football team. They’re a galvanized group.”
Wyoming (8-4), New Mexico (8-4) and Boise State (10-2) each finished 6-2 in conference games, but the Cowboys were the superior 4-1 in Mountain Division games. San Diego State (9-3, 6-2) has absorbed its league losses the past two weeks, to Wyoming and Colorado State. The Aztecs were 6-0 in West Division games.
Gentry will finish as one of Wyoming’s all-time best receivers. His 2,621 career yards receiving rank sixth at the school, and just 58 yards behind No. 5 Ryan McDuffy (2000-03).
“It really went by fast,” Gentry said of his college career. “Playing as a true freshman, that was a blast. Coach Bohl came in and we had a couple years of rebuilding, which was tough, but with my final year it’s really starting to pay off — all that hard work that we put in and all the tough times we had trying to rebuild the program to where Coach Bohl wanted. This year, it’s fun to reap the benefits.”
Win or lose Saturday, Wyoming will play in a bowl game. Gentry isn’t picky.
“Any bowl game would be awesome, considering that I’ve never been to one,” he said. “I really don’t care. Just happy that we’re getting the opportunity to go to a bowl game, so I would be happy with wherever.”