Big Horn has canceled its game this week with the Natrona sophomores, Big Horn AD Christy Wright said in an email Monday. The game was originally scheduled for Friday in Casper. Big Horn will keep the week open to rest and heal players.
–patrick
I recently conducted an interview with K2 Radio on the upcoming release of my book. The book, still untitled, will be more reference than narrative, but will string together pieces of storytelling as i try to dissect how we as a state reached the point where high school football is at today.
Click here to see the story, and check this blog for more updates on the book, including its release (hopefully soon after the completion of the 2011 season).
–patrick
The Wyoming Shrine Bowl raised $32,000 in 2011, money that has been donated to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City, the Shrine Bowl’s board of directors announced today. The North team defeated the South 34-28 in the game, which was played last June in Casper.
The 2012 game will be played June 9 at Cheney Alumni Field in Casper.
–patrick
All season long, Class 4A football has had a clear, demonstrable order. Until Friday.
That’s when Rock Springs and Cheyenne Central showed just how interesting the playoffs might become.
Rock Springs rebounded from last week’s demoralizing loss to Kelly Walsh and not only beat Cheyenne East, the Tigers handled the Thunderbirds quite easily. The final score, 27-6, showed just how much the Tigers wanted to (a) make the playoffs, (b) show the rest of 4A they should be taken as a serious contender, and (c) prove last week was an aberration, not a trend. It’s the first time all season a “top six” 4A team (East, Central, Gillette, Sheridan, Natrona, Evanston) has lost to a “bottom four” (Rock Springs, Kelly Walsh, Laramie, South), and in doing so the Tigers Tunguskaed the whole idea of a “top six” and a “bottom four.”
And unsung Cheyenne Central, the team that all season long has been at the bottom of the “top six,” knocked frontrunner Gillette off its tack with a 41-33 victory. The Camels, like Rock Springs, were coming off a rough loss last week, but the Energy Bowl hangover plus the long trip to Cheyenne — as well as an Indian team playing with renewed purpose — proved to be too much for the Camels to overcome. With the playoffs just a couple weeks away, the 4A bracket suddenly looks a lot less predictable.
Third mad props to Lander, which pulled off a big victory at home by knocking off perennial power Buffalo 14-7. The Tigers — who last week were lambasted 45-7 by Douglas — rebounded from that loss in dramatic fashion and beat Buffalo in a low-scoring, hard-fought defensive affair, a game the Bison typically win. With losses to Douglas and Lander, Buffalo’s run of eight consecutive years of hosting a first-round playoff game appears to be over. And it looks like it may be Lander that takes that spot for its own.
Fourth mad props to Burns, which outscored Wheatland 19-0 in the second half to knock off the Bulldogs 36-29. The victory is great for Burns, a team that started the season 0-3 but is now right back in the playoff hunt with three consecutive victories. This is the Burns team we expected to see when the season started. But the loss may be even worse for Wheatland than the victory is important to Burns. After last week’s fourth-quarter collapse against Big Horn, Wheatland has now lost two conference games in a row — and three of four — heading into a crucial game next week against Newcastle. Even a victory against the Dogies might not be enough for Wheatland; even Raquel may not be able to salvage a playoff spot for the Bulldogs. Especially after what happened Friday.
Fifth mad props to Wind River, which kept its playoff hopes alive by beating Burlington 19-13. As I explained earlier this week, every victory is important in the wild, wild 1A West, but this one was especially critical for the Cougars. A loss would have knocked Wind River down to 1-4 in conference play; now, the Cougars are 2-3, tied with Saratoga and Burlington for the fourth and final playoff spot in the west. The Cougars now have to find a way to keep the momentum going as they face their two biggest tests of the season the next two weeks: conference frontrunner Cokeville on the road next week and second-place Riverside at home in Week 8.
Sixth mad props to Pinedale, which picked up its first victory of the season by beating Big Piney 28-20. Obviously, this game was not going to affect the playoff race all that much. Both teams came in winless. But the release and relief the Wranglers gained by beating their cross-county rivals should do a lot for the mentality of the team. The Punchers had beaten the Wranglers in 11 of their past 12 meetings, so to get this victory means a lot to the folks in the northern half of Sublette County — even if it’s the only victory of the season. (By the way, with games against Greybull and Lovell coming up the next two weeks, the Punchers are now staring down the gunbarrel of a winless season. If Big Piney loses those two games, it will be the school’s first winless season since 1969, a 42-year span.)
Saturday edit: Seventh mad props to Kemmerer, which put itself into the thick of the 2A West Conference playoff race by beating Greybull 21-14 on Saturday in Kemmerer. The Rangers had a less-than-impressive resume entering Saturday’s contest, with the team’s lone conference victories coming against winless Big Piney and winless-until-beating-Big Piney-this-week Pinedale and two big losses to Lyman and Thermopolis. Nevertheless, the Rangers are now 3-2 in conference play and can secure a playoff spot in the next two weeks. To do that, though, Kemmerer has to keep the momentum rolling against two of the conference’s better teams: Lovell in Lovell next Friday and Mountain View in Kemmerer to close out the regular season. It’s a tough task, but the Rangers proved Saturday that it’s a task they may just be able to accomplish.
Other stuff I noticed this week:
Buffalo, Kemmerer and Mountain View: The only three teams in the state that have neither won two games in a row nor lost two games in a row. They’ve perfectly alternated wins and losses all season. … Saturday edit: So much for Kemmerer. The Rangers’ win-loss alternating ended with their big victory over Greybull. …
Since losing to Southeast three weeks ago, Lusk has notched three consecutive shutouts. Up next for the Tigers: home dates against Normative Services and Upton to close the regular season. …
I mentioned this early Friday on Twitter, but the fact that two games ended up as 66-6 finals on Friday (both six-man games, Dubois over Hanna and Snake River over Kaycee) was quite unusual. Prior to Friday, the 66-6 final had only been achieved four other times in state history: Powell over Basin in 1940, Wheatland over Newcastle in 1988, Custer/Melstone MT over Meeteetse in 2003 and Midwest over Farson 2010. In addition, Ten Sleep also beat the Riverside JV 66-6 in Zero Week this season. …
I neglected to mention this last week, but I figured better late than never: The Sheridan Broncs’ 38-14 victory over Gillette last week was the 500th victory in Sheridan program history, according to my tallies. The Broncs are just the third program in the state to crack the 500-victory barrier, joining Cheyenne Central and Natrona. Central and Natrona both started the 2011 season with 529 victories. … I also neglected to mention that Sheridan’s 28-0 victory over Rock Springs two weeks ago was coach Don Julian’s 100th career victory as a head coach, spanning his time at both Riverton and Sheridan. Congratulations are (over)due to Don on the achievement.
Here is a quick look at what the playoffs would look like if the season ended today, using current standings and not projections; tiebreakers explained in parentheses:
4A: (8) Laramie at (1) Natrona; (5) Cheyenne East/Evanston at (4) Cheyenne East/Evanston; (6) Cheyenne Central at (3) Gillette; (7) Rock Springs at (2) Sheridan (Rock Springs over Kelly Walsh and Laramie due to win over East; Laramie over KW due to head-to-head win)
3A: (4W) Cody at (1E) Douglas; (3E) Riverton at (2W) Green River; (3W) Powell at (2E) Lander; (4E) Buffalo at (1W) Star Valley (Buffalo over Torrington due to win over Riverton; Star Valley over Green River due to win over Powell)
2A: (4W) Greybull at (1E) Glenrock; (3E) Newcastle at (2W) Lyman; (3W) Kemmerer at (2E) Big Horn; (4E) Burns at (1W) Lovell (Big Horn over Newcastle due to win over Wheatland; Kemmerer over Greybull due to head-to-head win)
1A 11-man: (4W) Wind River at (1E) Southeast; (3E) Pine Bluffs at (2W) Riverside; (3W) Shoshoni at (2E) Lusk; (4E) Lingle at (1W) Cokeville (Wind River over Burlington and Saratoga due to win over Rocky Mountain)
1A six-man: (4S) Hanna at (1N) Dubois; (3N) Kaycee/Ten Sleep at (2S) Snake River; (3S) Farson at (2N) Kaycee/Ten Sleep; (4N) Hulett/Meeteetse at (1S) Midwest (Midwest over Snake River due to win over Farson)
Obviously, these seedings aren’t final and games in weeks 7-8 will prove to be critical for both qualifying and seeding. At this point, no team has cemented its seed yet, although some teams have already qualified.
There were some huge games this week — games we knew would be huge when we saw them on the schedule and games that turned out to be huge because of who won unexpectedly. What was it about this week that was so surprising, amazing or fantastic to you? Post your thoughts below.
This week: 24-7 (77 percent) (not including Saturday’s four games). This season: 166-41 (80 percent).
–patrick
Outside of Cokeville, little is certain in the Class 1A West Conference this season.
Every team has at least one conference victory, but only two of the eight teams have conference records better than .500.
If the playoffs started today, three schools (Burlington, Saratoga and Shoshoni) would be tied for two playoff spots.
One school (Rocky Mountain) has won a conference game by 50 points and lost one by 55. Another (Wind River) has its three conference losses by a combined 16 points but notched its lone league victory by a 47-point margin. Yet another (Burlington) has a combined margin of victory in its two league victories of 41 points and a combined margin of defeat in its two league losses of eight.
As mentioned, the lone exception in this league is Cokeville, which has won its conference games by scores of 48-0, 41-7, 49-0 and 55-0. The defending 1A champions are clearly the class of the conference.
Behind the Panthers, though, it’s a jumble. And that makes every game really, really exciting.
Every game means something now in the 1A West. There are absolutely no throwaways in this conference this year.
Such is the case this week, as three crucial conference games (and a Cokeville game) are lined up: Burlington at Wind River, Saratoga at Riverside and Shoshoni at Rocky Mountain.
The Burlington-Wind River game (6 p.m. Friday; series tied 7-7) is crucial for both teams; Burlington can jump to 3-2 in conference play with a victory, while Wind River, at 1-3 in league play, basically needs to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive in this competitive conference.
Shoshoni makes the trip to Cowley to play Rocky Mountain (4 p.m. Friday; Rocky Mountain leads series 10-6) in a game that may end up deciding the playoff fate of both squads. Rocky Mountain has lost three in a row after opening the conference slate with a 56-6 victory over Wyoming Indian, while Shoshoni has lost two in a row after starting conference play with narrow victories over both Wind River (29-20) and Burlington (41-36).
Saratoga, meanwhile, goes to Basin to play Riverside (6 p.m. Friday; Riverside leads series 2-1) in what might be the most intriguing game on the schedule in any classification. The Rebels, at 3-1, are the only team besides Cokeville to have a league record better than .500. Saratoga is one of the three teams in the conference at 2-2, but the Panthers have won two games in a row, including last week’s 22-21 thriller over Wind River.
Cokeville, the dominant force in an otherwise parity-filled league, travels to Ethete to face Wyoming Indian (6 p.m. Friday; Cokeville leads series 3-0).
What sets this conference apart is its parity. And I’m not talking about the kind of parity where every game is close, but in the end you know who’s going to win and you see final league standings that read 7-0, 6-1, 5-2, 4-3, 3-4, 2-5, 1-6 and 0-7. Nope. Not this year. This year, we’re talking about real parity, where every team has a chance to beat any other team (except if you’re playing Cokeville, of course). And we may see conference standings that end up something like 7-0, 4-3, 4-3, 3-4, 3-4, 3-4, 2-5 and 2-5. That makes every game, every victory and every loss, critical. No one game will define the season, but one game may make or break a playoff dream.
This week, I will keep my choices simple: Cokeville, Riverside, Shoshoni and Burlington. But, outside of Cokeville, by no means do I make any choice in the 1A West this year with confidence. There’s just too much parity between spots two and seven.
Yet, that is what keeps me so interested in this conference this year. I find myself anticipating the 1A West games more heavily than any other games on the schedule. I can’t wait to see who wins and what the margins look like. It’s strangely enthralling to not know who will win any given week.
Maybe that’s how it should always be. Maybe we’re just lucky to have the chance to see such interesting results come from the 1A West this fall.
Here are my other picks for the week, with my projected winners in the kind of type that makes it appear more thick than the other kinds of type on this page:
Thursday
Interclass
Scottsbluff, Neb., JV at Southeast: The Cyclones are rolling right now, although I would anticipate the Bearcat JV will give Southeast a little bit of a tussle. 6 p.m. (NA)
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Rock Springs: One statistic that football nerds like to look at is points per yard. The lower the ratio, the more efficient your scoring is. Both these teams had pretty high ratios last week. Scoring when the chance presents itself will be key. 7 p.m. (CE 20-17)
Cheyenne South at Kelly Walsh: KW has too much to lose to let this one sneak up on it. 7 p.m. (First meeting)
Gillette at Cheyenne Central: The Camels probably won’t take too kindly to this losing thing; the Indians would love to make losing a trend for the purple and gold and will make it interesting. 7 p.m. (CC 23-22)
Natrona at Evanston: That’s a long road trip, but the Mustangs — especially the defense — have proven they are up for any challenge this season. 6 p.m. (NC 9-4)
Sheridan at Laramie: After a big win in the Energy Bowl, there is always concern about a letdown. If the Broncs do that, the Plainsmen have proven they have what it takes to pull off the upset. 7 p.m. (Lar 43-29)
Class 3A
Buffalo at Lander: Lander’s undefeated start came to an abrupt end last week against Douglas. Playing Buffalo the week after that just doesn’t seem fair. 7 p.m. (Buf 9-1)
Green River at Jackson: With Powell’s stunning loss last week, the Wolves may be 3A’s new team to beat. However, they have to prove they deserve that title in games like this one. 7 p.m. (GR 26-8-2)
Rawlins at Douglas: The last time Rawlins won in Douglas (2000), the Outlaws went on to win the state championship…. so if the Outlaws can somehow pull off the huge upset, go ahead and start engraving that state title trophy. Even so, I don’t think the Bearcats are keen on letting Rawlins pull off an upset that big, especially at Bearcat Stadium. 7 p.m. (Dou 19-9)
Star Valley at Cody: Looking for two squads that are improving rapidly? Look no further. The only problem is that one team will have its momentum abruptly paused once this game is done. 7 p.m. (SV 14-8)
Torrington at Riverton: The Trailblazers made up for a lot of lost time last week, but the Wolverines, especially at home, will probably be too much. 6:30 p.m. (Riv 7-6)
Worland at Powell: I’m sure the Panthers are ready to take the aggression built up by last week’s loss out on someone. 7 p.m. (Wor 39-29)
Class 2A
Glenrock at Wright: The Herders’ biggest tests are now behind them. 7 p.m. (Glk 14-2)
Lyman at Mountain View: Bridger Valley Bowl! This game has more playoff implications than it’s had since, oh, 2000. A huge game for these longtime rivals. Should be a great one, maybe the best game of the week in any class. 4 p.m. (MV 42-29)
Moorcroft at Big Horn: The Rams picked up a big victory last week over Wheatland and want to keep that momentum rolling. 1 p.m. (BH 24-20-1)
Pinedale at Big Piney: Somebody has to win this game in a matchup of two winless teams. Turnovers will probably swing this one in a game that looks close on paper. 4 p.m. (BP 54-42)
Thermopolis at Lovell: Every time a team has tried to push Lovell, the Bulldogs have pushed back. The Bobcats will push Lovell, too, but so far Lovell has responded to those challenges all season long. 7 p.m. (The 42-30)
Wheatland at Burns: As long as the Bulldogs don’t dwell too much on last week’s heartbreaker to Big Horn, they will be in good shape for a run at the postseason. 7 p.m. (tied 1-1)
Class 1A 11-man
Lusk at Sundance: Yes, the Bulldogs notched a nice victory last week against Lingle. But Lusk is not Lingle. 3 p.m. (Lus 21-3)
Normative Services at Lingle: The Doggers need this one if they want to maintain any hope of making it to the playoffs. 7:30 p.m. (Lin 3-0)
Pine Bluffs at Upton: After a couple tough losses in a row, the Hornets have a good chance to get back on track against the Bobcats. 5 p.m. (PB 3-1)
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Hanna: It’s a rough two-week stretch for Hanna: Snake River last week, Dubois this week. Oof. 3 p.m. (Dub 11-6)
Kaycee at Snake River: It will be interesting to see if the Buckaroos can push the Rattlers a bit. So far, no one in six-man really has accomplished that feat. 2 p.m. (SR 2-1)
Saturday
Class 2A
Greybull at Kemmerer: Long trip, Saturday game… The circumstances might be there for a Kemmerer upset if the Buffs take them lightly. Even so, I think Greybull players will have their heads in the right place for this one, a game they can’t really afford to lose. 2 p.m. (Kem 6-5)
Class 1A six-man
Farson at Hulett: One number to think about in this one: 405. That’s how many miles it is from Farson to Hulett, one way. The Pronghorns may want to think about leaving on Thursday just to make sure they get there in time…. 1 p.m. (First meeting)
Midwest at Guernsey: The Oilers have not-so-quietly been putting together a solid four-game winning streak. Win this one, and it’s five in a row heading into next week’s showdown with Snake River. 3 p.m. (Gue 9-5)
Ten Sleep at Meeteetse: It would be easy for Ten Sleep to overlook Meeteetse, especially with a big game with Kaycee coming up next week. If they do, they might pay. Don’t count on it, though. 2 p.m. (TS 27-21-1)
Open: Newcastle.
So am I on the mark this week? Or is my aim a little off? Let me know what you’re expecting out of Week 6 with a comment below.
–patrick
Riverton has moved the kickoff time for Friday’s game with Torrington from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thanks to Clint Robus at the Casper Star-Tribune for the heads up.
–patrick
Death.
Taxes.
Star Valley beating Powell when they play in Afton.
Those, my friends, are the three certainties in life. Get to know them; they will come in handy.
In retrospect, we should have anticipated unranked and underappreciated Star Valley’s 19-13 upset of top-ranked and rolling Powell. The Braves always play better at home — 12 of Star Valley’s past 17 victories have been in Afton — and they always play well against Powell, especially in Afton.
Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane of Powell’s recent trips to the Little Switzerland of America:
2009: Powell and Star Valley meet up in a game that seems to be even on paper. Result: Star Valley 29, Powell 3.
2007: Powell, then the defending state champion, comes into Afton reeling after a double-OT loss to Cody. Result: Star Valley 20, Powell 13, in overtime.
2005: Powell comes to Afton undefeated, winners of its first six games of the season. Result: Star Valley 20, Powell 0.
2004: In the second game of the season, both teams are 0-1 and looking to gain some momentum in Afton. Result: Star Valley 19, Powell 7.
2002: Powell comes into Afton high after a 1-0 start; Star Valley is 0-1 and looking to gain traction. Result: Star Valley 27, Powell 7.
2001: Powell, the only team to beat the Braves in the regular season, rolls into Star Valley for a semifinal playoff game. Result: Star Valley 21, Powell 7.
And now, 2011: Powell comes to Afton as the top-ranked team in 3A to face the unranked Braves. Result: Star Valley 19, Powell 13.
With Friday’s loss, the Panthers are now 2-15 all-time in Afton.
What this game reveals, too, is a more alarming trend for Star Valley. Since 2007, the Braves are 12-8 in Afton and are just 5-18 away from home (a mark that includes two road wins this year). I am having a hard time finding another school that has such a huge disparity between home and road records in that same time span.
The numbers aren’t deceiving. They’re clear as a valley stream. In short: Don’t ever, ever, EVER underestimate the Braves at home. They win games in Afton that they would lose on the road. That’s as certain as death and taxes.
Staying in 3A, second mad props to Torrington, which lambasted Rawlins 34-3 to keep the Outlaws’ losing streak alive. You wonder sometimes what inspires teams. Clearly, Torrington was motivated to not be the team to which Rawlins ended its losing streak. It’s not the strongest motivation, but it’s motivation nonetheless. And it just might be enough to spark the Trailblazers to finish the season stronger than they have started it. It might not save the 2011 season, but it might bring some hope and inspiration for future seasons and point the program in the right direction. As for the Outlaws…. well, they have a new mascot.
Third mad props to Saratoga, which threw itself right back into the 1A West playoff mix by picking up an important 22-21 victory over a resurgent Wind River squad. Waddie Love’s 2-point conversion with less than four minutes remaining was the difference for the Panthers. In a conference where three teams are currently tied for the third and fourth playoff spots — and where three other teams are just one game back — every victory will be important not only for conference standings, but for potential tiebreaker use down the line.
Staying in the 1A West (where you pick the winners at your own peril), fourth mad props to Riverside, which became the frontrunner for the No. 2 bid for the West’s other home playoff game behind Cokeville with its 19-6 victory over Shoshoni. Both teams came in at 2-1 and desperately needed to win for the same reasons Saratoga and Wind River needed victories on Friday: positioning for the playoffs and possible tiebreaking victories. A little bit of a hierarchy was established by the Rebels with this victory; now, the Rebels need to continue cashing in on their opportunities to put some breathing room between them and the rest of the field. First up, Saratoga next week in Basin….
Fifth mad props to Sheridan, which not only beat Gillette, it destroyed the Camels 38-14 in the Energy Bowl. It was ex-Camel Jordan Roberts who made the difference for Sheridan: 37 carries, 271 yards, three touchdowns. The Sheridan defense also did its part, holding the Camels scoreless for the game’s final 33 minutes. The victory helps Sheridan inch ever closer to home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs — something they can wrap up if they keep playing like they did on Friday.
Sixth mad props to Sundance, which surprised everyone but itself by beating Lingle 15-6. This is slowly becoming a Sundance tradition: beating an unexpecting team from the south. This year, Lingle; last year, Southeast; in 2009, Pine Bluffs; in 2008, Saratoga. Don’t take the Bulldogs for granted at home, especially if you’re supporting a team from the south.
And what else drew my attention this week? Well:
The Bridger Valley Bowl is looking like possibly the best game of the week next week. Eager to see how Mountain View and Lyman stack up against each other. … Cody finally got moving in the right direction with its 22-7 victory over Jackson. For a team that has had so many frustrating losses this season, this one had to feel good — and it assures the Broncs that they still have a pretty good shot of not only making the playoffs, but maybe doing some damage once they get there. … Lander’s first loss of the season was rather emphatic, wasn’t it? I figured Douglas would win, but I never counted on a 45-7 Bearcat whitewash. … Friday was not a pretty day in six-man. The four games were decided by an average of 46 points. The closest game was Midwest’s 56-19 victory over Hulett, and that was a game the Oilers led 50-0 at halftime.
So with 31 games this week, I certainly have not touched on everything worth talking about. So what do you think? What Week 5 moments were the most surprising or interesting to you? Post some thoughts below, if you feel the urge.
This week: 25-6 (81 percent). This season: 142-34 (81 percent).
–patrick
Friday’s game between Normative Services and Southeast will be played on the Wolves’ home field in Sheridan, not in Casper as originally scheduled. The two teams had staged games in Casper each of the past two years but will play Friday in Sheridan.
–patrick
Newcastle’s road back to legitimacy was a long one.
Midway through the 2011 season, though, we can see the Dogies are not just legit — they might just be a little bit dangerous, too.
Since losing to Custer, S.D., and to Southeast to start the season, the Dogies have won three games in a row heading into Friday’s showdown with Glenrock (kickoff at 6 p.m. in Glenrock). More importantly, all three of those games have been 2A East Conference games.
What stands out about the Dogies’ recent run is keyed by defense. The Dogies’ last three opponents have scored just 12 total points.
Of course, Newcastle’s recent success helps offset some of the struggles the Dogies have experienced the past, oh, three decades. Newcastle has had just one winning season since 1983 and has made the playoffs just twice this century.
Last year, the Dogies made the playoffs and finished 4-6 — at one point winning four out of five games — a good first step for a program with such a spotty recent history. Newcastle’s quick start to the 2011 conference season helps show they plan on making winning a more consistent trait.
The next step is to beat the teams that have set the standard everyone else has tried to follow. Teams like Glenrock.
The Herders’ success has more or less mirrored the Dogies’ struggles. Glenrock has won three state titles since 2002 and has made it to a state title game in six of the past nine years.
Newcastle helped show it was up for such a challenge last year by beating Glenrock 7-6; however, that victory came in an unusually difficult 2-6 year for the Herders. That’s not the case this year, as the Herders enter their game with the Dogies at 4-0.
Friday’s victor takes sole control of first place in the 2A East and controls its own destiny the rest of the season for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
It’s a position Glenrock knows well and Newcastle hasn’t seen in awhile. That’s why I am picking the Herders to win.
If Newcastle wins, though, it will be just the latest step in a long-awaited and very visible march to respectability that’s been a long time coming. (Glenrock leads series 22-15)
Here are the rest of the Week 5 picks, with the teams I think will win in bold and the teams I think will still have fun anyway in non-bold:
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Laramie: The Indians always seem about one play away from breaking into 4A’s upper echelon. Maybe those plays are just building up somewhere for unleashing later in the season. 7 p.m. (CC 62-58-6)
Cheyenne South at Evanston: After winning a really close one last week, the Red Devils have to be feeling pretty good about their chances for the rest of the season. 7 p.m. (First meeting)
Natrona at Cheyenne East: This is a really tough trip for the Mustangs, but the orange and black have a defense that has given up just 25 points all season. Having that to rely on should ease some of the pressure off the offense. 7 p.m. (NC 36-15)
Rock Springs at Kelly Walsh: Both of these teams desperately need a victory to keep playoff hopes moving forward. Winless KW might be feeling a bit more desperate than the one-win Tigers, though — and the Trojans get this one at home. 7 p.m. (KW 11-10)
Sheridan at Gillette: Subplots aside, the ability for both teams to run the ball consistently will probably be what determines the winner in this one. That, and maybe a big special teams play somewhere along the way. May be the best game of the week in any classification. 7 p.m. (She 38-26-1)
Class 3A
Cody at Jackson: Cody just keeps moving in the right direction. They just keep losing, too. I am playing a hunch that I think that losing streak comes to an end this week, but the good play will continue. 7 p.m. (Cod 13-6)
Lander at Douglas: Man, I have fretted about this pick all week long. This is one of those games where I just pick the home team and don’t sweat the outcome, because it should be a great game no matter what. 7 p.m. (Lan 6-5)
Powell at Star Valley: Back in May, some gentlemen (who shall remain nameless) put me on the spot and asked me who would win the 3A football title in November. I said Powell. I have yet to see any reason to waver on that choice. 4 p.m. (SV 23-8)
Rawlins at Torrington: You heard it here first: The Rawlins losing streak ends Friday, in Torrington, at 27 games. Outlaws have been improving rapidly. 7 p.m. (Tor 22-4-1)
Riverton at Buffalo: When was the last time you saw the Bison lose their first two conference games of a season? 1932? 7 p.m. (Buf 6-5)
Worland at Green River: The Wolves got a bit of a scare put into them last week, but they should rally around that narrow escape and come out firing this week. 7 p.m. (GR 5-4)
Class 2A
Big Horn at Wheatland: Wheatland turned the ball over seven times to Glenrock two weeks ago; Big Horn turned it over four times against Glenrock last week. The team that forces the most turnovers in this one will probably be the team to win. 6 p.m. (First meeting)
Burns at Moorcroft: The Broncs have had a handle on the Wolves the past two seasons. It’s a long trip, but the Broncs should have what it takes to get it done for a third year in a row. 3 p.m. (Mor 7-2)
Kemmerer at Big Piney: There’s no escaping the fact that the Punchers are struggling this year — which is all the more reason for the Rangers not to overlook them. 3 p.m. (Kem 21-17-1)
Lovell at Greybull: Greybull has quietly started the season undefeated, and they’ll definitely give Lovell, who’s also undefeated, everything it can handle. But the Bulldogs are the favorites out west and will be until someone proves otherwise. 7 p.m. (Lov 52-27-4)
Mountain View at Pinedale: Who are these Buffalos? Even when they lose they look good. But they’ll win this one. 7 p.m. (MV 36-25-2)
Thermopolis at Lyman: Remember last year, when Thermop beat Lyman 53-0 in the playoff quarterfinals? So do the Eagles. 2 p.m. (The 12-5)
Class 1A 11-man
Cokeville at Rocky Mountain: To butcher a phrase: Long trip. Amazing results. 2 p.m. (Cok 6-0)
Lingle at Sundance: Both of these squads need to win here to keep playoff dreams alive. The Doggers still have the edge in this one, though. 1 p.m. (Lin 4-3)
Lusk at Pine Bluffs: I think we can say that there might not be a lot of points scored in this one — these two teams have combined to allow just 63 points this season. (Of course, 44 of those were to Southeast.) 7:30 p.m. (Lus 25-6)
Riverside at Shoshoni: Have I mentioned recently just how much I hate picking 1A West games this year? 6 p.m. (Rsd 11-5)
Southeast at Normative Services: The Cyclones have never lost to the Wolves. And they’ve outscored them 123-8 the past two seasons. 6 p.m. (SE 6-0) (Edit: This game will be played in Sheridan, not Casper.)
Wind River at Saratoga: Have I mentioned recently just how much I hate picking 1A West games this year? 3:30 p.m. (WR 6-2)
Wyoming Indian at Burlington: Have I mentioned recently just how much I hate picking 1A West games this year? 3 p.m. (Brl 14-4)
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Ten Sleep: The Pioneers have oh-so-gently reminded the rest of six-man that they’re still here and still a threat to win a bunch of games this fall. Don’t think Dubois doesn’t know that, though. 3 p.m. (Dub 11-4)
Hulett at Midwest: It’s weird for this old Oiler to think of this as a nonconference game; nevertheless, the Oilers have won three in a row since falling to Dubois in Week 1 and that momentum should keep growing. 7 p.m. (Mid 27-17-1)
Meeteetse at Kaycee: The Buckaroos had a tough loss last week but should rebound nicely in this conference showdown against a struggling Longhorn team. 3 p.m. (Kay 2-0)
Snake River at Hanna: There was a time, maybe like in March or May or even July, when this game looked like a lot of fun, being the rematch of last year’s title game and all. Not so much anymore. 3 p.m. (Han 7-2)
Interstate
Upton at Hill City, S.D.: The short explanation? It’s Hill City’s homecoming. 6:30 p.m. (Upt 10-2)
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey at Farson: A long trip for the Vikings might just swing the advantage to the Pronghorns in what looks like a fairly even game on paper. On paper. 2 p.m. (Gue 3-0)
Open: Wright.
How about your thoughts, picks, guidance for the Week 5 slate? Post some thoughts below and we can talk a little bit about high school football at the regular season’s just-past-halfway point.
–patrick
We knew certain things about the Douglas-Buffalo game before the first snap on Friday.
We knew that Douglas and Buffalo have built a nice rivalry the past few years based on the relative success of both programs.
We knew Buffalo had a gauntlet of a schedule thrown down to them: Powell, Green River and Douglas in consecutive weeks.
We knew Douglas had its long winning streak busted in the season opener but had quietly started to piece together another streak in its wake.
And we knew (or at least I knew) that when these two teams took to the Bison Bowl field on Friday, the winner was going to win by only a few precious points.
The final score — 27-21, Douglas — tells a small piece of a big puzzle. What may be bigger than the victory itself is what it means for the rest of the season.
With the victory, Douglas now controls its own destiny for home-field advantage in the playoffs, something that, given the parity we’ve seen atop Class 3A this fall, could determine who goes to Laramie and who stays home in mid-November.
Maybe the Bison don’t care about that now. After all, they’ve lost two big games at home (Powell and Douglas) but won their one big game on the road (Green River) and also beat Worland in Week 1 in Washakie County.
Maybe these two teams will have the chance to play each other again. If they do, we’ll know a heck of a lot about the game before it starts. We’ll just have no idea who will win the darn thing.
Believe it or don’t, that is the only slice of Humble Pie I have to give out this week. The rest is going back into the refrigerator, where it will sit until next week.
(Saturday addition): Until now and Wind River. Second mad props to the Cougars, who not only beat Rocky Mountain, they throttled the Grizzlies 49-2. It’s Wind River’s biggest victory ever against Rocky Mountain — and it makes me wonder what the heck is going on in the 1A West. Three weeks into the conference season, every team has at least one conference victory, but only Cokeville has a spotless league record. Five teams are 1-2. And, yes, I know, comparing scores is dangerous, but dig this: Rocky Mountain beat Wyoming Indian 56-6, Wyoming Indian beat Wind River 14-8, and Wind River beat Rocky Mountain 49-2. What?
(Sunday addition): Third mad props to Ten Sleep, which beat Hulett in fairly impressive fashion. That 47-20 score should be a warning to the rest of the six-man classification. The Pioneers have quietly built a three-game winning streak and their only loss was on the road at Snake River in Week 1. All of a sudden, Ten Sleep’s date with Dubois next Friday in Ten Sleep is a heck of a lot more intriguing. Just as importantly, the Red Devils are now 0-2 in the North Conference and will need to make some progress before facing Dubois and Meeteetse in Weeks 7 and 8, respectively, to close out the league slate.
In between then and now, I can pontificate on what else caught my attention this week:
I had the chance to watch the Glenrock-Big Horn game on Friday, a game the Herders won 30-19 even though they didn’t score a point in the second half. After watching that game, I can say for certain that we have yet to see the Herders at their best — and the Rams are going to be really good not only this year but for the next few years. Lots of youth on that Rams roster. …
I mentioned earlier this week that Evanston just might be tired of losing close games. However, winning in the fashion they did — a touchdown in the final minute to beat Cheyenne Central 30-26 — might give their fans and coaches heart attacks way before their time. …
Don’t look now, but Midwest has won three games in a row. Second-longest streak in six-man behind, well, you know. …
I’ll keep repeating it, because I think it’s true: Rawlins will win at least one game this year. Maybe more. …
Mountain View is better than you think. That secret got released this week when the Buffalos played step-for-step with top-ranked Lovell before succumbing 21-19. Makes the Bridger Valley Bowl, scheduled for Oct. 7, a heck of a lot more appealing, doesn’t it? …
The most frustrated team in the state right now has to be Burlington. The Huskies’ two losses the past two weeks have been by a combined eight points. I won’t say that Burlington’s playoff hopes are irreparably damaged, but let’s just say this: If the Huskies were a car, it would need Xzibit to save itself from itself. …
Your thoughts? I know you got ’em. You should post ’em below. Then we should talk about ’em. And then I can stop saying the word ’em.
This week: 29-3 (91 percent). This season: 117-28 (81 percent).
–patrick