School: Byron
Nickname: Eagles
Colors: green and white
Stadium: Unknown
State championships: 1948, 1949, 1951, 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1960
Times worth remembering: Byron has lots of good times to choose from, but it’s hard to ignore the three-year stretch the Eagles had from 1956-58. In that time, the Eagles went 27-0-1 and won three consecutive Class B championships. To boot, the Eagles added another undefeated season and state championship in 1960. (Honorable mention goes to the 40-plus-game winning streak Byron put together in the late 1940s, which at the time was a national six-man record.)
Times worth forgetting: Byron’s shortcomings are rare. In fact, from 1946 to the program’s end in 1982, the Eagles only had three losing seasons. Two of those came in 1977-78, though, including an 0-7 season in 1977 in which the Eagles only scored 24 points the entire season.
Best team: The Eagles had 15 undefeated teams from 1946-82. Of those, two stick out — the 1960 11-man team, which went 10-0 and notched eight consecutive shutouts and gave up only 13 points all season, and the 1970 eight-man team, which averaged 57 points per game and won eight of its nine games by at least 28 points.
Biggest win: Byron made the jump from six-man to 11-man in 1953, but didn’t make the playoffs again until 1956. Once there, though, the Eagles quickly proved they knew how to play the 11-man game, too. The Eagles beat Kemmerer 19-7 in the Class B title game that year, a victory that completed the transition from six-man to 11-man powerhouse.
Heartbreaker: The Eagles came up just one game short of a five-year run of championships, and the 1959 title-game loss to Shoshoni was all that kept the Eagles from a half-decade run at the top. The loss itself wasn’t all that surprising — Shoshoni had beaten Byron 13-7 earlier in the year, and the Wranglers were in the midst of building a powerhouse program of their own — but losing a title game that ended the run was certainly a tough one to swallow. Then again, that loss probably provided the motivation for the undefeated championship season that followed in 1960.
The microfilm has gone mostly unused the past couple weeks. Midterms, teaching, etc., are taking precedence right now. Nevertheless, I made it down to Coe’s basement a couple times in the past couple weeks and knocked a few games off the missing games list:
Found the score for Pine Bluffs’ 26-6 loss to the Cheyenne Central JV on Oct. 28, 1954.
Removed two games that were not played: the Oct. 11, 1952, game between Big Piney and Baggs and the Oct. 26, 1951, game between Hanna and Baggs.
I also added one game: Rawlins’ 72-0 victory over Kemmerer on Oct. 3, 1953. This game also showed that I had listed the wrong record for Rawlins in 1953; that has been corrected. This loss for Kemmerer also extended its losing streak over this period to 24 games, an update reflected on the streaks page.
All the updates have been made on all the relevant pages.
I also updated Coaches Project entries for four programs: Byron, Lovell, Cokeville and Star Valley. Check out those individual team pages to see what’s new.
–patrick
KW’s Eaton picks up the load, and players of the week (Casper Star-Tribune). … Natrona-Gillette recap (Gillette News-Record).
–patrick
The score posted today for the six-man showdown between Ten Sleep and Guernsey-Sunrise — 93-56 Pioneers — sets a new state record for combined points for two teams. The 149 points scored between the two teams breaks the old record of 138, set in a six-man game last year between Ten Sleep and Kaycee; the 93 points Ten Sleep scored is second all-time (behind a 96-point performance by Deaver-Frannie in 1975) for points by one team in a game.
Click here to see the state’s all-time single game scoring records. (Remember, these records only cover the years 1933-2009. The records also come with the knowledge that at least two teams broke the 100-point mark in a game prior to 1933 and at least one more game included a 96-point performance by one team.)
The opposite end of the spectrum — the lowest scoring games — is something I don’t post anymore due to an excessive number of scoreless ties in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. But, as I was sitting at Deti Stadium last night and Kelly Walsh entered the fourth quarter with only a 3-0 lead on Laramie (KW eventually won 10-7), I got to thinking about some low scoring games, too.
I tried to remember the last 3-0 game in the state and I couldn’t remember it. That’s when I decided it would be a good trivia question. After I found the answer, I decided another trivia question was also apropos. So here it is, in two parts:
Name for me the last game involving a varsity Wyoming high school team to end 3-0… and then name for me the last big-school game (Class 4A currently, Class 5A 2001-08, Class 4A prior to 2001) to end 3-0. (Hint: It should be pretty obvious, but they’re not the same game.)
Then, as I thought about that, I thought, “Wait, 2-0 is lower combined than 3-0.” So, the third part of the low-scoring trivia triumvirate:
Name for me the last game involving a varsity Wyoming high school team to end 2-0. (Hint: It’s only been done twice since 1989. Bonus points if you can get them both.)
For every wrong answer, I’ll post a hint. Post your guesses as a comment on this blog post. Let’s see how many guesses it takes to get to the answer… if we ever get there!
Oh, and I’m still amazed at that 93-56 final. At 149 points for 40 minutes, that’s almost four points per minute combined. That is some crazy offense.
(By the way, anyone heard anything about Kaycee-Farson?)
–patrick
Which county has the better Class 4A football teams — Sweetwater County or Laramie County?
The answer to that question seemed clear at about 6 p.m. Friday.
It also seemed clear at about 10:30 p.m. Friday.
The only difference is that, given what happened in the span of those four and half hours, the answer changed.
The teams from the capital city had the clear advantage on paper, but as it turns out, the squads from trona country had the clear advantage on the field.
Rock Springs thumped on East 37-20, sending the Thunderbirds’ season further into a tailspin while boosting their own playoff hopes, while Green River came back with 14 points in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter to beat Central 31-30 and win their second game in a row after an 0-5 start. And just like that, the Trona Bowl rivals are both in position to make the playoffs — maybe at the expense of one of the Cheyenne schools.
The victories are big for the Sweetwater schools, without a doubt. Green River, the team with the talent but with the knack for losing close games, has turned it around the past two weeks and is quickly becoming a team that all the other 4A squads want to avoid in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Rock Springs broke a long five-game losing streak with its victory Friday, and although the Tigers have two tough games to end the season — at Natrona next week, then home against Evanston — at least the Tigers now enter that stretch with some confidence.
How these games were won should help, too. Green River got two special teams touchdowns in the final six minutes from speedster Kolby Kester — a 95-yard kick return and a 60-yard punt return — to erase a 13-point deficit; Rock Springs didn’t need the late theatrics, as they pretty much pushed around East all night.
Meanwhile, the Cheyenne squads now have to face the consequences of their losses. Central was in the race for a home playoff game at one time, but the loss to Green River almost assures the Indians of taking to the road if they want to get back to Laramie again in November. And East, the team many (including me) thought would be a contender for a state championship, lost its fourth in a row. Next week, the T-Birds face Evanston in a critical game, then finish with Laramie at home — a game that, after Friday, doesn’t look like the penciled-in “W” like it did on Thursday.
It also creates a logjam at the bottom of 4A, with three teams at 2-5 tied for the final two playoff spots: East, Green River and Rock Springs.
See now why these games were so critical? See why the Sweetwater schools felt the urgency? See why they got the job done?
Teams trying to save their seasons are immensely more dangerous than those teams that aren’t. That type of pride ran deep in those two Sweetwater County teams on Friday.
Second mad props to Worland, which pulled the upset of the week — maybe, by the time we’re all done, the upset of the season — by beating Powell 21-18 in Worland. This game was one on paper that looked like a monumental mismatch: Worland was 0-5, Powell 4-1. But that’s why they play the game. Worland took advantage of every one of Powell’s mistakes and cashed in on every opportunity. The Warriors grew up before our eyes on Friday. A young team with a lot of potential finally made good on it. That will pay off not only for the remaining games this season — which, now, might include a playoff berth if the Warriors can continue to roll — but for the next season or two, as well. In short, a huge win for a growing program.
Third mad props to Big Piney, which beat Pinedale 15-7 in a weird rivalry game. Weird, why? Well, both teams had a fumble return for a touchdown, accounting for two of the game’s three touchdowns. There’s nothing weird about the playoff implications of this game, though. In trying to keep pace with Lyman, Lovell and Greybull in the 2A West, Big Piney improved to 3-2 in league play and grabbed a solo hold on the conference’s final available playoff spot. Pinedale fell to 2-3 and now has to count on a Puncher crash in the final two weeks of the season to have any kind of hope of a postseason berth. It’s a huge victory for the Punchers and a tough loss for the Wranglers in a game that may have set the postseason fate for both of them.
Some other things that I noticed this week:
Remember defense? Yeah, me neither. In all, 18 teams broke 40 points this week; 14 broke 50; six broke into the 60s (update: now counting Saturday’s six-man games). That’s gotta be some kind of record. I just don’t have the time to look it up right now. …
Any more Natrona doubters? The Mustangs continued their perfect season by beating Gillette 47-32 in a game that pretty much assured NC of hosting in the first two rounds of the playoffs. What becomes interesting in 4A now is the chase for the No. 2 spot between Sheridan, Evanston and Gillette. Of course, Sheridan beat Evanston on Friday in a critical game, as well. Isn’t it just about time to break out the tiebreaker rules? …
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one: Buffalo 63, Wheatland 7. …
Snake River: still unbeaten. Every other team in six-man: at least two losses. I expected some more parity in six-man this year, but I did not expect the Rattlers to emerge as the lone dominating team. That program in Baggs has really whipped up a solid program in a very short amount of time, and it’s great to see… unless you’re from Hanna, or Ten Sleep, or Kaycee, or Midwest, or ….
Don’t forget about Newcastle. The Dogies are an OT loss away from being unbeaten in the 2A East, and with Thermopolis and Big Horn on the schedule coming up the next two weeks, the orange and black are in a spot to surprise the conference’s two top dogs. …
I think it’s safe to call it now: Lusk-Cokeville, 1 p.m. Nov. 13 in Laramie. Ye gods, can anyone stop either one of these teams — except for maybe the other? …
How about you? What did you see this week that sparked your attention? Any teams rise up that surprised you? Based on what you saw Friday, are there any teams poised to make late-season runs here in the final two weeks of the season? Post your comments below and we’ll talk about it.
As for me, here’s how I did, not that I’m bragging or anything:
This week: 26-4 (87 percent). This season: 161-41 (80 percent).
–patrick
Kelly Walsh-Laramie recap and Natrona-Gillette recap (Casper Star-Tribune). … Kelly Walsh-Laramie recap (Laramie Boomerang). … Worland-Powell and Greybull-Kemmerer recaps (Northern Wyo Daily News). … Cody-Star Valley recap (Star Valley Independent). … Douglas-Rawlins recap and Snake River-Hanna recap (Rawlins Times).
–patrick
Natrona-Gillette preview, Kelly Walsh-Laramie preview and games of the week (Casper Star-Tribune). … Snake River-Hanna preview (Rawlins Times). … Worland-Powell and Thermopolis-Burns previews (Northern Wyo Daily News, click today). … Lusk-Pine Bluffs recap (Lusk Herald). … Lovell-Greybull recap (Greybull Standard). … Newcastle-Glenrock recap (Glenrock Independent). … Riverside-Shoshoni recap and Dubois-Burlington recap (Basin Republican Rustler). … Lingle-Sundance recap (Sundance Times).
–patrick
Recently, the state champions of Wyoming’s big-school division have followed an interesting trend — they’ve all lost at least once in the regular season.
Sheridan last year, Gillette in 2008, Cheyenne East in 2007, Gillette again in 2006 and Cheyenne Central in 2005 all won a state championship. None of them did so as part of an undefeated season.
But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, from 1999 to 2004, every single one of the big-school state championships went to an undefeated team (Natrona in 1999 and 2003, Gillette in 2000, Rock Springs in 2001 and 2002 and Green River in 2004).
Then again, it wasn’t always that way. From 1995-99, no big-school champ was undefeated.
“What’s the point?” you ask. Well, this year, there is only one undefeated team remaining in Class 4A, Natrona County. And the Mustangs face one of their biggest obstacles to an undefeated season this Friday, when Gillette rolls into the Oil City for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
If the Mustangs win this one, it’s tough to see them losing at all this year, likely breaking the recent trend.
If the Mustangs lose, though, they’re not in dire straights, as recent history has proven. And even if NC loses, because of that recent history, it might still be possible for the Mustangs to retain the title they’ve earned so far of state championship frontrunner.
That’s the point: This game is big, but it doesn’t make or break anyone’s season.
But in part what makes the showdown between the 6-0 Mustangs and the 5-1 Camels interesting is how special and rare an undefeated season has become in the 4A ranks. As noted, it hasn’t been accomplished since 2004. That makes NC’s run that much more meaningful to the orange and black faithful.
That extra incentive can motivate or petrify.
We’ll see for sure on Friday.
I’ll choose Natrona to win in a close one — but win or lose on Friday, I still think NC is the favorite to win the 4A title in Laramie in November.
Here are the rest of this week’s picks. Projected winners in bold, projected spoilers in normal type:
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Rock Springs: East needs to get back to winning this week. If not, this game could make simply qualifying for the playoffs a difficult task for the Thunderbirds. 7 p.m.
Evanston at Sheridan: Ohhhhh…. This one should be fun. Both teams have so many things to like about them. Both teams have proven they can win. Both teams have shown they belong in the discussion of state championship contenders. As usual, I pick the home team in what looks like an even game on paper. 7 p.m.
Green River at Cheyenne Central: Now that the Wolves have a bit of momentum, they could spoil some seasons — like maybe the Indians’. But I still like Central in a dogfight at home. 6 p.m.
Kelly Walsh at Laramie: A victory here should basically assure the Trojans of a playoff spot. And I’m sure they know that, too. 7 p.m.
Class 3A
Cody at Star Valley: While the Broncs’ offense has been impressive, it’s their defense that’s really caught my attention. It’s probably that way in the coaches’ offices in Afton, as well. 7 p.m.
Douglas at Rawlins: You can’t just show up and win. You still gotta do work. Douglas, I’m sure, knows this. 7 p.m.
Jackson at Lander: The Tigers picked up a solid victory last week and could enter into the “home playoff game” discussion with a victory against the struggling Broncs. 7 p.m.
Powell at Worland: I know a lot of the focus out west is on Cody, but Powell keeps picking up some solid victories and is a dangerous team out west, as well. 7 p.m.
Riverton at Torrington: Last week’s loss to Buffalo crushed some of the Wolverines’ momentum — and they want to earn that back tonight on the road in a game that could knock one or the other out of the playoff race. 6 p.m.
Wheatland at Buffalo: I keep thinking about this game. Can’t help it. The safe choice is the Bison at home, but I think the ‘Dogs keep it close. And if it’s close late, anything can happen. Plan on a good one. 6 p.m.
Class 2A
Big Horn at Moorcroft: Let’s just say the Rams have shown more potential than the Wolves. 3 p.m.
Big Piney at Pinedale: Another game I keep rolling over in my head. I still don’t know what to make of either team, and it’s week 6. I don’t know if that says more about me or more about the mysterious nature of the teams in Sublette County. (By the way, by my count, this is the 96th game between these two rivals since 1938. Some history here.) 6 p.m.
Burns at Thermopolis: The Bobcats have to be smarting after last week’s loss, but there’s no time for pouting. The Broncs are confident and have the ability to put Thermopolis on its heels. But I’ll go with Thermop. 7 p.m.
Kemmerer at Greybull: It’s a long trip for the Rangers, a trip that gets even longer when you have to face a team that likes to run the ball straight at you. 6 p.m.
Lovell at Wyoming Indian: The Bulldogs are in great position for a solid run at the playoffs. Of course, they can’t think playoffs until they take care of business for the next three weeks. 6 p.m.
Mountain View at Lyman: The Bridger Valley Bowl is always full of surprises, so you can’t rule anything out. Nevertheless, the Eagles want to maintain that vice grip they have on first place in the 2A West. 4 p.m.
Newcastle at Tongue River: Even though this isn’t a showdown between two top-flight teams, this should be an absolutely fantastic game. And, in the end, a playoff spot may be at stake for one of these teams in this game. 2 p.m.
Wright at Glenrock: I like the way the Panthers have shown some resiliency after a tough start to the season. Keeping that momentum going will be key in what is probably the biggest game of their regular-season schedule. 7 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Dubois at Cokeville: Even though Dubois has been winning, Cokeville has been dominating. However, it will be interesting to see if the Rams can give the Panthers the challenge they desperately need. 2 p.m.
Lingle at Normative Services: We know the Doggers can score. Now we need to know if they can stop anyone. 6 p.m.
Riverside at Saratoga: The Panthers are an improving team and may pull off the upset at home, but I still think the Rebels eke out the victory in this one. 3:30 p.m.
Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni: Interesting stat: This season, every time a team has played Cokeville, the week after playing the Panthers, they lose. Will there be any Cokeville hangover for the Grizzlies this week? Probably not. Curse broken! 2:30 p.m.
Sundance at Lusk: The Tigers might get pushed and win a close one. Then again, they might have it wrapped up by halftime. Either way, I think Lusk wins. 7 p.m.
Upton at Pine Bluffs: Two tough losses in a row hasn’t done anything for the Hornets’ confidence, but topping the Bobcats should help Pine gear up for the final couple weeks of the regular season. 5 p.m.
Wind River at Burlington: We’ll see how the Huskies respond after their first conference loss in a game that could be crucial for playoff seeding. 3 p.m.
Class 1A six-man
Meeteetse at Midwest: The Oilers are still trying to earn that home playoff game. 7 p.m.
Snake River at Hanna: The Carbon County rivalry should be a good one — the Rattlers should win but the Miners have their pride, too. 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey-Sunrise at Ten Sleep: Last week’s humbling against Snake River should keep the Pioneers focused. 3 p.m.
Kaycee at Farson: Don’t overlook the Pronghorns, but Kaycee has too many offensive weapons to be held down for long. 3 p.m.
Off: Southeast.
And there it is, Week 6. The best part, of course, is that they actually play these games, and we can end this week’s speculation at about 11 p.m. Friday night. Which teams strike you as ready to win this week? Post a comment below and let me know what you’re thinking.
–patrick
Cheyenne South stays 4A (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Gillette scoreboard crew keeps busy (Gillette News-Record). … Torrington-Rawlins recap, Lingle-Sundance recap and Southeast-Normative Services recap (Torrington Telegram). … Green River-Rock Springs recap (Green River Star). … Buffalo-Riverton recap (Buffalo Bulletin). … Douglas-Wheatland recap (Platte County Record Times).
–patrick