Author Archives: Patrick

The last time Hulett started 5-0, the Red Devils were playing nine-man football.

Way back in 1994, Hulett strung together eight consecutive victories to start the season before losing the Class 1A nine-man championship game to Burlington — incidentally, the last nine-man game in Wyoming until 2020.

This year’s Red Devils, now in Class 1A six-man, have finally ended that drought, putting together victories in their first five games for the first time in almost 30 years.

Oddly enough, in 1994 after their 5-0 start, the Red Devils’ sixth game came against Midwest. The same thing will happen in 2021, as the 3-2 Oilers, on a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2017, make the visit to Crook County on Saturday for game No. 6 on Hulett’s schedule.

No matter what else happens the rest of the season, a victory against Midwest will give Hulett the top seed from the six-man East Conference. Hulett’s only remaining conference game after Saturday is against Hanna in Week 7, and even a loss to the undermanned Miners would not stop the Red Devils from holding tiebreaker victories against every other team that could tie them for the top spot.

Don’t sweat that outcome too much, though. Hulett has scored a six-man best 349 points, averaging 69.8 points per game. The defense has shored up the past two weeks, as they’ve only given up 38 points combined in their two conference games against Kaycee and Guernsey.

Victories against Midwest and Hanna — victories that must be earned, sure, but games in which Hulett will be the favorite — would give Hulett its first outright conference championship since 1999.

Then comes Week 8, when Dubois will meet Hulett halfway in Ten Sleep for the game that will be the biggest threat to Hulett’s regular-season winning streak.

If the Red Devils want to keep their 1994 comparisons going, they’ll have to beat the Rams in a year where six-man’s West Conference teams have all but dominated their East Conference foes. Hulett’s 64-58 Week 1 victory against winless Burlington marks the only time East has topped West this season. Only three such interconference six-man games remain, with Hanna hosting Encampment this week and Guernsey hosting Burlington in Week 7.

Hulett’s first priority, though, is Midwest — and 6-0.

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Some other games to watch in Week 6, at least on paper… because they’re all technically games to watch in the real world:

If Campbell County’s near-miss against Cheyenne East didn’t get your attention, the Camels’ victory against Cheyenne Central last week sure should have. The Camels and their opponents this week, Natrona, are both 3-3. Somehow, having the Camels back in the fold makes 4A fun again. …

The “old” Capital Bowl with Central and East is always interesting. I’m curious to see how the Indians rebound, because if they do, they’ll be 2021 capital city champs. …

Speaking of rivalries, the Fremont County showdown between Riverton and Lander has the makings of, well, a mystery. Riverton’s 0-6, Lander’s 1-4 and lost four in a row, but neither team is a pushover. …

This is your obligatory 3A West mention for the week, with Star Valley’s trip to Cody taking center stage in a conference that deserves all the attention it will get in 2021. …

Despite an upset loss to Burns last week, Wheatland still controls its own destiny in the 2A East. A solid Tongue River team, which is coming to Platte County, will test the Bulldogs’ resiliency. …

In a 1A nine-man East that’s suddenly quite competitive below the top rung, Saratoga’s trip to Yoder to play Southeast is maybe the most interesting game on the Week 6 schedule. Lusk’s trip to Cowley to play Rocky Mountain is, too, but doesn’t mean nearly as much to the postseason chase…

At least one really good team is going to be left out of the 1A six-man playoffs, because only four teams from the West can go. This week’s games — Farson at Dubois, Meeteetse at Snake River — will go a long way in deciding who stays home after Week 8. …

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At this point in the proceedings, I’d like to take some time out for predictions. I’ll bold the teams I think will win this week. The normal-type teams, though, will do well to know that I’m not always right. And I love unpredictability.

Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Wind River at St. Stephens
Friday
Class 4A
Campbell County at Natrona
Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne East
Cheyenne South at Rock Springs
Kelly Walsh at Sheridan
Thunder Basin at Laramie
Class 3A
Douglas at Rawlins
Green River at Powell
Jackson at Evanston
Riverton at Lander
Star Valley at Cody
Worland at Buffalo
Class 2A
Burns at Upton-Sundance
Glenrock at Big Horn
Kemmerer at Cokeville
Lovell at Pinedale
Lyman at Thermopolis
Mountain View at Big Piney
Newcastle at Torrington
Tongue River at Wheatland
Class 1A nine-man
Greybull at Riverside
Lusk at Rocky Mountain
Moorcroft at Lingle
Pine Bluffs at Wright
Saratoga at Southeast
Wyoming Indian at Shoshoni
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey-Sunrise at Kaycee
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Encampment at Hanna
Farson at Dubois
Meeteetse at Snake River
Midwest at Hulett
Open: Burlington.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, as well as results from past weeks, go here. Click on “Week 6” on the top of the page for this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 24-6 (80 percent). This season: 140-32 (81 percent).

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Cody, Lyman, Pine Bluffs, Hulett, Snake River. Five undefeated teams left. Which one(s) do you think have what it takes to finish that way? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Have “Alex Trebek” read this week’s post. Made possible by Uberduck.

For the seniors on Evanston’s football team this year, a 5-0 start should feel familiar.

As freshmen, the Red Devils started their season the exact same way.

To start the 2018 season, Evanston defeated Altamont, Utah; Rawlins; Riverton; Lander and Powell.

Then Evanston played Cody, and it all started crashing down.

The 46-26 loss that the Broncs, then 3-1, handed the Red Devils started a slide from which Evanston could not recover. After that loss to Cody, Evanston went 2-19 over the next two-plus seasons.

The Red Devils lost three of their final four games and exited the 3A playoffs quietly in the quarterfinals. Then came 2019 (0-8) and 2020 (1-8), two seasons that made this year’s success that much sweeter.

“Dizzy” is about the only way to describe the type of turnaround Evanston has had in 2021.

Evanston’s season so far has been a showcase of both good fortune and good play under pressure. The Red Devils’ first four victories came by a combined 14 points; last week’s 27-7 victory against Green River was the Red Devils’ first wire-to-wire dominant victory.

Now, once again, Evanston finds itself where it was three years ago: 5-0, ready to play Cody in an effort to keep the undefeated momentum going.

The only slight difference this time as compared to 2018 is that this year, Cody is also undefeated, bringing a 4-0 record into Friday’s showdown in Uinta County. They are the last two undefeated teams in Class 3A.

Evanston has been here before.

The Red Devils’ challenge is to have the previous sentence be impossible to say at the end of October.

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Cody-Evanston is not the only game where two undefeated teams are meeting. The last two undefeated teams in Class 1A nine-man, and the top two ranked, meet in eastern Laramie County when Pine Bluffs hosts Shoshoni. This might be the closest thing we have to a state championship game preview this week. Both have already proven themselves in their respective conference games; this nonconference matchup won’t affect seeding but will definitely affect strategy, mentality and approaches to a potential postseason rematch. …

Four teams in Class 4A are 4-1. Of those four, Sheridan appears to have the toughest task on their hands to move to 5-1 as the Broncs host Natrona. Of course, last year’s four-overtime epic between these teams isn’t far from anyone’s minds, and neither is the fact that the Broncs are coming off a loss for the first time this season. How will they respond? …

Wheatland and Torrington are the last two undefeated teams in the 2A East conference standings, but the Trailblazers in particular pick up a tough challenge this week against Big Horn, winners of two straight and eager spoilers in the East race. …

We knew the 1A six-man West was going to be wild, and so far it has not disappointed. The most intriguing game on the schedule this week is Encampment-Meeteetse. The Longhorns have given up 68 points in each of their last two games and yet still won them both. Can the track meets continue?

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Picks. Bold = teams I think are going to win. Sometimes life really is that simple.

Thursday
Interclass
Rock Springs JV at Snake River
Friday
Class 4A
Campbell County at Cheyenne Central
Cheyenne East at Cheyenne South
Kelly Walsh at Thunder Basin
Natrona at Sheridan
Rock Springs at Laramie
Class 3A
Buffalo at Riverton
Cody at Evanston
Douglas at Lander
Green River at Jackson
Powell at Star Valley
Rawlins at Worland
Class 2A
Big Horn at Torrington
Big Piney at Lovell
Glenrock at Newcastle
Lyman at Kemmerer
Thermopolis at Cokeville
Wheatland at Burns
Class 1A nine-man
Lingle at Saratoga
Riverside at Wind River
Shoshoni at Pine Bluffs
Southeast at Moorcroft
Wright at Lusk
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Dubois
Encampment at Meeteetse
Hanna at Midwest
Hulett at Guernsey-Sunrise
Kaycee at Farson
Saturday
Class 2A
Pinedale at Mountain View
Upton-Sundance at Tongue River
Class 1A nine-man
Rocky Mountain at Wyoming Indian

St. Stephens and Greybull canceled their game this week.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, as well as results from past weeks, go here. Click on “Week 5” on the top of the page for this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 28-3 (90 percent). This season: 116-26 (82 percent).

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Did you make it this far? I know I did. If you did, too, I know you’re a dedicated fan of this stuff, and I’d love to hear from you and what you think about concession stand popcorn, press box wannabe DJs, and, oh yeah, players and teams that have caught your eye through the first half of the regular season. Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

It’s not a stretch to call this week’s game between Wind River and Shoshoni the most important game in the 53-year history of their rivalry.

The series itself has been one of the most even in the state between two consistent rivals. They’ve met every year since 1969, when Wind River became a school after the consolidation of Pavillion and Morton. Wind River leads the series 29-26, and the average score has been 20-19.

Even, but not always important.

Despite being neighbors, separated by 35 miles of farm and range in Fremont County, and despite being relatively the same size and often in the same conference, Wind River and Shoshoni have never finished first and second, side by side, when paired in the same conference. That has rendered most regular-season games between the programs important in terms of rivalry but not in terms of conference championships or home-field advantage.

Also, their only playoff meeting came in the first round of the 2000 Class 1A Division I playoffs, a game undefeated Shoshoni unsurprisingly won against a .500 Cougar team.

Of the 55 games the Wranglers and Cougars have played, none has been bigger than that one.

This week’s game, scheduled for Thursday night in Shoshoni, could surpass it.

Already in 2021, every other team in the Class 1A nine-man West has at least one conference loss. Shoshoni and Wind River are the exceptions. They’re atop the conference standings at 2-0 and 1-0, respectively, with everyone else is chasing them.

Moreover, both are undefeated at 3-0, and both have a victory over the defending state champions in 1A nine-man, Southeast.

This game is more than just critical for the season. It’s historic for a rivalry that has been great on the field but has rarely has implications beyond bragging rights.

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Week 4 is chock full of critical games — lots of opportunities for teams to prove they belong in championship chases. And several games are just downright interesting:

Is Class 4A more than a two-team race? Even with four teams at 3-1, all chasing 4-0 Sheridan, it’s easy to think so. However, two 3-1 teams can jump immediately back into the War Memorial conversation this week. Both Natrona (playing at Rock Springs) and Cheyenne East (hosting Sheridan) have tremendous opportunities to turn the 4A conversation into something new. …

The Coal Bowl between Thunder Basin Campbell County is a heck of a lot more interesting this year considering the Camels’ two victories have been by more than 40 points each, while the ‘Bolts’ Ws have been a bit more modest. …

The 3A West never disappoints, and every week of the season is filled with huge games. This week’s a little more special, though, as the rivalry games between Jackson and Star Valley (in Afton) and between Powell and Cody (in Cody) will set the pace for the rest of the season. Moreover, both Cody and Powell are undefeated so far this year, creating some extra motivation that goes beyond just a county rivalry. (And, oh yeah, Evanston is 4-0 and playing at Green River. Like I said, never disappoints.)…

The 1A six-man West is also loads of fun, and Saturday’s game between Dubois and Snake River will be right at the top of the list of ones I’d love to see in person. The Rattlers are rolling, but the Rams are dangerous. …

Hanna took the last two weeks off, canceling games against East’s and Natrona’s sophomores. The Miners are (hopefully) entering this week’s game with Guernsey refreshed and healthy. But it’s weird to be at the end of September and seeing a team playing just its second game this year, and its first home game to boot.

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Each week, I surmise who I think will win and lose each game. Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong, but I always note the teams I think will win in bold so you and I can look back after games are done and see just how much I’ve screwed it up that week:

Thursday
Class 2A
Big Piney at Lyman
Class 1A nine-man
Riverside at Wyoming Indian
Wind River at Shoshoni
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne Central
Laramie at Kelly Walsh
Natrona at Rock Springs
Sheridan at Cheyenne East
Thunder Basin at Campbell County
Class 3A
Evanston at Green River
Jackson at Star Valley
Lander at Worland
Powell at Cody
Rawlins at Buffalo
Riverton at Douglas
Class 2A
Burns at Big Horn
Cokeville at Pinedale
Lovell at Thermopolis
Mountain View at Kemmerer
Tongue River at Newcastle
Torrington at Upton-Sundance
Wheatland at Glenrock
Class 1A nine-man
Greybull at Rocky Mountain
Lusk at Lingle
Pine Bluffs at Southeast
Wright at Moorcroft
Class 1A six-man
Meeteetse at Burlington
Saturday
Class 1A nine-man
Saratoga at St. Stephens
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Snake River
Guernsey-Sunrise at Hanna
Kaycee at Hulett
Interclass
Kelly Walsh sophs at Midwest
Natrona sophs at Encampment
Open: Farson.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, as well as results from past weeks, go here. Click on “Week 4” on the top of the page for this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 25-7 (78 percent). This season: 88-23 (79 percent).

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Which Week 4 game has you ready to make a trip across the state to see it, even if you don’t know any of the players? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Unintentionally, the schedule-makers for Wyoming high school football made Week 3 an episode of “Survivor.”

Wyoming has 19 high school football teams that are still undefeated.

That number will take a huge dip this week, as six games pair off 12 of those undefeated teams.

The last two undefeated teams in 4A (Rock Springs and Sheridan), four of the five remaining teams in 3A (Douglas/Powell and Buffalo/Cody), four of the five remaining teams in 2A (Upton-Sundance/Wheatland and Lyman/Lovell) and the last two undefeated teams in the 1A nine-man East (Pine Bluffs and Saratoga) all play one another this week.

And each game has its own special place in a week full of opportunity.

The “real” game of the week, or at least the one that will draw the most attention, is in 4A, where Rock Springs travels to Sheridan for the last battle of unbeatens we’ll see in the big-school ranks this season. The Tigers and Broncs have truly been mirrors of each other, and that’s most obvious in their point totals each team has accumulated in their respective 3-0 starts. Rock Springs has a scoring differential of 141-25; Sheridan, 144-20.

But the other games are just as critical, and deserve just as much love.

In 3A, both Douglas-Powell and Buffalo-Cody match up 3A teams that are undefeated. These games won’t affect playoff seeding, but by the time the brackets settle, they could definitely end up influencing playoff strategy.

Upton-Sundance (2-0) hasn’t lost. Neither has Wheatland (3-0). Something’s got to give. Meanwhile, uh… stop me if you’ve heard this before. Lyman (3-0) hasn’t lost. Neither has Lovell (2-0). Something’s got to give. And both games could end up deciding top seeds before the season finishes.

Finally, Pine Bluffs and Saratoga are the only ones to emerge unscathed so far in the 1A nine-man East. Oddly enough, Saratoga’s first game (62-8 over Wyoming Indian) equals Pine Bluffs through two games (30-0 over Riverside plus 32-8 over Lusk equals 62-8).

The only undefeated teams to avoid the “Survivor” tribal council are Evanston, Tongue River, Shoshoni, Wind River and the four zero-loss six-man teams (Hulett, Snake River, Dubois, Farson). They will all have to survive their own games this week to stay in the Goose Egg Club, though, including road games for all four six-man teams.

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Unbeaten matchups are fun, but a handful of other games also have an outsized amount of my attention this week:

The Oil Bowl between Kelly Walsh and Natrona is the first 4A rivalry game to hit the calendar this year, and after both Casper teams started 2-1, I’m optimistic this one will be close. And that’s all you can ask for in a rivalry game. …

Evanston is 3-0, which I didn’t see coming, and that makes every game the Red Devils play intriguing to me. This week, the Red Devils have Lander, a tough challenge but a setup for a heck of a game nonetheless. …

Thermopolis was put into quite a bind the last two weeks, unable to practice or to play — or even attend in-person classes — due to COVID-19. The Bobcats play their first game of the season at home against Kemmerer, already two games behind but with no lost opportunities to finish the season strong. Kemmerer, meanwhile, is coming off its first victory in 18 games, so the Rangers have to feel good about what’s possible in a weird set of circumstances this week. …

Glenrock-Burns is the most intriguing 2A game this week. Fight me. …

Wind River won by 50 last week. Are the Cougars for real? Well, how about a date agains the defending state champs, Southeast, in Goshen County? That’ll do. …

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Now, the picks, where I put the teams I think will win in bold and leave the rest to your imagination:

Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Thunder Basin
Cheyenne East at Laramie
Cheyenne South at Campbell County
Kelly Walsh at Natrona
Rock Springs at Sheridan
Class 3A
Buffalo at Cody
Douglas at Powell
Lander at Evanston
Riverton at Jackson
Star Valley at Rawlins
Worland at Green River
Class 2A
Glenrock at Burns
Kemmerer at Thermopolis
Lyman at Lovell
Mountain View at Cokeville
Newcastle at Big Horn
Pinedale at Big Piney
Tongue River at Torrington
Upton-Sundance at Wheatland
Class 1A nine-man
Lingle at Wright
Moorcroft at Lusk
Pine Bluffs at Saratoga
Rocky Mountain at Riverside
St. Stephens at Shoshoni
Wind River at Southeast
Wyoming Indian at Greybull
Class 1A six-man
Snake River at Burlington
Interclass
Hulett at Sheridan JV
Interstate
Sioux County, Neb., at Guernsey-Sunrise
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Meeteetse
Farson at Encampment
Interclass
Natrona sophs at Midwest
Open: Kaycee. Also, Hanna canceled its game this week with the Natrona sophs.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, as well as results from past weeks, go here. Click on “Week 3” on the top of the page for this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 28-4 (88 percent). This season: 63-16 (80 percent).

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Which Week 3 game looks like your can’t miss? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Updated at 9:21 p.m. Sept. 16 to fix reference to Wheatland in blog post.