Updates: Rawlins, Rock Springs, Hanna, Farson, Big Piney, Cokeville, Snake River, Superior, Sundance, Hulett, Saratoga

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

A few quick site updates thanks to some expanded yearbook offerings online:

Rawlins’ 1935 season saw three updates:

  • I added the location of the Oct. 19 game with Superior; it was in Superior.
  • I added the score of Rock Springs’ 34-6 victory against Rawlins on Oct. 26; I had Rock Springs winning the game but didn’t previously have the score.
  • I removed a game scheduled with Hanna on Oct. 15; that game was played later in the season.

So, too, did Farson’s 1955 season, plus a bonus:

  • I added Farson’s 18-12 victory against the Reliance JV on Oct. 11 (added to the missing games list because I couldn’t find a location.
  • I added Farson’s 26-0 loss to Big Piney on Oct. 19 in Farson.
  • I noted that Farson’s game on Sept. 23 against Cokeville was canceled.
  • I also added Farson’s coach for 1955; it was Arnold Bowman.

Farson’s 1954 season — of which I had no previous knowledge — also got a couple updates, because it actually existed. It was only two games long, and just like in 1955, the coach was Arnold Bowman.:

  • I added Farson’s 54-19 loss to Big Piney on Oct. 1 in Big Piney.
  • I also added a 32-12 loss to Baggs (Snake River) in Farson; however, I added it to the missing games list because I couldn’t find the date.

Farson also had a football team in 1952. Keith Sorensen was the coach; however, there’s no list of games played or write-up in the yearbook, so for now that season will have to stay off the site.

Some other updates:

Added Superior’s 14-0 victory against Rawlins on Oct 12, 1932.

Added the result for Rawlins’ 25-6 victory against Hanna on Oct. 27, 1936.

Added Rock Springs’ 31-13 victory against Rawlins on Nov. 6, 1925.

Added the fact that Sundance beat Hulett in their game on Sept. 28, 1956, in Sundance. I had to leave it on the missing games list, though, because I couldn’t find the final score.

Noted that the Oct. 14, 1949, game between Saratoga and Kremmling, Colo., was not played.

A net five games were added to the site. All the updates have been made on all the relevant pages.

–patrick

Update: Kemmerer 1993

by ⋅ 1 Comment

Quick update to the site: I fixed Kemmerer’s game with Moffat County, Colo., on Sept. 18, 1993. Kemmerer lost that game 16-6; I had Kemmerer winning by that score. Thanks to coach John Scott for helping me out on that one! The Rangers won the state title that year with Scott leading the way.

–patrick

2020’s way-too-early top 5s for Wyoming high school football

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

When I wrote my way-too-early top 5s last year, I correctly picked three of the five eventual state champions, while another was ranked second and the other fourth. So who’s got the best chance to win Wyoming state titles in 2020? Well, here’s my January guesses for November successes:

Class 4A
Classification: For once, some parity? We finally saw some cracks in the Big Four last year, and even though East, Sheridan, Thunder Basin and Natrona will all be in the running again, it’s no guarantee those four will be the semifinalists — or that one of those four will win it all.
1. Cheyenne East: The Thunderbirds return five all-staters, more than any other team in 4A, including 4A’s offensive player of the year in QB Graedyn Buell. I’m not sure anyone will be able to match East’s offensive firepower.
2. Cheyenne Central: A program on the move up, the Indians return four all-state picks and a 4A-high seven all-conference selections. However, most of those players are on the outside, leaving a line that will need to fill a couple holes.
3. Sheridan: The defending state champs return six all-conference selections and a ton of program momentum — the kind of stuff that winning four titles in five years can bring you.
4. Thunder Basin: The ‘Bolts graduated numerous key contributors but still return five all-conference players, including RB Jaxon Pikula, who might be one of Wyoming’s best individual playmakers in 2020.
5. Natrona: The Mustangs dipped out of the playoffs earlier than they would have liked last year but still return QB Harrison Taubert, whose experience under center will be a steadying force for NC.
Dark horse: Rock Springs. The Tigers under coach Mark Lenhardt proved they can play with anyone. Now they just need a couple victories against top-tier programs to build their confidence.

Class 3A
Classification: The West is still the stronger conference, and it’s likely the state champ will come from there. But the East will challenge more consistently and, with several West teams needing to replace key contributors, 2020 could be more unpredictable.
1. Star Valley: As the Braves shoot for their fifth 3A title in six years, it starts up front with two returning all-state linemen, Gabe Nield and Lucas Chappel. More spots than usual need filling, but Star Valley has shown it knows how to reload.
2. Cody: The Broncs, too, have holes to fill, but they return a pair of all-staters in Nic Talich and Keaton Stone and should be a tough team to beat in the West.
3. Jackson: The Broncs will shade young, as both returning all-staters (Sadler Smith and Colter Dawson) are juniors. But Jackson’s program continues to develop and has turned from nice surprise to perennial contender.
4. Riverton: With six returning all-conference players, more than any other 3A program, the talent is there to do big things. Even with a coaching change upcoming, the Wolverines could start the season as the favorites in the East.
5. Lander: The Tigers had a nice breakthrough in 2019 and have four returning all-conference players and all-state linebacker Jack Sweeney on which to keep the momentum rolling.
Dark horse: Powell. Even with only one returning all-conference or all-state player on the roster (lineman Geordan Weimer), the Panthers did play in the title game last year, and that’ll help the program momentum grow.

Class 2A
Classification: Wyoming’s biggest classification (16 teams) will be instantly competitive thanks to the newbies in the ranks. As senior-heavy teams had the most success in last year’s playoffs, anything is possible.
1. Big Horn: The Rams should have no problems with the shift from 1A to 2A. With two consecutive state titles behind them and six returning all-state players — more than any other team in the state regardless of classification — the Rams will be one of the teams to beat to start 2020.
2. Mountain View: The Buffalos’ dominance from 2019 should carry over to 2020 thanks to returning all-state picks Hunter Meeks and Ashton Schofield, but the squad has a bunch of holes to fill due to graduation.
3. Upton-Sundance: The Patriots get back three all-state players from last year’s 1A-11 semifinal team and should handle the shift to 2A easily.
4. Big Piney: Don’t overlook the Punchers. They return five all-conference players, most in the West Conference, and QB Kaden Raza was an all-state pick last year.
5. Thermopolis: The Bobcats keep steadily improving and should be solid again in 2020 as all-staters Logan Cole and Remington Ferree lead a squad that will be young but will have potential.
Dark horse: Pick ’em. Class 2A should be extremely competitive this year, as Wheatland, Cokeville, Lovell, Lyman and Pinedale all return at least three all-conference players. Any one of those teams could be a surprise championship contender, as could Torrington as it moves down from 3A.

Class 1A nine-man
Classification: As three of the four semifinalists from 1A 11-man last year make the move to 2A, the new 1A nine-man is wide, wide, wide open. Even so, the classification will be competitive and even at the top.
1. Southeast: From 0-8 in 2018 to potential championship contender in 2020, Southeast could be one of the strongest teams in the new nine-man division thanks to returning all-staters Harrison Hall and Ryan Clapper and three other returning all-conference choices.
2. Rocky Mountain: Rocky has been building to this 2020 season for a long time. The Grizzlies return all six of their all-conference selections, and Tyler Banks and Trace Moss were both all-state picks.
3. Lusk: The Tigers, too, return a pair of all-staters with Drake Lamp and Dylan Molzahn and have four total all-conference players coming back — behind only to Rocky Mountain and Southeast.
4. Lingle: With — what a coincidence — two returning all-staters from six-man in Cordell Forkner and Cooper Hill, the Doggers should transition to nine-man smoothly and be immediate contenders.
5. Shoshoni: Tryston Truempler was an all-state choice last year, and with three all-conference players back, the Wranglers should be in the thick of the race in the West.
Dark horse: Riverside. The Rebels were extremely young the past couple seasons but should be ready to transition to nine-man with an experienced senior class ready to keep the program competitive.

Class 1A six-man
Classification: We could see a bit more parity in 2020 — at least in conference play. The West will once again be the stronger conference, and there’s a chance no one will emerge from that rigmarole unscathed.
1. Farson: The 2018 six-man champs could be back again in 2020 thanks to three returning all-conference players, tied for the most in six-man, and all-stater Parker Clawson leading the way.
2. Snake River: Last year’s champs lost a ton to graduation, with junior Zander Risner the only returning all-state or all-conference selection. But last year’s backups saw plenty of time on the field and should be prepared for varsity speed in 2020.
3. Hanna: The Miners return two all-state selections, more than any other team in six-man, in senior Devon Grosstick and junior Jase Smith. Plus, they’ve got the confidence that comes from playing in War Memorial.
4. Encampment: Last year’s Tiger team went 5-2 playing a patchwork schedule but proved their mettle by beating the varsities from Meeteetse and Dubois. In their first full year at the varsity level, they should be ready to compete immediately.
5. Burlington: The Huskies return three all-conference players and will have enough playmakers on offense to keep opposing defenses off-balance.
Dark horse: Kaycee. The Buckaroos return a pair of all-conference selections in Dylan Fauber and Rhys Stafford and should compete with Hanna for the top spot in the East.

Who’s being overlooked here? Leave a comment and let’s start talking 2020, because it’s never too soon to talk football.

–patrick

Green River seeks new coach

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

Green River will search for a new football coach for the 2020 season.

Wyopreps.com reported Thursday that Marty Wrage, who had coached the Wolves the past two seasons, will not return as Green River’s head coach. Wyopreps reported a statement from Green River activities director Anthony Beardsley indicating the change.

It was unclear whether Wrage’s departure was mutual. An email sent to Wrage late Thursday was not immediately returned.

Green River finished 2-6 each of the past two seasons. Prior to Green River, Wrage coached in Greybull, where he finished 27-12 over four seasons, including a Class 2A runner-up finish in 2016. He was also previously the head football coach in Ogallala, Nebraska.

Class 3A Riverton and Class 1A six-man Midwest are also seeking a new head coach for 2020. If you know of other head coaching changes statewide, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

The eight biggest stories in Wyoming high school football in the 2010s

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

Before we dive headlong into the 2020s and prepare for another decade of Wyoming high school football, here’s a quick glance back at the eight things that I think made football in the 2010s particularly memorable. In no particular order, they are:

1. Six new programs start football: From 2010 to 2019, six new programs entered the fray — five new programs in Cheyenne South, Thunder Basin, St. Stephens, Encampment and Rock River and one new co-op with Upton-Sundance. The start-up programs had mixed success levels, with Thunder Basin’s trip to the 4A title game in 2019 the best of the bunch, but Upton-Sundance’s co-op has been a consistent contender and won the 1A 11-man championship in 2015. Encampment revived its program in 2019 and played a hodgepodge of schools at six-man; the Tigers will make the jump to varsity in 2020. Meanwhile, Cheyenne South has just one playoff berth since 2011; St. Stephens has yet to make the postseason; and Rock River only completed three seasons at the varsity level before folding the program, apparently for good.

2. Nine-man football returns to Wyoming: In April of this year, the Wyoming High School Activities Association approved a nine-man football division for Class 1A, with the first season scheduled for 2020. The state will remain with five classifications, as 1A 11-man changes to 1A nine-man. The decision prompted some tough choices, and after the dust settled, 16 schools were in Class 2A, 14 in 1A nine-man and 13 in 1A six-man.

3. Six-man sees big growth: When six-man football was re-introduced in 2009, no one was quite sure how long it would last, or if it would last at all. With only eight teams in the first two seasons in 2009 and 2010, those concerns were justified. However, six-man proved a steady, solid choice for many small schools, and the classification eventually grew to as many as 16 teams as new programs started and other small schools made the choice to play the 80×40 version of the game. Also, the Six-Man Shootout between Nebraska and Wyoming all-stars started in 2012, a nice boost to the game for both states.

4. Class 4A’s Big Four sustain dominant status: From 2010-15, the same four programs (Cheyenne East, Gillette, Natrona and Sheridan) reached the Class 4A semifinals, an unprecedented run of success. Although Rock Springs, Kelly Walsh and Cheyenne Central (and eventually Thunder Basin, which usurped Gillette’s role in the Big Four) all made their way into the 4A semifinals once this decade, it wasn’t enough. Sheridan had the most success of the Big Four, winning five 4A championships in the decade to improve their state-best overall mark to 27 championships, while Natrona won four and East one.

5. Laramie claims role of title-game host: Yes, Laramie and the University of Wyoming hosted the title games for the first time in 2009, but in the 2010s, the city and university gained a much stronger hold on the championships. In case you don’t remember, the decision to move the title games was divisive. However, over the course of this decade, the War has become the spot for title games — an experience like none other for Wyoming’s high school players fortunate enough to make it there.

6. Kaycee and Powell make runs at a record: In winning three consecutive Class 3A championships in 2011-13, Powell won 27 consecutive games — within spitting distance of the state record for consecutive victories, Laramie’s 34 set from 1959-63. That march stopped early in the 2014 season; however, Kaycee came even closer, winning 30 straight games from 2015-17 while notching three consecutive Class 1A six-man titles.

7. Lincoln County dynasties keep rolling: Three programs in the 2010s — Sheridan, Star Valley and Cokeville — won four championships in the span of five years. The last two just happen to hang out in Lincoln County together, where football dynasties continue to flourish. The 3A Braves won titles in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, while the 1A Panthers won theirs in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. Together, they’ve combined for 34 titles (22 for Cokeville, 12 for Star Valley).

8. Multiple dynasties stake their claims: In all, 24 programs won state titles in the 2010s, down slightly from the 26 in the 2000s and the 25 in the 19990s who won it all. In addition to the programs already mentioned (Sheridan, Natrona, Star Valley, Powell, Cokeville and Kaycee), five other programs won at least two state championships. Big Horn won four state titles, Mountain View and Snake River won three apiece and Cody and Pine Bluffs each won a pair.

What was your biggest takeaway from the past 10 years of football in the Equality State? Leave a comment and let’s talk about the ways.

–patrick

Assistant coaches named for 2020 Shrine Bowl

by ⋅ 1 Comment

Ten assistant coaches, five for each team, have been named for the 2020 Wyoming Shrine Bowl all-star football game.

The North squad will have Thunder Basin’s Trent Pikula, Worland’s Ryan Utterback, Lovell’s Nicc Crosby, Wright’s Larry Yeradi and Meeteetse’s Zeb Hagen join head coach Aaron Papich from Powell on the coaching staff.

The South squad will be represented by Cheyenne East’s Paul Garcia, Douglas’ Wes Gamble, Mountain View’s Michael Collins, Pine Bluffs’ Will Gray and Farson’s Trip Applequist, as well as head coach Brent Walk of Mountain View, on its staff.

A release Monday from Frank Selby, the Shrine Bowl’s executive director, announced the choices. The release also said the respective coaching staffs are now reviewing player nominations to form the teams for the annual game, a fundraiser for the Shrine Hospitals.

The game will be June 13, 2020, in Casper.

–patrick

Wyoming high school football stadiums if they were named like UK soccer stadiums, ranked

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

One of the cooler things about soccer in the United Kingdom is how some of the stadiums are named. Places like Elland Road, Bramall Lane, Portman Road and others are named for the street or road they’re on rather than for some corporate sponsor, some dead person or some mascot.

I think that brings a certain amount of charm to the grounds — the name of the stadium is also how to get there. Quaint AND convenient.

If we were to do that for Wyoming high school football fields, the results would vary. Some stadiums would end up with really cool names. Others, as you’ll see, are worse off for shooting for this kind of quaintness.

Here’s how Wyoming football stadiums would be renamed with this occasionally used U.K. method, ranked from worst name to best name. As you’ll see, there is indeed one clear winner:

SchoolU.K. stadium name
LymanI-80 Business Loop
PowellRoad 8
Rocky MountainUS 310
FarsonHighway 28
Torrington25th Avenue
SundanceSixth Street
Snake RiverNorth Street
Ten SleepOld 10 Sleep Highway
NewcastleCasper Avenue
BuffaloMain Street
Cheyenne CentralEducation Drive
ThermopolisSenior Avenue
WrightWright Boulevard
CodyCody Avenue
Tongue RiverTongue River Road
Big PineyPiney Drive
Kelly WalshWalsh Drive
LuskPearl Street
LingleCanAm Highway
ShoshoniCalifornia Street
UptonBoundary Street
DouglasSonora Avenue
Rock SpringsJames Drive
SoutheastLacy Street
MeeteetseHayes Avenue
KayceeHolt Avenue
HannaHarrison Street
WheatlandRowley Street
DuboisCarson Street
RawlinsBrooks Street
Thunder BasinChristinck Avenue
HulettSager Avenue
MidwestEllison Avenue
Pine BluffsMaple Street
NatronaAsh Street
SaratogaElm Avenue
RivertonSunset Drive
LaramieBoulder Drive
CokevilleSage Street
WorlandWashakie Avenue
LanderTiger Drive
Wind RiverCougar Drive
GilletteCamel Drive
Star ValleyWarrior Way
GreybullRailroad Street
Mountain ViewRiver Bend Drive
PinedaleValley Road
EncampmentMacFarlane Avenue
JacksonGregory Lane
KemmererDel Rio Road
RiversideArlington Avenue
SheridanMydland Road
LovellGreat Western Avenue
MoorcroftLittle Horn Avenue
BurnsWyoming Avenue
GuernseyWyoming Avenue
EvanstonChamps Avenue
Big HornHigh Street
Cheyenne SouthAllison Road
St. StephensMission Road
Wyoming IndianBlue Sky Highway
Cheyenne EastForest Drive
Green RiverHitching Post Drive
BurlingtonFarmer Boulevard
GlenrockOregon Trail
NSILane Lane

Note: Some Wyoming football stadiums are bound on two, three or four sides by streets. I tried to pick the street closest to the stadium parking lot and/or the name that sounded the coolest.

–patrick

Walk, Papich named 2020 Shrine Bowl head coaches

by ⋅ 1 Comment

Mountain View’s Brent Walk and Powell’s Aaron Papich will be the head coaches for the 2020 Shrine Bowl all-star football game this June in Casper.

Shrine Bowl executive director Frank Selby announced the selection of Walk and Papich via an email release Saturday.

Walk’s Mountain View team won the Class 2A championship this year, while Papich’s Powell squad finished as Class 3A runners-up.

Walk was the South head coach in the 2015 Shrine Bowl. This will be Papich’s first opportunity to be a head coach for the Shrine Bowl. Assistant coaches, one from each classification, and players for each squad will likely be selected within the next couple months.

The North has won seven consecutive Shrine Bowls and leads the all-time series 25-18-3. The 47th edition of the game is June 13 in Casper.

–patrick

2020 and 2021 Wyoming high school football schedules: A breakdown

by ⋅ 3 Comments

When the 2020 and 2021 Wyoming high school football schedules came out at the end of October, we knew they’d be different.

Reclassification, paired with a new nine-man division to replace 11-man in Class 1A, meant changes were bound to happen.

However, from top to bottom, the 2020 and 2021 schedules are significantly different from schedules of past years. Some of those changes are welcome. Some are just different. Some are new. And some are just flat-out mistakes.

Here’s a breakdown of what I’m seeing in the state’s schedules for the next couple years:

Pros

A fuller Zero Week. Many more teams are opting for games in Zero Week as opposed to scrimmages or jamborees, and I’m for it. I know, not all of you agree with my method for recording Zero Week games into the season records for programs, but I do like the tidiness a game provides, and I don’t mind seeing more games on the schedule.

Renewed rivalries. I love seeing some rivalries resurrected for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, with Thermopolis and Worland staging a Zero Week game, Greybull and Riverside playing a 1A nine-man West Conference game in Week 6 and Wheatland and Torrington meeting in a 2A East Conference game in Week 7. It’ll also be fun to see St. Stephens get Fremont County rivalries started with Wind River, Wyoming Indian and Shoshoni in the 1A nine-man West.

Travel is reduced — slightly. In the 2019 schedule, teams averaged 176.8 miles per away game, one-way, including 183.3 miles per conference game and 162 miles per nonconference game. In 2020, teams will average 171.7 miles per game, with conference games at 170.7 and nonconference at 175 — although those numbers may fluctuate slightly as teams add sub-varsity nonconference games in open weeks, especially in six-man.

Meh?

Rivalry Week in 4A is dead. I kind of liked having all the big 4A rivalry games on one week, but those opportunities are now spread out across the season. The big ones in 4A are all in different weeks, with the Oil Bowl (Natrona-Kelly Walsh) in Week 3, the Coal Bowl (Campbell County-Thunder Basin) in Week 4, the Capital Bowl (Cheyenne Central-Cheyenne East) in Week 6 and the Energy Bowl (Sheridan-Campbell County) in Week 7. Although I liked rivalry week, it might also be nice to have that rivalry energy spread out in a variety of weeks — it might give each rivalry its own moment in the spotlight.

Cons

The 1A six-man East got shafted. In what was probably the most avoidable problem, most of the 1A six-man East Conference ended up with open weeks in both Week 2 and Week 3. That’s due to the unbalanced conferences in six-man, with six teams in the East and seven in the West. However, this imbalance could have been fixed by giving BOTH conferences eight-team round-robin schedules for conference play in the final seven weeks of the season; at least then, only one East team per week has an open week in weeks 2-7 rather than having five teams from the same conference all have an open week at the same time, which is pretty much what’s happening in Weeks 2-3. The scramble for JV games is on.

The geography of the 2A West. With the 2A West next year, there will be two pretty clear geographic divisions — north (Lovell and Thermopolis) and south (the other six teams: Kemmerer, Cokeville, Pinedale, Big Piney, Mountain View, Lyman). Therefore, it makes a lot of sense for the south teams to get one north team at home and the other on the road, right? Well… that didn’t happen. Cokeville and Mountain View get both north teams on the road, while Kemmerer and Lyman get both north teams at home. That flips next year… but no one should be put into an altogether avoidable situation.

Four-in-five scheduling. Three teams (Kelly Walsh, Laramie and Evanston) got scheduled for either four road or four home games in five-week spans. Kelly Walsh got four home games in five weeks in weeks 2-6; Laramie got four road games in five weeks in the same span. The game that’s not? Laramie hosting KW in Week 4. … Evanston also got four road games in five weeks in weeks 2-6. Yes, it’ll flip-flop for these teams next season, but no one should have to do the four-in-five even once.

Three-straight scheduling. Lander and Tongue River both open their seasons with three consecutive road games — although part of that was both schools’ choice to open with a Zero Week game on the road. Riverton, though, has three straight home games in weeks 2-4 next season, and that’ll be three straight road games in 2021.

New

At least 19 new series will start up in 2020. It’s always fun to see new opponents play each other. The bulk of the new series come from schools in new classifications and conferences, including Torrington, Upton-Sundance, Cokeville, St. Stephens and Encampment, although a couple other new series sneaked onto the schedule, too. The new series are:
Zero Week: Star Valley/South Summit, Utah.
Week 1: Lusk/St. Stephens; Burns/Mitchell, Neb.
Week 2: Wright/Wyoming Indian (scheduled once before but was not played due to forfeit); Snake River/Encampment; Jackson/Hillcrest, Idaho.
Week 3: Torrington/Tongue River.
Week 4: Upton-Sundance/Torrington; St. Stephens/Saratoga.
Week 5: Cokeville/Thermopolis; Torrington/Big Horn.
Week 6: Upton-Sundance/Burns; St. Stephens/Wind River; Encampment/Ten Sleep.
Week 7: Glenrock/Upton-Sundance.
Week 8: Cokeville/Lovell; Torrington/Burns; Lingle/Greybull; Rocky Mountain/St. Stephens.
Zero Week matchups that could be scrimmages and not full games: Big Horn/Buffalo and Lander/Pinedale.

So what do you say? What’s your favorite — or least favorite — part of the schedules for 2020 and 2021? Leave a comment and let’s talk about next season(s) now!

–patrick