Annual season records loaded for wyoming-basketball.com

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Big things are happening at the sister site, wyoming-basketball.com. Season records for every program in the state are now available! If you see any missing info you can provide, I would love the help!

For example, the Green River girls records are pretty much done…. the Sheridan boys records are about halfway there…. and the Dubois boys records are pretty much empty. Every program is in some state of completion, some more than others, and any help you can give to fill in any of the blanks would be greatly appreciated.

Information can be emailed to pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

NFF nominations roll in for annual awards

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More than 100 Wyoming football players have been nominated for one of the state’s top student-athlete honors: the Top Football Scholar Athlete award from the Wyoming Chapter of the National Football Foundation.

In a release, Wyoming Chapter President Jeff Felton of Cheyenne noted that 101 athletes from 35 different schools have been nominated. A back and a lineman from all five classifications of high school football, as well as from the University of Wyoming, will be honored at the Wyoming Chapter’s annual banquet March 19 in Laramie. Finalists will receive $1,200 scholarships, while one winner will receive an additional scholarship and will be the state’s nominee for the Western Chapter Scholar Athlete of the Year; the winner of the Western Chapter award will be recognized at the national NFF banquet in New York City.

Academic achievement and football performance are weighted at 40 percent apiece in the group’s ranking system; community leadership makes up the remaining 20 percent. Nominees need a minimum GPA of 3.0.

The University of Wyoming nominees are Cameron Coffman and Rafe Kiely. High school nominees include:

Big Horn: Bruce Beisher; Maxon Lube; Collin Powers; Charlie Ringley; Travis Walker.
Big Piney: J.D. Fear; Justis Fisher; R.C. Pape; Jeramiah Riggan; William Shafer; Josh Willoughby.
Burlington: Nathan Carrizales.
Cheyenne East: Jack Danni; Hunter Ernst; Ricky Garnicia-Cole; Uriah Gracia-Salinas; Quinn Happold; Baylor Hayes; Joe Helsel; Austin Jacobson; Cole Jensen.
Cody: Cameron Myers.
Cokeville: Jackson Linford.
Douglas: Cody Hooker.
Gillette: Roo Aten; Lane Barbour; Zach Clark; Isaac Hamilton; Dalton Holst; Derek Hooker.
Glenrock: Alec Arnold; Tyson Buettgenback; Dillon Farley; Justin David Love; Elijah Stewart; Isaac Ritter.
Green River: Tyler Vendetti.
Jackson: Theo Dawson.
Kaycee: Hayden Fauber.
Lander: Landon Cleveland; Scott Keaton; Dylan Tschannen; Chris Williams.
Laramie: Noah Hammontree.
Lingle: K.C. Henry.
Lovell: Konner Davis; Beau Green; Nicholas Haskell.
Meeteetse: Carter Johnson; Shawn Shepperson.
Natrona: Lorenzo Andrade; Sam Airisa; Duke Beddes; Matt Bernardis; Keegan Berry; Daniel Bliss; Taylor Edwards; Mark Feraud; Bridger Helm; Caleb Hett; Joe Keating; Mark Kinder; Tristan Kutzer; Bryant MacMillan; William Rice; Weston Richner; Dawson Rivera; Dillon Vanetti; Cody Wilkinson.
Pine Bluffs: Kyle Jeffres.
Powell: Teagan Cordes; Jackson Griffin.
Riverside: Scott Anderson; Cole Hills.
Riverton: Baylor Beers.
Saratoga: Thatcher Spiering.
Southeast: David Becker; Jeff Burroughs.
Sheridan: Davis Alden; Ed Arzy; Blake Baker; Zach Campbell; Blake Godwin.
Shoshoni: Patrick Forrester; Connor Wilkinson.
Star Valley: Reese Hiibel.
Thermopolis: Tyler Cornwell; Eric Herold.
Torrington: Skyler Miller.
Upton-Sundance: Cole Ingrahm; Rourke McPeters.
Wheatland: Justis Borton; Josh Calvert; Daniel Chesser; Preston Gunter.

–patrick

One and done: Undefeated until the playoffs

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Shoshoni’s first-round playoff loss to Southeast last October came as a surprise to everyone but the Cyclones.

The Wranglers, after all, entered the Class 1A 11-man playoffs 8-0. They had won the West Conference with ease, giving up just six total points in six conference games (plus one forfeit victory), the closest game in conference play a 19-0 victory against perennial contender Cokeville. To top it off, Shoshoni’s closest victory — a 14-13 nailbiter against 2A Big Piney in the season opener — set the course for the season and, ultimately, allowed the Wranglers to start the playoffs unbeaten.

The Wranglers’ regular-season success, though, didn’t translate to the postseason. Southeast not only won, it controlled the game from kick to gun and ended the Wranglers’ dream season with a 21-3 thumping.

Shoshoni’s loss in the playoffs marked just the fifth time in an eight-team bracket that an undefeated team lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Wranglers joined Burns in 2013, Mountain View in 2006, Rocky Mountain in 2002 and Upton in 1992 on the list of teams with unbeaten regular seasons but no playoff wins in eight-team brackets.

Here’s a glance at the other teams who encountered the same problems Shoshoni did last year:

Burns 2013: The Broncs’ regular season wasn’t dominant — their biggest win was by 26, and only two of their seven on-field wins (plus a forfeit) came by more than 20 points. Still, Burns finished 8-0, only to fall to Thermopolis 20-12 in the first round of the 2A playoffs.

Mountain View 2006: The Buffalos won several close games, winning by scores of 8-0, 8-6, 22-16 and 12-9, on their way to an 8-0 regular season. But lightly heralded Glenrock, which had lost to Mountain View 41-7 in the season opener, surprised the Buffalos 7-0 in the first round of the 3A playoffs to end Mountain View’s season prematurely.

Rocky Mountain 2002: The Grizzlies were also a fortunate team, with victories of 14-6, 23-20 and 22-21 on their resume. That 23-20 victory came against Lovell, the team Rocky faced in the first round of the 3A playoffs. The second time around, the eight-seeded Bulldogs knocked out the second-seeded Grizzlies 18-15.

Upton 1992: The Bobcats swept through their regular season, winning seven straight games — a one-point victory against Bayard, Neb., and a two-point victory against the Gillette sophomores mixed into an otherwise impressive series of games — before the playoffs. However, 5-2 Riverside, whose two regular-season losses were by a total of six points, ended Upton’s season in the first round of the 2A playoffs with a 24-14 victory in Upton.

Oddly enough, beating an undefeated team in the first round has proven to be more of an upset anomaly than a predictor of future success: None of the teams that beat undefeated teams in the first round of the playoffs won their semifinal games.

Since the reinstitution of playoffs for all classes in 1975, 15 other teams had perfect regular seasons spoiled by a loss in the first round of four-team playoff brackets: Meeteetse in 1990, Greybull in 1989, Rock Springs and Lovell in 1988, Pinedale in 1987, Greybull again in 1986, Burlington in 1983, Moorcroft in 1982, Sundance and Byron in 1981, Midwest in 1980, Shoshoni and Big Horn in 1978, Guernsey-Sunrise in 1977 and Byron again in 1976. Seven other unbeaten seasons — Evanston in 1983 and 1979, Newcastle in 1981, Laramie in 1978, Cody in 1977, Buffalo in 1976 and Rock Springs in 1975 — also ended in the first game of the playoffs, but those losses came in state title games when playoffs were only the title games.

–patrick

Star Valley’s Howell resigns to take Utah job

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The Star Valley Independent reported Friday that Braves coach Chris Howell has resigned to take a head coaching position in Utah.

Howell, who led the Braves to a 10-1 record and the Class 3A state championship last season, spent eight years as Star Valley’s head coach. His overall record with the Braves was 42-35, including a runner-up finish in 2012 to go with last year’s title.

Howell will take over as the head coach and will teach at Ridgeline High School in Millville, which is set to open and launch its football program this fall, the Independent report said.

A replacement has not yet been named.

Howell is the second Wyoming head coach to step down this offseason, joining Cheyenne South’s Tracy Pugh.

–patrick

Cheyenne South coach Pugh resigns

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The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle in Cheyenne reported that Cheyenne South head football coach Tracy Pugh has resigned.

Pugh is the only head football coach the varsity Bison have ever had. South, which started its varsity program in 2011 without a single senior on its roster, went 3-42 in Pugh’s five years.

The Bison went 0-9 last year.

The Tribune-Eagle report said a replacement has not yet been named.

–patrick

Update: 1949 all-state team

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The 1949 all-state team has been added to the all-state listings. Thanks a ton to Jim Craig in Lusk for providing me with the info for the team!

You also might notice two other small changes to the all-state listings. Listings are now broken down by decade rather than having all the listings on one page; I had to do this because the page was so big, it exceeded my platform’s capacity for information it is capable of displaying on one page. That meant I couldn’t edit the page… and that was bad. I also went back and reformatted all the all-state teams from 1920 to 1948 to match the formatting I used from the 1950s forward. Both changes will hopefully make the all-state listings easier for you to read.

As always, if you can help me with any all-state listings, let me know! Leave a comment below or email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

1989 Class 1A nine-man state championship game film: Hanna vs. Midwest

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This week, I acquired several old game tapes from my alma mater, Midwest. One of the tapes in the stack was the Class 1A nine-man state championship game from 1989 between the Oilers and the Hanna Miners. Hanna won the game, and the video — now more than 26 years old — was worth digitizing (and uploading to YouTube).

If you have old game videos, especially of playoff and championship games, that you’d like me to digitize and share here, let me know! I’m happy to do so.

–patrick

Shrine Bowl coaching staffs set

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The coaching staffs for the 43rd annual Shrine Bowl all-star football game are set.

The South squad will be led by Torrington’s Mark Lenhardt with assistants Russell Steinmetz (Torrington), Drew Severn (Cheyenne Central), Aaron Makelky (Big Piney), Will Gray (Pine Bluffs) and Michael Bates (Snake River).

The North team will have head coach Jon Vance from Kelly Walsh and assistant coaches Ryan Meyers (Kelly Walsh), Rob Hammond (Buffalo), Marty Wrage (Greybull), Tony Truempler (Shoshoni) and Andy Ray (Ten Sleep).

The staffs will now go about the task of picking players and alternates for the game. The game will be June 11, 2016, in Casper.

–patrick

A basketball schedule for football: Who has done it and how it might look today

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A school’s football schedule often looks vastly different from a school’s basketball schedule.

Ignore for a second the obvious differences in conference alignment and schedule length, and focus instead on conference games.

For most Wyoming high schools, conference games take up more than half of the basketball schedule. And, maybe more importantly, teams get two cracks at their conference opponents — once on the road, once at home.

What if football scheduling adapted the same approach?

A round-robin conference schedule that allowed teams two chances at their conference opponents would give teams schedules with reduced travel and increased focus on regional rivalry. It sounds odd, but it actually might work.

This idea is not completely foreign.

For 15 years, from 1960-74, the Class A Southwest schools (Star Valley, Evanston, Kemmerer, Green River and, eventually, Jackson) played a round-robin schedule where the teams played each other twice during the regular season. The Class B Southwest schools (Mountain View, Lyman, Pinedale, Big Piney and Cokeville) did the same from 1970-76. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of schools that traditionally played each other twice during the regular season in football’s early days in the state (Cody-Powell, Lander-Riverton, Sundance-Upton and a host of others).

However, previous round-robin schedules fit into longer regular seasons, usually 10 weeks long. These days, Wyoming’s regular season fits into eight or nine weeks. That means, to fully execute a round-robin, no-byes schedule, we can’t have any more than four teams in a conference, giving schools the opportunity for six conference games and two non-conference games.

Splitting 49 11-man teams into four-team conferences turns out to be more difficult than first blush: It means either scaling back to three classifications of roughly 16 schools each or keeping four classifications but skewing to roughly 12 schools each. For our sake, we’ll stick with 12 per class — but that means three conferences per classification (except 1A 11-man and 1A six-man), which might make playoff qualifying a bit weird.

But whatever. Our focus for now is on the regular season, not the postseason.

Let’s give it a try.

When go to 12 teams and three conferences per class, some weird geographical splits appear. For example:

In 4A, it’s pretty much a given that we’ll have to separate the two Casper schools. With three schools (Gillette, Sheridan and Thunder Basin) in the northeast and three (Rock Springs, Green River and Evanston) in the southwest, we pretty much have to split the two Casper schools to make balanced conferences.

The same thing happens with the Fremont County schools Lander and Riverton in 3A. Again, pockets of three-school groupings — Pinedale, Star Valley and Jackson in the far west and Cody, Worland and Powell in the northwest — make it tough to keep Lander and Riverton together.

In 2A, we have to split neighbors Moorcroft and Newcastle — three-school pockets of Greybull, Thermopolis and Lovell in the Northwest and Glenrock, Burns and Wheatland in the southeast force us to split the northeast pairing of the Dogies and Wolves.

Meanwhile, in 1A, things get complicated because we have 13 remaining schools. Rather than two conferences of four teams apiece and one of five, I split the teams into four conferences of four, three, three and three schools. Because of that scheduling, most 1A 11-man teams had to play either three straight home games or three straight road games, something I worked to avoid in other classifications (along with having four road or home games in a five-week stretch) but couldn’t avoid for about half the schools in this conference setup.

Six-man gets to remain relatively unchanged except for conference structure.

Class 4A kept its nine-week schedule; other classifications stayed at eight weeks.

Here is a sample schedule of what Weeks 0-8 (with Zero Week for 4A only) might look like in 2018 if Wyoming adopted these basketball scheduling practices for football (note that “JOB” means JV, out-of-state or bye):

4A Northeast
Gillette: vs. Natrona; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Thunder Basin; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Sheridan; at Thunder Basin.
Sheridan: at Cheyenne South; at Natrona; vs. Cheyenne East; at Gillette; vs. Thunder Basin; at Kelly Walsh; at Thunder Basin; vs. Gillette; vs. Kelly Walsh.
Thunder Basin: at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne South; at Cody; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Sheridan; at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Gillette.
Kelly Walsh: vs. Green River; at Douglas; vs. Natrona; at Thunder Basin; vs. Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Gillette; vs. Thunder Basin; at Sheridan.

4A Southeast
Cheyenne East: at Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Sheridan; vs. Cheyenne South; at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne Central; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne Central.
Cheyenne South: vs. Sheridan; at Thunder Basin; vs. Green River; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Laramie.
Cheyenne Central: vs. Thunder Basin; at Rock Springs; vs. Gillette; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne South; at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne East.
Laramie: at Evanston; at Gillette; vs. Rock Springs; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Cheyenne South.

4A West
Rock Springs: vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie; vs. Evanston; at Natrona; vs. Green River; vs. Natrona; at Evanston; at Green River.
Evanston: vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne East; vs. Star Valley; at Rock Springs; vs. Green River; at Natrona; at Green River; vs. Rock Springs; vs. Natrona.
Green River: at Kelly Walsh; vs. Lander; at Cheyenne South; vs. Natrona; at Evanston; at Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Natrona; vs. Rock Springs.
Natrona: at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; at Green River; vs. Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Rock Springs; vs. Green River; at Evanston.

3A East
Buffalo: vs. Glenrock; at Worland; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Douglas; vs. Rawlins; at Torrington; at Douglas.
Torrington: at JOB; vs. Wheatland; at Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Rawlins; at Douglas; vs. Buffalo; vs. Rawlins.
Douglas: vs. Kelly Walsh; at Glenrock; vs. Rawlins; at Torrington; at Buffalo; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Buffalo.
Rawlins: at Riverton; vs. Powell; at Douglas; vs. Buffalo; vs. Torrington; at Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Torrington.

3A Northwest
Riverton: vs. Rawlins; at Lander; vs. Cody; at Powell; vs. Worland; vs. Powell; at Cody; at Worland.
Cody: at Jackson; vs. Thunder Basin; at Riverton; vs. Worland; at Powell; at Worland; vs. Riverton; vs. Powell.
Worland: at Star Valley; vs. Buffalo; vs. Powell; at Cody; at Riverton; vs. Cody; at Powell; vs. Riverton.
Powell: vs. Thermopolis; at Rawlins; at Worland; vs. Riverton; vs. Cody; at Riverton; vs. Worland; at Cody.

3A Southwest
Jackson: vs. Cody; at Mountain View; vs. Pinedale; at Lander; vs. Star Valley; vs. Lander; at Pinedale; at Star Valley.
Pinedale: at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Lander; at Star Valley; vs. Jackson; vs. Lander.
Star Valley: vs. Worland; at Evanston; vs. Lander; at Pinedale; at Jackson; vs. Pinedale; at Lander; vs. Jackson.
Lander: at Green River; vs. Riverton; at Star Valley; vs. Jackson; vs. Pinedale; at Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Pinedale.

2A East
Wheatland: vs. Wright; at Torrington; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; vs. Burns; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock; at Burns.
Glenrock: at Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Wheatland; vs. Burns; at Newcastle; at Burns; vs. Wheatland; vs. Newcastle.
Burns: vs. Saratoga; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock; at Wheatland; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; vs. Wheatland.
Newcastle: vs. Southeast; at Moorcroft; at Burns; vs. Wheatland; vs. Glenrock; at Wheatland; vs. Burns; at Glenrock.

2A Northwest
Greybull: vs. Lyman; at Tongue River; vs. Thermopolis; at Moorcroft; vs. Lovell; vs. Moorcroft; at Thermopolis; at Lovell.
Thermopolis: at Powell; vs. Big Horn; at Greybull; vs. Lovell; at Moorcroft; at Lovell; vs. Greybull; vs. Moorcroft.
Lovell: at Big Horn; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Moorcroft; at Thermopolis; at Greybull; vs. Thermopolis; at Moorcroft; vs. Greybull.
Moorcroft: at Upton-Sundance; vs. Newcastle; at Lovell; vs. Greybull; vs. Thermopolis; at Greybull; vs. Lovell; at Thermopolis.

2A Southwest
Kemmerer: vs. Pinedale; at Cokeville; vs. Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Big Piney; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; at Big Piney.
Mountain View: at JOB; vs. Jackson; at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Lyman; at Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; vs. Lyman.
Big Piney: vs. Cokeville; at Pinedale; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; at Kemmerer; vs. Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Kemmerer.
Lyman: at Greybull; vs. Wind River; at Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; vs. Mountain View; at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Mountain View.

1A 11-man Northeast
Upton-Sundance: vs. Moorcroft; at Shoshoni; vs. Tongue River; at Lusk; vs. Wright; at Southeast; vs. Lusk; at Wright.
Wright: at Wheatland; vs. JOB; vs. Lusk; at Pine Bluffs; at Upton-Sundance; at Lusk; vs. Big Horn; vs. Upton-Sundance.
Lusk: vs. Pine Bluffs; at Southeast; at Wright; vs. Upton-Sundance; at JOB; vs. Wright; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Saratoga.

1A 11-man Southeast
Southeast: at Newcastle; vs. Lusk; at JOB; at Saratoga; vs. Pine Bluffs; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Saratoga; at Pine Bluffs.
Pine Bluffs: at Lusk; at Burns; vs. Saratoga; vs. Wright; at Southeast; at Saratoga; vs. JOB; vs. Southeast.
Saratoga: vs. Burns; at Wyoming Indian; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Southeast; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Southeast; at Lusk.

1A 11-man Northwest
Tongue River: at Wind River; vs. Greybull; at Upton-Sundance; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Big Horn; vs. JOB; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Big Horn.
Big Horn: vs. Lovell; at Thermopolis; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. JOB; at Tongue River; at Rocky Mountain; at Wright; vs. Tongue River.
Rocky Mountain: vs. Shoshoni; at Lovell; at Big Horn; vs. Tongue River; at Saratoga; vs. Big Horn; at Tongue River; vs. JOB.

1A 11-man Southwest
Wind River: vs. Tongue River; at Lyman; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Cokeville; vs. Shoshoni; vs. Cokeville; at Wyoming Indian; at Shoshoni.
Wyoming Indian: at JOB; vs. Saratoga; at Wind River; vs. Shoshoni; at Cokeville; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; vs. Cokeville.
Shoshoni: at Rocky Mountain; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Cokeville; at Wyoming Indian; at Wind River; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Cokeville; vs. Wind River.
Cokeville: at Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Wind River; vs. Shoshoni; at Wyoming Indian.

1A six-man Northeast
NSI: vs. Ten Sleep; at Burlington; vs. Midwest; at Kaycee; vs. Hulett; vs. Kaycee; at Midwest; at Hulett.
Midwest: at Guernsey; vs. Rock River; at NSI; vs. Hulett; at Kaycee; at Hulett; vs. NSI; vs. Kaycee.
Hulett: at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; vs. Kaycee; at Midwest; at NSI; vs. Midwest; at Kaycee; vs. NSI.
Kaycee: at Meeteetse; vs. Lingle; at Hulett; vs. NSI; vs. Midwest; at NSI; vs. Hulett; at Midwest.

1A six-man Southeast
Lingle: vs. Hulett; at Kaycee; vs. Hanna; at Rock River; vs. Guernsey; vs. Rock River; at Hanna; at Guernsey.
Hanna: at Dubois; vs. Snake River; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; at Rock River; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle; vs. Rock River.
Guernsey: vs. Midwest; at Hulett; vs. Rock River; at Hanna; at Lingle; vs. Hanna; at Rock River; vs. Lingle.
Rock River: vs. St. Stephens; at Midwest; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle; vs. Hanna; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; at Hanna.

1A six-man Northwest
Riverside: vs. Farson; at St. Stephens; vs. Burlington; at Ten Sleep; vs. Meeteetse; vs. Ten Sleep; at Burlington; at Meeteetse.
Burlington: at Snake River; vs. NSI; at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Ten Sleep; at Meeteetse; vs. Riverside; vs. Ten Sleep.
Meeteetse: vs. Kaycee; at Farson; vs. Ten Sleep; at Burlington; at Riverside; vs. Burlington; at Ten Sleep; vs. Riverside.
Ten Sleep: at NSI; vs. Dubois; at Meeteetse; vs. Riverside; vs. Burlington; at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Burlington.

1A six-man Southwest
Dubois: vs. Hanna; at Ten Sleep; vs. Farson; at Snake River; vs. St. Stephens; vs. Snake River; at Farson; at St. Stephens.
Farson: at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Dubois; vs. St. Stephens; at Snake River; at St. Stephens; vs. Dubois; vs. Snake River.
St. Stephens: at Rock River; vs. Riverside; vs. Snake River; at Farson; at Dubois; vs. Farson; at Snake River; vs. Dubois.
Snake River: vs. Burlington; at Hanna; at St. Stephens; vs. Dubois; vs. Farson; at Dubois; vs. St. Stephens; at Farson.

So, what do you think? Would basketball scheduling ideas work for football? Should the round-robin schedule make a comeback?

–patrick

Vance, Lenhardt named Shrine Bowl head coaches

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Kelly Walsh’s Jon Vance and Torrington’s Mark Lenhardt will be the coaches for the North and South teams, respectively, in the 2016 Shrine Bowl.

Both coaches will be Shrine Bowl head coaches for the first time in the annual all-star football game, which is scheduled for June 11, 2016, in Casper.

Vance just finished his fifth year as head coach of the Trojans, taking KW to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. He is the first KW coach to be named a Shrine Bowl head coach since Rod Flack in 1981.

Lenhardt, too, capped off his fifth season as head coach at Torrington, leading the Trailblazers to the 3A East Conference championship. The last time a Torrington coach led the South Shrine Bowl team was in 1989, when Doug Bartlett led the squad.

The game is in its 43rd year. Funds raised from the game go to the Shriners Hospital for Children. Last year’s game, a 40-14 North victory, raised $35,000. The North leads the all-time series 21-18-3 and has won three consecutive Shrine Bowls.

Shrine Bowl Executive Director John Cundall announced the coach selections via email. The coaches will select their assistant coaching staffs before selecting players later this year.

–patrick