Updates: Receiving records, Wind River and Shoshoni coaching

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A couple quick updates:

Added Douglas’ Zack Andrews to the single-game receiving records. Zack had a 229-yard receiving performance for the Bearcats in 1998 against Riverton. Thanks to him for filling me in!

Corrected Wind River’s coach in 2004. It was Rick Lindblad, not Dick Quayle. Thanks to former Wind River head coach Tyler Jordan for filling me in! In addition, I realized I had misspelled Lindblad’s name in the listings I had for his time as the Shoshoni coach; that spelling has been fixed.

–patrick

Zeroes and sixes part 2: Final four (and five)

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In nearly 24,000 games over more than 120 years of Wyoming high school football, the final score of 4 has only happened seven times; the final score of 5 has happened 20 times, but 14 of those came prior to 1912, when touchdowns were worth five points instead of six. Since 1912, the final score of 5 has only happened six times.

And only two of those teams since 1912 have won games by scoring that many points: Pavillion in 1960 (four) and Cheyenne East in 2006 (five).

The seven occurrences of a final score of 4:

UW JV 12, Laramie 4 — Dec. 5, 1896. There’s not much known about this game other than the score. But the score alone is enough to bring attention to it here….

Kemmerer 7, Rock Springs 4 — Oct. 29, 1937. This was actually a big game in the 1937 season, as it decided the Southwest District title. If Rock Springs had won, the Tigers would have won the district title and went to the playoffs. Instead, Kemmerer won and represented the Southwest in the postseason.

Sheridan 25, Natrona 4 — Nov. 11, 1946. This game meant a lot more to Sheridan than to Natrona; the Broncs won the game to secure the big-school state championship, while Natrona finished with a losing record. This game was the final game of Sheridan’s regular-season schedule, and the last before the Broncs’ victory in the 1946 Turkey Bowl, which I call one of the 10 most important games in state history.

Byron 49, Big Horn 4 — Nov. 11, 1949. This six-man state semifinal game is here because the Rams converted a successful field goal, worth four points in six-man, for their only points of the game. Byron won the state title the next week, beating Reliance 28-20 for its second consecutive title.

Pavillion 4, St. Stephens 0 — Sept. 16, 1960. The Pavillion Panthers of 1960 are the only team in state history to win a game while scoring exactly four points, shutting out the Eagles while notching a pair of safeties to earn the victory. Pavillion finished 7-1 in 1960, the best finish in the program’s short history.

Lyman 12, Big Piney 4 — Sept. 11, 1970. The memory of this one didn’t last long. The Punchers got their revenge, beating the Eagles by a more traditional 30-6 score about a month later.

Wyoming Indian 22, Meeteetse 4 — Sept. 1, 2000. The only four-point final score in the past 45 years came in Week 1 of the 2000 season.

+++

The six five-point finals since 1912, when touchdowns became worth six points instead of five:

Kemmerer 21, Evanston 5 — Oct. 6, 1923. Kemmerer started its program uniquely; this was the first game in program history, and it produced a “5” on the scoreboard. It was KHS’s only victory in its inaugural season, and Evanston notched revenge two weeks later by beating the Rangers 19-13.

Cody 7, Thermopolis 5 — Oct. 31, 1931. The 1931 season — the first one for state-sanctioned statewide playoffs — was confusing in the Northwest. Despite tying with Cody for the Northwest title and losing by this unique 7-5 score, Thermopolis was given the Northwest’s spot in the playoffs, much to the chagrin of the Cody faithful.

Southeast 14, Cokeville 5 — Oct. 28, 2000. Wyoming had 69 years pass between final scores of 5. This playoff victory helped propel the Cyclones to the Class 1A-Division II state title this season.

Upton 25, Sundance 5 — Sept. 17, 2004. Sundance scored all five points — a safety and a field goal — in the second quarter of their loss to Upton. Oddly enough, both the Bulldogs and Bobcats lost to Big Horn in the Class 2A playoffs, Sundance in the semifinals and Upton in the state title game. Upton moved to Class 1A in 2005, and Upton in 1A and Sundance in 2A both won state titles that year.

Cheyenne East 5, Natrona 3 — Nov. 3, 2006. This was one of the craziest games in state playoff history, with East scoring all five of its points late in the fourth quarter and then hanging on as Natrona sent its field goal attempt wide left on the final play of the game. (And some folks in Casper will go to their graves thinking that field goal — which sailed over the top of the left upright — should have been ruled good.) East lost to Gillette the next week in the Class 5A title game. And it remains the only time since 1912 that a team has won a game by scoring exactly five points.

Mountain View 9, Pinedale 5 — Oct. 2, 2009. This was Mountain View’s only victory of the 2009 season, with a fourth-quarter touchdown sealing the game for the Buffalos.

–patrick

Zeroes and sixes: The most common final score tallies in Wyoming football

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When Cheyenne East’s players burst off the sidelines and onto the field at Cheney Alumni Field in Casper on Nov. 3, 2006, the Thunderbirds were celebrating a huge victory in their season — and a historic one for the state’s football teams.

Their 5-3 victory against Natrona put East into the state championship game for the second consecutive year. The T-Birds made it to the title game the hard way, winning two hard-fought road games to get there; they had beaten Evanston 10-6 the week before the big win against the Mustangs.

But East’s victory stood out for another reason, one beyond the in-season ramifications: the final score.

East won the game by scoring five points, something that hadn’t been done in nearly a century.

In fact, the least common final scores in the 122 seasons of Wyoming high school football below 77 points are scores of 4 and 5.

The final score of 4 has only happened seven times in that 122-season span. The final score of 5 has happened 20 times, but 14 of those came prior to 1912, when touchdowns were worth five points instead of six. So, since 1912, the final score of 5 has only happened six times — including East’s 2006 victory against Natrona, the ONLY time since 1912 that a team has won a game by scoring exactly five points.

Conversely, the most popular final score (zero) has happened 7,628 times in Wyoming’s nearly 24,000 high school games on record; the second-most popular final score of 6 has been reached 4,865 times.

The 11 most popular final scores, all with at least 1,000 occurrences, through the end of the 2015 season:

0: 7,628
6: 4,865
7: 3,008
14: 2,423
13: 2,262
12: 2,239
20: 1,878
19: 1,223
26: 1,163
21: 1,145
8: 1,039

The lowest final score to never be reached is 98 points. Final scores of 94, 95 and 97 have only been achieved once.

Here is how often each final score has been reached, through the end of the 2015 season:

Point occurrences through 2015

PointsOccurrences
07628
2196
3235
47
520
64865
73008
81039
9259
10285
1149
122239
132262
142432
15394
16456
17274
18863
191223
201878
211145
22535
23219
24569
25608
261163
27910
28955
29209
30411
31449
32672
33650
34730
35482
36313
37270
38439
39343
40502
41407
42404
43183
44266
45276
46342
47273
48287
49239
50173
51158
52189
53120
54177
55132
56124
5763
58101
5964
60104
6162
6270
6347
6447
6536
6652
6732
6844
6925
7036
7116
7225
7318
7418
7516
7611
7713
788
797
806
816
829
835
848
859
866
8710
884
896
903
912
923
935
941
951
963
971
980
990
1000
1010
1021
1030
1040
1050
1060
1070
1080
1092
1100
1110
1121
1131
1140
1150
1160
1170
1180
1190
1200
1210
1220
1230
1240
1250
1260
1271

In the next post, we’ll take a look at those occurrences when teams have finished with the unique final scores of 4 and 5.

–patrick

All-state teams, single-season individual records added to wyoming-football.com

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The 2015 all-state teams and the single-season individual records have been added to their respective pages on the site.

(Unofficially) The season had the top two passing seasons of all-time: Dalton Holst of Gillette threw for 3,190 yards and Blake Godwin of Sheridan threw for 2,471 yards. Jackson’s Theo Dawson finished with the second-best rushing season of all time with 2,283 yards. Madden Pikula of Gillette had 1,014 yards receiving, eighth-best all-time. And three players — Tongue River’s Brennan Kutterer, Wheatland’s Josh Calvert and Southeast’s David Becker — finished in the top five in defensive points all-time.

On the all-state teams, Gillette’s Zach Taylor, Meeteetse’s Carter Johnson, Pine Bluffs’ Kyle Jeffres and Thermopolis’ Tyler Cornwell joined the rare club of three-time all-state selections.

–patrick

 

Casper Star-Tribune names Super 25 team for 2015

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The Casper Star-Tribune named its annual Super 25 team on Thursday. Full bios on first-team selections are available here. This year’s first-team selections include:

T.J. Abraham, 5-8, 150, jr, RB/OLB/PR, Powell

Jeff Burroughs, 6-1, 230, sr, QB/OLB/PR, Southeast

Josh Calvert, 6-0, 215, sr, OL/MLB, Wheatland

Evan Coon, 6-0, 190, sr, RB/LB, Sheridan

Tyler Cornwell, 5-10, 205, sr, RB/OLB/KR, Thermopolis

Dontae Crow, 5-9, 175, sr, WR/CB/K/P/KR, Sheridan

Theo Dawson, 6-2, 220, sr, RB/MLB, Jackson

Matt Fowler, 5-11, 195, jr, RB/LB/KR, Rock Springs

Blake Godwin, 6-0, 175, sr, QB/S, Sheridan

Logan Harris, 6-3, 255, jr, OT/DT, Torrington

Reese Hiibel, 6-0, 160, sr, QB/S, Star Valley

Dalton Holst, 6-3, 180, sr, QB/S, Gillette

Dillon Lyons, 5-9, 180, sr, RB/LB/LS, Tongue River

Nolan McCafferty, 5-11, 195, jr, FB/MLB, Big Horn

Rourke McPeters, 5-11, 180, sr, TE/OLB, Upton-Sundance

Skyler Miller, 5-11, 195, sr, RB/LB/LS, Torrington

Madden Pikula, 5-10, 180, jr, WR/S/PR/KR, Gillette

McCabe Smith, 5-11, 230, jr, G/NT, Star Valley

Elijah Stewart, 6-0, 190, sr, FB/LB, Glenrock

Zach Taylor, 5-11, 220, sr, RB/MLB, Gillette

Tyler Vendetti, 5-10, 155, sr, QB/CB, Green River

Cody Wilkinson, 6-2, 185, sr, TE/DE/K/P, Natrona

Connor Wilkinson, 5-10, 145, sr, RB/S/KR/PR, Shoshoni

Nathan Willis, 6-2, 190, sr, FB/OLB, Wheatland

Colten Wunder, 5-8, 150, sr, RB/LB/PR/KR, Lingle

The offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year and coach of the year will be announced at the Super 25 banquet tonight in Casper.

–patrick

2016 Wyoming high school football schedule released

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The 2016 Wyoming high school football schedule was released to schools this morning at the statewide scheduling meeting in Casper.

For 4A and 3A schools, the varsity schedules — which are set up by the Wyoming High School Activities Association — look almost exactly the same as the schedules for the past couple years

But for 2A, 1A 11-man and 1A six-man schools, where reclassification and opt-downs rearranged conferences across the state, the schedules will bring some new twists to next season.

The 4A schedule order is the same as the one used in 2014 and 2015. The 2016 schedule will be the same as the 2014 schedule and a mirror of last season.

The only changes to the 3A schedule were in Week 1 nonconference play, as Jackson will play Sugar-Salem, Idaho, instead of Teton, Idaho, in Week 1; Rawlins will play Lyman instead of Kemmerer in Week 1; and Torrington will play Wheatland instead of Glenrock in Week 1. The remainder of the 3A schedule matches that of 2014 and mirrors 2015.

The biggest changes came for the smallest schools, as reclassification forced new schedules to be constructed for Class 2A, Class 1A 11-man and Class 1A six-man. None of the schools in those classifications play the same schedule as the past two years.

In all, 17 new series will be played, nine in 11-man and eight in six-man. Of the 17 new series, four involve new six-man school Riverside, three involve new six-man school Lingle, three involve Snake River and three involve Wright. The 17 new series on tap include:

Lyman/Rawlins
Kemmerer/Rocky Mountain
Pinedale/Wheatland
Newcastle/Upton-Sundance
Pine Bluffs/Wind River
Tongue River/Wyoming Indian
Upton-Sundance/Wright
Cokeville/Wright
Wright/Wyoming Indian
Kaycee/Riverside
Lingle/Snake River
Kaycee/Lingle
Lingle/Rock River
Burlington/Snake River
Riverside/Snake River
Riverside/St. Stephens
Farson/Riverside

Some highlights to the schedule:

The Bridger Valley Bowl between Mountain View and Lyman will be played in Week 2 instead of acting as the schools’ regular-season finale.

The Sublette County rivalry game between Pinedale and Big Piney was moved from Week 8 to Week 5.

Wheatland and Torrington will renew their rivalry via an interclass game in Week 1. The two schools played each other every year for decades before missing each other on the schedule the past three years.

Six-man neighbors in Carbon County, Snake River and Hanna, will not play each other in 2016. With Hanna in the East Conference and Snake River in the West — and with the nonconference schedule reduced to one game for six-man schools — the Miners and Rattlers will miss each other on the schedule for the first time since six-man came back to Wyoming in 2009.

Similarly, Laramie County neighbors Burns (2A) and Pine Bluffs (1A 11-man) won’t play each other in 2016. The two schools renewed their rivalry the past two years after missing each other for a few years prior to that.

In 2A, with seven schools per conference, one team from the East and one from the West will meet in weeks where they don’t play a conference game, as has been done the past couple years. However, most of the matchups have changed, with Wheatland playing Pinedale in Week 2; Big Horn playing Kemmerer in Week 3; Greybull playing Burns in Week 4; Moorcroft playing Lovell in Week 5; Newcastle playing Big Piney in Week 6; Glenrock playing Lyman in Week 7; and Mountain View playing Thermopolis in Week 8.

In 1A 11-man, with only six schools per conference, teams will have three non-conference weeks, much like 3A. Games in Weeks 2 and 3 in 1A 11-man will be cross-conference games, with several — including Pine Bluffs/Wind River, Tongue River/Wyoming Indian, Cokeville/Wright and Wright/Wyoming Indian — the first games between the participating schools.

Class 1A six-man will have three new teams. Burlington will open its six-man era by hosting Normative Services; Riverside will play its first six-man game at defending state champion Kaycee; Lingle will play at Snake River to start six-man play. Riverside and Lingle, who are opting down to six-man, will be ineligible for the postseason.

With an even number of teams in each classification, all schools in both 1A classifications have full eight-game schedules.

Class 3A-1A teams can add Zero Week games, scrimmages or other contests. Game times and specific dates will be set by the participating schools; dates listed are the Friday of the week when most of the games are expected to be played.

Schedules by Week
Week 0 (Friday, Aug. 29)
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Natrona
Cheyenne East at Rock Springs
Evanston at Cheyenne South
Kelly Walsh at Gillette
Laramie at Sheridan

Week 1 (Friday, Sept. 2)
Class 4A
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne Central
Gillette at Evanston
Natrona at Cheyenne East
Rock Springs at Laramie
Sheridan at Kelly Walsh
Class 3A
Buffalo at Cody
Green River at Riverton
Lander at Worland
Powell at Douglas
Class 2A
Lovell at Big Horn
Pinedale at Glenrock
Thermopolis at Greybull
Class 1A 11-man
Wind River at Tongue River
Wyoming Indian at Wright
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Midwest
Farson at Guernsey-Sunrise
Hanna at Meeteetse
Hulett at Ten Sleep
Lingle at Snake River
Normative Services at Burlington
Riverside at Kaycee
St. Stephens at Rock River
Interclass
Big Piney at Shoshoni
Burns at Saratoga
Cokeville at Mountain View
Kemmerer at Rocky Mountain
Lusk at Moorcroft
Lyman at Rawlins
Torrington at Wheatland
Upton-Sundance at Newcastle
Interstate
Mitchell, Neb., at Pine Bluffs
Preston, Idaho, at Star Valley
Southeast at Bayard, Neb.

Week 2 (Friday, Sept. 9)
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Gillette
Cheyenne East at Cheyenne South
Evanston at Sheridan
Kelly Walsh at Rock Springs
Laramie at Natrona
Class 3A
Douglas at Cody
Lander at Jackson
Powell at Buffalo
Rawlins at Green River
Riverton at Star Valley
Worland at Torrington
Class 2A
Big Piney at Lovell
Burns at Big Horn
Greybull at Kemmerer
Mountain View at Lyman
Newcastle at Moorcroft
Thermopolis at Glenrock
Wheatland at Pinedale
Class 1A 11-man
Pine Bluffs at Wind River
Rocky Mountain at Upton-Sundance
Saratoga at Lusk
Shoshoni at Southeast
Tongue River at Wyoming Indian
Wright at Cokeville
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Farson
Guernsey-Sunrise at Lingle
Kaycee at Hanna
Meeteetse at Dubois
Midwest at Normative Services
Rock River at Hulett
Snake River at Riverside
Ten Sleep at St. Stephens

Week 3 (Friday, Sept. 16)
Class 4A
Cheyenne South at Kelly Walsh
Laramie at Evanston
Natrona at Gillette
Rock Springs at Cheyenne Central
Sheridan at Cheyenne East
Class 3A
Cody at Lander
Green River at Torrington
Rawlins at Jackson
Riverton at Powell
Star Valley at Douglas
Worland at Buffalo
Class 2A
Big Horn at Kemmerer
Glenrock at Newcastle
Lovell at Greybull
Lyman at Big Piney
Moorcroft at Burns
Pinedale at Mountain View
Wheatland at Thermopolis
Class 1A 11-man
Cokeville at Tongue River
Lusk at Rocky Mountain
Southeast at Saratoga
Upton-Sundance at Shoshoni
Wind River at Wright
Wyoming Indian at Pine Bluffs
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Ten Sleep
Dubois at Riverside
Farson at St. Stephens
Hulett at Hanna
Meeteetse at Snake River
Midwest at Guernsey
Normative Services at Lingle
Rock River at Kaycee

Week 4 (Friday, Sept. 23)
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Laramie
Evanston at Natrona
Gillette at Cheyenne South
Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne East
Sheridan at Rock Springs
Class 3A
Buffalo at Rawlins
Cody at Star Valley
Douglas at Lander
Jackson at Worland
Powell at Green River
Torrington at Riverton
Class 2A
Glenrock at Wheatland
Greybull at Burns
Kemmerer at Big Piney
Mountain View at Lovell
Newcastle at Big Horn
Pinedale at Lyman
Thermopolis at Moorcroft
Class 1A 11-man
Pine Bluffs at Upton-Sundance
Rocky Mountain at Cokeville
Saratoga at Wyoming Indian
Shoshoni at Wind River
Tongue River at Southeast
Wright at Lusk
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey at Normative Services
Hanna at Rock River
Kaycee at Hulett
Lingle at Midwest
Riverside at Meeteetse
St. Stephens at Burlington
Snake River at Dubois
Ten Sleep at Farson

Week 5 (Friday, Sept. 30)
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Cheyenne Central
Cheyenne South at Laramie
Gillette at Sheridan
Natrona at Kelly Walsh
Rock Springs at Evanston
Class 3A
Douglas at Torrington
Jackson at Green River
Lander at Buffalo
Riverton at Rawlins
Star Valley at Powell
Worland at Cody
Class 2A
Big Horn at Glenrock
Big Piney at Pinedale
Burns at Thermopolis
Lyman at Greybull
Moorcroft at Lovell
Mountain View at Kemmerer
Wheatland at Newcastle
Class 1A 11-man
Cokeville at Wyoming Indian
Lusk at Tongue River
Shoshoni at Saratoga
Southeast at Upton-Sundance
Wind River at Rocky Mountain
Wright at Pine Bluffs
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Meeteetse
Farson at Dubois
Hanna at Lingle
Hulett at Normative Services
Kaycee at Guernsey
Rock River at Midwest
St. Stephens at Riverside
Ten Sleep at Snake River

Week 6 (Friday, Oct. 7)
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Sheridan
Evanston at Kelly Walsh
Laramie at Cheyenne East
Natrona at Cheyenne South
Rock Springs at Gillette
Class 3A
Buffalo at Riverton
Cody at Jackson
Green River at Star Valley
Powell at Worland
Rawlins at Douglas
Torrington at Lander
Class 2A
Glenrock at Burns
Greybull at Mountain View
Kemmerer at Pinedale
Lovell at Lyman
Moorcroft at Wheatland
Newcastle at Big Piney
Thermopolis at Big Horn
Class 1A 11-man
Pine Bluffs at Shotheast
Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni
Saratoga at Cokeville
Upton-Sundance at Lusk
Tongue River at Wright
Wyoming Indian at Wind River
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Burlington
Guernsey at Hanna
Lingle at Kaycee
Meeteetse at Farson
Midwest at Hulett
Normative Services at Rock River
Riverside at Ten Sleep
Snake River at St. Stephens

Week 7 (Friday, Oct. 14)
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Evanston
Cheyenne South at Rock Springs
Gillette at Laramie
Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne Central
Sheridan at Natrona
Class 3A
Douglas at Riverton
Green River at Cody
Jackson at Powell
Lander at Rawlins
Star Valley at Worland
Torrington at Buffalo
Class 2A
Big Horn at Moorcroft
Big Piney at Mountain View
Glenrock at Lyman
Kemmerer at Lovell
Newcastle at Thermopolis
Pinedale at Greybull
Wheatland at Burns
Class 1A 11-man
Cokeville at Wind River
Pine Bluffs at Tongue River
Saratoga at Rocky Mountain
Southeast at Lusk
Upton-Sundance at Wright
Wyoming Indian at Shoshoni
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Snake River
Dubois at St. Stephens
Farson at Riverside
Hulett at Lingle
Meeteetse at Ten Sleep
Midwest at Kaycee
Normative Services at Hanna
Rock River at Guernsey

Week 8 (Friday, Oct. 21)
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Gillette
Evanston at Cheyenne Central
Laramie at Kelly Walsh
Natrona at Rock Springs
Sheridan at Cheyenne South
Class 3A
Buffalo at Douglas
Cody at Powell
Rawlins at Torrington
Riverton at Lander
Star Valley at Jackson
Worland at Green River
Class 2A
Big Horn at Wheatland
Burns at Newcastle
Greybull at Big Piney
Lovell at Pinedale
Lyman at Kemmerer
Moorcroft at Glenrock
Mountain View at Thermopolis
Class 1A 11-man
Lusk at Pine Bluffs
Rocky Mountain at Wyoming Indian
Shoshoni at Cokeville
Tongue River at Upton-Sundance
Wind River at Saratoga
Wright at Southeast
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey at Hulett
Hanna at Midwest
Kaycee at Normative Services
Lingle at Rock River
Riverside at Burlington
St. Stephens at Meeteetse
Snake River at Farson
Ten Sleep at Dubois

Schedules by team
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central: at Natrona; vs. Cheyenne South; at Gillette; vs. Rock Springs; at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne East; at Sheridan; vs. Kelly Walsh; vs. Evanston.
Cheyenne East: at Rock Springs; vs. Natrona; at Cheyenne South; vs. Sheridan; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Laramie; at Evanston; at Gillette.
Cheyenne South: vs. Evanston; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne East; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Gillette; at Laramie; vs. Natrona; at Rock Springs; vs. Sheridan.
Evanston: at Cheyenne South; vs. Gillette; at Sheridan; vs. Laramie; at Natrona; vs. Rock Springs; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Cheyenne East; at Cheyenne Central.
Gillette: vs. Kelly Walsh; at Evanston; vs. Cheyenne Central; vs. Natrona; at Cheyenne South; at Sheridan; vs. Rock Springs; at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne East.
Kelly Walsh: at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Rock Springs; vs. Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne East; vs. Natrona; vs. Evanston; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Laramie.
Laramie: at Sheridan; vs. Rock Springs; at Natrona; at Evanston; vs. Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne East; vs. Gillette; at Kelly Walsh.
Natrona: vs. Cheyenne Central; at Cheyenne East; vs. Laramie; at Gillette; vs. Evanston; at Kelly Walsh; at Cheyenne South; vs. Sheridan; at Rock Springs.
Rock Springs: vs. Cheyenne East; at Laramie; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Sheridan; at Evanston; at Gillette; vs. Cheyenne South; vs. Natrona.
Sheridan: vs. Laramie; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Evanston; at Cheyenne East; at Rock Springs; vs. Gillette; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Natrona; at Cheyenne South.

Class 3A
East Conference
Buffalo: at Cody; vs. Powell; vs. Worland; at Rawlins; vs. Lander; at Riverton; vs. Torrington; at Douglas.
Douglas: vs. Powell; at Cody; vs. Star Valley; at Lander; at Torrington; vs. Rawlins; at Riverton; vs. Buffalo.
Lander: at Worland; at Jackson; vs. Cody; vs. Douglas; at Buffalo; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Riverton.
Rawlins: vs. Lyman; at Green River; at Jackson; vs. Buffalo; vs. Riverton; at Douglas; vs. Lander; at Torrington.
Riverton: vs. Green River; at Star Valley; at Powell; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Lander.
Torrington: at Wheatland; vs. Worland; vs. Green River; at Riverton; vs. Douglas; at Lander; at Buffalo; vs. Rawlins.
West Conference
Cody: vs. Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Lander; at Star Valley; vs. Worland; at Jackson; vs. Green River; at Powell.
Green River: at Riverton; vs. Rawlins; at Torrington; vs. Powell; vs. Jackson; at Star Valley; at Cody; vs. Worland.
Jackson: at Sugar-Salem, Idaho; vs. Lander; vs. Rawlins; at Worland; at Green River; vs. Cody; at Powell; vs. Star Valley.
Powell: at Douglas; at Buffalo; vs. Riverton; at Green River; vs. Star Valley; at Worland; vs. Jackson; vs. Cody.
Star Valley: vs. Preston, Idaho; vs. Riverton; at Douglas; vs. Cody; at Powell; vs. Green River; at Worland; at Jackson.
Worland: vs. Lander; at Torrington; at Buffalo; vs. Jackson; at Cody; vs. Powell; vs. Star Valley; at Green River.

Class 2A
East Conference
Big Horn: vs. Lovell; vs. Burns; at Kemmerer; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock; vs. Thermopolis; at Moorcroft; at Wheatland.
Burns: at Saratoga; at Big Horn; vs. Moorcroft; vs. Greybull; at Thermopolis; vs. Glenrock; vs. Wheatland; at Newcastle.
Glenrock: vs. Pinedale; vs. Thermopolis; at Newcastle; at Wheatland; vs. Big Horn; at Burns; at Lyman; vs. Moorcroft.
Moorcroft: vs. Lusk; vs. Newcastle; at Burns; vs. Thermopolis; at Lovell; at Wheatland; vs. Big Horn; at Glenrock.
Newcastle: vs. Upton-Sundance; at Moorcroft; vs. Glenrock; at Big Horn; vs. Wheatland; at Big Piney; at Thermopolis; vs. Burns.
Thermopolis: at Greybull; at Glenrock; vs. Wheatland; at Moorcroft; vs. Burns; at Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; vs. Mountain View.
Wheatland: vs. Torrington; at Pinedale; at Thermopolis; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; vs. Moorcroft; at Burns; vs. Big Horn.
West Conference
Big Piney: at Shoshoni; at Lovell; vs. Lyman; vs. Kemmerer; at Pinedale; vs. Newcastle; at Mountain View; vs. Greybull.
Greybull: vs. Thermopolis; at Kemmerer; vs. Lovell; at Burns; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; vs. Pinedale; at Big Piney.
Kemmerer: at Rocky Mountain; vs. Greybull; vs. Big Horn; at Big Piney; vs. Mountain View; at Pinedale; at Lovell; vs. Lyman.
Lovell: at Big Horn; vs. Big Piney; at Greybull; vs. Mountain View; vs. Moorcroft; at Lyman; vs. Kemmerer; at Pinedale.
Lyman: at Rawlins; vs. Mountain View; at Big Piney; vs. Pinedale; at Greybull; vs. Lovell; vs. Glenrock; at Kemmerer.
Mountain View: vs. Cokeville; at Lyman; vs. Pinedale; at Lovell; at Kemmerer; vs. Greybull; vs. Big Piney; at Thermopolis.
Pinedale: at Glenrock; vs. Wheatland; at Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; at Greybull; vs. Lovell.

Class 1A 11-man
East Conference
Lusk: at Moorcroft; vs. Saratoga; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Wright; at Tongue River; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Southeast; at Pine Bluffs.
Pine Bluffs: vs. Mitchell, Neb.; at Wind River; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Wright; at Southeast; at Tongue River; vs. Lusk.
Southeast: at Bayard, Neb.; vs. Shoshoni; at Saratoga; vs. Tongue River; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Lusk; vs. Wright.
Tongue River: vs. Wind River; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Cokeville; at Southeast; vs. Lusk; at Wright; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Upton-Sundance.
Upton-Sundance: at Newcastle; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Shoshoni; vs. Pine Bluffs; vs. Southeast; at Lusk; at Wright; vs. Tongue River.
Wright: vs. Wyoming Indian; at Cokeville; vs. Wind River; at Lusk; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Tongue River; vs. Upton-Sundance; at Southeast.
West Conference
Cokeville: at Mountain View; vs. Wright; at Tongue River; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Saratoga; at Wind River; vs. Shoshoni.
Rocky Mountain: vs. Kemmerer; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Lusk; at Cokeville; vs. Wind River; at Shoshoni; vs. Saratoga; at Wyoming Indian.
Saratoga: vs. Burns; at Lusk; vs. Southeast; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Shoshoni; at Cokeville; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Wind River.
Shoshoni: vs. Big Piney; at Southeast; vs. Upton-Sundance; at Wind River; at Saratoga; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Cokeville.
Wind River: at Tongue River; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Wright; vs. Shoshoni; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Wyoming Indian; vs. Cokeville; at Saratoga.
Wyoming Indian: at Wright; vs. Tongue River; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Saratoga; vs. Cokeville; at Wind River; at Shoshoni; vs. Rocky Mountain.

Class 1A six-man
East Conference
Guernsey: vs. Farson; at Lingle; vs. Midwest; at NSI; vs. Kaycee; at Hanna; vs. Rock River; at Hulett.
Hanna: at Meeteetse; vs. Kaycee; vs. Hulett; at Rock River; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; vs. NSI; at Midwest.
Hulett: at Ten Sleep; vs. Rock River; at Hanna; vs. Kaycee; at NSI; vs. Midwest; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey.
Kaycee: vs. Riverside; at Hanna; vs. Rock River; at Hulett; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle; vs. Midwest; at NSI.
Lingle: at Snake River; vs. Guernsey; vs. NSI; at Midwest; vs. Hanna; at Kaycee; vs. Hulett; at Rock River.
Midwest: vs. Dubois; at NSI; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle; vs. Rock River; at Hulett; at Kaycee; vs. Hanna.
NSI: at Burlington; vs. Midwest; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; vs. Hulett; at Rock River; at Hanna; vs. Kaycee.
Rock River: vs. St. Stephens; at Hulett; at Kaycee; vs. Hanna; at Midwest; vs. NSI; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle.

West Conference
Burlington: vs. NSI; at Farson; at Ten Sleep; vs. St. Stephens; at Meeteetse; vs. Dubois; at Snake River; vs. Riverside.
Dubois: at Midwest; vs. Meeteetse; at Riverside; vs. Snake River; vs. Farson; at Burlington; at St. Stephens; vs. Ten Sleep.
Farson: at Guernsey; vs. Burlington; at St. Stephens; vs. Ten Sleep; at Dubois; vs. Meeteetse; at Riverside; vs. Snake River.
Meeteetse: vs. Hanna; at Dubois; at Snake River; vs. Riverside; vs. Burlington; at Farson; at Ten Sleep; vs. St. Stephens.
Riverside: at Kaycee; vs. Snake River; vs. Dubois; at Meeteetse; vs. St. Stephens; at Ten Sleep; vs. Farson; at Burlington.
St. Stephens: at Rock River; vs. Ten Sleep; vs. Farson; at Burlington; at Riverside; vs. Snake River; vs. Dubois; at Meeteetse.
Snake River: vs. Lingle; at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Dubois; vs. Ten Sleep; at St. Stephens; vs. Burlington; at Farson.
Ten Sleep: vs. Hulett; at St. Stephens; vs. Burlington; at Farson; at Snake River; vs. Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Dubois.

–patrick

2015 season wrap-up

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The 2015 season — aside from individual records, all-state, all-America and Super 25 recognition — has been uploaded to the site. Let me know if you see any errors or problems!

That said, 2015 had some pretty remarkable, unique or crazy things come from it:

  • Wyoming did not have any undefeated state champions this year, as all five state champs finished with one loss apiece. The last time Wyoming didn’t have any undefeated teams was 2006.
  • 2015 is the first year since Wyoming moved to five classes for football in 1990 that all five champs had the same number of losses (1). The last time all state champs finished with same number of losses was 1975; all three state champs (Natrona, Douglas, Pinedale) went unbeaten that year.
  • Sheridan won its 24th state title, extending its existing state record.
  • Despite losing the 4A state title game, Gillette did set single-season record for points in an 11-man season (539). The Camels beat Natrona’s record from 2012 by three points.
  • Likewise, Meeteetse set the all-class state record for average points per game (68.27), beating the 2009 Guernsey team by .05 ppg.
  • Four of the top 10 combined scoring games in state history were played in 2015, including the record game in which Dubois (102) and Ten Sleep (60) combined for 162 points.
  • St. Stephens’ average of 80.14 points allowed per game this season topped the not-so-good record list of most points allowed per game in a season. Their average was about 10 points per game worse than the old record, also set by St. Stephens, from 2013. Dubois, meanwhile, gave up 569 points total this year, second-most all time in one season, just below the record Midwest set last year of 573.
  • Cokeville’s streak of 175 games with at least one point ended in 2015; it’s a state record. However, spots No. 2 and 3 on the list are active streaks entering 2016 — Gillette hasn’t been shut out in 125 straight games, while Natrona has scored in 120 consecutive games.

Finally, here’s a peek at the final picks tallies for the year. It finally happened — Tad and Homer saved their best for last, and they both beat me on the title game picks.

Last week’s records: Patrick, 3-2 (60 percent); Tad, 4-1 (80 percent); Homer, 4-1 (80 percent).

Season records: Patrick, 232-64 (78 percent); Tad, 187-109 (63 percent); Homer, 171-125 (58 percent).

Patrick’s 11-year total: 2,583-668 (79 percent)

All-state and Super 25 will be uploaded when distributed publicly; individual season records will be posted once official season statistics are made public later this week.

Of course, just because the season is done does not mean we’re done here. This blog will be full of interesting tidbits throughout the year. If you want to suggest a blog post for me to write — or if you’d like to contribute a post of your own — let me know. Of course, I make no guarantees that I’ll write about your idea, or that I’ll publish any contributed posts, but I’m open to ideas.

Don’t forget about wyoming-basketball.com.

Thanks for making the trip with me all season long.

–patrick

Title game picks: A weekend of trophies and touchdowns

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A breakdown of each one of this weekend’s five championship games:

Class 2A, noon Friday
Glenrock Herders  (2E, 8-2) vs. Wheatland Bulldogs (1E, 9-1)
Series record: Wheatland leads 15-13.
Last meeting: Wheatland beat Glenrock 22-8 on Sept. 25 in Glenrock.
Last playoff meeting: First playoff meeting.
State championships: Glenrock eight, most recent in 2008. … Wheatland one, in 1984.
Previous title game record: Glenrock, 6-4. … Wheatland, 1-2.
The path to Laramie: Glenrock shut out Mountain View 37-0 in the first round and beat Lovell 13-10 in overtime in the semifinals. … Wheatland destroyed Lyman 70-6 in the quarterfinals and shut out Greybull 40-0 in the semifinals.
The case for Glenrock: The Herders have a system that works. They stick to it, and it produces results. For a team that didn’t even make the playoffs a year ago, an appearance in the title game isn’t all that surprising. Glenrock’s football tradition breeds this kind of success. The running game is on point — both Garrett Schwindt and Alec Arnold have topped 1,000 yards rushing this fall. The passing game is opportunistic. And, most importantly, the defense rarely breaks: The Herders shut out five of their opponents this fall.
The case for Wheatland: All season long, Wheatland has been the Class 2A favorite. The Bulldogs started the season ranked first in the class and, aside from a 28-14 loss to Big Horn in Week 8, have lived up to that billing. They’ve scored 451 points and only given up 48. They’re well-rounded, talented, strong up front and experienced. A deep senior class, led by Josh Calvert, Nathan Willis, Daniel Chesser, Justis Borton, Preston Gunther, Kyle Pollock and a host of others, wants to end their careers with a state title, something that’s evaded Wheatland since 1984. And the Bulldogs have six shutouts. So there.
The pick: Class 2A’s top two offenses and top two defenses will meet for the title. Only seems right. Both teams are senior-laden, talented, hungry. But from the end of last season to today, this has been Wheatland’s title to lose. Glenrock has had a nice season. It’s just a shame they’re running into a juggernaut. And as long as Wheatland doesn’t believe that, it’ll be fine. Wheatland 20, Glenrock 12.

Class 3A, 3 p.m. Friday
Green River Wolves (3W, 6-4) vs. Star Valley Braves (2W, 9-1)
Series record: Star Valley leads 36-31-5.
Last meeting: Star Valley beat Green River 16-15 on Oct. 9 in Green River.
Last playoff meeting: First playoff meeting.
State championships: Green River five, most recent in 2004. … Star Valley eight, most recent in 1996.
Previous title game record: Green River, 4-2. … Star Valley, 7-10.
The path to Laramie: Green River topped Buffalo 24-20 in the quarterfinals and upset Jackson 24-15 in the semis. … Star Valley beat Douglas 35-13 in the first round and Torrington 42-27 in the semifinals.
The case for Green River: Remember when Green River was 2-4? The Wolves’ turnaround wasn’t really a turnaround — they just started winning the close games they had lost early in the year. Green River’s two playoff victories, a 24-20 squeaker over Buffalo and a surprisingly dominant 24-15 victory over Jackson, have hardened their playoff mettle. Quarterback Tyler Vendetti, who leads the Wolves in rushing yards (932) and passing yards (890), may be the most versatile offensive player in 3A. And although the Wolves don’t have any eye-popping statistical edges, they have confidence, both in their ability to win (four in a row at the most critical time in the season) and in their specific ability to beat the Braves — the last team to beat Green River before it turned around.
The case for Star Valley: In a word? Uniformity. Prepping for Star Valley is like prepping for a flood. Stopping one drop of water looks easy, but stopping all of those drops proves nearly impossible. The Braves have that approach on both offense and defense — if you focus on one, another one will slip by and beat you. Every player has to be accounted for, because every player is capable of making a play. Quarterback Reese Hiibel, running back Kellen Hansen, defensive centerpieces Bailey Johnson, Kyler Battleson, McCabe Smith, Conner Smith, Sean Pittman and Alex Howell… all potential game-breakers. And even if you shut them down, the Braves’ less-heralded players are just as capable. That makes planning for, and playing against, the Braves a logistical nightmare.
The pick: Star Valley won’t underestimate Green River. After all, the Braves needed a field goal on the last play of the game to beat Green River in their first meeting this year. The Wolves are capable. But, as improved as the Wolves are, the Braves still have my edge, although not by much. And it might come down to the kicking game. Again. Star Valley 24, Green River 21.

Class 1A six-man, 10 a.m. Saturday
Meeteetse Longhorns (1W, 10-0) vs. Kaycee Buckaroos (1E, 9-1)
Series record: Meeteetse leads 4-3
Last meeting: Meeteetse beat Kaycee 45-20 in a six-man quarterfinal game on Oct. 31, 2014, in Kaycee.
Last playoff meeting: Same.
State championships: Meeteetse two, most recent in 2013. … Kaycee is going for its first.
Previous title game record: Meeteetse, 2-1. … Kaycee, 0-1.
The path to Laramie: Meeteetse thumped Guernsey-Sunrise 70-26 to start the playoffs and offed Hulett 68-36 in the semifinals. … Kaycee ran over Dubois 76-18 in the quarters and beat Snake River 51-14 in the semifinals.
The case for Meeteetse: Is there anything else Meeteetse could do to prove its case? They’re undefeated. They’ve won every game by at least 21 points, most by a lot more than that. They’ve scored almost 72 points per game, on pace not only to beat but to destroy the state record for most points scored per game. And they’ve done so via the spreading the love, as seven players have scored at least five touchdowns apiece this season. While multipurpose threat Carter Johnson and quarterback Dalton Abarr make the offense click, everyone has had a hand in the Longhorns’ success. That diversity is dangerous.
The case for Kaycee: Since a 6-0 hiccup loss to Guernsey in Week 2, the Buckaroos have been unstoppable, winning by at least 37 points every time out. Kaycee’s defense has given up more than 18 points to just two opponents all year, a remarkable tally for six-man where offense is king. What set Kaycee apart this year, though, is its diversity. When the season started, a lot of pressure was on senior Taylor Rouse’s shoulders to carry this team to Laramie. However, Kaycee has found success in diversification, which has allowed both Rouse and his teammates — guys like fellow senior Hayden Fauber, sophomore Danny Ramirez and others — to find their place and help carry the load.
The pick: We figured back in August that Meeteetse and Kaycee would rise to the top of six-man this year. What we didn’t foresee was just how dominant Meeteetse’s run would be, or how Kaycee’s one slip-up would completely refocus the Buckaroos’ season. It’d be easy to pick Meeteetse, and I will. However, Kaycee will give Meeteetse its toughest test of the season. The Buckaroos are capable of playing with, and beating, the Longhorns. Maybe THIS is the year we finally get that close, nerve-wracking six-man title game we hope for every year but have yet to see come to fruition. Meeteetse 60, Kaycee 52.

Class 1A 11-man, 1 p.m. Saturday
Tongue River Eagles (3E, 8-2) vs. Upton-Sundance Patriots (2E, 9-1)
Series record: Upton-Sundance leads 2-0; Tongue River leads series with Sundance 27-24 and Upton 19-17.
Last meeting: Upton-Sundance beat Tongue River 35-6 on Sept. 18 in Dayton.
Last playoff meeting: First playoff meeting.
State championships: Tongue River five, most recent in 1974. … Upton-Sundance is going for its first, although Upton and Sundance have combined for three, most recent for both schools in 2005.
Previous title game record: Tongue River, 1-4. … Upton-Sundance, 0-0, but Upton 2-7 and Sundance 1-2.
The path to Laramie: Tongue River beat Cokeville on the road 28-21 in the first round and Lingle on the road 28-9 in the semifinals. … Upton-Sundance beat Rocky Mountain 39-12 in the quarterfinals and Southeast 26-14 in the semis.
The case for Tongue River: There’s two ways to look at the Eagles: They’re either a team that’s learned how to win or a team that’s had an incredible lucky streak. If you subscribe to the former, you look at guys like Dillon Lyons, a 1,000-yard rusher, and Brennan Kutterer, a one-man wrecking crew on defense, and coach John Scott, and you see that the Eagles’ success is no accident. However, even the most ardent Tongue River supporter can’t deny how fortunate the Eagles were in the second half of the season, as the squad won consecutive games by 5, 9, 3 and 7 points before beating Lingle by 19 in the semis. That’s either luck, or it’s the cementing of a won’t-lose mentality. If it’s the latter, watch out.
The case for Upton-Sundance: The Patriots’ program has been built slowly, piece by piece, the past four years. Playoff berths in 2012 and 2013, a playoff win in 2014, a title game appearance in 2015. This program has all the earmarks of one built for longevity, not just one fleeting title run. Running back Dawson Butts is the offensive focus, but he has a ton of support; Rourke McPeters anchors the defense, but he, too, is surrounded by capable and talented teammates. The Patriots have enough playmakers in enough places, enough postseason experience, enough confidence, enough success and enough ability to lift a trophy on Saturday.
The pick: You look at the first meeting these two teams had, and you’d think this pick is easy. It’s not. Tongue River is not the same team that lost to the Patriots in September. The Eagles have been playing for their lives the past five weeks. And look at what they’ve done: Beat Southeast 12-7, beat Lingle 48-39, beat Pine Bluffs 28-25, beat Cokeville 28-21, beat Lingle 28-9. Four of those five victories came on the road. Confidence breeds confidence; success breeds success. And while it’s easy to focus on the Eagles’ recent run, just take a look at the Patriots’ entire 2015 season. Destiny is a temptress, and I still like the Patriots. In a thriller. Enough is enough. Upton-Sundance 21, Tongue River 18.

Class 4A, 4 p.m. Saturday
Sheridan Broncs (2, 10-1) vs. Gillette Camels (1, 11-0)
Series record: Sheridan leads 41-30-1.
Last meeting: Gillette beat Sheridan 20-14 on Oct. 2 in Gillette.
Last playoff meeting: Gillette beat Sheridan 35-16 in a 4A semifinal game on Nov. 3, 2012, in Gillette.
State championships: Sheridan 23, most recent in 2011. … Gillette four, most recent in 2008.
Previous title game record: Sheridan, 13-6. … Gillette, 4-8.
The path to Laramie: Sheridan shut out Evanston 48-0 in the quarterfinals and overcame Natrona 35-10 in the semifinals. … Gillette smoked Laramie 73-33 in the first round and destroyed Cheyenne East 61-6 in the semifinals.
The case for Sheridan: The Broncs don’t have the eye-popping statistics that most 10-1 teams have. That’s just the way they like it. Sheridan can beat teams in about 100 different ways. Blake Godwin can beat teams through the air thanks to a diverse receiving corps, or Evan Coon can beat teams by running right past them. The defense is hard to prepare for because they can stop teams in so many ways, both with varying schemes and varying personnel. In short: The things that make Sheridan tough every year make the Broncs tough again this year. You’d think the whole program is built this way or something. 🙂
The case for Gillette: First things first: Gillette has beaten Sheridan five times in a row. The Camels have owned the recent series, and maybe the mental edge, against the Broncs. Second things second: The Camels may have more individual talent than any team in the state. QB Dalton Holst has already set Wyoming’s single-season passing record; Madden Pikula might be more difficult to stop than any other receiver in the state; Roo Aten has been a multipurpose dynamo; Zach Taylor has been a rock at linebacker; the guys up front have been the catalyst for it all. Most importantly, those individual players have been part of a team concept that’s bigger than any single one of them.
The pick: This is the game we’ve seen coming all season. Even though these two teams have the best offenses, by far, in Class 4A, this game will be decided by defense. The regular-season matchup showed us that. I envision some sort of defensive play — a pick-six, a safety, a fumble recovery deep in enemy territory — swinging this game one direction or another. Keep in mind, the Camels have been stymied in Laramie; they’re the only “big four” team to not win it all in the War. If Gillette can get that key defensive play, chances are good they’ll hoist that trophy. It’s time for the rise of the CCSC — the Campbell County State Champions. Gillette 27, Sheridan 25.

+++

Tad and Homer picked their title-game winners, as well. Tad had the easier time, as he picks the series leader, but Homer struggled because the games are at neutral sites and none of the five series included any neutral-site games. So he just picked the higher seed, the “home” team for the championship game, and called it good.

The picks
Tad: Sheridan over Gillette; Meeteetse over Kaycee.
Homer: Gillette over Sheridan; Kaycee over Meeteetse.
Both: Star Valley over Green River; Wheatland over Glenrock; Upton-Sundance over Tongue River.

(Series records already in preview; first neutral-site game for all series.)

Last week’s records: Patrick, 7-3 (70 percent); Tad, 9-1 (90 percent); Homer, 7-3 (70 percent).

Season records: Patrick, 229-62 (79 percent); Tad, 183-108 (63 percent); Homer, 167-124 (57 percent).

Who are your five picks for state champions? Leave a comment and let me know who you think has the edge in Laramie!

–patrick

State champs who played each other during the regular season

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Sometimes, it’s only in retrospect that we can fully grasp the significance of a particular football game.

Take Week 1 of last season, when Cokeville beat Mountain View. While we knew both the Panthers and the Buffalos would be pretty good in 2014, we had no way of knowing that both teams on the field that day would eventually win state championships. Yet just 10 weeks later, both teams did just that in Laramie, with Cokeville beating Lusk for the 1A 11-man championship and Mountain View topping Big Horn for the 2A title.

*The Cokeville-Mountain View game from 2014 was one of 16 times in state history in which two eventual state champions played each other during the regular season.

*Of those 16 games, 14 have come since 1984 and 10 have come since 1998.

And two happened on Sept. 5, 2008. That day, eventual 3A champ Glenrock beat eventual 4A champ Douglas, while eventual 2A champ Burns beat eventual 1A champ Southeast.

Cokeville has been involved in five such contests — and the Panthers have won all five. Three times, Cokeville and Big Piney played each other in the regular season when both schools won state titles, and three times Cokeville won by one point (14-13 in 2001, 7-6 in 1998 and 8-7 in 1988).

Southeast and Lusk both won back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000, and they played each other both years. Lusk came out on top both times. Southeast got its revenge in 2001, when the Cyclones beat Lusk in the state title game after moving into the Tigers’ classification.

The first meetings of eventual state champions came in 1952 and 1953, when eventual Class AA champion Sheridan and eventual Class A winner Worland played each other to open the season. Both times, Sheridan got the better of Worland.

Twice, eventual state champs have met four seasons in a row: from 1998-2001 and from 2005-08.

*Class 3A champion Kemmerer played two state champions in 2007, beating 2A champ Riverside but losing to 4A champ Jackson.

No games will be added to this list in 2015; none of the teams in the championship games played any of the other title-game participants from other classifications during the regular season.

*Here are the results of the 16 eventual state champ vs. eventual state champ matchups:

2014: Cokeville 30, at Mountain View 12 (Sept. 6)
2008: at Glenrock 27, Douglas 14 (Sept. 5)
2008: Burns 27, at Southeast 18 (Sept. 5)
2007: at Kemmerer 21, Riverside 0 (Sept. 29)
2007: at Jackson 24 Kemmerer 12 (Oct. 12)
2006: at Southeast 32, Guernsey-Sunrise 0 (Sept. 15)
2005: at Sundance 26, Upton 19 (Sept. 16)
2001: Cokeville 14, at Big Piney 13 (Sept. 7)
2000: Lusk 40, at Southeast 0 (Sept. 8)
1999: at Lusk 43, Southeast 14 (Sept. 10)
1998: at Cokeville 7, Big Piney 6 (Sept. 18)
1991: at Sheridan 34, Cody 14 (Sept. 13)
1988: Cokeville 8, at Big Piney 7 (Oct. 13)
1984: at Cokeville 44, Mountain View 13 (Sept. 7)
1953: Sheridan 18, at Worland 0 (Sept. 4)
1952: at Sheridan 43, Worland 14 (Sept. 5)  

This list does not count times when co-champions of a class played each other during the regular season.

–patrick

Post updated 1:27 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, to add the 2007 game between Kemmerer and Riverside, which was omitted from the original list. * indicates paragraphs with updated information from original post.

When the road to a state championship is a literal road: Postseason success on the road

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Powell’s 2011 playoff run was, simply put, inspired.

Few teams have done what Powell did that season — win three road playoff games to win a state championship.

In fact, since Wyoming expanded to five classifications in 1990, 212 teams have played in state championship games after making their way through eight-team playoff brackets (through the end of the 2014 season). Of those 212 teams:

  • 18 teams (8.5 percent) played in the title game after playing their first playoff game on the road.
  • 3 teams (1.4 percent) won the state championship after opening the playoffs on the road.
  • 2 teams (0.9 percent) won the state championship after playing all three of their playoff games on the road (or by playing in a neutral-site championship).

Only a small handful of teams reach the title game after starting the playoffs on the road. Even when such teams make it to the title game, those road-first squads are just 3-15 in the championship. Only Powell in 2011 and Glenrock in 2003 won titles by playing three straight road games in the playoffs; in addition, Big Piney won a title in 2006 after winning its quarterfinal game on the road, its semifinal game at home and its title game on the road.

Between 1990 and 2008, after which state title games moved to Laramie, only one team that started the playoffs in an eight-team bracket on the road hosted the state title game: Lovell in 2003. Oddly enough, Lovell lost that championship game to the aforementioned Glenrock squad. Yeah, the 3A playoffs in 2003 were crazy. I blame power ratings.

I have rambled about this before, back when I used to work for the Casper Star-Tribune and produced the blog “Sports Goulash.” Unfortunately, that blog post (along with every other one I wrote there) has been eliminated from the CST site.

When I first wrote about this idea, I used it as a call to reduce the playoff brackets from eight to four teams, and to extend the regular season a week. More games for all teams, fewer first-round playoff blowouts, an emphasis on the regular season…. After all, I reasoned at the time, it hardly seems worth it to have the playoffs at three rounds when less than 2 percent of teams that don’t host in the first round win a state championship anyway. Sounded good at the time.

I’m not so sure I agree with that assessment now, especially after the first two rounds of the playoffs this year.

The 2015 postseason showed us two more reasons to keep the playoffs at eight teams per classification, as both Green River and Tongue River reached this week’s championship games after starting the postseason on the road. Tongue River made a pair of long road trips to reach Laramie, beating defending champion Cokeville in Cokeville in the quarterfinals and topping East Conference top seed Lingle in Lingle in the semis. Green River, meanwhile, beat Buffalo in Buffalo in the 3A quarterfinals before beating West top seed Jackson in Jackson in the semifinal round.

In four-team brackets, neither the Wolves nor the Eagles would have even had the chance to make it this far. Now they’re playing in Laramie.

The more I think about it, the more I like the fact that a lot of teams make the playoffs — it makes almost every regular-season game important. That makes the regular season, especially Weeks 6-8, quite fun.

A longer regular season doesn’t necessarily mean a better regular season. If only four schools per classification qualified for the playoffs, some teams could be eliminated from postseason consideration halfway through the season. That’s not much fun.

And the upsets are, in part, what makes the postseason fun and memorable. Eight-team brackets expand the chances for those upsets, even if they don’t happen that often, and even if the 50 percent of the teams in the playoffs who start with a road game win titles 1.4 percent of the time.

If you’re unsure where you stand, just ask anyone playing for Green River or Tongue River this weekend. They’ll help you figure it out.

For reference, here are the 18 teams that played in the state championship game after starting their playoff run on the road (eight-team brackets only, from 1990-2014):

The three state champions
Powell, 2011 (quarterfinals and semifinals on the road; championship at neutral site in Laramie as “road” team)
Big Piney, 2006 (quarterfinals on the road, semifinals at home, title game on the road)
Glenrock, 2003 (all three games on the road)
The 15 other state runners-up
Kaycee, 2009; Evanston, 1993 and 2007 (’07 semis at home); Cheyenne East, 2006; Gillette, 2003 (semis at home); Lovell, 2003 (hosted title game) and 1990; Lusk, 2003 (semis at home); Normative Services, 2001; Mountain View, 2000; Sheridan, 1996 and 1997; Pine Bluffs, 1991 and 1994; Wind River, 1992 (semis at home).

–patrick