Kelly Walsh senior Chris Pickering was one of 13 athletes from across the country recognized with a Lead ‘Em Up Green 13 Award, recognizing exceptional leadership and character.
Visit leademup.com for more on Pickering’s award.
–patrick
Since 1984 and the start of the “one-poll” era of Wyoming high school football, a No. 1-ranked team has met a No. 2 team from the same classification 223 times.
And, as expected, the No. 1 teams win more often — although not by as much as you might think.
Overall, No. 1-ranked teams have the advantage, holding a record of 139-84 (.623) in those matchups.
Of the 223 1-vs-2 games in the past 39 years, 117 have come in the regular season and another 106 have come in the playoffs.
In regular-season games, No. 1 teams have a 72-45 (.615) record against No. 2-ranked teams. In the playoffs, No. 1 teams are slightly better, at 67-39 (.632), than in the regular season.
Combined, the No. 1 teams are 65-45 (.591) at home and 48-28 (.632) on the road. In neutral site contests, No. 1 teams are 26-11 (.703).
++++
Here are all the No. 1-vs. No. 2 games in Wyoming high school football since 1984. This list does not include games of teams ranked 1 or 2 in different classifications. Road team listed first; bolded teams won the game; *-at Laramie.
2022
4A Week 5: #1 Cheyenne East 39 #2 Sheridan 42
*4A Championship: #2 Cheyenne East 23 #1 Sheridan 34
3A Week 6: #1 Cody 35 #2 Star Valley 25
*3A Championship: #2 Star Valley 14 #1 Cody 7
2A Week 3: #1 Lovell 12 #2 Lyman 6 OT
*2A Championship: #1 Lovell 7 #2 Big Horn 8
1A nine-man Week 1: #2 Pine Bluffs 34 #1 Shoshoni 26
*1A nine-man Championship: #2 Shoshoni 27 #1 Pine Bluffs 33
1A six-man Week 2: #1 Snake River 44 #2 Dubois 28
2021
4A Week 3: #2 Sheridan 27 #1 Rock Springs 24
*4A Championship: #1 Rock Springs 27 #1 Sheridan 45
3A Week 4: #1 Cody 38 #2 Powell 14
3A Week 8: #1 Cody 21 #2 Jackson 15
*3A Championship: #2 Jackson 24 #1 Cody 41
1A nine-man Week 5: #2 Pine Bluffs 34 #1 Shoshoni 25
*1A six-man Championship: #2 Encampment 24 #1 Snake River 65
2020
4A Week 2: #2 Cheyenne Central 20 #1 Sheridan 17
4A Week 3: #2 Thunder Basin 26 #1 Cheyenne Central 38
3A Week 8: #2 Cody 48 #1 Jackson 6
3A Championship: #2 Jackson 13 #1 Cody 34
2A Week 2: #2 Mountain View 12 #1 Lovell 9
2A Week 8: #2 Lyman 21 #1 Mountain View 15
1A six-man Week 3: #2 Encampment 32 #1 Farson 74
1A six-man Week 5: #1 Farson 47 #2 Kaycee 13
1A six-man Week 7: #2 Meeteetse 16 #1 Farson 35
1A six-man Championship: #2 Meeteetse 30 #1 Farson 42
2019
4A Week 3: #2 Sheridan 30 #1 Thunder Basin 37
*4A Championship: #2 Sheridan 35 #1 Thunder Basin 26
3A Week 7: #1 Star Valley 20 #2 Cody 7
*2A Championship: #2 Buffalo 14 #1 Mountain View 24
1A 11-man Week 4: #1 Big Horn 27 #2 Upton-Sundance 0
1A six-man Week 6: #2 Farson 0 #1 Snake River 53
*1A six-man Championship: #1 Snake River 71 #2 Hanna 38
2018
4A Week 2: #1 Sheridan 7 #2 Natrona 34
*3A Championship: #2 Torrington 14 #1 Star Valley 35
2A Week 4: #2 Buffalo 23 #1 Glenrock 16
*2A Championship: #2 Mountain View 18 #1 Buffalo 43
1A 11-man Week 5: #1 Big Horn 42 #2 Pine Bluffs 7
*1A 11-man Championship: #2 Cokeville 3 #1 Big Horn 56
1A six-man Week 5: #2 Meeteetse 0 #1 Farson 64
2017
4A Week 2: #2 Natrona 34 #1 Sheridan 37 OT
*4A Championship: #2 Natrona 14 #1 Sheridan 28
2A Week 1: #1 Glenrock 12 #2 Greybull 7
*2A Championship: #2 Mountain View 35 #1 Glenrock 28
1A six-man SF: #2 Burlington 38 #1 Kaycee 47
2016
4A Week 5: #2 Campbell County 24 #1 Sheridan 21
3A SF: #1 Star Valley 61 #2 Douglas 42
1A 11-man Week 8: #2 Tongue River 20 #1 Upton-Sundance 32
*1A six-man Championship: #2 Kaycee 41 #1 Farson 30
2015
4A Week 5: #1 Sheridan 14 #2 Campbell County 20
*4A Championship: #2 Sheridan 38 #1 Campbell County 31
3A Week 4: #2 Star Valley 13 #1 Cody 0
*1A six-man Championship: #1 Meeteetse 32 #2 Kaycee 51
2014
4A Week 3: #2 Natrona 47 #1 Campbell County 7
3A Week 1: #1 Powell 18 #2 Douglas 17
3A Week 7: #2 Douglas 15 #1 Riverton 3
*3A Championship: #1 Douglas 0 #2 Cody 19
*2A Championship: #1 Big Horn 19 #2 Mountain View 28
*1A 11-man Championship: #1 Cokeville 26 #2 Lusk 6
*1A six-man Championship: #1 Guernsey-Sunrise 80 #2 Dubois 30
2013
4A Week 5: #2 Sheridan 10 #1 Campbell County 39
4A Week 8: #1 Campbell County 41 #2 Cheyenne East 6
4A SF: #2 Natrona 14 #1 Campbell County 7
*3A Championship: #1 Powell 19 #2 Douglas 13 OT
*1A 11-man Championship: #1 Lusk 12 #2 Cokeville 13
1A six-man Week 4: #2 Meeteetse 56 #1 Dubois 46
2012
4A Week 1: #1 Natrona 38 #2 Sheridan 13
4A Week 8: #2 Campbell County 17 #1 Natrona 20
*4A Championship: #2 Campbell County 7 #1 Natrona 35
3A Week 5: #2 Star Valley 0 #1 Powell 13
*3A Championship: #2 Star Valley 10 #1 Powell 13
2A Week 3: #1 Lovell 6 #2 Lyman 20
1A six-man Week 2: #2 Dubois 43 #1 Snake River 36
*1A six-man Championship: #1 Dubois 54 #2 Snake River 30
2011
4A Week 1: #1 Sheridan 6 #2 Natrona 20
2A Week 3: #2 Lyman 7 #1 Lovell 21
*2A Championship: #2 Lyman 13 #1 Lovell 21
*1A 11-man Championship: #2 Cokeville 28 #1 Southeast 13
1A six-man Week 2: #1 Snake River 66 #2 Dubois 24
*1A six-man Championship: #1 Snake River 54 #2 Dubois 33
2010
4A Week 6: #2 Campbell County 32 #1 Natrona 47
*4A Championship: #2 Sheridan 14 #1 Natrona 34
3A Week 4: #2 Buffalo 7 #1 Douglas 22
2A Week 5: #1 Thermopolis 7 #2 Big Horn 42
*2A Championship: #2 Thermopolis 13 #1 Big Horn 9
*1A 11-man Championship: #2 Lusk 6 #1 Cokeville 26
1A six-man Week 6: #1 Snake River 50 #2 Hanna 34
*1A six-man Championship: #2 Hanna 12 #1 Snake River 67
2009
4A Week 7: #2 Cheyenne Central 20 #1 Sheridan 28
*4A Championship: #2 Cheyenne Central 15 #1 Sheridan 40
2A Week 1: #1 Glenrock 26 #2 Kemmerer 6
1A six-man Week 3: #1 Guernsey 72 #2 Hanna 12
1A six-man Week 7: #1 Guernsey 63 #2 Midwest 20
2008
5A Week 0: #1 Green River 14 #2 Natrona 12
3A Championship: #1 Kemmerer 0 #2 Glenrock 18
2A Championship: #2 Big Horn 12 #1 Burns 41
1A Championship: #2 Southeast 12 #1 Burlington 0
2007
5A Week 5: #2 Cheyenne East 35 #1 Evanston 26
5A Week 8: #2 Cheyenne Central 3 #1 Natrona 27
4A Championship: #2 Buffalo 6 #1 Jackson 10
3A Championship: #2 Glenrock 0 #1 Kemmerer 22
2A Championship: #2 Riverside 21 #1 Big Horn 20
2006
3A Week 3: #1 Mountain View 8 #2 Kemmerer 0
2A Championship: #2 Southeast 8 #1 Riverside 6
1A Championship: #2 Guernsey-Sunrise 14 #1 Cokeville 12
2005
5A Week 6: #1 Campbell County 17 #2 Natrona 23 OT
4A Week 1: #2 Lander 20 #1 Buffalo 45
4A Championship: #1 Buffalo 17 #2 Star Valley 14
3A Week 4: #2 Big Piney 13 #1 Kemmerer 37
3A Championship: #2 Glenrock 12 #1 Kemmerer 37
2A Week 2: #1 Big Horn 0 #2 Wright 7
2A Week 6: #2 Big Horn 22 #1 Sundance 20
2004
5A Championship: #1 Green River 20 #2 Natrona 0
4A Championship: #2 Lander 10 #1 Buffalo 31
2A Week 6: #1 Upton 8 #2 Big Horn 24
2A Championship: #2 Upton 22 #1 Big Horn 52
1A SF: #2 Guernsey-Sunrise 24 #1 Burlington 21 OT
2003
5A Week 1: #2 Natrona 48 #1 Rock Springs 6
5A Week 5: #2 Campbell County 21 #1 Natrona 35
5A Championship: #2 Campbell County 3 #1 Natrona 28
4A Week 3: #1 Worland 3 #2 Star Valley 0
1A Week 6: #1 Guernsey 0 #2 Southeast 21
1A Championship: #1 Southeast 13 #2 Cokeville 14
2002
5A Championship: #2 Campbell County 14 #1 Rock Springs 36
3A Week 4: #2 Mountain View 28 #1 Glenrock 19
2A Championship: #2 Big Horn 0 #1 Lusk 31
2001
4A Week 1: #1 Powell 31 #2 Douglas 14
4A Week 2: #2 Star Valley 20 #1 Powell 21
3A Week 8: #2 Big Piney 21 #1 Mountain View 14
3A SF: #2 Glenrock 33 #1 Big Piney 34 OT
2A Week 8: #2 Lusk 7 #1 Southeast 21
2000
4A Championship: #1 Campbell County 28 #2 Laramie 7
3A Championship: #1 Powell 14 #2 Rawlins 39
2A Week 5: #2 Big Piney 19 #1 Lyman 35
1A-D1 SF: #1 Lusk 49 #2 Shoshoni 0
1A-D2 Championship: #1 Southeast 41 #2 Big Horn 20
1999
4A Week 7: #2 Campbell County 0 #1 Natrona 35
4A Championship: #2 Campbell County 10 #1 Natrona 13
3A Week 4: #2 Powell 15 #1 Riverton 29
3A Week 8: #1 Riverton 17 #2 Douglas 14
3A Championship: #2 Douglas 6 #1 Riverton 14
2A Week 5: #2 Lyman 52 #1 Big Piney 7
2A Week 7: #1 Lyman 15 #2 Mountain View 15
2A Championship: #2 Lyman 16 #1 Mountain View 6
1998 (no poll after Week 7)
4A Championship: #2 Laramie 7 #1 Campbell County 14
3A Week 6: #2 Wheatland 14 #1 Riverton 17
2A SF: #2 Big Piney 15 #1 Thermopolis 13
1997
4A Week 7: #2 Campbell County 16 #1 Natrona 13 2OT
3A Week 6: #2 Worland 0 #1 Star Valley 31
2A SF: #2 Buffalo 0 #1 Mountain View 18
1A-D1 Championship: #2 Lusk 20 #1 Rocky Mountain 32
1996
3A Week 3: #1 Lander 17 #2 Riverton 3
3A Week 7: #1 Lander 10 #2 Star Valley 14
1A-D1 SF: #2 Moorcroft 34 #1 Rocky Mountain 20
1A-D2 SF: #2 Lingle 0 #1 Cokeville 16
1995 (no poll after Week 7)
4A Week 4: #1 Laramie 27 #2 Green River 14
4A Week 6: #2 Evanston 22 #1 Laramie 36
3A Week 8 (final poll in week 7): #1 Lander 27 #2 Cody 31
3A ½ playoff: #1 Lander 13 #2 Cody 10 (at Riverton)
2A Championship: #2 Buffalo 0 #1 Mountain View 27
1A-D1 Championship: #1 Rocky Mountain 32 #2 Lusk 20
1A-D2 SF: #2 Cokeville 28 #1 Burlington 13
1994
4A Week 3: #1 Green River 0 #2 Natrona 7
4A Championship: #2 Laramie 30 #1 Natrona 9
3A Week 7: #1 Lander 6 #2 Star Valley 15
2A Week 4: #1 Lovell 14 #2 Thermopolis 28
2A Championship: #2 Kemmerer 16 #1 Thermopolis 6
1A 11-man Week 3: #2 Burns 12 #1 Lusk 13
1A 11-man SF: #1 Lusk 6 #2 Cokeville 7
1A nine-man Championship: #2 Hulett 20 #1 Burlington 36
1993
4A Week 5: #1 Sheridan 44 #2 Laramie 21
4A Week 6: #1 Sheridan 15 #2 Campbell County 22
3A Championship: #2 Lander 12 #1 Star Valley 14
2A Week 6: #2 Lovell 0 #1 Buffalo 21
1A 11-man Championship: #1 Rocky Mountain 22 #2 Cokeville 40
1A nine-man Week 7: #1 Meeteetse 22 #2 Burlington 14
1A nine-man Championship: #2 Hulett 20 #1 Meeteetse 23
1992
4A Week 3: #2 Kelly Walsh 18 #1 Sheridan 47
4A Week 6: #2 Campbell County 15 #1 Sheridan 18
4A Championship: #2 Campbell County 9 #1 Sheridan 27
3A Championship: #1 Star Valley 34 #2 Torrington 13
1A 11-man Championship: #2t Wind River 7 #1 Rocky Mountain 10
1A nine-man Week 7: #2 Dubois 41 #1 Meeteetse 22
1991
4A Week 6: #1 Sheridan 35 #2 Campbell County 13
1A nine-man ½ playoffs: #1 Big Horn 22 #2 Hulett 0 (at Gillette)
1990
4A Week 1: #1 Cheyenne Central 35 #2 Natrona 7
4A Week 5: #1 Cheyenne Central 28 #2 Sheridan 20
4A Championship: #2 Sheridan 35 #1 Cheyenne Central 30
3A Week 5: #1 Star Valley 31 #2 Jackson 7
3A Championship: #1 Star Valley 6 #2 Torrington 20
2A Week 4: #2 Thermopolis 46 #1 Glenrock 20
2A Week 6: #2 Lovell 20 #1 Thermopolis 28
2A SF: #2 Buffalo 19 #1 Thermopolis 20
1A 11-man Championship: #1 Sundance 6 #2 Cokeville 20
1A nine-man Week 1: #1 Meeteetse 29 #2 Hanna 7
1A nine-man SF: #2 Lingle 14 #1 Meeteetse 8
1989
4A Week 5: #1 Cheyenne Central 13 #2 Natrona 0
4A Championship: #2 Rock Springs 0 #1 Cheyenne Central 32
2A SF: #2 Cokeville 35 #1 Greybull 11
1A nine-man Week 3: #1 Meeteetse 37 #2 Ten Sleep 20
1988
4A Week 6: #1 Rock Springs 14 #2 Green River 6
4A SF: #2 Cheyenne Central 30 #1 Rock Springs 0
3A Championship: #2 Worland 0 #1 Torrington 6
1987
4A Week 8: #2 Campbell County 15 #1 Laramie 21
4A Championship: #2 Rock Springs 14 #1 Laramie 13
3A Week 8: #2 Jackson 28 #1 Star Valley 7
3A SF: #1 Jackson 0 #2 Wheatland 14
2A Week 6: #2 Lovell 22 #1 Greybull 14 OT
2A SF: #2 Pinedale 7 #1 Lovell 20
1A SF: #2 Big Horn 14 #1 Meeteetse 20
1986
4A Championship: #1 Sheridan 44 #2 Rawlins 13
3A Week 8: #1 Torrington 35 #2 Glenrock 0
2A Week 3: #2 Greybull 20 #1 Shoshoni 7
1A Week 8: #2 Midwest 14 #1 Big Horn 21 OT
1985 (poll taken before championship games)
4A Week 4: #1 Natrona 17 #2 Sheridan 13
3A Week 9: #2 Evanston 15 #1 Star Valley 14
3A Championship: #1 Torrington 8 #2 Evanston 47
2A Championship: #1 Shoshoni 18 #2t Seton 7
1A Week 7: #2 Wright 6 #1 Big Horn 25
1A Week 8: #1 Big Horn 14 #2 Midwest 12
1A Championship: #2 Wright 6 #1 Big Horn 7
1984 (poll taken before 4A/3A championship games)
3A Championship: #1 Evanston 21 #2 Wheatland 35
1A Championship: #1 Midwest 8 #2 Cokeville 12
–patrick
A couple weekends ago, both the Class 1A girls and Class 2A boys championship games produced something interesting — the same two teams who reached those games in 2022 also made it in 2023.
In the case of the 1A girls, Upton avenged last year’s loss to Southeast and won its first girls basketball championship. In 2A boys, Pine Bluffs won its second straight, beating Big Horn for the second year in a row (both times by exactly 11 points, oddly enough).
Those games got me thinking about all the times we’ve seen the same two schools go against each other in back-to-back years in a state championship game, no matter the sport.
Across the WHSAA team game sports (basketball, soccer, volleyball, football and softball), the same two teams have played each other in consecutive years in the championship game 116 times. The defending champ has won 66 of those, or 57%.
- In basketball, the defending champ has won 21 times in 41 matchups.
- In soccer, the defending champ has won 13 times in 22 matchups.
- In volleyball, the defending champ has won 14 times in 25 matchups.
- And in football, the defending champ has won 18 times in 28 matchups.
Four times, two teams have played each other in their respective championship games four years in a row. It’s happened twice in volleyball: From 1996-99, Cokeville beat Burlington four straight times in the Class 1A volleyball championship, and from 2003-06, Star Valley and Wheatland played four times in the Class 3A volleyball championship, with Star Valley winning three and Wheatland one.
It also happened once in football and once in boys soccer. From 1953-56, Worland defeated Torrington four consecutive times in the Class A football championship; from 2008-11, Cody and Buffalo played four times in the Class 3A boys soccer championship, with Cody taking three of those four.
Another eight times have produced three-peat championship matchups: University Prep and St. Stephens in Class B boys basketball from 1959-61; Lovell and Wyoming Indian in 2A boys basketball from 1984-86; Natrona and Campbell County in 4A girls basketball from 1999-2001; Douglas and Lyman in 3A girls basketball from 2019-22 (no tournament in 2020); Laramie and Campbell County in 4A girls soccer from 2009-11; Natrona and East in 4A girls soccer from 1987-89; Natrona and Sheridan in 4A football from 1936-38 and again from 2016-18.
Here is a list of all the times we’ve seen repeat championship game pairings:
Basketball (21 repeats, 20 changes)
4A boys (2 repeats, 5 changes)
2003: Sheridan 62, Campbell County 61
2002: Campbell County 76, Sheridan 49
1993: Campbell County 72, East 69, OT
1992: Campbell County 57, East 56 OT
1973: Rock Springs 57, Central 54
1972: Rock Springs 89, Central 80
1960: Rock Springs 59, Sheridan 47
1959: Sheridan 52, Rock Springs 46
1956: Central 48, Natrona 46
1955: Natrona 67, Central 45
1946: Natrona 47, Central 32
1945: Central 45, Natrona 39
1928: Rock Springs 35, Central 30
1927: Central 21, Rock Springs 9
3A boys (1 repeat, 2 changes)
2004: Thermopolis 70, Kemmerer 61, OT
2003: Thermopolis 66, Kemmerer 60
2002: Douglas 43, Star Valley 41
2001: Star Valley 69, Douglas 63
1972: Buffalo 66, Green River 57
1971: Green River 74, Buffalo 67
2A boys (5 repeats, 2 changes)
2023: Pine Bluffs 49, Big Horn 38
2022: Pine Bluffs 52, Big Horn 41
2003: Lovell 63, Lusk 50
2002: Lovell 78, Lusk 71, OT
1986: Lovell 66, Wyoming Indian 54
1985: Wyoming Indian 74, Lovell 67
1984: Wyoming Indian 90, Lovell 64
1961: University Prep 48, St. Stephens 18
1960: St. Stephens 71, University Prep 55
1959: St. Stephens 56, University Prep 50
1950: Byron 31, Cowley 27
1949: Byron 32, Cowley 24
1A boys (2 repeats, 1 change)
2007: St. Stephens 52, Burlington 46
2006: Burlington 49, St. Stephens 47
1960: LaGrange 54, Carpenter 48
1959: LaGrange 57, Carpenter 56
1956: Veteran 68, LaGrange 45
1955: Veteran 68, LaGrange 50
4A girls (5 repeats, 2 changes)
2022: East 51, Cody 41
2021: East 52, Cody 37
2018: Campbell County 65, East 41
2017: East 53, Campbell County 50
2001: Campbell County 63, Natrona 57
2000: Natrona 87, Campbell County 84, 2OT
1999: Natrona 76, Campbell County 61
1997: Campbell County 88, Green River 68
1996: Campbell County 76, Green River 53
1986: Sheridan 29, Rawlins 26
1985: Sheridan 33, Rawlins 28
1980: Rock Springs 48, Sheridan 46
1979: Rock Springs 59, Sheridan 51
3A girls (5 repeats, 3 changes)
2022: Douglas 45, Lyman 37
2021: Douglas 51, Lyman 11
(no tournament 2020)
2019: Douglas 56, Lyman 41
2017: Star Valley 44, Worland 43
2016: Worland 44, Star Valley 35
2010: Jackson 49, Powell 42, 2OT
2009: Jackson 43, Powell 29
2003: Thermopolis 48, Star Valley 42
2002: Thermopolis 46, Star Valley 43
1998: Mountain View 48, Douglas 46
1997: Douglas 68, Mountain View 51
1989: Star Valley 50, Powell 43
1988: Star Valley 46, Powell 45
1984: Douglas 61, Wheatland 51
1983: Wheatland 56, Douglas 51
2A girls (1 repeat, 1 change)
2008: Big Horn 47, Tongue River 32
2007: Tongue River 49, Big Horn 43, OT
2006: Tongue River 55, Lovell 51
2005: Tongue River 64, Lovell 39
1A girls (0 repeats, 4 changes)
2023: Upton 59, Southeast 54
2022: Southeast 58, Upton 53, OT
2014: Lingle 60, Cokeville 48
2013: Cokeville 59, Lingle 55
1983: Manderson 54, Snake River 51
1982: Snake River 62, Manderson 50
1979: Byron 60, Snake River 57
1978: Snake River 51, Byron 32
Soccer (13 repeats, 9 changes)
4A boys (4 repeats, 2 changes)
2021: Jackson 2, Thunder Basin 1, OT
(no tournament 2020)
2019: Jackson 1, Thunder Basin 0
2014: Laramie 2, Campbell County 0
2013: Laramie 2, Campbell County 1
2011: Sheridan 2, Laramie 1
2010: Laramie 2, Sheridan 0
2003: Kelly Walsh 1, East 0
2002: Kelly Walsh 1, East 0
1999: Central 1, Kelly Walsh 0
1998: Kelly Walsh 2, Central 0
1989: East 1, Natrona 0 (SO)
1988: East 1, Natrona 0
3A boys (2 repeats, 2 changes)
2021: Worland 1, Powell 0
(no tournament 2020)
2019: Worland 2, Powell 0
2011: Cody 2, Buffalo 1
2010: Buffalo 1, Cody 0
2009: Cody 5, Buffalo 1
2008: Cody 2, Buffalo 1
4A girls (5 repeats, 5 changes)
2022: Thunder Basin 2, Rock Springs 0
2021: Rock Springs 2, Thunder Basin 0
2019: Thunder Basin 2, Central 1 (SO)
2018: Central 2, Thunder Basin 0
2017: Campbell County 4, Laramie 1
2016: Laramie 4, Campbell County 2
2015: East 1, Sheridan 0
2014: East 6, Sheridan 1
2011: Campbell County 2, Laramie 1 (SO)
2010: Laramie 2, Campbell County 0
2009: Laramie 1, Campbell County 0
2002: East 2, Campbell County 1 (SO)
2001: East 2, Campbell County 0
1991: Natrona 2, Sheridan 0
1990: Natrona 4, Sheridan 1
1989: Natrona 2, East 0
1988: East 3, Natrona 0
1987: East 5, Natrona 2
3A girls (2 repeats, 0 changes)
2018: Cody 2, Worland 0
2017: Cody 2, Worland 1
2010: Jackson 1, Buffalo 0 (SO)
2009: Jackson 2, Buffalo 0
Volleyball (14 repeats, 11 changes)
4A girls (3 repeats, 3 changes)
2021: Laramie 3, Kelly Walsh 0
2020: Laramie 3, Kelly Walsh 1
2017: Kelly Walsh 3, East 1
2016: East 3, Kelly Walsh 0
2008: Kelly Walsh 3, Natrona 1
2007: Natrona 3, Kelly Walsh 1
2004: East 3, Kelly Walsh 1
2003: East 3, Kelly Walsh 1
2002: Kelly Walsh 2, Riverton 0
2001: Kelly Walsh 2, Riverton 1
1976: Natrona 2, East 0
1975: East 2, Natrona 1
3A girls (2 repeats, 3 changes)
2022: Mountain View 3, Lyman 2
2021: Lyman 3, Mountain View 2
2006: Wheatland 3, Star Valley 0
2005: Star Valley 3, Wheatland 0
2004: Star Valley 3, Wheatland 1
2003: Star Valley 3, Wheatland 1
1981: Wheatland 2, Star Valley 0
1980: Star Valley 2, Wheatland 1
2A girls (2 repeats, 1 change)
2017: Sundance 3, Wright 0
2016: Wright 3, Sundance 0
2008: Big Horn 3, Mountain View 0
2007: Big Horn 3, Mountain View 0
1981: Pine Bluffs 2, Saratoga 0
1980: Pine Bluffs 2, Saratoga 1
1A girls (7 repeats, 4 changes)
2013: Cokeville 3, Lingle 2
2012: Cokeville 3, Lingle 0
2011: Cokeville 3, Kaycee 0
2010: Kaycee 3, Cokeville 2
2009: Burlington 3, Cokeville 2
2008: Cokeville 3, Burlington 1
2003: Snake River 3, Burlington 1
2002: Burlington 2, Snake River 1
2001: Cokeville 2, Snake River 1
2000: Cokeville 2, Snake River 1
1999: Cokeville 2, Burlington 1
1998: Cokeville 2, Burlington 0
1997: Cokeville 2, Burlington 1
1996: Cokeville 2, Burlington 1
1994: Burlington 2, Cokeville 0
1993: Cokeville 2, Burlington 0
1992: Cokeville 2, Pine Bluffs 1
1991: Cokeville 2, Pine Bluffs 0
1987: Cokeville 2, Ten Sleep 0
1986: Cokeville 2, Ten Sleep 0
Football (18 repeats, 10 changes)
4A (5 repeats, 4 changes)
2018: Natrona 28, Sheridan 14
2017: Sheridan 28, Natrona 14
2016: Sheridan 56, Natrona 28
2002: Rock Springs 36, Campbell County 14
2001: Rock Springs 22, Campbell County 19
1992: Sheridan 27, Campbell County 9
1991: Sheridan 27, Campbell County 8
1981: Kelly Walsh 35, Rock Springs 0
1980: Kelly Walsh 20, Rock Springs 7
1969: Laramie 22, Worland 14
1968: Laramie 48, Worland 0
1938: Sheridan 6, Natrona 0
1937: Natrona 19, Sheridan 0
1936: Sheridan 14, Natrona 0
1935: Rock Springs 19, Sheridan 0
1934: Sheridan 26, Rock Springs 6
3A (6 repeats, 0 changes)
2021: Cody 41, Jackson 24
2020: Cody 34, Jackson 13
2002: Worland 17, Star Valley 14, OT
2001: Worland 6, Star Valley 0
1998: Riverton 9, Star Valley 7
1997: Riverton 23, Star Valley 20
1956: Worland 46, Torrington 12
1955: Worland 16, Torrington 14, OT
1954: Worland 32, Torrington 7
1953: Worland 13, Torrington 7
2A (3 repeats, 4 changes)
2019: Mountain View 24, Buffalo 14
2018: Buffalo 43, Mountain View 18
2014: Mountain View 28, Big Horn 19
2013: Big Horn 47, Mountain View 22
2012: Lyman 22, Lovell 20
2011: Lovell 21, Lyman 13
2008: Glenrock 18, Kemmerer 0
2007: Kemmerer 22, Glenrock 0
2001: Big Piney 24, Mountain View 14
2000: Big Piney 44, Mountain View 28
1991: Thermopolis 6, Lovell 0
1990: Thermopolis 21, Lovell 20, OT
1957: Byron 20, Kemmerer 0
1956: Byron 19, Kemmerer 7
1A (all levels) (4 repeats, 2 changes)
2019: Big Horn 55, Cokeville 7
2018: Big Horn 56, Cokeville 3
2014: Cokeville 26, Lusk 6
2013: Cokeville 13, Lusk 12
2003: Big Horn 29, Lusk 8
2002: Lusk 31, Big Horn 0
1984: Cokeville 12, Midwest 8
1983: Cokeville 20, Midwest 6
2017: Kaycee 55, Farson 30
2016: Kaycee 41, Farson 30
2012: Dubois 54, Snake River 30
2011: Snake River 54, Dubois 33
–patrick
One thing that constantly amazes me is that no matter how much research I do into Wyoming’s sports history, I always keep finding more interesting things.
The latest? Wyoming’s 1930 all-state football team, published in a Nebraska newspaper published in 1957.
Yep, you read that right.
The 1930 all-state team was one of just a handful of missing all-state teams on wyoming-football.com, a list that now includes only the all-class teams from 1926 and 1932 and the elusive 1994 Class 1A nine-man team.
But I did not expect to find the 1930 all-state team the way I did, published in an out-of-state paper nearly 30 years after the season was done.
In doing research for a big project (details coming, maybe this summer), I fell into a deep dive of looking into Sheridan’s 1930 championship team. I started looking into a few of the players, particularly guys like Raymond “Jeff” Doyle, Sheridan’s speedy halfback; center Rusty Thompson; and end Clarence Brokaw. They were cornerstones of the Broncs’ team that beat Laramie (and later Cody) for the championship in the final year before state-sanctioned playoffs and the formation of the Wyoming High School Activities Association.
When I threw their names into a search on newspapers.com — a subscription made possible by the site sponsors (thank you!) — I stumbled into a column from the Oct. 29, 1957, edition of the Scottsbluff Star-Herald in Nebraska from Bill Madden. More on him in a bit.
In that column, Madden said the upcoming game between Scottsbluff and Laramie would be his first time seeing the Plainsmen since 1930, when he was a boy in Sheridan and the Plainsmen came north for a key game. He then went into detail on the 1930 game between the Plainsmen and Broncs, which for all intents and purposes decided the state championship, and those who played in it. Madden said the rosters included five all-staters from Sheridan (Doyle, Thompson, Brokaw, guard Clint Endicott and tackle Albert Husman) and two from Laramie (end Lester Forsyth and fullback Wes Christenson).
But in addition, he also mentioned the other four players named all-state that year: tackle Dan Sedar and quarterback Porter Davis of Natrona, guard Fay Thompson of Midwest, and halfback Don Tottenhoff of Cheyenne Central.
That’s 11 guys. An all-state team from that era only had that many. I double-checked the names in other publications and yearbooks I could access online, and the list looks legit. No unexpected names here.
However, Madden didn’t cite his source, which is always a big question in research like this. After looking into his career, though, if there’s one Nebraska journalist whose word we can trust on matters like this, it’s Madden’s.
Madden grew up in Sheridan an avid sports fan and attended Hastings College in Nebraska. From 1955 to 1974, Madden was a sportswriter for the Scottsbluff Star-Herald; he then moved on to the nearby Gering Courier, where he stayed until he retired in 1991.
He was named to the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1996; his bio said he was “a noted historian of high school athletics.” In reading a selection of Madden’s work, it’s easy to draw comparisons to Chuck Harkins, Casper Star-Tribune sports editor in the 1970s and the one person who has taught me more about Wyoming sports than anyone else I’ve never met. Madden died in 1997.
In his 1957 pontifications of a 1930 football game and the all-state players in it, Madden didn’t need to cite a source because he was the source. That’s good enough for me.
The 1930 all-state team is now listed among this site’s all-state listings — with any luck, never to be lost again.
–patrick
Between now and the second weekend of November 2023, a lot is possible.
We do know that, at the end of it all, five teams will be crowned champions, and 60 others will be left to chase.
Just which teams will win those five championships, we won’t know until the clock in War Memorial Stadium hits 0:00 on five separate occasions.
That doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.
So, here’s some way-too-early speculation on what might happen almost exactly 10 months from now on which teams might be the title holders come the end of a season that’s still months away from starting.
Class 4A
1. Cheyenne East: With five first-team all-state players coming back — and with the rest of 4A only having four combined — the Thunderbirds are the early favorites to win it all in 2023. That tally also includes QB Cam Hayes and RB Drew Jackson, a good place to start.
2. Sheridan: Never, ever rule out the Broncs, who will need to replace a talented senior class but always seems to do so no matter who’s on the roster. DB Dane Steel, the conference defensive player of the year, and lineman Alex Haswell are the key pieces on which to rebuild.
3. Cheyenne Central: Central’s five returning first-team all-conference selections gives the Indians just as many as East, and a lot of that strength rests in an improving defense that could carry the team early.
4. Thunder Basin: Returning QB Alonso Aguilar gives the ‘Bolts some experience under center, a necessary piece for a team that has lots of holes to fill.
5. Rock Springs: The Tigers return some key offensive pieces in QB Michael Faigl, RB Brycen Cooms and WR Goodness Okere but might need to outscore opponents until the defense comes along.
Wild card: Natrona. The Mustangs were a senior-loaded bunch last season, but they always seem to be in the same position every season and usually come out OK on the other side. Some untested talent will need to grow quickly.
Class 3A
1. Star Valley: The defending champs return three all-state picks, tops in the classification. The biggest offensive weapons are gone to graduation, but a solid group of up-and-coming players should make the Braves the favorites from day one.
2. Douglas: Douglas is loaded with solid returners, including QB Trey Rinn, linemen Tegen Seeds and Malachy Lehnen and maybe the best up-and-coming junior in the state in Carter Archuleta. The Bearcats will definitely be the East favorites.
3. Buffalo: The Bison had a solid campaign in 2022 and with four returning all-conference players (tied with Douglas for the most in 3A), they should be right in the championship discussion again this year. RB Will Hammond emerged as a solid offensive centerpiece.
4. Cody: How will the Broncs react to losing all 13 of their all-conference picks and all nine of their all-staters? If Cody’s returners learned anything in practice, it’ll be time to show it in the games.
5. Powell: A trio of returning all-conference selections, led by all-state WR Trey Stenerson and QB Jhett Schwahn, should put the Panthers in a good spot entering 2023.
Wild card: Evanston. The Red Devils get back a pair of all-staters in Cohen Morrow and Brady Roberts and could be a team on the rise but will need to adjust to a new head coach.
Class 2A
1. Lyman: Three teams in 2A return four all-conference players; Lyman just happens to be one of them. The Eagles’ title hopes went awry in 2022, but honestly — a play here, a play there and maybe we’re talking four-peat.
2. Big Horn: The defending champs proved a lot in their title run, and with a pair of returning all-staters in Kiefer Dunham and Drew Heermann, the Rams should be in the chase for a repeat.
3. Tongue River: The Eagles had a breakthrough season in 2022, and they did so with a bunch of younger players leading the way. With four all-conference players returning — all of whom were key pieces of TR’s turnaround — watch out.
4. Mountain View: The Buffalos’ four returning all-conference players might be the most exciting group of talent returning to any team in 2A. Both Jayce Schultz and Carson Eardley were all-state, and they lead a group that’s eager to return to the top.
5. Cokeville: Three all-conference players (but no all-staters) return for Cokeville, and it goes without saying that the Panthers consistently put out winners.
Wild cards: Lovell and Newcastle. For opposite reasons, two teams show up here — Lovell, last year’s runner-up, gets back just a pair of all-conference players and loses a senior class that was clearly carrying the bulk of the weight. Newcastle, meanwhile, improved significantly last year and gets back a trio of all-conference selections, enough to compete in the East.
Class 1A nine-man
1. Pine Bluffs: In a classification that was hit hard by graduation (only six returning all-state players statewide), the defending champs earn the recognition of early favorite by returning four all-conference choices, tied for the most of any team in 1A nine-man.
2. Big Piney: The Punchers get back four of their five all-conference choices and lead the state with a pair of returning all-state picks in seniors Karsyn Gurr and Ruben Stoutenberg.
3. Southeast: The Cyclones don’t return any all-state choices but do get back four of six all-conference picks, setting them up well to compete in the East.
4. Lingle: The Doggers will rely on two returning all-state choices in Louden Bremer and Kaiden Riggs, who both made the team as sophomores, to be leaders in 2023 for a team that was one big play away from hosting a playoff game.
5. Wind River: RB Cooper Frederick is the centerpiece of a Cougar game plan that will rely on him heavily, but in a depleted West Conference, that may be enough to carry the day.
Wild cards: Rocky Mountain and Shoshoni. Between them, they combined for 18 all-conference and 11 all-state choices. Every single one has graduated. Underclass talent will have to develop in a hurry for them to stay in a title conversation.
Class 1A six-man
1. Burlington: Last year’s runners-up return four all-conference players, tied for the most in six-man with Kaycee, but with some key players graduated, rebuilding will need to happen fast.
2. Dubois: RB Wyatt Trembly set a single-season rushing record in six-man last year, and his presence alone will keep the Rams competitive — which is good, because four all-conference players will leave upon graduation.
3. Encampment: The Tiger trio of all-conference players (Quade Jordan, Ryon Miller, Kaben Pickett) will be tough to top as seniors, and that experience will help Encampment find some success, especially early.
4. Snake River: The Rattlers have had back-to-back undefeated seasons, but this might be the year they come back to earth. They’ll still be competitive with all-stater Isaiah Skalberg leading the way, but the senior class is thinner than usual.
5. Kaycee: Four all-conference returners will help Kaycee improve, and all-stater Vaun Pierson will help set the pace for a thin but improved Buckaroo squad.
Wild cards: Meeteetse and Midwest. Both the Longhorns and Oilers return all three of their all-conference choices, and Meeteetse’s Joseph Pina was the North’s co-defensive player of the year. Both teams should be improved in 2023.
What do you think, in January at least? Who’s poised for a breakout year? Leave a comment and share your ideas. And then let’s keep talking for another 10 months until all of this actually, finally, gets settled on the field.
–patrick
Sheridan’s undefeated Broncs of 2022 deserve tons of praise.
With a 12-0 finish, Class 4A Sheridan became just the fourth team since 2005 to finish Wyoming’s big-school football season undefeated, joining a previously undefeated Bronc team from 2017 and Natrona teams from 2012 and 2014.
However, a look at their playoff results gives Sheridan an ignominious aspect to its playoff run — worst playoff defense ever among state champions.
Before you get those keyboards fired up, though, Bronc fans, hear me out. This isn’t my call. It’s simple math: No team that has ever won an 11-man championship in Wyoming has ever given up so many points during its three-game playoff run than Sheridan gave up in its three playoff games of 2022.
The Broncs gave up 92 total points in their three playoff victories, giving up 27, 42 and 23 points in their quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games, respectively. Sheridan still won each game by double digits on its way to victories of 52-27, 63-42 and 34-23, finishing off that undefeated season with yet another 4A title.
Still, the 92 total points allowed is by far the most allowed by a title-winning team in a three-game stretch, topping the 79 points Star Valley allowed in 2016. In fact, only four 11-man title teams have allowed more than 60 points in their three games, the others being — ready for this? — Sheridan in 2019 with 75 points and Sheridan in 2021 with 65 points.
The other 11-man champions this year gave up 51 points (Star Valley, 3A) and 33 points (Big Horn, 2A) in their respective three-game playoff runs.
As noted in a previous post and updated here, here are the most points allowed by 11-man teams in their three-game championship runs:
92 points: Sheridan (27, 42, 23), 4A 2022
79 points: Star Valley (27, 42, 10), 3A 2016
75 points: Sheridan (14, 35, 26), 4A 2019
65 points: Sheridan (14, 24, 27), 4A 2021
58 points: Cheyenne East (10, 34, 14), 5A 2007
55 points: Star Valley (13, 27, 15), 3A 2015 … Big Horn (14, 19, 22), 2A 2013 … Sheridan (12, 29, 14), 4A 2011 … Big Piney (8, 33, 14), 3A 2001 … Big Piney (7, 20, 28), 2A 2000
54 points: Lyman (20, 28, 6), 2A 2021 … Cheyenne Central (20, 20, 14), 5A 2005 … Rocky Mountain (12, 22, 20), 1A DI 1997
51 points: Star Valley (17, 27, 7), 3A 2022 … Sheridan (17, 6, 28), 4A 2016
Conversely, the fewest points allowed in a three-game playoff run for teams on their way to a championship include:
0 points: Kemmerer (0, 0, 0), 3A 2007 … Wind River (0, 0, 0), 1A DII 1997
2 points: Southeast (0, 2, 0), 1A 2008
6 points: Lusk (6, 0, 0), 2A 2002 … Sundance (0, 6, 0), 2A 2005
7 points: Gillette (0, 0, 7), 4A 2000
8 points: Cokeville (0, 8, 0), 1A 2002 … Glenrock (8, 0, 0), 3A 2008
9 points: Upton (0, 3, 6), 1A 2005
10 points: Natrona (0, 7, 3), 5A 2003
12 points: Glenrock (0, 6, 6), 3A 2003 … Glenrock (0, 12, 0), 3A 2002 … Torrington (6, 0, 6), 3A 1990
13 points: Cokeville (0, 7, 6), 1A 11-man 2014 … Cokeville (0, 7, 6), 1A 11-man 2010 … Cokeville (0, 13, 0), 1A DII 1995 … Lusk (6, 0, 7), 1A DI 2000 … Natrona (0, 13, 0), 4A 1996 … Powell (0, 3, 10), 3A 2012 … Southeast (0, 6, 7), 2A 2001 … Thermopolis (0, 0, 13), 2A 1992 … Worland (0, 0, 13), 4A 2003 … Worland (7, 6, 0), 4A 2001 … Mountain View (14, 0, 0), 2A 1995 … Natrona (7, 0, 7), 4A 2012 … Wheatland (6, 0, 8), 2A 2015
+++
To win a championship while still allowing so many points, Sheridan must have had a record-setting offensive performance during its playoff run, right?
Well… almost.
The Broncs’ 149 points scored tied for the sixth-most ever by an 11-man team in a three-game title run. And four of the top five performances ahead of Sheridan, though, have come since 2018, including three from 2019 alone. Again updated from a previous post on this site, those include:
191 points: Big Horn (67, 68, 56), 1A 11-man 2018
185 points: Big Horn (82, 48, 55), 1A 11-man 2019
162 points: Cokeville (54, 54, 54), 1A 2002
159 points: Sheridan (62, 62, 35), 4A 2019
152 points: Mountain View (72, 56, 24), 2A 2019
149 points: Sheridan (52, 63, 34), 4A 2022 … Buffalo (56, 50, 43), 2A 2018 … Sheridan (64, 43, 42), 4A 1993
148 points: Mountain View (55, 66, 27), 2A 1995
145 points: Lusk (68, 49, 28), 1A Division I 1999
144 points: Southeast (74, 42, 28), 1A 2007
140 points: Mountain View (60, 52, 28), 2A 2014 … Douglas (40, 56, 44), 3A 2009
The fewest points scored in a championship run, though, now includes this year’s aforementioned Big Horn team. The Rams only allowed 33 points, but conversely only scored 43 — tied for second-lowest of any 11-man championship team in a three-game playoff run:
31 points: Cokeville (7, 7, 17), 1A 11-man 1994
43 points: Big Horn (28, 7, 8), 2A 2022 … Glenrock (20, 10, 13), 3A 2003
44 points: Natrona (14, 23, 7), 4A 1996
48 points: Riverside (17, 10, 21), 2A 2007
49 points: Big Piney (12, 16, 21), 3A 2006
52 points: Pine Bluffs (23, 19, 10), 1A 11-man 2016
53 points: Southeast (34, 7, 12), 1A 2008
54 points: Guernsey (32, 8, 14), 1A 2006
55 points: Cheyenne East (13, 28, 14), 4A 2013
59 points: Cokeville (28, 19, 12), 1A Division II 1998
+++
In six-man, meanwhile, Snake River just put up the best defensive playoff run of any state champion. The 2022 version of the Rattlers allowed only 22 points — six in the quarterfinals and eight in both the semifinals and championship — on their way to this year’s six-man championship.
The 22 points allowed barely edged out the 24 allowed by Snake River in its 2010 title run. Snake River also owns the third-best run with 38 allowed in its 2019 championship season.
Three teams have finished with more than 200 points scored in a six-man championship run, led by Farson’s 225 in 2018. Farson also allowed more points during its three-game playoff championship run than any other, allowing 79 that same year. Two years later, in 2020, Farson scored 154 points — the fewest ever scored by any six-man champion since 2009.
Here are the top three performances by state champions in the six-man playoffs since 2009:
Most points scored
225 points: Farson (90, 62, 73), 2018
217 points: Guernsey (65, 72, 80), 2014
202 points: Dubois (89, 59, 54), 2012
Fewest points scored
154 points: Farson (70, 42, 42), 2020
157 points: Kaycee (60, 56, 41), 2016
173 points: Snake River (64, 42, 67), 2010
Fewest points allowed
22 points: Snake River (6, 8, 8), 2022
24 points: Snake River (0, 12, 12), 2010
38 points: Snake River (0, 0, 38), 2019
Most points allowed
79 points: Farson (22, 19, 38), 2018
78 points: Guernsey (8, 40, 30), 2014 … Snake River (8, 46, 24), 2021
–patrick
Quick trivia: Since 2009, what’s something that Natrona’s football team has done 193 times that Lusk’s has done zero times?
Answer: Attempt a field goal.
A compilation of statistics since 2009 shows Natrona is, by far, the state’s leading team when it comes to field goal tries — and that Lusk is the most field goal-averse.
From 2009-22, Natrona’s kickers attempted 193 field goals, making 120 of them. The number of attempts far outpaces second-place Sheridan (123) and third-place Star Valley (86), and the number of makes also far exceeds runner-up Sheridan (76).
On the other side, Lusk has gone the past 14 seasons, and maybe longer, without attempting a single field goal. So have St. Stephens and Wyoming Indian, although their streaks are a bit shorter.
Three other active programs — Upton-Sundance, Farson and Encampment — as well as now-defunct NSI have only attempted one field goal in that span.
Five programs haven’t missed a field goal in that time, with Hulett’s perfect 3-for-3 in the past 13 years leading the way. Wheatland, at 2-for-2, also hasn’t missed a field goal since at least 2009. NSI, Upton and Upton-Sundance are 1-for-1.
Meanwhile, aside from Encampment and Farson (both 0-for-1), Moorcroft is the team with the roughest percentage, making just 22% (2-for-9) of its attempts.
The state average over this span has been 57.1%, with kickers making 1,114 field goals in 2,003 attempts. The number of field goals attempted statewide in a season has ranged from as few as 120 (in both 2020 and 2018) to as many as 179 (2011). The 2022 season saw 131 field goal attempts.
The team that both attempted and made the most field goals in a season was Natrona’s 2015 team. That season, Natrona kickers made 20 of 28 field goals.
Kicking field goals, though, is by no means a measure of success. Many championship teams went their entire seasons without so much as attempting a field goal, including Big Horn and Snake River this season. Snake River also did so last season and Big Horn also did so in 2018.
Note: Since this data was compiled from the existing stat sheets, data may be incomplete. For example, six-man data is missing for 2009 and 2010, and some team statistics are missing if a team decided not to compile individual statistics, which has happened a handful of times over the past 13 years. Still, this is the best we can do with what we have, so enjoy.
Total field goals from 2009-2022:
| Team | TOTAL FGM | TOTAL FGA | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natrona | 120 | 193 | 62.2% |
| Sheridan | 76 | 123 | 61.8% |
| Campbell County | 51 | 80 | 63.8% |
| Star Valley | 50 | 86 | 58.1% |
| Cheyenne Central | 48 | 77 | 62.3% |
| Cheyenne East | 48 | 82 | 58.5% |
| Riverton | 47 | 74 | 63.5% |
| Kelly Walsh | 46 | 77 | 59.7% |
| Buffalo | 45 | 65 | 69.2% |
| Powell | 43 | 73 | 58.9% |
| Torrington | 38 | 60 | 63.3% |
| Green River | 37 | 64 | 57.8% |
| Lander | 37 | 69 | 53.6% |
| Laramie | 36 | 68 | 52.9% |
| Thunder Basin | 31 | 59 | 52.5% |
| Big Horn | 27 | 41 | 65.9% |
| Cody | 26 | 48 | 54.2% |
| Newcastle | 23 | 42 | 54.8% |
| Worland | 21 | 37 | 56.8% |
| Evanston | 20 | 40 | 50.0% |
| Douglas | 18 | 36 | 50.0% |
| Pine Bluffs | 18 | 39 | 46.2% |
| Cokeville | 17 | 29 | 58.6% |
| Cheyenne South | 15 | 36 | 41.7% |
| Mountain View | 14 | 29 | 48.3% |
| Rock Springs | 14 | 37 | 37.8% |
| Jackson | 13 | 23 | 56.5% |
| Southeast | 13 | 20 | 65.0% |
| Hanna | 11 | 18 | 61.1% |
| Lingle | 11 | 18 | 61.1% |
| Shoshoni | 11 | 30 | 36.7% |
| Pinedale | 10 | 15 | 66.7% |
| Rocky Mountain | 10 | 17 | 58.8% |
| Greybull | 8 | 9 | 88.9% |
| Lovell | 8 | 17 | 47.1% |
| Glenrock | 7 | 11 | 63.6% |
| Saratoga | 7 | 16 | 43.8% |
| Midwest | 6 | 14 | 42.9% |
| Dubois | 5 | 14 | 35.7% |
| Rawlins | 5 | 12 | 41.7% |
| Tongue River | 5 | 7 | 71.4% |
| Burlington | 4 | 8 | 50.0% |
| Meeteetse | 4 | 8 | 50.0% |
| Wright | 4 | 8 | 50.0% |
| Burns | 3 | 7 | 42.9% |
| Hulett | 3 | 3 | 100.0% |
| Kemmerer | 3 | 4 | 75.0% |
| Riverside | 3 | 7 | 42.9% |
| Snake River | 3 | 4 | 75.0% |
| Wind River | 3 | 8 | 37.5% |
| Big Piney | 2 | 4 | 50.0% |
| Guernsey-Sunrise | 2 | 3 | 66.7% |
| Kaycee | 2 | 3 | 66.7% |
| Lyman | 2 | 8 | 25.0% |
| Moorcroft | 2 | 9 | 22.2% |
| Thermopolis | 2 | 5 | 40.0% |
| Wheatland | 2 | 2 | 100.0% |
| NSI | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Ten Sleep | 1 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Upton | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Upton-Sundance | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Encampment | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Farson | 0 | 1 | 0.0% |
| Lusk | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! |
| Rock River | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! |
| St. Stephens | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! |
| Sundance | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! |
| Wyoming Indian | 0 | 0 | #DIV/0! |
| TOTAL | 1144 | 2003 | 57.1% |
–patrick
Everyone, meet Slim MacGuffin.
He might just be the next great piece of Wyoming high school football lore.
Right now, Slim belongs in the trophy case at Sheridan High School.
In addition to winning the Class 4A championship this year, the Sheridan Broncs also held onto an important honor they didn’t even know they were playing for — the Wyoming football MacGuffin.
Some of you may have heard of the MacGuffin, which has built a following on Twitter by tracking college football’s most interesting theoretical traveling trophy.
The concept is simple: All you have to do to get the trophy is beat the team that has it.
In this case, we start with the first Wyoming high school football game ever played, and the winner gets a trophy — Slim, in this case. They get to hold onto that trophy until they lose; the team that beats them gets the trophy. That team then holds onto it until they lose. And so on, and so on, and so on.
In the college ranks, there have been more than 1,500 MacGuffin games; the trophy has traded hands 317 times since the first intercollegiate game in 1869, and 93 teams have had the trophy, including the University of Wyoming for a bit, including the entire 1994 offseason.
If we had a Wyoming high school football MacGuffin, though, Sheridan would be the rightful owners of that trophy, at least for now.
Starting with the first game between two Wyoming high schools in 1908 — played on Nov. 3 of that year between crosstown rivals Laramie and University Prep — there have been 907 Wyoming football MacGuffin games, as of the end of the 2022 season. In all, 24 different teams will have held the trophy, and 38 programs will have played in MacGuffin games.
Since 1908, the trophy would have logged some significant miles in every corner of the state. Every Class 4A team except Cheyenne South would have had it at least once. And, oddly enough, it would have been up for grabs in every 4A/5A championship game since 1987.
Here’s a breakdown of the teams who would have had the trophy in their possession, with tallies of how many times they defended the trophy and how many times they beat teams with the MacGuffin to steal it for themselves:
| School | Games defended | Times won |
| Sheridan | 176 | 28 |
| Natrona | 115 | 29 |
| Laramie | 95 | 20 |
| Cheyenne Central | 80 | 16 |
| Worland | 72 | 4 |
| Campbell County | 50 | 13 |
| Rock Springs | 46 | 9 |
| Cheyenne East | 35 | 15 |
| Kelly Walsh | 19 | 6 |
| Thermopolis | 15 | 4 |
| Lander | 11 | 4 |
| Cody | 10 | 3 |
| Powell | 10 | 1 |
| Lovell | 8 | 3 |
| Thunder Basin | 7 | 2 |
| Douglas | 6 | 1 |
| Evanston | 5 | 3 |
| Cowley | 5 | 1 |
| Rawlins | 4 | 2 |
| Torrington | 2 | 1 |
| Green River | 1 | 2 |
| Riverton | 0 | 2 |
| Kemmerer | 0 | 1 |
For the Wyoming high school version, I limited the potential transfer of the trophy to in-state, varsity teams; we can’t have some out-of-state team taking Wyoming’s MacGuffin with them, and we can’t be giving it to a town team, JV team or college team, either. So it’s only up for grabs in varsity vs. varsity, in-state games.
And here’s a look at how those games have gone, and who’s played in those games:
| Team | MacG Wins | MacG Losses | MacG Games | Last MacGame | Last held |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan | 172 | 72 | 244 | 2022 | 2022 |
| Natrona | 145 | 80 | 225 | 2022 | 2019 |
| Laramie | 115 | 81 | 196 | 2022 | 2000 |
| Cheyenne Central | 91 | 81 | 171 | 2022 | 2020 |
| Rock Springs | 55 | 75 | 130 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Campbell County | 63 | 64 | 127 | 2022 | 2016 |
| Cheyenne East | 50 | 71 | 121 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Worland | 76 | 13 | 89 | 1977 | 1959 |
| Kelly Walsh | 25 | 48 | 73 | 2022 | 2005 |
| Cody | 13 | 30 | 43 | 2004 | 1977 |
| Thermopolis | 19 | 21 | 40 | 1974 | 1947 |
| Rawlins | 6 | 33 | 39 | 1988 | 1974 |
| Evanston | 8 | 25 | 33 | 2016 | 2007 |
| Lander | 15 | 16 | 31 | 1988 | 1974 |
| Riverton | 2 | 29 | 31 | 2008 | 1972 |
| Green River | 3 | 24 | 27 | 2010 | 2007 |
| Powell | 11 | 16 | 27 | 1977 | 1958 |
| Lovell | 11 | 14 | 25 | 1959 | 1947 |
| Buffalo | 0 | 18 | 18 | 1984 | never |
| Torrington | 3 | 15 | 18 | 1966 | 1952 |
| Thunder Basin | 9 | 7 | 16 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Douglas | 7 | 6 | 13 | 1984 | 1952 |
| Cowley | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1935 | 1934 |
| Cheyenne South | 0 | 11 | 11 | 2022 | never |
| Greybull | 0 | 11 | 11 | 1959 | never |
| Basin | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1934 | never |
| Newcastle | 0 | 6 | 6 | 1932 | never |
| Kemmerer | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1940 | 1932 |
| Star Valley | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1998 | never |
| Midwest | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1952 | never |
| Lusk | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1969 | never |
| St. Mary's | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1952 | never |
| Superior | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1936 | never |
| University Prep | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1909 | never |
| Jackson | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1974 | never |
| Ten Sleep | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1933 | never |
| Manderson | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1928 | never |
| Sundance | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1935 | never |
One of the challenges of a traveling trophy like this is that it needs to travel. Due to Class 4A’s round-robin schedule, the MacGuffin has been, and will continue to be unless the schedule changes, the exclusive domain of Wyoming’s big schools. The last interclass game where the MacGuffin was up for grabs was in 1998, when Evanston held onto the trophy by nudging Star Valley 13-7.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of all 907 Wyoming football MacGuffin games.
Even though Slim’s presence in any school’s trophy case is still just theoretical, it’s still fun to look at where Slim may have gone on his travels around the state and which schools, even if only for a week, got to have him in their possession.
–patrick
Here’s a quick overview of some of the pages on wyoming-football.com that saw updates at the conclusion of the 2022 season:
Scoring records: For just the 18th time in state history, two 11-man teams combined to score triple digits, as Cheyenne Central (42) and Sheridan (63) finished just outside the top 10 with 105 combined points scored. It did mark the third highest combined point total in an 11-man playoff game, though, just four points shy of the record.
Burlington finished in the top 10 all-time in single-season scoring with 659 total points, good for ninth.
Cheyenne East and Cody both reached the top 10 in points scored in an 11-man season. East was No. 2 all-time with 553 total points, while Cody was eighth at 531. Oddly enough, neither one won a state title. Cody’s 48.27 points per game, meanwhile, finished fifth in state history for 11-man teams.
On the flipside, Guernsey-Sunrise’s 66.13 points allowed per game ranked 10th all-time in most points allowed in a season.
Streaks: Cody’s 26-game winning streak, which came to an end in the Class 3A title game, finished tied for eighth among Wyoming’s longest winning streaks. And Lyman’s 20-game winning streak, which ended early in the season, finished in a tie for the 22nd longest. Snake River, meanwhile, enters the 2023 season on a 21-game winning streak, good for 19th-longest in state history.
Cheyenne South’s 29-game losing streak, however, is tied for the sixth-longest losing streak in state history. Pinedale has now lost 22 games in a row, a streak that’s tied for 20th-longest.
Snake River’s scoring streak moved up to second-longest in state history at 137 games; however, the Rattlers have a ways to go to break the state record of 175. Sheridan, meanwhile, has scored in 95 straight games entering 2023, the eighth-longest scoring streak in state history.
Cokeville had its 35th consecutive winning season and its 37th consecutive non-losing season, both continuing state records. Sheridan’s 16th consecutive winning season, though, moved the Broncs up into a tie for second-longest such streak in state history behind Cokeville.
Laramie’s 22nd consecutive losing season moved the Plainsmen into a tie for the longest streak of consecutive losing seasons. Moorcroft is now tied for fourth on that list with 14 losing seasons in a row, with Worland and Wyoming Indian tied at sixth with 13 and Cheyenne South and Wright tied for ninth with 12.
Individual records: Several players notched games or seasons worthy of the individual records page. They included:
- Receiving yards in a season: Star Valley’s Wyatt Crogg set a new individual single-season receiving record with 1,253 yards, beating the old record set by Jackson’s Nate Keipert last year by 43 yards. And Thunder Basin’s Kayden LaFramboise put up the No. 3 season all-time with 1,151 yards. In nine-man, Pine Bluffs’ Ryan Fornstrom also broke the single-season record with 1,084 yards. Three other players made the top eight with Shoshoni’s Trey Fike (509), Lingle’s Louden Bremer (482) and Moorcroft’s Chaz Dewey (478). Nine-man records are from 2020-22 only.
- Passing yards in a season: Three players cracked the top 10, including Star Valley’s Taft McClure in second (3,294 yards), East’s Cam Hayes in sixth (2,867 yards) and Thunder Basin’s Alonso Aguilar in ninth (2,575 yards). In nine-man, Pine Bluffs’ Stu Lerwick broke the single-season record with 2,226 yards, breaking his own record from last year by 11 yards. Shoshoni’s Alex Mills was fifth with 1,403 yards, while Rocky Mountain’s Carsyn Weber was seventh at 1,190 yards. In six-man, Burlington’s Seth Wardell posted the No. 9 season all-time with 1,469 yards.
- Rushing yards in a season: Dubois’ Wyatt Trembly set a single-season rushing record in six-man with his 2,502-yard effort of a season, beating the old mark by 194 yards. Sheridan’s Colson Coon finished fourth all-time in 11-man with 2,195 rushing yards. In nine-man, Shoshoni’s Pehton Trueumpler had the No. 2 all-time season with 2,080 yards, while Wind River’s Cooper Frederick was No. 3 all-time with 1,919 yards.
- Rushing yards in a game: Sheridan’s Colson Coon and Wind River’s Cooper Frederick each set rushing records in their respective areas. Coon’s 29 carries for 517 yards against Cheyenne Central set the state’s all-time 11-man rushing mark, while Frederick’s 549 yards on 61 carries against Southeast set the state’s all-time nine-man rushing record.
- Passing yards in a game: Five of the top 10 single-game passing performances in 11-man history came in 2022. Three came from Star Valley’s Taft McClure, who finished in third (480 yards), fourth (448 yards) and fifth (429 yards) for his performances against Powell, Cody and Riverton, respectively. East’s Cam Hayes had the No. 9 performance all-tie with 420 yards against Sheridan, while Thunder Basin’s Alonso Aguilar tied for 10th with a 419-yard game against East. Pine Bluffs’ Stu Lerwick finished with the No. 4 and No. 5 all-time passing games in nine-man with 314 and 312 yards against Lusk and Moorcroft, respectively.
- Receiving yards in a game: East’s Garet Schlabs set a single-game record for receptions with 19 catches against Sheridan. Thunder Basin’s Kayden LaFramboise finished tied for fifth all-time in single-game receiving yards with 242 yards, on 16 catches, against East. In nine-man, Pine Bluffs’ Ryan Fornstrom was fourth all-time with 187 yards against Moorcroft, while Moorcroft’s Chaz Dewey was fifth with 163 yards against Saratoga.
Coaching: Four coaches cracked the 50-victory barrier for their careers and entered Wyoming’s top 100 list for total victories for coaches — Shoshoni’s Tony Truempler, Buffalo’s Rob Hammond, Sheridan’s Jeff Mowry and Snake River’s Jack Cobb. They are all among the top 18 active coaches in the state in career victories in Wyoming. Barring retirements, Natrona’s Steve Harshman (227 victories), Southeast’s Mark Bullington (165 victories) and Douglas’ Jay Rhoades (130 victories) will enter 2023 as Wyoming’s top three active coaches in career in-state victories.
State champions: Sheridan’s 29th state championship continued a Bronc state record.
Weekly rankings: Of the five state champions, only Class 1A six-man Snake River completed a wire-to-wire run as the No. 1-ranked team in the state. Meanwhile, both Class 2A Big Horn and Class 3A Star Valley won a title despite not being ranked first at any point during the season.
Finally, Wyoming’s newest football program, the Casper Christian Mountaineers, saw their team page go up at the end of the 2022 season — too late for the season but just in time to start chronicling their history.
–patrick
See part 1 of this series here.
Last week, five teams — Sheridan, Cody, Lovell, Pine Bluffs and Snake River — entered the playoffs as the No. 1 ranked team in their classification.
By default, that means they’re the favorites to win the state championships.
And while the chances of the top-ranked team entering the playoffs actually winning the championship is barely above half, the chances that the eventual champion will come from one of the teams ranked either first or second is extremely high.
Since 1984, the start of the “one poll” era, teams ranked No. 1 entering the playoffs have won the state championship 52% of the time.
If it’s not No. 1 winning it all, it’s usually No. 2. Together, teams ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 entering the playoffs win a title 83% of the time. (Do the math, and the No. 2 ranked team wins the state title 31% of the time.)
The No. 3 team wins the title 10% of the time; teams ranked fourth, almost 4% of the time.
The remaining 3% of championships is evenly divided between teams ranked fifth and teams not ranked at all. A team entering the playoffs ranked fifth or unranked and winning a state championship hasn’t happened since 2011.
The six teams to win championships ranked either fifth (three titles) or not at all (three titles) entering the playoffs?
First, the three teams ranked No. 5 all entered the playoffs on a low but were at some time during their championship season ranked in the top two:
- Powell, Class 3A 2011 (Highest rank during the season: No. 1)
- Cheyenne Central, Class 5A 2005 (Highest rank during the season: No. 2)
- Glenrock, Class 3A 2003 (Highest rank during the season: No. 1)
Meanwhile, of the three teams that won titles after entering the playoffs unranked, two were previously No. 1 during the season:
- Big Piney, Class 3A 2006 (Highest rank during the season: No. 1)
- Powell, Class 3A 1987 (Highest rank during the season: No. 5)
- Jackson, Class 3A 1986 (Highest rank during the season: No. 1)
The seven teams to win titles that went into the playoffs as the No. 4 ranked team are dominated by 3A teams, including Cody in 2017, Worland in 2001, Star Valley in 1995 and Riverton in 1994. Other No. 4-ranked champs are Cheyenne East (4A, 2013), Glenrock (3A, 2002) and Cokeville (1A, 1986).
Either the No. 1 or No. 2 team entering the playoffs has won every title in each of the past four seasons. It’s the longest such streak since playoffs restarted in 1975.
And it just so happens that the five No. 1 teams all won last week.
See each week’s poll by clicking on each year’s set of rankings here.
–patrick