Shrine Bowl rosters announced

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Rosters have been set for the 40th annual Shrine Bowl all-star football game, which will be June 8 in Casper:

SOUTH
BURNS: Colton Wright.
CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Greg Ashley, Seth Edeen, David Riedl.
CHEYENNE EAST: Joe Ash, Austen Motily, Hayes Stone.
CHEYENNE SOUTH: James Marshall.
COKEVILLE: Brigham Teichert.
DOUGLAS: C.J. Allen, Ty Etchemendy.
EVANSTON: Matt Johnson.
GLENROCK: D.C. Hall.
GREEN RIVER: Blaine Christensen, Zach Huber, Dan Probst.
KEMMERER: Ryan Archibald.
LARAMIE: Peter Trahan.
LUSK: Colter Larson.
LYMAN: Bransen Bradshaw, Nick Reis, Cisco Taylor.
PINEDALE: Clay Cheatham.
RAWLINS: Wyatt Hopkins.
ROCK SPRINGS: Zach Legerski, Tanner McQuillan, Braxton Rosette, James Sedey.
SNAKE RIVER: Conner Lee.
SOUTHEAST: Zach Eisenbarth, John Lessard.
STAR VALLEY: Ryan Brough, Marshall Watkins, Derrick Wolfley.
TORRINGTON: Nick Prusia.
WHEATLAND: Brendan Ruwart.
Alternates: Luke Barron, Big Piney; T.J. Stark, Trey Herrera and Tod Wenger, Cheyenne East; Adam Sigala, Douglas; Wyatt Day, Evanston; Justin Honken, Laramie; Kevin Christianson, Lusk; Lane Nusbaum, Pine Bluffs; Waddie Love, Saratoga; Kohl Battleson, Star Valley; Blake Wisroth, Torrington.

NORTH
BIG HORN: Will O’Dell, Matthew Wigglesworth, Lucas Wollenman.
BUFFALO: Aaron Fenner, Tyler Rogers.
BURLINGTON: Ben Mancuso.
DUBOIS: Cody Flynn, Jesse Hawk.
GILLETTE: Justin Berkey, Taylor Bigelow, Dani Fischer, Dylan Haddix.
JACKSON: Andrew Linsenmann.
KELLY WALSH: Isaac Bayer, John Fabrizius.
LOVELL: Dino Collins, Cody Savage.
NATRONA: Colter Bentley, Brecken Biggs, Adam Britton, Josh Flanigan, Dan Reese.
NEWCASTLE: J.T. Harper.
POWELL: Tyler Patterson, Dewey Schwahn, Vince Sleep.
RIVERTON: T.J. Galey, Lane Savage, Xavier Webb.
SHERIDAN: Collin Eisenman, Mitch Godwin, Nate Kane.
THERMOPOLIS: Christian Syverson.
UPTON-SUNDANCE: Cory Butts.
WORLAND: Jacob McGarvin, Colby Wortman.
Alternates: Preston Davenport, Big Horn; Dylan Marton, Buffalo; Stephen Alm, Gillette; James Caro, Kaycee; Marco Sanchez, Kelly Walsh; Dylan Hultgren, Lovell; Greg Lensert, Natrona; Ty Borgialli and Billie Gordon, Newcastle; Kevin Bakkehaug, Sheridan; Arren Jones and Taylor Tresch, Wright.

–patrick

Laramie’s Holmstrom resigns coaching position

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Laramie head football coach Ted Holmstrom has resigned his position leading the Plainsmen.

Holmstrom spent one year with Laramie and went 1-8 in 2012. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Lyman for three years, going a combined 18-12. The Eagles finished as Class 2A runners-up under Holmstrom in 2011.

He previously coached at the high school and college levels in Michigan.

Holmstrom confirmed his resignation with wyoming-football.com via telephone on Wednesday but did not comment further. He did say he would remain at the school as a social studies teacher through the rest of the school year.

He is the second Wyoming head coach to leave his position, joining Cody’s Cris Williams, who resigned in November after 13 seasons with the Broncs.

For an ongoing list of Wyoming football coaching changes, click here.

–patrick

Shrine Bowl names coaching staffs

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The two head coaches for the 2013 Shrine Bowl have assembled their coaching staffs for the annual all-star football game.

South head coach Mark Bullington of Southeast has named Cheyenne Central’s Brick Cegelski (4A), Torrington’s Mark Lenhardt (3A), Lyman’s Dale Anderson (2A), Snake River’s Michael Bates (1A six-man) and Southeast colleague Shawn Burkart to his staff.

North head coach Michael McGuire of Big Horn selected Natrona assistant Josh Anderson (4A), Worland’s Curt Mayer (3A), Upton-Sundance’s Andy Garland (1A 11-man), Dubois’ David Trembly (1A six-man) and Big Horn assistant Kirk McLaughlin to join him on the sideline.

The coaching staffs will now begin the process of selecting players for the game, which will be played June 8 in Casper.

–patrick

Wyoming high school football coaching changes for 2013

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(First posted Nov. 28, 2012; last updated Sept. 23, 2013)

Here is a list of Wyoming high schools who will have new head football coaches in 2013. As schools announce changes, they will be posted here.

Cody: Cody assistant coach Matt McFadden has been named the Broncs’ new head coach. McFadden, Cody’s defensive coordinator last season, replaces Cris Williams. Williams had been the head coach at Cody since 2000 and had compiled a 59-69 record. He led Cody to 11 playoff appearances and a state title game appearance in 2009. The Cody Enterprise reported Williams’ resignation in November.

Hanna: Zack Scott, an assistant coach with Hanna for 12 years, has been promoted to head coach. Hanna AD verified the hire to wyoming-football.com via email. He takes over for Tom Waring, who resigned after four years as head coach to become the coach at Rawlins. Waring went 16-22 in Hanna and led the team to a runner-up state finish in 2010.

Laramie: KOWB Radio in Laramie has reported that Thermopolis coach Chuck Syverson will take over as Laramie’s head coach. Syverson went 30-14 in four years with the Bobcats. He replaces Ted Holmstrom, who spent one year with Laramie and went 1-8 in 2012. Holmstrom confirmed his resignation via telephone with wyoming-football.com.

Meeteetse: Matt Jensen has been hired as Meeteetse’s football coach, he told wyoming-football.com. Jensen was previously the head coach at Stanley County (S.D.) and, prior to that, was an assistant at Winner, S.D. He will replace Levi Stephens, who compiled an 8-18 record in three seasons, although the Longhorns reached the Class 1A six-man semifinals in 2012. The Cody Enterprise broke the news of Stephens’ resignation on Twitter.

Normative Services: Jim Larson has been hired as the Wolves’ head coach, former NSI AD Shane Parker told wyoming-football.com via email. Larson was NSI’s coach in 2010 and 2011. He replaces Jon Rojo, who resigned after one season as head coach. NSI went 1-6 last season.

Rawlins: Hanna’s Tom Waring will take over as head coach in Rawlins. Rawlins AD Darlene O’Melia verified the hiring via email in June. Waring, who led Hanna to a state runner-up finish in 2010, takes over for Brian Anderson. Anderson went 1-23 with Rawlins, but did help the Outlaws break a 35-game losing streak in 2012.

Riverside: Former Lyman and Laramie coach Ted Holmstrom has been hired as the head coach, Holmstrom said in an email to wyoming-football.com. Holmstrom led Lyman for three years and was at Laramie in 2012. He replaces Adam Tri, who resigned after three seasons as head coach, in which he went 13-14.

Riverton: Pat Patterson will replace Jeremy McCormick as coach of the Wolverines, the Riverton Ranger and Casper Star-Tribune reported. Patterson was formerly coach at American Falls High School in Idaho. The Ranger of Riverton and the Casper Star-Tribune also both reported on McCormick’s resignation. McCormick went 23-27 in five years as coach.

Shoshoni: Tony Truempler will take over as Shoshoni’s head coach this fall, AD Max Mills said via email to wyoming-football.com in July. Truempler, who is also Shoshoni’s wrestling coach, will take over for Rick Linblad, who resigned after two seasons as coach. Linblad went 11-7 in his two years with the Wranglers.

Ten Sleep: Andy Ray replaced Jake Zent as the Pioneers’ head coach. Ray was previously the coach at Wind River. Zent went 21-23 in six years as head coach at Ten Sleep.

Thermopolis: Former Teton (Idaho) defensive coordinator Rob Anderson has been hired as Thermopolis’ head football coach. Anderson, who verified the hire via telephone with wyoming-football.com, will also be the Bobcats’ girls basketball coach. He replaces Chuck Syverson, who was hired as head coach in Laramie. Syverson went 30-14 in four seasons with the Bobcats, including 2A titles in 2009 and 2010.

Worland: Worland will use co-head coaches this season in Josh Garcia and Bryan Bailey after former coach Curt Mayer resigned less than 48 hours before the first practice, the Northern Wyoming Daily News reported. Mayer went 2-7 in his only year as head coach in Worland.

Do you have additions or corrections to this list? Please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com, tweet @wyomingfootball or post a comment below.

–patrick

Shrine Bowl names Cundall executive director, contributes $22,000 to Shriners Hospital

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Former Gillette and Greybull coach John Cundall has been named the new executive director of the Shrine Bowl.

Cundall was the head coach of the North Shrine team in both 2004 and 2011 and was an assistant coach for two other Shrine games.

T.J. Claunch, who was executive director for the past nine years, resigned his position, creating the vacancy for Cundall.

The Shrine Bowl Board of Directors also announced $22,000, the proceeds from the 2012 Shrine Bowl, would be sent to the Shriners Hospital in Salt Lake City.

The 2013 Shrine Bowl is set for June 8 in Casper.

–patrick

Southeast forfeits victory

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According to multiple sources, Southeast has forfeited its victory over Pine Bluffs after using an ineligible player.

Southeast is now 1-2 in 1A 11-man East Conference play; Pine Bluffs is 2-1.

Southeast had beaten Pine Bluffs 41-0 on Sept. 21.

–patrick

Wyoming-football.com teams up for high school football preview magazine

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For the first time, you can get your hands on a Wyoming high school football preview magazine that fully covers every team in the state.

Wyoming-football.com coupled with idahosports.com this summer to produce the Wyoming Sports Preview Guide. The magazine has full preview stories, schedules and key players for every team in the state, from Class 4A to six-man. It is the most complete preview you will find anywhere.

In addition to print distribution across the state (it’s free!), the magazine is also available online.

I would like to thank all the coaches statewide in Class 3A, Class 2A and Class 1A who I contacted over the summer for their help. Of the 52 coaches I contacted, 51 got back to me. (The Class 4A stories were done by others, so I can’t speak to that, but having seen the finished product, Class 4A fans have plenty to be excited about, too.)

As the first run at such a project in Wyoming, we did hit a couple snags, but I am ultimately pleased with the final product. If you see a stack in your town, pick up a copy of the Wyoming Sports Preview Guide, or check it out online right now. With your support, this magazine can become an annual project.

–patrick

Lingle, Lusk add to 2012 schedule

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Lingle and Lusk have added games to their 2012 schedules to fill the weeks left vacant by the formation of the Upton-Sundance co-op.

Lingle will fill its open date by playing the Natrona JV at 6 p.m. Sept. 27 in Lingle.

Lusk will also play the Natrona JV in its open week. The game is set for Oct. 4; the time and location of the game are still to be determined.

Moorcroft, Southeast and Pine Bluffs have already finalized plans for their open weeks created when the Sundance schedule was eliminated from the 2012 lineup. Normative Services is still attempting to work out a game for its Week 8 open date.

–patrick

Rock River adds football program thanks in part to NFL grant

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Rock River will join the six-man football program ranks this fall, playing a junior-varsity schedule. And the program’s development is thanks in part to an NFL grant from former Greybull star Brett Keisel, now with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rock River coach Kyle Stucky said the community raised about $8,000 to bring football to the small school about 40 miles north of Laramie, and that money was augmented by $5,000 in grant money supplied by the NFL through Keisel.

A second try

Stucky said it was a Rock River connection to Keisel — Keisel is acquaintances Les Dunmire, the longtime boys basketball coach for the Longhorns, and his daughter, Heather Alexander, the Longhorns’ volleyball coach — that helped inspire the community to get serious about football.

Stucky said any NFL player can choose any youth football team in the country for the grant, “and he chose us.”

“Since he was from a small Wyoming school, he gets it,” Stucky said, “where small schools struggle to have teams and (have) financial restraints.”

Rock River was one of 10 programs named in the original six-man proposal in 2009 that was approved by the Wyoming High School Activities Association, but the school dropped the idea after funding concerns arose, which kept the Albany County School District from giving final approval to the team’s formation.

Excitement grows

Stucky said the school didn’t find out about the grant until this summer. The grant called for a community match, and Rock River raised more than a match, putting together about $8,000 in less than a week to over-match the NFL’s $5,000.

“I’m really excited for our community,” Stucky said. “Just in talking with the 1A schools… (and) what it’s done for their communities, I’m real excited.

“I think that’s something our community can really embrace and enjoy. … They’ve already supported us financially. I have no doubt that they’ll be there.”

Stucky said Rob Hall will assist him with coaching duties. The school has ordered gear, which is expected to arrive later this month. The field and the bleachers are being built this summer, as well.

“We’re truly starting from the ground up, which is kind of neat, and that’s part of the challenge,” Stucky said.

The schedule

Rock River will play a junior varsity schedule this fall, with hopes of moving up to the varsity level in either 2013 or 2014, Stucky said. Between 12 and 15 players are anticipated to come out, Stucky said.

The move to varsity play may depend in part on the WHSAA, which has pushed reclassification back to the 2014-15 school year but may make a special exception for football reclassification.

Rock River will have three home games and three road games; the Longhorns will play JV teams from Kaycee and Snake River and freshman teams from Laramie.

Rock River is the second school to add six-man football at the junior varsity level in the past two years. St. Stephens added football last year and played a limited sub-varsity schedule in 2011, and is planning to do so again this fall.

The Longhorns’ home games are set for Sept. 22 (Snake River JV, 1 p.m.), Sept. 27 (Laramie freshmen, 4 p.m.) and Oct. 6 (Kaycee JV, 1 p.m.). Road games are scheduled for Sept. 8 (Kaycee JV, 1 p.m.), Sept. 13 (Laramie freshmen, 5 p.m.) and Oct. 20 (Snake River JV, noon).

–patrick

Sundance, Upton may combine in 2012

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Pending formal approval by school boards, the football programs at Sundance and Upton will combine for the 2012 season and may also work together in 2013.

Under the tentative agreement reached this month by the schools, the football teams will combine for 2012 and could also combine for 2013, numerous sources said on Tuesday.

The plan is still pending formal approval from the Sundance school board, Sundance activities director Jim O’Connor said.

Upton football coach Andy Garland said the Upton school board approved the co-op.

Upton will be the “host” school for combination purposes. Other details of the agreement — including locations of practices and games, uniforms, coaching and homecoming arrangements — are still being worked out.

“From our perspective, because of our limited numbers and … the chances of us finishing a season were not very good, it’s been positive, and I think the kids at both schools are pretty positive about it,” O’Connor said.

Sundance coach Brian Mills said only about 13 players were set to come out for the Sundance squad this fall; Garland said he anticipated Upton on its own would have only had about 14.

Postseason eligibility

The Upton-Sundance combo squad could be ineligible for the Class 1A 11-man playoffs, Wyoming High School Activities Association Associate Commissioner Trevor Wilson said, depending on the final enrollment tallies for the two schools. Wilson said the classification of the school depends on the enrollment numbers provided by the schools to the Wyoming Department of Education. O’Connor said the schools may also be able to submit enrollments from the first day of school in the fall.

The final enrollment number will be a combination of average daily membership, or ADM, of the “host” school, Upton, and the male enrollment of Sundance.

Wilson said if the program’s combined enrollment figure is higher than that of the smallest Class 2A school, Big Horn at 138, then the program would be ineligible for postseason play in both 2012 and 2013.

For Sundance and Upton, it’ll be close.

“If our current number of boys all stay and we don’t add anybody, then we’re going to be (at) like 141” combined, O’Connor said. “… It’s going to be tight one way or the other.”

The possibility of missing a chance at the postseason is one of the reasons people in both communities have hesitated at combining, Garland said.

Other holdups

In addition to a possible postseason lockout, several other elements have prompted people in both communities to question the agreement.

For example, who will be the head coach? How will practices be organized? Where will home games be played? What uniforms will the teams wear? How will homecoming be worked out?

And, maybe most important, who will pay for practice and game travel, coach salaries or any other incidentals tied to the program?

“A lot of that needs to be worked out,” Garland said. “We’re not even sure what we’re going to do for uniforms yet. … It’ll be a busy summer.”

The agreement, of course, still rests on the approval of the school boards involved.

The case against six-man

The schools cannot move to six-man football at the midpoint of a reclassification cycle; with the WHSAA’s recent decision to extend the reclassification cycle for one year, the soonest either Sundance or Upton could drop to six-man would be 2014.

But both Mills and Garland said they don’t want to go that route.

“We won’t go six,” Mills said. ” … Our numbers in our lower grades are fine.”

Added Garland, “I’ve just been battling to stay 11-man as long as possible. We’ve battled numbers every year for the last three to four years.”

Garland also said the Upton community echoed a similar sentiment of wanting to stay in 11-man.

Both teams are in the Class 1A-11 man East Conference. The combination  agreement leave six active programs in the conference for 2012 — Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Normative Services, Lingle and the Upton-Sundance co-op.

Sundance fought its way through a triangular playoff coin flip to make the playoff bracket last year, finishing 4-7. Upton went 1-7 last season, with its only victory coming against Normative Services.

Last season, Tongue River, a Class 2A school, failed to field a team. About a dozen players from Tongue River suited up for Big Horn last fall.

–patrick