Chris Link will be the new football coach at Guernsey-Sunrise this fall.
Link is also the coach of Guernsey’s girls basketball team and has been an assistant on the Vikings’ football squad.
He takes over for Casey Moats, who coached the Vikings for the past two years and led the team to the 2009 Class 1A six-man championship.
The Vikings went 1-8 last season, losing in the first round of the six-man playoffs.
–patrick
Students honor, coaches remember Cody’s Travis Calkin (Casper Star-Tribune).
–patrick
Cody/Chadron State lineman Travis Calkin dies in car crash (chadrad.com).
–patrick
Shrine Bowl preview (Casper Star-Tribune).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have been lucky enough to watch some Shrine Bowl practices this week — two by each team. And while I think the North has the advantage this year, the South has impressed me with how it has approached the week.
The North offense strikes me as one that is steady and consistent, but I am not sure how explosive it will be. Meanwhile, the South offense has shown it can strike from anywhere at anytime, but I do worry about the South’s ability to consistently put together time-sustaining drives.
Defensively, the North squad will be strong against the run but will have to prove they can stop the South’s potent passing attack to win. The South defense, though, has to punch up its run-stopping efforts to keep the North from just handing off, gaining five yards a pop and piling up 50 points in the process.
Overall, the North has more depth and has shown more consistency on both sides of the ball, which is why I think the North wins. The South will need its playmakers to make big plays — and it will need to keep the North off-balance to keep the North’s consistent play inconsistent.
–patrick
From the Casper Star-Tribune: Stories on Wheatland’s Merit Bunker, Cody’s Andrew Blaylock, Evanston’s Lance Barker, Wright’s Holden Fauber and Cokeville’s McKay Tonga.
–patrick
For the first time since 1965, St. Stephens will sponsor a high school football team.
The Eagles will play a six-game six-man schedule mostly against junior varsity teams in 2011, St. Stephens AD William Benn said in an email.
WHSAA Associate Commissioner Trevor Wilson said the association has allowed St. Stephens to play a junior varsity schedule, but said he wants to make sure the Eagles can establish a program on a consistent basis before including the school at the varsity level.
Once that happens, Wilson said, “We would love to have them.”
The Eagles are not eligible for the postseason this fall.
St. Stephens’ schedule this year includes:
Aug. 27 at Hanna (Zero Week)
Sept. 10 Kaycee JV
Sept. 15 Dubois JV
Sept. 20 at Farson JV
Sept. 27 Farson JV
Oct. 13 at Kaycee JV
Benn said the school is trying to schedule more games.
St. Stephens fielded football teams from 1957 to 1965 and were highly successful, compiling a record of 41-24 over those nine seasons, including a state runner-up finish in 1961 and a mythical Class B state championship in 1962.
–patrick
Pinedale assistant coach Allen Johnson will take over as head coach for the Wranglers this fall.
Johnson, a math teacher at Pinedale and an assistant with the Wranglers last year, takes over for Michael Gregory. Gregory went 13-21 in four years as head coach, including Pinedale’s only trip to the playoffs since 2000 — a run to the Class 3A semifinals in 2008.
The Sublette Examiner reported the hiring Monday.
If you are aware of any other coaching changes in Wyoming, please comment below or email me directly at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.
–patrick
Marv Mirich will be Burns’ head football coach this fall.
Mirich was previously an assistant coach with the Broncs and has also coached basketball teams at Burns and Albin.
Mirich takes over for longtime coach Bill Fullmer, who retired from coaching this spring after leading Burns’ football team for the past 17 years.
Burns won four of its final five games of the regular season to qualify for the playoffs in 2010, but lost in the first round to Lovell. The Broncs won the Class 2A state championship in 2008.
An NAIA all-America wide receiver in 1990 at Black Hills State, Mirich was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2002.
This was the last known open head football coaching position in the state. If you know of any other coaching changes, comment below or email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.
–patrick
Former assistant coach Will Gray has been named the new head football coach at Pine Bluffs.
Gray was an assistant coach with the Hornets for four years, working with the backfield, and he called Pine Bluffs’ plays last season. A 2003 graduate of Glenrock High School, Gray played quarterback at Black Hills State.
Gray confirmed his hiring in an email Monday.
Few schemes will change with Gray leading the team, he said.
“If we can progress on the defensive side of the ball we should be able to find success,” he wrote.
The hiring was approved by the Pine Bluffs school board last month. Gray also teaches social studies at Pine Bluffs.
Gray replaces Dale Gilbert, who had led the Hornets for the past four years. Gilbert compiled a 13-20 record as head coach.
The Hornets have made the playoffs each of the past two years but lost to Cokeville in the first round both times.
Pine Bluffs is the third school in Laramie County that will have a new head coach next fall. Cheyenne South hired Terry Pugh last week, while Burns is looking to replace longtime coach Bill Fullmer, who announced his resignation last month.
KGWN-TV had previously reported the hiring.
–patrick
Greybull has named Josh Heinemeyer as its head football coach.
Heinemeyer, 29, a social studies teacher in Greybull, takes over for John Cundall, who resigned in March after leading Greybull for seven seasons. Heinemeyer was named head coach on Tuesday.
Heinemeyer was previously an assistant wrestling coach in Greybull. He also was the offensive coordinator at Beach (N.D.) High School before coming to Greybull three years ago.
In a phone interview Thursday, Heinemeyer said he would try to mold Greybull’s offense to fit the personnel, but also said he would like to try to open up the Buffs’ offense to include more passing sets.
“We are just going to do our best to install a pretty new system in a short amount of time,” he said.
Greybull is a combined 17-5 in the past two seasons, reaching the Class 2A semifinals each of the past two years. Heinemeyer said he wanted to “try to keep the ball rolling” and continue the Buffaloes’ success of the past couple years.
Heinemeyer played at the college level at two small colleges in Wisconsin — Lakeland College and Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The only other position known to be open in Wyoming is the position in Burns. If you know of any other openings or changes in the Wyoming high school football coaching ranks, you can post a comment here or email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.
–patrick