2022 title recap: Thrillers abound in a busy weekend

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Three of Wyoming’s five state football championship games in 2022 were one-possession games, providing enough thrills for a weekend that all too often has been lacking them.

The Class 3A, 2A and 1A nine-man championship games were decided by seven, one and six points, respectively, and the 2A and 1A nine-man games were decided by scores in the final minute of their games.

Meanwhile, the 4A game was close until Sheridan pulled away late… and the 1A six-man game was great if you appreciate the dominance of an excellent team.

Here’s a brief recap of 2022’s final games.

Class 4A

The first half was even; the second half was all Sheridan. In winning their 29th state championship, the most of any program in Wyoming, the Broncs overcame a 14-10 deficit and went on a 24-3 run after the break, the impetus of a 34-23 victory. The run was capped by Colson Coon’s 30-yard pick-six, which extended Sheridan’s lead to three possessions (34-17) with less than six minutes remaining.

Coon finished with four touchdowns, four extra points and two field goals; he scored all 34 of Sheridan’s points.

Class 3A

Derek Astle’s 17-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter provided the winning margin in Star Valley’s 14-7 victory against Cody, a game that gave Star Valley its 13th state championship and its fifth since 2015.

Cody’s 26-game winning streak came to an end, and the Braves thwarted the Broncs’ three-peat attempt. The Broncs had three turnovers, including two on muffed punts. The Braves’ defense, meanwhile, held Cody to just seven points, significantly less than Cody’s average entering the championship game of 52.4 points per game.

The Broncs played without quarterback/defensive back Luke Talich, who broke his collarbone in last week’s semifinals.

Class 2A

Big Horn only led the Class 2A championship game for 11 seconds, but they were the right 11 seconds. The Rams got a 61-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Garber to Dawson Richards for their first score of the game with 11 seconds remaining — capping a 98-yard drive in less than two minutes, with no time-outs.

Then the Rams went for the victory, and how. With a reverse pass from Avon Barney to Garber, who started the play by taking the snap, then sneaking out to the short left corner of the end zone, the Rams scored and took an 8-7 lead. That score that ended up being the final margin.

Class 1A nine-man

Dalton Schaefer’s 13-yard touchdown with 53 seconds remaining was the difference as Pine Bluffs beat Shoshoni 33-27 to win the 1A nine-man title.

In a back-and-forth game, the late score broke a 27-all tie and sealed Pine Bluffs’ third championship in program history. The Hornets finished the season 11-0. Shoshoni, meanwhile, finished 9-2, with both losses to Pine Bluffs; the Wranglers lost in Week 1 in a game that finished with an almost identical final score (34-26) to the title game.

Schaefer also scored on the first offensive play of the game on a 61-yard touchdown run to give Pine Bluffs the early lead, but Shoshoni took a 20-13 lead heading into halftime.

Class 1A six-man

Saturday’s first game was competitive for about a quarter. After that, it was all Snake River. The Rattlers won their second consecutive championship and 21st game in a row after blowing out Burlington 55-8.

Burlington scored first and led 8-0, but Snake River ran off the game’s final 55 points, sneaking into a running clock late in the fourth quarter.

The Rattlers won their fifth state title in program history and their third in four years.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 2-3 (40 percent). This season: 270-44 (86 percent). 18-year overall mark: 4,355-1,043 (81 percent).

Full site updates for all the pages will begin Sunday and end… who knows? Whenever I get it done.

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That’s it. The 2022 season is done. Seniors — thank you. You’ll never forget it. Underclassmen — only 267 (4A) or 274 days until the first practice of 2023.

If you’ve got some thoughts on 2022, 2023, 1938 or really anything in between, leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Championship game picks: No surprises in who’s in Laramie this season

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The lack of surprises in the first two rounds, and the lack of surprises as to who’s playing in War Memorial Stadium this weekend, has been one of the big takeaways of the 2022 season.

Look at the teams playing in this week’s title games. Every one except Burlington entered the playoffs ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in their respective classifications in the final WyoPreps Coaches and Media Football Poll of the season — and Burlington was ranked third. Of Wyoming’s nine regular-season conference champions, eight are playing this weekend.

Five of the 10 teams playing this week were also in the title games last year; four (Sheridan, Cody, Shoshoni and Snake River) are the defending state champs in their respective classifications.

Everyone here deserves to be here. Nothing flukey or weird or surprising brought any of these teams to the precipice of a championship. They all showed exactly what’s possible when talent and timing combine to get the best out of a team.

We’ll see how that continues into Wyoming’s two-day football fest in Laramie. Here’s a glance at some of the key things to look for in this weekend’s championships, and some picks to consider:

Class 4A, 4 p.m. Saturday
Cheyenne East (2, 10-1) vs. Sheridan (1, 11-0)
Series record: Sheridan leads 31-15.
Last meeting: Sheridan beat Cheyenne East 42-39 on Sept. 30 in Sheridan.
Last playoff meeting: Cheyenne East beat Sheridan 31-21 on Nov. 6, 2020, in a Class 4A semifinal game in Cheyenne.
State championships: Cheyenne East five, most recently in 2020. … Sheridan 28, most recently in 2021.
Previous title game record: Cheyenne East, 5-3. … Sheridan, 18-7.
The path to the title game: Cheyenne East took care of Rock Springs 49-24 in the quarterfinals and held off a Natrona rally to win 55-36 in the semifinals. … Sheridan thumped Laramie 52-27 in the quarterfinals and outscored Cheyenne Central 63-42 in the semifinals.
The case for the Thunderbirds: Even though Sheridan is the undefeated team, a compelling argument exists that East has been the most dominant 4A team this year. In East’s 10 victories, none has been closer than 10 points. Their diverse offense moves the ball and scores points in bunches; if the T-Birds can hit their average and score 48 points in the title game, they’ll finish with 11-man’s all-time top-scoring offense in state history. Their only slip, that three-point loss in Sheridan, will be neutralized a bit by both revenge and the lack of home-field advantage that comes with playing at The War.
The case for the Broncs: Sheridan has been a charmed team all season; not too many teams that rank fourth in total offense and fifth in total defense go through a season undefeated. But Sheridan knows how to win. In one-possession games, the Broncs are 4-0, winning twice by three points, once by six and once by seven. Ultimately, that’s what separates Sheridan from other teams — they always play their best when their best is required. Oh, and they have a senior running back in Colson Coon who’s coming off a 519-yard rushing effort in the semifinals. Yes, you read that right.
The pick: It’s been a few years since we’ve had a 4A championship game come right down to the wire and the final possession. This could be the game that breaks that streak. Both teams are talented, experienced, savvy, motivated, well-coached, prepared… and you can’t ask for anything more than that. If it’s anything like the first game between these two, it’ll be worth the ticket price. Cheyenne East 44, Sheridan 41.

Class 3A, 3 p.m. Friday
Star Valley (2W, 9-2) vs. Cody (1W, 10-0)
Series record: Star Valley leads 25-13.
Last meeting: Cody beat Star Valley 35-25 on Oct. 7 in Afton.
Last playoff meeting: Cody beat Star Valley 24-17 on Nov. 5, 2021, in a Class 3A semifinal game in Sheridan.
State championships: Star Valley 12, most recently in 2019. … Cody seven, most recently in 2021.
Previous title game record: Star Valley, 11-10 … Cody, 7-5.
The path to the title game: Star Valley eased past Lander 41-7 in the quarterfinals before taking out Douglas on the road 48-27 in the semifinals. … Cody blasted Worland 63-14 in the quarterfinals and crushed Buffalo 42-7 in the semifinals.
The case for the Braves: If any 3A can stand up to Cody, it’s Star Valley. The Braves gave the Broncs a tussle a month ago before losing by 10, a moral victory if you believe those kinds of things exist. The offensive area the Braves excel at — passing, where they lead 3A — hits a Cody weak spot, as the Broncs rank 10th out of the 12 3A teams in pass defense (likely because all Cody’s opponents pass more because they get behind so quick, but still…). Aside from losses to Cody and to Sugar-Salem, Idaho, which is the top seed in Idaho’s 3A playoffs, the Braves have been dominant in every other game this season. They’ll be ready.
The case for the Broncs: Regardless of what happens Friday, this Cody team will go down as one of the best 3A teams ever. The Broncs are loaded with individual talent, to be sure, but what separates Cody from other talented teams is how they use that talent within a system that gets contributions from everybody on the roster. It sends opponents on an endless game of whack-a-mole; stop one guy, another burns you. Not many teams have 18 guys who have scored a touchdown, but Cody does. And teams with the top-ranked offense and the top-ranked defense in a classification tend to do well.
The pick: It’s hard to talk about this title game without a bit of speculation. Cody’s extraordinary two-way player Luke Talich was injured in the semifinals against Buffalo, and his status is uncertain for the title game. While Talich’s presence, or absence, changes things, it’s the idea that Cody could continue to thrive even without him that tilts the balance of this game. … Cody 30, Star Valley 21.

Class 2A, noon Friday
Lovell (1W, 10-0) vs. Big Horn (1E, 9-1)
Series record: Big Horn leads 5-4.
Last meeting: Lovell beat Big Horn 14-7 on Sept. 2 in Big Horn.
Last playoff meeting: Big Horn beat Lovell 23-12 on Oct. 31, 2014, in a Class 2A quarterfinal game in Big Horn.
State championships: Lovell two, most recently in 2011. … Big Horn seven, most recently in 2019.
Previous title game record: Lovell, 2-6. … Big Horn, 7-10.
The path to the title game: Lovell moved past Newcastle 47-14 in the quarterfinals and outplayed Cokeville to win 28-7 in the semifinals. … Big Horn won a pair of thrillers, rallying to beat Mountain View 28-26 in the quarterfinals and holding tough defensively to beat Lyman 7-0 in the semifinals.
The case for the Bulldogs: The last remaining undefeated team in Class 2A handed Big Horn its only loss of the season, a 14-7 thriller that necessitated a late goal-line stand from Lovell to win. The consistency afforded by having 2A’s No. 2 offense and No. 3 defense has led the Bulldogs to steady improvement throughout the season. Since Ws the first three weeks against Big Horn, Cokeville and Lyman, the Bulldogs have barely been challenged from any opponent. Throw on the fact that the Bulldogs have had the Laramie experience, losing 8-6 in last year’s 2A title game to Lyman, and Lovell won’t be caught wide-eyed at The War.
The case for the Rams: What a rebound season the Rams have had. After a scruddy-looking 3-6 season last year, Big Horn was back with a vengeance in 2022. They’ve run off nine consecutive victories to make it to Laramie, including three close games in the past month — 14-0 over rival Tongue River for the East championship and the two aforementioned playoff games. With 2A’s top offense, the Rams should feel confident that they can put up the yards and points necessary to hang with anyone. Combine those two things — mental momentum and physical prowess — and it’s easy to see why the Rams are absolutely a threat to win it all.
The pick: How in the world can someone say this game will be closer than the last time these two met? They actually finished within 8 yards of each other in total offense in that first matchup (Big Horn 222 yards, Lovell 214). Yet somehow I think this one will be. Much like last year’s 2A title game, this year’s game may come down to hits their conversions. … Lovell 21, Big Horn 20.

Class 1A nine-man, 1 p.m. Saturday
Shoshoni (1W, 9-1) vs. Pine Bluffs (1E, 10-0)
Series record: Pine Bluffs leads 5-3.
Last meeting: Pine Bluffs beat Shoshoni 34-26 on Sept. 1 in Shoshoni.
Last playoff meeting: Shoshoni beat Pine Bluffs 48-6 on Oct. 30, 2020, in a Class 1A nine-man quarterfinal game in Shoshoni.
State championships: Shoshoni three, most recently in 2021. … Pine Bluffs two, most recently in 2017.
Previous title game record: Shoshoni, 3-0. … Pine Bluffs, 2-3.
The path to the title game: Shoshoni whitewashed Lusk 53-12 in the quarterfinals and had little trouble with county rival Wind River 40-6 in the semifinals. … Pine Bluffs stopped Big Piney 45-16 in the quarterfinals and outscored Rocky Mountain 35-32 in the semifinals.
The case for the Wranglers: The defending 1A nine-man champions have been here before, obviously. The difference between last year and this year is that this year, they actually have to meet the Hornets in the playoffs. But Shoshoni should draw strength and confidence from experience and last year’s success in Laramie. Although nine-man’s No. 2 offense and No. 4 defense by yardage, the Wranglers are better than the stats show. A senior-laden team responded to the challenge of a loaded West Conference schedule, and the only setback — 34-26 to Pine Bluffs in Week 1 — will provide all of the motivation necessary.
The case for the Hornets: The big question entering the playoffs was if Pine Bluffs’ regular season had toughened up the Hornets enough for a deep playoff push. After last week, we can now say it was. After cruising through the regular season barely bothered, the past two weeks — particularly last week’s 35-32 nail-biting victory against Rocky Mountain — have shown Pine Bluffs hasn’t gotten soft against a soft schedule. Oh, and the numbers stack up well: Pine Bluffs outgained its opponents this year by more than 300 yards per game. Let that number sink in.
The pick: The title game we didn’t get last year is on the docket this year, and fortunately both teams appear to be at their best. The Week 1 game provided a good indication of how this one will go. Neither team will shy away from the challenge presented by the other. A big play, either in the first quarter to gain a mental edge or in the fourth quarter to break open a stalemate, might be what decides this one. … Pine Bluffs 32, Shoshoni 28.

Class 1A six-man, 10 a.m. Saturday
Snake River (1S, 10-0) vs. Burlington (1N, 9-1)
Series record: Snake River leads 5-1.
Last meeting: Snake River beat Burlington 68-16 on Sept. 17, 2021, in Burlington.
Last playoff meeting: First meeting.
State championships: Snake River four, most recently in 2021. … Burlington two, most recently in 1994.
Previous title game record: Snake River, 4-1. … Burlington, 2-2.
The path to the title game: Snake River made it look easy, wiping out Hulett 65-6 in the quarterfinals and doing the same to Encampment 71-8 in the semifinals. … Burlington beat up on Farson 56-6 in the quarterfinals and jumped all over Dubois 77-28 in the semifinals.
The case for the Rattlers: After steamrolling their way to an undefeated championship last season, and then returning a bunch of key players from that team, sometimes it’s seemed like all Snake River had to do this year was roll out the football, put on their jerseys and go. It hasn’t been that easy, certainly, but in rolling up 10 victories Snake River has only had one game decided by less than 33 points. Seven victories have come by 45 or more. The Rattlers particularly stand out on defense, where they have given up just 93 points and lead six-man in fewest yards allowed, giving up just 3.9 yards per play (an unheard-of low number in six-man).
The case for the Huskies: After finishing 1-6 last season, Burlington figured to be a much-improved team in 2022. With most of their players coming back, how could they not? Well, the Huskies have been that and more this year, rampaging through the North Conference and avenging their only loss of the season (to Dubois) emphatically last week. They lead six-man in passing and 14 different players have receiving touchdowns this year. And their defense bends but doesn’t break; they give up yards but not points, a good thing when the name of the game is to score more points than the opposition.
The pick: Burlington’s turnaround season has been amazing to watch. The Huskies are absolutely deserving of all the accolades they have received, and will. In any other year, a championship would be Burlington’s destiny. This year, though? Burlington has the misfortune of running up against one of the best six-man teams we’ve seen. Snake River is a talented, experienced group that knows exactly what it needs to do in games like this. … Snake River 54, Burlington 36.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 8-2 (80 percent). This season: 268-41 (87 percent).

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We’ve reached the last week of the 2022 season. Give us a hot take: What do you know now that you didn’t in August? Drop some insight on us. Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Semifinal playoff picks: So much for Cinderella

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So, here’s the scenario: 44 of Wyoming’s 64 high school football teams have completed their seasons.

Of the 20 remaining, maybe you’re looking for an underdog, a team that maybe hasn’t made it this far in a while, a Cinderella story full of unexpected twists and turns.

This season? Keep looking.

Of the 20 remaining teams, 15 were semifinalists last year; the entire 1A nine-man bracket is a repeat of last year’s matchups, even down to the locations. Every team that’s still alive has reached the semifinals at least once in the past four years; Burlington, at three years removed, is the only team that hasn’t made the semis at least once the past three years.

Meanwhile, Sheridan is in the semifinals for the 15th consecutive season, Cody and Cheyenne East for their sixth consecutive seasons.

And all of last year’s state champs — Sheridan, Cody, Lyman, Shoshoni, Snake River — are still alive. Four of them are playing at home this week.

So this week’s action is punctuated by teams that have been here before, that know the pressure of being this close and have histories of success.

That will make the games close, thrilling, interesting. And it will keep the glass slipper in the closet for another year.

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Of the remaining teams, Wind River is the closest thing we might have to a Cinderella story — the Cougars haven’t made a state championship game, or won a championship, in 24 years.

Cheyenne Central hasn’t been to a title game in 12 seasons and hasn’t won one in 16.

Douglas and Dubois, meanwhile, are sitting on seven-year streaks of not making it to the title game.

It’s Burlington, though, that has the longest title drought. The Huskies made a title game four years ago but haven’t won a title in 27 years.

However, all of them have had success in the playoffs in recent years and aren’t strangers to the semifinals.

Just like everyone else this year.

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On to this week’s picks, which are significantly tougher choices than the quarterfinals because not a single game on the schedule this week looks like a sure thing. Every team that’s still alive has earned its spot; no Cinderellas means no fake contenders. Projected winners in bold, but this is honestly one of the most solid rounds of semifinal football across every classification we’ve seen in a long time.

Class 4A
(4) Cheyenne Central at (1) Sheridan: Central has put together a solid season, right at or maybe slightly above expectations for 2022. But it will take a game of a season to knock off the undefeated Broncs at home, who make a living off winning playoff games at Homer Scott Field.
(3) Natrona at (2) Cheyenne East: I love this matchup for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the contrasting styles the teams have. I like East’s ability to strike for a score from basically any place on the field, and at any time, and I think a couple lightning strikes from the Thunderbirds are the difference in this one.
Class 3A
(2W) Star Valley at (1E) Douglas: Ultimately, both teams won their quarterfinal games. But the Braves were quite a bit more on their game in the first round than the Bearcats. That said, Douglas was everything it needed to be when it had to be, and if that momentum carries over into this week, this one could be an exciting one late.
(2E) Buffalo at (1W) Cody: Buffalo was one of just a handful of teams to give Cody a game that actually lasted four quarters this season. So the Broncs should be ready for a bigger challenge than what they’ve seen in a while. Cody’s still got the edge, but it’s hardly a walkover.
Class 2A
(2W) Lyman at (1E) Big Horn: The Rams got pushed to the edge last week by Mountain View; the Eagles had the same happen to them by Burns. I honestly believe this game is a toss-up, as last week’s results totally offset each other and gave me no indication which way this one will lean. This could be the best game of the week.
(3W) Cokeville at (1W) Lovell: Cokeville’s quarterfinal victory against Tongue River was impressive, and the Panthers’ 372-mile one-way trip to Lovell is actually quite a bit shorter than the bus ride they had in the first round. Still, Lovell is undefeated for a reason, and the Bulldogs will be the favorites to make it back to Laramie.
Class 1A nine-man
(2W) Rocky Mountain at (1E) Pine Bluffs: Well, well, well. Don’t think for a second that the Hornets will overlook the Grizzlies, who in 2021 were Pine’s title spoilers (in the semifinals, in Pine Bluffs). To be honest, no 1A-9 team has looked as unbeatable the past two weeks as Rocky, so Pine has to be focused to get this one.
(3W) Wind River at (1W) Shoshoni: A nice intra-county rivalry is on display for the second consecutive year in the semifinals, and for the second consecutive year the Wranglers host. Both teams looked good in the quarterfinals, and expect this one to be closer than last year’s playoff meeting. If Shoshoni’s focused…
Class 1A six-man
(2S) Dubois at (1N) Burlington: The Week 8 game between these two teams — Burlington’s first loss of the season by 60-52 — was either a perfect preview of what we’re about to see this week, or it’s an anomaly because both teams were holding back, knowing they’d likely see each other in the semis. My guess is a bit of both, which means neither has an advantage.
(3S) Encampment at (1S) Snake River: The Rattlers haven’t lost since 2020, and this rematch of last year’s state championship doesn’t look like the type of game to end that streak, especially the way Snake dominated the first matchup.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Semifinals” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 19-1 (95 percent). This season: 260-39 (87 percent).

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Do you read this? A simple yes or no will suffice. Let me know you’re sentient. Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

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–patrick

Quarterfinal playoff picks: A bit of familiarity, or foreignness, depending on what classification you’re in

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One of the most bizarre coincidences about the opening round of the Wyoming high school football playoffs in 2022 is how neatly divided the rematches and the new games are.

Two classifications will have games that we’ve seen recently.

Two classifications won’t.

And 3A is split right down the middle.

In both 4A and six-man, the games are rematches of regular-season matchups — mandatory in 4A due to its round-robin schedule, but more surprising in six-man where that’s not the case. Meanwhile, none of the games in the 2A or 1A nine-man brackets are rematches of earlier 2022 games.

In 3A, both the Powell-Douglas and Worland-Cody games are rematches of regular-season games. The other two games — Star Valley-Lander and Jackson-Buffalo — are not. Yet all four are rematches of first-round playoff games from a year ago. In the case of the last two, the games are being played at the opposite stadium from last year’s quarterfinals.

The regular-season repetition is more eerie in six-man, though.

Every game in six-man is a repeat of a Week 5 game. And three of the four games are in the same location as those Week 5 games; only Hulett-Snake River, which was played on a neutral field in Midwest in Week 5 but will be in Baggs this week, is in a different spot from the other games.

In the land of foreignness, Burns and Lyman are meeting for the first time ever in each other’s program histories, as are Big Piney and Pine Bluffs. Those games are always cool to keep an eye on, as they open a new chapter of a new series for all four teams.

Everyone who is a host this week has been a host for at least one playoff game since 2019 except Tongue River, which is hosting its first playoff game since 2016, and Dubois, which is hosting a playoff game for the first time since 2014.

Natrona is in the playoffs for the 31st consecutive year, Cokeville the 30th, Big Horn the 24th, Douglas the 21st. Meanwhile, Tongue River breaks the longest active drought, reaching the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

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Quarterfinal games usually end up in one of three categories: (1) ugh, (2) maaay-beeee, and (3) heck yes. Short list of heck-yes games: Cokeville-Tongue River, Lingle-Rocky Mountain, Wind River-Southeast. Those three games will be worth the admission price. The other 17 maaay-beeee, too, but in different ways.

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On to the picks, where bold means what you think it does:

Friday
Class 4A
(8) Laramie at (1) Sheridan
(5) Thunder Basin at (4) Cheyenne Central
(7) Rock Springs at (2) Cheyenne East
(6) Campbell County at (3) Natrona
Class 3A
(4W) Powell at (1E) Douglas
(3E) Lander at (2W) Star Valley
(4E) Worland at (1W) Cody
(3W) Jackson at (2E) Buffalo
Class 2A
(4W) Mountain View at (1E) Big Horn
(3E) Burns at (2W) Lyman
(4E) Newcastle at (1W) Lovell
(3W) Cokeville at (2E) Tongue River
Class 1A nine-man
(4W) Big Piney at (1E) Pine Bluffs
(3E) Lingle at (2W) Rocky Mountain
(4E) Lusk at (1W) Shoshoni
(3W) Wind River at (2E) Southeast
Class 1A six-man
(4S) Farson at (1N) Burlington
(3N) Meeteetse at (2S) Dubois
(4N) Hulett at (1S) Snake River
(3S) Encampment at (2N) Kaycee

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Quarterfinals” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 30-4 (88 percent). This season: 241-38 (86 percent).

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What road team seems the most likely to come away with a first-round victory and buck the home-field advantage trends we typically see in the playoffs? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

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–patrick

Week 8 picks: A sling and a stone… and the 2A playoffs

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Class 2A football this week will be full of matchups of Biblical proportions.

Well, maybe not Biblical. But the parallels to at least one story are hard to ignore.

In both the 2A East and 2A West conferences, one game will decide the last playoff entrant from that conference. Coincidentally, both games match up teams with boatloads of recent success against teams that have all too often just been fodder for that success — two scenarios of David meeting Goliath in real time.

In the West, it’s simple. Kemmerer and Mountain View will meet with the fourth seed from the conference at state. The winner heads to Big Horn in the first round of the playoffs; the loser stays home.

The past decade for these two programs could not be any different. In the past nine years, Kemmerer has made the playoffs once. Mountain View has made it eight times, and won three state championships.

But Goliath was struck down by David last season when Kemmerer beat Mountain View 21-20 in Lincoln County, the Rangers’ first victory over the Buffalos since 2011.

In the East, Torrington and Newcastle encounter a similar scenario. Win, they’re in — Newcastle as the No. 4 seed, Torrington as either No. 3 or 4 depending on how the rest of the week’s games play out. Lose, they’re out.

And again, one team has a decided recent advantage, one that goes beyond this decade.

Newcastle’s last victory against Torrington came in 2006 — the only time in their 18 games since 1984 that the Dogies came out on top against the Trailblazers. Read that again, slowly.

Torrington is the big man on campus in the East, or more specifically the big campus on campus, moving from 3A to 2A a couple years ago. Still, Torrington has reached the championship game in whatever classification it’s been in three of the past five years. Newcastle, meanwhile, has as many state championship game appearances as programs like St. Stephens and Encampment — one — and zero state titles.

In the West, Goliath (Mountain View) gets the home field. In the East, it’s David (Newcastle).

In both cases, the question of which program will find success and a playoff berth, the one with recent success or the one trying to establish its own legacy, is the kind of stuff that keeps me coming back to this week after week. If a moment like this can’t get you fired up for high school sports, nothing will.

And in 2A this week, we get it twice.

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In all, 19 games have an effect on playoff seeding this week. Here are a handful that are really driving my attention in Week 8, playoff affecting or not:

Riverton and Worland are in the same situation as those 2A teams mentioned above — win and they’re in, lose and they’re out. The only problem with winning this week is the winner has to go to Cody in the first round of the playoffs. Next time your English teacher asks you to define a Pyrrhic victory, just show them this scenario right here. …

Similarly, Riverside and Big Piney are locked in to a winner in/loser out marriage, although Big Piney’s potential seedings are more variable than Riverside’s are. Also in the 1A nine-man West is a hugely important game between Rocky Mountain and Wind River, two teams with big hopes but imperfect conference records. And all of it will be sorted out by Thursday night, thanks to some earlier-in-the-week scheduling. …

Another matchup that pits two teams striving for home-field rights in the first round is the one between Lyman and Cokeville. And it’s a big one, because the loser has to spend about eight years on a bus to get to Dayton and play Tongue River in the first round of the playoffs. With gas prices as high as they are, look for a more spirited game than usual. …

Three teams are fighting for the final two home playoff spots in Class 4A, with Thunder Basin’s visit to Natrona the lynchpin of all the scenarios. Both teams have looked solid this season, so I’m curious to see how this plays out. …

Outside of six-man, the only first-round pairing that is absolutely set is the 4A game between locked-in 7 seed Rock Springs and locked-in 2 seed Cheyenne East. Rock Springs gets practice traveling to the Capital City this week by playing at Central; East gets practice hosting this week by welcoming Kelly Walsh. What an odd quirk. …

The best game on the schedule just might be the one in six-man between 6-1 Dubois and 7-0 Burlington. With both teams on the same side of the six-man bracket — and both knowing they’ll likely have to go through the other to reach Laramie — don’t look for too much crazy stuff this weekend. Both teams are likely saving that for two weeks from now. …

I don’t know what it is (masochism? pity? empathy? familiarity?), but I kind of like it when two winless teams meet in Week 8. We know at least one will end the season with a victory. That’s happening twice this week, with Moorcroft hosting Guernsey and Ten Sleep traveling to Hanna.

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For the last time this regular season, here are some choices. Some were tough. Some were not. All were interesting. Bold means projected winner, as per usual ’round these here parts.

Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Riverside at Big Piney
Rocky Mountain at Wind River
Interclass
Natrona JV at Shoshoni
Rock Springs JV at Snake River
Friday
Class 4A
Campbell County at Sheridan
Cheyenne South at Laramie
Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne East
Rock Springs at Cheyenne Central
Thunder Basin at Natrona
Class 3A
Buffalo at Rawlins
Cody at Powell
Green River at Evanston
Lander at Douglas
Riverton at Worland
Star Valley at Jackson
Class 2A
Big Horn at Burns
Glenrock at Upton-Sundance
Kemmerer at Mountain View
Lovell at Thermopolis
Lyman at Cokeville
Torrington at Newcastle
Wheatland at Tongue River
Class 1A nine-man
Guernsey at Moorcroft
Lusk at Wright
Saratoga at Lingle
Southeast at Pine Bluffs
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Burlington
Interclass
Casper Christian at Hulett
Cody JV at Meeteetse
Interstate
Pinedale at Rich County, Utah
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Kaycee at Farson
Midwest at Encampment
Ten Sleep at Hanna
Interclass
Wyoming Indian at Shoshoni JV
Open: Greybull.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 8” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 31-1 (97 percent). This season: 211-34 (86 percent).

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Who’s your favorite underdog ready to pull a surprise in the final week of the regular season? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Week 7 picks: High stakes in a Sheridan County rivalry, 45 years in the making

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When Tongue River and Big Horn met on the field on Sept. 2, 1977, in Big Horn, neither team may have realized the game they were about to play would decide the Powder River Conference championship.

As it turns out, it did — Tongue River beat Big Horn 21-0, the first of six consecutive conference victories as the Eagles finished their conference schedule unbeaten. Big Horn went on a similar run, winning its five final conference games to go 5-1, one game short of a playoff berth that Tongue River eventually used to reach the Class B championship game.

That 1977 season was the last time the Eagles and Rams finished next to each other, first and second, in conference play, meaning that early September game in 1977 was the last time the two teams played each other with a conference title on the line.

Well, until 2022. Until this week.

The game the longtime Sheridan County rivals will play on Friday will ultimately decide the top seed in this year’s Class 2A East race. Whoever wins will be the top seed, no matter what happens in Week 8, as every other team in the conference has at least two league losses.

Tongue River and Big Horn haven’t had the problems other conference opponents have had this season.

The Eagles come in unbeaten, starting 7-0 for the first time since 2006, when Tongue River finished the regular season unbeaten. Last week’s 13-7 victory against Burns was the first time this season Tongue River won by a one-possession margin of victory.

Meanwhile, Big Horn is 5-1, but the only loss in that stretch came courtesy of top-ranked Lovell in a 14-7 thriller. Since then, the Rams have rolled through 2A East foes with margins of victory of 34, 49, 35, 35 and 33.

For the first time in 45 years, the rivals meet with a championship on the line.

At least this time, they know what’s at stake.

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Other games I’m sneaking a peek at this week:

Shoshoni and Wind River have a history that’s similar to Big Horn and Tongue River, which I wrote about last season. For the second year in a row, it looks like the Fremont County rivals will play a game that decides the conference champion. With as tough as the top of the 1A nine-man West has been this year, I can only imagine the hype that’s going to play out Thursday night in Pavillion. …

In August 2021, I made a bold, albeit private, proclamation in conversation with some other Wyoming media types. I said the team that might have the best chance of going undefeated in 2022 was Natrona. Although the Mustangs haven’t met that lofty expectation, losing to East in the second game of the season, Natrona still enters its game this week against undefeated Sheridan on a roll of its own, a 6-1 record buoyed by its current five-game winning streak. This is Sheridan’s only road game of the year against a team with a winning record, so the Broncs might be tested in ways they haven’t been all season. Should be interesting. …

The middle of the 2A East was always going to be messy. It’ll get even messier if Upton-Sundance can go on the road and beat Torrington, keeping the Patriots’ playoff hopes alive after an 0-4 start to conference play. …

Lingle’s loss to Southeast last week took a bit of a shine of this week’s game between the Doggers and Pine Bluffs. The Hornets have been a rampaging beast of a team all season, but I’m more curious to see how Lingle responds to some adversity after a fast start to its season. …

The 3A slate is underwhelming at first glance, but two games — Jackson visiting Powell and Worland stopping by Lander — have huge playoff implications for the West and East conferences, respectively. I can’t get a read on any of these four teams, but maybe Week 7, and the results of these two games, will help with that? …

News came to me this week that St. Stephens has canceled the rest of its season. Rocky Mountain picked up a game with Natrona’s JV on Thursday in Buffalo, while Greybull will keep its Week 8 slate open. Here’s hoping that whatever is happening with the Eagles gets resolved in time for next season.

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Picking potential winners never gets old, just like upsets never get old. Bold means I think that team will win.

Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Shoshoni at Wind River
Interclass
Rocky Mountain vs. Natrona sophs (at Buffalo)
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Campbell County
Cheyenne East at Cheyenne South
Laramie at Rock Springs
Sheridan at Natrona
Thunder Basin at Kelly Walsh
Class 3A
Evanston at Cody
Green River at Star Valley
Jackson at Powell
Rawlins at Douglas
Riverton at Buffalo
Worland at Lander
Class 2A
Burns at Wheatland
Cokeville at Thermopolis
Lovell at Kemmerer
Mountain View at Pinedale
Newcastle at Glenrock
Tongue River at Big Horn
Upton-Sundance at Torrington
Class 1A nine-man
Big Piney at Wyoming Indian
Greybull at Riverside
Guernsey at Lusk
Moorcroft at Wright
Pine Bluffs at Lingle
Southeast at Saratoga
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Hanna
Midwest at Meeteetse
Interstate
Lyman at Rich County, Utah
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Ten Sleep
Farson at Snake River
Hulett at Kaycee
Open: Encampment.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 7” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 29-4 (88 percent). This season: 180-33 (85 percent).

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What rivalries do you see getting better and better, or with stakes getting higher and higher, this season? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Week 6 picks: Cody’s steamroller meets its biggest challenge so far

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Of the 64 Wyoming high school football teams, arguably none had more hype, or more pressure, entering 2022 than the Cody Broncs.

It made sense. The Broncs went 11-0 last year, the first unbeaten, untied season for Cody since 1932, and won the Class 3A state championship for the second consecutive year. On top of that, Cody returned six all-state players. The rest of 3A had four, combined.

As the 11 other 3A teams were trying to find their way on trails that didn’t yet exist, it appeared the Broncs had not only mapped out their way but had built an interstate to get where they were headed.

And to build an interstate, you need a steamroller.

The Broncs have been that, winning games by 49, 60, 22, 47 and 63 points. Several people have commented on the wyoming-football.com Twitter and Facebook that Cody could be the best team in the state regardless of classification. With 21 victories in a row, the longest active winning streak in the state, the Broncs are right to think about their place in history as potentially one of the best 3A teams ever.

But don’t put that convoy on that interstate just yet.

This week, Cody may have its toughest test of all in Star Valley.

Together, the Broncs and Braves have combined to win the past eight Class 3A titles. This year, Cody and Star Valley have thus far proven to be the two best teams in Class 3A, entering ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. They meet Friday in Afton to renew acquaintances, and while Cody is the favorite, if there’s a place that the Broncs could slip, it’s potentially here.

Remember the last time Cody lost? Afton, 2020. The Braves won 21-14. Cody won the bigger prize, though, as the Broncs went on to win the 3A championship. The seven-point slip in Afton two years ago is Cody’s only loss in its past 27 games.

Star Valley’s only loss so far this season was to Idaho powerhouse Sugar-Salem. At 5-1, with every victory by double-digit margins, the Braves have shown they are capable of challenging even the best teams — even one with heavy equipment on its side.

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Every game is unique, but some games this week draw more of my attention span than others. Some of those include:

The Cheyenne rivalry between Central and East will be intensified this week because both teams want to stay in the chase for some home playoff games. East suffered its first loss last week in a 42-39 shootout in Sheridan, so the Thunderbirds’ response to some adversity will be key to seeing if they can hand 4-2 Central a loss. …

The record doesn’t really show it yet, but the one team that keeps improving each game is 1-4 Glenrock. The Herders may just sneak up on Torrington this week if the Trailblazers get lulled into complacency by Glenrock’s record and not Glenrock’s potential. …

If Big Piney wants to keep any hope of a home-field playoff game alive while in the uber-competitive top half of the Class 1A nine-man West, the Punchers have to beat Shoshoni at home on Thursday — no other way around it but through the defending champs. …

In a fast-moving 1A six-man schedule, the winner of Kaycee vs. Burlington on Saturday will be the North Conference champion. Similarly, Snake River can win the South Conference if it can defeat Carbon County rival Encampment in a rematch of last year’s state championship game, but the Tigers can create a huge three-team logjam up top with an upset against the Rattlers. Remember, with no conference games scheduled for Week 8 in six-man, we’ll know that classification’s playoff pairings by the end of next week.

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Choices. I make them with bold. You disagree with them. Games get played. Everybody happy!

Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Shoshoni at Big Piney
Wright at Guernsey
Interclass
Natrona JV at Dubois
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne East
Laramie at Thunder Basin
Natrona at Campbell County
Rock Springs at Cheyenne South
Sheridan at Kelly Walsh
Class 3A
Buffalo at Worland
Cody at Star Valley
Douglas at Riverton
Jackson at Green River
Powell at Evanston
Rawlins at Lander
Class 2A
Big Horn at Newcastle
Glenrock at Torrington
Mountain View at Lovell
Pinedale at Kemmerer
Thermopolis at Lyman
Tongue River at Burns
Wheatland at Upton-Sundance
Class 1A nine-man
Lingle at Southeast
Lusk at Moorcroft
Riverside at Rocky Mountain
St. Stephens at Wyoming Indian
Saratoga at Pine Bluffs
Wind River at Greybull
Class 1A six-man
Hanna at Farson
Hulett at Midwest
Kaycee at Burlington
Interstate
Rich County, Utah, at Cokeville
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Meeteetse at Ten Sleep
Snake River at Encampment

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 6” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 29-2 (94 percent). This season: 151-29 (84 percent).

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Who’s steamrolling into the postseason, and who’s pushing a Tonka truck with their hands? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Week 5 picks: Beware the messy history of score comparisons ahead of East-Sheridan

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In a closed set of games like Class 4A has every season — no opponents outside the group of the 10 largest schools in the state — score comparison is an inevitability.

The problem with comparing scores is it leaves you susceptible to falling into the trap that teams play the same way each time they take the field.

As any high school football coach will tell you, that’s their goal, but not their reality.

In fact, only twice since entering the round-robin schedule in 2009 — in 2012 and 2017 — has Class 4A gone without an “upset,” with the 10 teams finishing 9-0, 8-1, 7-2, 6-3, 5-4, 4-5, 3-6, 2-7, 1-8 and 0-9 in regular-season play.

Football is a messy sport, and it’s even messier at the high school level. That’s part of the appeal.

So when we look at Friday night’s game between the last two unbeaten teams in 4A, Cheyenne East and Sheridan, it seems inevitable that we would compare scores. After all, they share three opponents through the first five games — Thunder Basin, Laramie and Rock Springs — and each has played this series of foes in the past three weeks.

So when we bring up East has had bigger victories against all three, it seems that East is the obvious choice. The Thunderbirds’ margins of victory against Laramie (63-7 vs. 55-7 for Sheridan), Thunder Basin (52-42 vs. 34-27 for Sheridan) and Rock Springs (54-20 vs. 39-28 for Sheridan) suggest East has the upper hand in the challenge to stay undefeated.

However, as more games are played, the messier score comparisons get, especially in a closed, round-robin schedule.

That’s the thing about 4A. It doesn’t always play out the way the previous scores suggest it should.

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To be honest, this week’s schedule statewide is not as interesting as other weeks of the year. But that’s on paper. On the field, I’m sure we’ll see some surprising results. Still, these are the games that look like big ones, at least before the first kickoff:

For the first time, Campbell County enters the Coal Bowl with a better record than crosstown rival Thunder Basin. Will the momentum from the Camels’ four-game winning streak be enough to best the ‘Bolts, who have lost three in a row but played competitively in all three? …

Douglas and Buffalo both won their 3A East openers last week, and the winner this week will be the favorite to continue that success right on into home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Call it the “Cow on the Mountain” game, because the stakes are elevated. …

Some of the most competitive football of the year has been in the 2A West, where the top four teams (Lovell, Cokeville, Lyman and Mountain View) are a combined 13-4. Cokeville and Mountain View will play Friday in the Bridger Valley to help sort out some of the confusion at the top of the league, and it might be an opportunity to define a season for one of the two teams. …

It’s a nonconference week in 1A six-man, with the most intriguing out-of-league game pitting 3-1 Encampment up against 4-0 Kaycee up in Johnson County. The Buckaroos’ resurgence has been one of the feel-good stories of the year, but the Tigers will be game and will definitely be Kaycee’s toughest test to date.

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This is the week, y’all. This is the week I go 100% on my picks — something I’ve never done before in 17-plus years of doing this stuff. Or not, because the bold teams are my favorites and the non-bold teams always find a way to surprise us. And thank goodness. Otherwise this would get boring, fast.

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

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 5” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 28-3 (90 percent). This season: 122-27 (82 percent).

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Also, one more quick note: The first season of football for Casper Christian School has been, and will be, busy.

Casper Christian School’s 33-12 loss to Kaycee on Sept. 13 has been retroactively added to the site.

Kaycee coach Dave Largent said Kaycee added the mid-week game two weeks ago after getting permission from the Wyoming High School Activities Association, which allowed the game since Kaycee was idle during Zero Week. Largent said his team played a mix of players but still counted statistics and the game for their season record.

CCS coach Ryan Harrison said his team will finish its season with three games against a Natrona freshman/sophomore team and a game against Hulett in the final week of the season. All three NC games will be on consecutive Saturdays, starting this week. Hulett originally scheduled Edgemont, S.D., for the final week, but Edgemont failed to field a team this season, Hulett AD Jen Stevens said.

The Mountaineers are playing a six-man schedule this year. They are 0-3 so far with losses to Kaycee, Midwest and Burlington.

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We’re now past the midpoint of the regular season. Whose play, individually or team-wise, has been a pleasant surprise for you? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Week 4 picks: Big Piney’s push into nine-man’s title discussion is anchored by a single question

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Big Piney’s refrain bounced across the valley, hitting the Wind River Range to the east, the Wyoming Range to the west. But then it settled into the basin of the upper reaches of the Green River, just like the famous inversions that keep Big Piney cold in the winters. It stayed there, unheard but still present through times of change — new coach, new classification, new style of play. Still, the Punchers asked.

What about us?

The call grew louder as the Punchers’ season started. A road victory over Lusk to start the season barely turned any heads; close game, not unexpected, welcome to nine-man. But the shout grew in Week 2 after the Punchers shocked last year’s runner-up and this year’s expected contender, Rocky Mountain. This wasn’t a whisper; this was a yell.

What about us?

A 20-point victory against Greybull last week sent Big Piney to 3-0, one of four remaining undefeated teams in Class 1A nine-man along with Pine Bluffs and Lingle from the East and Wind River from the West.

This week, though, one undefeated will fall, as Wind River ventures into Sublette County.

The Cougars were expected to be here, though, and they’ve followed through. Like Big Piney, Wind River is also 3-0, outscoring their opponents so far by a combined tally of 172-26. The Cougars have every reason to think this year is their year.

However, in a top-heavy classification that just got a little bit heavier, the Punchers’ rallying cry is now less of a plea and more of a demand. Rocky Mountain learned the hard way, and Wind River has the luxury of learning from the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, the Punchers keep moving forward, so far perfect against a new set of rivals.

What about us?

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Some other Week 4 games will help me understand what I’ve seen so far in 2022, because I’m easily confused:

Thunder Basin has lost two in a row heading into its game against undefeated Sheridan. But the ‘Bolts should be ready for this one, and Sheridan can’t get caught looking ahead to Cheyenne East next week. If they do, Thunder Basin could turn 4A upside down in one fell swoop. …

Cody and Jackson meet in a rematch of the past two Class 3A championship games. Cody is obviously Cody, so far the dominant team in the classification, but Jackson is no slouch — something I wasn’t sure I could say in August but I am sure of now. …

Worland’s trip to Douglas is super intriguing. The 3A East has been a crapshoot so far, and these two teams have represented that uncertainty with dominating victories surrounded by losses surprising either by the margin or the opponent. If either one of these teams strings together some consistency, they will be dangerous, and that starts right here. …

The Bridger Valley Bowl has an undefeated team in it — and it’s not Lyman. Instead, 3-0 Mountain View has the loss goose egg it’s trying to protect against the 2-2 but two-time 2A champ Lyman (say that twice fast). …

I do find it interesting that by the end of Friday night, every 4A team (and a handful of others) will have played five games and Farson will have played one. …

+++

Let’s pick some games. Bold teams, I pick to win. All teams, I pick as my valentine. No, it’s not February.

Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Greybull at Wyoming Indian
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Meeteetse
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Laramie
Cheyenne East at Rock Springs
Cheyenne South at Natrona
Kelly Walsh at Campbell County
Thunder Basin at Sheridan
Class 3A
Buffalo at Lander
Cody at Jackson
Powell at Green River
Riverton at Rawlins
Star Valley at Evanston
Worland at Douglas
Class 2A
Glenrock at Wheatland
Kemmerer at Cokeville
Lyman at Mountain View
Newcastle at Tongue River
Torrington at Big Horn
Upton-Sundance at Burns
Class 1A nine-man
Lingle at Wright
Pine Bluffs at Moorcroft
Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni
St. Stephens at Riverside
Saratoga at Guernsey
Southeast at Lusk
Wind River at Big Piney
Class 1A six-man
Encampment at Hanna
Midwest at Kaycee
Interstate
Rich County, Utah, at Thermopolis
Saturday
Class 2A
Pinedale at Lovell
Class 1A six-man
Farson at Dubois
Ten Sleep at Hulett
Interclass
Green River JV at Snake River

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 4” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

+++

Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 26-7 (79 percent). This season: 94-24 (80 percent).

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Also of note this week is the change in head coach for St. Stephens, as Melvin Blackburn takes over for Dee Harrison. The change was posted by WyoPreps on Twitter on Wednesday. Blackburn was the Eagles’ coach in 2013 and 2014.

+++

Which teams that were under-appreciated in the preseason are showing us all why they should be appreciated? Who’s going to come out of the woodwork in the second half of the season and pull some surprises, maybe starting this week? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

If you like what you see here, consider a page sponsorship. 

–patrick

Week 3 picks: A chance for revenge comes Lovell’s way

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Over its past 20 games, Lovell has a record of 16-4.

Three of those four losses were to Lyman.

One of those was an 8-6 loss in the Class 2A championship game last season.

So it’s safe to say that when these two teams renew acquaintances Friday afternoon in the Bridger Valley, the Bulldogs will be keen to exact some revenge.

And this just might be the time to do so.

Lyman may be as vulnerable now as it has ever been in the past two-plus seasons. After all, both the 2020 and 2021 seasons ended with the Eagles as the Class 2A champions, including an undefeated season last year.

The Eagles’ run of success, though, has already hit unexpected challenges.

Lyman’s 20-game winning streak ended in a Week 1 loss to Bear Lake, Idaho. Injuries have taken a severe toll on the Eagles’ three-peat chances, and the adjustments players and coaches make will be key. However, the Eagles started 2A West play by pasting struggling Pinedale 40-0. Oddly enough, every Lyman game has been a shutout — two by Lyman’s defense, one by its offense.

Lovell, meanwhile, has started 2-0 behind a stout defense and just enough offense. In the Week 1 victory against Big Horn, a 14-7 slugfest, the Bulldogs’ defense forced a late fumble near the goal line to snuff out the Rams’ potential game-tying or game-winning drive. Last week in a 27-7 victory against Cokeville, the Bulldogs’ consistency on both sides of the ball simply overwhelmed the Panthers — a hallmark of teams that want to contend for championships.

Lovell enters as 2A’s top-ranked team, an honor will have for a second consecutive week after Lyman’s streak-breaking loss.

For as much as Lovell is now the hunted instead of the hunter, the Bulldogs know how tough it is to beat Lyman.

The past two seasons are evidence of that.

And beware a top-ranked team motivated, at least in part, by revenge.

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Every game is special, but these are some games that, at least on paper, have the appearance of potentially being the most special of the week:

Cheyenne Central has had a tough go, with its two losses by a combined seven points. The Indians draw Thunder Basin this week, another tough test. If Central can somehow manage to get on the right side of the scoreboard up in Gillette, watch out. ….

It doesn’t matter what the rest of the season looks like, the Oil Bowl is always an important game in Casper. Natrona is the obvious favorite, and over the past couple decades upsets in the Oil Bowl have been exceptionally rare. …

Powell-Douglas is one of the most interesting 3A games, in part because of their similar paths. They both got knocked off in Week 1 against opponents who were ready for them; they both rebounded with solid victories last week to put them back on track. Now they play each other, so their paths will have to diverge somehow. …

Wheatland, Torrington, Burns and Newcastle all played overtime games last week, with Newcastle beating Wheatland in two overtimes and Torrington nipping Burns. Conveniently, they all play each other this week, with Burns venturing to Newcastle and Torrington hosting Wheatland. We’ll know quickly this week just how the 2A East might shake out — well, with these four teams, at least. …

It didn’t take long for the ranks of undefeated teams to shrink. Riverside’s game against Wind River is the only game above six-man this week to pair up two unbeaten teams. …

Dubois looked good despite a loss to Snake River last week. Now the Rams have to muster the same intensity to keep up with 2-0 Encampment to have any hope of a home playoff game. That 1A six-man South is brutal at the top. …

Three teams in the 1A six-man North are undefeated in Midwest, Burlington and Kaycee. And three are winless. Midwest and Burlington will meet Saturday, and the winner moves one huge step closer to home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. …

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I’m convinced no one reads this paragraph. I think everyone probably skip right over it to see the picks. Because by now, you know that bold means the team I think will win. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve proven me wrong. Congratulations! May a few of the non-bolded teams join you this week in proving me wrong, just to spice it up a bit.

Thursday
Interclass
Shoshoni at Cheyenne East JV
Friday
Class 4A
Campbell County at Cheyenne South
Cheyenne Central at Thunder Basin
Laramie at Cheyenne East
Natrona at Kelly Walsh
Sheridan at Rock Springs
Class 3A
Cody at Buffalo
Evanston at Lander
Green River at Worland
Powell at Douglas
Star Valley at Riverton
Class 2A
Big Horn at Glenrock
Burns at Newcastle
Lovell at Lyman
Pinedale at Cokeville
Mountain View at Thermopolis
Tongue River at Upton-Sundance
Wheatland at Torrington
Class 1A nine-man
Big Piney at Greybull
Guernsey at Lingle
Moorcroft at Southeast
Riverside at Wind River
Wright at Pine Bluffs
Interclass
Shoshoni JV at St. Stephens
Interstate
Jackson at South Fremont, Idaho
Moffat County, Colo., at Rawlins
Rich County, Utah, at Kemmerer
Saturday
Class 1A nine-man
Lusk at Saratoga
Wyoming Indian at Rocky Mountain
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Encampment
Hanna at Snake River
Hulett at Meeteetse
Kaycee at Ten Sleep
Midwest at Burlington
Open: Farson.

For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 3” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.

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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:

Last week: 29-6 (83 percent). This season: 68-17 (80 percent).

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Whose hot start is the sign of things to come? Whose slow start is an anomaly? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.

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–patrick

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