Week 4 picks: Saratoga joins the ranks of the nighttime football

by ⋅ 6 Comments

Saratoga’s football team is trying out something new this year — night home games.

The Panthers are the latest school to add lights to their field, debuting the new lights in a 28-6 loss to Lingle in the opening week of the season. In doing so, Saratoga joined a growing trend of schools adding the night option to their schedule.

Upton added lights recently when it built its new school and field a few years ago; Pinedale added lights in a stadium upgrade that also included artificial turf; Wind River added lights a couple years ago despite some setbacks that pushed back making night football a consistent event in Pavillion.

Now, of the 63 high schools in Wyoming that sponsor varsity high school football, only 18 don’t have lights on their home field.

The no-lights schools tend to be clumped together. There’s the “Crook County Clump” of Hulett, Sundance and Moorcroft… the “Sheridan County District 1 Clump” of Tongue River and Big Horn… the “Southwest Clump” of Lyman, Mountain View, Kemmerer, Big Piney and Cokeville… the “Big Horn County District 1 Clump” of Rocky Mountain and Burlington…. and the “Six-man Clump” of Kaycee, Snake River, Farson, Hanna, Dubois and Ten Sleep (and Hulett, again; with their move to six-man last year, the Red Devils are now in two clumps).

Speaking of six-man… Guernsey, Meeteetse and Midwest are the only six-man schools with lights; however, both Meeteetse and Guernsey have no night home games this year. Midwest is the opposite, and is scheduled to play all of its home games at night — the lone torch bearer of night six-man football in Wyoming.

Of course, most of the schools without lights are fairly small — the Bridger Valley schools of Mountain View and Lyman are the two largest schools in the state without lights, and they tally in at about 225 students apiece 9-12. However, of the 18 schools without lights, seven are in Class 2A and seven are in Class 1A six-man; only four schools in Class 1A 11-man don’t have lights.

Don’t expect lights for most of these schools any time soon. I haven’t heard any rumors of any of these schools adding lights any time soon. (If I’m wrong about that, let me know by posting a comment below or emailing me: pschmiedt@yahoo.com.)

As for Saratoga… well, after this week, the Panthers have two more home games. One will be under the lights, but the regular-season finale will be played in the mid-afternoon. Is it too early to call it a throwback game?

+++++

I’m not purposely trying to neglect this week’s games by talking about lights. Several key games dot the schedule, including Buffalo-Douglas, Glenrock-Big Horn, Cokeville-Shoshoni and Dubois-Kaycee. At least two undefeated teams will fall this week, as the Glenrock-Big Horn and Dubois-Kaycee games pit two unbeaten teams against each other.

Here are this week’s picks, with projected winners in bold:

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

Last week: 27-5 (84 percent). This season: 90-21 (81 percent).

Thoughts on the upcoming week? Thoughts on lights? Thoughts on anything Wyoming high school football-related? Post away below. Let’s start a conversation.

–patrick

Week 3 picks: How Cheyenne South fits into the pattern of program startups

by ⋅ 3 Comments

The consensus around Class 4A is clear this year: Cheyenne South is better this year than it was last year.

Unfortunately for the Bison, being better has yet to translate into a victory.

South, in its second varsity season and its first year with seniors, is 0-3 so far this year. The Bison were 0-9 last year.

In terms of victories, the transition to a fully fledged Class 4A football program has been tough. But by no means are the Bison walking an untrodden path. Struggles during program starts are common — and some of the best programs we know today started the same way Cheyenne South is doing now.

Several programs went winless in their first seasons (in seasons of four-plus games only): Big Horn (0-4 in 1939); Gillette (0-4 in 1921); Goshen Hole (0-5 in 1966); Kelly Walsh (0-8 in 1965); Pinedale (0-5 in 1938); Rozet (0-4 in 1953); Baggs/Snake River (0-4 in 1951); Wyoming Indian (0-6 in 1972); and, of course, South (0-9 in 2011).

However, every one of those programs won at least one game in their second season, except Rozet, which closed up shop after its one and only season.

The 12-game losing streak the Bison are on right now is far from a record to start a program. Well, depending on how you count….

* Guernsey didn’t win a game its first three seasons and lost its first eight of its fourth season; the Longhorns lost their first 21 games, eventually beating Manville 40-0 for their first victory on their 22nd attempt. However, Guernsey also started twice, playing for two years (1922-23) before sitting out for a few and then returning in 1929. Seven of the losses came in the first startup, 14 in the second startup.

* Cody had similar struggles in establishing its program. The Broncs went a combined 0-10-1 their first two seasons, and picked up a victory in their third season only after a forfeit. The Broncs didn’t win a game on the field until the 22nd time they took the field; however, Cody beat newcomer Byron in that game 109-0. (Technically, Cody’s streak ends at 13 games — 12 losses and a tie.)

* Moorcroft, on its third and final startup after two one-year experiments, lost 11 consecutive games to start. The Wolves had winless seasons in its first two years, 1952 and 1953.

* Chugwater had it even tougher. The Buffaloes went 0-12 as a program over four seasons, and, according to my research, never won a game. They have the state “record” for most games played without a victory.

* Another Cheyenne school, St. Mary’s, had an interesting first few seasons — the Gaels went 2-0 their first year, but went a combined 0-16-2 in their next three.

Establishing a program takes time. The Bison know this. The good news? If the past is any indicator, South will be winning games soon, and the rough start to the program will be a footnote, not a focus.

Here are this week’s picks. Projected winners in bold, projected teams that would love to prove me wrong in regular type:

Thursday

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

Last week: 25-7 (78 percent). This season: 63-16 (80 percent).

What games on the Week 3 schedule stick out most to you? Any picks you feel like making? Anywhere I went wrong? Tired of my questioning? Post a comment below and share.

–patrick

Week 2 picks: Carbon County, streaks and circumstances

by ⋅ 11 Comments

Carbon County offers the starkest contrast between gridiron success and struggle.

One county school — Snake River — has the state’s longest active winning streak. Another — Rawlins — has the longest active losing streak.

Both are closing in on state records.

Rawlins has the more immediate chance at a record, but the record is one the Outlaws would rather not have.

After last week’s 45-35 loss to Wheatland, Rawlins has now lost 32 consecutive games, a streak dating back to the team’s last victory on Sept. 12, 2008. Three more losses and Rawlins will bypass Greybull’s 35-game losing streak from 1978-82 for the state’s longest.

The Outlaws would rather that it not come to that. And their best chance to stop that from happening may come on Friday at home against Jackson.

After all, Rawlins has reasons to be optimistic.

The 35 points the Outlaws scored last week were the most in one game since they scored 39 in beating Powell 39-14 in the 3A championship game in 2000 — a game that seems like a lifetime ago in Carbon County. The 35-point total tops the entire SEASON totals Rawlins had in 2002 (18 points) and matches the season total offensive scoring output the Outlaws had just two years ago.

Down in Baggs, though, a different story is developing.

The Snake River Rattlers won their 22nd consecutive game last week in their 59-0 demolition of Ten Sleep. After a 10-0 season in 2010 and an 11-0 mark in 2011, the Rattlers are going for three titles in a row and, barring a cancellation or a loss, a chance at their 32nd consecutive victory by season’s end.

The state’s longest recorded winning streak belongs to Laramie (34 consecutive victories from 1959-63) and Worland (36 consecutive unbeaten, including two ties, from 1953-56). Byron also unofficially has a winning streak that stretches well past 40 games in an undefeated run from 1945-50, but several of the games that made that streak have not been verified. Snake River can climb to second all-time on the winning streaks list and fifth all-time on the unbeaten streaks list if they can win No. 32 in Laramie in November.

As coincidence would have it, in the same week Rawlins has what may be its best chance at victory in 2012, Snake River has what may be its toughest regular-season game, facing the team it beat in last year’s state championship game, Dubois. Both games are Friday; the kickoff in Baggs is at 3 p.m., while the kickoff in Rawlins is at 7 p.m. Go to both.

Streaks have a way of self-perpetuating. Unless habits or circumstances change, streaks feed into themselves and become bigger than any one game. For better or worse, they give a program momentum that is only understandable in the moment.

Fortunately for Rawlins, it showed last week that maybe, just maybe, circumstances are changing for the Outlaws.

And fortunately for Snake River, it showed last week that maybe, just maybe, circumstances aren’t changing for the Rattlers.

+++++++++++++++++

This week’s picks. Projected winners in bold:

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

Last week: 24-8 (.750). This season: 38-9 (.809).

Any thoughts you want to share? Any picks you want to make? Share them below in the comments.

–patrick

Week 1 picks

by ⋅ Leave a Comment

The Sheridan-Natrona County game scheduled for Friday already has implications.

Natrona is ranked first in the Wyopreps.com coaches and media poll; Sheridan is second. Sheridan won the state title last year and also in 2009; Natrona won it all in 2010, beating Sheridan in the championship game.

But the history of this series goes deeper than this season, and certainly much deeper than the past few.

Friday’s game is a milestone: It’s the 100th time in a 92-year span that Sheridan and Natrona County will play each other. Only three other series in Wyoming — Laramie-Central, Lander-Riverton and Cody-Powell — have tallies of more than 100 games.

And what a series the Bronc-Mustang series has been.

Seven of those 99 previous games have been for state championships. Several other games in this series have put teams into — or kept them out of — the playoffs.

Indeed, what has heightened this rivalry has been the success of both programs. Natrona and Sheridan are two of the three schools in Wyoming that have more than 500 victories. Counting last week’s wins, Natrona leads all Wyoming programs with 540 victories, while Sheridan is third all-time with 507.

A simple glance at the calendar tells you just how important the rivalry is to both schools. The two schools were Armistice Day rivals. Prior to 1950, Nov. 11 was the traditional day that Wyoming’s high schools had set aside to play their biggest rivals. Actually, the first Natrona-Sheridan game was played on Armistice Day, 1921. The two schools played on or near Armistice Day from 1933-49, when the Armistice tradition ended; after that, the two schools, from 1950-64, played each other in both schools’ last regularly scheduled game of the regular season.

When they met for the first time in 1921, the Broncs came down to Casper and came away with a 7-0 victory — by far the closest game of the season for Sheridan, which finished 7-0 and outscored its opponents 266-6.

It stayed close early: Six of the first seven games the two schools played against each other were decided by a touchdown or less.

Then came 1936-38, when Natrona and Sheridan played against each other in three consecutive state championship games. The home team won each time — Sheridan twice, Natrona once — and all three title-game victories in that span were shutouts. After the WHSAA eliminated postseason football after the 1938 season, the two teams played in November 1939 for the unofficial state title; Natrona ended Sheridan’s perfect season with the 20-7 victory and earned the state championship in doing so.

While the four-year stretch from 1936-39 represents the peak of the rivalry, recent Sheridan-Natrona games have meant just as much.

In 1985, a 17-13 loss to unbeaten Natrona was the only loss for Sheridan; the loss kept the Broncs from playing in the state championship game, a game Natrona won.

The two teams played classic defensive playoff games in both 1995 and 1996. Sheridan won a Class 4A semifinal game 7-0 over Natrona in 1995; Natrona won the 4A title game 7-0 over Sheridan in 1996.

And, of course, Natrona beat Sheridan in the 2010 4A title game, avenging the only loss they had that season in the process.

Of the 99 previous contests, the 1957 game most typified the rivalry. The two schools met on Nov. 1 in Casper with the state title on the line, but couldn’t separate themselves and played to a 7-7 tie. They shared the state championship that year.

Since the series started in 1921, Natrona and Sheridan have played every year but 1924 and 1970, when the two teams couldn’t find room on the schedule, and 1961, when a snowstorm wiped out the final game of the season. The two teams also tried to play each other twice in 1920, but both games were canceled.

No one knew that, in 1920, those canceled games would postpone the 100th meeting of these two proud programs back to the second week of the 2012 season.

And while the serendipity fan in me would have much more liked to have seen this game be the 2011 season finale — a fantasy spoiled by Cheyenne East in last year’s 4A semifinals — the fact that the 100th meeting is here rather than last November does nothing to dim one of Wyoming’s strongest rivalries.

Here are this week’s picks, with projected winners in bold:

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

For the full schedule including kickoff times, click here.

Last week: 14-1 (.933). This season: 14-1 (.933).

What do you think? What are your picks for the first full weekend of football statewide? Post some thoughts below.

–patrick

Week 0 picks

by ⋅ 17 Comments

Now that I don’t live in Wyoming anymore, I’m changing up a couple things on the blog this fall.

First of all, the picks are staying. They’re just going to be much more streamlined than before.

Second, there will be ruminations here, just fewer than before. I’ll try to ruminate once a week, although I can’t really foresee if it’ll be part of my picks or if I’ll ruminate post-week, a la Humble pie.

More explanations are forthcoming next week.

In the meantime, here’s this week’s picks. Just like the old way, the projected winners are in bold.

Friday
Class 4A
Gillette at Evanston
Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne East
Laramie at Rock Springs
Natrona at Cheyenne South
Sheridan at Cheyenne Central
Class 3A
Riverton at Worland
Interclass
Greybull at Riverside
Interstate
Green River at Uintah, Utah
Newcastle at Custer, S.D.
Saturday
Class 2A
Thermopolis at Big Horn
 Interclass
Riverside JV at Ten Sleep
Upton-Sundance at Moorcroft
Wheatland at Torrington
Interstate
Cody at Laurel, Mont.
Lyman at Altamont, Utah
Powell at Miles City, Mont.

Here are the other Zero Week contests, which won’t be counted as games:

Scrimmages and Jamborees
Friday
Burns at Southeast
Normative Services at Kaycee (six-man)
Rocky Mountain at Powell
Saturday
Glenrock at Rawlins
Pine Bluffs at Saratoga (edited to reflect scrimmage status)
Pinedale at Big Piney
Lusk at Wright
Farson vs. Dubois, at Lander
Kemmerer at Lander
Lovell at Douglas
Mountain View at Jackson
Wind River vs. Lingle, at Casper (edited to show new contest)

Off: Buffalo, Burlington, Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett, Midwest, Moorcroft, Pinedale, Shoshoni, Snake River, Star Valley, Tongue River, Wyoming Indian.

Go here for a full 2012 schedule, including dates and kickoff times. Scores will be posted on that page as the season progresses.

As always, Zero Week seems to be full of last-minute changes. If you see something here that doesn’t look like what you think is actually happening this weekend, let me know and I’ll update the schedule. You can post a comment here or email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

I’ve made my thoughts on Zero Week well known before. I still feel the same way.

Quoting from a previous post on the blog:

For the record, here are the criteria I use to judge whether or not to call an event a “game,” and therefore list it in the standings (and, eventually, as part of the team record on this site):

1. Was the game played with four 12-minute quarters with normal timing rules?

2. Were officials used? And were normal rules of play instituted for the game?

3. Was score kept?

What do you think of the opening weekend of high school football? Are you ready for 2012?

–patrick

Class 4A preview: A big year for the Mustangs?

by ⋅ 12 Comments

Our five-part season preview wraps up today with Class 4A.

Four questions to answer
What can Natrona do with six returning first-team all-state selections? Whatever it wants. Consider this: Last season, there were only three returning first-team all-state selections in ALL of Class 4A. This year, Natrona alone has six, including Dan Reese, a Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 first-team selection last fall, and Ryan Anaya, who’s already committed to play at Wyoming. Linemen Colter Bentley and Adam Britton, running back/punter Josh Flanigan and wideout/defensive back/quarterback Brecken Biggs give the Mustangs a good mix of returning talent and make NC the favorite to win it all in 4A this year.

Was Cheyenne East’s run to the title game last year a fluke? No. East’s 24-19 upset of Natrona in last year’s 4A semifinals was an upset. But it was not a fluke. (And, yes, there is a difference.) The Thunderbirds had one of the most gifted teams in 4A last year, and with three returning first-team all-state picks — Tod Wenger, Austen Motily and Joe Ash — East has to be in the title discussion again this year.

Can Sheridan make it four trips in a row to Laramie? The short answer is a qualified yes. This year, maybe more than the past three, the Broncs have some rebuilding to do. The bulk of key players on last year’s championship team were seniors. Although it looks like the line will come together pretty well, the players outside the trenches have some work to do to prove themselves.

Who is this year’s surprise team? Rock Springs. I saw the Tigers at what was probably their lowest point last season — the loss to Kelly Walsh in Casper — and I still came away impressed. Running back Tanner McQuillan and receiver Zach Legerski are going to make a solid 1-2 offensive combination for what I think could be an explosive team this fall.

Four players to watch
Ryan Anaya, Natrona. He’s already committed to play at Wyoming. That alone should speak volumes. His numbers last year did not blow anyone away, but his presence and his ability will force teams to account for him. That should free up some opportunities for his teammates, too.

Collin Eisenman, Sheridan. The reigning Class 4A defensive player of the year, Eisenman was always around the ball last season. His numbers might actually dip this year as teams do a better job of accounting for him, but he will also be a stronger, better player this fall and will play a huge role as one of the centerpieces of the Broncs’ defense.

Tanner McQuillan, Rock Springs. Last year was the “Year of the Running Back” in 4A, and McQuillan was lost a bit in the shuffle. However, he will make sure he’s not ignored this year. He is the top returning rusher in the classification this year — he ran for 1,132 yards last year, trailing the “Big Four” of Roberts, Woods, Eddington and Bazemore — and could improve on those numbers this year.

Dani Fischer, Gillette. Fischer, the Camels’ only returning first-team all-state choice, is an explosive triple threat as a receiver, defensive back and returner. He racked up an unusually high 23.4 yards per catch last fall, led the team with five interceptions and was the Camels’ go-to kick and punt returner. His explosiveness will help keep Gillette in every game — and may help the Camels win a few, too.

Four key games
Gillette at Evanston, Aug. 24: Finally, the Red Devils get to play the Camels in Uinta County. The past two years, Evanston has had to trek to Gillette for its season openers; this year, the Camels have to make the trip. And, of course, Evanston wants revenge for last year, when Gillette pulled out a 40-36 victory late in the fourth quarter.

Natrona at Sheridan, Aug. 31: The longtime rivals are playing for the 100th time in a series that dates back to 1921. Add on the fact that the winner will likely be considered the early favorite for the 4A state title this year, and you can see why this one will be a big one.

Cheyenne East at Cheyenne Central, Sept. 14: The East-Central showdown is always for bragging rights and occasionally for more. It will be interesting to see if this one is for bragging rights, or for more.

Gillette at Natrona, Oct. 19: The last four regular-season meetings have finished 15-13, 21-20, 47-32 and 41-34. If nothing else, the Camels and Mustangs put on a good show when they get together; that alone should be worth the price of admission.

Predicted order of finish
Natrona, Sheridan, Gillette, Cheyenne East, Evanston, Rock Springs, Cheyenne Central, Laramie, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne South.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Natrona 31, Sheridan 21

Trivia
Numerous extensive series exist between Class 4A schools. Laramie and Central have played each other 127 times; Natrona and Sheridan will play for the 100th time this year, while Natrona and Central will play for the 99th. But — EXCLUDING Cheyenne South from the discussion — what is the least-played series between two current Class 4A schools? And how many times have they played? And what is the series record entering 2012? Post your guesses below — but feel free to add anything else you’re looking forward to seeing in the 2012 4A season.

–patrick

Class 3A preview: Powell keeps pressure on rest of class

by ⋅ 25 Comments

The fourth in a five-part season preview continues today with a look at Class 3A.

Four questions to answer
Can Powell repeat? Yes. The talent that Powell returns is second to none in 3A this fall — five all-state choices, including two seniors and three juniors, will help anchor the Panthers’ repeat chances. The better question might be: Who can stop Powell from repeating?

Is Green River still in a post-Powell hangover? We’ll see, although I doubt it. The Wolves again have the potential to be one of the best teams in 3A, but the way last season ended — by giving up a 45-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds to go — can’t help but affect a team’s psyche. For their part, the Wolves are still the defending West Conference champs, and the title still goes through Green River. That reality alone should help bring the Wolves back from that tough loss to finish last season.

Is this Riverton’s breakthrough year? Probably. The Wolverines have been pointing to this season for at least two years now as their possible breakout season. The combo of Xavier Webb and T.J. Galey, both returning all-state choices, gives the Riverton offense a tandem option that no team in 3A can match. And with Douglas rebuilding/reloading, Lander going through a transition and Buffalo refocusing with a new coach, this might be Riverton’s best shot to win the East.

How will Buffalo do with a new coach? The answer is much more long and complicated than I have room for here. Any time a program goes through the tumult the Buffalo program did last year, there will be some unforeseen repercussions. How new coach Rob Hammond and his staff handle those unanticipated changes — good or bad — will help define the Bison’s success on the scoreboard.

Four players to watch
Vince Sleep, Powell. He made this list last year. He’ll make it again this year. As a junior, he led Powell in both solo tackles and tackles for loss. Already a two-time all-state selection, opposing coaches know Sleep will be a handful as the anchor of the Panthers’ defense.

Ty Etchemendy, Douglas. Even on a team full of seniors, it was hard to overlook the junior Etchemendy last year. He was Douglas’ leading receiver last year, but also played running back and defensive back and returned a few kicks, as well, and his efforts earned him an all-state nod. He’ll be asked to take on even more as a senior.

Xavier Webb, Riverton. If this really is Riverton’s breakthrough year, it’ll be on Webb to prove it. The Wolverines’ quarterback was an all-state choice last fall, completing 55 percent of his passes (99 of 181) for 1,241 yards and 12 touchdowns; he’ll need a similar, or maybe even slightly better, effort this year to help the Wolverines get over the top.

Aaron Fenner, Buffalo. Few players combine offense and defense as well as Fenner. He led Buffalo in rushing yards, receiving yards and defensive points as a junior last season. It’s hard to ask for an encore of that performance, but Fenner will likely need to be just as integral a part of the Bison’s effort to help his team back into the playoff hunt this season.

Four key games
Green River at Douglas, Aug. 31: This is probably the most highly anticipated nonconference game of the season in any classification. And it just so happens to pop up in Week 1. Both teams are eager to show they are the true favorites in 3A this fall; a victory here will go a long way to proving that point.

Star Valley at Powell, Sept. 28: One of the teams lost in the 3A mix is Star Valley — a team that had a tremendous 2011 season and returns enough players to be a threat in the West again this year. A victory here over the defending champs would be nice, but the Panthers remember what happened last year in Afton and are probably eager for a bit of payback.

Buffalo at Riverton, Sept. 28: The Wolverines have the good fortune of drawing the Bison at home this year. And if they want to prove they belong in title-game talk, this is the game they have to win.

Green River at Powell, Oct. 19: After not playing since 1982, these two teams played each other twice last season, building up enough familiarity with each other to make up for a lot of lost time. This one could again decide home-field advantage in the playoffs — although last year helped prove that home field isn’t everything.

Predicted order of finish
East: Douglas, Riverton, Buffalo, Lander, Torrington, Rawlins.
West: Powell, Green River, Star Valley, Worland, Cody, Jackson.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Powell 19, Green River 16

Trivia
Every current Class 3A team has played every other current 3A team at least twice in the past 90 years — except for these two schools, who have never played each other. Which two current 3A schools am I talking about? Post your guesses as a comment below.

What do you think? Does 3A have more parity than the rest of the classifications in Wyoming? What game are you most looking forward to? What players are poised for breakout seasons? Post some thoughts below and let’s talk 3A football.

–patrick

Class 2A preview: Turnover creates instability — except in Lovell

by ⋅ 2 Comments

The third in a five-part series of weekly season previews, released every Wednesday, our season preview continues today with Class 2A.

Four questions to answer
Can Lovell keep on winning? Probably. I mean, after all, the Bulldogs return their top thrower in quarterback Dylan Hultgren, their top rusher in back Dino Collins, their top receiver in wideout Cody Savage and their top defensive points man in Dillon Pickett. How many defending state champions have ever been able to say that?

What team has the best chance of challenging Lovell for the state title? Newcastle. In case you didn’t notice, the Dogies are building a solid program. They finished just three points away from making it to the state title game, nearly knocking off Lovell in the semifinals a year ago. And they’ve got three returning all-staters — more than any other team in 2A and equal only to Lyman.

Which new coach in the 2A West has the best chance of immediate success? Dale Anderson, Lyman. Anderson — one of four new coaches in the 2A West, joining Justin Bernhardt in Greybull, Brent Walk in Mountain View and Aaron Makelky in Big Piney — comes into a good situation at Lyman. He has three returning all-state players, including returning first-team Casper Star-Tribune Super 25 player Cisco Taylor, and inherits players who know how to win. With all the turnover in the conference, Anderson is the one set up for the most immediate success.

Are you psyched for the return of the Thunder Bowl? Definitely. The annual rivalry game between Tongue River and Big Horn is back — with a twist. Two new coaches, John Scott at Tongue River and Michael McGuire at Big Horn, have both proven they know how to win. This season will also mark the first time since 1961 that the Eagles and Rams are meeting on the field in a year when both schools have first-year head coaches. That game finished as a 6-6 tie…. and neither team won a game in 1961. I’m anticipating better in 2012. 🙂

Four players to watch
Dino Collins, Lovell. As I mentioned before, Collins was a big piece of Lovell’s state championship run in 2011 and will likely have a similar role in 2012. He ran for 1,202 yards and 17 touchdowns last season; if he can come close to duplicating those numbers this season, the Bulldogs will again be tough to stop.

Cisco Taylor, Lyman. Don’t expect Taylor’s numbers to be as gaudy as the were last year — 57 catches, 939 yards, 12 touchdowns. But do expect Taylor to have a bigger impact, as his catches will mean more in an offense that looks to focus more on the running game.

J.T. Harper, Newcastle. Harper fulfilled a dual-threat role with the Dogies last year, as he was the team’s leading rusher (110 carries, 698 yards, nine touchdowns) and one of the team’s top defenders (third on team with 98 defensive points, team-high four interceptions). The returning all-state choice will likely have an even bigger role this season as a senior.

Colton Wright, Burns. Wright is Burns’ most explosive player on both offense and defense. Already a two-time all-state selection, Wright led Burns’ outside attacks on both sides of the ball, finishing by far as the team’s top receiver (33 catches, 638 yards) and narrowly as the team’s top defensive points man (11.9 per game, team-high four interceptions). Burns will need Wright’s consistency to keep pace in a deep East Conference.

Four key games
Glenrock at Tongue River, Sept. 7: In the first East Conference game of the year for both teams, I’m eager to see what happens in a game that looks like it’s between two programs in transition years. Can Glenrock reload and replace all the seniors that were key parts of last year’s conference championship team? Can Tongue River rebound and play competitive football after a year off and a coaching change?

Lovell at Lyman, Sept. 14: Rematch of last year’s title game. Full stop.

Thermopolis at Kemmerer, Sept. 22: Remember the mess in the middle of the 2A West standings last year — the one that led to the triangular playoff at the end of the season? Yeah, me too. The winner here takes a huge step forward to (1) avoiding such a mess this season and (2) keeping pace with the top dogs in the West.

Wheatland at Newcastle, Oct. 12: I haven’t mentioned Wheatland yet, but I’m big on the Bulldogs rebounding from last year’s disappointing season, and I think they could be one of the surprise teams in 2A this year. If all goes well, this Week 7 showdown at Schoonmaker Field could be for the East Conference championship.

Predicted order of finish
East: Newcastle, Burns, Wheatland, Glenrock, Big Horn, Moorcroft, Wright, Tongue River.
West: Lovell, Lyman, Thermopolis, Kemmerer, Greybull, Mountain View, Pinedale, Big Piney.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Lovell 27, Newcastle 20

Trivia
Despite all the coaching changes in 2A this year — a grand total of six — Class 2A also boasts more coaches than usual that have stayed for quite a while at their current stop. In fact, Class 2A has more coaches that have been the head coach at their current school for at least a decade than any other classification. The question: How many of those coaches exist in Class 2A? The bonus: What are their names, and how long has each one been at his current school?

I think 2A could be one of the most unpredictable classifications this year, in part because of a weird mix of returning talent, in part because of a huge amount of coach turnover, in part because of the already unsteady nature of these conferences already. What do you think? Post some thoughts below and let’s talk 2A.

–patrick

Class 1A 11-man preview: Old favorites take usual spots

by ⋅ 10 Comments

Each Wednesday, we’ll preview a classification of Wyoming high school football. Today, we’ll look at the second of a five-part season preview with Class 1A 11-man.

Four questions to answer
Can Cokeville win it all again? Yep. And it all starts with defense. One of my favorite numbers I discovered this offseason was this one: In the past four seasons, a span of 42 games, only three of Cokeville’s opponents have broken into double digits. Although the Panthers lose four of their top six tacklers from a year ago, they return several key players from the title runs of the past two years and should be the early favorites to win it all in 1A 11-man again.

Who will win the East Conference title? In short, either Southeast or Lusk. The conversation out east the past two seasons has begun and ended with these two programs, who have a combined 19-1 record against the rest of the conference the past two years and have outscored their conference foes in those 20 games 862-113. For what it’s worth, this year’s Lusk-Southeast game is in Lusk, where the Cyclones haven’t won since 2005.

Will the West Conference have just as much parity as it did a year ago? Probably. Last year, every team won at least one conference game, and six of the eight teams entered the final week of the season with playoff berths possible. And it wasn’t just that parity existed — it’s that the scores were unpredictable. It was always hard to tell when a game would be close or when it would be a blowout. That type of unpredictability was the hallmark of the conference a year ago and should help make at least the early parts of the conference schedule this year quite interesting.

How will the new co-op agreement between Upton and Sundance go? Pretty well, probably. They’ve already figured out a nickname (Patriots), a schedule and a coaching staff. However, the biggest problem might be out of both schools’ control — enrollment. If the combined enrollment figure for the two schools (figured on Upton’s total enrollment and Sundance’s male enrollment) tops that of the smallest Class 2A school (Big Horn at 139), the Patriots will be ineligible for the playoffs no matter how well their season goes. Those final tallies may not be available until the first day of school.

Four players to watch
Brigham Teichert, Cokeville. Defense makes the Panther machine go, and Teichert is Cokeville’s best defender. Already a two-time all-state choice, Teichert has led the Panthers in defensive points each of the past two years. His leadership will be critical as Cokeville goes for a three-peat.

Colton Stees, Southeast. Stees, who was the East Conference defensive player of the year as a sophomore in 2011, will again have to play an important part on the Southeast defense for the Cyclones to get back into the championship game. Already bigger and stronger than a year ago, Stees led 1A 11-man with 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks a year ago. If he puts up similar numbers, Southeast should again be in the championship chase.

Clint Getzfreid, Riverside. Getzfreid was by far 1A’s most prolific wide receiver last year. He had 56 catches (26 more than anyone else in 1A) for 737 yards (311 more than anyone else in 1A) and eight receiving touchdowns (more than anyone else in 1A). And he was a junior.

Colter Larson, Lusk. Quite simply, Larson is a tackler. He led the Tigers in defensive points last year, mostly racking up tallies through tackles, as he had more solo tackles (36), assists (54) and tackles for loss (17.5) than any of his teammates. He’ll play a key role again this year as the Tigers try to make it to Laramie.

Four key games
Wind River at Shoshoni, Sept. 7: Remember, it was a come-from-behind victory over Wind River last year that propelled Shoshoni to its best season since 2001 — and sent Wind River into a slide from which it could not recover. Similar fates may await the winners and losers of this game in a parity-filled West Conference.

Southeast at Lusk, Sept. 14: Let’s strip away the facade and call this game what it is: the East Conference championship game. This game has decided the East champ each of the past two years and figures to do so again this year.

Burlington at Riverside, Sept. 21: Both teams had numerous key players lost to graduation. Will either one of them step up as a threat to Cokeville in the West? This game might help determine if either the Huskies or Rebels are up for that challenge — and the loser will have to fight and scrap and claw just to make it into the postseason.

Saratoga at Shoshoni, Oct. 12: There has been very little scuttlebutt about Saratoga this offseason, but don’t forget the Panthers were a tough team to beat last year and gave Lusk a bit of a tussle in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out. This Week 7 game might end up being for a home playoff game.

Predicted order of finish
East: Lusk, Southeast, Lingle, Pine Bluffs, Upton/Sundance, NSI.
West: Cokeville, Saratoga, Riverside, Shoshoni, Burlington, Wind River, Rocky Mountain, Wyoming Indian.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Cokeville 20, Lusk 14

Trivia
Cokeville’s Todd Dayton is entering his 33rd year as the head coach of the Panthers, the longest tenure of any active coach in the state. Of the other schools in Class 1A 11-man, since 1980, every school has changed coaches at least once; most schools have done it many times. Here’s the question: Of the current 1A 11-man schools, which one has changed head coaches the most times? And as a bonus: How many head coaches has that school had since 1980?

–patrick

Class 1A six-man preview: Can anybody stop Snake River?

by ⋅ 4 Comments

Every Wednesday for the next five weeks, we will preview each classification of Wyoming high school football. We will start the series today by taking a look at Class 1A six-man.

Four questions to answer
Can anybody stop Snake River? Probably not. Even with significant losses to graduation, the Rattlers are still the odds-on favorite to win the six-man championship again this fall. With a 21-game winning streak in tow, and with an expected nine seniors on this year’s roster, the Rattlers will once again set the pace for the rest of the six-man schools to match.

Can anybody stop Snake River? Maybe Dubois. Last year’s state runners-up return a significant number of players, including all-state picks Cody Flynn and Jesse Hawk. And don’t forget that in last year’s championship game, the Rams played the Rattlers even, 33-33, in the final three quarters after Snake built a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

Can anybody stop Snake River? A host of other teams on the Rattlers’ schedule have the potential to pull a regular-season upset and stop the streak — but the best chance of that happening is away from Baggs. Snake River has a tough road trip to Ten Sleep in the opening week of the season and also has to travel to play an always-tough Kaycee squad in Week 6.

Can anybody stop Snake River? The gap between the top and the bottom of six-man appears to be shrinking a bit — and that will make it tougher for Snake River to run the table for a third consecutive year. Most of the teams at the bottom of the six-man standings last year appear to be better this year — Farson, Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett and Meeteetse should all be improved over last year, which will make every week a challenge, not just for the Rattlers but for everyone.

Four players to watch
James Caro, Kaycee. Football came to Kaycee at the perfect time for Caro, who has been the Buckaroos’ quarterback since their first snap in 2009. Potentially a four-time all-state selection, Caro threw for 1,108 yards and ran for 481 more and also intercepted eight passes on defense last season. Caro’s role with Kaycee has always been important, but it’ll be magnified in his senior season.

Cole Gourlay, Snake River. Last year’s co-defensive player of the year in six-man, Gourlay is one of the big reasons why Snake River is expected to win it all again this year. Gourlay led Snake River with 113 tackles last fall and will have to be just as active this year as the Rattlers go for three in a row.

Friscoe Erdahl, Ten Sleep. Erdahl has been one of Ten Sleep’s biggest threats the past two years. The returning all-state player is the type that never comes off the field. His job as Ten Sleep’s offensive playmaker will be showcased that much more on a team that will have little depth.

Jesse Hawk, Dubois. If the Rams want to make it back to Laramie, it will most likely be on the ability of Hawk’s legs. Hawk was the Rams’ best rushing threat last fall, as he piled up 1,135 yards and 15 scores; he’ll need to put up similar numbers for the Rams to stay in the thick of it in the North Conference.

Four key games
Dubois at Snake River, Sept. 7: Rematch of last year’s title game. Snake River’s biggest early test. Dubois’ reality check. This game has everything going for it.

Hanna at Midwest, Sept. 14: The South Conference opener for both the Oilers and the Miners will help dictate both teams’ directions for 2012. A victory could mean a home playoff game; a loss means a lot of fighting to simply stay assured of a playoff berth.

Midwest at Snake River, Oct. 12: Midwest gave Snake River its biggest regular-season scare last fall. And don’t think the Rattlers aren’t aware of that.

Ten Sleep at Kaycee, Oct. 13: These two teams always play well against each other. The scores of the four Kaycee-Ten Sleep games the past three years? 71-67, 48-43, 63-62, 54-52. In short, it’s gonna be fun.

Predicted order of finish
North: Dubois, Kaycee, Ten Sleep, Hulett, Meeteetse.
South: Snake River, Hanna, Midwest, Guernsey, Farson.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Snake River 64, Dubois 50

Trivia
In the past three years, when two varsity six-man football teams from Wyoming have played each other, they have combined to match or break the 100-point barrier in 23 games, including 11 times last year. However, not all six-man games are shootouts. Some are defensive struggles. The question: In the past three years, when two varsity six-man football teams from Wyoming have played each other, how many times have they combined to score fewer than 50 points? And the bonus question to that: What common thread ties these games together? (That should give it away that there is more than one game….)

So what do YOU think about six-man this year? Will Snake River just run away with everything again and threaten the state record for longest winning streak? Or will someone else sneak into the mix and become the new favorite? Post your thoughts below and let’s start the conversation.

–patrick