Category Archives: Humble Pie

The first week of the season always reminds us fans of one thing: History has little bearing on what takes place on the field year in and year out.

We were all reminded of that this week.

First of all, a multi-year streak, whether a winning or losing streak, only continues because the circumstances allow it to continue. Circumstances have changed for a pair of programs that carried long streaks into the 2011 season openers: Shoshoni and Douglas.

I make special mention of Shoshoni here (I usually save my slices of Humble Pie for teams that prove my picks wrong) because the Wranglers’ 19-game winning streak, the second-longest active losing streak in the state, came to an end with a 49-12 victory over Upton.

Green River, meanwhile, earned mad props for its 32-15 dismantling of Douglas, putting an end to the Bearcats’ 30-game win streak, a stretch that lasted two and a half seasons. The Wolves’ Kolby Kester was the pacesetter, rushing for 123 yards, while QB Colter Hamel added a combined 241 yards passing and rushing. It’s a solid victory for the Wolves in their re-entry to Class 3A, but how solid? We won’t know for a few more weeks. For now, the victory is important because of what Douglas had done in past seasons — not what the Bearcats have done this season.

The state’s second-longest winning streak also came to an end on Friday. Mountain View earned second mad props by snapping Cokeville’s 11-game winning streak as the Panthers fell 6-3 in overtime to the Buffalos. All the points came in overtime — Cokeville scored a field goal on its possession in extra time, Mountain View answered with the winning touchdown — and it signaled that the 2A West may be just as deep as everyone thinks it is.

By the way, the longest winning streak in the state now belongs to little ol’ Snake River, which has won 10 in a row heading into Saturday’s game with Ten Sleep. The longest active 11-man winning streak is now a paltry five games — the streak run up by Natrona.

Speaking of Natrona, third mad props to the Mustangs for grinding out a 20-6 victory over Sheridan. This game was one that was won in the final 12 minutes (it was 6-3 NC heading into the final quarter), which is a good sign for a team that didn’t have to work very hard in its season-opening victory over Cheyenne South last week.

Fourth mad props to Glenrock, which showed just how quickly a team can gain respect by beating up on two-time defending 2A champion Thermopolis 29-12. After a 2-6 season last year, expectations were tempered for the Herders this year, but this Week 1 victory will gain everyone’s attention. In a weakening 2A East, the Herders just jumped to the top of the heap — and makes that date with Wheatland in two weeks especially intriguing.

Fifth mad props to Burlington, which edged out Big Piney 21-13. We knew Burlington was going to be solid this year, but this victory over the Punchers should be a warning to the rest of the 1A West. The Huskies are legit.

Sixth mad props to Lusk, 12-7 winners over Burns in dramatic fashion. The Tigers scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter — and that came only after they converted a long fourth-down play on the winning drive. This is the type of game that can inspire (or demoralize) a team for weeks.

Seventh mad props to Star Valley, winners by the odd score of 10-9 over Snake River, Idaho. The 3A West is full of solid teams this year, and it’s been easy to overlook the Braves. That’s a mistake, because, as they proved on Friday, Star Valley has what it takes to make a run at the top teams in the west. Remaining nonconference games against Lander and Douglas may help further illustrate that point….

Eighth mad props to Jackson, 35-23 winners over Teton, Idaho, in one of the highest scoring games of the week. The Broncs are still finding their way a bit after a 1-7 season last year, but this start to the 2011 season should give Jackson some confidence — something they will need to keep pace out west.

And, finally, ninth mad props to Hardin, Mont., which beat Cody 34-27.

Saturday add: Tenth mad props to Hulett, which proved to be a quick study in the six-man game in its 42-14 victory over Guernsey. In case you’re wondering, the North Conference teams went 4-1 against their South Conference counterparts in a week full of interconference play. We may have seen where the strength of six-man is this year in the opening weekend.

Tuesday add: 11th mad props to Farson for beating Meeteetse in a game and a score that went uncorrected this weekend. Farson won 60-24.

It’s not unusual to have a bunch of unexpected finishes in the first week of the season. After all, we base our assumptions about what might happen in the season openers on what we’ve seen in the past. The 2011 season has no past, so it only makes sense to see some surprising finishes. Each season has its own identity, its own character, and this is just the first effort at shaping the 2011 season. It’s a lot of fun, isn’t it?

Some other things that drew my attention this week:

Greybull scored four defensive touchdowns — yes, four — in beating Big Horn 38-6. The Buffs are doing their best to make sure you don’t forget about them when you talk 2A West contenders. Interesting Buffs-Buffs matchup next week as Mountain View comes to Big Horn County. … Dubois passed its first six-man test with flying colors, beating Midwest 49-20. Snake River ventures to Fremont County next week. … Kaycee’s defense held Hanna to just six points in their six-man game. Don’t forget about the Buckaroos. … I may drive up to Buffalo next Friday for that Buffalo-Powell game. It’s about as big as a Week 2 game can get. …

How about you? What were some of the moments, teams, players and games that caught your attention this week? Post your thoughts below and we can chat about it all through the Labor Day weekend.

This week: 23-11 (68 percent). This season: 35-14 (71 percent).

–patrick

Remember Thermopolis?

Yeah, the school that has the two-time defending Class 2A champions?

Those guys? Yeah. I do now. Shouldn’t have ever doubted them.

The Bobcats showed the rest of the state just how much they want to win a third straight crown when they beat Big Horn 21-6 in a rematch of last year’s 2A title game. And we should know by now that the Bobcats have the experience and the ability — and, maybe most importantly, the attitude — to make it back to Laramie in November.

Remember that the Bobcats are good at revenge. In 2009, the Bobcats lost to Glenrock in the regular season, only to beat them in the state championship game. And last year, Thermopolis lost to Big Horn in the regular season but avenged that loss in the title game, as well.

Maybe all Friday’s victory means is that Thermopolis won’t beat Big Horn in the championship game. Revenge can’t be served on a team that’s already been beaten. But what it does mean is that a return to Laramie can’t be ruled out for the Bobcats. As the old adage goes, they are the champions until someone proves otherwise. Friday was just another reminder that, so far, no one has done that yet.

Second mad props to Wheatland, which eked out a 14-10 victory over Torrington in a revival of a rivalry that has been played every year since 1934. Maybe after this one, the Trailblazers are regretting keeping the series going.

Third mad props to Miles City, Mont., which barely eked out a 21-20 victory over Powell.

Some other stuff I noticed this week:

Despite being utterly predictable, the opening week of 4A football helped us figure out which teams might indeed be contenders. Right now, who wouldn’t want to see a rematch of Evanston-Gillette? The Camels won 40-36 on a touchdown in the last minute (just as I predicted!). Sheridan looked sharp in beating Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East destroyed new-look Kelly Walsh and Natrona ran roughshod over Cheyenne South. Right now, we can include those five schools in the discussion. Next week, we really only get one game to help us clear up the confusion at the top, but it’s a big one: Sheridan at Natrona. …

Thermopolis’ victory stands out in the 2A West, but remember that Lyman and Greybull also won and Lovell definitely got better by scrimmaging Douglas. That is going to be a tough, tough conference this fall. …

Beware Worland. Beware Riverton. Both teams proved their moxie on Friday, even though Riverton came away with the 12-7 victory. Both teams will cause a lot of problems for the pre-ordained frontrunners in 3A this year. …

So what did you think of the first week of high school football? What teams, players or moments stood out for you? Post a comment below and we can chat about it.

This week: 12-3 (80 percent). This season: 12-3 (80 percent).

–patrick

Familiarity with either War Memorial Stadium or championship games are a common thread for the teams that will be playing in next week’s state championship games.

Some teams are not only familiar with the atmosphere surrounding state championship games, they are also familiar to title games at War Memorial Stadium. Defending state champions Douglas, Thermopolis and Sheridan all earned return trips to Laramie this weekend.

Some teams are making their first trips to Laramie for title games but aren’t unfamiliar to championship settings. Big Horn, Lusk, Buffalo, Cokeville and Natrona have all played in state championship games in the past eight years.

Meanwhile, two teams — Snake River and Hanna, the two six-man title game participants — are pretty new to this whole football championship thing.

All told, they will come together in Laramie next weekend for an exciting weekend of high-stakes football.

How they got to this point, though, is a story in and of itself.

Natrona was undefeated until the final week of the regular season. Two big victories in the playoffs — including Saturday’s 30-10 victory over Gillette — earned them a spot in the title game.

As fate would have it, the team Natrona draws in the title game is the only one that beat the Mustangs in the regular season. That’s Sheridan, the hot-and-cold defending champs that are as hot as anyone right now, especially after beating upstart Cheyenne East 46-12 on Friday night.

The 3A title game matches the state’s two most consistent mid-size school programs: Douglas and Buffalo. One of these two teams has played in the championship game each season since 2003, including when they played each other in 2008. And, of course, they’re conference rivals, and Douglas beat Buffalo 22-7 earlier this season.

But both of them had to fight and claw and scrap to get to this point. Douglas got pushed by Riverton but won its 30th consecutive game thanks to a solid defensive effort in a 23-2 victory; Buffalo needed overtime to beat Cody 24-21 on the road in one of the best games of the season.

The defending champion in 2A, Thermopolis, has played the part of a defending champ all season long. That is, except for this one game where they had to go to Sheridan County. That was the trip to play the Big Horn Rams, and the Rams dominated the defending champs 42-7. Now, the Bobcats have their chance for revenge.

The Bobcats have been playing out of their minds in the playoffs, including a 39-15 victory over Lovell on Saturday. The trouble is that the Rams have been doing the same; Big Horn is unbeaten and blasted Greybull 37-7 in the semis.

The 1A 11-man title game will pit two undefeated teams, Cokeville and Lusk, that have just been rolling teams all season long. Cokeville, for just the time this season, didn’t win by more than 40 points, but still scored enough to beat four-time defending champ Southeast 24-7; Lusk has scored at least 46 points in each of its past eight games, including a 66-15 semifinal blasting of Lingle.

Oddly enough, despite the success and tradition of both programs, the teams have only played each other once previously, a 1994 Class 1A semifinal game that Cokeville won 7-6 in Cokeville. …

As for the newbies to championship tradition, Snake River and Hanna, well, they get to play each other for the rights to the six-man championship. Snake River has straight been thumping teams; the Rattlers continued that trend on Saturday by trouncing Kaycee 42-12. Hanna has been surviving by winning close, a trend that continued with Saturday’s 33-32 home win over a tough Ten Sleep team.

Snake River, of course, is a startup program. Last year, the Rattlers were faced with resurrecting a team that had been dead for more than 50 years. As for Hanna, the Miners have played in just one state championship game in the past 50 years, and that was when they won the 1A nine-man championship back in 1989. The two teams have become rivals of proximity in six-man’s short history — they’re both in Carbon County — and Hanna will be looking to reverse the result of a 50-34 loss to the Rattlers earlier this season.

It’s quite interesting that three teams playing in title games next weekend — Buffalo, Thermopolis and Natrona — have one loss, and in each case that one loss came against the the team that they’ll face in the War — Douglas, Big Horn and Sheridan, respectively.

Nevertheless, it promises to be a fun weekend in Laramie. Once again, here is the schedule:

Friday
Class 1A six-man, Snake River vs. Hanna, noon
Class 3A, Buffalo vs. Douglas, 3 p.m.
Saturday
Class 2A, Big Horn vs. Thermopolis, 10 a.m.
Class 1A 11-man, Cokeville vs. Lusk, 1 p.m.
Class 4A, Sheridan vs. Natrona, 4 p.m.

Feel free to start discussing these matchups now. Post a comment below and we’ll chat! I’d love to hear your opinions about the title game matchups, the semifinals or anything about Wyoming high school football.

As for me? Well, I hate to say I told you so, but…

This week: 10-0 (100 percent). This season: 238-52 (82 percent).

–patrick

The playoffs are a different time.

Everyone starts over. What you did in the regular season only matters for who you play first. It still takes three victories to win a state championship — the last three.

That sort of freedom can be incredibly freeing. Just ask Cheyenne East.

Just two weeks ago, the Thunderbirds journeyed to Evanston and lost 42-0. Faced with the prospect of seeing the Red Devils again in the playoffs, East wasn’t bothered by that score.

Instead, the T-Birds simply instigated a 52-point reversal.

The Thunderbirds’ 30-20 victory over the Red Devils was a seismic blow to the 4A hierarchy. Remember, East is not that far removed from a five-game losing streak and was part of a tense battle simply to make the playoffs up until the last week of the season.

That’s all forgotten now. The Thunderbirds simply ran at the Red Devils and Evanston couldn’t do much about it. Now, East has earned another trip — this one to Sheridan for the semifinals.

East’s big victory was pretty much the only true “upset” in any of the five brackets on Friday. Two other road teams — Lingle and Riverton — earned victories, but neither one of those teams came into the weekend as a true underdog.

A seasoned Lingle team made the long trip to Dubois and overcame some early jitters to beat the Cinderella Rams, while Riverton avenged an ealier 13-10 loss to Powell, getting exactly the same offensive effort but a little more out of the defense in a 10-7 victory.

The rest of the brackets went according to form. The home teams won every game in the 2A and the 1A six-man brackets. Only two of those games — Sheridan’s 10-3 victory over Kelly Walsh and Southeast’s 15-14 victory over Rocky Mountain — were decided by seven or fewer points.

The brevity of this post is in part because there were so few surprises in this first round. And, in part, because there were so few close games. So, my question: Is few surprises a surprise to you? Post a comment below and we’ll chat about it….

This week: 19-1 (95 percent). This season: 228-52 (81 percent).

Perfection, as an abstract, is unattainable.

We can come close. We, as humans, have the inherent ability to produce excellence and beauty. Paintings, sculptures, poems, or even blog posts can be beautiful and amazing and breathtaking. But perfection, due to and restrained by its definition, is unreachable. But that’s as an abstract.

Football rarely concerns itself with abstracts. Because of that, in football perfection is not only attainable, it is measurable. As long as the number of losses a team has is zero, it can be “perfect.” The abstract symbolism that artists strive and fret and go mad over, knowing they’ll never reach it, is concretely symbolized by one solitary number in football, the number that shows the number of losses a team possesses on the season.

The concrete finality of a football score is unforgiving and unsympathetic. One team wins and one team loses. We can’t even call ourselves equals if we finish the game with the same number of points. Not enough American finality in a tie. That’s why we have overtime.

The point?

We throw around terms like perfection all too often in the football world. I’m sure one of the thoughts that went through your head when you heard the final score of the Sheridan-Natrona game — 18-17, Sheridan — was like one of the first that went through mine: “Well, there goes Natrona’s perfect season.”

In a purely American sporting sense, that’s true. Natrona doesn’t have a perfect record anymore.

In an artistic sense, though, Natrona was never perfect to begin with.

And, really, Friday’s  final score doesn’t tell us anything we did not already know: Both Natrona and Sheridan have excellent football teams. The inherent inflexibility of the interpretation of a final score doesn’t change how we can look at the teams abstractly. We can’t measure adversity or guts or pressure or confidence the way we can measure a final score or a season record. The final score, in a way, is the concrete manifestation of all these abstract, emotional factors that go into a football game.

Weird.

So what comes out of 18-17? Well, I give the Broncs some abstract “mad props” for a concrete victory and for “ruining” Natrona’s “perfect” season. I talk about how it was Sheridan’s “special” teams and a “gutty” two-point conversion that “saved” the game late in the fourth quarter for Sheridan. I mention playoff seedings — Natrona still “No. 1,” Sheridan now “No. 2” — and the possibility of a rematch.

Maybe what goes unmentioned is how “perfect” the game was in an abstract sense. Two great teams play a game decided by one point. Forget David. That right there is the upper reaches of perfection in my little abstract world.

Ruminating over….

Second mad props to Greybull, which secured a tie for first in the 2A West by dominating Lyman from start to finish in a 24-0 shutout victory. It jumbled up the 2A West standings up top — Greybull, Lyman and Lovell all finished with 6-1 conference records — but the Buffs’ victory on Friday proved to be the deciding factor in deciding who got to stay home in the first round of the playoffs. Now, Greybull gets to stay at home and host Newcastle, while Lyman has to hit the road to play at defending 2A champ Thermopolis. In a 2A bracket full of parity, that is is a huge deal.

Speaking of home playoff games, third mad props to Southeast for beating Lingle 27-22. I’ll admit that after Southeast’s loss to Sundance back in Week 2 (a loss that was followed up by a 40-point loss to Lusk), I lowered my hopes for the Cyclones. But Southeast has come back like gangbusters, winning its final four games to secure a home playoff game in the first round for — get this — the 14th consecutive year. Now they’re a team with high hopes and a great chance to make it back to Laramie.

Fourth mad props to Riverton, which beat Wheatland to secure the No. 3 seed in the 3A East standings. Riverton, for its efforts, earns a rematch with Powell — a team that beat the Wolverines 13-10 all the way back in Week 1. Wheatland, meanwhile, has to go face 3A West champ Cody in the first round. Neither team has it easy in the first round, but Riverton does have the advantage of knowing its opponent a bit better than Wheatland knows its foe. In the playoffs, that might be enough to pull off a victory.

Fifth and sixth mad props to a pair of teams that won for pride on Friday, Moorcroft and Riverside. Moorcroft beat Glenrock 20-14, marking the Wolves’ first victory over the Herders since 1999. Meanwhile, Riverside overcame Wind River’s 25-point second quarter to win 26-25 — proving that you can give up one bad quarter and still win, given the right circumstances. In both cases, playoffs and postseason thoughts were not a concern for either team, so pride and heart and wanting to end on the right note were all the motivation these teams needed to win. And it worked.

And I’m spent. Whew. The regular season is done. How about that? Any playoff games you can’t wait to watch? Any games in Week 8 catch YOU by surprise? Any random thoughts about perfection? Post below and let’s chat.

This week: 21-6 (78 percent). This season: 209-51 (80 percent).

–patrick

A simple look at the scores told you Laramie was going to be better in Week 7 than in Week 4.

But did anyone see this coming? Even Laramie?

Did anyone see the Plainsmen exploding for 28 fourth-quarter points to beat Green River? Did anyone see the Plainsmen finding the fortitude to rally from a 20-0 third-quarter deficit?

In the end, it doesn’t matter if anyone saw it coming. Because it happened.

Just like that, Laramie is back in the playoff conversation. An eight-game losing streak that dated back to last season is snapped. A suddenly winnable game against Cheyenne East looms in the season finale.

All of a sudden, the Plainsmen are back in vogue. It ain’t quite 1964, but for the first time in a long time, the Plainsmen have momentum.

And how. Laramie had every reason to pack it in on Friday night after falling behind 20-0 on the road to Green River — a team that beat Cheyenne Central last week in comeback fashion. Of course, Central put 56 points up on Laramie in the first half earlier this year…

Never mind any of that now. Laramie forgot about it midway through the third quarter and burst forth for 35 points in the game’s final 19 minutes. For perspective, remember that Laramie had scored just 33 points in its past six GAMES.

But I digress. I keep finding myself bringing up these numbers about how badly the Plainsmen struggled up to about 8:15 on Friday. In part, that makes Friday’s comeback all the more impressive, because no one saw it coming.

Except, maybe, the guys in maroon and yellow. It happened. Believe it. And believe in the Plainsmen.

Staying in 4A, second mad props to Cheyenne Central, which overcame seven turnovers to beat Sheridan 28-21 in one of the weirdest, and most exciting, games I have ever attended. It was a case of opportunism at its finest. Central cashed in on its opportunities. Sheridan, which only scored seven points off the seven turnovers, did not. Sheridan came in banged up and shorthanded — and left that way, too — but, considering all the struggles the Broncs have undergone this fall, they really put up a gritty fight. Central just neutralized every bad play it made with two good ones.

Third mad props to Lander, which strengthened its playoff profile considerably — and damaged Star Valley’s considerably, too — by beating the Braves 27-20. This game, too, looked like a weird back-and-forth affair, especially in the first half, when Lander zoomed out to a 17-0 lead only to watch Star Valley score 2o points in the second quarter and enter halftime tied at 20. The defenses took over in the second half, but Lander prevailed. And in the process, secured a playoff berth and actually moved into fantastic position to host a first-round playoff game, something they can secure if they beat Powell next week.

Fourth mad props to Burns, big winners (42-14) over Glenrock. It may be hard to believe with a score like that, but this game was actually that close, tense, tight game I predicted entering the fourth quarter. Then Burns decided it wanted to stay in the playoff race and scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to pull away. Now, the Broncs are in a fun, if slightly desperate, position — win next week against Wright and they’re in the playoffs, lose and they’re out. No excuses there. And after that dominating fourth quarter, the Broncs should be full of that dangerous tonic, confidence, that coaches love for their teams to gulp down this time of the season.

And that’s all I missed this week. But some other items caught my attention this week, too:

How about those Dubois Rams? The 67 points the Rams put up on Riverside were the second-most ever for a Dubois team in a single game against a team not named Wyoming Indian (topped only by a 69-point output against Hanna in 1994). It will definitely help the Rams to play that first-round playoff game at home, against either Lingle or Southeast, which has to make the long trip west. …

Here’s a number for you: Gillette put up 723 yards of total offense against Kelly Walsh. I guess those yards do add up fast when you have five touchdowns of at least 48 yards like the Camels did Friday. …

Just a random observation, but I’ve noticed a lot of teams going with decal-less helmets this fall. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a lot more teams than usual are going for the stark look on their headgear. Anyone else noticing this? Any explanation why? …

Am I crazy for thinking that neither one of the 3A conference champions should be the favorite for the 3A title once the playoffs start? I like Cody and I like Douglas, but my goodness, I am really liking Buffalo right now. …

Week 8 talk, of course, will be all about playoff seeding. I tried to put together all the scenarios (except for the mess at the bottom of 4A) here (either click or just scroll down a bit). If I truly get inspired, I might tackle the “bottom of 4A” possibilities.

Anything you noticed this week? Any great players/teams/performances from the past week that caught attention you might not normally have focused there? Any playoff predictions? Post your thoughts below.

This week: 27-4 (87 percent). This season: 188-45 (81 percent).

–patrick

Which county has the better Class 4A football teams — Sweetwater County or Laramie County?

The answer to that question seemed clear at about 6 p.m. Friday.

It also seemed clear at about 10:30 p.m. Friday.

The only difference is that, given what happened in the span of those four and half hours, the answer changed.

The teams from the capital city had the clear advantage on paper, but as it turns out, the squads from trona country had the clear advantage on the field.

Rock Springs thumped on East 37-20, sending the Thunderbirds’ season further into a tailspin while boosting their own playoff hopes, while Green River came back with 14 points in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter to beat Central 31-30 and win their second game in a row after an 0-5 start. And just like that, the Trona Bowl rivals are both in position to make the playoffs — maybe at the expense of one of the Cheyenne schools.

The victories are big for the Sweetwater schools, without a doubt. Green River, the team with the talent but with the knack for losing close games, has turned it around the past two weeks and is quickly becoming a team that all the other 4A squads want to avoid in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Rock Springs broke a long five-game losing streak with its victory Friday, and although the Tigers have two tough games to end the season — at Natrona next week, then home against Evanston — at least the Tigers now enter that stretch with some confidence.

How these games were won should help, too. Green River got two special teams touchdowns in the final six minutes from speedster Kolby Kester — a 95-yard kick return and a 60-yard punt return — to erase a 13-point deficit; Rock Springs didn’t need the late theatrics, as they pretty much pushed around East all night.

Meanwhile, the Cheyenne squads now have to face the consequences of their losses. Central was in the race for a home playoff game at one time, but the loss to Green River almost assures the Indians of taking to the road if they want to get back to Laramie again in November. And East, the team many (including me) thought would be a contender for a state championship, lost its fourth in a row. Next week, the T-Birds face Evanston in a critical game, then finish with Laramie at home — a game that, after Friday, doesn’t look like the penciled-in “W” like it did on Thursday.

It also creates a logjam at the bottom of 4A, with three teams at 2-5 tied for the final two playoff spots: East, Green River and Rock Springs.

See now why these games were so critical? See why the Sweetwater schools felt the urgency? See why they got the job done?

Teams trying to save their seasons are immensely more dangerous than those teams that aren’t. That type of pride ran deep in those two Sweetwater County teams on Friday.

Second mad props to Worland, which pulled the upset of the week — maybe, by the time we’re all done, the upset of the season — by beating Powell 21-18 in Worland. This game was one on paper that looked like a monumental mismatch: Worland was 0-5, Powell 4-1. But that’s why they play the game. Worland took advantage of every one of Powell’s mistakes and cashed in on every opportunity. The Warriors grew up before our eyes on Friday. A young team with a lot of potential finally made good on it. That will pay off not only for the remaining games this season — which, now, might include a playoff berth if the Warriors can continue to roll — but for the next season or two, as well. In short, a huge win for a growing program.

Third mad props to Big Piney, which beat Pinedale 15-7 in a weird rivalry game. Weird, why? Well, both teams had a fumble return for a touchdown, accounting for two of the game’s three touchdowns. There’s nothing weird about the playoff implications of this game, though. In trying to keep pace with Lyman, Lovell and Greybull in the 2A West, Big Piney improved to 3-2 in league play and grabbed a solo hold on the conference’s final available playoff spot. Pinedale fell to 2-3 and now has to count on a Puncher crash in the final two weeks of the season to have any kind of hope of a postseason berth. It’s a huge victory for the Punchers and a tough loss for the Wranglers in a game that may have set the postseason fate for both of them.

Some other things that I noticed this week:

Remember defense? Yeah, me neither. In all, 18 teams broke 40 points this week; 14 broke 50; six broke into the 60s (update: now counting Saturday’s six-man games). That’s gotta be some kind of record. I just don’t have the time to look it up right now. …

Any more Natrona doubters? The Mustangs continued their perfect season by beating Gillette 47-32 in a game that pretty much assured NC of hosting in the first two rounds of the playoffs. What becomes interesting in 4A now is the chase for the No. 2 spot between Sheridan, Evanston and Gillette. Of course, Sheridan beat Evanston on Friday in a critical game, as well. Isn’t it just about time to break out the tiebreaker rules? …

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one: Buffalo 63, Wheatland 7. …

Snake River: still unbeaten. Every other team in six-man: at least two losses. I expected some more parity in six-man this year, but I did not expect the Rattlers to emerge as the lone dominating team. That program in Baggs has really whipped up a solid program in a very short amount of time, and it’s great to see… unless you’re from Hanna, or Ten Sleep, or Kaycee, or Midwest, or ….

Don’t forget about Newcastle. The Dogies are an OT loss away from being unbeaten in the 2A East, and with Thermopolis and Big Horn on the schedule coming up the next two weeks, the orange and black are in a spot to surprise the conference’s two top dogs. …

I think it’s safe to call it now: Lusk-Cokeville, 1 p.m. Nov. 13 in Laramie. Ye gods, can anyone stop either one of these teams — except for maybe the other? …

How about you? What did you see this week that sparked your attention? Any teams rise up that surprised you? Based on what you saw Friday, are there any teams poised to make late-season runs here in the final two weeks of the season? Post your comments below and we’ll talk about it.

As for me, here’s how I did, not that I’m bragging or anything:

This week: 26-4 (87 percent). This season: 161-41 (80 percent).

–patrick

One point.

All that separated the contenders from the chasers on Friday night was that cruelest — or most coveted — of separations.

How does a team give up only 65 yards of total offense and lose? Ask Glenrock, which gave up just that many yards but one too many points in its 7-6 loss to Newcastle.

Now Newcastle is 3-1 in East Conference play, its only loss an overtime thriller to Wright, and in contention for a home playoff game. And Glenrock is 1-3 in the East and fighting like crazy for a playoff game of any kind.

Across the hills, it was Lovell that needed only one extra point to separate itself from Greybull by that same 7-6 margin. Again, it wasn’t much that separated the winning team from the losing one, but that margin is enough to dramatically shift the playoff picture.

Both teams are still on the inside looking out of the playoff situation as it is, with both teams sporting 3-1 records, but now Lovell owns the critical tiebreaker against Greybull — and if the playoffs were to start today, it would be Lovell, and not Greybull, that would be hosting a game in the first round.

Newcastle and Lovell did what they needed to do on Friday. They unseated teams that were chasing the exact same thing they were chasing: a secure spot in the playoff race. Because of that, they are a game closer to being at home in the first round. And that’s much more comfortable than being in the position of the teams they beat on Friday.

All because of a single point.

Staying in 3A, third mad props to Pinedale for not only beating, but shutting out, Mountain View, 20-0. With Lyman, Lovell and Greybull setting the pace, there is not much room for unnecessary losses in the 2A West. Pinedale, clearly, feels the urgency. That’s good for the Wranglers, as season-making games are upcoming against Big Piney and Lyman the next two weeks.

Fourth mad props to Green River, which finally got its first victory of the season in a not-as-close-as-it-sounds 30-21 Trona Bowl victory over Rock Springs. This victory is what Green River needed to insert itself right into the playoff discussion, especially now that the Tigers and Wolves are tied for the eighth and ninth position at 1-5 and that Green River has the tiebreaker. This is a huge victory for a program that has been on the cusp of winning for a few weeks now, and it’s the type of victory that could make the Wolves a scary team down the stretch.

Fifth mad props to Upton, which beat Hulett 38-34 in a six-man exhibition game. I still find it hard to believe that Upton, with only about 14 or 15 players this season, didn’t opt to play the six-man game for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and I wonder if having a taste of the thrill like they did on Friday might motivate the Bobcats to make the switch in time for 2013. Even so, a win is a win, and no matter who you are, you have to like going out there and winning — and maybe that will carry over for Upton as it moves ahead, not only this season but for the next couple years.

Some other stuff that caught my attention this week:

Lusk ran for 471 yards against Pine Bluffs. That’s like more than a quarter mile. Lusk=good.

Speaking of crazy yardage numbers, Gillette and Central combined for 908 in the Camels’ 28-23 come-from-behind victory. Of those, 584 were passing yards. And that only tells about one-tenth of the story of that game. What a win for the Camels — and, conversely, what a loss for the Indians.

Can we start talking Dubois-Cokeville? Who would have guessed that this game would be played between two undefeated teams? The Rams’ feel-good 2010 season just keeps getting better, but Cokeville is already pretty much to the point of making reservations for Laramie. That is, unless the Rams can put a scare into them next Friday.

Big Horn 42, Thermopolis 7. No getting around this one. Big Horn is just that good this year. Now it’s up to the rest of 2A to present a team worthy of challenging the Rams, because now we know, after Friday, that even the top-ranked defending state champions were not a match for Big Horn.

Wright is coming to life at the right time. Watch out, rest of 2A….

Douglas got a nice little scare at the hands of Wheatland. So now is anyone else looking forward to Wheatland-Buffalo next week the same way you look forward to payday? Awesome.

Got my first chance to watch Natrona County this fall. The Mustangs out-gained Cheyenne East by less than 100 yards and won by 50. How is that possible? What does it mean?

But now, the big question: What caught YOUR attention this weekend? What teams are surging ahead like truckers on No-Doz and which ones are taking a break at the rest stop? Post your thoughts below and let’s chat about it.

This week: 26-5 (84 percent). This season: 135-37 (78 percent).

–patrick

At first I was like…

But then I….

Now I’m all…

That’s pretty much how the night went for Cheyenne Central in the Capital Bowl on Friday. The Indians feel behind against Cheyenne East 14-0 in the first quarter — and then woke up. Before Cheyenne East knew what had happened, the Indians were sauntering off Riske Field with a 38-22 victory.

It was one of the most complete turnarounds I’ve ever seen in a high school football game. It was also one of the most complete collapses. You don’t get outscored 38-8 in the final 36 minutes without a little bit of both. A turnaround and an uprising, one like Central had, isn’t possible without some help.

The game had a weird vibe to it all night, a vibe that only strengthened as the game went on. There were at least a dozen huge plays in the game. Normally, you only see about five or six of those plays in the course of a game, but this Capital Bowl was chock full of them.

In the first quarter, those big plays — including a 73-yard run by Jeremy Woods on the first play from scrimmage and a pick-six by J.J. Westbrook — went to East. The second, third and fourth quarters, those big plays almost all went the way of the Indians, including three interceptions after halftime that helped keep the Thunderbirds shut out in the second half.

What it boils down to is that Central secured its place in the 4A hierarchy — as one of the five teams with a winning record. That will end up coming in handy as the season progresses, especially once the playoffs start.

Staying in 4A, second mad props to the Kelly Walsh Trojans, who had a comeback of their own in beating Rock Springs 24-21. KW scored the final 14 points of the game to rally from a 21-10 deficit and to take another huge step forward in making the playoffs. The KW kicking game was huge as Cameron Stanek kicked a pair of field goals as part of those 14 points, including the game-winner in the final two minutes. He also opened KW’s scoring with a field goal…. detecting a theme? Yeah, the green and gold have a handy option that will only come in handier as the season progresses.

Third mad props to Burns, which made a good trade — a long trip for its first victory of the year. The Broncs made the long trek to Tongue River, but drove home with a 7-6 victory in their back pockets. That win was exactly what Burns needed to keep any hope of a playoff berth alive; conversely, it puts a severe dent in the Eagles’ hopes for a playoff berth. Either way, it was a big game, and the Broncs got the best of the situation.

Staying in the SEWAC, fourth mad props to Southeast, which needed overtime but still beat Pine Bluffs 33-26. After losing to Sundance two weeks ago, the Cyclones desperately needed this game to keep any realistic hopes of a playoff berth alive. So they went out and won it. With the schedule Southeast has coming up, it’s actually realistic to think of Southeast as still in the chase for a home playoff game. And that’s big.

Fifth mad props to Burlington, which not only beat Riverside, but beat the Rebels down. The final was 40-12. The psychological edge this gives the Huskies is much, much bigger. Believe it or not, the Huskies are 3-0 in West Conference play and have an absolutely monstrous game with Dubois — another team that’s 3-0 in conference play — next week in Dubois. And after how well they played on Friday, the Huskies just might be the favorites in that one.

Sixth mad props from a heck of a Saturday game in which Ten Sleep held up at home to beat Kaycee 63-62. Sounds like a classic; I don’t know anything but the final score. Can anyone fill me in on the details? Because this sounds like a fantastic game. Again, this isn’t surprising, as Ten Sleep has been solid all season and is good enough to push the classification’s best teams…. and it just so happens that the Pioneers play at Snake River next week. Talk about perfect timing.

Some other thoughts…

Energy Bowl. Classic. Gillette ends Sheridan’s winning streak at 15 games, topping the Broncs 27-24 in overtime. According to my research, it’s the first Energy Bowl to go into overtime, and the victory came at the perfect time for the ever-improving Camels. …

Anyone else think that Lusk-Cokeville is looking less like “probable” and more like “inevitable”? Especially after the way in which both teams absolutely dominated their foes this week? …

Douglas won its conference showdown with Buffalo to take the inside edge for home-field advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Yeah, them Bearcats is good. The win streak is now at 24 and counting. …

Oh, so much for parity in the 3A West. Star Valley beats Worland by 20; Cody beats Lander by 31; Powell beats Jackson by 56. …

The last time Wheatland beat Torrington by 30 or more? 1983. The last time it happened before that? Never. The Bulldogs are good, folks. …

And, if you care, here’s how I’m doing:

This week: 25-6 (81 percent). This season: 109-32 (77 percent).

(Oh, and mad props to my wife Char for the photos of the Central-East game. She’s awesome like that. She’s also uploaded some shots to the wyoming-football.com Flickr collection, so check ’em out — and feel free to add your own.)