Category Archives: Humble Pie

From doorstep to doorstep, it’s 358 miles from Spike Vannoy Field to Wiseman Field.

It’s a heck of a long way to go, one way, for a regular-season football game.

That’s why Cody hasn’t made that trip to Torrington that often in September. It’s a long trip that takes you through hot springs, malts, Oregon Trail forts and corn fields — and it’s much, much longer making that trip home if you’ve lost a football game.

Surely, the Broncs had other motivations for the thumping they gave Torrington, other reasons they unloaded 47 points while holding the Trailblazers scoreless, than just making the trip home a tad bit easier.

Like, oh, sending a message to the rest of the 3A classification — and, with conference play starting next week, especially their mates in the 3A West — that Cody is indeed a contender for a state championship this year.

Both Cody and Torrington came into Friday night’s showdown with decent credentials, but both teams also wanted to prove that they belonged in that discussion of 3A’s upper echelon that, before Friday, only really included Douglas and Buffalo.

Now, you have to include Cody in that talk. Especially when you look at three numbers: 358, 47 and 0.

The Broncs shouldn’t have sneaked up on anyone this fall. They returned several key members of a team that played for the 3A championship last year.

And, yet, through the first couple weeks, the Broncs faded into the background of the 3A discussion, with a 1-1 record in a pair of forgettable games against Montana foes followed up by an expected blowout of Rawlins.

After what the Broncs did on Friday, that won’t happen again.

Second mad props to Pinedale, who once again proved how much old ways of thinking about the 2A classification aren’t going to get you anywhere in 2010. Pinedale not only beat Kemmerer, the Wranglers shut out the Rangers 24-0. It’s the first time EVER (at least according to my records) that Pinedale has shut out Kemmerer. When you frame it in the context of the 2A West playoff race in 2010, it’s a huge win for the Wranglers, but when you frame it in terms of series history, it’s the type of win that can give a program overflowing amounts of confidence.

Third mad props to another 2A West team, Mountain View, which finally broke a couple years of frustrating finals by nudging Big Piney 21-18. I said on Thursday that Mountain View had what it took to give Big Piney a game if the Punchers overlooked them. I think that’s part of what happened on Friday — but I also think part of it is that Mountain View, after a couple years of frustration, are back. Right now, the Buffs are definitely contenders for one of the conference’s four playoff spots. The next three weeks (Lovell, Pinedale and Lyman) will be telling — but don’t be surprised to see the Mountain View program fully assert its potential the next few weeks and show everyone that, more than just one victory over Big Piney, they are back.

Fourth mad props to the Natrona sophomore team, which beat Lingle 39-37 on Thursday.

Saturday edit: Fifth mad props to Ten Sleep, which made the trip to Midwest and came away with a 39-26 victory. This game has helped, in a big way, to set the hierarchy in six-man football this year, a hierarchy that differs quite a bit from last year. With this win, Ten Sleep went a long way to setting up at least one home playoff game. In six-man, where distances can be huge, that’s a big deal.

More: Sixth mad props to Kaycee, which ended Hanna’s perfect season with a 47-33 victory over the Miners in southern Johnson County. Kaycee is looking more and more like the team that was ranked No. 1 in the preseason, and I think they’d love another shot at Snake River….

More: Seventh mad props to Meeteetse, which smacked defending champ Guernsey 48-19. It’s a good win for the Longhorns and it further gives depth to the forming 1A six-man rankings. Now the question across the classification is if anyone will shake it up, or if we’ll see 7-0, 6-1, 5-2, 4-3, 3-4, 2-5, 1-6 and 0-7 by the end of week 7.

Here’s some other stuff that drew my attention on Friday:

I went over the hill on Friday afternoon to take in the Pine Bluffs-Sundance showdown at Wyoming’s easternmost football field. And the Hornets looked good. I walked away from that game thinking that 42-0 score was somewhat misleading, as Sundance actually looked pretty good. Then I thought more about it and said, nope, it’s not misleading at all. Pine Bluffs is one of those rare 1A teams that has both a rushing and a passing game. They’re a fun team to watch, and although they’ll have their work cut out for them in a conference that includes Lusk and Lingle, they won’t be a pushover, either.

On my way home, I stopped in and watched a possession of Newcastle-Burns (trust me, I wanted to stay longer, but the trip was cut short by, oh, wanting to go to sleep). The one possession I watched, Burns scored. Of course, Burns lost to Newcastle 10-6…. Now I’m thinking Burns should pay me to hang around its games as the official good luck mascot.

Then, as I drove home, I tuned in to listen to the Cheyenne Central-Laramie game. You know what happened in that one. 56-7. Yeah, it was bad, but it’s more than that when you realize it’s the worst beat down, on either side, in the history of that series — 105 games over the past 87 years. It’s even more amazing when you consider it was 56-0 at halftime and the running clock was used in the second half. Wow.

Eight shutouts this week. Seems abnormally high. And all of them seemed like blowouts. There weren’t any, like, 7-0 slugfests. The closest shutout this week 21-0. Just a little weird, that’s all. … Additionally, there were only seven games decided by seven points or fewer. Maybe we’re starting to see some separation in some of these classifications. … OK, now we can officially start talking about Douglas-Buffalo. … Cokeville. That’s all. Just Cokeville.

Thoughts? Post ’em below. We’re almost at the halfway point of the regular season, and there is plenty to talk about.

This week: 23-7 (77 percent). This season: 84-26 (76 percent).

It’s a new day in Class 2A.

At one point or another in the past few years, the state championship road has gone through either Kemmerer or Glenrock.

In 2010, that road might go through Thermopolis. Or Big Horn. Or Big Piney. Or Lyman.

Yes, Lyman. The Eagles proved their legitimacy on Friday by soundly thumping Kemmerer, 41-6, in The Pit in Kemmerer.

It ended Kemmerer’s three-year reign of dominance among its western brethren. The Rangers had not lost a conference game since 2006, but all of a sudden are 0-1 in the 2A West thanks to the resurgent Eagles.

Lyman has been on the cusp of a big breakthrough like this for the last year or so, but didn’t put all the pieces together in quite the right order until Friday. Now that they have, the 2A West looks like one big mess at the top.

Big Piney, Lovell and Greybull also won their 2A West conference openers on Friday, and all four look like they have what it takes to win the conference. Fortunately, they’ll have plenty of chances to sort it out, starting with Lovell’s trip to Lyman next week, the first of many gut checks in a conference sure to provide a ton of excitement this fall.

Second mad props to Sundance, which proved that comparing scores is worthless when they beat Southeast 14-13 in Crook County. So explain this one to me: Moorcroft beats Sundance 6-0, Southeast beats Newcastle 27-7, Newcastle beats Moorcroft 36-6, and Sundance beats Southeast 14-13. Huh? It just goes to show that high school football isn’t decided on paper. Sundance beat Southeast for the first time since 1990 with a team that we learned two things about on Friday: it plays great defense (just 19 points allowed in two games) and it plays up to a challenge. It’s a great win for the ‘Dogs, who have the long trip to Pine Bluffs next week in what all of a sudden is a critical game in the race for playoff seeding.

Third mad props to Riverton, which shook up 3A’s predictability by taking it to Star Valley, 28-6. It’s another solid victory for a team that had a bit of a setback last week after struggling with turnovers. Those ailments are apparently all better now, and just in time, too. The 3A East looks more and more like it will have at least one deserving team left out of the playoffs come late October.

Fourth mad props to Kaycee, which proved it ain’t dead yet by making the short trip down to Midwest and taking care of the Oilers 48-38. Once again, I don’t think this is a demonstration of one team’s superiority or another’s inferiority. This is just another case of the six-man division showing us it won’t be as easy as it was last year. The state champion may have two or three losses by the time we’re all said and done. Heck, everyone in the division may have two or three losses by the time we’re all said and done. Can’t read too much into this — but, for Kaycee, it’s an important victory that might kick-start the Buckaroos as they face critical games against Hanna and Ten Sleep the next two weeks.

Fifth mad props to Dubois, which beat Rocky Mountain 13-12 and showed, just in case you weren’t sure, that these aren’t your big brother’s Rams. Dubois beat Rocky for the first time since 1985 and put together their first three-game winning streak (counting last year’s season finale) since  2004. With each passing week, the Rams are proving just how dangerous they can be. Can you imagine how hyped the Rams will be if they can beat Wind River next week?

Some other things I noticed this week:

Is there a more schizophrenic team in Wyoming than Evanston? … Green River is the best 0-3 team in the state. Just ask Sheridan. … Thanks to Buffalo for helping me keep their points per game average easy — it’s 41. … Tongue River could be one of those teams that really crimps their opponents’ style. If they keep rocking the boat, eventually they’ll capsize it. The Eagles have four winnable games the next four weeks before finishing the regular season with Thermopolis and Big Horn back to back. … Can anyone stop Cokeville? Short answer, no. Prolly not before Laramie, anyway. …

This week: 26-5 (84 percent). This season: 61-19 (76 percent).

Class 2A just got a whole lot more interesting.

Or a whole lot more predictable, depending on who you ask.

Big Horn’s big-time 37-14 victory over Greybull — in Greybull — is the type of game that sends shock waves through a classification. Greybull figured to be one of the best teams in the 2A West. The Buffs might still be. Yet the Rams left little doubt as to which team was the better team on the field Friday night.

It’s not surprising to me that Big Horn won. With all the starters the Rams have back this fall, beating Greybull was entirely possible. But 37-14? That’s more than a victory. That’s a statement.

But for Big Horn, the journey has only begun. The Rams face Burns and Wright the next two weeks before back-to-back showdowns with Glenrock and Thermopolis.

The Rams will be ready, though. Friday’s performance proved that.

Second mad props to a pair of Carbon County six-man teams, Snake River and Hanna. Snake River pulled one of the bigger upsets of the day, thumping preseason No. 1 Kaycee 68-44 in Baggs, while Hanna barely eked past Ten Sleep 34-32. I’ve been saying for quite a while now that six-man is much more unpredictable this fall, especially now that teams have a year of practice under their belts and, on paper, the teams match up more evenly. It’s hard to choose one from the pack because they match up so well. I think this is just the proof of that; Kaycee and Ten Sleep are no more out of it than Snake River and Hanna are now. Nevertheless, Kaycee and Ten Sleep figured to be two of the better teams in the classification, and Snake River and Hanna flipped that logic around convincingly.

Third mad props to the two Casper teams, Natrona and Kelly Walsh, for their convincing victories over Evanston and Green River, respectively. NC went on the road and flogged Evanston 34-10, while KW stopped Green River in its tracks 21-7. The 4A hierarchy was shaped a ton by these two games — NC as a title favorite thanks to two straight big victories, and Kelly Walsh as a legit contender, even despite last week’s loss. Obviously the fun is just getting started as these two teams face each other in the Oil Bowl next week… but for now, both teams can enjoy solid victories and appreciate their place.

Fourth mad props to Powell, which proved that zero week doesn’t mean too much by overcoming Riverton 13-10. Powell had a rough go of it last week before its game with Miles City, Mont., was stopped; Riverton had no trouble with Jackson. But coaches say all the time that the biggest improvement a team makes in a week is in the week between the first game and the second game. Powell improved, then won. And the 3A West looks a whole lot tougher.

Fifth mad props to another northwestern Wyoming squad, Lovell, which made the long trip to Wright and came away with a one-point victory. I don’t know much about what happened in this game (little help?), but I do know that (1) making a long trip like that, then playing well, often don’t go together, and (2) both teams had potential to be tough teams to stop this fall. Lovell found the way to win, on the road, against a good team. That HAS to bring confidence to a team.

Sixth mad props to another northwestern squad, Riverside, 23-20 winners on the road over Pinedale. In another game involving a long road trip for a pair of evenly matched teams, the road team again came out on top. Again, I don’t know much about what happened in the game, but going on the road, against a school three times your size, and coming back with a victory is not an easy task to do. The Rebels accomplished it and head into the conference schedule a scary team.

Seventh mad props to Dubois, which put the smack down on Upton by the tune of 48-0 in Casper. It was 41-0 at halftime. It’s a big win for the Rams, who are building a bit of momentum now. They won last year’s season finale and this year’s season opener — the first time they’ve won two in a row as a program since early in the 2006 season. Don’t look now, but the 1A West just got a whole lot more convoluted.

Eighth mad props to Wind River, which continued its domination over Wyoming Indian in a high-scoring shootout in Pavillion. The Cougars beat the Chiefs for the 14th time in a row, a streak that dates to 1987. I thought the Chiefs might have the edge this year, but the Cougars proved that notion wrong and also proved that they have that scary word — potential — and could be a threat again this year.

Ninth mad props to Star Valley, which not only beat but beat down Snake River, Idaho, 49-21. The Panthers have one of Idaho’s more consistent programs, but Friday’s game in Afton wasn’t even close. The Braves took control early, rolled up a big lead and then let the JV take some snaps. Wow — that is an impressive performance from the Braves. Like I said before, the 3A West looks a whole lot tougher.

Obviously, we see a lot of changes from year to year, and the first full week of the season gave us a glimpse of those changes. Sheridan and Natrona have set the pace for 4A teams; the 3A West looks like the toughest conference in the state; Douglas keeps on winning; Big Horn has  2A scurred; the 1A West is in a relationship and it’s complicated; didja see Southeast, Lingle, Lusk and Pine Bluffs all won; six-man has parity.

The unfolding of a fantastic season has begun. … So what did you think? What were some of your favorite moments from Week 1? Post your thoughts below and let’s chat.

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

The score was 44-21 — about what you’d expect in the Gillette-Evanston season opener.

Wait. What?

Evanston won the game? Not Gillette?

Oh. Well, that changes everything.

Yes, it really was Evanston, and not Gillette, that dominated. On the road. With a new coach. Coming off a 1-8 season.

All of the traditional reasons that Evanston should have lost on Friday did not mean anything to the Red Devils, who went from unknown afterthought to the center of attention in Class 4A football circles. Evanston burst out to a big lead early and made big plays all night long against the Camels, who never figured out how to stop the Red Devils’ offensive attack.

On an opening night that pretty much went according to the script, the Red Devils provided the dramatic turn of the plot in the final scene — the one that keeps the audience breathlessly waiting to see what happens next.

We only have to wait a few more days to see just that. Evanston hosts Natrona next week in an early showdown of 1-0 teams. Gillette, meanwhile, has to travel to Laramie and try to regroup against the Plainsmen, who also lost a tough season opener on Friday.

The only thing we can say with any certainty at this point of the season is that, with eight weeks remaining in the regular season, Evanston has already matched last year’s win total — and that no one will take them lightly the rest of the season.

Second mad props to Laurel, Mont., which beat Cody 21-12 on Saturday night.

Late Sunday edit: Third mad props to the Cheyenne East JV, which beat Southeast 20-16 on Saturday in Cheyenne. The T-Birds returned two punts for touchdowns, including one with a minute to go in the game, to knock off the Cyclones. That’s becoming a trend for East, isn’t it?

And that’s all I missed in the opening week of picks. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some games that deserve some mention:

I attended the Cheyenne East-Green River game on Friday, and even though East won 33-30, Green River was quite impressive. The Wolves kept the game interesting and never gave up, rallying for 23 points in the final 6:10 to keep it close. Obviously, East’s Jeremy Woods stole the show with 215 rushing yards and a 74-yard punt return touchdown, but don’t forget the Wolves had two backs with more than 100 rushing yards in Kolby Kester and Cooper Palmer….

Don’t underestimate either Lyman or Newcastle this year. Both teams played out-of-state foes down to the final minute on Friday, and even though they both lost, they both proved they have what it takes to hang in Class 2A this fall….

Riverton put up 49 points on Saturday in a big victory over Jackson. Like I said on Thursday, I think Riverton has been under the radar all offseason — something you have love as a team, because every week is another opportunity to prove yourselves and you don’t have to have expectations weighing you down. A tough draw of nonconference opponents (Powell, Star Valley and Lander) will test that notion, but if Saturday is any indication, the Wolverines could be 4-0 heading into their 3A East schedule. …

One other housekeeping note: The game between Powell and Miles City, Mont., was canceled due to a koala bear infestation up in Custer County…. It was the cutest infestation ever. Until I hear otherwise, that will be the reasoning I give. Thanks to Mitch Hedberg for the help on that game! 🙂

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

–patrick

Thermopolis, with or without a new coach with a new offensive approach, was going to be better in 2009.

The bulk of the Bobcats’ 2008 squad was back, and even though Thermopolis was only 2-7 last season, the seeds of improvement and respectability had been planted.

But who saw THIS coming?

Thermopolis is in the Class 2A championship game — and went through perennial power Kemmerer to make it to Laramie.

“Through” is the key word here. The Bobcats made the trek to Kemmerer, then acted like the Rangers were little more than another pesky foe to be dispatched than the program that had won state titles in 2005 and 2007 and finished second last year. The Bobcats won 33-13, a score that might have seemed improbable at the end of last season but, given what’s happened this season in Hot Springs County, shouldn’t be all that surprising anymore.

New coach Chuck Syverson and his son, quarterback Mitch, have injected life into the program. Colin Herold and Chris Leyba have been fantastic targets for Syverson’s passes and are 1-2 in 2A in receiving.

Now, Thermopolis travels to Laramie to face defending champion Glenrock in the 2A title game.

And with or without a victory next Friday, the Thermopolis turnaround remains one of the best high school football stories this year in Wyoming.

Second mad props go to the Kaycee Bucakroos, who earned a berth in the six-man championship game in their first year by knocking off Midwest 58-56. Kaycee rallied from a 40-28 deficit early in the third quarter and took a 44-40 lead with six minutes to go — and then the fun started:

Midwest grabbed a 48-44 lead with 3 1/2 minutes to go on a TD run by Riley Harshman… Kaycee re-took the lead 52-48 on a 35-yard touchdown run 30 seconds later… Harshman scored again on a 40-yard TD pass with 35 seconds to go to give Midwest a 56-52 lead… and then Kaycee notched the winning points with 14 seconds remaining on a 55-yard run by (fill in missing name of Kaycee player here…. post a comment below if you know who scored!).

It sounds like the type of game no one should lose. But someone had to. Kaycee just ended up with the last score in a back-and-forth game, and now they’ve earned a spot in Laramie in their first season. That’s quite an accomplishment… and for Kaycee, it’s made all the more impressive by the fact that the Buckaroos had to win two road playoff games — at Ten Sleep in the first round, then at Midwest in the semis — to make it to the title game. That’s a lotta moxie for a program that’s just getting started.

From Saturday: Third mad props to Lingle, which fell behind early but rallied to beat previously unbeaten Cokeville 25-14. In winning, the Doggers set up a rematch with the only team to beat them this season — Southeast. The Doggers lost to the Cyclones 27-11 back in Week 8, but you can bet that the rematch in Laramie will be a bit different if Lingle has anything to say about it. The Doggers’ effort on Saturday is not to be discounted, either. They beat Cokeville in Cokeville — not an easy task — and gave the Panthers their first loss of the year. And it’s not a short trip from Lingle to Cokeville. The Doggers overcame not only the Panthers but the road trip, as well. That should be a great confidence booster for Lingle, which will be playing in its first state championship game since winning the 9-man championship in 1990.

Some other stuff that not only turned my head, but my torso, too:

The Central defense is underrated. I was fortunate enough to catch the Central-Gillette game on Friday in Cheyenne, and even though I’ve watched Central play several times this year, I’ve never seen that defense play that well. It was almost scary how efficient the Indians were at stopping Gillette’s offense — the Camels had minus-13 net rushing yards and barely more than 100 total yards for the game.

And speaking of 4A, how about that game between Sheridan and Kelly Walsh? The Broncs eked out a 9-7 victory after a 28-yard field goal by Drew Slikker with 9.2 seconds remaining. Once again, it was the type of game neither team should lose. For Sheridan, it’s an exciting portion of a trip to a larger goal in Laramie… and, for Kelly Walsh, it’s the type of game that stings more than it should. Give it 10 or 20 years, guys, and it’ll be the type of game you’re just glad to be a part of.

I say next Sunday, Douglas meets up with the winner of the Central-Sheridan game….

Who says experience doesn’t count for anything? Just ask Southeast. Or Wind River. Players learn something about how to get the job done when you win three consecutive championships.

So what else turned your torso this weekend? Which championship game looks most appealing to you next weekend? Post a comment below and let me know.

More later this week.

This week: 7-3 (70 percent). This season: 234-58 (80 percent).

–patrick

Maybe there is something to the triple option.

Maybe, in a place like Wyoming, where the wind routinely transports small children, Volkswagens and cows across three counties, it’s best to consistently keep the ball out of the air.

Right, Kelly Walsh?

The Trojans once again proved the viability of the triple option in the first round of the 4A football playoffs on Friday, as quarterback Lucas Nolan ran for more than 200 yards as KW bopped Green River 38-20 in windy Sweetwater County.

With the victory, the Trojans became the only road team in any of the 11-man playoff brackets to win in the first round. And they took part in a trend of dominating first-round performances.

Of the 20 games in the first round, only three were decided by seven points or less. Rock Springs gave Gillette a tussle and scored late in a 27-20 loss; Worland needed a conversion in the second overtime to outlast Riverton 38-37; and Kaycee edged Ten Sleep (which played with seven players in uniform) 48-43 in six-man. Thirteen of the 20 games (updated with Cokeville’s win on Monday) were decided by at least 20 points.

Like I mentioned, the home teams had the clear advantage in the 11-man brackets, with 15 of the 16 home teams posting victories. Of course, that makes sense: The teams playing at home had better regular seasons than those that had to travel. In maintaining bracket integrity, though, the semifinal matchups are that much more straightforward — no Cinderella stories here.

This shouldn’t be too surprising, though: Last year, 19 of the 20 home teams won in the first round.

The only exception to the home-team dominance came in six-man, but that was no surprise either. As has been the case all season, the East Conference teams had control of the first round, winning all four games and sending the four West Conference teams home for the season. A West Conference team didn’t beat an East Conference team in 15 tries this season.

Looking ahead to the semifinals, a few things immediately stand out:

Sheridan’s path to the state championship now goes through the only team to beat the Broncs in the regular season — Kelly Walsh. … Worland is in the semis for the first time since 2003, when the Warriors went 11-0 and won the 4A title. Worland had lost first-round games every year since then, but broke out of that with its double-OT thriller against Riverton. … Lingle is in the semifinals for the first time since 1996. Last time the Doggers made it this far, they lost to Cokeville in the semis. Lingle will play either Cokeville or Pine Bluffs in the semis this year. … Southeast and Wind River have never played each other, but will meet in the 1A 11-man semifinals next week. … Glenrock and Kemmerer continued on their collision course for Laramie, but a pair of formidable foes — Greybull and Thermopolis, respectively — await in the semifinals. I think I’m looking forward to those games more than any other for the semis. …

How about you? Any quarterfinal moments that stuck out for you? Or any semifinal matchups you’re really looking forward to seeing? Post a comment below.

This week: 19-1 (95 percent). This season: 227-55 (80 percent).

–patrick

Two days ago, I said Southeast could consider it a success if it stayed within two touchdowns of Lingle.

Now, it’s Lingle that should feel good about staying within two touchdowns of Southeast.

The Cyclones flipped the Class 1A 11-man hierarchy on its head Friday night by beating the previously unbeaten Doggers 27-11 in Yoder. The victory is a huge one for the blue and white, a team whose aspirations for a fourth consecutive state championship all of a sudden look a lot more viable.

Clearly, Southeast has the athleticism, the ability and — maybe most important — the experience to hang with any 1A team in the state. We knew that before Friday. But what this victory does for the Cyclones, and what it does for the Doggers, can’t be underemphasized.

First of all, the Cyclones’ defense slowed down the Doggers’ ground game like no other team has. Lingle had scored at least 41 points in every other game this fall but were held to 30 points less than that on Friday. Second, the Cyclones’ offense put up 27 points, almost quadruple what the Lingle defense normally gives up. Third, and maybe most importantly, Southeast usurped the East Conference championship right out from under the Doggers and guaranteed home-field advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Now, Lingle and Cokeville — the top two ranked teams for most of the season in 1A — are on the same side of the bracket. And, provided Lingle can get past Rocky Mountain and Cokeville beats Pine Bluffs in the first round, Lingle would have to travel to Cokeville in order to earn a berth in the title game.

Southeast’s road to Laramie is no easier, not with a game Riverside team coming to Yoder for the first round and either Wind River or Lusk awaiting in the semifinals.

But now it’s the Cyclones, not the Doggers, that are at home for the playoffs — something that will be critical, especially considering how many good teams are in that classification this fall.

Staying in the 1A East, second mad props to Pine Bluffs, which used a huge tackle from Max Williams on a two-point conversion try in the final minute of the game to edge Hulett 22-20 and earn the fourth and final playoff spot in the East. The Hornets had a 22-6 lead, then hung on for dear life after the Red Devils scored two touchdowns in the game’s final six minutes to make it interesting. And never mind that Pine will be a huge underdog in the first round as it has to travel all the way to Cokeville to play the undefeated Panthers in the first round. Pine Bluffs is in the playoffs — for the first time since 2003. For now, that’s all that matters.

While we’re at it, third mad props to another 1A East team, Normative Services, which earned its first victory in the season finale by upending Sundance 38-15. The Wolves had a rough time in 2009, losing all but one game in their seven-game losing streak by at least 35 points before upending the Bulldogs on Thursday. For the program and the school, it’s an encouraging end — the Wolves had some decent athletes, including a few players who gritted out the team’s first berth to the state basketball tournament last winter — and it gives hope to a team that, because of the nature of the school, is constantly rebuilding. After seeing all the breaks fall the other way, it’s nice to see one finally fall the way of the Wolves.

Fourth mad props to Wright, which earned a playoff berth by knocking out defending 2A champion Burns 22-14. Much like Pine Bluffs, Wright earns a playoff berth only to have to travel across the state for a game that, on paper, looks like a mismatch — Wright at Kemmerer. But, like Pine, Wright is happy simply to have the chance. It may not go well, but at least for the Panthers it will go… and that’s important for a multitude of reasons. And there’s always the chance of something unexpected happening once the playoffs start.

Fifth mad props to Pinedale, which upended Wyoming Indian 46-12 to end the season with a pair of victories after an 0-6 start. The Wranglers’ struggles were a little befuddling to me, especially after the success they had last year, so to see them turn it around — albeit a little too late to return the playoffs — has to be encouraging for 2010. Really, Pinedale wasn’t too far away from making the playoffs: nine points (a 12-7 loss to Big Piney and a 9-5 loss to Mountain View) ended up being enough to keep the Wranglers at home.

Sixth mad props to the Green River frosh/soph team, which beat Hanna 70-26 on Thursday to mark the second sub-varsity win over a six-man varsity team this season (corrected).

Saturday addition: Seventh mad props to Big Piney, which shut out Lovell 14-0 to head into the playoffs on the right foot. The Punchers, 1-7 last year, are officially back. At 6-2, Big Piney is a threat in the 2A playoff bracket, even with a road game at Thermopolis in the first round. I knew Big Piney would turn it around; I just didn’t think it would be this fast. But it’s been kind of fun to watch this year, and Saturday’s victory is a little taste of what the future could hold for the Punchers.

Some other stuff that’s interesting to me, including a meaningless link to the Tetris music videos and the Snoop Tetris remix:

First things first: The playoff pairings (minus Saturday’s games) are set. Click here for those. (Saturday update: The Wyoming High School Activities Association has also posted official brackets on its site; dates and times will be published there as well.) Dates and times will probably be announced Monday or Tuesday for all games, maybe sooner, but first-round games are set for 7 p.m. Friday unless the schools can mutually agree to change. Kemmerer and Cokeville will obviously have to change (no lights), and some six-man games will probably move to Saturday, but other than that I think most everyone will stick to Friday.

There were some gutsy performances on Friday by teams that had to win: Laramie’s big comeback victory over East to make it to the playoffs and to leave East out; Cody’s overtime victory over Worland to secure the 3A West’s top seed; Riverton’s road victory over Wheatland to make the postseason; Lander’s home victory over Powell to snatch the 3A West’s final playoff spot; Rocky Mountain’s shutout victory over Saratoga to make it to the postseason and leave Burlington out; and the victories by Wright, Southeast and Pine Bluffs. What a great week for those teams… not so much for the teams they bumped out of the playoffs… but that’s what Week 8 is all about. …

Maybe it’s just me, but I haven’t heard anyone reminiscing about the good old days of power ratings. …

Rawlins didn’t have much to cheer for this season, finishing 0-8, but the only points scored by the Outlaws in Friday’s 55-6 loss to Buffalo came off a short plunge from three-year offensive line starter Ryley Dawson… That’s pretty cool, and certainly a memorable way to end an otherwise forgettable season. …

Looking ahead to 2011, I’m thinking about six-man and wondering which 11-man teams might make the move to drop down — or if any of the current six-man teams are thinking about a move up…. I’d say that the teams that are there now will all stay, but Shoshoni and Dubois, both winless so far this year and playing each other on Tuesday, should really look at a change. Unless the junior high numbers are really high or something, both of those squads might fit the six-man style better. Shoshoni has struggled with numbers all year and in at least one game couldn’t finish with 11 on the field. Something to think about. …

What drew your attention, your awe or your fury in Week 8? Post a comment below.

This week: 24-7 (77 percent). This year: 208-54 (79 percent).

–patrick

Pride never dies in the 2A West.

Just look at what Pinedale and Wyoming Indian did in Week 7.

After six losses apiece to open the season, both the Wranglers and the Chiefs picked up their first victories of the season — Pinedale 25-15 over Lyman on Thursday, and Wyoming Indian 26-14 over Mountain View on Friday.

The Wranglers’ win helped them shed the after-effects of a few losses this season — 12-7 to Big Piney, 9-5 to Mountain View and 13-12 to Riverside. But it also reminded the Wranglers just how close they were to being a playoff contender.

Pinedale looked like a team on the rise after last year’s trip to the semifinals. The close losses this year might have stunted that growth a bit, but Thursday’s win will help them regain some of that swagger and start the building process for 2010.

As for the Chiefs, their 26-14 victory over Mountain View was important, too, but not just for the season. Yes, the win was the Chiefs’ first of 2009, and, yes, it was a needed victory for a program still in the steps of establishing itself against 2A competition. But this one was bigger than 2009.

As I pointed out last week, the Chiefs had had no success against the Buffs in their previous three meetings, losing all three of them decisively — and all by shutout. Wyoming Indian proved that growth is not just a seasonal thing. It extends from season to season and from decade to decade. Now, the Chiefs can have confidence. They’ve beaten Mountain View. Even if it was just once, once can carry confidence for a long, long time.

Third mad props to Gillette, which shook off a few weeks of frustration by beating Kelly Walsh — and by beating them with ease. The Camels blasted the Trojans 45-15 in Casper, letting every other team in 4A know that they’re still a threat. It wasn’t so much that Gillette won — that, honestly, was not too surprising. The Camels are good. It was the way in which the Camels won that was the most surprising. A 30-point victory over the Trojans, in Gillette, is no easy accomplishment. Gillette made it look like paper football.

Fourth mad props to Rock Springs, which topped Natrona County 42-35 in double overtime to win for the third time in four games and lock away a playoff spot. It’s kind of hard to believe the Tigers lost four in a row to start the season. They’re past that now. And, just like every other team in 4A, they’re a threat come playoff time.

Fifth mad props to the Buffalo “We’re not dead yet” Bison, which beat up on Torrington 31-12 to basically assure themselves of a home playoff game. The Bison have been easy to overlook this fall, even with a 4-2 record. Well, not anymore. They’re at home for the first round of the playoffs. And if you don’t know it by now: Don’t count out Buffalo in the playoffs.

Sixth mad props to Burlington, which kept its playoff dreams alive by beating Rocky Mountain 21-8 to create an interesting logjam for the third and fourth spots out of the 1A West. Riverside and Burlington are both 4-2, while Rocky falls to 3-3… and next week, Riverside and Burlington play road games against conference leaders Wind River and Cokeville, respectively, while Rocky hosts Saratoga. If they all end up at 4-3…. well, then I’ll have to drag out my WHSAA handbook and figure out tiebreakers on the fly.

Sunday add: Seventh mad props to Kaycee, which topped Ten Sleep in a 71-67 six-man shootout. I figured Kaycee had the potential to knock off Ten Sleep, especially at home. And it creates an interesting question — how many people saw the East as the dominant conference in six-man this year from top to bottom? With Kaycee beating Ten Sleep, the East is now 10-0 against the West this year. It’s now looking entirely possible for all four East teams to win in the first round of the playoffs. Wow. I’ll admit I didn’t see that happening, not with experienced six-man teams Meeteetse and Ten Sleep anchoring the West. As it is, the East has been the dominant side. No wonder East teams want six-man to go to one conference next year.

So what else drew my attention this week? Well…

Three overtime games this week. Two were in 4A — no surprise there — and one in 3A. What sticks out to me about all of 4A and the 3A West is how evenly matched most of those divisions are from top to bottom. The 4A playoffs are going to be a blast, and it’ll be interesting to see how the 3A West matches up with the 3A East in the first round….

The three games atop 4A, 1A-11 and 1A-6 went pretty much according to projection, as Sheridan came back to beat Central, Cokeville edged Wind River 7-0 and Guernsey shook off the rust to overwhelm Midwest. Sheridan won its seventh in a row and is looking like 4A’s favorite again, a Cokeville-Lingle championship game in 1A-11 is looking more and more possible, while Guernsey and Midwest could easily meet each other in a rematch in Laramie….

Does anyone else think Douglas would be better than .500 in 4A this year? …

It’s looking more and more like we’ll get another Kemmerer-Glenrock championship game. But, fortunately for everyone, it looks like there are a few teams in the bracket this year (Greybull, Thermopolis, maybe even Lovell and Big Horn) that could knock off the two top dogs. It won’t be a cakewalk through the playoffs like it was last year for the Rangers and Herders — something that is good for the division, the two favorites and everyone else chasing them. So you’re telling me there’s a chance! ….

So how about it? What did you see/hear/feel this week about football across the state? Jot a comment below.

This week: 24-7 (77 percent). This season: 184-47 (80 percent).

–patrick