NEW dream Wyoming high school football schedule for 2014

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Since I wrote this post back in May, we’ve learned some new facts about Wyoming’s high school football landscape for 2014 and 2015.

We learned Moorcroft and Tongue River were moving to 1A 11-man. We learned Wyoming Indian and Saratoga were leaving six-man for 11-man. We learned Upton and Sundance are going to keep their co-op. We learned Lingle and Cokeville, despite having six-man enrollments, were going to play 11-man football. And we learned conference alignments.

So I knew I had to build a new dream schedule to fit the new conference alignments to update the one I made in May.

The schedule, though, couldn’t be just a nonconference schedule. The schedule had to be a full-on, eight-week, complete schedule, with home and road dates. Building the schedule any other way would leave it full of holes and bye weeks I couldn’t otherwise fix.

I built schedules as much as I could like the WHSAA, meaning I considered geography and competitive equity as much as I could in my decisions. I also did everything in my power to avoid schedules that would give teams either three consecutive home games or three consecutive road games. But I didn’t deal with some things the WHSAA does (see the end of this post for more on that).

Below, you’ll also see something called a JOB week. JOB stands for junior-varsity, out-of-state or bye week. Maybe it’s also my subconscious telling schools they got “jobbed” by me that week for leaving it open… Either way, that week is open for one of those three options: a junior-varsity vs. varsity game, an out-of-state game or a bye. I’ve tried to give most JOB weeks at the 11-man level to schools near state borders to facilitate out-of-state games.

I also didn’t build a 4A schedule. With no changes coming to the big-school division, there is no reason to tear up the schedule that was new this year.

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Class 3A: I maintained the current conference schedules as much as possible, although I had to change a couple host sites in the West. Otherwise, with the conferences remaining static, the changes came in the nonconference schedule.

3A East
Buffalo: at Cody; vs. Powell; vs. Worland; at Douglas; at Riverton; vs. Lander; at Torrington; vs. Rawlins.
Douglas: at Powell; vs. Worland; at Cody; vs. Buffalo; at Lander; at Rawlins; vs. Riverton; vs. Torrington.
Lander: at Star Valley; vs. Cody; vs. Green River; at Torrington; vs. Douglas; at Buffalo; vs. Rawlins; at Riverton.
Rawlins: at Wheatland; vs. Green River; vs. Jackson; at Riverton; vs. Torrington; vs. Douglas; at Lander; at Buffalo.
Riverton: at Green River; vs. Star Valley; at Powell; vs. Rawlins; vs. Buffalo; at Torrington; at Douglas; vs. Lander.
Torrington: at JOB; at JOB; vs. Wheatland; vs. Lander; at Rawlins; vs. Riverton; vs. Buffalo; at Douglas.

3A West
Cody: vs. Buffalo; at Lander; vs. Douglas; at Green River; vs. Jackson; at Star Valley; vs. Powell; at Worland.
Green River: vs. Riverton; at Rawlins; at Lander; vs. Cody; at Worland; vs. Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Powell.
Jackson: vs. JOB; at Pinedale; at Rawlins; vs. Powell; at Cody; at Green River; vs. Worland; vs. Star Valley.
Powell: vs. Douglas; at Buffalo; vs. Riverton; at Jackson; at Star Valley; vs. Worland; at Cody; vs. Green River.
Star Valley: vs. Lander; at Riverton; vs. JOB; at Worland; vs. Powell; vs. Cody; at Green River; at Jackson.
Worland: vs. Thermopolis; at Douglas; at Buffalo; vs. Star Valley; vs. Green River; at Powell; at Jackson; vs. Cody.

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Class 2A: The big scheduling challenge with an odd number of teams came here. Basically, I had three teams every week with byes — one from each 2A conference and one from the 1A 11-man East. I tried to develop a schedule that would allow two of those three teams to play each other, leaving only one team with a JOB week. So what you see in the 2A schedules are Week 1 nonconference games, with the second nonconference game coming at a different week for every team in the conference.

The 2A East, which had 2A West and 1A 11-man East schools to choose from, didn’t end up with any JOB weeks.

I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to looking at who hosted who in 2013; some teams may make the same road trips in 2014 that they did/will this year. However, no schools are making trips for a third consecutive year, near as I can tell…

2A East
Big Horn: at Tongue River; vs. Burns; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; at Thermopolis; vs. Wheatland; at Wright; vs. Moorcroft.
Burns: vs. Southeast; at Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock; at Wheatland; vs. Thermopolis; at Lusk; vs. Wright.
Glenrock: at Lyman; vs. Newcastle; at Big Horn; vs. Burns; at Wright; vs. Kemmerer; at Thermopolis; vs. Wheatland.
Newcastle: vs. Lusk; at Glenrock; at Burns; vs. Big Horn; at Lovell; vs. Wright; at Wheatland; vs. Thermopolis.
Thermopolis: at Worland; vs. Wheatland; at Wright; vs. Lyman; vs. Big Horn; at Burns; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle.
Wheatland: vs. Rawlins; at Thermopolis; at Torrington; vs. Wright; vs. Burns; at Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock.
Wright: at Moorcroft; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Thermopolis; at Wheatland; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; vs. Big Horn; at Burns.

2A West
Big Piney: vs. Wyoming Indian; at Mountain View; vs. Kemmerer; at Lovell; at Lyman; vs. Greybull; vs. Pinedale; at JOB.
Greybull: at Riverside; vs. Lyman; vs. Tongue River; at Pinedale; vs. Mountain View; at Big Piney; vs. Lovell; at Kemmerer.
Kemmerer: vs. Wind River; at Lovell; at Big Piney; vs. Mountain View; vs. Pinedale; at Glenrock; at Lyman; vs. Greybull.
Lovell: at Rocky Mountain; vs. Kemmerer; at Mountain View; vs. Big Piney; vs. Newcastle; at Pinedale; at Greybull; vs. Lyman.
Lyman: vs. Glenrock; at Greybull; vs. Pinedale; at Thermopolis; vs. Big Piney; at Mountain View; vs. Kemmerer; at Lovell.
Mountain View: at Cokeville; vs. Big Piney; vs. Lovell; at Kemmerer; at Greybull; vs. Lyman; vs. JOB; at Pinedale.
Pinedale: at Shoshoni; vs. Jackson; at Lyman; vs. Greybull; at Kemmerer; vs. Lovell; at Big Piney; vs. Mountain View.

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Class 1A 11-man: With unbalanced conferences — seven teams in the East, eight in the West — the goal was to do what I could to help out the teams in the East with their nonconference schedules. Some help will be needed from Nebraska, as most of the JOB weeks come for southeast corner schools, and Lingle ended up with a pair of JOB weeks. I considered a Week 6 swap that would have had Lingle playing Glenrock and Kemmerer playing a JOB week, but I couldn’t make the home/road balance work.

Just like I did in 2A, I didn’t consider who hosted who in 2013. But I did consider who hosted in 2012 and 2013 and tried to avoid instances of teams making the same road trip for the third consecutive year. I’m pretty sure I avoided all of those.

1A 11-man East
Lingle: at JOB; vs. Pine Bluffs; vs. Moorcroft; at Lusk; at Upton-Sundance; vs. JOB; at Southeast; vs. Tongue River.
Lusk: at Newcastle; at Moorcroft; vs. Pine Bluffs; vs. Lingle; at Tongue River; at Southeast; vs. Burns; vs. Upton-Sundance.
Moorcroft: vs. Wright; vs. Lusk; at Lingle; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Southeast; vs. Tongue River; at Upton-Sundance; at Big Horn.
Pine Bluffs: vs. Saratoga; at Lingle; at Lusk; vs. Moorcroft; at JOB; vs. Upton-Sundance; at Tongue River; vs. Southeast.
Southeast: at Burns; vs. Tongue River; at Upton-Sundance; vs. JOB; at Moorcroft; vs. Lusk; vs. Lingle; at Pine Bluffs.
Tongue River: vs. Big Horn; at Southeast; at Greybull; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Lusk; at Moorcroft; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Lingle.
Upton-Sundance: vs. Burlington; at Wright; vs. Southeast; at Tongue River; vs. Lingle; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Moorcroft; at Lusk.

1A 11-man West
Burlington: at Upton-Sundance; vs. Cokeville; at Riverside; vs. Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; at Saratoga; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Rocky Mountain.
Cokeville: vs. Mountain View; at Burlington; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Saratoga; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; at Riverside.
Riverside: vs. Greybull; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Burlington; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Saratoga; at Wind River; at Shoshoni; vs. Cokeville.
Rocky Mountain: vs. Lovell; vs. Riverside; at Cokeville; at Wind River; vs. Shoshoni; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Saratoga; at Burlington.
Saratoga: at Pine Bluffs; vs. Shoshoni; at Wind River; vs. Cokeville; at Riverside; vs. Burlington; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Wyoming Indian.
Shoshoni: vs. Pinedale; at Saratoga; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Burlington; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Cokeville; vs. Riverside; at Wind River.
Wind River: at Kemmerer; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Saratoga; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Burlington; vs. Riverside; at Cokeville; vs. Shoshoni.
Wyoming Indian: at Big Piney; vs. Wind River; at Shoshoni; vs. Riverside; at Cokeville; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Burlington; vs. Saratoga.

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Class 1A six-man: With 13 programs, one school has a JOB week every week. With a seven-six split, I tried to schedule the one open East team against one of the open West teams each week. The one week all the West schools played each other, the leftover East team (in this case, Midwest) got the JOB week.

This schedule also was not built to avoid two-year repeat trips, but it was built to avoid three-year repeats. Potential for several of those existed in six-man, and the schedule was built with those games as primary concerns.

1A six-man East
Guernsey-Sunrise: at JOB; vs. Hulett; at Kaycee; vs. Meeteetse; vs. Rock River; at NSI; vs. Midwest; at Hanna.
Hanna: at Snake River; vs. Kaycee; at Hulett; at Rock River; vs. Farson; at Midwest; vs. NSI; vs. Guernsey-Sunrise.
Hulett: at Ten Sleep; at Guernsey-Sunrise; vs. Hanna; vs. NSI; at Midwest; vs. Dubois; vs. Rock River; at Kaycee.
Kaycee: at Meeteetse; at Hanna; vs. Guernsey-Sunrise; vs. Midwest; at NSI; at Rock River; vs. St. Stephens; vs. Hulett.
Midwest: at Dubois; vs. Rock River; vs. JOB; at Kaycee; vs. Hulett; vs. Hanna; at Guernsey-Sunrise; at NSI.
NSI: at St. Stephens; vs. Snake River; at Rock River; at Hulett; vs. Kaycee; vs. Guernsey-Sunrise; at Hanna; vs. Midwest.
Rock River: at Farson; at Midwest; vs. NSI; vs. Hanna; at Guernsey-Sunrise; vs. Kaycee; at Hulett; vs. Ten Sleep.

1A six-man West
Dubois: vs. Midwest; at Meeteetse; vs. Farson; at Ten Sleep; vs. JOB; at Hulett; vs. Snake River; at St. Stephens.
Farson: vs. Rock River; at St. Stephens; at Dubois; vs. JOB; at Hanna; at Snake River; vs. Ten Sleep; vs. Meeteetse.
Meeteetse: vs. Kaycee; vs. Dubois; at St. Stephens; at Guernsey-Sunrise; vs. Snake River; at Ten Sleep; vs. JOB; at Farson.
St. Stephens: vs. NSI; at Farson; vs. Meeteetse; at Snake River; vs. Ten Sleep; at JOB; at Kaycee; vs. Dubois.
Snake River: vs. Hanna; at NSI; vs. Ten Sleep; vs. St. Stephens; at Meeteetse; vs. Farson; at Dubois; at JOB.
Ten Sleep: vs. Hulett; vs. JOB; at Snake River; vs. Dubois; at St. Stephens; vs. Meeteetse; at Farson; at Rock River.

So…. what do you think? Would this work? What do you want to see with your school’s schedule when the WHSAA releases the new one in November?

FWIW, going through this process makes you understand much more clearly what the WHSAA has to go through. I didn’t have to deal with out-of-state schedules — the WHSAA can’t just say JOB week, they actually have to go find someone for that school to play that week, which is easier said than done — and I also didn’t have to field any requests from schools like the WHSAA does. What the WHSAA has to do to piece together a schedule is much more difficult than I’ve shown here. I’m always excited to see what the schedule looks like, and this November — with all the changes to the classifications — will be especially interesting.

–patrick

Shutout streaks: Wyoming teams search for the elusive goose egg

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Buffalo’s 52-0 loss to Douglas in Week 4 was the Bison’s first loss by shutout in 117 games.

Prior to the Bearcats’ blowout victory, the last time Buffalo lost with a goose egg on the scoreboard was in 2001.

Buffalo’s scoring streak ended as the second-longest in state history, a record I track on the streaks page. The Bison’s streak is second only to Cokeville’s ongoing streak that dates back to 1998.

However, one of the records I don’t keep track of is the opposite streak: the time in between shutout victories. So I did some checking, and I found that 10 schools haven’t won by shutout in the past four-plus years.

One program — Cheyenne South — has yet to win a game by shutout.

Meanwhile, two six-man programs with big gaps in their history — St. Stephens, which moved to the varsity level this fall, and Farson, which came back at six-man in 2009 — have big gaps since their last shutout, as well. St. Stephens hasn’t won by shutout since 1965 (oddly enough, in their final game in the first go-round as a varsity program, the Eagles won by shutout, defeating Jackson 24-0). Farson hasn’t won by shutout since 1989. Granted, it’s a lot harder to win by shutout in six-man.

Of active programs that have been around without big gaps in their history, the school that has gone the longest without a shutout is Rawlins. The Outlaws won by shutout in the first game of the new millennium, beating Mountain View 14-0 to start an undefeated championship season in 2000. Since then, though, Rawlins has not notched a shutout.

Laramie has a streak nearly as long; the Plainsmen haven’t won by shutout since the first game of the 2001 season, when they beat Cheyenne Central 34-0.

Other schools with long shutout-less streaks include Riverton (2004), Normative Services, Jackson, Torrington and Wyoming Indian (2007), and Green River (2008).

Two programs, Kaycee and Upton-Sundance, notched their first shutout victories in 2013. Kaycee beat NSI 62-0 in Week 3 for its first shutout W, while the Upton-Sundance co-op beat Burlington 31-0 in Week 4 for its first shutout as the Patriots.

Glenrock, a program with a ton of success, broke a fairly long shutout-less streak this year when it beat Moorcroft 40-0 in Week 2 for the Herders’ first shutout since 2008.

The team that’s gone the longest without being involved in a shutout — neither winning by one nor losing by one — is Torrington. The Trailblazers haven’t been involved in a shutout since losing 49-0 to Powell on Sept. 16, 2011.

The active programs who have currently gone the longest without a shutout victory (with programs that have gaps in their existence noted by an asterisk) include:

*St. Stephens (O29/1965)

*Farson (S8/1989)

Rawlins (S1/2000)

Laramie (A24/2001)

Riverton (O15/2004)

NSI (S21/2007)

Jackson (S28/2007)

Torrington (O5/2007)

Wyoming Indian (O20/2007)

Green River (010/2008)

By year

For comparison, here are the number of shutouts per season back to 1993:

2012: 57
2011: 55
2010: 51
2009: 63
2008: 87
2007: 69
2006: 83
2005: 55
2004: 68
2003: 89
2002: 72
2001: 71
2000: 79
1999: 56
1998: 41
1997: 54
1996: 49
1995: 75
1994: 76
1993: 57

I’m not sure what the takeaway is here, other than we’re seeing fewer shutouts now than we have in a while. Through Week 4 this year, we’ve had 33 shutouts… on pace to be the most since 2008.

–patrick

A modest proposal to eliminate high school reclassification in Wyoming

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In August, the WHSAA released new ADMs (enrollment numbers) to its member schools. The WHSAA will use those numbers to classify schools for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years; that discussion begins in earnest Tuesday when the WHSA Board of Directors meets in Casper for the first of its four quarterly meetings and ends in November when the structures are finalized at the second WHSAA board meeting.

It’s not that simple, though.

On its surface, reclassification is straightforward: Your enrollment, and the enrollment of the schools around you, set where your school will be classified. And yet, every reclassification cycle is divisive, usually (1) because the small schools feel slighted for having to play much larger schools even though they’re in the same classification, (2) because a school moving to a new classification harms an existing rivalry or (3) because conferences within the classifications struggle to represent the classification as a whole.

No matter how reclassification comes out, someone is upset.

But what if I told you that reclassification — and all the heartache and frustration that comes with it — isn’t necessary? The solution is so obvious I’m embarrassed I hadn’t already realized it:

Let’s eliminate enrollment differences altogether and make every high school in the state have the same enrollment.

Think about it — if every school had the same enrollment, theoretically, every school would have the same chance as every other one in the state, and wouldn’t have the “handicap” of a small enrollment or the “advantage” of a large number of students. You’d get to play schools that are nearly the exact same size, and they’d be close by.

Obviously, exact isn’t feasible. But we can get close. Here is how:

Let’s start with the math. With 71 high schools, and a total ADM of 26,812, Wyoming high schools have an average of 378 students per listed high school. That’s the number we’ll aim for with our new schools.

Geography will keep most schools from hitting 378 students exactly, but I think a 50-student leeway on either side (creating a 100-student range of 328 to 428 students per school) would be acceptable.

As we piece together both the geography of Wyoming and the target number of 378, a pattern emerges. Using geography and enrollment as our guides, we can establish 72 feasible high schools that hit the enrollment range of 328 and 428 — one more high school than the state has now, but close enough to work. Of those 72, 45 schools are within 50 students of our target number of 378, and 21 are within 10 students of 378. The smallest is 330.5, the largest 411.

obama-not-bad-face-i7

Ranked by enrollment, the schools are:

North Big Horn (Powell, Rocky Mountain, Lovell): 2 schools at 411 students each
Green River: 2 schools at 408.25 students each
Gillette: 6 schools at 406.5 students each
Rock Springs/Farson: 4 schools at 402.5 students each
Riverton: 2 schools at 393.8 students each
Platte County (Wheatland, Guernsey-Sunrise, Glendo, Chugwater): 1 school at 393.5 students
Northeast Conglomerated (Hulett, Moorcroft, Sundance, Upton, Newcastle, Wright): 2 schools at 389.8 students each
Laramie County (Central, East, South, Burns, Pine Bluffs): 11 schools at 385 students each
Carbon County (Rawlins, Snake River, Encampment, Saratoga, Hanna): 2 schools at 380 students each
West Fremont (Lander, Wyoming Indian, Fort Washakie, Dubois): 2 schools at 376.1 students each
Sublette/South Lincoln (Pinedale, Big Piney, Kemmerer, Cokeville): 2 schools at 375.8 students each
Johnson County (Buffalo, Kaycee): 1 school at 375 students
Outer Sheridan (Big Horn, Tongue River, Arvada-Clearmont, NSI): 1 school at 371.5 students
Converse County (Douglas, Glenrock): 2 schools at 368.5 students each
Natrona County (Natrona, Kelly Walsh, Midwest): 10 schools at 364.1 students each
Star Valley: 2 schools at 358.5 students each
South Big Horn Basin (Worland, Thermopolis, Ten Sleep, Meeteetse): 2 schools at 353.75 students each
East Fremont (Wind River, Shoshoni, St. Stephens, Arapahoe): 1 school at 353 students
South Big Horn (Greybull, Riverside, Burlington): 1 school at 352.5 students
Goshen/Niobrara (Torrington, Lingle, Southeast, Lusk): 2 schools at 347.25 students each
Albany County (Laramie, Rock River): 3 schools at 341.2 students each
Sheridan: 3 schools at 338.7 students each
Jackson: 2 schools at 336.5 students each
Uinta County (Evanston, Mountain View, Lyman): 4 schools at 335.75 students each
Cody: 2 schools at 330.5 students each

And I put them in 16 conferences, of 4-5 schools apiece, for ease of state tournament qualifying… By conference, the schools would fit this way:

Northeast (4 schools): Northeast Conglomerated (2 schools), Gillette (2 schools)
Gillette (4): Gillette (4 schools)
Sheridan (4): Outer Sheridan (1 school), Sheridan (3 school)
Casper 1 (5): Natrona County (5 schools)
Casper 2 (5): Natrona County (5 schools)
Southeast (5): Converse (2 schools), Platte (1 school), Goshen/Niobrara (2 schools)
Cheyenne 1 (5): Laramie County (5 schools)
Cheyenne 2 (5): Laramie County (5 schools)
Laramie (4): Laramie County (1 school), Albany County (3 schools)
Southwest 1 (5): Carbon County (2 schools), Rock Springs (3 schools)
Southwest 2 (5): Rock Springs (1 school), Green River (2 schools), Sublette/South Lincoln (2 schools)
Uinta (4): Uinta County (4 schools)
West (4): Star Valley (2 schools), Jackson (2 schools)
Fremont (5): West Fremont (2 schools), Riverton (2 schools), East Fremont (1 school)
North Central (4): South Big Horn County (1 school), South BHB (2 schools), Johnson County (1 school)
Northwest (4): Cody (2 schools), North Big Horn County (2 schools)

This proposal is befitting of the “Equality State” in every sense of the word equality.

Think about it: No classifications means no reclassification problems. Travel is dramatically reduced. No more complaints about the big school/little school divide, especially the consistent cries we hear from the small schools in 4A and 3A. True state champions. Competitive balance. Schools that can sponsor every sport and give every student an equal chance to succeed.

This is what we want.

Right?

(Inspired by The United States Redrawn as Fifty States with Equal Population. And, obviously, Jonathan Swift.)

–patrick

In Todd Dayton’s shadow: The success of Wyoming coaching hires in 1980

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Todd Dayton, quite simply, IS Cokeville football.

Most people, including everyone who’s come through the Panther football program in the past three-plus decades, would have trouble envisioning the Panthers without Dayton in charge.

But is it possible that Dayton’s success — and, conversely, Cokeville’s rise as a dynasty spanning multiple decades — could have belonged to another program?

Chances are extremely good that Dayton never wanted any other coaching job other than the one he has now. The Cokeville ties are strong in the Dayton family, and the two are synonymous now. A Cokeville native who was 28 when he took over the Panther program, Dayton took over the program in 1980 and has since piled up an impressive resume — he’s coached more victories (272), more state championships (18) and more games (323) than any coach in state history, and his winning percentage of .842 (272-51) is the highest mark among Wyoming coaches with more than 50 victories. The only record he doesn’t have is total seasons; with 33 seasons coached (2013 is his 34th), Dayton is second only to John E. Deti, who coached 35 seasons (33 in Laramie and one each in Shoshoni and Meeteetse) and held every major coaching record in the state before Dayton came along.

However, consider this: In all, 19 Wyoming high school football programs hired new football coaches prior to the 1980 season. Some worked out well; some didn’t. Every single one of those 19 schools had the chance to hire Dayton. Only one of those 19 schools has won 18 state championships since 1980.

What’s amazing is that several southwestern schools (Evanston, Mountain View, Lyman and Cokeville’s south Lincoln County rival Kemmerer) also hired head coaches prior to 1980. How might Wyoming’s coaching landscape worked out differently if Dayton had decided to stay CLOSE to home rather than to stay AT home?

Hindsight is 20-20, of course, but to help put Dayton’s coaching career in perspective, let’s take a look at how the other 18 head coaching changes prior to the 1980 season worked out:

Burns: Hired Doug Samuels to replace Bob Brewington. Samuels lasted one year and went 2-5.

Evanston: Hired Kay Fackrell, who at the time was head coach in Lyman, to replace Larry Sanich. Fackrell became the winningest coach in Evanston history, going 92-65 in 18 years with the Red Devils, and won two state championships, including one in his final year of 1997. Fackrell remained Evanston’s AD for several more years after stepping down from the head football position.

Gillette: Hired Jim Galt to replace Jim Bujol. Galt went 7-11 in two years with the Camels.

Greybull: Hired Rick Case to take over for Mike Loose, who left to coach at Pine Bluffs. Case had the misfortune of bad timing, taking over a team in the midst of a horrendous losing streak, and he went 0-23 in his three years as head coach in Greybull.

Hulett: Hired Steve Bollenbach to replace Arlan Cloutier. Bollenbach went 0-7 in his only year with Hulett; the Red Devils played a JV schedule in 1981 and didn’t field a team in 1982. Bollenbach was at Hulett for several years as the wrestling coach, though.

Jackson: Hired Fred Staehr to take the place of Don Wadsworth. Staehr went 5-2 but only stayed one year in Jackson. He was the third in a string of years in which Jackson had four head coaches in four years (Lynn Williams in 1978, Wadsworth in 1979, Staehr in 1980 and Jim Rooks in 1981). Staehr wasn’t stopping over in Jackson, though; he was a teacher in the district for four decades.

Kemmerer: Hired Bob Bramlet away from Lingle to take over for Jim Keen, who left for Powell. Bramlet went 39-26 in eight years with the Rangers and went 3-2 against Cokeville and coach Dayton.

Lingle: Hired Roger Fuss for a second stint as coach after Bob Bramlet left for Kemmerer. Fuss was Lingle’s coach from 1970-74, going 20-22, and went 20-11 from 1980-83 in his four-year return stint; he’s tied for the lead with Ron Halley for being Lingle’s all-time winningest coach.

Lyman: Hired John Haning to take over for Kay Fackrell after Fackrell left for Evanston. Haning went 28-23 in six years with Lyman, including a state championship in 1982, but went 2-4 against Cokeville and coach Dayton. He later coached in Utah and is now the principal at Northridge High in Layton.

Moorcroft: Hired Carl Mirich to take over for Charles Cowan. This one worked out well, too: Mirich became by far Moorcroft’s winningest coach, going 110-83 in 23 years with the Wolves, including a state championship in 1996.

Mountain View: Hired Robert Thrasher to take over for Duane Franke. Thrasher was 0-7 in his only year as head coach; his last game was a 47-0 loss to Dayton’s Panthers.

North Big Horn: Made Michael Neville co-head coach with Steve Hutchinson, who was the sole head coach in 1979. The duo went 4-3 before the program reverted to one head coach in 1981 — and it was Gerry Christiansen, not Neville or Hutchinson, who took over as the top man after the one year of co-coaching.

Pine Bluffs: Hired Mike Loose from Greybull to replace Keith Kyser. Loose went 12-17 in four years with the Hornets.

Powell: Hired Jim Keen from Kemmerer to take over for Tom Shoemaker. Keen went 2-15 in two years with the Panthers; he later took over as head coach at Cheyenne East and later coached with his son Aaron in the college ranks.

Rawlins: Hired Bill Murray to take over for Al Morgan. Murray went 37-28 in seven years as head coach, including AA/4A runner-up finishes in 1982 and 1986. Murray was nearly as successful as Dayton in the long run, though, notching 207 victories in his career, most in Michigan.

Riverton: Hired Bob Miller to take over for Ken Boatwright. Miller was 3-6 in his only year with the Wolverines. Riverton had five head coaches in five years — Brent Engleright in 1977, Neil Mellilo in 1978, Boatwright in 1979, Miller in 1980 and Leland Smith in 1981.

Thermopolis: Hired Wayne Ward to take over for Bob Million. Ward went 8-32 in five years with the Bobcats but was a longtime teacher and coach in Thermopolis.

Wind River: Hired Chuck Gomendi to take over for Keith Mills. Gomendi had been coach in 1977-78 and Mills was coach for just one year in 1979. Gomendi returned in 1980 and led the team through 1983, going 14-28 in his six years total. Gomendi spend numerous years in the Wind River district coaching various sports.

(The University of Wyoming also had a new coach in 1980: Pat Dye. He only stayed a year in Laramie. Remember that? Yeah, me neither.)

It’s not fair to say each one of these schools had an equal chance of hiring Dayton, or that Dayton even considered any of them. But of all the coaching hires prior to the 1980 season — and, let’s face it, of all coaching hires in the state, ever — Dayton’s was by far the one that worked the best. Sort of makes you wonder how the 2013 hires will work out in 33 years….

–patrick

The ultimate 2013 Wyoming high school football road trip

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In my dream world, football season would last 12 months of the year, I’d have unlimited gas money and unlimited time, and I’d spend my days driving to games all over the state.

In reality, football season — at least the part with games — lasts barely three months, I’m on a budget, I work full time (and not in Wyoming) and I probably won’t catch a single Wyoming high school game in person this season.

But I can dream.

If I had the chance, the time and the money, I’d love to spend the 2013 season driving all over the state, watching high school football games. Such epic dreams need a plan, and that’s what I’ve outlined below — what games I’d watch each week, given the chance. In short, I’m going for both quantity and quality. I want to see as many games as possible, but I want to try to see the best ones, too, or at least the ones I think will be the best.

My 2013 dream trek:

Week 0: Granted, I have the benefit of hindsight here, but I’ll stick with what I figured I’d do before the season started last week. Admittedly, the season started with a somewhat lackluster 4A schedule, but the best game on the slate appeared to be Gillette at Kelly Walsh; it ended up being a dud, but that wouldn’t have stopped me from wanting to go watch it. From there, I would have taken in the drive through the Wind River Canyon on my way to watch defending 3A champ Powell in its out-of-state Zero Week contest, as the Panthers faced traditionally strong Miles City, Mont., in a game that ended up being a blowout. So I would have caught two games: Gillette at Kelly Walsh (7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30) and Miles City, Mont., at Powell (6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31).

Week 1: I’ll pick up the lone Thursday game, Pine Bluffs at Cheyenne East’s sophomores, before hitting the road on Friday. I can’t resist a good storyline, so I’ll make the short jaunt from Cheyenne to Guernsey to watch St. Stephens’ first varsity game since 1965. That choice limits my ability to travel, so I’ll stay in the southeast corner and catch one of the more intriguing games on the 2A schedule this year: defending champ Lyman making the long trek to face what should be an improved Wheatland squad in Wheatland. On Saturday, it’s an early morning wake-up call, but it’s worth it to drive to Dubois to check out the defending champ Rams as they open their season against six-man newcomer — and always mystery team — Normative Services. I’ll watch four games in Week 1: Pine Bluffs at Cheyenne East sophs (6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5), St. Stephens at Guernsey-Sunrise (2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6), Lyman at Wheatland (7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6) and Normative Services at Dubois (11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7).

Week 2: Again, with only one Thursday game, I’ll be there, as the Natrona JV heads to Wind River. On Friday, all we have is the BIGGEST NON-CONFERENCE GAME OF THE SEASON, so I’ll be there in Cokeville to watch the Panthers play defending 1A-11 champ Southeast. That means I’m stuck on the southwest corner of the state for my evening game, and because I may not get another chance (and because it’s beautiful), I’ll take in a game in Star Valley and watch the Braves face Lander. Saturday brings another drive for a six-man game — shorter than Week 1, though — and I’ll hit what might be one of the best games of the year as Meeteetse travels to Baggs to face Snake River. The four games for Week 2: Natrona JV at Wind River (6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12), Southeast at Cokeville (2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13), Lander at Star Valley (7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13) and Meeteetse at Snake River (2 p.m. Saturday). So apparently the Southeast-Cokeville game got moved to Saturday. Screwed with my world. No idea what I’ll do now. 🙂

Week 3: No Thursday games this week, so my adventure will start with the Friday afternoon games. It’s a thin afternoon slate, but I can’t resist one of the biggest new rivalries of the new six-man setup: Wyoming Indian vs. St. Stephens. For both teams, this is the one they’ve had circled all year. From there, it’s an unexciting drive to Casper, where I’ll watch a game between a couple programs that you might have heard of: Gillette and Natrona. Saturday’s slate only has one game, Dubois at Hulett, so I’ll go watch it because it’s more than just the only game in town — it’s the only game in the state. Week 3’s three games: Wyoming Indian at St. Stephens (2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20), Gillette at Natrona (7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20) and Dubois at Hulett (11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 21).

Week 4: Thursday’s lone game — Billings Senior’s JV at Rocky Mountain — is interesting enough to hit up, so I’ll be there. From there, I’ll hop over the hill to watch the Wright-Big Horn game, one that might end up being critical in a parity-filled 2A East. Plenty of options exist for the night game, but I can’t resist seeing the annual Douglas-Buffalo showdown, a game that has often decided the conference champ out of the 3A East. That’s worth my time. On Saturday, I have two choices: Drive like crazy or take it easy. I’ll go slow, stay in Johnson County and watch Hulett-Kaycee. The northerly route for Week 4: Billings Senior JV, Mont., at Rocky Mountain (7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26), Wright at Big Horn (1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27), Douglas at Buffalo (7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27) and Hulett at Kaycee (3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28).

Week 5: Two Thursday games dot the schedule, but I’ll take the one involving two varsity teams: Shoshoni and Wind River. Could be quite interesting. On Friday, I can either make the journey to Star Valley to watch the Braves and Powell in what could be the game of the year, or I try to do a double-up somewhere else…. Dang. As much as I hate to miss Braves-Panthers, I’ll go for a pair of games instead. It’s Rivalry Week in Class 4A, and the one that might have the biggest influence on the standings is the Energy Bowl in Gillette between the Camels and Sheridan. I’ll stay local and catch Wheatland at Moorcroft before that. Saturday’s schedule will keep me in the northeast and I’ll watch Hulett for the third time as the Red Devils face Midwest. Week 5’s tough choices: Shoshoni at Wind River (7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3), Wheatland at Moorcroft (3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4), Sheridan at Gillette (7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4) and Midwest at Hulett (3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5).

Week 6: Everything this week is on Friday and Saturday, and admittedly in the preseason the schedule is full of a bunch of potential but no games that scream “WATCH ME!!!” So I’ll wander Southwest again, taking in the Bridger Valley Bowl between Lyman and Mountain View (not just for the rivalry, though; this could be a big one in the 2A West playoff race) before heading to Evanston to watch the Red Devils play Kelly Walsh. On Saturday, we have a rare non-six-man game, so I’ll hit up Kemmerer as the Rangers face Greybull. Week 6 is a “light” three games: Lyman at Mountain View (3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11), Kelly Walsh at Evanston (6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11) and Greybull at Kemmerer (2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12).

Week 7: In the waning moments of the season, we still have a lot to see. Unfortunately, the best afternoon games don’t pair well with the evening games, and the so-so afternoon matchups pair with so-so evening matchups. So I’m just going to choose one Friday game and call it good. Fortunately, one of the best regular-season matchups is scheduled for this week: Lusk-Southeast, a rematch of last year’s 1A-11 title game. Saturday, I’ll drive to Baggs and watch the rematch of last year’s 1A-6 title game between Dubois and Snake River. I’d say that’s a full weekend, even with just two games: Lusk at Southeast (7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18) and Dubois at Snake River (3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19).

Week 8: We actually have two varsity contests scheduled for Thursday, and I can’t resist taking in the Fremont County rivalry game between Lander and Riverton as an appetizer to a busy week. With so many key games happening in the final week, making a decision about which one(s) to attend is tough. For me, though, one game keeps jumping to the forefront: Glenrock at Burns. The 2A East is going to be a madhouse this year, and this game could decide the conference title. Unfortunately, that means I can only watch this game, with no afternoon games nearby…. Saturday, though, I’ll catch Guernsey and Kaycee in what could be another key game for playoff qualification and seeding. That, and according to the kickoff times provided by the schools, it’s the final game of the regular season. Everything else will likely be done by the time this one kicks off. So I’ll end my regular season odyssey with a mini-oddyssey of my own on the final three days: Riverton at Lander (7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24), Glenrock at Burns (7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25) and Guernsey-Sunrise at Kaycee (3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26).

In all, through this trip, I’d get to watch 38 of the state’s 63 varsity programs; I’d see several programs twice and a hodgepodge of schools — Gillette, Hulett, Dubois and Snake River — three times apiece. I’d miss a bunch, but hopefully I’d catch more in the playoffs and, of course, I’d get to watch all five title games in Laramie.

If you could attend any game in the state, which one would you hit? Which game is your “can’t miss” game in 2013? Post a comment below and let me know.

–patrick

Class 4A preview: I’ve got my orange (jersey) crush

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Four questions to answer

Will Gillette and Natrona play again in Laramie in mid-November? Although anything can happen in 4A, right now the Mustangs and Camels are the favorites to meet for the 4A title at The War. Of the 11 returning all-state players, six belong to either the Camels or Mustangs (three apiece). Given that talent disparity, the odds are on the Camels and Mustangs to play again for the 4A title.

Can anyone crack the vice grip the top four schools have on 4A? In short, probably not this season. Cheyenne East, Sheridan, Gillette and Natrona have made up the Class 4A semifinal field each of the past three seasons. And of the 11 aforementioned returning all-staters, 10 belong to these four schools — Kelly Walsh lineman Alex Pietrzak is the only returning all-stater not from one of these four schools.

Humor us… Which team has the best chance at breaking that vice grip? Probably Kelly Walsh. The Trojans have shown steady improvement in Jon Vance’s two years — from 2-7 in 2011 to 4-6 in 2012 — and if that improvement continues, KW could be a darkhorse contender for a semifinal appearance, or more.

Is this the year South breaks its streak? Hopefully. Winless in their first 18 varsity contests, the Bison were much more competitive in 2012 than they were in 2011 and nearly upset Evanston in the sixth game of the season last year. Although the Bison still face a talent and tradition disparity from the rest of the schools in 4A, they have several advantages in 2013 — another year together, a kinder schedule and, maybe most importantly, a desire to put the losing streak behind them.

Four players to watch

Taven Bryan, Natrona. The first Wyoming recruit in recent memory to secure an offer from an SEC school (Florida), Bryan, a lineman, could play either side of the ball in college. That versatility makes him a tremendous weapon for the Mustangs in his senior year. The only question is if the expectations are distractors or motivators for this multitalented athlete.

Austin Fort, Gillette. A University of Wyoming commit, Fort moved to Gillette last year and almost automatically became one of the best quarterbacks in the state. His big arm, his size and his mobility made him the perfect fit for the Camels’ diverse offensive attack. He led 4A in completions (160) and passing yards (2,137) last year, and if he can rein in his interception total from a year ago (he threw 14 picks), he could lead Gillette back to Laramie for the second year in a row.

Tevis Bartlett, Cheyenne East. The junior will be THE key to East’s offense in 2013. He was the only 11-man player in the state last year to run for more than 1,000 yards (1,093) and throw for more than 1,000 yards (1,393). Even though his yardage totals may not hold up as teams key on him more, he will likely have to shoulder a bigger burden in terms of leadership than he did a year ago.

Billy Williams, Gillette. Williams makes this list for one simple reason: He’s a tackling machine. The linebacker is Class 4A’s top returning tackler; he led 4A in solo tackles (45) a year ago and also added four turnovers (two fumble recoveries, two interceptions) and four tackles for loss. He was one of only five players in 4A last year to rack up more than 16 defensive points per game, and the other four have graduated. …

Four key games

Gillette at Natrona, Sept. 20. Last year’s regular-season showdown featured two undefeated teams; the two teams met three weeks later to play for the state title. This year’s meeting is much earlier in the calendar (Week 3 instead of Week 8), but the game will likely have just as big an affect on the seeding for the playoffs.

All of Week 5. Rivalry Week is back, as the Oil Bowl (Kelly Walsh-Natrona), Energy Bowl (Sheridan-Gillette) and Capital Bowl (East-Central) are all slated for the week of Oct. 4. Just as key, though, are the other two 4A games that week (Laramie at South and Evanston at Rock Springs), both of which are games that could decide playoff qualification.

Kelly Walsh at Sheridan, Sept. 6. Is Kelly Walsh’s program truly growing into one of 4A’s best? We’ll find out in a hurry in 2013, as the Trojans face Gillette and Sheridan the first two weeks of the season. Arguably the bigger game is the road opener against the Broncs, the team that has knocked KW out of the playoffs three of the past four years.

Gillette at Cheyenne East, Oct. 25. Both the Camels and the Thunderbirds have reached the 4A semifinals each of the past three seasons. To secure hosting duties and high seeds in the playoffs, a victory in this Week 8 game could be crucial. After all, the road to Laramie is a lot easier if the only bus trip is the one TO Laramie.

Predicted order of finish

Natrona; Gillette; Cheyenne East; Sheridan; Kelly Walsh; Cheyenne Central; Rock Springs; Evanston; Cheyenne South; Laramie.

Way-too-early title-game score prediction

This is Natrona’s year. Again. But Gillette stands in the way. Again. Natrona 28, Gillette 14.

Trivia

Only two schools in Wyoming have had a player in the Shrine Bowl in each of its 40 years. They’re both current Class 4A schools. Which schools are they?

Classification’s 2013 theme song

Is the 4A title really Natrona’s to lose? Will 2013 be the fourth year in a row we see the “Big Four” in the semis? Who has the best chance of throwing a kink in that tradition? Comment below and let me know what big schools you’re watching this year.

–patrick

Class 3A preview: Back in black (and orange)

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Four questions to answer

Powell, right? Yep. Powell is quite clearly the 3A favorite this year. With six of their nine all-state players coming back, and riding the momentum of back-to-back state championships and a 15-game winning streak, the Panthers are the team to catch.

So who can catch Powell? Given the right circumstances, a number of teams have the potential to topple the Panthers off their championship perch. Cody returns all four of its all-state selections; Star Valley returns a pair of all-staters and nearly knocked off Powell in last year’s title game; Green River, Douglas and Buffalo are perennial contenders and should compete again this fall. The path from Powell to Laramie is well-worn, but it’s not free of sinkholes just yet….

What affect will coaching turnover have in 3A? Quite a bit, actually. New coaches in Cody (Matt McFadden) and Riverton (Pat Patterson) will affect their conferences dramatically — McFadden and Cody in how it handles higher expectations and a load of talent, Patterson and Riverton in how it handles the target that comes with winning a conference title and the fallout of a shocking first-round playoff loss.

Will the East Conference actually win a playoff game this year? Maybe not. The power in 3A this year is quite clearly in the West. Of the 13 returning all-state selections, 12 are in the West Conference. Unless the East develops young talent quickly this season, a second consecutive first-round sweep for West Conference teams is a distinct possibility.

Four players to watch

Tony Lujan, Garrett Lynch and Brendan Phister, Powell. Really, I could make all four “players to watch” come from Powell, but out of fairness to the other schools, I’ll group these three together. And what a group it is — Lujan, Lynch and Phister are all already two-time first-team all-state choices, and it’s their leadership that could help lead Powell to a third consecutive state title.

Logan Barker, Douglas. The senior was the East Conference’s defensive player of the year last year, and he’s the only returning East Conference player who was an all-state selection last year. He was also Douglas’ leading rusher last season with 1,008 yards.

Carter Myers, Cody. Myers is the Broncs’ Mr. Everything. As a sophomore, he led Cody in assisted tackles but showed his diversity by notching a fumble recovery, an interception AND a blocked kick on defense, as well. Oh, and he was the team’s No. 2 rusher, No. 3 receiver, No. 2 scorer and top kicker.

Trace Haderlie, Star Valley. Haderlie is 3A’s top returning quarterback; the all-state choice threw for a 3A-best 1,605 yards last season and tossed 16 touchdowns. As the Braves continue to emphasize the passing game, Haderlie’s abilities will help key Star Valley’s success in 2013.

Four key games

Douglas at Buffalo, Sept. 27. Although Riverton is the defending East Conference champion, the Bearcats and Bison have long been the East’s top programs. And a victory in the conference opener is essential to getting a leg up in the race for the conference championship.

Powell at Star Valley, Oct. 4. The angle here is simple: Powell has won the 3A state championship two years in a row, beat Star Valley in last year’s title game and comes into the season with the state’s longest active winning streak. The catch? Powell hasn’t won in Afton since 1999. This game may be Powell’s biggest hurdle to a third consecutive trip to Laramie.

Cody at Powell, Oct. 18. Ten — count ’em, 10 — returning all-state players are slated to play in this game, four for Cody and six for Powell. That alone should make this game worth the price of admission, but the heated nature of one of the state’s oldest rivalries helps make the game a must-see.

Riverton at Lander, Oct. 24. In 2011, Lander was the East’s “it” team in the regular season, but after a 7-1 regular season, the Tigers lost in the quarterfinals. In 2012, Riverton was dubbed “it” after winning the conference championship, but the Wolverines, too, didn’t win a game in the playoffs. Success for the Fremont County schools the postseason in 2013 may depend on ending the regular season the right way here.

Predicted order of finish

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

Way-too-early title-game score prediction

If you believe the hype, the only question is who Powell will beat in the title game. I’ll believe it. Powell 24, Star Valley 14.

Trivia

Now that Rawlins’ losing streak is over, which Wyoming team has the longest active losing streak, entering 2013?

Classification’s 2013 theme song

Powell, Powell, Powell… right? Who do you think has the best chance of knocking the Panthers off their title perch? Can anyone end the winning streak? Comment below and let me know!

Next Thursday: Class 4A.

–patrick

Class 2A preview: East end boys and west end… championship monopolies

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Four questions to answer

Can an East Conference team finally win in Laramie? If so, this year might be the year. The last four Class 2A titles have all been won by current West Conference teams (although, admittedly, Thermopolis was in the East Conference when it won titles in 2009 and 2010). And two West Conference teams, Lovell and Lyman, have played each other for the past two 2A titles. However, the East Conference has more depth than it has the past couple years, and the bulk of the West Conference’s best players have moved on thanks to graduation.

So who’s the favorite in 2A this year? That’s anyone’s guess. Last year’s four semifinalists — Lovell, Lyman, Newcastle and Big Horn — all lost significant numbers due to graduation. The lack of a clear-cut favorite in 2A should make it an interesting year.

No, really. Who’s the favorite? I’m serious, dude. I don’t know. And nobody else seems to know either. In a preseason survey of 2A coaches, no fewer than 10 schools were named as genuine potential heirs to the throne. Even the coaches aren’t sure how the season will play out. When that’s the case, often it’s offseason training that makes the difference. The title in November may come down to work put in during June.

What player’s departure will most affect his former team? The one not caused by graduation. Glenrock’s Jordan Millay, who led the Herders in rushing as a sophomore last year and totaled almost 1,700 yards in his freshman and sophomore years, has been forced out of the sport due to chronic injuries. While Millay should be commended for thinking of his future, his unexpected loss leaves a big hole in the Herder backfield.

Four players to watch

Merritt Crabtree, Newcastle. Crabtree was the East Conference defensive player of the year last year, and with good reason. The Dogies ranked second in 2A in yards allowed per game (216.6) and Crabtree finished third in 2A in defensive points per game (19.9). His 17 tackles for loss were the best in 2A, and he helped force five turnovers (three fumble recoveries, two interceptions).

Connor McCafferty, Big Horn. Conversely, McCafferty was the East’s offensive player of the year a year ago. Few quarterbacks in the state were as efficient as McCafferty, who completed 65 percent of his passes and had a 25-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. And he didn’t dink and dunk his way to that: his yards-per-completion average of 13.0 ypc was best in the state last year, making his efficiency even more impressive.

Austin Houskeeper, Mountain View. Houskeeper had a huge season as a sophomore, finishing second in Class 2A in both passing yards per game (161.0) and defensive points per game (20.1). That kind of versatility will be a big boon to an improved Buffalos squad that returns three all-state selections.

Critter Ruwart, Wheatland. Is it the year of the quarterback in 2A? Possibly, especially with McCafferty, Houskeeper and Ruwart — the top three passers in 2A a year ago — back for more. Ruwart had more completions (100) and threw for more yards (1,566) than anyone in 2A last year, and his presence will help keep the Bulldogs in the hunt in a competitive East Conference.

Four key games

Big Horn at Newcastle, Sept. 13. This Week 2 game has all the preseason indications of being a big one in the East — much like it was last year, when the two teams met in the final week of the regular season, both undefeated. If nothing else, this game will help us figure out how much parity exists in the East this year.

Mountain View at Greybull, Sept. 13. Both Buffs squads came up again and again in the coaches’ lists of preseason favorites. The West Conference opener between the two programs might be the game that pushes one ahead of the other.

Lyman at Lovell, Sept. 20. Lyman beat Lovell in last year’s 2A title game; Lovell beat Lyman in the 2011 2A title game. And in both cases, the team that won the regular-season game won the rematch in Laramie.

Glenrock at Wheatland, Sept. 27. If the Herders or Bulldogs want to challenge for the conference championship, they have to win this game in Week 4. For Glenrock, this game starts a critical three-week stretch in which the Herders face Wheatland, Big Horn and Newcastle in consecutive weeks.

Predicted order of finish

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

Way-too-early title-game score prediction

This is ridiculous. No fewer than 10 teams are legit threats to make it to Laramie. But put a gun to my head and I’ll say: Mountain View 12, Big Horn 8.

Trivia

Lyman coach Dale Anderson won the state championship in his first year with the Eagles. Before Anderson, who was the last Wyoming coach to win a state championship in his first year as head coach at that school? (This is a trick question — it has two answers.)

Classification’s 2013 theme song

I think Class 2A has the potential to be the most even, exciting, parity-filled classification of the year. How about you? Who do you think will emerge from this group of contenders to be the favorite? Post your thoughts below.

Next Thursday: Class 3A.

–patrick

Class 1A 11-man preview: Meet the new boss

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Four questions to answer

Does having fewer teams in 1A make it easier to qualify for the playoffs this year? Mathematically, yes, but realistically, no. With three teams gone to six-man football (Wyoming Indian, Saratoga and Normative Services) and Upton and Sundance still involved in their co-op agreement, only 11 schools will comprise the 1A 11-man division this fall, a total that’s down from 16 as recently as 2011. But the top tier of teams remains in the classification, and perennial powers Southeast, Lusk and Cokeville haven’t gone anywhere….

Can anyone win this year’s 1A title other than Southeast, Lusk or Cokeville? In short, no. The three powerhouse programs have a combined 11 all-state selections back this fall; the other eight programs in the classification have just seven returning all-staters combined. And of all the 1A 11-man schools, only these three have reached Laramie the past three years.

So of those three schools, who’s the favorite to win it all? That’s the million-dollar question this year. Cokeville and Lusk have four returning all-state selections apiece, while defending champ Southeast has three. All three teams are loaded for title runs, but none of the three is the clear-cut favorite entering the season.

Of the remaining eight teams, which one has the best chance to spring a playoff upset on one of the favorites? Probably Upton-Sundance. The Patriots, in the second year of their co-op, return one of the most explosive players in the classification in junior running back Jett Materi. The Patriots played exceptionally better the second half of 2012 than in the first half, and now that the kinks have been worked out of the co-op situation, the U-S squad has the potential to be one of the spoilers in 1A this fall.

Four players to watch

Wyatt Somsen and Colton Stees, Southeast. Yes, I’m cheating a bit by taking two players with one choice. But Somsen was the East Conference’s offensive player of the year last year (he ran for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns) and Stees, in addition to opening a lot of holes for Somsen on the offensive line, was the conference’s defensive player of the year two years ago. And they were both all-state choices last year. Together, they give the Cyclones an offense-defense tandem few, if any, teams in 1A can match.

Cody Nate and Brock Teichert, Cokeville. Again, two players go together with one choice, but to bring up one and not the other is a disservice to the way Cokeville plays football. Nate and Teichert were equally valuable pieces of the Panther lines in 2012. On offense, they paced a strong rushing game, and on defense, they finished third and fourth on the team in total defensive points. Nate is already a two-time all-state selection, while Teichert earned his first all-state nod last year.

Tucker McKim, Riverside. As a sophomore last year, McKim led 1A 11-man in catches (46) and receiving yards (670). One of four returning players who were named all-state as sophomores, McKim will need a similar season in 2013 for Riverside to stay competitive in the West.

Matthew VandeBossche, Lusk. VandeBossche led the Tigers in all-purpose offense, scoring and punting last year and also played a key role on the Tigers’ defense. One of just four juniors named to the Casper Star-Tribune’s Super 25 first team a year ago, VandeBossche’s play will be critical in the Tigers’ attempt to return to Laramie.

Four key games

Southeast at Cokeville, Sept. 13. Two of them most consistent, most successful 1A 11-man programs over the last two decades are meeting for the first time in the regular season. This might be the biggest nonconference game in the state this year, regardless of classification. Just don’t expect either coach to play every card in the deck in the regular season — not with a potential rematch awaiting in the postseason.

Shoshoni at Burlington and Rocky Mountain at Riverside, Sept. 20. Will any teams step up to Cokeville’s challenge in the West Conference this year? We’ll find out in Week 3. The Wranglers, Huskies, Grizzlies and Rebels all want to be that team to challenge the Panthers, but to do so, they have to win competitive conference openers against a team that wants to do exactly what they’re trying to do.

Upton-Sundance at Lusk, Oct. 11. The Patriots almost pulled off the upset against the Tigers before falling in last year’s regular-season finale. In the co-op’s second year, the Patriots could be even more dangerous, even (and maybe especially) to a top-tier 1A team like Lusk.

Lusk at Southeast, Oct. 18. This is the most important East Conference game year in and year out. With a combined seven all-state choices back this fall (four for Lusk, three for Southeast), this year looks no different. Oh, and the Tigers have to be eager for a bit of revenge for what the Cyclones did to them in Laramie last November….

Predicted order of finish

East: Southeast, Lusk, Upton-Sundance, Lingle, Pine Bluffs. West: Cokeville, Rocky Mountain, Riverside, Shoshoni, Burlington, Wind River.

Way-too-early title-game score prediction

Some 1A math for you: Big 3, minus 1, plus “The War,” equals a guess. Southeast 21, Cokeville 20.

Trivia

Who has more victories as a Wyoming high school head football coach — Cokeville’s Todd Dayton or the other 10 coaches in Class 1A 11-man combined?

Classification’s 2013 theme song

How many 1s and 11s can you handle? After all, there are 11 1A 11-man teams this year… which one will end up No. 1? Comment below with some thoughts and we’ll figure out November in August together.

Next Thursday: Class 2A.

–patrick

Class 1A six-man preview: Turn and face the Chiefs… and Wolves… and Panthers… and Eagles

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Four questions to answer

Will the new six-man teams be competitive in their first year? At least one will be in the title hunt right away, but with four new teams entering six-man this year — Wyoming Indian, Normative Services and Saratoga moving down from 11-man and St. Stephens coming up from the junior-varsity level — anything is possible. Saratoga, an 11-man playoff qualifier just two years ago, has the best chance of being immediately competitive. Meanwhile, NSI and Wyoming Indian are a combined 5-57 the past four years and can only benefit from the switch.

Even so, is Dubois still the favorite? Yep. The Rams won their first state football championship last year and even though they lost five all-staters, main offensive weapon Sterling Baker and fellow all-state pick Austin Tharp will return to keep the Rams in the upper echelon of six-man.

Whose turn is it for a breakthrough year? Midwest. The Oilers have been gearing for 2013 for a while now, and with both of the squad’s all-state players (Cam Ray and Tucker Even) back from last year, can you blame them? Midwest is the early favorite in a restructured East Conference and is a legitimate threat to make it back to a state championship game for the first time since winning the nine-man title in 1991.

How have you gotten this far without mentioning Snake River? Good question. The Rattlers have been participants in the past three state title games, winning it all in 2010 and 2011. But the perennial pacesetters in six-man lost 10 seniors and all their starters to graduation and now face a conference schedule that includes state champ Dubois, up-and-comer Meeteetse and 11-man newcomer Wyoming Indian. The Rattlers will likely still be one of six-man’s better teams, but unlike the last few years, the Rattlers will have to earn that designation rather than have it given to them.

Four players to watch

Sterling Baker, Dubois. The North Conference’s offensive player of the year last year, Baker ran for 1,933 yards and 34 touchdowns in leading the Rams to the state championship. He also threw most of the Rams’ passes, throwing for 569 yards and 12 scores, and was second on the team in defensive points. He’ll again be the catalyst for the Rams if they hope to make it back to Laramie to defend their title.

Cam Ray, Midwest. One of two all-state choices back for the Oilers this fall, Ray led the Oilers in most major statistical categories, piling up 1,983 yards of all-purpose offense, scoring 114 points and notching more than 20 defensive points per game. The diminutive quarterback will be a big piece of Midwest’s success in 2013.

Seth Bennett, Meeteetse. Bennett missed the bulk of his sophomore season due to injury, but came back with a vengeance as a junior. He led Class 1A six-man in rushing yards (1,951), rushing touchdowns (39), scoring (261 total points) and all-purpose offense (3,485 total yards), and was fifth in 1A in defensive points. And he’s back.

Story Penning, Hulett. One of the most athletic football players in the state, Penning is the charge that makes the Red Devils’ offense go. An all-state choice last year, Penning ran for 1,420 yards — 12.5 yards per attempt — and 17 touchdowns; more importantly, he was second in the state with 27 defensive points per game.

Four key games

Saratoga at Midwest, Sept. 20. Perhaps the most intriguing game on the six-man calendar, this game will answer numerous questions: Is this really Midwest’s breakthrough year? How will Saratoga match up in six-man conference play? And can either team mount a serious challenge to the West Conference’s top teams in the playoffs?

Hulett at Kaycee, Sept. 28. No one can overlook the Red Devils this fall. Poised for a breakthrough year in six-man, Hulett will need this victory over the perennial contenders from Kaycee to establish itself as a serious contender for the state title.

Dubois at Snake River, Oct. 19. Snake River beat Dubois for the 2011 six-man title; Dubois beat Snake River for the 2012 six-man title. This one is big.

Dubois at Wyoming Indian, Oct. 25. Every game the Chiefs play this fall will be interesting, as the school with just one playoff berth in program history to its credit tries to reverse its fortunes in what may be its only playoff-eligible year of six-man. The regular-season finale could be the ramp-up to a memorable playoff run, or it could be the end of a busted experiment. For long-suffering Chiefs football fans, we can hope for the former.

Predicted order of finish

East: Midwest, Guernsey, Saratoga, Hulett, Kaycee, Hanna, NSI. West: Dubois, Meeteetse, Snake River, Wyoming Indian, Farson, St. Stephens, Ten Sleep.

Way-too-early title-game score prediction

I can’t pick the Oilers without being accused of being a homer. So I’ll vote my head and not my heart. Dubois 60, Midwest 56.

Trivia

Normative Services enters 2013 with an unfortunate streak in tow — the Wolves haven’t beaten a varsity opponent on the road in 21 consecutive tries. The question: Who was the last varsity team to lose to NSI away from Sheridan?

Classification’s 2013 theme song

So who’s your pick to win it all in six-man this year? The changes, plus the talent turnover, will make this one of the most intriguing classifications this season. Post some thoughts below and let’s start discussing the season!

Next Thursday: Class 1A 11-man.

–patrick