The State of Absaroka: An outlandish plan, but a fun experiment in high school sports

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The plan was outlandish — a new state, carved from the sections of three existing states.

Pieces of Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana, together, would meld to form Absaroka, the 49th of the United States.

In 1939, a group of dreamers drew up their plans for the new state in the “capital” of Sheridan. The group, led by Sheridan’s A.R. Swickard, the self-proclaimed “governor” of the new state, drew borders for a 49th state that encompassed the region’s needs and identity: independent, self-resolved, frustrated with federal intrusion, separate from the identity of the states from which they were drawn.

The proposed state would have encompassed parts of 24 counties from northern Wyoming, western South Dakota and southeastern Montana. The entirety of northern Wyoming, from Yellowstone and Teton parks across along its southern border to Thermopolis, Kaycee and Newcastle, would have been part of Absaroka. Those areas would have joined the of the Black Hills area and surrounding counties of South Dakota, including Rapid City, and a chunk of ranch and coal lands, mostly along the Powder River basin and along the east side of the Bighorn Mountains, from southeastern Montana.

Proposed state of Absaroka. First published in The Sheridan Press, 1939. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Proposed state of Absaroka. First published in The Sheridan Press, 1939. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The new state had a good start — a “governor,” license plates, even a beauty queen. But the practical implications of seceding 60,000-plus square miles of land into a new state far outweighed the idea, and Absaroka remained in the brain rather than on the map. However, the idea had served its purpose, mostly as a message to state and federal legislatures that went something like, “Pay attention to us!”

While the state of Absaroka never got much past the theoretical stage, now, almost 75 years removed from the Absaroka proposal, I thought it might be fun to look at what Absaroka’s creation would have meant for the high school sports programs in the new state, as well as what it would have meant for Wyoming’s remaining schools.

In all, 58 current high schools — 27 from Wyoming, 24 from South Dakota and seven from Montana — would have been part of Absaroka. By county, those schools would have been (with current enrollments in parentheses; schools without football in italics):

Wyoming
Teton: Jackson (654)
Fremont: Dubois (58)
Park: Cody (690), Powell (480), Meeteetse (33)
Big Horn: Rocky Mountain (117), Lovell (214), Greybull (167), Burlington (80), Riverside (97)
Washakie: Worland (378), Ten Sleep (39)
Hot Springs: Thermopolis (201)
Sheridan: Sheridan (922), Tongue River (145), Big Horn (140), Normative Services (60), Arvada-Clearmont (33)
Johnson: Buffalo (345), Kaycee (51)
Campbell: Gillette (2,216), Wright (178)
Crook: Hulett (64), Moorcroft (163), Sundance (113)
Weston: Upton (85), Newcastle (248)

Montana
Carter: Carter County (Ekalaka) (38)
Powder River: Powder River County (Broadus) (112)
Rosebud: Colstrip (194), Lame Deer (125)
Big Horn: Northern Cheyenne (Busby) (80), Hardin (438), Lodge Grass (103)

South Dakota (South Dakota calculates enrollments on three-grade projections; numbers here reflect a calculated four-year enrollment)
Harding: Harding County (Buffalo) (67)
Perkins: Bison (49), Lemmon (107)
Butte: Belle Fourche (397), Newell (117)
Meade: Faith (88), Sturgis (701)
Pennington: Wall (87), New Underwood (96), Rapid City Christian (57), Hill City (151), Douglas (Box Elder) (696), Rapid City Central (2,056), Rapid City Stevens (1,645), St. Thomas More (Rapid City) (260)
Shannon: Little Wound (Kyle) (316), Pine Ridge (541), Red Cloud (Oglala) (209)
Fall River: Oelrichs (56), Hot Springs (269), Edgemont (43)
Custer: Custer (256)
Lawrence: Lead-Deadwood (251), Spearfish (599)

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If we break down the Absaroka schools to classify them, some natural classifications emerge — eight schools with more than 600 enrollment, 12 schools between 225 and 600, 16 schools between 110 and 225, and the remaining 22 schools (20 football schools) with fewer than 110. The enrollment classification divisions are strikingly similar to those that already exist in all three states.

And if we put those schools into conferences, those conferences might look a little something like this:

Class 4A East: Rapid City Central, Rapid City Stevens, Sturgis, Douglas (Box Elder).
Class 4A West: Gillette, Sheridan, Cody, Jackson.
Class 3A East: St. Thomas More (Rapid City), Lead-Deadwood, Belle Fourche, Little Wound (Kyle), Spearfish, Pine Ridge.
Class 3A West: Powell, Hardin, Worland, Buffalo, Newcastle, Custer.
Class 2A Northeast: Newell, Moorcroft, Sundance, Powder River County (Broadus).
Class 2A Southeast: Red Cloud (Oglala), Hot Springs, Hill City, Wright.
Class 2A Central: Tongue River, Big Horn, Colstrip, Lame Deer.
Class 2A West: Lovell, Thermopolis, Greybull, Rocky Mountain.
Class 1A Northeast: Faith, Harding County (Buffalo), Carter County (Ekalaka), Bison, Lemmon.
Class 1A Southeast: New Underwood, Wall, Rapid City Christian, Edgemont, Hulett, Oelrichs.
Class 1A Central: Upton, Northern Cheyenne, NSI, Kaycee, Lodge Grass, Arvada-Clearmont.
Class 1A West: Riverside, Burlington, Dubois, Ten Sleep, Meeteetse.

The conferences tend to split along the South Dakota-Wyoming border and the border along the Bighorn Mountain range, but nevertheless some interesting intermingling occurs. The theoretical Class 3A West and Class 2A Northeast draw schools from all three states; of the 12 proposed conferences, seven mix schools from at least two states.

This state would have been beset by many of the problems in the other three states today; a relatively low number of large schools and large distances between all schools would have given rise to disputes that would probably be quite similar to ones that Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota have had throughout the past 75 years.

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And, of course, the loss of 27 high schools to Absaroka would have been problematic to the 44 current schools still in Wyoming. The remaining schools and their current classifications — now strongly tied to the Union Pacific rail line and what is now I-80, would be something like this today:

Class 4A: Natrona, Cheyenne East, Kelly Walsh, Rock Springs, Cheyenne Central, Laramie, Cheyenne South, Evanston, Riverton, Green River.
Class 3A East: Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland, Glenrock.
Class 3A West: Star Valley, Lander, Pinedale, Mountain View, Lyman.
Class 2A East: Burns, Southeast, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Saratoga.
Class 2A West: Big Piney, Kemmerer, Wind River, Wyoming Indian, Shoshoni.
Class 1A East: Lingle, Guernsey, Midwest, Rock River, Glendo, Chugwater.
Class 1A West: Snake River, Hanna, St. Stephens, Cokeville, Farson, Encampment. (Ft. Washakie and Arapaho Charter haven’t had varsity teams for several seasons.)

With so few schools, it’s interesting to consider that Wyoming may have not split to four classes. Instead, Wyoming may have gone the way of North Dakota and stuck with two classes — big schools and small schools — with four conferences each. If that were the case, maybe Casper would have actually gone to three high schools a couple years ago (or, most likely, three decades ago). … Nevertheless, as it is now:

Class A: Northeast: Natrona, Kelly Walsh, Douglas, Glenrock, Wheatland. Southeast: Cheyenne East, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne South, Laramie, Torrington. Central: Lander, Riverton, Green River, Rock Springs, Rawlins. West: Star Valley, Evanston, Mountain View, Lyman, Pinedale.
Class B: Northeast: Midwest, Lusk, Glendo, Guernsey, Lingle. Southeast: Burns, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Chugwater, Rock River. Southwest: Hanna, Encampment, Snake River, Saratoga, Kemmerer, Cokeville. Northwest: Big Piney, Farson, Wind River, Wyoming Indian, Shoshoni, St. Stephens.

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Three other implications to consider:

* In Absaroka, Gillette — halfway between the “capital” of Sheridan and the state’s biggest city, Rapid City — becomes the default site for state tournaments. The “Gillette Events Center,” a facility capable of handling indoor football championships as well as basketball state tournaments, opens in the late 1980s and is the showcase jewel of Absaroka high school sports.

* In Wyoming, Casper is deemed “too far north” for state tournaments and state basketball and wrestling stay in Laramie. In retaliation, the Natrona County schools petition to join the Absaroka High School Activities Association — the AHSAA — but the appeal is denied thanks to a strong Gillette lobbying effort.

* Casper’s consolation prize, though, is the annual Wyoming-Absaroka Shrine Bowl football game and the Wyoming-Absaroka all-star basketball series, which draw huge crowds annually because they’re held on the same weekend in the same city. Fans can watch both and players, if chosen, can participate in both. Gillette tries to bid for the games but is defeated thanks to a strong Casper lobbying effort.

Absaroka was never more than the plan of few overenthusiastic Sheridan County residents in the late 1930s. Even so, it’s fun to think “what if…” and consider just how different our sports scene would be — both in Absaroka and Wyoming — if this outlandish plan had been less outlandish and more plan.

–patrick

Wyoming high schools and logo “recycling”

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About a month ago, I read a post from the fantastic Uni Watch website that discussed high schools’ use of college and NFL logos.

In the post, the writer (Paul Lukas) suggests schools should stop the logo “recycling” (or “poaching”), noting that schools should turn the logo design efforts to students, art teachers, a school’s graphic design program… anything that would help make the school’s logo more unique to the school and less a ripoff of someone else.

The article prompted me to think about Wyoming schools that use NFL or college logos on their helmets — and, surprisingly enough, only a handful of Wyoming schools actually “recycle” their logos from their NFL or collegiate counterparts.

In fact, I could only find one school — Wright — that uses a modified NFL logo as both its main school logo and its helmet decal. Wright uses the Carolina Panthers logo, with the colors shifted from blue to gold.

Four other schools have modified NFL logos as either their logo or helmet decal, but not both.

Gillette and Glenrock both use the Green Bay “G” on their helmets, although both schools use logos that are original and different from the “G” helmet decals the schools use. (See the unique logos for Gillette and Glenrock.)

Midwest (the old Houston Oilers) and Guernsey-Sunrise (the Minnesota Vikings) also use NFL logos, but those logos aren’t on their helmets.

College-level logo “recycling” is actually more common in the Equality State.

Seven schools use college logos for their schools: Pinedale, Shoshoni and Kaycee (all the Wyoming bucking horse), Big Piney (old Wyoming/Oklahoma State “Pistol Pete,” slightly modified), Riverside (UNLV, slightly and crudely modified), Burlington (old Washington logo), and Rock River (Texas, modified with “Longhorns” across the top). Of those schools, four — Pinedale, Shoshoni, Kaycee and Big Piney — use those logos on their helmets, either this year or in the very recent past.

In Wyoming, I think we can make certain exceptions. Pinedale, Shoshoni, Kaycee and Big Piney are probably off the hook; any schools that want to use the UW/state of Wyoming logos should have that flexibility. Can’t blame them. That bucking horse logo is iconic, and protected, while Pistol Pete is not as iconic but has been integrated as a big part of Big Piney’s identity, as this statue in the school lobby attests.

Gillette and Glenrock, too, are off the hook, as long as they start using those unique-to-their-school logos on your helmets rather than repeating an NFL team (and each other).

Midwest, Guernsey and Riverside get passes, as well, with the knowledge that logo recycling hasn’t taken over the sides of their football players’ helmets. Additionally, Burlington is off the hook, as the Huskies use blank white headgear.

And Rock River, which started a junior-varsity six-man program last fall (and whose helmet I’ve never seen), is off the hook for now due to a lack of knowledge. I do hope the Longhorns stray from being a blue version of Texas in their uniforms, though…

That leaves us Wright.

And I think help is on the way.

I wish I could design a logo, but any of you who have ever seen my artistic abilities on display know I’m not the one to actually put ink to paper (or mouse to Adobe Illustrator blank screen). If you want cruddy stick figures, I’m your guy; if you want something that would actually work on the side of a helmet or in the middle of a basketball floor, call someone else.

How about you? Any design suggestions or mock-ups that any of you design-savvy folks want to suggest? Post your ideas below here, or email them to me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com and I’ll post them here.

What would be even better — and this is something suggested by Uni Watch — is that the students or the teachers in the schools themselves work to design a new logo that’s unique. That’s not just a Wright suggestion. That’s a suggestion for every school in the state that’s “recycling” a logo that’s unique to someone else but not to them.

By the way, Wright itself has already thrown down the challenge, albeit unknowingly, with this mural in its gym, done by local artist Doug McCrae, as well as this logo on a sign near the city limits. Could you imagine either one of those modified to fit on a football helmet? Sweeeeeet. And maybe more importantly, original.

–patrick

2013 Wyoming high school football schedule released

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The 2013 Wyoming high school football schedule was released Tuesday, and although school classification changes are only coming in Class 1A, changes to the schedule have been made in every classification.

Major schedule overhauls were conducted in Class 4A and Class 1A.

Class 1A, both 11-man and six-man, saw the most changes, as three schools departed 11-man for six-man this year and another joined six-man from the junior-varsity ranks. The Class 4A schedule was completely overhauled, as well, while minor changes were made in the Class 2A and 3A schedules.

The Wyoming High School Activities Association has produced the schedules for all Wyoming varsity football teams since 2001. Schedules were distributed to the schools this morning.

Class 1A overhauls are major

The biggest changes in 2013 come in Class 1A, where Normative Services, Saratoga and Wyoming Indian will depart the 11-man ranks for six-man. Six-man also has St. Stephens moving up to the varsity ranks after two seasons of junior-varsity play. Conversely, six-man has been restructured into East and West conferences, with seven schools in each — Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett, Kaycee, Midwest, Normative Services and Saratoga in the East and Dubois, Farson, Meeteetse, St. Stephens, Snake River, Ten Sleep and Wyoming Indian in the West. All six-man schools will play six conference games and two nonconference games.

In 1A 11-man, the conferences remain East-West, with six programs in the West (Burlington, Cokeville, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni and Wind River) and five in the East (Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Upton-Sundance). The schedule was built to accommodate a split in the Upton-Sundance coop, a pairing scheduled to end after the 2013 season. All but one 1A 11-man program will play a 2A school in the season opener; Pine Bluffs, which has an open week in Week 1, is the lone exception.

Interconference play has been expanded in 1A 11-man this year, as schools play two teams from the opposite conference in the regular season — one at home, one away. One of the marquee regular-season matchups will be a Week 2 showdown between Cokeville and Southeast in Lincoln County.

New 4A schedule switches some home-away patterns; 3A, 2A classes have minor changes

Despite no changes in the classification’s structure, the Class 4A schedule was completely retooled. No school plays a flip-flop schedule from 2012; every team will make at least one road trip that’s exactly the same as the 2012 season. Key among these is the Oil Bowl, which will be played at Kelly Walsh for a second consecutive season next year.

The Class 3A schedule saw the fewest changes. The schedule was flipped from the 2012 schedule in all but two instances, and they’re both in Week 1 — Rawlins will play at Kemmerer rather than Wheatland, and Torrington will play at Glenrock rather than having an open date. The rest of the schedule mirrors the 2012 schedule, with home and road games switched.

In Class 2A, the West Conference schedule was flipped from 2012, but the East Conference schedule was shifted slightly, with the Week 8 schedule moving to Week 2 and the calendar moving down a week thereafter — 2012’s Week 2 will be 2013’s Week 3, Week 3 becomes Week 4 and so on. The changes in 1A’s schedules have shifted some of the Week 1 nonconference opponents, as only three Class 2A schools (Big Horn, Greybull and Mountain View) retain the Week 1 nonconference foe they had in 2012. Big Horn and Greybull continue to play each other, while Mountain View kept its game with Cokeville.

Class 3A, 2A and 1A schools may schedule Week 0 contests on their own, if they so choose. Those games and scrimmages will be set later this year.

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Key games

Here’s a quick glance at some key games, week by week:

Week 0: Cheyenne South at Evanston. The Bison almost picked up their first victory in varsity play in 2012 against the Red Devils. It will be interesting to see if South can finish the job and end the losing streak in the 2013 season opener.

Week 1: Saratoga at Snake River. How will the Panthers stack up in six-man? We’ll find out quickly, as they travel to play one of the most successful programs in the state regardless of classification in the opening week. Other key games: Cheyenne East at Natrona, Douglas at Green River, Riverton at Powell.

Week 2: Big Horn at Newcastle. The two frontrunners in the 2A East in 2012 didn’t meet until Week 8; in 2013, they’ll open the conference slate with each other. Other key games: Green River at Riverton, Southeast at Cokeville, Meeteetse at Snake River.

Week 3: Gillette at Natrona AND Lyman at Lovell. Two rematches of 2012 title games come in the same week in 2013. Other key games: Star Valley at Douglas, Shoshoni at Burlington, Wyoming Indian at St. Stephens.

Week 4: Kemmerer at Thermopolis. The past couple years, this game has been pivotal for success in the second half of the season. Other key games: Cheyenne East at Kelly Walsh, Douglas at Buffalo, Hulett at Kaycee.

Week 5: Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne East, Natrona at Kelly Walsh, AND Sheridan at Gillette. Rivalry week is back! Other key games: Powell at Star Valley, Big Horn at Glenrock, Shoshoni at Wind River, Rocky Mountain at Burlington.

Week 6: Star Valley at Cody. This could be a trap game for the Braves, one week after what is likely to be an emotional rematch against Powell. Other key games: Sheridan at Cheyenne Central, Lyman at Mountain View, Pinedale at Big Piney, Cokeville at Rocky Mountain, Guernsey at Midwest.

Week 7: Lusk at Southeast AND Dubois at Snake River. Once again, the 2013 schedule has paired two title-game combatants from 2012 against one another in the same week. Other key games: Natrona at Sheridan, Cody at Powell, Douglas at Riverton, Green River at Star Valley, Mountain View at Thermopolis, Burlington at Cokeville, Kaycee at Midwest.

Week 8: Powell at Green River. These two schools have gotten very familiar with each other the past two years…. Other key games: Gillette at Cheyenne East, Glenrock at Burns, Shoshoni at Cokeville, Hanna at Saratoga.

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The complete schedules, both by week and by school, are posted below:

By week

Week 0 (Aug. 24-25)
Class 4A: Cheyenne South at Evanston; Gillette at Kelly Walsh; Natrona at Cheyenne Central; Rock Springs at Cheyenne East; Sheridan at Laramie.
Class 3A, Class 2A and Class 1A Week 0 schedules will be set by individual schools.

Week 1 (Aug. 30-Sept. 1)
Class 4A: Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne South; Cheyenne East at Natrona; Evanston at Gillette; Kelly Walsh at Sheridan; Laramie at Rock Springs.
Class 3A: Buffalo at Worland; Douglas at Green River; Lander at Cody; Riverton at Powell.
Class 2A: Greybull at Big Horn; Lyman at Wheatland.
Class 1A six-man: Farson at Midwest; Hanna at Meeteetse; Hulett at Ten Sleep; Kaycee at Wyoming Indian; Normative Services at Dubois; St. Stephens at Guernsey-Sunrise; Saratoga at Snake River.
Interclass: Big Piney at Riverside; Burlington at Thermopolis; Burns at Southeast; Cokeville at Mountain View; Glenrock at Torrington; Lusk at Newcastle; Moorcroft at Upton-Sundance; Pinedale at Shoshoni; Rawlins at Kemmerer; Rocky Mountain at Tongue River; Wind River at Lovell; Wright at Lingle.
Interstate: Star Valley at Snake River, Idaho; Teton, Idaho, at Jackson.
Open: Pine Bluffs.

Week 2 (Sept. 6-8)
Class 4A: Cheyenne South at Cheyenne East; Gillette at Cheyenne Central; Natrona at Laramie; Rock Springs at Kelly Walsh; Sheridan at Evanston.
Class 3A: Cody at Douglas; Green River at Riverton; Lander at Star Valley; Powell at Buffalo; Rawlins at Jackson; Torrington at Worland.
Class 2A: Big Horn at Newcastle; Burns at Wright; Kemmerer at Lyman; Lovell at Pinedale; Moorcroft at Glenrock; Mountain View at Greybull; Thermopolis at Big Piney; Wheatland at Tongue River.
Class 1A 11-man: Lingle at Burlington; Riverside at Pine Bluffs; Shoshoni at Lusk; Southeast at Cokeville; Upton-Sundance at Rocky Mountain.
Class 1A six-man: Farson at Dubois; Guernsey-Sunrise at Hulett; Kaycee at Hanna; Meeteetse at Snake River; Normative Services at Midwest; St. Stephens at Ten Sleep; Wyoming Indian at Saratoga.
Open: Wind River.

Week 3 (Sept. 13-15)
Class 4A: Cheyenne Central at Rock Springs; Cheyenne East at Sheridan; Evanston at Laramie; Gillette at Natrona; Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne South.
Class 3A: Buffalo at Green River; Cody at Riverton; Jackson at Lander; Powell at Torrington; Star Valley at Douglas; Worland at Rawlins.
Class 2A: Big Horn at Burns; Big Piney at Mountain View; Greybull at Thermopolis; Lyman at Lovell; Newcastle at Moorcroft; Pinedale at Kemmerer; Tongue River at Glenrock; Wheatland at Wright.
Class 1A 11-man: Cokeville at Wind River; Lingle at Lusk; Rocky Mountain at Riverside; Shoshoni at Burlington; Southeast at Pine Bluffs.
Class 1A six-man: Dubois at Hulett; Hanna at Guernsey-Sunrise; Normative Services at Kaycee; Saratoga at Midwest; Snake River at Farson; Ten Sleep at Meeteetse; Wyoming Indian at St. Stephens.
Open: Upton-Sundance.

Week 4 (Sept. 20-22)
Class 4A: Cheyenne East at Kelly Walsh; Cheyenne South at Gillette; Laramie at Cheyenne Central; Natrona at Evanston; Rock Springs at Sheridan.
Class 3A: Douglas at Buffalo; Green River at Cody; Jackson at Powell; Riverton at Rawlins; Star Valley at Worland; Torrington at Lander.
Class 2A: Big Piney at Lyman; Burns at Newcastle; Glenrock at Wheatland; Kemmerer at Thermopolis; Lovell at Mountain View; Moorcroft at Tongue River; Pinedale at Greybull; Wright at Big Horn.
Class 1A 11-man: Burlington at Upton-Sundance; Cokeville at Lingle; Lusk at Riverside; Pine Bluffs at Shoshoni; Wind River at Southeast.
Class 1A six-man: Guernsey-Sunrise at Farson; Hulett at Kaycee; Meeteetse at Dubois; Midwest at Hanna; St. Stephens at Snake River; Saratoga at Normative Services; Ten Sleep at Wyoming Indian.
Open: Rocky Mountain.

Week 5 (Sept. 27-29)
Class 4A: Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne East; Evanston at Rock Springs; Laramie at Cheyenne South; Natrona at Kelly Walsh; Sheridan at Gillette.
Class 3A: Cody at Jackson; Lander at Douglas; Powell at Star Valley; Rawlins at Torrington; Riverton at Buffalo; Worland at Green River.
Class 2A: Big Horn at Glenrock; Kemmerer at Big Piney; Lovell at Greybull; Mountain View at Pinedale; Newcastle at Wright; Thermopolis at Lyman; Tongue River at Burns; Wheatland at Moorcroft.
Class 1A 11-man: Lusk at Pine Bluffs; Riverside at Cokeville; Rocky Mountain at Burlington; Shoshoni at Wind River; Upton-Sundance at Southeast.
Class 1A six-man: Dubois at Ten Sleep; Farson at St. Stephens; Kaycee at Saratoga; Midwest at Hulett; Normative Services at Guernsey-Sunrise; Snake River at Hanna; Wyoming Indian at Meeteetse.
Open: Lingle.

Week 6 (Oct. 4-6)
Class 4A: Cheyenne East at Laramie; Cheyenne South at Natrona; Gillette at Rock Springs; Kelly Walsh at Evanston; Sheridan at Cheyenne Central.
Class 3A: Buffalo at Lander; Green River at Jackson; Rawlins at Douglas; Star Valley at Cody; Torrington at Riverton; Worland at Powell.
Class 2A: Big Horn at Wheatland; Burns at Moorcroft; Greybull at Kemmerer; Lyman at Mountain View; Newcastle at Glenrock; Pinedale at Big Piney; Thermopolis at Lovell; Wright at Tongue River.
Class 1A 11-man: Burlington at Wind River; Cokeville at Rocky Mountain; Pine Bluffs at Lingle; Riverside at Shoshoni; Upton-Sundance at Lusk.
Class 1A six-man: Guernsey-Sunrise at Midwest; Hanna at Normative Services; Hulett at Saratoga; Meeteetse at Kaycee; St. Stephens at Dubois; Snake River at Wyoming Indian; Ten Sleep at Farson.
Open: Southeast.

Week 7 (Oct. 11-13)
Class 4A: Cheyenne Central at Kelly Walsh; Evanston at Cheyenne East; Laramie at Gillette; Natrona at Sheridan; Rock Springs at Cheyenne South.
Class 3A: Cody at Powell; Douglas at Riverton; Green River at Star Valley; Jackson at Worland; Lander at Rawlins; Torrington at Buffalo.
Class 2A: Big Piney at Greybull; Glenrock at Wright; Kemmerer at Lovell; Lyman at Pinedale; Moorcroft at Big Horn; Mountain View at Thermopolis; Tongue River at Newcastle; Wheatland at Burns.
Class 1A 11-man: Burlington at Cokeville; Lingle at Upton-Sundance; Lusk at Southeast; Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni; Wind River at Riverside.
Class 1A six-man: Dubois at Snake River; Hulett at Hanna; Kaycee at Midwest; Meeteetse at St. Stephens; Saratoga at Guernsey-Sunrise; Ten Sleep at Normative Services; Wyoming Indian at Farson.
Open: Pine Bluffs.

Week 8 (Oct. 18-20)
Class 4A: Cheyenne Central at Evanston; Cheyenne South at Sheridan; Gillette at Cheyenne East; Kelly Walsh at Laramie; Rock Springs at Natrona.
Class 3A: Buffalo at Rawlins; Douglas at Torrington; Jackson at Star Valley; Powell at Green River; Riverton at Lander; Worland at Cody.
Class 2A: Glenrock at Burns; Greybull at Lyman; Lovell at Big Piney; Mountain View at Kemmerer; Newcastle at Wheatland; Thermopolis at Pinedale; Tongue River at Big Horn; Wright at Moorcroft.
Class 1A 11-man: Pine Bluffs at Upton-Sundance; Riverside at Burlington; Shoshoni at Cokeville; Southeast at Lingle; Wind River at Rocky Mountain.
Class 1A six-man: Dubois at Wyoming Indian; Farson at Meeteetse; Guernsey-Sunrise at Kaycee; Hanna at Saratoga; Midwest at St. Stephens; Normative Services at Hulett; Snake River at Ten Sleep.
Open: Lusk.

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By team
All schedules listed starting with Week 1, except Class 4A, which starts with Week 0

Class 4A
Cheyenne Central: vs. Natrona; at Cheyenne South; vs. Gillette; at Rock Springs; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne East; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; at Evanston.
Cheyenne East: vs. Rock Springs; at Natrona; vs. Cheyenne South; at Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie; vs. Evanston; vs. Gillette.
Cheyenne South: at Evanston; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Cheyenne East; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Gillette; vs. Laramie; at Natrona; vs. Rock Springs; at Sheridan.
Evanston: vs. Cheyenne South; at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Laramie; vs. Natrona; at Rock Springs; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central.
Gillette: at Kelly Walsh; vs. Evanston; at Cheyenne Central; at Natrona; vs. Cheyenne South; vs. Sheridan; at Rock Springs; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne East.
Kelly Walsh: vs. Gillette; at Sheridan; vs. Rock Springs; at Cheyenne South; vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Natrona; at Evanston; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie.
Laramie: vs. Sheridan; at Rock Springs; vs. Natrona; vs. Evanston; at Cheyenne Central; at Cheyenne South; vs. Cheyenne East; at Gillette; vs. Kelly Walsh.
Natrona: at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne East; at Laramie; vs. Gillette; at Evanston; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Cheyenne South; at Sheridan; vs. Rock Springs.
Rock Springs: at Cheyenne East; vs. Laramie; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Sheridan; vs. Evanston; vs. Gillette; at Cheyenne South; at Natrona.
Sheridan: at Laramie; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Evanston; vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Rock Springs; at Gillette; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Natrona; vs. Cheyenne South.

Class 3A
East Conference
Buffalo: at Worland; vs. Powell; at Green River; vs. Douglas; vs. Riverton; at Lander; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins.
Douglas: at Green River; vs. Cody; vs. Star Valley; at Buffalo; vs. Lander; vs. Rawlins; at Riverton; at Torrington.
Lander: at Cody; at Star Valley; vs. Jackson; vs. Torrington; at Douglas; vs. Buffalo; at Rawlins; vs. Riverton.
Rawlins: at Kemmerer; at Jackson; vs. Worland; vs. Riverton; at Torrington; at Douglas; vs. Lander; vs. Buffalo.
Riverton: at Powell; vs. Green River; vs. Cody; at Rawlins; at Buffalo; vs. Torrington; vs. Douglas; at Lander.
Torrington: vs. Glenrock; at Worland; vs. Powell; at Lander; vs. Rawlins; at Riverton; at Buffalo; vs. Douglas.
West Conference
Cody: vs. Lander; at Douglas; at Riverton; vs. Green River; at Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Powell; vs. Worland.
Green River: vs. Douglas; at Riverton; vs. Buffalo; at Cody; vs. Worland; at Jackson; at Star Valley; vs. Powell.
Jackson: vs. Teton, Idaho; vs. Rawlins; at Lander; at Powell; vs. Cody; vs. Green River; at Worland; at Star Valley.
Powell: vs. Riverton; at Buffalo; at Torrington; vs. Jackson; at Star Valley; vs. Worland; vs. Cody; at Green River.
Star Valley: at Snake River, Idaho; vs. Lander; at Douglas; at Worland; vs. Powell; at Cody; vs. Green River; vs. Jackson.
Worland: vs. Buffalo; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Star Valley; at Green River; at Powell; vs. Jackson; at Cody.

Class 2A
East Conference
Big Horn: vs. Greybull; at Newcastle; at Burns; vs. Wright; at Glenrock; at Wheatland; vs. Moorcroft; vs. Tongue River.
Burns: at Southeast; at Wright; vs. Big Horn; at Newcastle; vs. Tongue River; at Moorcroft; vs. Wheatland; vs. Glenrock.
Glenrock: at Torrington; vs. Moorcroft; vs. Tongue River; at Wheatland; vs. Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; at Wright; at Burns.
Moorcroft: at Upton-Sundance; at Glenrock; vs. Newcastle; at Tongue River; vs. Wheatland; vs. Burns; at Big Horn; vs. Wright.
Newcastle: vs. Lusk; vs. Big Horn; at Moorcroft; vs. Burns; at Wright; at Glenrock; vs. Tongue River; at Wheatland.
Tongue River: vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Wheatland; at Glenrock; vs. Moorcroft; at Burns; vs. Wright; at Newcastle; at Big Horn.
Wheatland: vs. Lyman; at Tongue River; at Wright; vs. Glenrock; at Moorcroft; vs. Big Horn; at Burns; vs. Newcastle.
Wright: at Lingle; vs. Burns; vs. Wheatland; at Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; at Tongue River; vs. Glenrock; at Moorcroft.
West Conference
Big Piney: at Riverside; vs. Thermopolis; at Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Kemmerer; vs. Pinedale; at Greybull; vs. Lovell.
Greybull: at Big Horn; vs. Mountain View; at Thermopolis; vs. Pinedale; vs. Lovell; at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Lyman.
Kemmerer: vs. Rawlins; at Lyman; vs. Pinedale; at Thermopolis; at Big Piney; vs. Greybull; at Lovell; vs. Mountain View.
Lovell: vs. Wind River; at Pinedale; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; at Greybull; vs. Thermopolis; vs. Kemmerer; at Big Piney.
Lyman: at Wheatland; vs. Kemmerer; at Lovell; vs. Big Piney; vs. Thermopolis; at Mountain View; at Pinedale; vs. Greybull.
Mountain View: vs. Cokeville; at Greybull; vs. Big Piney; vs. Lovell; at Pinedale; vs. Lyman; at Thermopolis; at Kemmerer.
Pinedale: at Shoshoni; vs. Lovell; at Kemmerer; at Greybull; vs. Mountain View; at Big Piney; vs. Lyman; vs. Thermopolis.
Thermopolis: vs. Burlington; at Big Piney; vs. Greybull; vs. Kemmerer; at Lyman; at Lovell; vs. Mountain View; at Pinedale.

Class 1A 11-man
East Conference
Lingle: vs. Wright; at Burlington; at Lusk; vs. Cokeville; open; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Southeast.
Lusk: at Newcastle; vs. Shoshoni; vs. Lingle; at Riverside; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Upton-Sundance; at Southeast; open.
Pine Bluffs: Open; vs. Riverside; vs. Southeast; at Shoshoni; vs. Lusk; at Lingle; open; at Upton-Sundance.
Southeast: vs. Burns; at Cokeville; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Wind River; vs. Upton-Sundance; open; vs. Lusk; at Lingle.
Upton-Sundance: vs. Moorcroft; at Rocky Mountain; open; vs. Burlington; at Southeast; at Lusk; vs. Lingle; vs. Pine Bluffs.
West Conference
Burlington: at Thermopolis; vs. Lingle; vs. Shoshoni; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Wind River; at Cokeville; vs. Riverside.
Cokeville: at Mountain View; vs. Southeast; at Wind River; at Lingle; vs. Riverside; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Burlington; vs. Shoshoni.
Riverside: vs. Big Piney; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Lusk; at Cokeville; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; at Burlington.
Rocky Mountain: at Tongue River; vs. Upton-Sundance; at Riverside; open; at Burlington; vs. Cokeville; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River.
Shoshoni: vs. Pinedale; at Lusk; at Burlington; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Wind River; vs. Riverside; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Cokeville.
Wind River: at Lovell; open; vs. Cokeville; at Southeast; vs. Shoshoni; vs. Burlington; at Riverside; at Rocky Mountain.

Class 1A six-man
East Conference
Guernsey: vs. St. Stephens; at Hulett; vs. Hanna; at Farson; vs. NSI; at Midwest; vs. Saratoga; at Kaycee.
Hanna: at Meeteetse; vs. Kaycee; at Guernsey; vs. Midwest; vs. Snake River; at NSI; vs. Hulett; at Saratoga.
Hulett: at Ten Sleep; vs. Guernsey; vs. Dubois; at Kaycee; vs. Midwest; at Saratoga; at Hanna; vs. NSI.
Kaycee: at Wyoming Indian; at Hanna; vs. NSI; vs. Hulett; at Saratoga; vs. Meeteetse; at Midwest; vs. Guernsey.
Midwest: vs. Farson; at NSI; vs. Saratoga; at Hanna; at Hulett; vs. Guernsey; vs. Kaycee; at St. Stephens.
NSI: at Dubois; vs. Midwest; at Kaycee; vs. Saratoga; at Guernsey; vs. Hanna; vs. Ten Sleep; at Hulett.
Saratoga: at Snake River; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Midwest; at NSI; vs. Kaycee; vs. Hulett; at Guernsey; vs. Hanna.
West Conference
Dubois: vs. NSI; vs. Farson; at Hulett; vs. Meeteetse; at Ten Sleep; vs. St. Stephens; at Snake River; at Wyoming Indian.
Farson: at Midwest; at Dubois; vs. Snake River; vs. Guernsey; at St. Stephens; vs. Ten Sleep; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Meeteetse.
Snake River: vs. Saratoga; vs. Meeteetse; at Farson; vs. St. Stephens; at Hanna; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Dubois; at Ten Sleep.
Meeteetse: vs. Hanna; at Snake River; vs. Ten Sleep; at Dubois; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Kaycee; at St. Stephens; vs. Farson.
St. Stephens: at Guernsey; at Ten Sleep; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Snake River; vs. Farson; at Dubois; vs. Meeteetse; vs. Midwest.
Ten Sleep: vs. Hulett; vs. St. Stephens; at Meeteetse; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Dubois; at Farson; at NSI; vs. Snake River.
Wyoming Indian: vs. Kaycee; at Saratoga; at St. Stephens; vs. Ten Sleep; at Meeteetse; vs. Snake River; at Farson; vs. Dubois.

–patrick

The demise of Wyoming’s first playoff brackets, and why it’s important now

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When Wyoming’s high schools moved toward a statewide playoff football system in 1948, they did so with caution.

After all, by then, they had already broken the system once.

A decade earlier, infighting within districts and disagreements among districts had relegated qualifying for the playoff system established by the Wyoming High School Athletic Association (as it was known back then) to a messy system of appeals, challenges and tiebreakers.

But that was 1938. By 1948, the WHSAA and the schools had 10 years of thought behind a new postseason plan. But neither the group nor the schools could have foreseen the troubles that would come along with the new system.

The playoff system worked in theory, but its failure helped prove the system didn’t fit into the needs or desires of the schools participating in it.

Faced with an intense set of circumstances, schools opted to save their regions at the expense of their state. And because of that, one of the most interesting periods in the development of high school football in the state ended 14 years after it was started — and it ended with a thud.

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By 1948, that resentment that had come with the problems of the 1938 playoff dissolution had faded. By 1948, a stronger classification structure had emerged, and six-man football had developed into a viable option for small schools. And, by 1948, a culture of postwar optimism encompassed everything “American,” including high school football.

In that setting, the WHSAA formed three football classifications with two playoff structures. Class AA, the big schools, didn’t have a postseason, but Class A and the six-man football schools in Class B had an option they had never had before — a four-school playoff bracket, complete with a championship game.

The Class A and six-man brackets were similarly simple: two semifinal games between the East (or North) district champions and the West (or South) district champions, with the winners meeting in the title game.

For seven years, the system worked. The lone exception to the smoothness came in 1950, when the Northeast six-man district decided not to send a representative into the playoffs; eventual state champion Cowley avoided playing a semifinal game that year. Otherwise, though, filling the bracket was never a problem.

Then, over the course of two years, the Class B playoff structure fell apart. And it fell apart for two big reasons — the introduction of a new classification and, subsequently, the schools’ adherence to regional loyalties.

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Hints of dissatisfaction with the system first popped up in 1955, when the Southeast District six-man champion, Lingle, elected to stay out of the playoffs. The two Southwest District co-champions, Big Piney and Pinedale, played each other in one semifinal game instead to make up the difference.

Right about this time, the small schools in the Southeast District became more self-contained and dropped out of the state playoffs; these schools also made a shift to eight-man football, which did not have a sanctioned playoff bracket at that time.

By far, though, the most seismic shift occurred in 1956, when the state introduced a Class B 11-man playoff bracket.

With that change, every Class B school in the Northwest District made the move from six-man to 11-man, leaving a hole in the six-man playoff bracket that was never filled. In fact, the 1956 six-man playoff “bracket” was simply one game, as the champions of the Northeast (Tongue River) and Southwest (Cokeville) six-man conferences played each other for the title; the Northwest teams had all moved to 11-man, while all the Southeast teams were playing eight-man.

In part due to the troubles surrounding the playoff brackets, the 1956 season was the last for the six-man bracket. In 1957, the WHSAA made the switch to eight-man. Again, it ran into troubles.

In 1957, as in 1956, the small-school playoff “bracket” was only the championship game; this time around, the Northeast (Tongue River) and Southeast (Glendo) district champs played for the eight-man title. All the Northwest schools were still playing 11-man, while the Southwest schools held out of the playoff bracket. (Whether this was because those schools held onto one more year of six-man or simply didn’t want to send a representative to the eight-man playoff bracket, I’m not sure.)

But it’s not like the Class B 11-man was siphoning off a bunch of six- and eight-man schools; in fact, the Class B 11-man bracket was in may ways struggling to survive, as well.

At this time, the Southeast Class B 11-man district had no teams (remember, they were all making the shift to eight-man). So the Northeast and Northwest district champs played the lone semifinal game for the right to host the Southwest champ for the title.

In 1958, the Class B schools shifted again — this time in a way that crippled the makeup of the brackets forever.

The biggest shift came in the 11-man conferences. Every Southwest Class B school vacated the conference, in part due to some circumstances out of their control. Reliance closed its school, Superior and Saratoga moved to the eight-man game and Kemmerer and Jackson, alone in the class, both jumped to Class A. The Southwest exodus left the 11-man bracket without any representatives from the southern half of the state.

With the infusion of new schools, the Southwest district sent a representative to the eight-man playoffs for the first time in 1958. But that bracket still lacked a Northwest representative as those schools held fast to 11-man.

The same problems existed in 1959 — no southern representatives at all in the 11-man Class B bracket, no Northwest reps in the eight-man bracket.

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By 1960, the brackets were all but dead.

The final year for the statewide eight-man bracket was 1960, and in many ways the final year represented all the problems that had reduced the playoff system to a shell of its former self. The Southwest did not send a representative into the bracket (even though Superior at 7-0 was the undisputed conference champion), and Glenrock (Southeast) played Hulett (Northeast) for the final eight-man title in Wyoming.

Meanwhile, in the Class B 11-man bracket, without southern representation, Northwest champ Byron beat Northeast champ Upton in the title game. And Upton was the conference “champ” in a most tentative fashion; by 1960, only two schools, Upton and Midwest, were left in the 11-man Class B Northeast conference.

And that snaking path was, in part, how Wyoming ended up with the 1961 Upton team, which, at 3-4-1, is the only team to win a state championship in a season in which it had a losing record.

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The 1961 Upton Bobcats only had to win one game to assure itself of a berth in the state title game — the one against its only conference opponent, Midwest. Upton won that one easily, 34-13, manhandling a Midwest squad that was on its way to a winless season. But otherwise, Upton struggled, losing to Class A schools Gillette and Buffalo, tying Newcastle and dropping games to Edgemont, S.D., and the Rapid City, S.D., JV squad. The only other game the Bobcats won in 1961 came against Rapid City (S.D.) Cathedral, an opponent Upton beat 13-0.

Nevertheless, the Bobcats, who entered the title game with a record of 2-4-1, had earned the right to host the title game and the champions of the Northwest District. In 1961, the Northwest champ was 8-0 St. Stephens. The Eagles came to Upton on a 13-game winning streak and had fairly easily dispatched of Cowley, 33-20, the week before the title game to win the Northwest title; the 13-point margin of victory was St. Stephens’ closest game of the season to that point.

But the Bobcats weren’t impressed, and easily beat the Eagles 18-6 to win the 1961 Class B 11-man title — the last such title earned in a championship game in Wyoming until 1975.

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The brackets’ demise came at a complicated time in Wyoming’s high school football history.

Between 1950 and 1962, 13 schools (Manville, Rozet, Albin, Encampment, Farson, Chugwater, Reliance, Snake River, LaGrange, Superior, Worland Institute, Arvada and Clearmont) cut their programs for an extended period of time or for good. Other schools fell victim to consolidation (Dayton and Ranchester to make Tongue River; Guernsey and Sunrise to make Guernsey-Sunrise). And while numerous schools started programs in this time to somewhat offset the march of consolidation, it wasn’t enough.

With the threat of closure or consolidation looming, numerous districts turned to self-preservation — in part, that’s why the small schools in the Northwest District went strictly 11-man in 1956, why their counterparts in the Southeast went strictly eight-man the same year, and why Southwest B schools abandoned 11-man for either eight-man or Class A in 1958. Only the Northeast district maintained a presence in both Class B brackets every year, and that was only accomplished by maintaining a two-school 11-man conference with only Upton and Midwest.

The introduction of a second Class B bracket, too, may have been too much for an already stressed Class B system to handle.

In the six-year existence of the Class B 11-man playoff bracket, a full four teams never competed. The Southeast District never sent a team to participate in the B 11-man bracket; the Southwest, after sending Kemmerer as its representative in 1956 and 1957, did not send a representative into the playoffs for the bracket’s final four years.

The stress on the playoff system was evident, and by 1961, the WHSAA wanted out. And even though the Class A part of the playoffs had been successful despite concerns about cost and competitiveness, the Class A playoffs, too, were eliminated after the ’61 season.

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So why does this matter now?

In part, it’s interesting to note that, despite having about  the same number of schools playing football as it did in the mid-1950s, Wyoming now has five football classifications, all with eight-team playoff brackets. The class-jumping and regionalization problems present 50-plus years ago are no longer a worry, in part because of the greater control the WHSAA now exercises on culminating events, scheduling and classifications.

Classification is much less flexible than it was in 1958; simply opting up to keep regional rivalries in tact is no longer possible. Many times, schools sacrifice longstanding regional games to fit within a WHSAA conference and classification — more so now than ever before as the WHSAA does all the scheduling for Wyoming’s varsity football teams. Schools opt up or down only with severe repercussions, repercussions purposely built into the system to discourage such actions. These repercussions were exacerbated in 2009, when the WHSAA chose to further restrict conference and nonconference play by instituting eight-team conferences in both Class 2A and Class 1A 11-man and installing a round-robin nine-week/10-school schedule for Class 4A.

Each step along the way was approved by the schools involved, in part to preserve competitive statewide playoff brackets.

The system in place now is why a school like Burns has 12 similarly sized schools within 130 miles but only plays one of them — Wheatland — during the football season. It’s why Midwest and Kaycee, 33 miles apart, are in separate six-man conferences, even though Kaycee’s closest conference opponent is 110 miles and a mountain range away and Midwest’s closest conference foe is 150 miles down the road. It’s why Evanston can’t play Star Valley or Green River, why Wheatland can’t play Torrington, why Greybull can’t play Riverside or Burlington. It’s why the words “power ratings” still frustrate fans. It’s why schools that ask to play in one classification are put in another. It’s why the Trona Bowl and the SEWAC, traditional pieces of Wyoming high school football, are both dead.

We can debate all day about whether the control exercised by the WHSAA here is for better or worse. But one thing is clear: to make a football playoff system work, the schools have to cede some control. When regional loyalty trumps preservation of a system, the system crumbles, no matter how well designed; the schools strain the system until the system breaks. We’ve seen that twice already, once in the 1930s and again in the 1950s and early 1960s.

But with the absolute control the WHSAA maintains on football in 2012, the question facing us now is if the system strains the schools — and if the system may eventually strain the schools until they break.

–patrick

Playoff scenarios entering Week 8

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Wyoming high school football playoff scenarios entering the final week of the regular season (2A West, 1A six-man North updated 10-13):

Class 4A
Gillette and Natrona: In. Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. They play each other for seeding this week.
Sheridan and Cheyenne East: In. Nos. 3 and 4 seeds. They play each other for seeding this week.
Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central: In. Nos. 5 and 6 seeds. They play each other for seeding this week.
Evanston: No. 7 seed with win. No. 8 seed with loss AND Rock Springs loss. Tie for 7-8-9 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Rock Springs win (playoff between Evanston, Laramie and Rock Springs).
Laramie: No. 7 seed with win AND Rock Springs loss. Tie for 7-8-9 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with win AND Rock Springs win (playoff between Evanston, Laramie and Rock Springs). Tie for 8-9-10 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Rock Springs loss (playoff between Laramie, Rock Springs and Cheyenne South). Eliminated with loss AND Rock Springs win.
Rock Springs: No. 8 seed with win AND Laramie loss. Tie for 7-8-9 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with win AND Laramie win (playoff between Evanston, Laramie and Rock Springs). Tie for 8-9-10 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Laramie loss (playoff between Laramie, Rock Springs and Cheyenne South). Eliminated with loss AND Laramie win.
Cheyenne South: Tie for 8-9-10 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with win AND Laramie loss (playoff between Laramie, Rock Springs and Cheyenne South). Eliminated with Laramie win. Eliminated with loss.

Class 3A East
Riverton: In. No. 1 seed.
Douglas: In. No. 2 seed.
Lander: No. 3 seed with win AND Buffalo loss. No. 4 seed, win or lose, with Buffalo win. Tie for 3-4-5 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Buffalo loss (playoff between Lander, Buffalo and Rawlins).
Buffalo: No. 3 seed with win. Tie for 3-4-5 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Lander loss (playoff between Lander, Buffalo and Rawlins). Eliminated with loss AND Lander win.
Rawlins: No. 4 seed with win AND Lander win. Tie for 3-4-5 spots (and triangular playoff to break) with win AND Lander loss (playoff between Lander, Buffalo and Rawlins). Eliminated with loss.
Torrington: Out.

Class 3A West
Powell: In. No. 1 seed with win. No. 2 seed with loss AND Star Valley loss. Tie for 1-2-3 (and coin flip to break) with loss AND Star Valley win.
Green River: In. No. 1 seed with win AND Star Valley loss. Tie for 1-2-3 (and coin flip to break) with win AND Star Valley win. No. 3 seed with loss.
Star Valley: In. Tie for 1-2-3 (and coin flip to break) with win AND Green River win. No. 2 seed, win or lose, with Green River loss. No. 3 seed with loss AND Green River win.
Cody: No. 4 seed with win. Tie for 4-5-6 (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Jackson loss (playoff between Cody, Jackson and Worland). Eliminated with loss AND Jackson win.
Jackson: No. 4 seed with win AND Cody loss. Tie for 4-5-6 (and triangular playoff to break) with loss AND Cody loss (playoff between Cody, Jackson and Worland). Eliminated with Cody win.
Worland: Tie for 4-5-6 (and triangular playoff to break) with win AND Jackson loss (playoff between Cody, Jackson and Worland). Eliminated with Jackson win. Eliminated with loss.

Class 2A East (updated 10-15)
Big Horn, Newcastle: In. Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. Play each other for seeding this week.
Wheatland, Wright, Glenrock, Burns: In competition for the 3 and 4 seeds. Six possible outcomes. First, with a Wright win over Burns: if Wheatland and Glenrock both win, Wheatland, Glenrock and Wright tie for 3-4-5 (triangular playoff to break); if Wheatland wins and Glenrock loses, Wheatland is No. 3 and Wright is No. 4; if Wheatland and Glenrock both lose, Wright is No. 3 and Glenrock is No. 4. Second, with a Burns win over Wright: if Wheatland and Glenrock both win, Glenrock is No. 3 and Wheatland is No. 4; if Wheatland wins and Glenrock loses, Wheatland is No. 3 and Glenrock is No. 4 (Glenrock wins tiebreaker due to victory over Wheatland); if Wheatland and Glenrock both lose, then Burns, Wheatland, Wright and Glenrock tie for 3-4-5-6, but Wheatland is No. 3 and Burns is No. 4 (Glenrock falls out of 4-way tie due to loss to Moorcroft, Wheatland wins 3-way tiebreaker due to victories over Wright and Burns).
Moorcroft, Tongue River: Out.

Class 2A West (updated 10-13)
Lyman: In. No. 1 seed.
Lovell: In. No. 2 seed.
Mountain View: In. No. 3 seed with win. No. 4 seed with loss.
Kemmerer: No. 3 seed with win. No. 4 seed with loss AND Greybull loss. Eliminated with loss AND Greybull win.
Greybull: No. 4 seed with win AND Kemmerer loss. Eliminated with loss OR Kemmerer win.
Pinedale, Thermopolis, Big Piney: Out.

Class 1A 11-man East
Lusk: In. No. 1 seed with win. No. 2 seed with loss.
Upton-Sundance: In. No. 1 seed with win. No. 2 seed with loss AND Lingle win. No. 3 seed with loss AND Southeast win.
Southeast: Not in yet. No. 2 seed with win AND Lusk win. No. 3 seed with win AND Upton-Sundance win. Out with loss.
Lingle: In. No. 3 seed with win. No. 4 seed with loss.
Pine Bluffs: No. 4 seed with Lingle win. Out with Lingle loss.
Normative Services: Out.

Class 1A 11-man West
Cokeville, Burlington: Nos. 1 and 2 seeds. They play each other for seeding this week.
Shoshoni: In. No. 3 seed.
Rocky Mountain: No. 4 seed with win. Tie for No. 4 seed (and triangular playoff for spot) with loss AND Wind River win (triangular playoff between Rocky Mountain, Wind River and Saratoga). Out with loss AND Wind River loss.
Wind River: Tie for No. 4 seed (and triangular playoff for spot) with win AND Saratoga win (triangular playoff between Rocky Mountain, Wind River and Saratoga). Out with Rocky Mountain win. Out with loss.
Saratoga: No. 4 seed with win AND Wind River loss. Tie for No. 4 seed (and triangular playoff for spot) with win AND Wind River win (triangular playoff between Rocky Mountain, Wind River and Saratoga). Out with loss.
Wyoming Indian, Riverside: Out.

Class 1A six-man North (updated 10-13)
Dubois: No. 1 seed.
Meeteetse: In. No. 2 seed with win. Tie for 2-3-4 seeds (coin flip to break) with loss.
Kaycee: In. No. 3 seed with Meeteetse win. Tie for 2-3-4 seeds (coin flip to break) with Meeteetse loss.
Hulett: In. Tie for 2-3-4 seeds (coin flip to break) with win. No. 4 seed with loss.
Ten Sleep: Out.

Class 1A six-man South
Snake River: No. 1 seed.
Midwest: No. 2 seed.
Guernsey: No. 3 seed.
Hanna: No. 4 seed.
Farson: Out.

Hopefully everything checks out.

–patrick

Playoff scenarios entering Week 7

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Here are the playoff scenarios entering Week 7:

Class 4A
In: Natrona, Gillette, Sheridan, Cheyenne East, Kelly Walsh.
Still in the hunt: Cheyenne Central, Evanston, Laramie, Rock Springs, Cheyenne South.
Out: No one.
What’s decided: Gillette and Natrona will be the top two seeds, no matter what. After that, it’s a race for qualifying and seeds. About the only team that can absolutely control its own destiny next week is Central, which would secure a playoff spot with a win over Rock Springs. South has the most work to do and could be mathematically eliminated next week if the right scenarios unfold, but even the Bison could enter the final week at 0-8 and still have a chance to make the playoffs if both Laramie and Rock Springs lose next week, as well.

Class 3A West
In: Powell, Green River.
Still in the hunt: Star Valley, Cody, Worland, Jackson.
Out: No one.
What’s decided: No much. Green River hosts Star Valley and travels to Powell to close the season, and those games will help decide who hosts and who travels in the first round. The only team that could be mathematically eliminated with a loss next week (excluding results of all other games next week) is Jackson.

Class 3A East
In: Douglas.
Still in the hunt: Riverton, Rawlins, Lander, Buffalo, Torrington.
What’s decided: Very little. Douglas will host a first-round playoff game, but after that, seeding is up in the air. Next week will be telling, though — the winner of the Riverton-Douglas game is the conference champ and earns hosting duties through the first two rounds of the playoffs, while Torrington would be mathematically eliminated with a loss to Buffalo.

Class 2A West
In: Lyman.
Still in the hunt: Lovell, Kemmerer, Mountain View, Thermopolis, Pinedale, Greybull.
Out: Big Piney.
What’s decided: Not much, but we do know Lyman would have to lose both of its final two games to lose the conference championship; a win either in Week 7 or Week 8 gives Lyman the conference title. Greybull would be eliminated from the playoff race next week with a loss to Big Piney. In between, it’s a mess.

Class 2A East
In: Big Horn, Newcastle.
Still in the hunt: Wheatland, Wright, Glenrock, Burns, Moorcroft, Tongue River.
Out: No one.
What’s decided: Big Horn will host a first-round playoff game no matter what. Newcastle will earn the same honor if the Dogies beat Wheatland next week. No matter what happens next week, though, the Week 8 game between Big Horn and Newcastle will decide the conference champion. Both Moorcroft and Tongue River would be mathematically eliminated with losses next week.

Class 1A 11-man West
In: Cokeville, Burlington.
Still in the hunt: Shoshoni, Rocky Mountain, Wind River, Saratoga.
Out: Wyoming Indian, Riverside.
What’s decided: The Week 8 Cokeville-Burlington game will decide the conference champion, no matter what happens next week. A ton of scenarios exist for deciding the final two seeds in this conference, as Shoshoni and Rocky Mountain (both 3-2 in conference play) have the upper hand on Wind River and Saratoga (both 2-3). Saratoga has the most direct affect on these scenarios, as the Panthers play both the Wranglers and Grizzlies in the final two weeks of the season.

Class 1A 11-man East
In: Upton-Sundance, Lusk.
Still in the hunt: Pine Bluffs, Lingle, Southeast.
Out: NSI.
What’s decided: Surprisingly little. The Week 8 Upton-Sundance/Lusk game will decide the conference champion, although, if either team loses next week, the chance exists that either one could slide out of hosting a first-round playoff game, and a slim chance exists that either one of those teams, with two losses the next two weeks, could slide to as far as fourth. Next week’s Lingle-Pine Bluffs game might end up deciding a playoff spot.

Class 1A six-man North
In: Dubois, Meeteetse.
Still in the hunt: Hulett, Kaycee, Ten Sleep.
Out: No one.
What’s decided: Dubois can wrap up the conference title if it can beat Hulett next week. Meanwhile, Ten Sleep would be eliminated from the postseason (and the other four would qualify) with a loss to Kaycee next week. The only Week 8 conference game pits Meeteetse against Hulett; the bulk of the seedings will likely be decided next week, although it’s possible a three-way tie for the second, third and fourth seeds could develop.

Class 1A six-man South
In: Midwest, Snake River, Guernsey.
Still in the hunt: Farson, Hanna.
Out: No one.
What’s decided: We’ll know (almost) everything after Week 7. The conference champion will be decided in Week 7 as Midwest travels to Snake River. Midwest is guaranteed to host a first-round playoff game, win or lose next week. The winner of next week’s Farson-Hanna game is in the playoffs and the loser is out. Farson has an outside chance of creating a tie with Guernsey and Snake River for the second, third and fourth seeds if the Rattlers lose to Midwest next week and if the Pronghorns can beat the Rattlers in the only South Conference game scheduled for Week 8.

Thoughts? Questions? Ideas? Post ’em below. We’re almost to the postseason and I’m excited to see what unfolds the next two weeks.

–patrick

Always unbeaten: 14 of Wyoming’s most unique high school football coaches

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The 14 men who have pulled off the feat are not well known in the Equality State.

Even to fanatics of Wyoming high school football, the names are for the most part unfamiliar.

Wayne Jacka, Duard Davids, Alven Thorson, Harry McGee and 10 other coaches, though, did more in one football season in Wyoming than many coaches have ever been able to do.

Those 14 coaches, in their one season coaching in Wyoming, led their teams to undefeated seasons — and then left, ending their Wyoming football coaching careers forever unbeaten.

What some of these men did after leaving their coaching position has been lost to history. What others did is downright remarkable.

Of the 14 coaches who led their Wyoming school to an undefeated season, only to step down at the end of the year, Jack Johnson and Del Wight are two of the most decorated.

Wight, who led Worland to a 9-0 season in 1965, didn’t stay in the high school ranks for long. He was a defensive coordinator for several major college programs, including North Dakota from 1969-71, New Mexico from 1972-76, Washington State from 1982-85, Wyoming from 1986-90 and San Diego State in 1993. He also coached at Fresno State, Northern Iowa and Kansas. He was also a coach in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and the ill-fated Las Vegas Posse. To get there, though, after his 1965 stint in Worland, he moved to Pocatello, Idaho, and was the head coach at Pocatello High for awhile before heading into the college ranks.

Johnson, meanwhile, led Torrington to a perfect 9-0 season in 1969 but left for Montana soon afterward. In the Big Sky State, he became legendary. Leading Great Falls CM Russell High School, Johnson is Montana’s all-time winningest high school football coach and is one of the winningest active coaches in the nation with 341 career victories entering this season. He’s a member of the national high school coaches hall of fame and coached both CFL legend Dave Dickenson and NFL flameout Ryan Leaf in high school.

The 12 other men who coached their teams to perfect records in their one year as the head coach of a Wyoming football team — and their exploits either before or after their one year as head coach, when known — are posted below:

Earl Campbell, Kemmerer, 1924: 5-0 (No information available.)

Duard Davids, Byron 1967: 7-0-1 (As a student, Davids went to North Gem High in Idaho and then Utah State, graduating from USU in 1962. He is retired now and, from what I can tell, lives in Seattle.)

Royal Huckins, Torrington 1943: 5-0 (Huckins only coached Torrington’s last five games of the 1943 season, and the Trailblazers finished 6-1 that season. That year, he took over for Wes Evans, who was called to fight in World War II. Huckins played college football at Northern Colorado; what he did after coaching Torrington is unknown.)

Wayne Jacka, Sunrise 1931: 6-0 (According to 1940 Census records, Jacka lived in Cimmaron, Kan., that year. I think he’s from Kansas, although he may have also lived in Colorado for awhile, and it appears he died in the early 1980s.)

Jack Johnson, Torrington 1969: 9-0

Charles Marlowe, Laramie 1916: 3-0-3 (No information available.)

Harry McGee, Reliance 1945: 6-0 (McGee had been at Superior High as a commerce teacher prior to coming to Reliance. He may have also lived in Big Piney, although I’m not sure about that.)

Bob Pratt, Ten Sleep 1961: 5-0 (No information available.)

Leo Sherman, Sheridan 1911: 4-0 (No information available.)

Grant Smith, Cowley 1955: 4-0 (I think Smith may have been from Cowley.)

Alven Thorson, Glenrock 1940: 5-0 (Thorson died in 2009 at age 100. He had moved to Seattle in 1952 and taught at Ballard High School. He also apparently worked for a time with the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association. He received his M.A. in Education from UW in 1946. He also apparently lived in Billings for a time in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was originally from Milan, Minn.)

John Whatcott, Byron 1958: 9-0 (From what I can gather, Byron was the first stop for Whatcott after graduating from Utah State, where he was a star running back for the Aggies. He soon moved back to Utah — he was head coach at Logan High in 1963 — and eventually became an athletic director at Pine View High School in St. George. From what I can tell, he still lives around the St. George area.)

Del Wight, Worland 1965: 9-0

Harry Wiley, Manderson 1924: 4-0 (No information available.)

If you have any information you can share about these one-stop-in-Wyoming wonders and what they did either before or after their perfect season in Wyoming, I would love to hear it! Email me or post a comment below.

It’s also interesting to note that, since Johnson left for Montana in 1969, this one-season perfection and evacuation hasn’t happened again. And with the coaches of all the remaining undefeated teams in the state having at least one year of head coaching experience under their belts in Wyoming, it won’t happen this year….

–patrick

WHSAA extends six-man/11-man option for 2013

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The Wyoming High School Activities Association on Tuesday voted to give Class 1A schools the option of joining either six-man or 11-man in 2013.

In doing so, the WHSAA acknowledged problems might arise from the offer, as four schools have approached the WHSAA about moving from 11-man to six-man next year.

An article in the Casper Star-Tribune said 11-man schools Wyoming Indian, Saratoga and NSI let the WHSAA know they were interested in moving from 11-man to six-man for the 2013 season, while St. Stephens — which has a sub-varsity six-man program — said it wanted to move to the varsity level next year.

Such moves would leave 11 programs in Class 1A 11-man and would give Class 1A six-man 14 programs, but WHSAA Commissioner Ron Laird and Associate Commissioner Trevor Wilson told the Star-Tribune they will ask NSI to stay in 11-man and ask St. Stephens to play another year of JV in order to balance the number of schools in each division at 12 apiece, in order to facilitate scheduling.

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My take

Good on Saratoga, Wyoming Indian, NSI and St. Stephens for trying to get into the six-man game. And, from what I can gather from the article, even though two of these schools — NSI and St. Stephens — might be stonewalled in 2013, it sounds like they’ll both be welcomed in 2014 after the WHSAA can take care of the scheduling problems an 11-team Class 1A 11-man creates.

But boo on the WHSAA for attempting to thwart those two schools from joining six-man in 2013.

I understand the scheduling problems inherent in a switch like this. Heck, the 2013 football schedule will be out in just more than a month. But we’ve seen patchwork schedules before (the Natrona JV team is in the running for the 1A title this year, right?) and a schedule could be turned around in time for 2013.

(I’m no genius, and I’m not privy to all the demands of the individual schools, but I drew up a nonconference schedule that would work for most schools in about 15 minutes — lots of 2A vs. 1A games Week 1, a East vs. West rotation in Weeks 2-3, conference games in Weeks 4-8.)

Of course, the one problem with that schedule is that it would be extremely patchwork, as most out-of-state schools already have their dates filled.

The WHSAA could also just be buying time until the two-year cooperative agreement between Sundance and Upton ends after the 2013 season. Then, with the programs splitting back into two independent teams, the WHSAA could look at having an even number of schools in each classification, which will help scheduling immensely.

All that said, I think the athletes who would be playing for NSI and St. Stephens in 2013 are being asked to unfairly shoulder a burden being asked of them. For St. Stephens to play another year of junior varsity — that would make three in a row — is a difficult task. And for NSI to play 11-man (where they’ve been getting worked for several years) instead of moving to six-man is a bit unfair when two other schools who asked the same request will likely have theirs granted, more out of convenience and geography than anything else.

As a small aside, it’s worth noting that Rock River, who is playing a sub-varsity six-man schedule this season, was not in the discussion for varsity play in 2013.

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Here is how the Class 1A football conferences would look in 2013 with all requests honored:

Class 1A 11-man West Conference: Burlington, Cokeville, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni, Wind River.
Class 1A 11-man East Conference: Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Upton-Sundance.
Class 1A six-man North Conference (anticipated): Dubois, Hulett, Kaycee, Meeteetse, NSI, St. Stephens, Ten Sleep.
Class 1A six-man South Conference (anticipated): Farson, Guernsey, Hanna, Midwest, Saratoga, Snake River, Wyoming Indian.
(Six-man might also work east-west with Dubois, Farson, Meeteetse, St. Stephens, Snake River, Ten Sleep and Wyoming Indian in the West and Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett, Kaycee, Midwest, NSI and Saratoga in the East.)

Here is how the Class 1A football conferences would look in 2013 with the WHSAA suggestions:

Class 1A 11-man West Conference: Burlington, Cokeville, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni, Wind River.
Class 1A 11-man East Conference: Lingle, Lusk, NSI, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Upton-Sundance.
Class 1A six-man North Conference (anticipated): Dubois, Hulett, Kaycee, Meeteetse, Ten Sleep, Wyoming Indian.
Class 1A six-man South Conference (anticipated): Farson, Guernsey, Hanna, Midwest, Saratoga, Snake River.

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Your thoughts? What does Tuesday’s vote mean for your school? What do you think of the WHSAA telling a couple schools to wait a year before entering six-man? Post some thoughts below and we can discuss this as long as you want.

–patrick

Future plans for wyoming-football.com

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Lately, I’ve been wondering if, now that I’ve moved out of Wyoming, I should keep this blog going.

Every week for the past seven years — four at the Casper Star-Tribune, three here — I’ve picked winners and losers of every varsity game in the state. I’ve always attempted to keep it lighthearted. This was supposed to be fun. After all, everything I’ve compiled here is simply a record of children playing games. That’s all.

The real truth is much more complicated than that.

High school football is community identity and community overemphasis. It’s discipline and creativity. It’s hero worship and hero destruction. It’s glue and divisiveness. It’s pride and shame. It’s growing up and staying young. It’s over-masculine and emasculating.

It’s never as simple as we think it is. That’s why I’ve tried so hard here to expose bits and pieces of the history of Wyoming high school football. This game in many ways exposes who we are both as individual communities and as a state: what we value, what we despise, what we celebrate, what we ignore and what we reject.

In many ways, the blog has been a blessing. I’ve met some fantastic people and had fantastic conversations that I would not have otherwise had. My love for this sport and this state has been reciprocated tenfold.

But I think it would be foolhardy to think I could serve the players, coaches and fans in Wyoming as well as I possibly can from my current geographic location. There is only so much I can do from Fargo, and I know it’s not enough to do everything I’ve tried to do in the past.

So, for now, my plan is this: I’ll still do my picks, albeit in a truncated form, and I’ll still ruminate here on a (mostly) weekly basis throughout the season. But I can’t — and shouldn’t — devote the amount of time I have in the past. I will never completely abandon this site, but it’s unreasonable for me to think I can do what I’ve done with this blog in previous years now that I’m living in North Dakota.

My plan now is to immerse myself a bit in the North Dakota/Minnesota football scene; if you’re curious, you can check out my (hopefully) weekly ruminations here.

Thanks for everything the past seven years, and please keep coming back as I work on the next 70.

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Additionally, if you like what I’ve done the past seven years, please consider showing as much by purchasing my book, A Century of Fridays. Your purchase will help keep the site afloat — and in exchange, you get a book that is worth way more than the purchase price, in terms of time and sacrifice. It’s 596 pages for a reason.

I’ve been giving it up for free for seven years. I don’t think asking for about $30 — in return for seven years, plus your access to an awesome high school football reference that may just have your name in it, or the name of your father, or brother, or son — is too much.

Thanks for considering my little sales pitch….

–patrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–patrick