Category Archives: Ramblings

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1967.

Class AA: Cheyenne Central (6-4) OR Laramie (6-3) OR Cheyenne East (7-3) vs. Powell (9-0). Central, East and Laramie all finished with 4-1 records in AA South play, all round-robining each other (East beat Laramie 14-13 but lost to Central 18-12, while Laramie beat Central 26-13). Powell did not have similar troubles in the North, plowing through the competition to finish undefeated.
Class A: Lusk (8-1) vs. Star Valley (10-0). Star Valley posted six shutouts and allowed the other four opponents only 45 combined points. Lusk had similar success in the East with a high-powered offense led by future UW quarterback Steve Cockerham; the Tigers’ only loss came in the season finale to Hot Springs, S.D.
Class B East: Tongue River (9-0) vs. Glenrock (9-0). Another classic in the making. Both the Eagles and the Herders had won every single game by at least 19 points. TR had beaten Class A Greybull by 20; Glenrock won its final four games by a combined 219-8.
Class B West: Byron (7-0-1) OR Basin (7-1-1) vs. Cokeville (7-0). A take-no-prisoners Panthers team beat all but one team on its schedule by at least 43 points. Byron and Basin, meanwhile, tied for the Northwest crown after tying their game 34-34 in one of the most controversial finishes ever. (Basin originally won 40-34 by scoring in the final minute of their game on Oct. 27, but Byron protested the game’s final 2 minutes, 24 seconds. The WHSAA upheld the protest, and the two teams met three days later to play the final 2:24. No one scored and the game finished as a 34-34 tie, officially.)

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1968.

Class A: Gillette (7-1-1) OR Lusk (8-1-1) vs. Star Valley (6-2-1) OR Evanston (8-2): There would have been all kinds of tiebreakers exercised to fill out the Class A title game in 1968. In the East, Gillette and Lusk had tied 19-19 early in the season in Lusk; both squads had lost to AA teams prior to the tie, Gillette to Powell and Lusk to Laramie. Meanwhile, Evanston and Star Valley split the Class A West title after splitting with each other in the regular season (Star Valley won 7-0 in Afton; Evanston won 13-0 in Evanston). Both teams also lost conference games to other league foes, coincidentally, both on Oct. 11: Star Valley to Jackson and Evanston to Green River.
Class B East: Sundance (8-1) vs. Glenrock (9-0). Glenrock was a Class B juggernaut in ’68, with its closest victory by 19 points. Sundance’s only blemish was a 21-20 loss to Newell, S.D., in the season finale.
Class B West: Byron (9-0) vs. Cokeville (7-1). In a rare case of a regular-season meeting between these two powerhouses, Byron beat Cokeville 40-32 in Cokeville to start the 1968 season for both teams. Even so, Byron had to eke out a 14-13 victory over Basin in the season finale to win the Northwest; Cokeville’s closest victory in a season of dominance was a 40-14 whitewash of North Rich, Utah.

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1969.

Class A: Torrington (9-0) vs. Star Valley (8-1): A matchup for the ages. Torrington had mowed through its competition, including posting 93 points — a modern 11-man record — against St. Mary’s, while Star Valley became increasingly stronger after losing to North Summit, Utah, in the season opener.
Class B East: Upton (7-2) vs. Lingle (9-0-1): Upton actually lost to Lingle 7-6 in the season opener for both squads; since that game, both had overcome stumbles in conference play — Upton a loss to Midwest, Lingle a tie with Glenrock — to win their respective leagues.
Class B West: Basin (7-0-1) vs. Cokeville (8-0): One of Cokeville’s best teams ever, the winners of the mythical state title, might have had a struggle on its hands against Basin, an underrated team due to a surprising 38-38 tie against Manderson late in the season. They had one common opponent, as both teams beat Byron in the ’69 season: Cokeville 20-18 in the regular-season opener, Basin 42-22 in the regular-season finale.

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1970.

Class A: Buffalo (8-0) vs. Star Valley (9-1). Star Valley avenged a 14-6 loss to Jackson early in the season by beating the Broncs 41-0 on the Jackson turf a few weeks later. Buffalo, meanwhile, made winning the East look easy by winning every game by at least nine points.
Class B East: Upton (7-1-1) vs. Glenrock (8-1). A tie against Sundance and a loss to Midwest was not enough to prevent Upton from winning the parity-filled Northeast, while Glenrock shook off an early 7-6 loss to Lingle and rallied to win the Southeast crown after the Doggers — after a 6-0 start — lost their final two games.
Class B West: Byron (9-0) vs. Pinedale (9-0-1): Aside from a 36-28 victory over Deaver-Frannie, Byron won every one of its games by at least 38 points. Pinedale, though, was the mythical state champ, even with a 6-6 tie against Mountain View, a team Pinedale had beaten 20-6 earlier in the season, as the only blotch on the record.

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1971.

Class A: Torrington (9-0) vs. Star Valley (7-2). A prequel to the 1972 title game, Torrington had been consistent in posting its victories — rarely by blowout, but rarely close, too; the Braves’ record was marred by a loss to AA Rock Springs and to Green River in a late-season game that did not affect which team won the conference title.
Class B East: Upton (7-0-1) vs. Glenrock (8-0). Ah, the game that should have been. These two schools were scheduled to meet in the final game of the regular season in 1971 but couldn’t due to a snowstorm. In our fictitious world, they would have played one week later in the playoffs, anyway… and both teams boasted dominating defenses. Upton gave up just EIGHT points in the regular season; Glenrock only 39. (Glenrock beat Upton 14-0 in the 1972 season finale, FWIW.)
Class B West: Deaver-Frannie (9-0) vs. Mountain View (7-0-1). Deaver-Frannie had eked out a 26-22 victory over Byron midway through the season in its biggest challenge to winning the Northwest crown. Mountain View, meanwhile, shook off a scoreless tie with Cokeville in the season opener and beat the Panthers 21-8 later in the season to win the Southwest.

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1972.

Class A: Torrington (7-1) vs. Star Valley (8-1-1). Two teams with early stumbles would meet for the title. The Trailblazers’ only loss came on the road at Buffalo in a 13-8 shocker, but Torrington rebounded to win the east, while Star Valley tied Kemmerer and lost to Green River but won the West after beating both in the Southwest round-robin schedule.
Class B East: Tongue River (8-1) vs. Glenrock (9-0) OR St. Mary’s (10-0). In a weird quirk in the Southeast schedule, Glenrock and St. Mary’s did not play each other in the regular season. Glenrock gave up just 12 points all season, while St. Mary’s, which was in its first year as a Class B school after transitioning from Class A, beat Class A schools Wheatland and Lusk on its way to perfection. (FWIW, St. Mary’s beat Glenrock 18-6 in the 1973 season opener.) In the Northeast, Tongue River again dominated, with its only loss to the Billings Senior JV in the final week of the season.
Class B West: Basin (9-0) vs. Pinedale (8-1) OR Cokeville (8-1). Pinedale and Cokeville shared the Southwest title after splitting their two games in the regular season, Pinedale winning 6-0 in Pinedale and Cokeville winning 10-6 in Cokeville. Basin was battle-tested, having eked out tight victories against Dubois, Byron and Cowley to win a competitive Northwest.

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1973.

Class A: Buffalo (8-1) vs. Green River (8-1). After losing to AA Rawlins 7-0 in the season opener, the Bison proved to have a penchant for winning close games and finished league play unbeaten. Green River’s only setback came 6-0 to Kemmerer; the Wolves avenged that loss and won the conference crown by beating the Rangers 14-12 in the final week of the season.
Class B East: Tongue River (9-0) vs. Guernsey-Sunrise (7-2). Tongue River won seven of its nine games by shutout and was the mythical state champion, but Guernsey-Sunrise may have presented a challenge, as the Vikings’ only losses were to Class A schools Wheatland and Glenrock.
Class B West: Byron (9-0) vs. Pinedale (8-2). This game would have pitted two streaky teams. Byron won its final five games of the season by a combined 202-6, while Pinedale lost its first two games of the season to Kemmerer and Big Piney but finished on an 8-0 streak.

–patrick

From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, we examine the year 1974.

Class A: Torrington (9-0) vs. Kemmerer (9-0). By far the two best Class A teams in the state, the two teams both relied on defense. Kemmerer gave up just 35 points all season and had five shutouts, while Torrington had eight shutouts and gave up just six points ALL SEASON.
Class B East: Tongue River (9-0) vs. Saratoga (8-0). Tongue River was riding the tail end of its late 1960s/early 1970s dynasty, but had allowed only 30 points through nine games. Meanwhile, the only undefeated season in Saratoga school history was also built on defense, as the Panthers, like Torrington, had given up just six points all season — and that score was allowed on a kickoff return.
Class B West: Basin (7-1-1) vs. Cokeville (9-0-1). An early tie with Big Piney was the only mar on Cokeville’s schedule (the Panthers beat the Punchers 35-12 later that season), while Basin’s only loss in the 1974 season was a 15-8 heartbreaker to unbeaten Tongue River.

(Note: Playoff brackets were formed using the system that was adopted statewide in 1975. Class AA brackets, when posted, will pit the AA North champion against the AA South champion, as that is how the classification was divided at that time.)

–patrick

In 2011, with the addition of Cheyenne South High School, Wyoming will have 63 high schools sponsoring football programs.

But, believe it or not, 63 programs is not Wyoming’s all-time high. Actually, Wyoming’s football program peak came many years prior to that — in 1957.

That season, 65 high schools sponsored football, the all-time peak in an ever-fluctuating tally of schools willing to sponsor the sport.

The fluctuations got me thinking about putting together a list of the number of programs per season. The result of that work is shown in a couple places, including the school details list available by clicking here and also in what I have posted below.

Unlike like the school details progression list, this count DOES account for programs that took one year off.

The numbers present an interesting picture of high school football’s growth in this state. From the explosions of the 1920s (organization) and 1930s (six-man) to the dips caused by World War II and by school consolidation, you can almost track the economic history of the state by simply looking at how many high school football programs existed that year. It’s really cool to take a look at and see the trends.

1900: 0 (no indications of any games played by any high school teams)
1901: 1
1902: 1
1903: 1
1904: 1
1905: 1
1906: 1
1907: 1
1908: 6 (sudden, surprising mini-boom of the sport at HS level)
1909: 5
1910: 5
1911: 3
1912: 5
1913: 4
1914: 4
1915: 3
1916: 4
1917: 4
1918: 0 (state/national/international influenza epidemic)
1919: 5
1920: 7
1921: 18 (explosion in organized HS sports in Wyo)
1922: 26
1923: 31
1924: 36 (primary explosion slows)
1925: 33
1926: 35
1927: 37
1928: 36
1929: 31
1930: 38
1931: 39
1932: 38
1933: 36
1934: 39 (first year of six-man)
1935: 42
1936: 46
1937: 40
1938: 49 (small schools keep joining the ranks, six-man expands)
1939: 55
1940: 61
1941: 64 (six-man hits its peak)
1942: 50 (December 7, 1941, and its repercussions)
1943: 51
1944: 51
1945: 48 (bottoming out during closing days of WWII)
1946: 52
1947: 51
1948: 55
1949: 55
1950: 58 (rebounding, finding the budget/will again after WWII)
1951: 56
1952: 58
1953: 63
1954: 60
1955: 64
1956: 63
1957: 65 (all-time peak in Wyoming)
1958: 61 (reality check/first wave of school consolidation begins)
1959: 62
1960: 64
1961: 64
1962: 61
1963: 58 (first wave of consolidation ends)
1964: 58
1965: 60
1966: 60
1967: 61
1968: 62
1969: 62
1970: 61
1971: 61
1972: 63
1973: 63
1974: 63
1975: 63 (second wave of school consolidation begins)
1976: 62
1977: 61
1978: 61
1979: 61
1980: 60
1981: 60
1982: 56
1983: 58 (second wave of consolidation ends)
1984: 57
1985: 57
1986: 57
1987: 58
1988: 61
1989: 60
1990: 60
1991: 58 (ill-fated experiments with eight-man die; program and school stability takes over)
1992: 58
1993: 57
1994: 58
1995: 58
1996: 58
1997: 58
1998: 58
1999: 58
2000: 59
2001: 59
2002: 59
2003: 59
2004: 59
2005: 59
2006: 59
2007: 59
2008: 59
2009: 62 (rebirth of six-man)
2010: 62
2011: anticipated 63

Not a text-type person? Well check out this graph of teams per year:

–patrick