Southeast-Sundance, Lingle-Upton and Torrington-Worland (Torrington Telegram). … Laramie’s Dan Estes drops in for a season (Laramie Boomerang). … Powell-Wheatland (Platte County Record Times). … Guernsey-Farson (Guernsey Gazette). … Pine Bluffs-Normative Services and Burns-Big Horn (Pine Bluffs Post).
–patrick
Pine Bluffs’ Chris Gorman has had a fast start (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Cody-Rawlins (Cody Enterprise). … Douglas-Jackson (Douglas Budget). … Powell-Wheatland (Powell Tribune).
–patrick
Farson has scheduled a game this week in place of the game lost when Fort Washakie couldn’t field a team this fall. The Pronghorns will host the Big Piney freshmen and sophomores at 5 p.m. Thursday.
–patrick
School: Cheyenne Central
Nickname: Indians
Colors: red and black
Stadium: Riske Field
State championships: 1977, 1979, 1983, 1988, 1989 and 2005
Times worth remembering: For six years, from 1976-81, the Indians compiled a record of 51-5, and finished as undefeated state champions in both 1977 and 1979. Unfortunately for Central, three of those five losses came in one-loss seasons, and all three losses kept the Indians from competing in the state championship game.
Times worth forgetting: The 1990s weren’t kind to Central. For seven straight years that decade, from 1991-97, the Indians didn’t have a winning season. The team bottomed out in 1994 with an 0-7 season.
Best team: It’s a toss-up between the 1979 and 1989 seasons. The 1979 squad went 10-0 and won eight of its games by at least 28 points, including a 51-12 demolishing of Riverton in the Class AA championship. The 1989 team also went 10-0 on the way to the state championship, winning its two playoff games by a combined 62-0.
Biggest win: The 2005 Central team was an extremely average regular-season team. The Indians went 4-4 in the regular season and seemed destined for an early exit in the playoffs. But the Indians had other plans. They edged out Laramie in the first round of the playoffs, then beat favored Natrona in overtime in the semis. And then, in the championship game against crosstown rival Cheyenne East — a team that beat Central 31-7 in the regular season — the Indians completed their destiny with a 27-14 victory in front of close to 10,000 Capital City fans.
Heartbreaker: In 1990, the Indians were cruising toward their third consecutive state championship and cementing their status as a dynasty. But Sheridan was on its way to a dynasty of its own — and its first victim was Central in the 1990 Class 4A title game. Even though Central beat Sheridan 28-20 earlier in the year in Sheridan, the Broncs reversed the trend and beat the Indians 35-30 in the championship in Cheyenne. Sheridan went on to win four consecutive state championships and five in six years; Central needed until 2005 to win another title.
Gillette-Rock Springs (Gillette News-Record). … Sheridan’s red zone offense is key (Casper Star-Tribune). … Ten Sleep-Natrona sophs (Northern Wyo Daily News, click it today before it disappears). … Star Valley-Riverton (SV Independent).
–patrick
Who is this Sheridan team — and what the heck happened up there in the past two weeks?
The Broncs proved something on Friday with a 34-21 victory over top-ranked Green River, a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates.
So this is what we know in Class 4A: Kelly Walsh throttled Sheridan two weeks ago, Green River barely beat Kelly Walsh last week, and then Sheridan throttled Green River last night.
Which one was the aberration?
That, only time will tell. But, as of about 10 p.m. Friday night, the Broncs look like the best team in the state. They led 27-0 at halftime and shut down everything the Wolves wanted to do on both sides of the ball.
After three weeks, only Cheyenne Central and Gillette remain undefeated in Wyoming’s 4A ranks. And it looks like any of about six or seven 4A schools could win it all in mid-November in Laramie.
As of Week 2, it looks like Sheridan is — all of a sudden — the team to beat.
Second mad props to Big Horn, which used opportunistic offense and a key turnover in the fourth quarter to top Burns — in Burns — in a rematch of last year’s 2A championship game. The Rams got a little bit of revenge for the Broncs’ win last November and sent the Broncs to an 0-2 start, something few people saw coming.
Third mad props to Star Valley, which eked out a 14-13 win over Riverton. Don’t know much about how this game broke down — comment below if you do, I’d love to hear how it went. Either way, a big win for the Braves, who finally saw some glimpses of offense in a game that could put them right back into contention.
And that’s all of this week’s Humble Pie (for now). Ditching humble for a minute, I was freaking awesome making my picks this week!!!!!!!!!1111
Once again, the theme of the week was big points and blowouts. Kemmerer 54-0 over Lyman, Douglas 65-0 over Jackson, Big Piney 54-6 over Wyoming Indian, Lingle 62-7 over Upton, Wind River 55-0 over Shoshoni (in which Shoshoni finished with 10 players on the field), Cokeville 49-6 over Riverside, Midwest 80-24 over Meeteetse in six-man and — ouch — Cody 72-8 over Rawlins. Put simply, it was an ugly week.
In part, that’s what made it so predictable. Especially in 3A and 2A, the top teams have already asserted themselves — and so have the bottom teams. Obviously, anything can happen on any given Friday, but that doesn’t mean it will.
That said, there were still some good, close, exciting games that helped settle some of the questions atop the divisions. Buffalo and Lander, as expected, staged a great, close, tight, defense-first game, with the Bison pulling off a 10-3 victory. I still think the Bison and the Tigers are among 3A’s best — Douglas has seized the rights to the top spot — and both teams proved last night they have what it takes to make a deep playoff run.
Thermopolis needed a comeback, scoring 15 late points, to beat Wright 22-19 on the road. The Bobcats’ big win last week over Lyman was expected; beating Wright on the road was a toss-up. The Bobcats proved they could pull out those close ones on Friday, no matter the location — something that will bode well for the rest of the season.
Also right up there is the Hulett-Lusk showdown, won by Lusk 24-10. Both the Tigers and the Red Devils are talented — talented enough to go deep into November. But the 1A East hierarchy is settling out right now, and the big Lusk-Southeast showdown looms next week in Yoder.
The Big Horn-Burns game and the Star Valley-Riverton games fall into this category, too.
Overall, the 2009 season is shaping up kind of odd. There have been too many blowouts, especially in the first week of conference play, and not enough defense in basically every single classification.
Doesn’t mean it’s not exciting, though — and I’m still having fun. How about you?
This week: 28-3 (90 percent). This season: 63-14 (82 percent).
–patrick
Kelly Walsh-Cheyenne East and Natrona-Laramie with CST roundup (Casper Star-Tribune). … Natrona-Laramie (Laramie Boomerang). … Cheyenne Central-Evanston (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Saratoga-Burlington, Snake River-Hanna and Rawlins-Cody (Rawlins Daily Times).
–patrick
Natrona-Laramie and Lander-Buffalo previews (Casper Star-Tribune). … “Murph” paints the field for Gillette (Gillette News-Record). … Laramie-Natrona preview (Laramie Boomerang). … Hanna-Snake River preview (Rawlins Daily Times). … Riverside-Pinedale and Big Piney-Burlington (Basin Republican Rustler). … Powell-Riverton (Powell Tribune). … Lusk-Burns (Lusk Herald). … Glenrock-Kemmerer (Kemmerer Gazette). … Lovell-Wright and Rocky Mountain-Normative Services (Lovell Chronicle).
–patrick
Lander is the challenger — the up-and-coming squad destined to make 2009 its breakthrough season.
Buffalo is the old guard standing in the way of the Tigers’ pursuit.
It’s only fitting, then, that the challenger is the one entering hostile territory, making the trip up to Buffalo with only one option guaranteed — a chance.
Really, that’s all Lander has on its side when it faces Buffalo at 7 p.m. Friday. A chance. A good chance. A chance to not only display its capabilities, but to do so on the home field of one of Wyoming’s most consistent football programs.
The Tigers posted an easy victory over Rawlins in Week 1, looking every bit like a team that could do some damage in the 3A classification this fall. Buffalo, though, shut out Worland, notching yet another victory in a decade that’s been full of them.
The upstart and the old favorite will meet on Friday, both looking for the same result, with one guaranteed to suffer disappointment after the final tick runs off the clock.
The circumstances surrounding the game — the chance for these teams to show the rest of the state just how good they are — make it that much more fun to watch.
Buffalo is my pick to win; the Bison have the talent and the tradition to hold off the Tigers this time.
But when and if they meet again in the playoffs, the roles could be completely different….
Here are the rest of this week’s picks, with my projected winners in bold:
Thursday
Class 1A 11-man
Shoshoni at Wind River: The Wranglers had a tough start to their season last week. Unfortunately, things won’t get any easier with the Cougars. 7 p.m.
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Kelly Walsh: East drew the murderer’s row of games to start the season — Green River, Sheridan, Kelly Walsh, then Gillette next week and Central the following week. 7 p.m.
Evanston at Cheyenne Central: Evanston has already proven it can beat a quality opponent on the road. Now the task comes in doing so consistently — and that’s easier said than done. 7 p.m.
Green River at Sheridan: The Wolves’ first road game will definitely put them to the test. The Broncs were definitely better in Week 1 than in Week 0, and if they can keep improving like that they have the ability to pull off the upset. 7 p.m.
Natrona County at Laramie: I can’t decide if this game will be a squeaker or a yawner. I’d say the former, but I can’t really tell… Can’t get a good feel for it yet, so Friday night will help clear up a lot of questions for both sides. 7 p.m.
Rock Springs at Gillette: The Tigers took it on the chin last week. They’ll do better this week, but probably not enough to beat the powerful Camels. 7 p.m.
Class 3A
Cody at Rawlins: Cody looked really good last week and that trend should continue against the Outlaws. 7 p.m.
Jackson at Douglas: Is there any 4A team in the state that looks as dangerous as the Bearcats do right now? Short answer: No. 7 p.m.
Powell at Wheatland: The Panthers’ defense looks plenty solid. And this might be the week that the Panthers’ offense finally breaks through for a big night. 7 p.m.
Riverton at Star Valley: Speaking of offenses, the Braves — shut out in two losses so far this season — need to get theirs going. And I can’t put my finger on Riverton just yet, so this game should be very telling for both teams. 7 p.m.
Worland at Torrington: Possible game of the week. I think these two teams match up evenly across the board, and if the game was in Worland I’d give it to the Warriors. … As it is, I’ll take the Trailblazers in a close one. 7 p.m.
Class 2A
Big Horn at Burns: Who would have guessed that last year’s two teams from the 2A title game would both be 0-1 heading into this one? Not me. … 6 p.m.
Kemmerer at Lyman: Don’t bury the Rangers just yet. 4 p.m.
Lovell at Pinedale: The Bulldogs are out for revenge after losing in last year’s 3A quarterfinals in surprising fashion — and what better way to do that than by spoiling the Wranglers’ first night game, as well as their first game on their new artificial surface? 7 p.m.
Mountain View at Greybull: Buffs vs. Buffs. Take the home Buffs, the one looking more and more like a state title contender. 7 p.m.
Thermopolis at Wright: Week 2 for the Bobcats’ new offense will be significantly tougher than Week 1 was. 7 p.m.
Tongue River at Glenrock: The Herders are back on track. Come to think of it, they were never off track. So, um… the Herders are still on track. 6 p.m.
Wyoming Indian at Big Piney: The Chiefs looked about as good as a losing team can look last week, falling in overtime to Wind River. We’ll find out this week whether that loss translated into disappointment or a new resolve. 4 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Burlington at Saratoga: Even with the long road trip and the distraction of the Hobo Pool, the Huskies should have enough focus to get past the Panthers. 3 p.m.
Dubois at Rocky Mountain: Remember last year when the Grizzlies started 3-0? Rocky knows how to win these early-season games. The trick now is finding a way to win past early September. 6 p.m.
Lingle at Upton: The Doggers and the Bobcats both rang up shutouts in their respective season openers. Somebody’s dream of an undefeated, untied and unscored upon season will end here. (This is also Upton’s first night game. As I understand it, they’re breaking in their new field this week. Anyone up in Upton want to tell us how it looks?) 7 p.m.
Lusk at Hulett: It’s a shame this game is being played in Week 2. It could end up deciding the 1A East championship. If you have the chance to get to Hulett, definitely do it, because this should be a doozy. 2 p.m.
Normative Services at Pine Bluffs: The Hornets had an impressive start to the 2009 season, something that should continue at home against the Wolves. 4 p.m.
Riverside at Cokeville: Riverside really impressed me last week. Trouble is, so did Cokeville. 3 p.m.
Sundance at Southeast: Sundance: Better than you think. Southeast: Still good enough to beat Sundance at home. 7 p.m.
Class 1A 6-man
Hanna at Snake River: The four best teams in 1A six-man this year might all be in the East Conference — but the Rattlers will be jazzed up for their first home game, and for Homecoming, and won’t go down without a fight. 3 p.m.
Midwest at Meeteetse: This is based purely on last week’s results with the Natrona frosh-soph teams. Midwest won its game with the Mustangs; Meeteetse lost. 4 p.m.
Interclass
Kaycee at Natrona frosh/sophs: Kaycee looked really impressive last week and should keep that momentum rolling right on into Week 2, the week the Buckaroos were originally scheduled to play Fort Washakie. 6 p.m.
Saturday
Class 2A
Newcastle at Moorcroft: The Wolves could be a dangerous team when it’s all said and done. However, they’ll need to make sure they don’t overlook the Dogies, who could be a dangerous team as well if they can pull off the upset this weekend. And they’ll need to avoid the distraction of everyone in the stands focusing on their headphones while listening to Dave Walsh and Kevin McKinney. 1 p.m.
Class 1A 6-man
Guernsey at Farson: How can you not like the Vikings, especially after they put up 89 points in Week 1? 2 p.m.
Interclass
Natrona frosh/sophs at Ten Sleep: The Pioneers are better than they showed in Week 1. Week 2 will prove that. 11 a.m.
There some pickages. Dig it. Am I on target? Or am I firing off course? Post your thoughts with a comment and let me know where you agree or disagree.
–patrick
Pinedale breaks out the lights — and the turf — for first home game (Pinedale Roundup). … Buffalo-Worland (Buffalo Bulletin). … Laramie’s Rylan Harding (Laramie Boomerang). … Cody-Hardin, Mont. (Cody Enterprise). … Douglas-Belle Fourche, S.D. (Douglas Budget). … Green River-Kelly Walsh (GR Star). … Torrington-Chadron, Neb., Southeast-Newcastle and Lingle-Saratoga (Torrington Telegram). … Pine Bluffs-Shoshoni (Pine Bluffs Post). … Sublette Examiner’s fall sports preview.
–patrick