Cody-Powell (Cody Enterprise). … Cody-Powell (Powell Tribune). … Cheyenne East-Evanston (Uinta County Herald). … Douglas-Riverton (Douglas Budget). … Playoff scenarios (Casper Star-Tribune).
–patrick
School: Hulett
Nickname: Red Devils
Colors: red and black
Stadium: Red Devil Stadium
State championships: None
Times worth remembering: Hulett was a true statewide power for two separate spans. From 1957-61, the Red Devils went 29-6 and reached the playoffs twice; from 1992-96, the Red Devils played in the state championship game four times in five years.
Times worth forgetting: Hulett’s stretch from 1972-78 was not only the worst in school history, it might be the worst in state history. In those seven seasons, Hulett went 1-56. Yes, you read that right — one win in 57 attempts. The Red Devils’ only victory in that span was a 3-0 triumph over Sundance on Oct. 11, 1974; Hulett only broke into double digits on the scoreboard eight times in those 57 games and was shut out 21 times. Then, after a brief respite with a 3-5 season in 1979, the 1980 squad went 0-7, the 1981 squad played mostly a JV schedule and the 1982 season was canceled due to a lack of players.
Best team: It’s a toss-up: The 1961 squad was Hulett’s only undefeated team and would have been in line for a state championship, except the 8-man playoff system had been abandoned the year before. The 1961 team won its six games by an average of 46-9. Conversely, the 1994 Hulett team went 8-1, winning one game by forfeit, but lost the 9-man title game to Burlington thanks to a spate of turnovers. In the seven games leading up to the championship, the Red Devils won by an average of 40-3. I’ll give the nod to the ’94 team led by hard-running fullback Alan Ista. (I might be partial to that team because I saw it play; I was the ball boy for Hulett’s 44-0 beat down of Midwest).
Biggest win: The 1992 Red Devils weren’t expected to do much, reaching the playoffs with a lackluster 4-4 record and a second-place finish in the three-team East. For the semifinals, Hulett had to hit the road to play Dubois, which was 6-2 and West Conference champions. But somehow, some way, the Red Devils beat the Rams 23-21 to advance to their first championship game in 32 years. Although Hulett lost the title game to Burlington the next week, the win helped set the stage for most of Hulett’s success throughout the mid-1990s.
Heartbreaker: The Red Devils of 1959 were coming off a playoff appearance and were just about hitting their prime. But Moorcroft rudely interrupted Hulett’s plans for sustained success — twice. Moorcroft beat Hulett 18-7 in the first game between the two teams that season; Hulett later avenged the defeat 13-0 in the second game of the round-robin conference schedule. The split regular season led to a playoff game for the championship, as was the style at the time; Moorcroft won that game 6-0 in Sundance. Moorcroft advanced to the championship game, losing to Big Piney 15-12, while Hulett had to wait a year before reaching its first state championship game.
Kaycee’s 71-67 over Ten Sleep set a new unofficial state record — most combined points in a game.
The 138 total points the Buckaroos and Pioneers tallied on Saturday broke the old record of 132, set in Meeteetse’s 84-48 loss to Reedpoint, Mont., in 2003. It’s the most points scored by two Wyoming teams since Lingle and Huntley combined for 123 points in Lingle’s 89-34 victory in 1962.
Ten Sleep’s 67 points also sets a record for most points scored by a losing team.
As always, these records come with a qualifier — these records are built from the records that are on this site from 1951 to the present. Any game between 1951 and now that somehow escaped being found wouldn’t be listed among the records….hence the record being technically unofficial.
Anyway, it must have been a lot of fun (or a lot of stress) being in Kaycee on Saturday. Congratulations to both sides on what looks like, at least from the final score, a great game. Don’t forget, these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks in Ten Sleep.
You can click here to see all the unofficial state scoring records. I’ll update the page at the end of the season.
–patrick
Green River’s Drew Martinez likes playing in Laramie, and roundup (Casper Star-Tribune). … Gillette-Kelly Walsh (Gillette News-Record). … Star Valley-Lander (Star Valley Independent). … Worland-Jackson (Northern Wyo Daily News, click today).
Also, Wyopreps has a good breakdown of this week’s playoff scenarios.
–patrick
Pride never dies in the 2A West.
Just look at what Pinedale and Wyoming Indian did in Week 7.
After six losses apiece to open the season, both the Wranglers and the Chiefs picked up their first victories of the season — Pinedale 25-15 over Lyman on Thursday, and Wyoming Indian 26-14 over Mountain View on Friday.
The Wranglers’ win helped them shed the after-effects of a few losses this season — 12-7 to Big Piney, 9-5 to Mountain View and 13-12 to Riverside. But it also reminded the Wranglers just how close they were to being a playoff contender.
Pinedale looked like a team on the rise after last year’s trip to the semifinals. The close losses this year might have stunted that growth a bit, but Thursday’s win will help them regain some of that swagger and start the building process for 2010.
As for the Chiefs, their 26-14 victory over Mountain View was important, too, but not just for the season. Yes, the win was the Chiefs’ first of 2009, and, yes, it was a needed victory for a program still in the steps of establishing itself against 2A competition. But this one was bigger than 2009.
As I pointed out last week, the Chiefs had had no success against the Buffs in their previous three meetings, losing all three of them decisively — and all by shutout. Wyoming Indian proved that growth is not just a seasonal thing. It extends from season to season and from decade to decade. Now, the Chiefs can have confidence. They’ve beaten Mountain View. Even if it was just once, once can carry confidence for a long, long time.
Third mad props to Gillette, which shook off a few weeks of frustration by beating Kelly Walsh — and by beating them with ease. The Camels blasted the Trojans 45-15 in Casper, letting every other team in 4A know that they’re still a threat. It wasn’t so much that Gillette won — that, honestly, was not too surprising. The Camels are good. It was the way in which the Camels won that was the most surprising. A 30-point victory over the Trojans, in Gillette, is no easy accomplishment. Gillette made it look like paper football.
Fourth mad props to Rock Springs, which topped Natrona County 42-35 in double overtime to win for the third time in four games and lock away a playoff spot. It’s kind of hard to believe the Tigers lost four in a row to start the season. They’re past that now. And, just like every other team in 4A, they’re a threat come playoff time.
Fifth mad props to the Buffalo “We’re not dead yet” Bison, which beat up on Torrington 31-12 to basically assure themselves of a home playoff game. The Bison have been easy to overlook this fall, even with a 4-2 record. Well, not anymore. They’re at home for the first round of the playoffs. And if you don’t know it by now: Don’t count out Buffalo in the playoffs.
Sixth mad props to Burlington, which kept its playoff dreams alive by beating Rocky Mountain 21-8 to create an interesting logjam for the third and fourth spots out of the 1A West. Riverside and Burlington are both 4-2, while Rocky falls to 3-3… and next week, Riverside and Burlington play road games against conference leaders Wind River and Cokeville, respectively, while Rocky hosts Saratoga. If they all end up at 4-3…. well, then I’ll have to drag out my WHSAA handbook and figure out tiebreakers on the fly.
Sunday add: Seventh mad props to Kaycee, which topped Ten Sleep in a 71-67 six-man shootout. I figured Kaycee had the potential to knock off Ten Sleep, especially at home. And it creates an interesting question — how many people saw the East as the dominant conference in six-man this year from top to bottom? With Kaycee beating Ten Sleep, the East is now 10-0 against the West this year. It’s now looking entirely possible for all four East teams to win in the first round of the playoffs. Wow. I’ll admit I didn’t see that happening, not with experienced six-man teams Meeteetse and Ten Sleep anchoring the West. As it is, the East has been the dominant side. No wonder East teams want six-man to go to one conference next year.
So what else drew my attention this week? Well…
Three overtime games this week. Two were in 4A — no surprise there — and one in 3A. What sticks out to me about all of 4A and the 3A West is how evenly matched most of those divisions are from top to bottom. The 4A playoffs are going to be a blast, and it’ll be interesting to see how the 3A West matches up with the 3A East in the first round….
The three games atop 4A, 1A-11 and 1A-6 went pretty much according to projection, as Sheridan came back to beat Central, Cokeville edged Wind River 7-0 and Guernsey shook off the rust to overwhelm Midwest. Sheridan won its seventh in a row and is looking like 4A’s favorite again, a Cokeville-Lingle championship game in 1A-11 is looking more and more possible, while Guernsey and Midwest could easily meet each other in a rematch in Laramie….
Does anyone else think Douglas would be better than .500 in 4A this year? …
It’s looking more and more like we’ll get another Kemmerer-Glenrock championship game. But, fortunately for everyone, it looks like there are a few teams in the bracket this year (Greybull, Thermopolis, maybe even Lovell and Big Horn) that could knock off the two top dogs. It won’t be a cakewalk through the playoffs like it was last year for the Rangers and Herders — something that is good for the division, the two favorites and everyone else chasing them. So you’re telling me there’s a chance! ….
So how about it? What did you see/hear/feel this week about football across the state? Jot a comment below.
This week: 24-7 (77 percent). This season: 184-47 (80 percent).
–patrick
Rock Springs-Natrona, Gillette-Kelly Walsh and roundup (Casper Star-Tribune). … Cheyenne East-Evanston and Sheridan-Cheyenne Central (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Green River-Laramie (Laramie Boomerang). … Wheatland-Rawlins and Saratoga-Shoshoni (Rawlins Daily Times). … Scottsbluff Star-Herald roundup (includes Lingle-Pine Bluffs, Southeast-Upton).
–patrick
Natrona-Rock Springs preview, Kelly Walsh-Gillette preview and Star-Tribune Thursday roundup. … Laramie-Green River preview (Laramie Boomerang). … Saratoga-Shoshoni preview (Rawlins Daily Times). … Riverside-Saratoga and Wind River-Burlington (Basin Republican-Rustler). … Lusk-Sundance (Lusk Herald). … Lingle-Normative Services, Southeast-Hulett and Riverton-Torrington (Torrington Telegram). … Jackson JV has “little sister” (Jackson Hole News&Guide, click today).
–patrick
One game is a showdown between two undefeated teams.
The second game pits two teams that are ranked first and second in their classification.
The third game has both — the two highest-ranked teams in the classification, both undefeated.
When it comes to sorting out the top of Class 4A, Class 1A 11-man and Class 1A six-man, no week is bigger than Week 7.
Three games (Cheyenne Central at Sheridan, Wind River at Cokeville and Guernsey at Midwest) will set the stage for the playoffs and maybe, just maybe, give us an indication of the type of game we might see in Laramie come Nov. 13-14.
First up is the six-man showdown in Oiler Country, scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday long in advance — and, now, the perfect opportunity for curious six-man football folks to come up from Casper and down from Gillette and Sheridan and check out the best the state has had to offer so far in 2009. The Oilers come in rolling (two conference wins followed by two nonconference blowouts), while the Vikings come in rested (canceled game last week, bye week the week before).
Then, Friday afternoon, third-ranked and 6-0 Wind River travels southwest for a 2 p.m. kickoff with second-ranked and 6-0 Cokeville. The stakes are higher than just maintaining a perfect season: The winner wins the 1A West Conference championship outright and earns home games for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Both Cokeville and Wind River have been dominant this fall, too. Wind River’s closest game was 22-14 over Wyoming Indian in Week 1; since then, the Cougars have rolled up 206 points and only given up seven. Meanwhile, Cokeville hasn’t really been challenged. The Panthers’ closest game was a 34-0 victory over Mountain View in Week 1; for the season, Cokeville has outscored its opponents by an astonishing 264-12.
Finally, in 4A, second-ranked Central makes the long trek north to play top-ranked Sheridan in a 6 p.m. kickoff. While 4A has been unpredictable and full of parity, the Broncs and Indians still stand alone, tied at 6-1 atop the classification.
The two teams are locked in a tight race for home-field advantage in the playoffs. The winner keeps a hold of maintaining its own destiny for that chase. Barring a loss in Week 8 — which, with Sheridan traveling to Natrona County and Central hosting Kelly Walsh, is entirely possible — Friday will determine that. The loser falls into the pit of two-loss teams, which now contains Gillette, Green River and Kelly Walsh, in the race to avoid a first-round road game.
All three games are state-championship caliber.
All three should bring out the fans — and not only from the towns in which the games are being played. These are the type of games that can draw in regional and, maybe, even a statewide audience.
So what will happen?
I think Guernsey beats Midwest, although the Oilers will give the Vikings their first real challenge this year and keep it close into the fourth quarter. I think Cokeville beats Wind River at home, but I think defense, not offense, will rule the day (as in a first-quarter touchdown might be the only score in a 6-0 game…). And I think Sheridan’s defensive backs shut down Central’s passing game and frustrate the Indians to win their seventh in a row.
But, like I said, all three games are championship caliber. In these type of games, all the hype dies as soon as the ball is kicked — and you’ve got to get the job done on the field.
Either way, all three should provide some great entertainment. Maybe they’ll even play it again — if the teams have any say about what happens in Laramie in November.
Here are my picks for the remaining games this week, projected winners indicated with the bold:
Thursday
Class 3A
Lander at Star Valley: It’s like a Thin Lizzy song… The Braves are back in town…. 6 p.m.
Class 2A
Lyman at Pinedale: The Eagles’ improvement is for real. However, if you’re looking for a blowout, look elsewhere — this one will still be close and low-scoring. 6 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Sundance at Hulett: Not to jinx it or nothing, but the last time the Red Devils beat the Bulldogs was 1979. That’s 30 years ago, if you’re counting. Sundance has won 19 straight games against Hulett, including the last four by shutout… Oh, well. Call it Hulett’s payback. 3 p.m.
Friday
Class 4A
Evanston at Cheyenne East: The Thunderbirds’ showing last week (a 20-0 loss to Rock Springs) left plenty to be desired. Look for East to bounce back at home, especially with their playoff hopes fading and likely extinguished if they can’t pull this one off. 7 p.m.
Gillette at Kelly Walsh: I keep sitting here, racking my brain for a reason not to pick one of these teams. I can’t do it. And I’ve learned that, when in doubt, pick the home team. Call it Trojans by, like, a half a point. No matter what, I think the game will be one of the close, exciting, down-to-the-last-play kinds. 7 p.m.
Green River at Laramie: In the mad dash for the final playoff spots in 4A, the Plainsmen will feel a heck of a lot more comfortable if they can pick up a victory at home. But, given Green River’s success, plus the Wolves’ added motivation to make up for last week, Laramie will probably need to wait a week. 7 p.m.
Natrona County at Rock Springs: Karma and luck have to turn the Mustangs’ way at some point. 7 p.m.
Class 3A
Cody at Powell: The Panthers have stumbled down the stretch this season — but Cody won’t be there to give Powell any crying shoulders. In fact, the Broncs would love nothing more than to extend the Panthers’ struggles. 7 p.m.
Douglas at Riverton: After the beat down the Wolverines gave Torrington on Monday, you can be sure the top-ranked Bearcats aren’t taking this one lightly. 7 p.m.
Jackson at Worland: Now that the Warriors have earned the right to control their own destiny, they have to hang onto it. Jackson will assuredly present a challenge, but Worland should be up for it. 6 p.m.
Torrington at Buffalo: The loss Torrington suffered on Monday can do one of two things: It can galvanize or it can destroy. My guess is the former… Buffalo could easily shove it into the latter, though. 6 p.m.
Wheatland at Rawlins: Someone has to win… and that someone keeps a flickering hope for a playoff spot alive. 7 p.m.
Class 2A
Big Piney at Greybull: If there’s such a thing as a good loss, Greybull had it last week. Enough positives to keep moving forward, enough negatives to know you’re not unbeatable. Look for Greybull to keep on pushing toward the postseason. 7 p.m.
Glenrock at Burns: Can anyone stop the Herders? Probably not… at least not before mid-November and Laramie and a state championship game. Maybe not even then. 7 p.m.
Kemmerer at Lovell: The long trip might help keep this game close, but the Rangers have just been dominant lately and have what it takes to make a long trip like that and still come away victorious. 6 p.m.
Mountain View at Wyoming Indian: The Buffalos and Chiefs have met only three times prior to this week — and every time, Mountain View has won by shutout (47-0 in 1999, 44-0 in 2000 and 54-0 in 2005). I think the Chiefs break the scoreless streak, but I think the Buffs win. 7 p.m.
Newcastle at Thermopolis: My Bobcat optimism of October has overtaken my Dogie optimism of August. 5 p.m.
Tongue River vs. Big Horn, at Sheridan: The Eagles’ victory last week was impressive. The problem? So was the Rams’ victory. 1 p.m.
Wright at Moorcroft: What has happened to the Wolves? And can they get back on track before it’s too late? Either way, the Panthers look like the stronger team right now. 3 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Dubois at Riverside: I told ya like a month ago — the Rebels are chugging along just the way they need to be to wrap up a playoff spot. 7 p.m.
Normative Services at Lusk: The Tigers need every conference victory they can scrounge at this point, so you can bet they won’t be overlooking the winless Wolves. 7 p.m.
Pine Bluffs at Lingle: When 41 points is your worst offensive outing of the season, you’re doing something right…. 7:30 p.m.
Rocky Mountain at Burlington: Last week’s big victory put the Grizzlies back on track. But don’t expect any walkovers here — the Huskies won’t let their playoff spot go without a fight. 2 p.m.
Shoshoni at Saratoga: The Panthers played tough on the road in difficult conditions last week. Watch for that improvement to continue. 3:30 p.m.
Southeast at Upton: Any ill effects the Cyclones had from losing to Lusk are gone by now — and as long as they don’t look ahead to next week’s big one against Lingle, they’ll be just fine. 7 p.m.
Class 1A 6-man
Hanna at Natrona frosh-sophs: With their playoff seeding basically set, the Miners just want to keep the momentum rolling in their final game of the regular season (they have a bye next week). 3 p.m.
Snake River at Farson: The Rattlers showed a lot of improvement in a 10-point loss to Ten Sleep last week — and a win here sets up a critical Week 8 game with Meeteetse in which the winner gets a home playoff game. 3 p.m.
Interclass
Lovell JV at Meeteetse: With a big one next week, watch for the Longhorns to start building momentum now. 3 p.m.
Saturday
Class 1A 6-man
Ten Sleep at Kaycee: I like this game a lot. Potential game of the week. Potential first-round playoff matchup. Potential upset. And, given all the red, white and blue, potential impromptu Fourth of July celebration. 3 p.m.
Whaddaya think? Perfect? Or did I write this in the middle of a caffeine binge when I wasn’t thinking clearly? Post a comment and let me know.
–patrick
Midwest keeps playing for Taylor Weber (Casper Star-Tribune). … Cody referees enjoy their job (Cody Enterprise). … Buffalo-Torrington preview (Buffalo Bulletin). … Buffalo-Wheatland (Platte County Record Times). … Rocky Mountain-Shoshoni (Lovell Chronicle). … Thermopolis-Burns and Pine Bluffs-Upton (Pine Bluffs Post). … Cheyenne Central-Green River (Green River Star).
–patrick
This was supposed to be the week Meeteetse played Fort Washakie…. but with the Eagles out of the picture, the Longhorns have picked up a game this week. Meeteetse will host Lovell’s JV at 3 p.m. Friday. Check it out if you have the chance.
–patrick