Laramie makes best of chance (Casper Star-Tribune). … Douglas-Cody (Douglas Budget). … Thermopolis-Glenrock (Northern Wyo Daily News, click today).
–patrick
Sheridan hadn’t been to the top of the pile since 1995.
But the celebration 14 years in the making was worth the wait.
Playing in an atmosphere best suited for a snow globe — or some kind of awesome, dramatic, snowy Hollywood set — the Broncs won the 4A championship by routing Cheyenne Central 40-15.
The game was Sheridan’s from the start. Kody Williams ran the opening kickoff back 99 yards for a touchdown, Austin Woodward ran for three touchdowns and the Broncs’ speed overwhelmed an Indians defense that had no answer.
Since winning five championships in six years from 1990-95, Sheridan had struggled to reach the top again. The Broncs lost title games in 1996 and 1997, then suffered through nine consecutive losing seasons.
Don Julian took the reins of the program three years ago and immediately made positive strides. Sheridan went 5-4 in 2007 and were 8-2 last year.
Saturday’s snowy victory was the culmination of that effort. And the way the Sheridan fans lingered on the field afterward, it’ll be a victory the community savors for a long time.
Second mad props to the Thermopolis Bobcats, who built a big lead then held off Glenrock to win 22-20 and win their first title since 1992. The Bobcats, led by quarterback Mitch Syverson’s big day (155 rushing yards, 107 passing), led 22-8 heading into the fourth quarter, then survived as Glernock scored a pair of touchdowns but came up short on both two-point conversion attempts.
Glenrock’s conversions were a little weird, too. The first never really had a chance to get started — a fumbled snap turned into trouble right away. The second from the run-first, run-second, run-third Herders was, of all things, a pass. Both came up short — and that was all the room the Bobcats had, and all they needed.
Now, onto the other three, which I picked right — and actually had the chance to watch, because of the Laramie trial championship weekend:
Southeast beat Lingle in the 1A 11-man title game 27-20 in a game that had no completed passes from either team. That stat says something about both the conditions (snowy and cold) and the teams (smashmouth running squads). Southeast benefited from an early lead and some late precision; Lingle played well and had some big plays but not quite enough to overcome the Cyclones, who won their fourth consecutive championship.
Douglas, meanwhile, jumped all over Douglas 44-14. The Bearcats finished with 508-217 yardage advantage and won their 19th consecutive game. Those numbers speak volumes about the type of dynasty coach Jay Rhoades is building in Converse County.
Guernsey won as expected, a 76-16 romp over football newbie Kaycee. The game was never really close — the Vikings scored on their first two plays from scrimmage and rolled up a big lead — 42-0 — by the end of the first quarter. It was 63-8 at halftime. And, really, that’s about all you need to know.
And now for something completely different, some awards for the weekend:
Best run: Sheridan coach Don Julian trying to avoid the ice water bath his team wanted to give him after the Broncs’ 40-15 victory over Cheyenne Central. He did pretty well, actually, avoiding the brunt of the icy bath, but didn’t escape totally….
Best hit(s): Guernsey’s Kevin Boomhower earns this award for back-to-back wind-taking hits on successive plays in the first quarter against Kaycee. Both times, the Buckaroo victims had to be helped from the field.
Best individual game: It’s hard to overlook what Thermopolis’ Mitch Syverson did on Friday. Seventeen carries for 155 yards and two scores; 10-of-18 passing for 107 yards and a score (and no interceptions). Not bad — and he’s only a junior.
Best individual game from the losing side: Even though Kaycee got swamped by Guernsey, Buckaroo sophomore Jordan Largent was in on basically every big play for Kaycee. He scored Kaycee’s first touchdown on a 51-yard pass reception after breaking behind the Guernsey defense and finished with a team-high three catches for 87 yards. He also recovered two fumbles and got credit for the team’s only tackle for loss on the day.
Oddest stat: 0. As in number of passes completed, combined, by Southeast and Lingle. That stat just astounds me — even though it shouldn’t. Both teams love running the ball, and the conditions basically stripped away the effectiveness of both teams’ passing games.
Oddest sequence of plays: Douglas’ first scoring drive. The Bearcats went 44 yards, but needed 13 plays and 5 minutes, 56 seconds to do so. That’s because there were seven penalties in the drive — four on Douglas, three on Cody. It set a trend that lasted all game: Douglas finished with 13 penalties for 118 yards, Cody had 11 for 96. (Runner-up goes to Lingle’s first four offensive plays, on which there were three fumbles. The Doggers recovered them all…)
Best player: Sheridan’s Austin Woodward. The Broncs had a pretty simple game plan, and big No. 4 came through — 23 carries, 152 yards, three touchdowns. He didn’t have as good a day through the air, but the Broncs didn’t need that as much on Saturday night because of what he did with his legs.
Biggest mad props: That goes to the grounds crew at UW. The guys with the shovels and behind the wheels of the vehicles did a commendable job of keeping the playing field as playable as possible — which, especially on Friday, was a tough task. Those crews worked hard into the night on Friday, too, and on Saturday morning the field looked spotless for the 3A title game. Nice work.
I’ll post some more thoughts about the weekend later this week, after I at least START my term papers that will be due all too soon… but don’t wait for me. What did you think of the first football championship extravaganza? Post your thoughts and I’ll chip in, eventually…
This week: 3-2 (60 percent). This season: 237-60 (80 percent — my best in five years!). Overall five-year record: 1,101-344 (76 percent).
–patrick
Douglas-Cody gamer and sidebar; Guernsey-Kaycee gamer and sidebar; Sheridan-Cheyenne Central gamer and sidebar; and weekend notebook (Casper Star-Tribune). … Sheridan-Cheyenne Central (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Douglas-Cody and Guernsey-Kaycee (Laramie Boomerang). … Guernsey-Kaycee (Scottsbluff Star-Herald).
–patrick
We’re about five minutes from kickoff in the 3A championship game here in Laramie…. and the weather is just as cold, but a heck of a lot more sunny here at the War. It’d almost be pleasant if it wasn’t 15 degrees.
Anyway, Day 1 was full of some interesting highlights. Southeast beat Lingle 27-20 in a game where neither team completed a pass; Thermopolis built a big lead, then held on to beat Glenrock 22-20. Good stuff all around.
More later. Pose questions throughout the day here if you have them….
–patrick
Cody preview, Douglas preview; Kaycee preview, Guernsey preview; Central-Sheridan rivalry and x-factor; Southeast-Lingle gamer and sidebar; and Thermopolis-Glenrock gamer and sidebar (Casper Star-Tribune). … Central-Sheridan preview (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Thermopolis-Glenrock and Southeast-Lingle (Laramie Boomerang). … Southeast-Lingle and Guernsey-Kaycee preview (Scottsbluff Star-Herald).
–patrick
And neither Southeast nor Lingle is on the field yet. They’re both in the IPF staying warm.
If you’re looking to come to Laramie this weekend, you might want to leave early. The weather here is not pleasant.
As for the field, the shovel/plow/sweeper crew is doing the best it can…. but keeping up with all of it will be a week-long challenge.
Wait… here come the Doggers at the 5:45 mark.
There are a bunch of blogs/audio broadcasts online to keep you up to date on the play-by-play action throughout the weekend, but I’ll chime in here as needed or wanted.
–patrick
Changes help Glenrock, Thermopolis and receivers are key for 2A teams (Casper Star-Tribune). … Six-man adds new dimension to football and Central-Sheridan preview (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Southeast shoots for four (Scottsbluff Star-Herald). … Glenrock-Thermopolis preview and Southeast-Lingle preview (Laramie Boomerang). … Thermopolis-Kemmerer (Kemmerer Gazette). … Guernsey-Hanna (Guernsey Gazette).
–patrick
What makes this weekend’s games unique is the venue. War Memorial Stadium will host every championship game for the first time, which makes this year’s teams sort of like the guinea pigs. However, don’t think that just because they’re the first that somehow this is just some wild experimental year where the matchups don’t matter… quite the opposite, in fact. This year’s title games look to be some of the most even, unpredictable title games in recent memory. That alone should prompt you to get on down to Laramie and check these games out.
Anyway, here are the games, and my picks:
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central (9-2) vs. Sheridan (10-1)
Any previous meetings? Sheridan beat Central 28-20 on Oct. 16 in Sheridan.
Any common opponents? Eight… Natrona (Central beat 21-19, Sheridan beat 35-28 and 41-17); Rock Springs (Central beat 52-0, Sheridan beat 20-17); Evanston (Central beat 30-14, Sheridan beat 46-21); Laramie (Central beat 36-0 and 44-14, Sheridan beat 27-7); Cheyenne East (Central lost 21-14, Sheridan beat 56-21); Gillette (Central beat 48-14 and 27-10, Sheridan beat 23-14); Green River (Central beat 32-25, Sheridan beat 34-21); Kelly Walsh (Central beat 38-14, Sheridan lost 42-20 and beat 9-7).
Recently? Since losing to Sheridan in Week 7, the Indians have won three in a row and haven’t given up any more than 14 points in any of those games. … Sheridan’s only loss came in Week 0; since then, the Broncs have won 10 in a row, proving they can win both shootouts and defensive struggles.
The pick? Central. I’ll take the Indians because I think they’re playing incredibly well right now and are as strong as they’ve been all season. The defense has been outstanding and the offense has multiple weapons. It won’t be by much, but I think the Indians are playing well enough right now to turn around the result from Oct. 16.
Why I could be wrong: All the reasons I outlined above also describe Sheridan… playing well, strong defense and multiple weapons on offense. This should be a GREAT game and I really think this game is as close to 50-50 as any of the five championship games. Truly an exercise in parity.
Class 3A
Douglas (11-0) vs. Cody (8-3)
Any previous meetings? None since at least 1951.
Any common opponents? Seven. Rawlins (Cody beat 72-8, Douglas beat 76-14); Torrington (Cody lost 12-10 and beat 19-6, Douglas beat 57-12); Lander (Cody beat 20-12, Douglas beat 40-6); Star Valley (Cody lost 13-0, Douglas beat 42-0); Jackson (Cody beat 32-6; Douglas beat 65-0); Buffalo (Cody beat 32-14, Douglas beat 35-6); Worland (Cody beat 20-17, Douglas beat 56-14).
Recently? Cody, since losing 13-0 to Star Valley in Week 6, has won four in a row — and its biggest victory in that stretch came in last week’s 32-14 victory over Buffalo in the semifinals. Douglas has been unstoppable all season. How else do you describe a team with a 515-81 scoring advantage?
The pick? Douglas. The Bearcats have been the clear-cut favorites to win it all since, oh, about 3 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2008… and they have yet to give anyone a reason to doubt that choice. Cody will be game, but Douglas is full of gamers.
Why I could be wrong: Because weird stuff might happen in Laramie. Having the chance is the final step before winning it all, and it’s a step Cody has taken. The Broncs aren’t here by accident.
Class 2A
Thermopolis (9-1) vs. Glenrock (10-0)
Any previous meetings? Glenrock beat Thermopolis 32-26 on Sept. 18 in Thermopolis.
Any common opponents? Seven. Kemmerer (Glenrock beat 26-6, Thermopolis beat 33-13); Tongue River (Glenrock beat 45-26, Thermopolis beat 47-20); Wright (Glenrock beat 45-13; Thermopolis beat 22-19); Big Horn (Glenrock beat 48-27, Thermopolis beat 13-6); Moorcroft (Glenrock beat 48-6; Thermopolis beat 37-22); Newcastle (Glenrock beat 37-12, Thermopolis beat 42-28); Burns (Glenrock beat 49-13; Thermopolis beat 38-14).
Recently? Glenrock has played consistently on offense, but has really turned up the defensive pressure in the second half of the season — of the Herders’ 143 points allowed in 2009, only 46 of those were scored against them in the second half of the season. Thermopolis, too, has played better in the second half of the season than in the first; after winning squeakers over Wright and Big Horn and losing to Glenrock in the first half, the Bobcats have won their last five games by fairly healthy margins.
The pick? Glenrock. Although not as dominant as last year’s team — or even the 2007 team, the argument could be made — the Herders have a ton of big-game experience and still have enough capable athletes to get the job done.
Why I could be wrong: Because the game is in Laramie, not Glenrock. The Herd’s style of play works much better on lined mud, which is basically what the Glenrock field is like by this time of the year; the Bobcats’ style will be much better suited for the artificial turf. And in a game that will likely be decided by a touchdown or less, the Bobcats’ ability to execute on offense will be a key factor in their success.
Class 1A 11-man
Lingle (9-1) vs. Southeast (9-1)
Any previous meetings? Southeast beat Lingle 27-11 on Oct. 23 in Yoder.
Any common opponents? Six. Sundance (Southeast beat 45-6, Lingle beat 46-0); Upton (Southeast beat 68-0; Lingle beat 62-7); Lusk (Southeast lost 24-6, Lingle beat 49-20); Hulett (Southeast beat 6-0, Lingle beat 41-7); Pine Bluffs (Southeast beat 36-16, Lingle beat 42-0); Normative Services (Southeast beat 67-8, Lingle beat 65-14).
Recently? Since losing to Lusk in Week 3, the Cyclones have been nothing short of dominant, notching three shutouts and winning five of their last seven games by at least 20 points. Lingle, meanwhile, appears to have shaken off its one loss — to the Cyclones in Week 8 — and won its two playoff games by a combined 74-27.
The pick? Southeast. I think both teams have what it takes to win this game, so this is a really hard pick to make. I’ve rolled it around in my head all week and I can’t come up with any convincing reasons why one of these teams is better than the other. The reasoning I keep falling back on is twofold: Southeast has more postseason experience than Lingle, and Southeast beat Lingle pretty handily just three weeks ago. That’s why I go with the Cyclones.
Why I could be wrong: Because Lingle’s lack of postseason experience may not be as big a deal as I think (see, for example, last week, and a huge come-from-behind victory in Cokeville), and because I’m positive the Doggers took away lessons from that loss three weeks ago — lessons they’ll get to apply on Friday.
Class 1A 6-man
Kaycee (6-3) vs. Guernsey (8-0)
Any previous meetings? Guernsey beat Kaycee 67-0 on Oct. 24 in Guernsey.
Any common opponents? Four. Natrona frosh/sophs (Kaycee beat 55-33, Guernsey beat 59-19); Ten Sleep (Kaycee beat 71-67 and 48-43, Guernsey beat 89-37); Midwest (Kaycee lost 42-29 and beat 58-56, Guernsey beat 63-20); Hanna (Kaycee lost 55-36; Guernsey beat 72-12 and 46-34).
Recently? Guernsey has been dominant all season but showed a crack in the veneer in the semifinals, as the Vikings needed a big second half to squeeze past Hanna 46-34. Kaycee needed more than just skill to make it to Laramie — the Buckaroos won their first two playoff games by a combined seven points — but proved they knew how to win the close ones in the process.
The pick? Guernsey. The score from three weeks ago speaks volumes. It’ll be closer this time around, but the Vikings got the scare they probably needed last week and should have their heads on straight for this one.
Why I could be wrong: Hanna gave Guernsey a game last week, and Kaycee matches up pretty comparably to Hanna. If the Buckaroos can avoid turnovers… and create some… and get a couple big plays on special teams… and capitalize on the state championship atmosphere… you might be surprised. A 67-point difference could get reduced down in a hurry if all those conditions are met — but only if all those conditions are met.
There. The last picks of the season for the last games of the season. Whatcha think? Dead on or dead wrong? Post your thoughts below and let me know what you think will happen in Laramie this weekend.
I’ll see you there.
–patrick
Central QB Connor Long leads offense (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Cody-Douglas preview and Cody coaches have title connections (Cody Enterprise). … Cody-Buffalo and Kaycee-Midwest (Buffalo Bulletin). … Lingle-Southeast preview, Lingle-Cokeville and Southeast-Wind River (Torrington Telegram).
–patrick
Tickets are selling well for championships (Casper Star-Tribune). … Hayden Jones stays busy for Central (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Lingle is pumped to go to Laramie (Scottsbluff Star-Herald). … Douglas-Worland (Douglas Budget).
–patrick