Kelly Walsh-Laramie recap and Natrona-Gillette recap (Casper Star-Tribune). … Kelly Walsh-Laramie recap (Laramie Boomerang). … Worland-Powell and Greybull-Kemmerer recaps (Northern Wyo Daily News). … Cody-Star Valley recap (Star Valley Independent). … Douglas-Rawlins recap and Snake River-Hanna recap (Rawlins Times).
–patrick
Natrona-Gillette preview, Kelly Walsh-Laramie preview and games of the week (Casper Star-Tribune). … Snake River-Hanna preview (Rawlins Times). … Worland-Powell and Thermopolis-Burns previews (Northern Wyo Daily News, click today). … Lusk-Pine Bluffs recap (Lusk Herald). … Lovell-Greybull recap (Greybull Standard). … Newcastle-Glenrock recap (Glenrock Independent). … Riverside-Shoshoni recap and Dubois-Burlington recap (Basin Republican Rustler). … Lingle-Sundance recap (Sundance Times).
–patrick
Recently, the state champions of Wyoming’s big-school division have followed an interesting trend — they’ve all lost at least once in the regular season.
Sheridan last year, Gillette in 2008, Cheyenne East in 2007, Gillette again in 2006 and Cheyenne Central in 2005 all won a state championship. None of them did so as part of an undefeated season.
But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, from 1999 to 2004, every single one of the big-school state championships went to an undefeated team (Natrona in 1999 and 2003, Gillette in 2000, Rock Springs in 2001 and 2002 and Green River in 2004).
Then again, it wasn’t always that way. From 1995-99, no big-school champ was undefeated.
“What’s the point?” you ask. Well, this year, there is only one undefeated team remaining in Class 4A, Natrona County. And the Mustangs face one of their biggest obstacles to an undefeated season this Friday, when Gillette rolls into the Oil City for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
If the Mustangs win this one, it’s tough to see them losing at all this year, likely breaking the recent trend.
If the Mustangs lose, though, they’re not in dire straights, as recent history has proven. And even if NC loses, because of that recent history, it might still be possible for the Mustangs to retain the title they’ve earned so far of state championship frontrunner.
That’s the point: This game is big, but it doesn’t make or break anyone’s season.
But in part what makes the showdown between the 6-0 Mustangs and the 5-1 Camels interesting is how special and rare an undefeated season has become in the 4A ranks. As noted, it hasn’t been accomplished since 2004. That makes NC’s run that much more meaningful to the orange and black faithful.
That extra incentive can motivate or petrify.
We’ll see for sure on Friday.
I’ll choose Natrona to win in a close one — but win or lose on Friday, I still think NC is the favorite to win the 4A title in Laramie in November.
Here are the rest of this week’s picks. Projected winners in bold, projected spoilers in normal type:
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Rock Springs: East needs to get back to winning this week. If not, this game could make simply qualifying for the playoffs a difficult task for the Thunderbirds. 7 p.m.
Evanston at Sheridan: Ohhhhh…. This one should be fun. Both teams have so many things to like about them. Both teams have proven they can win. Both teams have shown they belong in the discussion of state championship contenders. As usual, I pick the home team in what looks like an even game on paper. 7 p.m.
Green River at Cheyenne Central: Now that the Wolves have a bit of momentum, they could spoil some seasons — like maybe the Indians’. But I still like Central in a dogfight at home. 6 p.m.
Kelly Walsh at Laramie: A victory here should basically assure the Trojans of a playoff spot. And I’m sure they know that, too. 7 p.m.
Class 3A
Cody at Star Valley: While the Broncs’ offense has been impressive, it’s their defense that’s really caught my attention. It’s probably that way in the coaches’ offices in Afton, as well. 7 p.m.
Douglas at Rawlins: You can’t just show up and win. You still gotta do work. Douglas, I’m sure, knows this. 7 p.m.
Jackson at Lander: The Tigers picked up a solid victory last week and could enter into the “home playoff game” discussion with a victory against the struggling Broncs. 7 p.m.
Powell at Worland: I know a lot of the focus out west is on Cody, but Powell keeps picking up some solid victories and is a dangerous team out west, as well. 7 p.m.
Riverton at Torrington: Last week’s loss to Buffalo crushed some of the Wolverines’ momentum — and they want to earn that back tonight on the road in a game that could knock one or the other out of the playoff race. 6 p.m.
Wheatland at Buffalo: I keep thinking about this game. Can’t help it. The safe choice is the Bison at home, but I think the ‘Dogs keep it close. And if it’s close late, anything can happen. Plan on a good one. 6 p.m.
Class 2A
Big Horn at Moorcroft: Let’s just say the Rams have shown more potential than the Wolves. 3 p.m.
Big Piney at Pinedale: Another game I keep rolling over in my head. I still don’t know what to make of either team, and it’s week 6. I don’t know if that says more about me or more about the mysterious nature of the teams in Sublette County. (By the way, by my count, this is the 96th game between these two rivals since 1938. Some history here.) 6 p.m.
Burns at Thermopolis: The Bobcats have to be smarting after last week’s loss, but there’s no time for pouting. The Broncs are confident and have the ability to put Thermopolis on its heels. But I’ll go with Thermop. 7 p.m.
Kemmerer at Greybull: It’s a long trip for the Rangers, a trip that gets even longer when you have to face a team that likes to run the ball straight at you. 6 p.m.
Lovell at Wyoming Indian: The Bulldogs are in great position for a solid run at the playoffs. Of course, they can’t think playoffs until they take care of business for the next three weeks. 6 p.m.
Mountain View at Lyman: The Bridger Valley Bowl is always full of surprises, so you can’t rule anything out. Nevertheless, the Eagles want to maintain that vice grip they have on first place in the 2A West. 4 p.m.
Newcastle at Tongue River: Even though this isn’t a showdown between two top-flight teams, this should be an absolutely fantastic game. And, in the end, a playoff spot may be at stake for one of these teams in this game. 2 p.m.
Wright at Glenrock: I like the way the Panthers have shown some resiliency after a tough start to the season. Keeping that momentum going will be key in what is probably the biggest game of their regular-season schedule. 7 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Dubois at Cokeville: Even though Dubois has been winning, Cokeville has been dominating. However, it will be interesting to see if the Rams can give the Panthers the challenge they desperately need. 2 p.m.
Lingle at Normative Services: We know the Doggers can score. Now we need to know if they can stop anyone. 6 p.m.
Riverside at Saratoga: The Panthers are an improving team and may pull off the upset at home, but I still think the Rebels eke out the victory in this one. 3:30 p.m.
Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni: Interesting stat: This season, every time a team has played Cokeville, the week after playing the Panthers, they lose. Will there be any Cokeville hangover for the Grizzlies this week? Probably not. Curse broken! 2:30 p.m.
Sundance at Lusk: The Tigers might get pushed and win a close one. Then again, they might have it wrapped up by halftime. Either way, I think Lusk wins. 7 p.m.
Upton at Pine Bluffs: Two tough losses in a row hasn’t done anything for the Hornets’ confidence, but topping the Bobcats should help Pine gear up for the final couple weeks of the regular season. 5 p.m.
Wind River at Burlington: We’ll see how the Huskies respond after their first conference loss in a game that could be crucial for playoff seeding. 3 p.m.
Class 1A six-man
Meeteetse at Midwest: The Oilers are still trying to earn that home playoff game. 7 p.m.
Snake River at Hanna: The Carbon County rivalry should be a good one — the Rattlers should win but the Miners have their pride, too. 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey-Sunrise at Ten Sleep: Last week’s humbling against Snake River should keep the Pioneers focused. 3 p.m.
Kaycee at Farson: Don’t overlook the Pronghorns, but Kaycee has too many offensive weapons to be held down for long. 3 p.m.
Off: Southeast.
And there it is, Week 6. The best part, of course, is that they actually play these games, and we can end this week’s speculation at about 11 p.m. Friday night. Which teams strike you as ready to win this week? Post a comment below and let me know what you’re thinking.
–patrick
Cheyenne South stays 4A (Wyoming Tribune Eagle). … Gillette scoreboard crew keeps busy (Gillette News-Record). … Torrington-Rawlins recap, Lingle-Sundance recap and Southeast-Normative Services recap (Torrington Telegram). … Green River-Rock Springs recap (Green River Star). … Buffalo-Riverton recap (Buffalo Bulletin). … Douglas-Wheatland recap (Platte County Record Times).
–patrick
School: Glenrock
Nickname: Herders
Colors: purple and gray
Stadium: Sheldon Henderson Stadium
State championships: 1958, 1960, 1977, 2002, 2003 and 2008
Times worth remembering: From 1964 to 1972, the Herders never had more than one loss in any given season. At one point, Glenrock won 22 consecutive games and went 26 games in a row without a loss. For those nine years, the Herders posted a 72-5-2 record; perhaps even more impressive, Glenrock didn’t post a losing record in any season for 21 years from 1960-80.
Times worth forgetting: The early 1990s were a struggle for Glenrock. Back-to-back 0-7 seasons in 1991 and 1992 were the start of a stretch of four consecutive losing seasons. The 1991 and 1992 seasons were part of an 0-18 stretch for the Herders, who didn’t post a winning season until 1995.
Best team: There are plenty of options — the Herders have had seven undefeated seasons in school history — but two teams more than any others stand out. The 1977 team, which went 9-0 and beat Evanston 39-14 for the state title, stands out because the Herders went unbeaten only four years after joining the Class A ranks. The 2008 team, too, stands out as the best because of who they beat. Not only did Glenrock mow through the playoffs (combined scoring margin of 122-8) on its way to the Class 3A title, the Herders also beat the two teams that ended up playing in the 2008 Class 4A title game in Buffalo and Douglas. Honorable mention to the 1972 team, which gave up only 12 points all season on its way to a 9-0 record.
Biggest win: It didn’t take long for Glenrock to establish credibility after its move from Class B to Class A before the 1974 season — but winning a championship took a bit longer. After three consecutive six-win seasons, the Herders finally copped a Class A title behind a talented group of players in 1977. That season was capped with a 39-14 win over Evanston in the championship game, but the win before that, a 14-7 road victory over Torrington on the regular-season finale, is what truly vaulted the Herders into a championship-caliber team. Joe Jackson scored both touchdowns for Glenrock, a one-yard sneak in the third quarter and the game-winning 21-yard run in the fourth quarter, as the Herders rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit to prove their mettle and come into the championship game on an emotional high.
Heartbreaker: Losing in overtime is tough. Losing in overtime in the playoffs is doubly tough. Losing in overtime in the playoffs when you’ve got a team that had the potential to win it all – and after you’ve rallied from a 27-0 first-half deficit to force overtime – is heartbreaking. But that’s what happened to the Herders in 2001, who lost a 34-33 thriller to Big Piney in the 3A semifinals, where a missed extra point by the Herders in overtime was the difference. However, the core of that Glenrock team went on to win 3A titles in 2002 and 2003.
Cody-Jackson recap (Cody Enterprise).
Evanston establishes itself (Casper Star-Tribune). … Powell-Star Valley recap (Star Valley Independent).
–patrick
I wanted to point out a column written by CST editor Chad Baldwin today about new high schools. Baldwin, my former boss and the guy who, in the end, allows me to continue working for the Star-Tribune on a freelance basis, scratches the surface of the issue well… but I disagree with him on one point:
There is no reason for Gillette to open a new school until Cheyenne and Casper do so first. Cheyenne did what I think was the right thing and got us halfway there; Casper, in short, messed up, not only for Casper but in part for Gillette, too.
As Baldwin’s editorial pointed out, the problems that popped up when Casper started talking about a new high school (or what ended up happening, a new building that holds all the programs the other schools can’t or won’t take…) basically crushed any hope of a third comprehensive high school in the city for decades to come. Chief among those problems was the school of choice option that exists in Casper; several others, including groupthink, inter-community speculation and paranoia, administrator bonus pay, conflicting goals within the district hierarchy and a desire to maintain ultra-competitive sports programs, gave Casper a new high school building without giving it a new high school.
One of the problems with the new school setup in Casper is the way the Natrona County School District reached this point. The new campus is classic design by committee; it satisfies everyone, therefore, it satisfies no one. When (not if) this new setup creates more new problems than it answers old, no one can take the blame. I guess that’s good if you’re playing CYA, but that shouldn’t be what education is about.
Obviously, more than athletics considerations went into this decision, and I don’t pretend to be an expert on school construction, funding and budgeting. But Cheyenne made it work. Casper didn’t make anything — it ended up with something.
There are many repercussions from what has happened in Casper, and athletics — not only in Casper, but statewide — will feel those repercussions for at least the next three decades. Because of this decision, I think it will be at least that long before a third comprehensive high school opens in Casper. And even though Gillette and Casper are two distinct communities with different funding, different priorities and different goals, I now think it will be at least that long before a second full-on high school in Gillette opens.
The benefits both communities would have by opening new high schools would mostly be felt in the activities arena: more teams, more spots. Maybe, probably, this means fewer championships. That has been the sticking point in many discussions, whether it’s better to have championship-caliber teams from a deeper talent pool or competitive teams from a shallower talent pool. However, new high schools in Gillette and Casper would give most of the large high schools in the state a “pool” that’s about the same depth — something that benefits every school, not just the schools in Gillette and Casper.
I think it is tougher for a community to go from one high school to two than it is to go from two to three. In that regard, Gillette arguably has a tougher decision to add a new high school than Casper does. It makes sense for Gillette to wait for other Wyoming communities to take the lead.
Cheyenne took that lead. Casper didn’t follow. Now Gillette won’t — and probably shouldn’t — sacrifice its one-school setup.
Now, barring a sudden population surge, we’ll have to wait until 2040 to revisit this again.
And, because of how the Natrona County School District made this decision, there’s no one to thank. Or blame.
–patrick (mad props to my wife Char for the graphic)
Gillette-Cheyenne Central recap (Gillette News-Record). … Southeast undergoes resurgence and Natrona finds special players (Casper Star-Tribune).
–patrick