Wyoming’s top high school football coaches — a timeline

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No matter our profession, we have people we chase — the people we respect because of their work in our shared field, the people whose successes we wish to emulate. That goes for high school football coaches as much as it does bankers, doctors or engineers.

When victories are used as the measuring stick of success, we know that we have the most successful football coach in state history currently working in Cokeville. We know the coach whose mark he had to beat in order to earn the title he now has.

But who did he have to overtake? And who did he have to overtake? And who did he have to overtake?

Here is a look at the coaches with the most victories in state history — and who they had to chase down in order to be known as such:

The current leader is Todd Dayton, the coach at Cokeville, who entered the 2011 season with 253 career victories. Dayton, who took over as the Panthers’ head coach in 1980, has averaged more than eight victories per season — a heck of a feat when you consider that, for a lot of Dayton’s career, the regular season in Wyoming was only seven or eight games.

The game he took over as Wyoming’s coaching victories leader: Cokeville defeated Mountain View 30-26 on Sept. 23, 2005, to give Dayton his 206th career victory.

Dayton had to overtake John E. Deti, who piled up 205 victories in 35 years as a head coach, 33 with Laramie. Deti also spent a year in both Meeteetse and Shoshoni. He retired in 1976 with a 205-94-8 career record. His tenure at Laramie included seven undefeated seasons (the Plainsmen have only had two other undefeated seasons in school history) and 14 state championships.

The game he took over as Wyoming’s coaching victories leader: Laramie defeated Sheridan 20-7 on Nov. 1, 1968, to give Deti his 150th career victory.

Deti had to overtake Okie Blanchard, who had 149 victories at five different schools. Blanchard, the first coach in the state to crack the 100-victory mark (and he obviously went well beyond that), spent 11 years at Cheyenne Central, eight years at Rock Springs, three years at Natrona and one year each at Glenrock and Cokeville. He was also head coach at the University of Wyoming for the 1941 season. He started his career with the Herders in 1925; he stepped away from coaching in 1952 with an all-time high school record of 149-55-7.

The game he took over as Wyoming’s coaching victories leader: Cheyenne Central defeated Alliance, Neb., 26-7 on Oct. 15, 1943, to give Blanchard his 95th career victory.

Blanchard had to overtake John Powell, the longtime coach at Cheyenne Central who notched 94 victories with the Indians before retiring in 1939. Powell led the Indian squad for 16 years, compiling a 94-50-7 record. His run with the red and black included one unofficial state championship, which came in 1929, and only two losing seasons.

The game he took over as Wyoming’s coaching victories leader: Cheyenne Central defeated Laramie 12-0 on Nov. 12, 1929, to give Powell his 41st career victory.

Powell had to overtake Wilbur “Web” Wright, who coached Sheridan for eight seasons and finished with 40 victories. Wright led the Broncs from 1919 to 1926, finishing with a record of 40-15-2; Wright’s run included three consecutive state championships from 1921-23 and undefeated seasons in 1921 (7-0) and 1923 (8-0).

The game he took over as Wyoming’s coaching victories leader: Sheridan defeated Buffalo 58-0 on Oct. 29, 1921, to give Wright his 12th career victory.

Wright had to overtake C.A. Jones, the first high school coach in Wyoming to win more than 10 games in his career. Jones finished his brief coaching career, which spanned three seasons (1912-14) with Cheyenne Central, with 11 victories; his overall record with the Indians was 11-8-2.

Coaching records prior to this time are spotty at best. I doubt anyone was even thinking about career records when Jones, Wright or Powell took the reins at their respective schools. They may not have even known at the time they were the most successful coaches in state history when they decided to step down.

We know differently now. We know that, even for a while, they were the coaches everyone was trying to chase down.

–patrick

Week 2 Humble Pie: Directions, preseason attitudes and your plans for next week

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Maybe the Lander Tigers benefited from being under the radar throughout the offseason.

Maybe the Tigers didn’t mind that all the preseason talk was focused on Douglas and its winning streak, Green River and its drop from Class 4A, Powell and its returning all-staters, Cody and its potential, Buffalo and its tradition.

Maybe the guys in green used their offseason as a chance to improve and prove — improve their game to prove their doubters wrong.

The secret is loose, now, of course, after Lander made the trip to Afton and came away with an impressive 35-16 victory over the homestanding Star Valley Braves — and after the Tigers demolished Wheatland 44-7 in Week 1.

This Lander team is a force; the Tigers could, and probably should, be 4-0 when they take on Douglas in Week 5. And now everyone is aware of just how good the Tigers could be this fall.

Second mad props to another Fremont County squad, Shoshoni, which ended 10 years of futility against Wind River and beat the Cougars 29-20. The last time the Wranglers had beaten the Cougars was 2001 — and between then and about 6 p.m. Thursday night, the Cougars had a 278-18 scoring advantage on the Wranglers in that time span (yes, you read that right). But Shoshoni showed the moxie necessary to shake off that history, even after falling behind 13-0 at halftime. And don’t look now, but the Wranglers, the team that started the season on a 19-game losing streak, is now 2-0.

Third mad props to Big Horn, which made the long trek to Burns but found a way to come out with a 27-22 victory in a seesaw affair. The Rams struggled the past two weeks, which made them easy to overlook in a game where a long trip and a good team were not enough to slow down the defending 2A runners-up. This victory may have just saved the Rams’ season. And with dates with Wright, Glenrock and Wheatland coming the next three weeks, the timing could not be better for the maroon and yellow.

And that’s this week’s mad props. But here are some other gleanings from Week 2’s games:

Gillette stepped up big time in its 30-21 victory over Cheyenne East in an early showdown of undefeated teams. Now, the Camels and Natrona are the only two undefeated teams in 4A. But don’t look ahead to that Week 8 Camels-Mustangs showdown just yet. There’s some parity at the top of 4A, as NC’s 20-13 squeaker over Cheyenne Central on Friday demonstrated. …

Green River and Riverton set the early mark for combined points between 11-man teams in the Wolves’ 54-30 victory over the Wolverines. Both teams proved they can pile up the points. …

Congratulations to Kyhler Cummings, who scored Cheyenne South’s first varsity touchdown. Even in a 62-6 loss (to Sheridan), there is reason for optimism in the Bison camp. …

I’ll just go ahead and say it now: Game of the week next week is Lyman-Lovell. If you’re within a 100-mile radius of Lovell at 7 p.m. Friday, you need to gather your buddies, get in your car and motor on down to the KPR to watch this game. …

Pop quiz: The only team in Wyoming that still hasn’t allowed a point this season? That’s right. Pine Bluffs. …

Congratulations go out to Southeast coach Mark Bullington, who notched his 100th career victory in the Cyclones’ 41-14 victory over Sundance. He is the 22nd coach to accomplish the feat and is only the third active coach in the state to reach the century mark.

As for me? Well, it was a better week this week than last week:

This week: 29-3 (91 percent). This season: 64-17 (79 percent).

–patrick

Week 2 picks

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Five years ago, this game was the making of pure fantasy.

Two years ago, this game was possible, but impossible.

This week, this game takes center stage.

The game: Snake River at Dubois. The two teams that have already asserted themselves as among the best six-man teams in the state will meet at 3 p.m. Saturday to give the six-man classification its 2011 favorite.

The Rattlers, of course, are the defending six-man state champions and have what is now a state-best winning streak at 10 games. A program that was more than 50 years dormant until 2009 has already established itself as a perennial contender.

The Rams were stragglers in the 11-man ranks for several years but had a tremendous 2010, finishing 7-2 in their final year of the 100-yard game before moving to six-man this season.

In addition to their impressive 2010 seasons, both squads put up impressive victories in Week 1 of 2011: Snake River 45-6 over Ten Sleep, Dubois 49-20 over Midwest.

Now, the first meeting ever between the two programs just might be a preview of a November playoff game, maybe even the big one they play in the big stadium. The six-man game is explosive in its very make-up, and based on what these two teams have already accomplished, it’s fair to say that this game may come down to the final possession. This is the type of matchup that could create the game to show everything six-man football can be.

As the defending champs, I choose Snake River to win, but I know Dubois has the potential to become Wyoming’s six-man frontrunner, too.

All this from a game we could have only foresaw in our imaginations just a few years ago.

Here are the rest of the picks for the week, with projected winners in bold:

Thursday
Class 1A 11-man
Shoshoni at Wind River: Both teams played in what amounted to blowouts last week. The strength of both teams was probably obscured a bit by the quality of competition in both cases. This one should be a much better game for both, probably decided by a touchdown or less. I’m just picking the home team. 7:30 p.m. (WR 27-18)
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Gillette: The biggest 4A game of the week is right here, as two undefeated squads face each other. Big? No. It’s HUGE. And it’s hard to pick against the Camels at home in a huge game. 7 p.m. (Gil 21-16)
Cheyenne South at Sheridan: Doesn’t matter who Sheridan was facing this week — I was picking them. The Broncs have to be eager to shake off last week’s loss. 6 p.m. (First meeting)
Kelly Walsh at Laramie: This one could go either way quite easily. Whoever wins this one will likely win by less than a touchdown. Coin flip this one…. my penny says Laramie. Sorry, Trojans. 7 p.m. (Lar 19-16)
Natrona at Cheyenne Central: I think it’s clear now: the Mustangs are reloading, not rebuilding. 7 p.m. (tied 47-47-3)
Rock Springs at Evanston: I had the chance to watch Evanston in person last week and I came away impressed. Rock Springs will keep it interesting, but I think the Red Devils win it. 7 p.m. (RS 43-26-5)
Class 3A
Cody at Douglas: Find me one person who realistically expected neither one of these teams to have a victory heading into this game. 7 p.m. (Dou 1-0)
Green River at Riverton: The Wolves may have been the most impressive team in the opening week of the 3A schedule. 7 p.m. (GR 19-10)
Lander at Star Valley: This is a game that has kept me sleepless all week. The reason I am going with the Braves? Location. 7 p.m. (SV 19-7)
Powell at Buffalo: Is this a preview of the 3A title game? Maybe, maybe not, but the Panthers and the Bison are both clearly in the upper echelon of 3A football teams. 7 p.m. (Buf 18-16)
Rawlins at Jackson: The Broncs  were the more impressive of these two teams in their Week 1 interstate matchups. Watch for Jackson to keep rolling. 7 p.m. (Jac 3-2)
Torrington at Worland: The Warriors’ offense has had a slow start to the season, but if they can get rolling against the Trailblazers, watch out. 6 p.m. (Wor 6-3)
Class 2A
Big Horn at Burns: Despite the loss to Lusk last week, I’m still confident the Broncs are one of the best teams in the East this year. 6 p.m. (BH 3-2)
Kemmerer at Lyman: Maybe the game of the week in 2A. The Rangers are eager to prove they belong in the discussion of the West’s top teams; the Eagles are already there and want to stay in the discussion. 5 p.m. (Kem 23-10)
Lovell at Pinedale: One of these teams had an impressive Week 1 performance. The other did not. 7 p.m. (Lov 5-1)
Mountain View at Greybull: Another one keeping me awake at night. As usual, when I can’t decide between what looks like two evenly matched teams, I pick the home team — and it’s a long ways from Mountain View to Greybull. 7 p.m. (MV 3-2)
Newcastle at Moorcroft: This is a really interesting game that, when it’s all said and done, we may look back on and say, “That one was for a playoff spot.” 1 p.m. (New 10-7)
Thermopolis at Big Piney: A little pride check after last week’s loss to Glenrock won’t hurt the Bobcats in the long run. 2:30 p.m. (tied 6-6)
Wheatland at Wright: Both teams are coming off difficult Week 1 losses and want to make a good first impression in conference play. 7 p.m. (First meeting)
Class 1A 11-man
Burlington at Saratoga: I like what both of these teams did in their season openers. It’s just that one of these teams was impressive in a victory and the other was impressive in a loss. 2 p.m. (Brl 2-0)
Lingle at Upton: Lingle has outscored Upton 117-7 in their meetings the past two years. Tough to overlook a number like that. 7 p.m. (Lin 4-2)
Normative Services at Pine Bluffs: Speaking of dominance, the Hornets have outscored the Wolves 99-6 in their past two matchups. 5 p.m. (PB 2-0)
Riverside at Cokeville: Even with a loss last week, Cokeville is still Cokeville — although the Rebels will put up a stout challenge. 2 p.m. (Cok 7-1)
Sundance at Southeast: Can you say “revenge game”? The Cyclones are still probably a bit angry about what the Bulldogs did to them last year. 7 p.m. (SE 6-2)
Wyoming Indian at Rocky Mountain: The Grizzlies have beaten the Chiefs 15 times in a row. Last week gave us no indication that this run is about to abruptly end. 4 p.m. (RM 16-2)
Class 1A six-man
Farson at Kaycee: The game of the week may be in Dubois, but the Buckaroos are going to have a say in who wins the six-man state championship this year by the time we get to Laramie. 3 p.m. (Kay 1-0)
Hanna at Hulett: The Red Devils put up an impressive showing in their official six-man debut last week. At home, they will get a challenge from the Miners, but I still like what Hulett is putting together this fall. 2 p.m. (Hul 4-1)
Meeteetse at Midwest: The Oilers should bounce back from a tough loss to Dubois last week. 5 p.m. (Mid 10-6)
Interclass
Natrona JV at Glenrock: The interesting subplot here is the presence of former Natrona lineman Taylor Millay, who’s now with the Heders… but with 21 other guys on the field at any given time, it’s the Herders as a whole who should win this one. 7 p.m. (NA)
Interstate
Lusk at Hill City, S.D.: The Tigers sure sent a statement last week, didn’t they? Gotta like Lusk in this one, too. 6:30 p.m. (First meeting)
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey at Ten Sleep: Neither one of these squads had the start to the season that they had hoped for. Nonetheless, both have the chance to turn it around right here. 3 p.m. (tied 1-1)

Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas? Rants? Post ’em below and let’s talk Week 2 football!

–patrick

2011 football schedule updates

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With Tongue River dropping its 2011 season, several of the Eagles’ opponents have scheduled games in their place.

Glenrock, Burns and Wheatland have announced they will play sub-varsity squads from Natrona. Glenrock will host the Natrona team at 7 p.m. Friday (Sept. 9), Burns will host Natrona’s squad at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Wheatland will play the Natrona JV at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21 in Casper.

Newcastle will keep its Week 6 date it had originally scheduled with Tongue River as an open week.

Lyman, who was scheduled to open the season with Tongue River, played Ririe, Idaho, last Friday.

Moorcroft (week 3), Wright (week 5) and Big Horn (week 7) have yet to announce replacement games and/or open weeks in place of the Tongue River game. When those schools confirm their plans for those weeks, that information will be posted here.

You can always see the full 2011 schedule and results by clicking here.

–patrick

Week 1 Humble Pie: Attentive cats, good signs and broken streaks

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The first week of the season always reminds us fans of one thing: History has little bearing on what takes place on the field year in and year out.

We were all reminded of that this week.

First of all, a multi-year streak, whether a winning or losing streak, only continues because the circumstances allow it to continue. Circumstances have changed for a pair of programs that carried long streaks into the 2011 season openers: Shoshoni and Douglas.

I make special mention of Shoshoni here (I usually save my slices of Humble Pie for teams that prove my picks wrong) because the Wranglers’ 19-game winning streak, the second-longest active losing streak in the state, came to an end with a 49-12 victory over Upton.

Green River, meanwhile, earned mad props for its 32-15 dismantling of Douglas, putting an end to the Bearcats’ 30-game win streak, a stretch that lasted two and a half seasons. The Wolves’ Kolby Kester was the pacesetter, rushing for 123 yards, while QB Colter Hamel added a combined 241 yards passing and rushing. It’s a solid victory for the Wolves in their re-entry to Class 3A, but how solid? We won’t know for a few more weeks. For now, the victory is important because of what Douglas had done in past seasons — not what the Bearcats have done this season.

The state’s second-longest winning streak also came to an end on Friday. Mountain View earned second mad props by snapping Cokeville’s 11-game winning streak as the Panthers fell 6-3 in overtime to the Buffalos. All the points came in overtime — Cokeville scored a field goal on its possession in extra time, Mountain View answered with the winning touchdown — and it signaled that the 2A West may be just as deep as everyone thinks it is.

By the way, the longest winning streak in the state now belongs to little ol’ Snake River, which has won 10 in a row heading into Saturday’s game with Ten Sleep. The longest active 11-man winning streak is now a paltry five games — the streak run up by Natrona.

Speaking of Natrona, third mad props to the Mustangs for grinding out a 20-6 victory over Sheridan. This game was one that was won in the final 12 minutes (it was 6-3 NC heading into the final quarter), which is a good sign for a team that didn’t have to work very hard in its season-opening victory over Cheyenne South last week.

Fourth mad props to Glenrock, which showed just how quickly a team can gain respect by beating up on two-time defending 2A champion Thermopolis 29-12. After a 2-6 season last year, expectations were tempered for the Herders this year, but this Week 1 victory will gain everyone’s attention. In a weakening 2A East, the Herders just jumped to the top of the heap — and makes that date with Wheatland in two weeks especially intriguing.

Fifth mad props to Burlington, which edged out Big Piney 21-13. We knew Burlington was going to be solid this year, but this victory over the Punchers should be a warning to the rest of the 1A West. The Huskies are legit.

Sixth mad props to Lusk, 12-7 winners over Burns in dramatic fashion. The Tigers scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter — and that came only after they converted a long fourth-down play on the winning drive. This is the type of game that can inspire (or demoralize) a team for weeks.

Seventh mad props to Star Valley, winners by the odd score of 10-9 over Snake River, Idaho. The 3A West is full of solid teams this year, and it’s been easy to overlook the Braves. That’s a mistake, because, as they proved on Friday, Star Valley has what it takes to make a run at the top teams in the west. Remaining nonconference games against Lander and Douglas may help further illustrate that point….

Eighth mad props to Jackson, 35-23 winners over Teton, Idaho, in one of the highest scoring games of the week. The Broncs are still finding their way a bit after a 1-7 season last year, but this start to the 2011 season should give Jackson some confidence — something they will need to keep pace out west.

And, finally, ninth mad props to Hardin, Mont., which beat Cody 34-27.

Saturday add: Tenth mad props to Hulett, which proved to be a quick study in the six-man game in its 42-14 victory over Guernsey. In case you’re wondering, the North Conference teams went 4-1 against their South Conference counterparts in a week full of interconference play. We may have seen where the strength of six-man is this year in the opening weekend.

Tuesday add: 11th mad props to Farson for beating Meeteetse in a game and a score that went uncorrected this weekend. Farson won 60-24.

It’s not unusual to have a bunch of unexpected finishes in the first week of the season. After all, we base our assumptions about what might happen in the season openers on what we’ve seen in the past. The 2011 season has no past, so it only makes sense to see some surprising finishes. Each season has its own identity, its own character, and this is just the first effort at shaping the 2011 season. It’s a lot of fun, isn’t it?

Some other things that drew my attention this week:

Greybull scored four defensive touchdowns — yes, four — in beating Big Horn 38-6. The Buffs are doing their best to make sure you don’t forget about them when you talk 2A West contenders. Interesting Buffs-Buffs matchup next week as Mountain View comes to Big Horn County. … Dubois passed its first six-man test with flying colors, beating Midwest 49-20. Snake River ventures to Fremont County next week. … Kaycee’s defense held Hanna to just six points in their six-man game. Don’t forget about the Buckaroos. … I may drive up to Buffalo next Friday for that Buffalo-Powell game. It’s about as big as a Week 2 game can get. …

How about you? What were some of the moments, teams, players and games that caught your attention this week? Post your thoughts below and we can chat about it all through the Labor Day weekend.

This week: 23-11 (68 percent). This season: 35-14 (71 percent).

–patrick

Week 1 picks

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Douglas’ current 30-game winning streak has been full of challenges.

No challenge to the streak, though, may be bigger than the one the Bearcats will face starting at 7 p.m. Friday in Green River.

Whether the Bearcats can continue one of the most impressive winning streaks in state history will rest on their ability to play up to the challenge that the Wolves are certain to bring.

Green River, after all, has spent the past 30-plus years as a member of Wyoming’s big-school football classifications (AA, 4A or 5A, depending on what it was called at the time). And this is the Wolves’ first game back at the 3A level.

This is the game the Wolves want — how do they stack up against 3A’s best team the past three years?

This is the game the Bearcats want — how do they stack up against a school that is more or less still a 4A school in terms of talent and experience?

This is the game the fans want — can Douglas keep its winning streak going while overcoming a long road trip and a tough team at the end of the trip?

All of those subplots come together in Sweetwater County on Friday night.

But, as mentioned before, this is not the first time Douglas has been challenged on its streak. Every time, though, the Bearcats have responded the way champions do. That’s why I am picking the Bearcats to win on Friday. (GR 1-0)

Here is a quick glance at the rest of this week’s games, with projected winners in bold:

Thursday
Interclass
Moorcroft at Sundance: This game was a tight one right down to the final gun last year. Expect the same this year. 4 p.m. (Mor 35-26)
Interstate
Lyman at Ririe, Idaho: Lyman came out on fire in Zero Week. We’ll see if that trend continues here as the Eagles play their second consecutive out-of-state foe. 7 p.m. (First meeting)
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne South: The Bison will be fired up for their home opener, but the Indians have the upper hand in this one. 7 p.m. (First meeting)
Evanston at Kelly Walsh: If you didn’t know already, last week proved just how dangerous Evanston can be. Don’t sleep on the Red Devils just because they lost. 7 p.m. (Eva 10-4)
Gillette at Rock Springs: The Camels will be just fine this year. The Tigers, though, could present a challenge after last week’s gritty OT victory. 7 p.m. (Gil 11-5)
Laramie at Cheyenne East: I think both teams are better than they were last year. East just started from a better place than Laramie did. 7 p.m. (Lar 33-21)
Sheridan at Natrona: Game of the week in 4A. By the time it’s all said and done, it may be the game of the year. 7 p.m. (NC 51-41-6)
Class 3A
Buffalo at Worland: The Warriors haven’t beaten the Bison since the 2003 4A title game. Even so, don’t count Worland out of this one, especially at home. Either way, the winner wins by less than a touchdown. 6 p.m. (Wor 13-11)
Riverton at Powell: When you combine the scores from their two games from last year, these squads tied each other 20-20. I think this one will be another close, low-scoring type of game, one that may hinge on a big play late. 7 p.m. (Pow 36-29-3)
Class 2A
Glenrock at Thermopolis: The Bobcats proved last week that they’re still legit. 7 p.m. (Glk 17-12)
Greybull at Big Horn: This should be one of the best games of the week — if both teams play up to their potential. 1 p.m. (BH 12-3)
Wright at Lovell: If the length of the road trip doesn’t get to the Panthers, they have a chance. But the Bulldogs are pretty darn good this year. 7 p.m. (Lov 4-0)
Class 1A 11-man
Pine Bluffs at Wyoming Indian: Expect a solid effort out of the Chiefs in their first game back in the 1A ranks, but the Hornets will probably be just too much. 6 p.m. (First meeting)
Rocky Mountain at Normative Services: The Grizzlies have absolutely owned this series the past two years. Count on more of the same. 6 p.m. (RM 2-0)
Saratoga at Lingle: The Doggers have been somewhat lost in the discussion of 1A 11-man’s top  teams this fall. Watch for them to have a breakout game against the Panthers. 6 p.m. (Lin 14-9)
Upton at Shoshoni: You heard it here first — this is the week the Wranglers break their losing streak. (Well, unless the Bobcats see this and take my pick personally….) 4 p.m. (tied 1-1)
Class 1A six-man
Kaycee at Hanna: Ooh. What a great test for both teams right out of the gate. The winner of this game makes a huge statement to the rest of six-man. 3 p.m. (tied 1-1)
Midwest at Dubois: The Rams didn’t catch a break in drawing the Oilers in their first six-man game. Nevertheless, the Rams have the talent to win this one, although it might be uncomfortably close. 1 p.m. (Mid 5-4)
Interclass
Big Piney at Burlington: This is one game where school size may not be evident in the first quarter but will be clear in the fourth. 3 p.m. (BP 2-0)
Burns at Lusk: No Burns players have ever seen a Broncs victory in Lusk: The Broncs have not won at Fullmer Stadium since 1990. Look for that run to end on Friday. 7 p.m. (Lus 23-8)
Cokeville at Mountain View: Is Cokeville as legit as everyone seems to think they are? The Buffalos will be a great gauge for that assumption. 3:30 p.m. (Cok 31-16-1)
Lander at Wheatland: Interesting interclass matchup between two teams who have not played each other since 2000. To be honest, I’m not quite sure what to expect — which kind of makes me want to go watch this one. 6 p.m. (Lan 4-3)
Pinedale at Riverside: I make this pick based on location alone. In Pinedale, I would probably go Wranglers, but in Basin I will go Rebels. 7 p.m. (Rsd 5-2)
Southeast at Newcastle: One of the more interesting interclass games on the schedule the past couple years, the Cyclones have proven over and over again that they can play with the bigger schools. 7 p.m. (SE 2-0)
Wind River at Kemmerer: It’s kind of surprising to think about it, but neither one of these teams made the playoffs last season. Both squads are looking to improve on last year’s finishes, but in The Pit I will go with the Rangers. 4 p.m. (First meeting)
Interstate
Chadron, Neb., at Torrington: The Trailblazers have not beaten the Cardinals since 1999. This one should be close, but Chadron always seems to have Torrington’s number. 7 p.m. (Cha 15-1)
Hardin, Mont., at Cody: Cody had a rough opening weekend. They’ll learn from that experience, though. 7 p.m. (tied 3-3)
Rawlins at Sidney, Neb.: Rawlins’ first trip to Nebraska in program history will be a tough challenge to start the season. 7 p.m. (First meeting)
Star Valley at Snake River, Idaho: Snake River has a running back named Emmett Smith. Any defensive linemen on the Braves named Bruce Smith? 7 p.m. (Snake 4-1)
Teton, Idaho, at Jackson: Teton’s one advantage is the one victory it has under its belt. Still, this one could go either way. 7 p.m. (Teton 14-12)
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Hulett at Guernsey: This interesting north-south matchup may come down to the final possession. 2 p.m. (Gue 3-2)
Meeteetse at Farson: Farson has made strides the past two seasons and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Pronghorns knock off the Longhorns. Even so, I will take Meeteetse. 3 p.m. (Met 3-0)
Ten Sleep at Snake River: Ten Sleep was impressive last week, but the Rattlers are still the defending state champions…. 2 p.m. (tied 1-1)

There they are, the first full week of picks. Your thoughts? Where did I go wrong and what do you think I got right? Post your ideas below.

–patrick

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