Three Wyoming high schools made the switch to artificial turf over the summer, bringing the total number of schools with fake grass on their football fields in the state to 14.

Cheyenne Central, Powell and Lusk all switched over to artificial turf. They join Big Horn, Cody, Douglas, Jackson, Moorcroft, Natrona, Pinedale, Riverton, Rock Springs, Sheridan and Star Valley as schools with artificial surfaces.

Here is a look at Riske Field in Cheyenne, courtesy of Jeremiah Johnke of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle:

Riske Field, Cheyenne

Riske Field, Cheyenne

 

Construction in Lusk is a bit behind that in Cheyenne. In addition to a new turf football field, Lusk will have a new track surface, as well. Here are a couple looks at the progress in Lusk, courtesy of Cory Griffith:

Lusk football field

Lusk football field

Lusk football field

Lusk football field

 

The work in Powell was a bit more extensive, as an entirely new facility was constructed. The stadium was completed last year. To see photos of the field in Powell, check out the school district photo gallery.

–patrick

Each Wednesday, we’ll preview a classification of Wyoming high school football. Today, we’ll look at the second of a five-part season preview with Class 1A 11-man.

Four questions to answer
Can Cokeville win it all again? Yep. And it all starts with defense. One of my favorite numbers I discovered this offseason was this one: In the past four seasons, a span of 42 games, only three of Cokeville’s opponents have broken into double digits. Although the Panthers lose four of their top six tacklers from a year ago, they return several key players from the title runs of the past two years and should be the early favorites to win it all in 1A 11-man again.

Who will win the East Conference title? In short, either Southeast or Lusk. The conversation out east the past two seasons has begun and ended with these two programs, who have a combined 19-1 record against the rest of the conference the past two years and have outscored their conference foes in those 20 games 862-113. For what it’s worth, this year’s Lusk-Southeast game is in Lusk, where the Cyclones haven’t won since 2005.

Will the West Conference have just as much parity as it did a year ago? Probably. Last year, every team won at least one conference game, and six of the eight teams entered the final week of the season with playoff berths possible. And it wasn’t just that parity existed — it’s that the scores were unpredictable. It was always hard to tell when a game would be close or when it would be a blowout. That type of unpredictability was the hallmark of the conference a year ago and should help make at least the early parts of the conference schedule this year quite interesting.

How will the new co-op agreement between Upton and Sundance go? Pretty well, probably. They’ve already figured out a nickname (Patriots), a schedule and a coaching staff. However, the biggest problem might be out of both schools’ control — enrollment. If the combined enrollment figure for the two schools (figured on Upton’s total enrollment and Sundance’s male enrollment) tops that of the smallest Class 2A school (Big Horn at 139), the Patriots will be ineligible for the playoffs no matter how well their season goes. Those final tallies may not be available until the first day of school.

Four players to watch
Brigham Teichert, Cokeville. Defense makes the Panther machine go, and Teichert is Cokeville’s best defender. Already a two-time all-state choice, Teichert has led the Panthers in defensive points each of the past two years. His leadership will be critical as Cokeville goes for a three-peat.

Colton Stees, Southeast. Stees, who was the East Conference defensive player of the year as a sophomore in 2011, will again have to play an important part on the Southeast defense for the Cyclones to get back into the championship game. Already bigger and stronger than a year ago, Stees led 1A 11-man with 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks a year ago. If he puts up similar numbers, Southeast should again be in the championship chase.

Clint Getzfreid, Riverside. Getzfreid was by far 1A’s most prolific wide receiver last year. He had 56 catches (26 more than anyone else in 1A) for 737 yards (311 more than anyone else in 1A) and eight receiving touchdowns (more than anyone else in 1A). And he was a junior.

Colter Larson, Lusk. Quite simply, Larson is a tackler. He led the Tigers in defensive points last year, mostly racking up tallies through tackles, as he had more solo tackles (36), assists (54) and tackles for loss (17.5) than any of his teammates. He’ll play a key role again this year as the Tigers try to make it to Laramie.

Four key games
Wind River at Shoshoni, Sept. 7: Remember, it was a come-from-behind victory over Wind River last year that propelled Shoshoni to its best season since 2001 — and sent Wind River into a slide from which it could not recover. Similar fates may await the winners and losers of this game in a parity-filled West Conference.

Southeast at Lusk, Sept. 14: Let’s strip away the facade and call this game what it is: the East Conference championship game. This game has decided the East champ each of the past two years and figures to do so again this year.

Burlington at Riverside, Sept. 21: Both teams had numerous key players lost to graduation. Will either one of them step up as a threat to Cokeville in the West? This game might help determine if either the Huskies or Rebels are up for that challenge — and the loser will have to fight and scrap and claw just to make it into the postseason.

Saratoga at Shoshoni, Oct. 12: There has been very little scuttlebutt about Saratoga this offseason, but don’t forget the Panthers were a tough team to beat last year and gave Lusk a bit of a tussle in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out. This Week 7 game might end up being for a home playoff game.

Predicted order of finish
East: Lusk, Southeast, Lingle, Pine Bluffs, Upton/Sundance, NSI.
West: Cokeville, Saratoga, Riverside, Shoshoni, Burlington, Wind River, Rocky Mountain, Wyoming Indian.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Cokeville 20, Lusk 14

Trivia
Cokeville’s Todd Dayton is entering his 33rd year as the head coach of the Panthers, the longest tenure of any active coach in the state. Of the other schools in Class 1A 11-man, since 1980, every school has changed coaches at least once; most schools have done it many times. Here’s the question: Of the current 1A 11-man schools, which one has changed head coaches the most times? And as a bonus: How many head coaches has that school had since 1980?

–patrick

Every Wednesday for the next five weeks, we will preview each classification of Wyoming high school football. We will start the series today by taking a look at Class 1A six-man.

Four questions to answer
Can anybody stop Snake River? Probably not. Even with significant losses to graduation, the Rattlers are still the odds-on favorite to win the six-man championship again this fall. With a 21-game winning streak in tow, and with an expected nine seniors on this year’s roster, the Rattlers will once again set the pace for the rest of the six-man schools to match.

Can anybody stop Snake River? Maybe Dubois. Last year’s state runners-up return a significant number of players, including all-state picks Cody Flynn and Jesse Hawk. And don’t forget that in last year’s championship game, the Rams played the Rattlers even, 33-33, in the final three quarters after Snake built a 21-0 first-quarter lead.

Can anybody stop Snake River? A host of other teams on the Rattlers’ schedule have the potential to pull a regular-season upset and stop the streak — but the best chance of that happening is away from Baggs. Snake River has a tough road trip to Ten Sleep in the opening week of the season and also has to travel to play an always-tough Kaycee squad in Week 6.

Can anybody stop Snake River? The gap between the top and the bottom of six-man appears to be shrinking a bit — and that will make it tougher for Snake River to run the table for a third consecutive year. Most of the teams at the bottom of the six-man standings last year appear to be better this year — Farson, Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett and Meeteetse should all be improved over last year, which will make every week a challenge, not just for the Rattlers but for everyone.

Four players to watch
James Caro, Kaycee. Football came to Kaycee at the perfect time for Caro, who has been the Buckaroos’ quarterback since their first snap in 2009. Potentially a four-time all-state selection, Caro threw for 1,108 yards and ran for 481 more and also intercepted eight passes on defense last season. Caro’s role with Kaycee has always been important, but it’ll be magnified in his senior season.

Cole Gourlay, Snake River. Last year’s co-defensive player of the year in six-man, Gourlay is one of the big reasons why Snake River is expected to win it all again this year. Gourlay led Snake River with 113 tackles last fall and will have to be just as active this year as the Rattlers go for three in a row.

Friscoe Erdahl, Ten Sleep. Erdahl has been one of Ten Sleep’s biggest threats the past two years. The returning all-state player is the type that never comes off the field. His job as Ten Sleep’s offensive playmaker will be showcased that much more on a team that will have little depth.

Jesse Hawk, Dubois. If the Rams want to make it back to Laramie, it will most likely be on the ability of Hawk’s legs. Hawk was the Rams’ best rushing threat last fall, as he piled up 1,135 yards and 15 scores; he’ll need to put up similar numbers for the Rams to stay in the thick of it in the North Conference.

Four key games
Dubois at Snake River, Sept. 7: Rematch of last year’s title game. Snake River’s biggest early test. Dubois’ reality check. This game has everything going for it.

Hanna at Midwest, Sept. 14: The South Conference opener for both the Oilers and the Miners will help dictate both teams’ directions for 2012. A victory could mean a home playoff game; a loss means a lot of fighting to simply stay assured of a playoff berth.

Midwest at Snake River, Oct. 12: Midwest gave Snake River its biggest regular-season scare last fall. And don’t think the Rattlers aren’t aware of that.

Ten Sleep at Kaycee, Oct. 13: These two teams always play well against each other. The scores of the four Kaycee-Ten Sleep games the past three years? 71-67, 48-43, 63-62, 54-52. In short, it’s gonna be fun.

Predicted order of finish
North: Dubois, Kaycee, Ten Sleep, Hulett, Meeteetse.
South: Snake River, Hanna, Midwest, Guernsey, Farson.

Completely outlandish, way-too-early title game score prediction
Snake River 64, Dubois 50

Trivia
In the past three years, when two varsity six-man football teams from Wyoming have played each other, they have combined to match or break the 100-point barrier in 23 games, including 11 times last year. However, not all six-man games are shootouts. Some are defensive struggles. The question: In the past three years, when two varsity six-man football teams from Wyoming have played each other, how many times have they combined to score fewer than 50 points? And the bonus question to that: What common thread ties these games together? (That should give it away that there is more than one game….)

So what do YOU think about six-man this year? Will Snake River just run away with everything again and threaten the state record for longest winning streak? Or will someone else sneak into the mix and become the new favorite? Post your thoughts below and let’s start the conversation.

–patrick

The 2012 Wyoming high school football schedule, including dates and kickoff times, has been posted on the 2012 season page.

The creation of the Upton-Sundance co-op has prompted several recent schedule changes, including the following:

Week 1: Moorcroft has scheduled the Natrona JV team for the week it was scheduled to play Sundance. The two teams will meet Aug. 30 in Moorcroft.

Week 2: Southeast will keep its Week 2 date open.

Week 3: Pine Bluffs will play Hill City, S.D., the week it was scheduled to play Sundance. The Hornets will host that game on Sept. 14.

Week 4: Upton and Sundance were scheduled to play each other this week. The combined squad will keep it as an open week.

Week 5: Lingle was scheduled to play Sundance this week; Lingle’s plans are still being determined.

Week 6: Lusk was scheduled to play Sundance this week; Lusk’s plans are still being determined.

Week 8: Normative Services was scheduled to play Sundance this week; NSI’s plans are still being determined.

Also, Southeast has changed its Week 6 opponent from the Scottsbluff, Neb., JV to the Natrona JV. The game date and time are still being set; the game will most likely be played in Casper.

Schedules for St. Stephens and Rock River, which are anticipated to have have junior-varsity six-man schedules this fall, are being pursued and will be added when received.

If you see any errors on the schedule, you are always free to let me know; just post a comment below.

–patrick

With 32 34 consecutive second-half points, Wyoming beat Nebraska 54-52 in the inaugural Six-man Shootout all-star football game on Saturday in Arthur, Neb.

Wyoming scored the winning points with 19 seconds remaining as Dubois’ Mitchell Baker threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Snake River’s Daniel Wille. The touchdown was the final piece of a comeback that saw Wyoming rally from a 52-20 third-quarter deficit.

Wille finished with 282 total yards — 186 receiving, 94 rushing — and five touchdowns.

Snake River’s Rex Stanley scored twice and Midwest’s Ty Fenster also scored for Wyoming.

Nebraska led big early, staking a lead of 46-12 late in the second quarter. Nebraska led 46-20 at halftime and scored early in the third quarter to take a 52-20 lead.

Scoring summary
First quarter
N: Jordan Trimble 17 run (Hayes Rose kick), 10:10, 0-8
W: Daniel Wille 42 run (PAT fail), 9:10, 6-8
N: Cameron Goldman 5 run (Rose kick), 5:57, 6-16
N: Terryl Peterman 15 pass from Trimble (Rose kick), 0:45, 6-24
Second quarter
N: Brad Vasa 25 run (PAT fail), 8:03, 6-30
W: Rex Stanley 4 pass from Mitchell Baker (PAT fail), 6:26, 12-30
N: Hunter Walker 4 pass from Trimble (Rose kick), 4:49, 12-38
N: Peterman 3 pass from Trimble (Rose kick), 2:47, 12-46
W: Wille 4 run (Wille kick), 1:17, 20-46
Third quarter
N: Brandon Barker 54 pass from Trimble (PAT fail), 8:12, 20-52
W: O.B. Ready Ty Fenster 14 pass from Baker (PAT fail), 5:00, 26-52
W: Wille 1 run (Wille kick), 2:45, 34-52
W: Safety, 2:36, 36-52
W: Wille 37 pass from Baker (PAT fail), 1:26, 42-52
Fourth quarter
W: Stanley 60 pass from Baker (PAT Fail), 1:33, 48-52
W: Wille 31 pass from Baker (PAT fail), 0:19, 54-52

Individual stats
Rushing: W, Wille 19-94, Cody Wells 9-63, Adam VanNorman 7-58, Baker 6-44, Stanley 1-17, Team 2-2. N, Trimble 16-84, Vasa 9-76, Bryce Potter 8-47, Cale Brown 1-15, Brett Ryan 1-6, Brandon Barker 2-4, Cameron Goldman 2-1, Hunter Walker 1-(-1).
Passing: W, Baker 13-27-2-276, Wille 1-1-0-17, VanNorman 0-2-0-0, Skyler Stephenson 0-2-0-0, Stanley o-1-0-0. N, Trimble 16-27-4-204, Tyler Barta 0-2-0-0, Potter 0-1-0-0.
Receiving: W, Wille 9-186, Stanley 3-81, Fenster 1-14, Miles Engelhart 1-12. N, Barker 4-91, Walker 3-44, Tyrel Hinton 1-27, Barta 3-21, Peterman 2-18, Vasa 2-13, Potter 1-(-10).
Defensive leaders: W, Stanley 10 solo tackles, 5 assisted tackles, 1 fumble recovery; VanNorman, 5 solo, 5 assists, 1 fumble recovery, Jordan Largent, 3 solo, 6 assists, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery. N, Ryan, 15 solo, 11 assists, 2 fumble recoveries; Gabe Ware, 8 solo, 8 assists, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception; Sean Grote, 6 solo, 3 assists.

Box score courtesy Ken Swieter.

–patrick

A couple quick additions/corrections:

I added Douglas’ 20-0 victory over Lingle on Nov. 3, 1950, to the database. Thanks to Marven Weitzel for the addition!

I corrected the name of Wheatland’s Larry Woodcock in the honorable mention Class A all-state listings for 1962. Thanks to my dad for catching that one!

I have also updated the Shrine Bowl page to show records through this year’s game.

All the updates have been made on all the relevant pages.

–patrick