Mythical champions poll standings

After some time, scores of championship games take on a life of their own.

The score gives us a definitive marking of which team is superior — and by what sort of margin.

Of course, from 1962-68 for every classification and from 1969-74 in the smaller school divisions, we didn’t have championship games in Wyoming. Instead, we had polls decide champions. Those are just as definitive, but much less legendary — most are forgotten.

That’s why I’m posting these today. These are the final statewide polls for the championship “dead era” from 1962-74. Most are UPI or AP polls, although I have also included the Casper Star-Tribune’s final polls when they have conducted them as well, for added reference.

Take a look and take a trip back to remember some of the state’s most anonymous champions.

1974 UPI polls
Class AA
1. Cheyenne East, 9-1, 50 points
2. Rawlins, 9-1, 38 points
3. Natrona, 7-2, 32 points
4. Worland, 7-1, 20 points
5. Riverton, 5-3, 10 points
Class A
1. Torrington, 9-0, 48 points
2. Kemmerer, 8-0, 40 points
3. Lovell, 7-1, 26 points
4. Jackson, 5-4, 10 points
5. Glenrock, 5-3, 8 points
Class B
1. Tongue River, 9-0, 48 points
2. Saratoga, 8-0, 40 points
3. Cokeville, 7-0-1, 18 points
4. Basin, 6-1-1, 10 points
5. Deaver-Frannie, 8-0, 8 points

1974 Casper Star-Tribune polls
Class A
1t. Torrington, 9-0-0, 54 points
1t. Kemmerer, 9-0-0, 54 points
3. Lovell, 7-1-0, 43 points
4. Glenrock, 5-3-0, 35 points
5t. Newcastle, 5-4-0, 33 points
5t. Star Valley, 4-4-0, 33 points
Class B
1t. Saratoga, 8-0-0, 61 points
1t. Tongue River, 9-0-0, 61 points
3. Cokeville, 9-0-1, 57 points
4. Basin, 7-1-1, 55 points
5. Guernsey-Sunrise, 7-2-0, 49 points
Eight-man
1. Deaver-Frannie, 9-0-0, 39 points
2. Cowley, 8-1-0, 34 points

1973 UPI polls
Class AA
1. Laramie, 9-1, 50 points
2. Riverton, 7-3, 35 points
3. Natrona, 6-3, 22 points
4. Cheyenne East, 6-2-1, 14 points
5. Worland, 6-2-1, 12 points
Class A
1. Green River, 8-1, 56 points
2. Buffalo, 8-1, 46 points
3. Kemmerer, 8-2, 42 points
4. Torrington, 7-2, 16 points
5. Lovell, 6-2, 14 points
Class B-C
1. Tongue River, 9-0, 50 points
2. Byron, 9-0, 46 points
3. Cowley, 9-0, 40 points
4. Pinedale, 7-2, 25 points
5. Upton, 7-1-1, 14 points

1973 Casper Star-Tribune polls
Class A
1t. Buffalo (3), 8-1, 78 points
1t. Green River (3), 8-1, 78 points
3. Kemmerer (1), 8-2, 74 points
4. Torrington, 7-2, 59 points
5. Lovell, 5-2, 58 points
Class B-C
1. Tongue River (4), 9-0, 87 points
2. Cowley (2), 9-0, 85 points
3. Byron (1), 9-0, 84 points
4. Guernsey-Sunrise, 7-2, 70 points
5. Pinedale, 7-2, 68 points

1972 UPI polls
Class A
1. Star Valley (8-1-1)
2. Torrington (8-1)
3. Kemmerer (6-2-1)
4. Buffalo (5-2-2)
5. Thermopolis (5-4)
Class B-C
1. St. Mary’s (10-0)
2. Glenrock (9-0)
3. Tongue River (8-1)
4. Basin (9-0)
5. Cokeville (8-1)

1972 Casper Star-Tribune polls
Class AA
1. Torrington (7-1)
2. Star Valley (8-1-1)
3t. Kemmerer (6-2-1)
3t. Buffalo (5-2-2)
5. Thermopolis (5-4)
6. Green River (7-3)
7t. Wheatland (4-4)
7t. Douglas (4-5)
9. Lovell (3-5)
10. Evanston (2-7)
Class B-C
1. Glenrock (9-0)
2. St. Mary’s (10-0)
3. Tongue River (8-1)
4t. Pinedale (8-1)
4t. Cokeville (8-1)
6. Basin (9-0)
7. Upton (7-2)
8. Cowley (8-1)
9t. Lingle (6-3)
9t. Dubois (7-2)

1971 UPI polls
Class AA-A
1. Natrona, 90 points
2. Laramie, 88 points
3. Rock Springs, 82 points
4. Cheyenne East, 63 points
5. Sheridan
6. Torrington, 43 points (unbeaten)
7. Cheyenne Central, 37 points
8. Star Valley, 27 points
9. Powell, 22 points
10t. Buffalo, 18 points
10t. Riverton, 18 points
Class B-C
1. Glenrock, 90 points (unbeaten)
2. Upton, 78 points (unbeaten)
3. Deaver-Frannie, 72 points (unbeaten)
4. Mountain View, 54 points (unbeaten)
5. Midwest, 51 points
6. Pine Bluffs, 48 points
7. Tongue River, 34 points
8. Byron, 32 points
9. Dubois, 24 points
10. Guernsey-Sunrise, 7 points

1970 UPI polls
Class AA-A (taken before state title game)
1. Cheyenne East, 7-2, 96 points
2. Thermopolis, 9-0, 90 points
3. Natrona County, 7-2, 79 points
4. Buffalo, 8-0, 72 points
5. Star Valley, 8-1, 64 points
6. Laramie, 8-1, 62 points
7. Cheyenne Central, 4-5, 53 points
8. Sheridan, 6-3, 48 points
9. Kelly Walsh, 5-3-1, 38 points
10. Gillette, 6-3, 35 points
Class B
1. Pinedale, 8-0-1, 96 points
2. Byron, 9-0, 93 points
3. Glenrock, 8-1, 85 points
4. Upton, 7-1-1, 73 points
5. Lingle, 7-2, 64 points
6. Mountain View, 7-1-1, 51 points
7. Pine Bluffs, 6-2, 47 points
8. Deaver, 7-1-1, 40 points
9. Moorcroft, 6-3, 38 points
10. Cowley, 5-3-1, 36 points

1969 UPI polls
Class AA-A (taken before state title game)
1. Laramie, 8-0-1, 80 points
2. Worland, 9-0-1, 73 points
3. Torrington, 8-0, 61 points
4. Sheridan, 6-2-1, 53 points
5. Cheyenne East, 6-2-1, 49 points
6. Cheyenne Central, 6-2-1, 42 points
7. Star Valley, 8-1, 41 points
8. Powell, 6-3, 33 points
9. Kelly Walsh, 6-3-1, 31 points
10. Thermopolis, 5-4, 20 points
Class B
1. Cokeville, 8-0, 80 points
2. Lingle, 9-0-1, 73 points
3. Basin, 7-0-1, 64 points
4. Upton, 7-2, 54 points
5. Glenrock, 7-1-1, 52 points
6. Sundance, 8-1, 37 points
7. Pinedale, 5-2-1, 31 points
8. Byron, 7-2, 30 points
9. Pine Bluffs, 8-2, 29 points
10. Glendo, 6-3, 23 points

1968 UPI polls
Class AA-A (taken before state title game)
1. Laramie, 9-1, 36 points
2. Worland, 8-1, 31 points
3. Riverton, 8-1, 30 points
4. Cheyenne Central, 8-1, 23 points
5. Lusk, 6-3, 17 points
6. Powell, 7-1, 14 points
7. Gillette, 9-2, 10 points
8t. Evanston, 7-2, 9 points
8t. Sheridan, 7-3, 9 points
Class B-C
1t. Byron, 9-0, 36 points
1t. Glenrock, 9-0, 36 points
3. Cokeville, 7-1, 34 points
4. Basin, 7-2, 23 points
5. Big Piney 8-1, 20 points
6. Lingle, 8-1, 15 points
7. Sundance, 8-1, 14 points
8t. Goshen Hole, 7-2, 13 points
8t. Burlington, 7-2, 13 points
10. Midwest, 6-2, 8 points

1968 Casper Star-Tribune rankings
Class AA: 1. Laramie; 2. Worland; 3. Riverton; 4. Cheyenne Central; 5. Natrona County.
Class A: 1t. Gillette, Lusk; 3. Evanston; 4. Star Valley; 5. Torrington.
Class B: 1. Glenrock; 2. Sundance; 3t. Goshen Hole, Lingle; 5. Midwest.
Eight-man: 1. Byron; 2. Cokeville; 3. Basin; 4. Burlington; 5t. Big Piney, Pinedale.

1967 UPI polls
Class AA-A
1. Powell (5), 9-0, 68 points
2. Star Valley (3), 10-0, 61 points
3. Cody, 7-2, 53 points
4. Cheyenne Central, 6-4, 42 points
5. Lusk, 8-1, 41 points
6t. Laramie, 7-3, 35 points
6t. Cheyenne East, record unknown, 35 points
8. Natrona County, 6-4, 21 points
9. Sheridan, 6-4, 11 points
10. Gillette, record unknown, 7 points
Class B-C
1. Tongue River (6), 10-0, 60 points
2. Byron, 7-0-1, 47 points
3. Cokeville, 8-0, 42 points
4t. Glenrock, 9-0, 40 points
4t. Basin, 7-2, 40 points
6. Hanna, 8-1, 31 points
7. Mountain View, 7-1, 27 points
8t. Sundance, 6-3, 20 points
8t. Pine Bluffs, 6-3, 20 points
10. Hulett, 5-4, 6 points

1966 UPI polls
Class AA-A
1. Powell, 8-1-1, 94 points
2. Cody, 8-1, 92 points
3. Cheyenne Central, 8-2, 84 points
4. Star Valley, 8-0, 68 points
5. Riverton, 7-1, 56 points
6. Rawlins, 8-2, 54 points
7. Wheatland, 8-1, 36 points
8. Torrington, 7-2, 24 points
9. Kelly Walsh, 6-4, 18 points
10. Worland, 6-3, 10 points
Class B-C
1. Tongue River, 8-1, 98 points
2. Mountain View, 8-0, 88 points
3. Basin, 7-1, 83 points
4. Byron, 7-1, 66 points
5. Glenrock, 8-1, 59 points
6. Big Piney, 5-3, 43 points
7. Cowley, 7-2, 29 points
8. Midwest, 3-4, 18 points
9. Pine Bluffs, 5-4, 16 points
10. Upton, 4-5, 15 points

1965 UPI polls
Class AA-A
1. Cheyenne Central, 9-0-1, 97 points
2. Worland, 9-0, 88 points
3. Laramie, 7-1, 83 points
4. Powell, 8-2, 67 points
5. Star Valley, 8-0-1, 57 points
6. Lander, 5-4, 51 points
7. Cheyenne East, 5-4, 45 points
8. Thermopolis, 5-3-1, 24 points
9. Cody, 4-4-1, 15 points
10t. Riverton, 4-3-2, 10 points
10t. Rock Springs, 4-5, 10 points
Class B
1. Byron, 7-1, 98 points
2. Midwest, 7-1, 84 points
3. Morton, 5-1-1, 73 points
4. Hanna, 51, 70 points
5. Glenrock, 6-2, 54 points
6. Cowley, record unknown, points unknown
7. Mountain View, 6-1, 50 points
8. Saratoga, 52, 24 points
9. Deaver, 6-2, 18 points
10. Tongue River, 7-2, 14 points

1964 UPI poll
Class AA-A (no B-C poll)
1. Laramie, 9-0, 100 points
2. Sheridan, 6-3, 77 points
3. Gillette, 9-0, 75 points
4. Natrona, 8-2, 64 points
5. Evanston, 9-0, 62 points
6. Cody, 7-1, 51 points
7t. Lander, 6-2, 38 points
7t. Cheyenne Central, 6-4, 38 points
9. Cheyenne East, 3-6, 17 points
10. Buffalo, 6-2-1, 14 points

1964 Casper Tribune rankings
Class AA-A
1. Laramie, 9-0
2. Gillette, 9-0
3. Sheridan, 5-3
4. Natrona, 7-2
5. Lander, 6-2
6. Evanston, 9-0
7. Cody, 7-1
8. Cheyenne Central, 5-4
9. Lusk, 5-2
10. Buffalo, 6-2-1
Class B-C
1. Byron, 7-1
2. Glenrock, 7-1-1
3. Huntley, 6-2
4. Morton, 6-2
5. Mountain View, 6-0-1
6. Pavillion, 6-1-1
7. Tongue River, NA
8. Upton, 6-4
9. Deaver, 6-2
10. Lingle, 5-2-2

1963 UPI poll
Class AA-A (no B-C poll)
1. Natrona, 9-0, 99 points
2. Riverton, 8-0-1 75 points
3. Laramie, 7-2, 69 points
4. Lander, 7-1-1, 60 points
5. Cheyenne Central, 6-2, 59 points
6. Green River, 10-0, 54 points
7. Cheyenne East, 5-4, 47 points
8. Lusk, 9-0-1, 30 points
9. Rock Springs, 4-3-1, 21 points
10. Torrington, 4-5, 9 points

1963 Casper Tribune rankings
Class AA-A (no B-C rankings)
1. Natrona, 9-0
2. Green River, 10-0
3. Laramie, 7-2
4. Riverton, 8-0-1
5. Lander, 7-1-1
6. Cheyenne Central, 7-2
7. Lusk, 8-0-1
8. Cheyenne East, 5-5
9. Star Valley, 5-4-1
10. Rock Springs, 3-3-2

1962 AP poll
Class AA-A (no B-C poll)
1. Laramie, 9-0, 97 points
2. Greybull, 8-0, 91 points
3. Natrona, 7-1-1, 73 points
4. Star Valley, 9-0, 71 points
5. Lusk, 9-0, 51 points
6. Powell, 5-4, 42 points
7. Sheridan, 5-4-1, 36 points
8. Riverton, 6-3-1, 32 points
9. Thermopolis, 6-3, 20 points
10. Cheyenne East, 4-5, 16 points