For more than 60 years, the number “34” has stretched across Wyoming football history like a beacon of hope for what’s possible with the right players, coaches and community.
Laramie’s 34-game winning streak has been untouched since its completion in 1963. Several teams have come close — including Kaycee, Douglas and Snake River all reaching 30 consecutive victories in recent times — but no one had been able to match the Plainsmen’s run of the early 1960s.
Until Sheridan. The Broncs tied Laramie’s 61-year-old record last week with its 34th consecutive victory in a 29-7 showing against Natrona. Along the way, the Broncs have won three consecutive Class 4A titles.
So how does the Broncs’ streak compare to the Plainsmen’s?
- Streak started: Laramie, Sept. 25, 1959, Laramie 34, Torrington 6; Sheridan, Oct. 1, 2021, Sheridan 27, Natrona 0.
- Average margin of victory: Laramie, 26-5; Sheridan, 45-14.
- Shutouts: Laramie, 14; Sheridan, five.
- Length: Laramie, 1,448 days across parts of five seasons; Sheridan, 1,091 days (as of Thursday) across parts of four seasons.
- Closest games: Laramie had five games end with scoring margins of seven or fewer points: 13-7 vs. Canon City (Colo.) Abbey, 1959; 13-7 vs. Scottsbluff (Neb.), 1960; 13-6 vs. Rawlins, 1961; 14-12 vs. Torrington, 1962; and 13-7 vs. Natrona, 1962. Sheridan has also had five such games: 24-21 vs. Cheyenne Central, 2022; 34-27 vs. Thunder Basin, 2022; 42-39 vs. Cheyenne East, 2022; 28-22 vs. Natrona, 2022; and 44-37 vs. Cheyenne East, 2023.
This week’s stakes are simple, at least historically speaking. A victory against Cheyenne East on Friday in Sheridan would give the Broncs sole control for the overall state record for winning streak at 35 games.
After that? Well, the next record to break is the state unbeaten streak, which Worland has at 36 games (34 victories and two ties) from 1953-56. Worland’s 1924-28 squads (33-0-2) and Star Valley’s 1964-68 squads (33-0-2) also have unbeaten streaks of 35 games, streaks that Sheridan could tie on Friday.
And after that? Well, our friends at the Stateline Sports Network say the Broncs’ streak is the seventh-longest active winning streak in the nation and is the longest active streak anywhere west of the Central Time Zone. Sheridan trails Marion (Ohio) Local, Garden City (New York), Pelham (New Hampshire), Tioga (New York), Bennington (Nebraska) and Phoebus (Virginia), with Marion Local’s 52-game streak leading the way.
And after that? Well, the national record is 151 consecutive victories, set by California’s De La Salle from 1992-2003.
And before that? Well, East.
The Thunderbirds are working on a streak of their own, already 3-0 with victories against Laramie, Cheyenne South and Thunder Basin. Moreover, East has been Sheridan’s most consistent threat during the streak. Most critically, East has been Sheridan’s opponent in the past two Class 4A title games. Across Sheridan’s past 19 games, East is the only one to stay within single-digits; technically, across those games, only East has stayed within 19 points of the Broncs, doing so twice in losses by seven and 11 points. In its past 24 games, East has a record of 20-4; all four losses were to Sheridan. And while Sheridan enters the game ranked No. 1 in the WyoPreps coaches and media football poll, East is ranked No. 2.
If anyone can interrupt the Broncs on their historic trek, it’s the Thunderbirds.
No team would love it more.
Similarly, Sheridan would love it to break the record against the team that’s been its biggest threat.
It’s the kind of matchup deserving of this kind of milestone, either way it turns out.
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The rest of the Week 3 schedule is filled with games that I’d pay money to see. A few of those:
It’s odd that both Laramie and Rock Springs have their only victories this season against Cheyenne Central, a hard-luck 0-3 team that’s had losses by two points and by seven points (twice). It’ll be interesting to see how they match up this week in Sweetwater County. …
It’s the last week of nonconference play in 3A, and with only three remaining undefeated teams in the class, two — Buffalo and Cody — will play each other this week. The other? Star Valley. …
The 2A West continues to be one of the most interesting conferences in the state. Mountain View (42-35 against Lovell) and Cokeville (13-8 against Lyman) had arguably the biggest victories last week, and now they get to play each other. Thing is, so do Lovell and Lyman. And both Worland and Kemmerer are now hanging out as 1-0 in league play, too. Most even conference in the state? (By the way, I missed seven games last week in my picks, and four of them were in Class 2A.) …
Newcastle and Big Horn had the two biggest victories in the 2A East last week in terms of margin of victory, with Big Horn beating Wheatland 55-0 and Newcastle beating Upton-Sundance 48-6. They’ll play each other this week in Big Horn, and it’ll be a big one. …
In an odd quirk to the schedule, Wheatland gets its fourth consecutive road game to start the season in its trek north to Sundance to play Upton-Sundance. Wheatland has six road games and three home games this year and won’t have its home opener until Week 4 against Glenrock. Star Valley also has a weird streak like that, as the Braves’ trip to Teton, Idaho, this week is the second of four straight road games. The Braves, at least, got four at home and five on the road this season. …
Saratoga has had a fast start, going 2-0 while outscoring opponents 117-15. Among nine-man programs, only Lingle (124) has scored more, and only Pine Bluffs (12) has allowed fewer. I’m exceptionally curious to see how the Panthers stack up against 1-1 Lusk at home on Friday.
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On to this week’s picks, where anything can happen. Not with the picks, though. I can only pick one team per game; in fact, I have to for this to work, so I indicate that with bold. It’s on the field where anything can happen. That’s where the real fun is anyway. Go touch grass, or turf, this weekend.
Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Rocky Mountain at Greybull
Interclass
Shoshoni at Natrona sophs
Wyoming Indian at Thermopolis JV
Friday
Class 4A
Campbell County at Natrona
Cheyenne East at Sheridan
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne Central
Kelly Walsh at Thunder Basin
Laramie at Rock Springs
Class 3A
Buffalo at Cody
Evanston at Lander
Green River at Riverton
Powell at Douglas
Class 2A
Burns at Glenrock
Cokeville at Mountain View
Lovell at Lyman
Moorcroft at Tongue River
Newcastle at Big Horn
Thermopolis at Kemmerer
Wheatland at Upton-Sundance
Worland at Pinedale
Class 1A nine-man
Guernsey-Sunrise at Lingle
Lusk at Saratoga
Pine Bluffs at Wright
Class 1A six-man
Casper Christian at St. Stephens
Hanna at Farson
Hulett at Meeteetse
Midwest at Kaycee
Snake River at Riverside
Interclass
Dubois at Natrona JV
Interstate
Bear Lake, Idaho, at Jackson
Rawlins at Middle Park, Colo.
Star Valley at Teton, Idaho
Torrington at Yuma, Colo.
Saturday
Class 1A nine-man
Southeast at Wind River
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Ten Sleep
Interclass
Evanston JV at Big Piney
Encampment is off this week. For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here.
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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:
Last week: 22-7 (76 percent). This season: 60-19 (76 percent).
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What pops out to you about the Week 3 schedule? Disagree with any picks? Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.
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–patrick