This article in the Green River Star sort of irked me when I saw it this morning. Putting my journalism rant aside, I noticed that the reporter referenced Green River’s consecutive games scoring streak, which is now at 78 games and claimed by the Star to be the longest such streak in the state.
There is just one problem with that: It’s not the longest streak in the state.
I wasn’t mad at the reporter, mind you. I was mad at myself because I hadn’t posted the longest streaks on this blog in awhile. Maybe if I had, this mistake wouldn’t have been made….
GR’s streak is definitely impressive. It’s the third-longest active streak in the state. But it’s not the longest. Anyway, here are Wyoming’s 10 longest current consecutive games scoring streaks, through the end of last year (this year’s games aren’t included in this list):
1. Cokeville, 120 games (overall all-time state record for longest streak, at least in the post-WWII era)
2. Buffalo, 84 games
3. Green River, 76 games
4. Gillette, 56 games
5. Southeast, 53 games
6. Natrona, 50 games
7. Big Horn, 48 games
8. Kelly Walsh, 35 games
9. Guernsey-Sunrise, 34 games
10. Evanston, 31 games
Remember, these are the longest active streaks. The longest streaks, period, I referenced in this article I wrote in 2008 for the Casper Star-Tribune. Here is an excerpt of that story:
“Now-closed Byron has the second-longest streak in the past 50 years. The Eagles scored in 96 consecutive games from 1963-74. Gillette scored in 93 straight games from 1989-99 and Lusk scored in 92 consecutive contests from 1993-2003.”
Anyway, now I feel better.
–patrick
Patrick, not surprised. I have kept track of this streak for years and mention it on the air every game that gr scores. I always say, its the longest active streak in class 4a—-4A—Hence the reason I never, I never, mention something I might read in the GR Star on the air, because of being burned in the past.
Good call, Steve. The Wolves’ streak is definitely an impressive one and it’s by far the longest active streak going in 4A. In one of my notebooks somewhere I have written down the all-time streaks and I think anything above 80 or so was top 10 in the state, regardless of class, in the post-WWII era. I’ll have to go dig that out this weekend….
The whole reason I did the digging in the first place back in 2008 was the Cokeville playoff game that the Panthers lost 7-2 to Southeast. They scored that safety with one second to go in the game. It was only then that I realized how long Cokeville’s streak had gone, and I started counting….
–patrick
Oh, and I guess it’s worth noting that KW’s streak came to an end in Zero Week against Sheridan. All the other ones are still going strong.
–patrick
One other thing—I know you count the green river game against natrona a couple of years ago as a game, however, that game did not count, it was an exhibition game and its my feelings that because the nfl does not count there games, we should not either. just my thought. also, i contacted Johnny at the Star and will change it on there web site to reflect class 4a—–thanks Steve
Steve, I’ve had to defend this more than twice. I use pretty basic criteria: normal timing rules, officials, and score, that to me equals a game. Not counting it discounts that. Just because it didn’t count for playoff seeding isn’t a good enough reason for me to not count it. If that’s the case, then every nonconference game ever played shouldn’t count…. but I digress. Those three things (normal timing rules, officials, and score kept), to me, define a game. If the only thing preseason is the attitude, well, that just isn’t quite enough for me.
Sorry for the rant. 🙂
–patrick