Which county has the better Class 4A football teams — Sweetwater County or Laramie County?
The answer to that question seemed clear at about 6 p.m. Friday.
It also seemed clear at about 10:30 p.m. Friday.
The only difference is that, given what happened in the span of those four and half hours, the answer changed.
The teams from the capital city had the clear advantage on paper, but as it turns out, the squads from trona country had the clear advantage on the field.
Rock Springs thumped on East 37-20, sending the Thunderbirds’ season further into a tailspin while boosting their own playoff hopes, while Green River came back with 14 points in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter to beat Central 31-30 and win their second game in a row after an 0-5 start. And just like that, the Trona Bowl rivals are both in position to make the playoffs — maybe at the expense of one of the Cheyenne schools.
The victories are big for the Sweetwater schools, without a doubt. Green River, the team with the talent but with the knack for losing close games, has turned it around the past two weeks and is quickly becoming a team that all the other 4A squads want to avoid in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Rock Springs broke a long five-game losing streak with its victory Friday, and although the Tigers have two tough games to end the season — at Natrona next week, then home against Evanston — at least the Tigers now enter that stretch with some confidence.
How these games were won should help, too. Green River got two special teams touchdowns in the final six minutes from speedster Kolby Kester — a 95-yard kick return and a 60-yard punt return — to erase a 13-point deficit; Rock Springs didn’t need the late theatrics, as they pretty much pushed around East all night.
Meanwhile, the Cheyenne squads now have to face the consequences of their losses. Central was in the race for a home playoff game at one time, but the loss to Green River almost assures the Indians of taking to the road if they want to get back to Laramie again in November. And East, the team many (including me) thought would be a contender for a state championship, lost its fourth in a row. Next week, the T-Birds face Evanston in a critical game, then finish with Laramie at home — a game that, after Friday, doesn’t look like the penciled-in “W” like it did on Thursday.
It also creates a logjam at the bottom of 4A, with three teams at 2-5 tied for the final two playoff spots: East, Green River and Rock Springs.
See now why these games were so critical? See why the Sweetwater schools felt the urgency? See why they got the job done?
Teams trying to save their seasons are immensely more dangerous than those teams that aren’t. That type of pride ran deep in those two Sweetwater County teams on Friday.
Second mad props to Worland, which pulled the upset of the week — maybe, by the time we’re all done, the upset of the season — by beating Powell 21-18 in Worland. This game was one on paper that looked like a monumental mismatch: Worland was 0-5, Powell 4-1. But that’s why they play the game. Worland took advantage of every one of Powell’s mistakes and cashed in on every opportunity. The Warriors grew up before our eyes on Friday. A young team with a lot of potential finally made good on it. That will pay off not only for the remaining games this season — which, now, might include a playoff berth if the Warriors can continue to roll — but for the next season or two, as well. In short, a huge win for a growing program.
Third mad props to Big Piney, which beat Pinedale 15-7 in a weird rivalry game. Weird, why? Well, both teams had a fumble return for a touchdown, accounting for two of the game’s three touchdowns. There’s nothing weird about the playoff implications of this game, though. In trying to keep pace with Lyman, Lovell and Greybull in the 2A West, Big Piney improved to 3-2 in league play and grabbed a solo hold on the conference’s final available playoff spot. Pinedale fell to 2-3 and now has to count on a Puncher crash in the final two weeks of the season to have any kind of hope of a postseason berth. It’s a huge victory for the Punchers and a tough loss for the Wranglers in a game that may have set the postseason fate for both of them.
Some other things that I noticed this week:
Remember defense? Yeah, me neither. In all, 18 teams broke 40 points this week; 14 broke 50; six broke into the 60s (update: now counting Saturday’s six-man games). That’s gotta be some kind of record. I just don’t have the time to look it up right now. …
Any more Natrona doubters? The Mustangs continued their perfect season by beating Gillette 47-32 in a game that pretty much assured NC of hosting in the first two rounds of the playoffs. What becomes interesting in 4A now is the chase for the No. 2 spot between Sheridan, Evanston and Gillette. Of course, Sheridan beat Evanston on Friday in a critical game, as well. Isn’t it just about time to break out the tiebreaker rules? …
I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one: Buffalo 63, Wheatland 7. …
Snake River: still unbeaten. Every other team in six-man: at least two losses. I expected some more parity in six-man this year, but I did not expect the Rattlers to emerge as the lone dominating team. That program in Baggs has really whipped up a solid program in a very short amount of time, and it’s great to see… unless you’re from Hanna, or Ten Sleep, or Kaycee, or Midwest, or ….
Don’t forget about Newcastle. The Dogies are an OT loss away from being unbeaten in the 2A East, and with Thermopolis and Big Horn on the schedule coming up the next two weeks, the orange and black are in a spot to surprise the conference’s two top dogs. …
I think it’s safe to call it now: Lusk-Cokeville, 1 p.m. Nov. 13 in Laramie. Ye gods, can anyone stop either one of these teams — except for maybe the other? …
How about you? What did you see this week that sparked your attention? Any teams rise up that surprised you? Based on what you saw Friday, are there any teams poised to make late-season runs here in the final two weeks of the season? Post your comments below and we’ll talk about it.
As for me, here’s how I did, not that I’m bragging or anything:
This week: 26-4 (87 percent). This season: 161-41 (80 percent).
–patrick