Week 7 picks

Lucky No. 7 only turns up for half the teams this week.

The other half have some work to do next week.

So far, only eight of the 32 playoff spots available in the 11-man classifications have been claimed for certain — and four of those (Natrona, Sheridan, Gillette and Evanston) are in Class 4A. That means even though several games this week might look pedestrian at a glance, a ton of important stuff is on the line.

Can Burns stay alive in the playoff hunt in the 2A East by beating Glenrock — in Glenrock? Can Greybull keep pace with the 2A West rabbits and put Big Piney in a must-win spot in Week 8? Can Cody wrap up the 3A West championship by beating a wounded but dangerous Powell squad? Can Thermopolis go on the road and beat a Newcastle team primed for a monumental upheaval of the defending champs? Can the 1A 11-man conferences see some shifting of playoff orders as two teams currently set for playoff berths — Burlington and Lingle — make road trips to face teams that are right on their heels — Rocky Mountain and Pine Bluffs, respectively?

In a case like this, I look to history. And that’s why the Cody-Powell rivalry, which kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday in Cody, gets the extra attention this week.

These two old rivals are meeting on the field for (by my count) the 105th time. The two teams started play in 1924 and have only had one year in which they didn’t play. That was 1929, and they only didn’t play because Powell did not field a team.

Anyway, back to the history. Cody took an early lead in the all-time series and leads it 59-41-4; however, since 1937, the series is perfectly even at 38-38-2 (not including a forfeit win for Powell in 1940). Now THAT is some parity.

As for this year? Well, the advantage is decidedly Cody’s. The Broncs have been on a tear the past few weeks, winning six games in a row after dropping their Zero Week opener to Laurel, Mont.

Powell was on a tear, too — emphasis on was. Last week’s surprising 21-18 loss to previously winless Worland put a damper on Powell’s season to that point, which had included a 4-1 start with the only loss a road defeat in Buffalo.

Nevertheless, the stakes are still high for this game. Cody can secure the 3A West championship, and home-field advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs, by beating Powell. Powell, meanwhile, can climb into a tie for first in the conference and stay alive for a home playoff game by pulling off the upset of the Broncs.

In a conference that’s normally full of parity, this is a game Cody can’t look past, even with Powell’s loss last week. The stakes, the opponent and, yes, the rivalry, should assure the Broncs’ focus.

And even though I think Powell bounces back with purpose this week, I still think Cody takes this one.

Here’s the rest of this week’s fun! Projected winners in bold:

Thursday
Class 2A
Pinedale at Lyman: The Wranglers will make it a game, but the Eagles continue to impress. Anyone else gearing up for a Lyman-Thermop rematch in the 2A semifinals? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. 4 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Cokeville at Wind River: Cokeville games are so easy to pick. They probably will be until Nov. 13. 6 p.m.
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne East at Evanston: Call me crazy, but I still like the T-Birds. If this game was in Cheyenne, I might even call for a bounce-back upset victory. As it is, in Evanston, I’ll take the Red Devils by a field goal. 7 p.m.
Kelly Walsh at Gillette: The chase for the No. 2 seed in 4A is quite interesting — and it’s a chase in which the Camels still want to have a say. 7 p.m.
Laramie at Green River: The Wolves’ sudden momentum should keep rolling against the improved, but still winless, Plainsmen. 7 p.m.
Rock Springs at Natrona: Mustangs are on a mission. 7 p.m.
Sheridan at Cheyenne Central: Some of the luster has worn off of this rematch of last year’s 4A title game, but it’s still critical for both teams’ playoff seeding hopes. 6 p.m.
Class 3A
Buffalo at Torrington: I think it’s safe to say the Bison are back on track. 6 p.m.
Rawlins at Wheatland: How well Wheatland responds to last week’s humbling will dictate the rest of their season — and whether they have the chance to do anything in the playoffs. 7 p.m.
Riverton at Douglas: The Bearcats just keep building on that winning streak. 7 p.m.
Star Valley at Lander: This is a big game for playoff seeding/qualifying, and both teams know it. You’ll get the best out of both teams in this one. 6 p.m.
Worland at Jackson: Now that Worland is awake, watch out. The Warriors have a lot going for them. 6 p.m.
Class 2A
Big Horn at Tongue River: The Eagles might get a bit of a Thunder Bowl charge and keep it close for awhile, but the Rams are just too much for anyone in 2A right now. 1 p.m.
Burns at Glenrock: This game stopped me dead in my tracks. If this was 1963, I might actually choose “tie.” As it is, they have overtime these days, and I think this game is destined for that. I’m anticipating something close; a missed extra point along the way might decide it. 7 p.m.
Greybull at Big Piney: It’s a long trip, and the Punchers have their pride, and they’ll keep it close. Maybe even win it. For now, though, I’m going with the Buffs in a critical West Conference showdown. 3 p.m.
Lovell at Kemmerer: The Bulldogs have the momentum in their favor right now, and they want to keep it that way. 3:30 p.m.
Moorcroft at Wright: Speaking of momentum, how about Wright? The Panthers just continue to build it. 7 p.m.
Thermopolis at Newcastle: Are the Dogies for real? We’ll find out in part when the defending champs roll into Schoonmaker. 7 p.m.
Wyoming Indian at Mountain View: Since pulling off that big comeback victory over Big Piney  four weeks ago, the Buffalos have scored just one touchdown. It’s time to make up for lost time. 4 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Burlington at Rocky Mountain: A playoff spot may be on the line in this one — and the players will play like it. 6:30 p.m.
Hulett at Sundance (six-man): The Bulldogs haven’t played a six-man varsity game in more than 50 years. Rusty? 2 p.m.
Lingle at Pine Bluffs: Yeah, this is a big one. A critical game for playoff seeding (and maybe qualifying) will probably come down to the last quarter. Maybe the last two minutes. Maybe more. 7:30 p.m.
Lusk at Normative Services: The Tigers win the East Conference and get home-field advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs if they can beat the Wolves. Consider it done. 7 p.m.
Riverside at Dubois: The Rams have proven over and over again this fall that they’re legit contenders. That will continue to be the case, although the Rebels may keep it close for awhile. 2 p.m.
Saratoga at Shoshoni: The Frustration Bowl. Both teams are better than their records and will continue to get better, but for now it’s all about getting that first win and the monkey off the back. 6 p.m.
Upton at Southeast: The Cyclones have had two weeks to prepare for the Bobcats. Uh, oh. 7 p.m.
Class 1A six-man
Farson at Ten Sleep: The Pioneers set quite the offensive standard for themselves last week. Don’t count on 93 points, but do count on a Ten Sleep ‘W.’ 2 p.m.
Hanna at Meeteetse: The Miners keep holding up their end of the bargain to make a mess of the six-man seeding procedures. 2 p.m.
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey-Sunrise at Kaycee: The tables have turned a bit from the last time these two teams met. 3 p.m.
Midwest at Snake River: Technically, the Rattlers are already the top seed in the six-man playoffs. The question, then, is if that knowledge will change their approach against the Oilers. Probably not, but still…. 3 p.m.

Picks. Here they are. Agree? Disagree? Feel like ranting? Think I let my cat make my picks for me this week? Post your thoughts below, and then let’s watch it all unfold on Friday night.

–patrick