From 1962 to 1967 in all classes, and from 1962 to 1974 in Classes A and B-C, postseason football was shut down in Wyoming. No playoffs, no state championship games, nothing. Only an unsatisfying mythical championship that, in the end, was just opinion. The next several days, wyoming-football.com is taking a look at the title games and playoff brackets we missed out on in the “dead era” of the 1960s and 1970s.
Today, we examine the year 1966.
Class AA: Cheyenne Central (8-2) vs. Powell (8-1-1). With losses only to Denver Regis, Colo., and Scottsbluff, Neb., Central had won the AA South by winning most of its league games with ease — the exception a 14-9 squeaker over Rawlins. Powell had a similar run of domination, but had two outliers on the season schedule: a surprising early season 38-21 loss to Worland and a 6-6 tie with Riverton.
Class A: Wheatland (8-1) vs. Star Valley (8-0). The cardiac Bulldogs won each of their first four games by a combined 26 points and had only a 37-32 loss to Torrington mar the season tally. Star Valley, though, was unbeaten and grew only stronger as the season progressed.
Class B East: Tongue River (8-1) vs. Glenrock (8-1). These two teams actually met halfway through the 1966 season, with the Eagles pulling out a 6-0 victory in Glenrock — a victory that likely swung the mythical title to TR. A 26-25 loss to the Sheridan JV was the source of Tongue River’s only loss.
Class B West: Basin (7-1) OR Cowley (7-2) OR Byron (7-1) vs. Mountain View (10-0). The Northwest was a mess at the top in 1966, as Basin, Cowley and Byron all went 1-1 against each other, with Basin beating Byron 13-6 and losing to Cowley 13-12 and Byron beating Cowley 26-6. (Cowley also lost in a non-conference game to Midwest.) Mountain View, meanwhile, was a buzzsaw through the Southwest, as only one team came within 24 points of the Buffalos.
–patrick
Randy Sanderson finished up a great high school career in 1966, finishing with 42 varsity receptions. His son, Jason, was the cornerstone of several state titles in the 90’s and started for some good Air Force teams for three seasons.
Jim Swenson led the team with 486 rushing yards
The 1966 Wheatland team is one I know pretty well. This was my dad’s senior year. (My dad didn’t play football, though. He was a basketball player and golfed in the fall.) I found it really interesting when I was reading the Wheatland yearbook from that year that Wheatland did try to claim the mythical Class A championship that season… even though Star Valley finished higher in the final statewide UPI AA-A poll — Braves fourth, Bulldogs seventh. Nevertheless, it would have made for an interesting game, although I think Star Valley would have been favored.
Thanks for all the contributions today, Dahl! Much appreciated!
–patrick