Week 1 picks

Few football games will have as much meaning this season as the one being played in Kaycee this Friday.

At 3 p.m., the kick will sail on an important game for both teams. It’s Snake River’s first game since 1958; it’s Kaycee’s first game, period.

Morgan over at Small Town High School Football recently visited Kaycee and posted a great video about the development of the team. It looks like the Buckaroos already have the support some 4A teams would love to have.

By luck of the draw, it’s the Buckaroos that draw home-field advantage for this historic game. That means the Kaycee faithful will have that first chance to see the Buckaroo blue and red in a game played in their hometown.

Clearly, this game is big for the Rattlers, too. It’s not every season that a team comes back from 50 years of dormancy. Snake River is basically starting over, too.

It may be the last time that two Wyoming teams ever meet under such conditions — both venturing into territory that’s, for all intents and purposes, new to everyone involved. Most of the players playing will be playing their first full-on football game; most of the fans will be watching their first live high school game; most of the coaches, officials and courageous adventurers to southern Johnson County will be seeing their first six-man game.

Really, both teams come out on top because they’re both fielding teams. That in and of itself is a victory.

Incidentally, I pick Kaycee to win, just because the game is in Kaycee. But by about 6 p.m. on Friday night, both teams will walk off the field knowing they are taking the right steps by simply being there.

Here are the rest of this week’s picks, with projected winners in bold:

Thursday
Class 2A
Greybull vs. Big Horn, at Sheridan: Greybull’s secret is out, especially after last week’s win over Riverside. But how much of the Buffs’ momentum is hype and how much is real? The Rams will put that to the test. 7 p.m.
Class 1A 6-man
Natrona frosh-sophs at Midwest: These two teams played each other three times last year and the Oilers won all three. 6 p.m.

Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Rock Springs: The Indians could very easily be 4-0 heading into the Capital Bowl against East in Week 4. 7 p.m.
Evanston at Natrona County: The Red Devils certainly played Gillette tough last week, and they might have the ability to put a scare into the Mustangs, too. 7 p.m.
Kelly Walsh at Green River: KW got off to a great start last week. But asking for a 2-0 start might be asking for a little too much, especially considering the opponent this week. 7 p.m.
Laramie at Gillette: Was the Plainsmen’s big win last week a sign? Were the Camels’ struggles against Evanston a warning? I’d say “maybe,” and “no.” 7 p.m.
Sheridan at Cheyenne East: Both teams dug themselves big holes last week, and neither could climb out. This game could be one of those decided by who can get the lead in the first half. 6 p.m.
Class 3A
Buffalo at Worland: What’s better — sitting out the first week or losing by 47? Worland won’t have the first-game jitters, but Buffalo might have more confidence. Either way, it’ll be intriguing to see the final score in this one, because I think it could be a really close, really good game. 7 p.m.
Powell at Riverton: Riverton helped establish its legitimacy by beating Jackson last week, but the Wolverines might have more work to do before they can hang with Powell, which has beaten Riverton four consecutive times. 7 p.m.
Rawlins at Lander: These two teams played each other every single year from 1970-2003 but haven’t faced off at all in the past five seasons. It’s pretty cool to see this series get resurrected…. but the Tigers should cruise. 7 p.m.
Class 2A
Glenrock at Kemmerer: Talk about heirarchy. The top two teams in 2A, the two teams that have played each other in state championship games three of the past four years, meet in the first week of the regular season. Winner becomes the 2A favorite by default; loser can still make a claim to No. 2, at least until someone else steps up to challenge the perennial contenders. I’ll take Kemmerer at home for the revenge factor…. 4 p.m.
Lyman at Thermopolis: The Bobcats have shifted not only their offensive system, but the players in it. I’m thinking it’ll pay off, at least this week. 6 p.m.
Wright at Lovell: This is a really intriguing game to me. Lovell has high expectations, but Wright is perennially underestimated. So go figure. Should be a great test for both teams. 7 p.m.
Class 1A 11-man
Dubois vs. Upton, at Casper: The “Halfway Bowl” is now in its fourth year. It’s always fun to watch — seldom do the players from 1A schools have the chance to play on turf, enjoy cooling mist showers on the sidelines or meet another team on a neutral field. 1 p.m.
Pine Bluffs at Shoshoni: Coin toss game of the week. I have no idea what to expect in this one. Honestly. No clue. These teams have never played each other and didn’t have any common opponents last season. 3 p.m.
Rocky Mountain at Normative Services: It’s the first meeting between these two programs, so pretty much anything could happen. That said, NSI usually takes about three or four weeks to hit its stride…. 6 p.m.
Saratoga at Lingle: The road team has won the game in this series the past two years, but I’ll give the Doggers the edge at home this time around — if for no other reason than because of the law of averages. 7:30 p.m.
Class 1A 6-man
Farson at Hanna: Speaking of big first games, Farson has one this week, too. The Pronghorns’ layoff hasn’t been as long — they last suited up in 1990 — but nevertheless, it’s pretty much like starting over for Farson, too. And it’s rather coincidental that the last game Farson played in 1990 before ending its program was a 48-13 road loss to Hanna. So 19 years later, what does Farson draw as its first game back? A road game at Hanna, of course. 🙂 4 p.m.
Interclass
Big Piney at Burlington: Another first-ever meeting as the Punchers venture north. All the earmarks are there for a great, close game — unfamiliarity, early season, big school at small school. Could be one of the best games of the week. 3 p.m.
Burns at Lusk: This could be, too. Great Week 1 matchup. Burns, as defending 2A champs, earns the nod for this one, though. 7:30 p.m.
Cokeville at Mountain View: Combined margin of victory in the past four meetings of these squads: 18 points. This one always seems to be close. I don’t see this one being any different. 4 p.m.
Hulett at Tongue River: It’s odd to think that these two Powder River foes haven’t played each other on the gridiron since 1980. I’ll give Hulett the nod simply because they have the experience edge, but the Eagles won’t be a pushover. 2 p.m.
Moorcroft at Sundance: This is another one of those Week 1 games I’m glad to see — a rivalry continued despite classification differences. I was really, really worried when schedules were being put together that this game might not happen; I’m happy to see it stay, even if it’s a bit earlier than usual. 3 p.m.
Pinedale at Riverside: This is an incredibly intriguing game. And I have no clue how it’ll play out. 6 p.m.
Southeast at Newcastle: Newcastle’s OT victory last week was a good sign for the Dogies, and if they can somehow knock off the Cyclones in the first meeting between these two programs, they could be a contender. Even so, Southeast has won three consecutive state titles for a reason. 7 p.m.
Wind River at Wyoming Indian: I think the Chiefs will make it interesting — maybe even keep it close — but the Cougars just have too much athleticism this fall. 7 p.m.
Interstate
Chadron, Neb., at Torrington: The Cardinals have beaten the Trailblazers nine consecutive years. I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’…. 7 p.m.
Douglas at Belle Fourche, S.D.: Douglas will get tested this week, no doubt. But the Bearcats proved last week they’re for real. 7 p.m.
Hardin, Mont., at Cody: Hardin and Cody have played some pretty close contests the past couple years. I see this one shaping up the same way — and it’s a game the Broncs could very easily win. 7 p.m.
Star Valley at Snake River, Idaho: This was a rule I learned in Idaho Falls — never pick against the Snake. Sorry, Braves. Old habits die hard. 7 p.m.
Teton, Idaho, at Jackson: The old rivals are meeting at the right time of year — before Teton Pass gets closed! That said, the Broncs should cruise on their home field. 7 p.m.
Wheatland at Sidney, Neb.: This is another one of those good, interstate, early-season games. If past games between these two are any indication, it’ll likely be close, low-scoring and — when it comes to choosing a winner — a toss-up. 7 p.m.

Saturday
Class 1A 6-man
Ten Sleep at Guernsey: The Pioneers and the Vikings are two of the higher-rated teams in the first go-round of six-man, and the winner will likely assume the favorites’ role until someone else can prove otherwise. 2 p.m.
Interclass
Meeteetse at Natrona frosh-sophs: Long trip for the Longhorns, but it’s shorter than the one they were scheduled to make to Rock River…. . 1:30 p.m.

There it is. First full week of picks is in the books. This is always a fun week for me to see the final scores roll in — it really gives us our first full chance to see where exactly teams might fall into the heirarchy of their respective classifications.

And — lest we forget — 2009’s opening weekend gives a few teams their first chances.

Feel free to make your own picks with a comment, or if you’re not feeling adventureous, feel free to just critique my picks. Remember, the picks are always done in fun and I don’t try to take it too seriously…. That said, let’s kick back and enjoy the full-flung start of the 2009 season.

–patrick