Quarterfinal playoff picks

Five questions worth asking before the quarterfinal round starts on Friday — and five questions I would love to see you answer in the comments section below:

1. Which road team do you think is most likely to win on Friday? (My answer: Thermopolis. After a rough start, the Bobcats have played very well — and Thermop is no stranger to winning in the postseason.)

2. Which road team in the first round has the best chance of hosting a game in the second round — or, in simpler terms, which bracket half is most likely to see BOTH road teams win? (My answer: Powell. The Panthers were solid, if unspectacular, all season long. They never got that true breakthrough victory. That might be coming against Lander on the road. Next to them on the bracket is Green River-Riverton, and although Green River is the prohibitive favorite, Riverton has given fits to enough good teams for them to be a threat in the 3A bracket, no matter their seed.)

3. Which top seed is likely to have the toughest time winning on Friday? (My answer: Lovell. I’ve mentioned before that Burns is playing really, really well right now. The Broncs will push the Bulldogs to their limits on Friday.)

4. Which regular-season rematch is the most intriguing game of the postseason? (My answer: Central-Gillette. Ha. I also said this in my 2010 quarterfinal picks post. … That said, Central beat Gillette 41-34 in the regular season, but only after the Indians almost gave away a huge lead in the second half. The Camels don’t want to fall that far behind to start; the Indians don’t want it to be as interesting as late as their last meeting was.)

5. If you could attend any of these 20 games, which one would you go to? (My answer: Thermopolis at Newcastle. Newcastle is hosting a playoff game for just the second time since 1960, and I am anticipating a loud crowd at Schoonmaker Field on Saturday. A playoff game has been a rare occurrence the Weston County seat, and with the game pushed back to Saturday to accommodate the 2A West play-in on Tuesday, everyone in Newcastle should be there taking in the contest. For a community that hasn’t had the chance to do that very often, it would be cool to see.)

A couple other random thoughts worth mentioning before I get into the picks:

In the 1A six-man bracket, three of the four games are matchups that did not occur during the regular season. In a classification where schools play eight of the nine opponents possible, the fact that three of the four first-round playoff games pit teams that haven’t played each other yet this season is really odd. …

I just realized no school that starts with a W has a team in the playoffs this year. Wheatland, Wind River, Worland, Wright and Wyoming Indian all missed the postseason this year. …

OK, onto the picks. Projected winners in bold, seeds in parentheses, series records — including 2011 games where applicable — at the end of each pick:

Friday
Class 4A
(8) Laramie at (1) Natrona: Natrona has been unbeatable all season long and pretty much dominated the Plainsmen the last time they saw each other. 7 p.m. (NC 44-34-1)
(5) Evanston at (4) Cheyenne East: Don’t know who to pick in this one, but I’ll take East because (1) the Thunderbirds are at home and (2) the T-Birds have already beaten Evanston once this season at home. Of course, we all remember what happened in last year’s East-Evanston playoff game…. Regular-season results don’t mean much. 6 p.m. (CE 15-9)
(6) Cheyenne Central at (3) Gillette: This may have been the worst possible draw for Gillette in the first round of the playoffs. The Indians have already beaten the Camels this season, so Central’s confidence won’t be a question. However, I think Gillette will make the right adjustments to not fall behind big early like they did in Cheyenne a few weeks ago. 7 p.m. (CC 24-22)
(7) Rock Springs at (2) Sheridan: Quite honestly, the most dangerous team in the bracket might be the Tigers because of just how unpredictable they can be. Don’t think that Sheridan isn’t aware of that. 6 p.m. (She 13-4-2)
Class 3A
(4W) Cody at (1E) Douglas: Douglas already has a victory over Cody this season. And it was pretty decisive. 7 p.m. (Dou 2-0)
(3E) Buffalo at (2W) Star Valley: This is one of the most intriguing games of any bracket. I’ve mentioned it on this blog before, but the difference in this game might be the fact that the Braves are playing in Afton, and they always seem to play better at home. 6 p.m. (Buf 3-2)
(3W) Powell at (2E) Lander: This may be the hardest game of the week to pick. I love what Lander has done this season and I think they’ve got a great shot to win at home. But there’s something about the Panthers that can’t let me give up on them yet. 6 p.m. (Pow 35-27)
(4E) Riverton at (1W) Green River: The Wolves are red hot right now. The Wolverines will be game but I don’t think anyone can stop Green River right now. 7 p.m. (GR 20-10)
Class 2A
(3E) Big Horn at (2W) Lyman: Don’t overlook the Eagles — they’ve quietly been one of the most consistent teams in the classification this year. 2 p.m. (First meeting)
(4E) Burns at (1W) Lovell: I mentioned this last week and I still think it’s true: The only team in the 2A bracket hotter than Burns is Lovell. 7 p.m. (Lov 1-0)
Class 1A 11-man
(4W) Shoshoni at (1E) Southeast: Both squads had fast starts to their seasons. The Cyclones’ finish has been a bit stronger than the Wranglers’, though. 6 p.m. (First meeting)
(3W) Saratoga at (2E) Lusk: The Tigers’ recent shutout streak has been impressive, but don’t overlook the fact that Lusk’s offense has averaged 40 points per game in that five-game stretch, too. 6 p.m. (Lus 8-2)
Class 1A six-man
(4S) Farson at (1N) Dubois: Dubois is a long ways from everywhere, so home-field advantage will definitely be a huge part of the Rams’ postseason success this year. 2 p.m. (Dub 4-0)
(3N) Ten Sleep at (2S) Midwest: The Pioneers have what it takes to push the Oilers a bit in this one, but Midwest’s offense has been on fire lately. 6 p.m. (TS 10-5)
(3S) Hanna at (2N) Kaycee: This is the only six-man playoff game that is a rematch of a regular-season meeting — and Kaycee won that game by 30. 1 p.m. (tied 1-1)
(4N) Hulett at (1S) Snake River: The real question in the six-man bracket this year is if any team can actually play a close game with the Rattlers. Noon. (First meeting)

Saturday
Class 2A
(4W) Kemmerer at (1E) Glenrock: If the Herders have not yet recovered from their Burns hangover, the Rangers have what it takes to make this one close. 1 p.m. (Kem 6-4)
(3W) Thermopolis at (2E) Newcastle: Game of the week in the 2A bracket. Thermopolis’ postseason experience, coupled with the momentum built from Tuesday’s play-in victories, has me leaning toward the Bobcats. 1 p.m. (The 16-7)
Class 1A 11-man
(3E) Sundance at (2W) Riverside: This one may end up close, but the Rebels have shown all season long they know how to win the close ones. 1 p.m. (Rsd 1-0)
(4E) Lingle at (1W) Cokeville: Right now, the only ones that can stop the Panthers are the Panthers. 1 p.m. (Cok 5-1)

Thoughts? Want to try to answer the questions I posed above? Chip in your $.02 worth below.

–patrick