Now that I don’t live in Wyoming anymore, I’m changing up a couple things on the blog this fall.
First of all, the picks are staying. They’re just going to be much more streamlined than before.
Second, there will be ruminations here, just fewer than before. I’ll try to ruminate once a week, although I can’t really foresee if it’ll be part of my picks or if I’ll ruminate post-week, a la Humble pie.
More explanations are forthcoming next week.
In the meantime, here’s this week’s picks. Just like the old way, the projected winners are in bold.
Friday
Class 4A
Gillette at Evanston
Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne East
Laramie at Rock Springs
Natrona at Cheyenne South
Sheridan at Cheyenne Central
Class 3A
Riverton at Worland
Interclass
Greybull at Riverside
Interstate
Green River at Uintah, Utah
Newcastle at Custer, S.D.
Saturday
Class 2A
Thermopolis at Big Horn
Interclass
Riverside JV at Ten Sleep
Upton-Sundance at Moorcroft
Wheatland at Torrington
Interstate
Cody at Laurel, Mont.
Lyman at Altamont, Utah
Powell at Miles City, Mont.
Here are the other Zero Week contests, which won’t be counted as games:
Scrimmages and Jamborees
Friday
Burns at Southeast
Normative Services at Kaycee (six-man)
Rocky Mountain at Powell
Saturday
Glenrock at Rawlins
Pine Bluffs at Saratoga (edited to reflect scrimmage status)
Pinedale at Big Piney
Lusk at Wright
Farson vs. Dubois, at Lander
Kemmerer at Lander
Lovell at Douglas
Mountain View at Jackson
Wind River vs. Lingle, at Casper (edited to show new contest)
Off: Buffalo, Burlington, Guernsey, Hanna, Hulett, Midwest, Moorcroft, Pinedale, Shoshoni, Snake River, Star Valley, Tongue River, Wyoming Indian.
Go here for a full 2012 schedule, including dates and kickoff times. Scores will be posted on that page as the season progresses.
As always, Zero Week seems to be full of last-minute changes. If you see something here that doesn’t look like what you think is actually happening this weekend, let me know and I’ll update the schedule. You can post a comment here or email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.
I’ve made my thoughts on Zero Week well known before. I still feel the same way.
Quoting from a previous post on the blog:
For the record, here are the criteria I use to judge whether or not to call an event a “game,” and therefore list it in the standings (and, eventually, as part of the team record on this site):
1. Was the game played with four 12-minute quarters with normal timing rules?
2. Were officials used? And were normal rules of play instituted for the game?
3. Was score kept?
What do you think of the opening weekend of high school football? Are you ready for 2012?
–patrick
Thanks for keeping us all updated. Just a bit of a change. Tomorrow at 7 Tongue River is playing NSI at NSI. Then on Sat at 11 NSI has a scrimmage against Kaycee… That is what I have been told by my son and the staff at NSI…
Thanks for the heads up! I had not heard of the Tongue River change.
–patrick
Looks like some pretty good games. I can’t wait until we don’t have a zero week and everyone just plays 9 games.
The Wright vs Lusk contest will be held in Wright.
Thanks for the update. Will fix ASAP.
–patrick
Oh, and Stan, I agree. I’ve ranted before about Zero Week. Great idea in theory, and actually it works in practice for most teams, but it’s a mess for me as the (self-appointed) record keeper.
–patrick
My question about Zero week is why 3a,2a,and1a can’t start practice the same time as 4a? With only 9 weekdays before the first game and 10 practices required no one even knows who’s eligiable until Thurs who has enough practices to play. Even with 2 a days if you miss one day you’re not allowed to play. What’s the logic?
riverton, I think the WHSAA logic is that 3A/2A/1A teams aren’t required to play on opening weekend, and if they do, the contests they play aren’t counted by the WHSAA in their season records (different from what I do here). But when the 4A coaches worked in Zero Week a few years ago, one of their requests was to start practices a week sooner because of the reasons you’ve outlined above. They wanted that extra week of practice to get everyone up to the required number of practices.
To be honest, I haven’t heard much clamoring for another week from the 3A/2A/1A coaches. They like having the option to play a game, or scrimmage, or jamboree, or to take the week off. A lot of the small schools are concerned with depth and don’t want to add an extra game or an extra week to the practice schedule out of fear of injuries — a justified concern, I think.
If we do see an expansion of Zero Week, I would anticipate it being at the 3A level only. That is a move that would make a lot of sense, as most 3A teams play this weekend anyway. And then we’d likely see the 3A practice schedule pushed back to equal 4A’s.
Anyone else have any insights to add on this one?
–patrick
LFL and Wind River are playing at Kelly Walsh in Casper tomorrow (Saturday) at 2 p.m.
I understand that but when 2 a days count as 1 practice and a kid has 14 to 15 practices in and can’t play in the Worland game which is really a scrimmage it seems odd to me. I’m just glad to get the season started and hope to see some good football tonight
Thanks Tom! Do you know if it’s a scrimmage or game?
–patrick
Also, if Wind River’s playing Lingle, does anyone know who Pinedale is playing?
-p
Patrick,
How much does the issue of state fair scheduling conflicts for FFA, which is also a WHSAA sanctioned activity, affect Zero week and scheduling practices for the smaller schools? It is my impression that almost all of the communities with schools that are smaller than 4A have a significant local agricultural economic base and therefore are more likely to have conflict problems for kids who are participating in more than one WHSAA activity in the fall.
The WHSAA has set up practices at state fair so players can count those toward their requirement. As long as players participate in those, there shouldn’t be a conflict of players getting those required practices in prior to the first contest.
–patrick
Can anyone report a score from the Jackson / Mountain View Zero Week contest? I can’t seem to find one. Thanks in advance.
Pinedale lost to Big Piney 14-18 on Saturday.
Jackson beat Mountain View Saturday night, I believe the score was 36-10
Pinedale, was that Pinedale-Big Piney contest a full-on game or just a scored scrimmage?
–patrick