Wyoming has its share of solid football programs.
And in one case, geographic proximity seems to play a key role in three programs’ success.
Together, the three programs in Lincoln County — Star Valley, Cokeville and Kemmerer — give the far western edge of the state the most successful football county in the state. Removing games played against each other, the Lincoln County programs have won more than 61 percent of their games, by far the best mark of any county in the state.
Converse County (with two programs, Glenrock and Douglas) and Sheridan County (with active programs Tongue River, Sheridan, Big Horn and Normative Services and defunct programs Arvada, Clearmont, Dayton, Ranchester and Monarch) finished tied for the second-most successful county. Both Converse and Sheridan counties finished with winning percentages of .568 when games against each other were factored out of the equation.
Niobrara County, Natrona County and Johnson County also finished with combined winning percentages higher than .560.
Meanwhile, Carbon County — with active programs Rawlins, Snake River, Saratoga and Hanna and defunct programs Encampment and Medicine Bow — finished last of Wyoming’s 23 counties. The Carbon County schools have won just 38.2 percent of games against inter-county foes. Crook County (Hulett, Sundance and Moorcroft) was second-to-last with a .405 winning percentage.
The county standings (winning percentage with intra-county games removed):
1. Lincoln: .614
2. (tie) Converse: .568
2. (tie) Sheridan: .568
4. Niobrara: .565
5. Natrona: .563
6. Johnson: .561
7. Albany: .550
8. Goshen: .550
9. Big Horn: .521
10. Park: .517
11. Campbell: .516
12. Sublette: .510
13. Sweetwater: .505
14. Washakie: .497
15. Uinta: .492
16. Laramie: .491
17. Weston: .472
18. Hot Springs: .460
19. Fremont: .433
20. Platte: .430
21. Teton: .415
22. Crook: .405
23. Carbon: .382
(By the way, did you notice Big Horn County’s rank of 9 also matches its license plate county number?)
–patrick