Week 2 picks: Why Kaycee vs. Guernsey is the lamest six-man rivalry in Wyoming (and why that should change this week)

Of all the new rivalries six-man football has given Wyoming, the rivalry between Guernsey-Sunrise and Kaycee may just be the lamest of them all.

And this is the fault of neither school. It’s just that when they get together, their games have been, well, pretty bad.

In four meetings, Guernsey-Sunrise and Kaycee have never had a close game. In two meetings in the initial six-man season in 2009, Guernsey-Sunrise beat Kaycee 67-0 and and then again 76-16 in the state title game. The Vikings again won big last season, beating the Buckaroos 52-14.

Kaycee’s lone victory in the series was also an easy one; the Buckaroos beat the Vikings 87-18 in 2010.

This year’s meeting might change that pattern.

Guernsey-Sunrise was this site’s Class 1A six-man preseason No. 1 team. Kaycee was No. 2.

In Week 1, both teams proved they deserved those preseason accolades. The Vikings destroyed traditionally tough Dubois 60-12, while Kaycee shut out Ten Sleep 45-0 — and a shutout is never a small accomplishment in six-man.

Now, in a weird twist of the 2014 schedule, they open East Conference play by facing each other. Kaycee, for the second year in the row, gets to host.

Chances are good that this game will be much better, and much closer, than the schools’ previous four meetings. Just one game into 2014, both squads have proven they know how to score, and how to stop someone else from scoring. They’ve both got the talent and the experience to make serious challenges for a state championship.

Top-ranked Guernsey has maybe the classification’s most explosive player in running back Brady Esquibel. Kaycee counters with a three-headed monster of a junior class led by returning all-stater Taylor Rouse.

Of course, both participating schools don’t mind keeping this series “lame” — as long as they’re on the winning side.

For everyone else’s sake, though, a little drama in the fourth quarter wouldn’t be a bad thing to see between two of six-man’s best teams.

What else I’m watching this week: Every week is a big week in 3A, and this week it’s nonconference games between Douglas and Cody and between Riverton and Star Valley that catch my eye. I’m also watching the Worland-Torrington game to see which one earns 3A’s “most improved” award two weeks into the season. I’ve picked against Worland two weeks in a row they’ve proved me wrong both times. Although Zero Week against Riverton was not exactly representative, Worland’s victory last week against Lander was an eye-opener for me. …

Conference play starts for most teams in 2A and 1A this week. The playoff chase starts now; the biggest games to me are the ones between Thermopolis and Wheatland (2A) and between Riverside and Burlington and between Lusk and Upton-Sundance (1A 11-man). …

I realized earlier this week that the 1A 11-man East Conference went 5-0 against the West Conference in interconference games last week. Anomaly? I don’t think so. …

Meeteetse and Snake River also play what might be a key 1A six-man West Conference game — I had the Longhorns ranked third and Rattlers fourth in my six-man rankings this week. …

Jackson has a really good chance to start 6-0. The Broncs are already 2-0 and play Lander, Rawlins, Worland and Green River the next four weeks. Of those, aforementioned Worland could pose the biggest challenge. …

Can Cheyenne South pull off the Cheyenne sweep? The Bison knocked off Cheyenne Central last week, but Cheyenne East figures to put up a stiffer test this week, especially since the game is scheduled to be the first at the new Okie Blanchard Stadium, East’s home stadium. The T-Birds will want to kick off the era of the new stadium in style. …

Rock River, which won its first varsity game last week, could start its first varsity season 2-0 if it beats NSI on Saturday in Sheridan. NSI is the only program in the state that doesn’t have a game under its belt yet; the Wolves didn’t play during Zero Week and had a bye last week. …

My picks, with projected winners in bold (and projected spoilers in regular type):

Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Gillette
Cheyenne East at Cheyenne South (at East)
Evanston at Sheridan
Kelly Walsh at Rock Springs
Laramie at Natrona
Class 3A
Douglas at Cody
Lander at Jackson
Powell at Buffalo
Rawlins at Green River
Riverton at Star Valley
Worland at Torrington
Class 2A
Glenrock at Wright
Greybull at Mountain View
Kemmerer at Pinedale
Lovell at Big Piney
Lyman at Big Horn
Newcastle at Burns (at Cheyenne South HS)
Thermopolis at Wheatland
Class 1A 11-man
Moorcroft at Tongue River
Pine Bluffs at Lingle
Riverside at Burlington
Rocky Mountain at Shoshoni
Saratoga at Cokeville
Wind River at Wyoming Indian
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at St. Stephens
Ten Sleep at Midwest
Interclass
Farson at Green River JV
Interstate
Southeast at Bayard, Neb.
Saturday
Class 1A 11-man
Lusk at Upton-Sundance (at Sundance)
Class 1A six-man
Guernsey-Sunrise at Kaycee
Hulett vs. Hanna (at Midwest)
Meeteetse at Snake River
Rock River at NSI

Last week: 22-11 (67 percent). This season: 31-16 (66 percent).

For a full season schedule, including kickoff times for this week’s games, click here.

In case you missed it, I had an awful first week of picks. 67 percent right is, well, not good. Really, though, I love it when teams prove my picks wrong. A season is so much more interesting when it’s unpredictable. So, to all you non-bolded teams: Spoil away!

There’s Week 2. What do you think? What will be the best game this week? Who’s poised to pull an upset? Share your thoughts with a comment and let’s, like, talk about it. Because that’s why this blog is here….

–patrick