Sheridan: Worst championship defense ever?

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Sheridan’s undefeated Broncs of 2022 deserve tons of praise.

With a 12-0 finish, Class 4A Sheridan became just the fourth team since 2005 to finish Wyoming’s big-school football season undefeated, joining a previously undefeated Bronc team from 2017 and Natrona teams from 2012 and 2014.

However, a look at their playoff results gives Sheridan an ignominious aspect to its playoff run — worst playoff defense ever among state champions.

Before you get those keyboards fired up, though, Bronc fans, hear me out. This isn’t my call. It’s simple math: No team that has ever won an 11-man championship in Wyoming has ever given up so many points during its three-game playoff run than Sheridan gave up in its three playoff games of 2022.

The Broncs gave up 92 total points in their three playoff victories, giving up 27, 42 and 23 points in their quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games, respectively. Sheridan still won each game by double digits on its way to victories of 52-27, 63-42 and 34-23, finishing off that undefeated season with yet another 4A title.

Still, the 92 total points allowed is by far the most allowed by a title-winning team in a three-game stretch, topping the 79 points Star Valley allowed in 2016. In fact, only four 11-man title teams have allowed more than 60 points in their three games, the others being — ready for this? — Sheridan in 2019 with 75 points and Sheridan in 2021 with 65 points.

The other 11-man champions this year gave up 51 points (Star Valley, 3A) and 33 points (Big Horn, 2A) in their respective three-game playoff runs.

As noted in a previous post and updated here, here are the most points allowed by 11-man teams in their three-game championship runs:

92 points: Sheridan (27, 42, 23), 4A 2022
79 points: Star Valley (27, 42, 10), 3A 2016
75 points: Sheridan (14, 35, 26), 4A 2019
65 points: Sheridan (14, 24, 27), 4A 2021
58 points: Cheyenne East (10, 34, 14), 5A 2007
55 points: Star Valley (13, 27, 15), 3A 2015 … Big Horn (14, 19, 22), 2A 2013 … Sheridan (12, 29, 14), 4A 2011 … Big Piney (8, 33, 14), 3A 2001 … Big Piney (7, 20, 28), 2A 2000
54 points: Lyman (20, 28, 6), 2A 2021 … Cheyenne Central (20, 20, 14), 5A 2005 … Rocky Mountain (12, 22, 20), 1A DI 1997
51 points: Star Valley (17, 27, 7), 3A 2022 … Sheridan (17, 6, 28), 4A 2016

Conversely, the fewest points allowed in a three-game playoff run for teams on their way to a championship include:

0 points: Kemmerer (0, 0, 0), 3A 2007 … Wind River (0, 0, 0), 1A DII 1997
2 points: Southeast (0, 2, 0), 1A 2008
6 points: Lusk (6, 0, 0), 2A 2002 … Sundance (0, 6, 0), 2A 2005
7 points: Gillette (0, 0, 7), 4A 2000
8 points: Cokeville (0, 8, 0), 1A 2002 … Glenrock (8, 0, 0), 3A 2008
9 points: Upton (0, 3, 6), 1A 2005
10 points: Natrona (0, 7, 3), 5A 2003
12 points: Glenrock (0, 6, 6), 3A 2003 … Glenrock (0, 12, 0), 3A 2002 … Torrington (6, 0, 6), 3A 1990
13 points: Cokeville (0, 7, 6), 1A 11-man 2014 … Cokeville (0, 7, 6), 1A 11-man 2010 … Cokeville (0, 13, 0), 1A DII 1995 … Lusk (6, 0, 7), 1A DI 2000 … Natrona (0, 13, 0), 4A 1996 … Powell (0, 3, 10), 3A 2012 … Southeast (0, 6, 7), 2A 2001 … Thermopolis (0, 0, 13), 2A 1992 … Worland (0, 0, 13), 4A 2003 … Worland (7, 6, 0), 4A 2001 … Mountain View (14, 0, 0), 2A 1995 … Natrona (7, 0, 7), 4A 2012 … Wheatland (6, 0, 8), 2A 2015

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To win a championship while still allowing so many points, Sheridan must have had a record-setting offensive performance during its playoff run, right?

Well… almost.

The Broncs’ 149 points scored tied for the sixth-most ever by an 11-man team in a three-game title run. And four of the top five performances ahead of Sheridan, though, have come since 2018, including three from 2019 alone. Again updated from a previous post on this site, those include:

191 points: Big Horn (67, 68, 56), 1A 11-man 2018
185 points: Big Horn (82, 48, 55), 1A 11-man 2019
162 points: Cokeville (54, 54, 54), 1A 2002
159 points: Sheridan (62, 62, 35), 4A 2019
152 points: Mountain View (72, 56, 24), 2A 2019
149 points: Sheridan (52, 63, 34), 4A 2022 … Buffalo (56, 50, 43), 2A 2018 … Sheridan (64, 43, 42), 4A 1993
148 points: Mountain View (55, 66, 27), 2A 1995
145 points: Lusk (68, 49, 28), 1A Division I 1999
144 points: Southeast (74, 42, 28), 1A 2007
140 points: Mountain View (60, 52, 28), 2A 2014 … Douglas (40, 56, 44), 3A 2009

The fewest points scored in a championship run, though, now includes this year’s aforementioned Big Horn team. The Rams only allowed 33 points, but conversely only scored 43 — tied for second-lowest of any 11-man championship team in a three-game playoff run:

31 points: Cokeville (7, 7, 17), 1A 11-man 1994
43 points: Big Horn (28, 7, 8), 2A 2022 … Glenrock (20, 10, 13), 3A 2003
44 points: Natrona (14, 23, 7), 4A 1996
48 points: Riverside (17, 10, 21), 2A 2007
49 points: Big Piney (12, 16, 21), 3A 2006
52 points: Pine Bluffs (23, 19, 10), 1A 11-man 2016
53 points: Southeast (34, 7, 12), 1A 2008
54 points: Guernsey (32, 8, 14), 1A 2006
55 points: Cheyenne East (13, 28, 14), 4A 2013
59 points: Cokeville (28, 19, 12), 1A Division II 1998

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In six-man, meanwhile, Snake River just put up the best defensive playoff run of any state champion. The 2022 version of the Rattlers allowed only 22 points — six in the quarterfinals and eight in both the semifinals and championship — on their way to this year’s six-man championship.

The 22 points allowed barely edged out the 24 allowed by Snake River in its 2010 title run. Snake River also owns the third-best run with 38 allowed in its 2019 championship season.

Three teams have finished with more than 200 points scored in a six-man championship run, led by Farson’s 225 in 2018. Farson also allowed more points during its three-game playoff championship run than any other, allowing 79 that same year. Two years later, in 2020, Farson scored 154 points — the fewest ever scored by any six-man champion since 2009.

Here are the top three performances by state champions in the six-man playoffs since 2009:

Most points scored
225 points: Farson (90, 62, 73), 2018
217 points: Guernsey (65, 72, 80), 2014
202 points: Dubois (89, 59, 54), 2012

Fewest points scored
154 points: Farson (70, 42, 42), 2020
157 points: Kaycee (60, 56, 41), 2016
173 points: Snake River (64, 42, 67), 2010

Fewest points allowed
22 points: Snake River (6, 8, 8), 2022
24 points: Snake River (0, 12, 12), 2010
38 points: Snake River (0, 0, 38), 2019

Most points allowed
79 points: Farson (22, 19, 38), 2018
78 points: Guernsey (8, 40, 30), 2014 … Snake River (8, 46, 24), 2021

–patrick

Casper Christian School begins athletics path

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Wyoming’s newest high school football program will be in Casper.

Casper Christian School, which opened last year, will offer athletics for the first time this year, starting with six-man football and basketball.

CCS became a member of the Wyoming High School Activities Association and will play a sub-varsity six-man schedule this year. The Mountaineers will play Midwest in Week 0 to start the season for both programs. CCS football coach Ryan Harrison said via email the rest of the program’s schedule is in flux, as no other games are set and “we have become many teams’ backup options if another game on their schedule falls through.”

WHSAA Commissioner Ron Laird said via email Thursday that Casper Christian School will spend this year and next year playing a sub-varsity schedule, “and then will need to show that they have the numbers to sustain varsity level numbers.”

Harrison said about 10 students will make up the football team to start the season, but more could show up as the season starts. He said about 60 students will be enrolled to start the year across the seven grades (6-12) that the school offers. That is up from the 40 students enrolled last year, the school’s first. Home-school students will also be eligible to play sports.

He said he envisions the program growing as the school grows.

“Our expectation is that we will not be a six-man program forever,” Harrison said. “Casper is large enough that we have a lot of room to grow and I foresee us growing to the nine-man and eventually the 11-man levels at some point. Who knows how long that will take and what type of success we will have at the six-man level before that point, but I’m excited to see how everything turns out this year.”

Right now, Harrison said the only other sport on the horizon is boys basketball, but it too will play at the sub-varsity level to start. However, middle-school football and basketball, as well as volleyball, are also in the planning stages.

“At the size we’re at right now, it’s just about the interest our students have and if we can field a team or not,” he said.

CCS shares its building with the Restoration Church on the east side of Casper. It offers classes for sixth through 12th graders.

–patrick

Wyoming six-man all-stars beat Nebraska in record-setting performance

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Wyoming tied a Six-man Shootout record with 68 points in a 68-44 victory against the Nebraska six-man all-stars during Friday’s all-star football game in Chadron, Nebraska.

Wyoming won in the series for the first time since 2019 and took a 6-5 lead in the all-time series.

Wyoming took the lead early, and despite Nebraska’s best attempts, the flatlanders could never re-take the lead.

Snake River’s Zander Risner and Meeteetse’s Dace Bennett scored touchdowns to give Wyoming a 16-8 lead early in the second quarter.

After a Nebraska score — and then a turnover — Encampment’s Koye Gilbert caught a touchdown pass to give Wyoming a 22-16 lead. On Nebraska’s subsequent possession, Gilbert scored on a pick-six, which came on the final play before halftime, and Wyoming led 30-16 at halftime.

Nebraska cut the lead to 30-28 with a pair of early third-quarter touchdowns, but Bennett scored on a scramble and Wyoming led 38-28.

Nebraska cut the lead to 38-36 but Farson’s Cree Jones’ touchdown catch from Bennett extended Wyoming’s lead to 46-36 with less than a minute to go in the third quarter.

Hulett’s Bryce Ackerman scored to extend Wyoming’s lead to 54-36 early in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska cut the lead to 54-44 but Ackerman scored again and Wyoming led 62-44; Risner caught another touchdown pass a bit later to make the score 68-44.

Nebraska threatened but didn’t score again.

Wyoming’s 68 points tied a Six-man Shootout series record set by the Wyoming team in 2014. The 112 combined points set a series record as well.

–patrick

Players named for Wyoming-Nebraska Six-man Shootout

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Wyoming’s roster for the annual Six-man Shootout all-star football game against Nebraska’s six-man all-stars is set.

The roster’s release was originally reported by WyoPreps on Tuesday.

The game will be played June 3 at Chadron State College. Each state has won five games in the series, with Nebraska winning the past two.

Coaches will be Snake River’s Jack Cobb (head coach) and Sam Weeldreyer, Hanna’s Zack Scott and Meeteetse’s Zeb Hagen.

Wyoming’s roster includes:

BURLINGTON: Brac Walker.
DUBOIS: Max Claar.
ENCAMPMENT: Michael Anderson, Caysen Barkhurt, Koye Gilbert.
FARSON: Cree Jones, Trevor Jones.
GUERNSEY: Rawland Isabell.
HULETT: Bryce Ackerman, Tyler Kromarek.
MEETEETSE: Dace Bennett, Jonathan Blessing, Kalvin Erickson, Mickle Ogden.
MIDWEST: Jacob Hutchings.
SNAKE RIVER: Wyatt Adams, Jerick Martinez, Zander Risner.

–patrick

Jackson players top single-season passing and receiving record lists

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Two Jackson players with record-setting years now sit at the top of Wyoming’s unofficial single-season passing and receiving yard record lists.

Including Week 0 efforts, Jackson’s Sadler Smith finished his season with 3,459 passing yards. Teammate Nate Keipert finished with 1,210 receiving yards. Both marks are unofficial single-season records for Wyoming.

Formerly, the records were held by Campbell County’s Dalton Holst for passing (3,190 yards in 2015) and Cheyenne East’s Chance Aumiller (1,121 yards in 2019).

Jackson went 9-3 this season and finished as Class 3A runners-up.

Smith also made the top 10 this season for single-game passing, with his 429-yard effort against Pocatello, Idaho, now third overall.

Cheyenne East’s Garet Schlabs moved into sixth in single-game receiving yards with 239 yards against Campbell County this season.

I also added sections in the individual records for nine-man and six-man games and seasons. Nine-man records are top five and date back to 2020 only. Six-man records are top 10s and date back to 2009, although full six-man season statistics were not available until 2012. However, some single-game records are incomplete due to lack of fully available game-by-game statistics. I will fill in the missing information as it becomes available.

–patrick

Nebraska wins 10th annual six-man all-star game over Wyoming

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Nebraska’s six-man all-stars evened their series with Wyoming at five games apiece after winning the Six-man Shootout 48-14 Friday in Chadron, Nebraska.

Nebraska has won the last two contests it has played with Wyoming in the series, which started in 2012.

The only bit of drama in the game didn’t last long.

After falling behind 28-8 at halftime, Farson’s Parker Clawson caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Farson teammate Triston Lamorie on Wyoming’s first drive of the second half, and Nebraska’s lead was cut to 28-14.

After recovering an onside kick, Wyoming was in position to make it a one-score game but couldn’t generate a first down on the subsequent drive. Nebraska scored on its next drive to again make the lead 20 points, 34-14.

In the fourth quarter, Wyoming had two turnovers plus a turnover on downs and Nebraska scored twice to make it 48-14.

The Cornhusker State players started fast and took a 14-0 lead early. Clawson scored on a short run with 51 seconds left in the first quarter to cut the lead to 14-8.

Two more Nebraska touchdowns in the second quarter pushed the lead to 28-8 by halftime.

Team Wyoming had 18 players from eight different six-man schools.

–patrick

Ten Sleep holds off on 2021 football plans

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Ten Sleep may not field a football team in 2021, the school’s activities director said Thursday.

“At this time we are short numbers,” Ten Sleep AD Sarah Novak told wyoming-football.com via email. “There is a good possibility that we may not be able to field a team.”

The Pioneers play in Class 1A six-man’s West Conference. Novak did not reply to a follow-up email with further questions sent on Thursday.

This will be the third time in the past four years that Ten Sleep has failed to field a football team. Ten Sleep had a team last year, finishing 1-7 while forfeiting two games. The Pioneers did not have teams in either 2019 or 2018.

Some Class 1A six-man West Conference schools have already replaced Ten Sleep on their 2021 schedules. For example, Meeteetse has scheduled a game with Kaycee the week it was to play Ten Sleep, while Encampment scheduled a game with Hanna to replace Ten Sleep on its schedule.

Ten Sleep is the second six-man program to drop for 2021. Sheridan-based program NSI Academy ended its football program permanently when its facility closed in March.

–patrick

Wyoming roster set for 2021 six-man all-star game vs. Nebraska

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The Wyoming roster is set with 18 players, including seven from defending state champion Farson, for the annual six-man all-star game against Nebraska.

This year’s game will be at 7 p.m. June 4 in Chadron, Neb., on the campus of Chadron State University.

Wyoming players chosen for this year’s team include:

Burlington: Gideon George.
Encampment: Dalton Peterson.
Farson: Parker Clawson; Trea Denny; Carson Jones; Colby Jones; Triston Lamorie; Colin Malec; Zander Reed.
Guernsey: Justin Malcom.
Hanna: Devon Grosstick.
Hulett: Joseph Kennah.
Kaycee: Dylan Fauber; Nathan Largent; Rhys Stafford.
Meeteetse: Hadley Abarr; Tozai May; Dale McBride.

The head coach for the Wyoming team will be Farson’s Trip Applequist. Assistants will be Scott Reed from Farson, Dave Largent from Kaycee and Zeb Hagen from Meeteetse.

Wyoming leads the all-time series 5-4 but lost last year’s game 52-25.

–patrick

Sheridan’s NSI Academy to close in March

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NSI Academy in Sheridan will close in March, a report from the Sheridan Press said Wednesday.

NSI has had varsity sports since the 1998-99 school year and has had a Class 1A football team since 2000. The Wolves currently play in the Class 1A six-man East Conference.

–patrick

Nebraska wins 2020 Six-man Shootout over Wyoming

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A 24-point first quarter was the difference in Nebraska’s 52-25 victory against Wyoming in the Six-man Shootout all-star football game Thursday in Harrison, Neb.

Nebraska scored on its first three possessions in the first quarter and converted on all three two-point kicks to take a 24-0 lead. Wyoming never got closer than 14 points the rest of the game.

Hanna’s Conor McGraw scored all four Wyoming touchdowns.

His first came in the first minute of the second quarter, as he scored from 23 yards out to cut Nebraska’s lead to 24-6. But Nebraska scored late in the second quarter and led 32-6 at halftime.

Wyoming had some life in the third quarter. McGraw scored again on Wyoming’s first drive of the third quarter, trimming Nebraska’s lead to 32-12. After a Nebraska fumble on their next drive, McGraw scored again on a 74-yard run to make the score 32-18 midway through the third quarter.

However, Nebraska scored on its next drive to boost its lead to 38-18. Nebraska scored on its first drive of the fourth quarter and added another touchdown on its next drive to run the score to 52-18.

McGraw scored on a 65-yard run late in the fourth quarter for the final margin.

This year’s game was originally scheduled for Chadron, Nebraska, but was moved to Harrison after COVID-19 concerns for the campus of Chadron State College, where the game would have been played.

Wyoming leads the all-time series 5-4.

–patrick

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