With apologies to eight other Class 4A teams, it’s time to state the truth: Class 4A’s best rivalry is the one that has developed between Cheyenne East and Sheridan.
This rivalry is not due to tradition or geography. Instead, this rivalry focuses on success and competitiveness — and how, inevitably, only one of these two teams gets to have the success they want, but both get the competitiveness that makes them better.
Since 2011, the Thunderbirds and the Broncs have met five times in the playoffs, including twice in the past three years. Each time, the winner of that playoff game went on to win the Class 4A championship, a total that includes two times when East and Sheridan played each other in the championship game:
- 2022 Sheridan over East, championship… Sheridan won state
- 2020 East over Sheridan, semis… East won state
- 2016 Sheridan over East, quarters… Sheridan won state
- 2013 East over Sheridan, semis… East won state
- 2011 Sheridan over East, championship… Sheridan won state
As for competitiveness? Well, in five meetings in the past three years, East has a 3-2 edge in victories… but the scoring margin between the programs in those five games? East leads, 133-132.
Conversely, both teams have provided the other a boost — whether intended or not.
Sheridan has won 24 consecutive games. The Broncs’ last loss was in 2021 to… Cheyenne East. In fact, both of Sheridan’s most recent losses, and three of its four most recent, have come against East.
Meanwhile, in its past 17 games, East is 15-2. The only two losses were to… Sheridan.
Class 4A’s premiere rivalry is renewed on Friday in Cheyenne. Not coincidentally, East and Sheridan are 4A’s final two undefeated teams, both coming in at 5-0.
If we know anything about this rivalry, we know it’ll be competitive. And it’ll make both teams better. And they just might see each other again with higher stakes at play. And the winner just might end up a champion.
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Some other Week 5 games that are looking good on paper, and we can only hope they’re as good in person:
A Class 4A rivalry, geography style, will happen Friday in Gillette when Thunder Basin heads to Camel Stadium to face Campbell County in what I think only I call the Coal Bowl. (Does anyone else? How do we make this a “thing”?) I say driven by geography because it definitely hasn’t been driven by competitiveness. The Camels are 0-7 all-time against their crosstown rivals, with just one of those games (2019’s 4A quarterfinal game) ending anywhere close to competitive. But the Camels are on a four-game winning streak and Thunder Basin has lost two of three, with two losses that were pretty ugly (52-7 to East and 41-12 to Sheridan). Is this the year the Camels have their moment? If nothing else, it should be significantly more competitive than past Coal Bowls. …
Sometimes, all I want to do is just say “3A West” and walk away, because we all know by now just how dang tough that conference is. This week, it’s 5-0 Powell traveling to Afton to play 4-1 Star Valley that has the classification’s attention. With Cody also at 5-0 overall, the top of the West is too competitive to allow for any missteps. Of these three, Cody may be the most fortunate, getting to play both the Panthers and the Braves at home this year. First, though, this week, and what could be the most competitive game of the week, will be in Afton. …
It’s always worth noting when Riverton plays Lander, even though right now they’re a combined 1-9. That said, Riverton had a breakout game last week in beating Rawlins by four touchdowns. The 42 points Riverton got last week is 20 more than Lander has scored all year. Maybe a rivalry game will get the Tigers’ offense going. …
Only two winless teams remain in Class 2A, Glenrock and Burns. They’ll meet this week, and at least one will jump into the win column — and maybe build a bit of momentum to take into the remainder of the season. …
On the flipside, the only two teams who remain undefeated in 2A West Conference play are Mountain View and Cokeville. Conveniently, they’ll play each other this week in Cokeville. …
It’s a bit early to start projecting playoff pairings, but Burlington’s game against Farson just might be a first-round playoff preview. …
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Hey. Picks in bold. This is how I do it. You might have Montell Jordan or Katy Perry go through your head with that last sentence; personally, I have The Game and 50 Cent.
Thursday
Class 1A nine-man
Wind River at Wyoming Indian
Interclass
Big Piney at Evanston JV
Friday
Class 4A
Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne South
Laramie at Kelly Walsh
Natrona at Rock Springs
Sheridan at Cheyenne East
Thunder Basin at Campbell County
Class 3A
Buffalo at Douglas
Cody at Green River
Jackson at Evanston
Powell at Star Valley
Rawlins at Worland
Riverton at Lander
Class 2A
Big Horn at Wheatland
Glenrock at Burns
Lyman at Kemmerer
Mountain View at Cokeville
Newcastle at Upton-Sundance (at Upton)
Pinedale at Thermopolis
Tongue River at Torrington
Class 1A nine-man
Greybull at Rocky Mountain
Lingle at Moorcroft
Pine Bluffs at Lusk
Saratoga at Wright
Shoshoni at Riverside
Southeast at Guernsey
Class 1A six-man
Dubois at Meeteetse
Kaycee at Encampment
Interstate
Rich County, Utah, at Lovell
Saturday
Class 1A six-man
Burlington at Farson
Hulett vs. Snake River (at Midwest)
Midwest at Hanna
Open: Casper Christian, Ten Sleep.
For a full schedule including kickoff times, click here. You can click on “Week 5” at the top of the page to take you directly to this week’s schedule.
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Here are the results of my picks from last week and this season:
Last week: 29-4 (88 percent). This season: 129-25 (84 percent).
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What game am I overlooking in Week 5? Let me know where my attention should be diverted! Leave a comment here, or hit me up on the Facebook page or on Twitter.
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–patrick