Sports Goulash

Early morning ramblings

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:11:53 GMT

It's nearly 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning and I'm still awake. Might as well write....

Football coach of the year: The sports staff had a few long debates this year about who should be our Super 25 coach of the year. Eventually, we chose Burns coach Bill Fullmer, who helped mold a talented group of players into a team that went undefeated on its way to a state championship this season. Burns' feat is impressive enough on its own, but consider the state of the program when this year's seniors entered as freshmen: in the middle of a 16-game losing streak. In their first game as freshmen, the Broncs broke the losing streak with style, thumping Midwest 60-0. We should have known right then that Fullmer and Burns was on the road to something great.

However, we considered several other coaches at length, including Gillette's Vic Wilkerson (two titles in three years), Green River's Darren Howard (getting the job done without a ton of depth), Sheridan's Don Julian (turning around Sheridan in only two years), Douglas' Jay Rhoades (finally cracking through and winning a title -- against Buffalo, no less -- after coming up just short the past couple years), Glenrock's Ray Kumpula (sustained success for several years, and beat both Buffalo and Douglas on the way to an undefeated season and a state title), Big Horn's Bert Dow (first-year coach completely revamped the offense, and the Rams responded by going 10-1 and finishing second in 2A), Burlington's Mike Aagard (got the Huskies past Cokeville -- no small feat -- and into the 1A title game), and Southeast's Mark Bullington (three championships in a row speak for themselves).

That said, I also think another coach deserves a public shout-out: Meeteetse's Zeb Hagen. Hagen is in his third season with the Longhorns, and while he wasn't there for every step of the Longhorns' foray into six-man football, more than anyone else he may be responsible for the big changes coming to Wyoming next fall.

Without Meeteetse's success in Montana's six-man division -- including back-to-back playoff berths in 2006 and 2007, including a trip to the semifinals in '06, Hagen's first year -- I don't know if the Wyoming High School Activities Association ever seriously considers adding the sport here in the Equality State.

Meeteetse's success in Big Sky Country definitely boosted the momentum for six-man's return in Wyoming. The commitment Hagen, AD Rick Paxton and the Meeteetse community showed to six-man -- and the success they've had there since making the jump north in 2003 -- not only helped bring the game back to Wyoming, it helped bring the sport to five new schools and keep it alive at several others.

That's not just leaving a mark. That's establishing a legacy.

(Ten Sleep, too, deserves a bit of the credit for getting the six-man ball rolling in Wyoming. Hopefully a return to Wyoming next year will make things a bit easier for the Pioneers, who haven't been able to field a varsity team in either of the past two years.)

That's all for now. More as Turkey Day inspiration strikes....

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Our silly picks: Football-style

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:18:12 GMT

Preseason is a funny time. Ambition runs wild, as everyone is undefeated and non one is out of the state championship race.

Now, we can look back on the season and realize what we thought might happen was really only a best gues. What played out on the field was way more exciting than what I predicted, anyway.

Here's our preseason football rankings, with a quick glance at how close they actually were to what happened:

Class 5A
1. Green River: Close! The Wolves were only a few feet away from a championship and finished second in 5A.
2. Natrona County: Too high. NC lost three times in the regular season and got booted out of the playoffs in the first round.
3. Cheyenne East: About right! East did win the South Conference and won a playoff game, but got rudely shoved out in the semis by Gillette.
4. Gillette: A little too low. Gillette finished second in the North Conference, but ran off three straight wins in the playoffs to secure the title.
5. Evanston: Too high. The Red Devils were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Also to playoffs: Cheyenne Central. Right on! Central lost in the first round.
Also to playoffs: Kelly Walsh. Whoops.
Also to playoffs: Sheridan. Too low. The Broncs had a great year, winning the North Conference title, but lost to Green River in the semis.
Out: Laramie. Yep.
Out: Rock Springs. Too low. Rock Springs did make the playoffs, but lost in the first round.
Out: Riverton. Yep.

Class 4A
1. Buffalo: Close! The Bison finished as state runners-up.
2. Douglas: Close! The Bearcats finished as state champs.
3. Cody: Right on! The Broncs won the West Conference title but lost to Buffalo in the semis.
4. Powell: Right on! The Panthers finished tied for second in the West and reached the semis before losing to Douglas.
5. Jackson: Whoops. The defending champs didn't make the playoffs.
Also to playoffs: Wheatland. Whoops. Wheatland missed out on the postseason.
Also to playoffs: Worland. Right on! Worland made the playoffs and got bounced in the first round.
Also to playoffs: Star Valley. Whoops. Star Valley missed out on the playoffs.
Out: Rawlins. Whoops. The Outlaws did make the playoffs, but didn't stay long, losing to Douglas.
Out: Lander. Whoops. The Tigers had a pretty successful season with a new coach, finishing tied for second in the West and with a playoff spot.
Out: Torrington. Whoops. The Trailblazers took some baby steps this fall and made it to the playoffs, losing in the first round to Cody.

Class 3A
1. Kemmerer: Close! The Rangers finished as state runners-up.
2. Glenrock: Close! The Herders finished as state champs.
3. Lovell: A bit too high. The Bulldogs had a pretty good middle of the season, but the beginning and end were rough as Lovell lost in the first round.
4. Mountain View: A bit too high. The Buffalos made the playoffs but lost to Kemmerer in the first round.
5. Newcastle: Whoops. The Dogies missed the playoffs.
Also to playoffs: Wright. Right on! Wright made the playoffs and lost in the first round to Moorcroft.
Also to playoffs: Big Piney. Whoops. The Punchers missed the playoffs for the first time in eons.
Also to playoffs: Pinedale. A bit low. Pinedale finished second in the West and made the semis of the playoffs before losing to Glenrock.
Out: Moorcroft. Whoops. The Wolves had a fantastic season and lost in the semis to Kemmerer. Looking back at this one stings.
Out: Lyman. Yep.
Out: Thermopolis. Whoops. The Bobcats won the games they needed to win to make the playoffs.

Class 2A
1. Big Horn: Close! The Rams finished as state runners-up.
2. Burns: Close! The Broncs finished as state champs.
3. Lusk: Right on! The Tigers finished second in the East and lost to Big Horn in the semis.
4. Riverside: A bit too high. The Rebels finished third in the West and lost to Lusk in the first round.
5. Pine Bluffs: Whoops.
Also to playoffs: Rocky Mountain. Right on! RM started strong but faded late, but still had enough juice to make the playoffs.
Also to playoffs: Wind River. Too low. The Cougars finished second in the West and reached the playoff semis before falling to Burns.
Also to playoffs: Saratoga. Whoops.
Out: Sundance. Yep.
Out: Lingle. Whoops. The Doggers had a solid season and reached the playoffs easily.
Out: Greybull. Whoops. The Buffaloes ran off a few solid victories and made the playoffs.
Out: Tongue River. Yep.

Class 1A
1. Southeast: Right on! The Cyclones won the title.
2. Cokeville: A bit high, but maybe by only a point. The Panthers finished second in the West and lost to Southeast in the semis.
3. Burlington: A bit low. A solid season led the Huskies to the West Conference championship and a state title game appearance.
4. Guernsey: A tad high. Guernsey lost to Cokeville in the first round.
5. Hulett: A tad low. The Red Devils finished second in the East and reached the semis before bowing to Burlington.
Also to playoffs: Shoshoni. Right on! The Wranglers made the playoffs and lost in the first round.
Also to playoffs: Normative Services. Right on! The Wolves, too, bowed out in the quarterfinals.
Also to playoffs: Upton: Right on! Upton made the postseason, losing to Southeast in the quarters.
Out: Hanna. Yep.
Out: Dubois. Yep.
Out: Wyoming Indian. Yep, but the Chiefs were ineligible for the playoffs anyway.

So there it is, a quick, sobering look back at the preseason picks we made in late August/early September. I just ask to keep these in mind when we do our preseason basketball poll; No. 1 in December doesn't necessarily mean No. 1 in March (just like only one August No. 1 was the No. 1 in November for football).

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Championship Humble Pie: All your championship are belong to us

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:18:31 GMT

Douglas Bearcats, state champions.

Soak it up -- because it sure feels good, doesn't it?

Putting "Douglas" and "champions" together hasn't happened often for the Bearcats on the gridiron. In fact, it's been 30 years since Douglas has been able to claim that title for football.

But if Saturday was any indication, the Bearcats won't be waiting 30 more years for another. This one felt too good to wait that long again.

The Bearcats won their first state football championship since 1978, pulling a Survivor on Buffalo by outwitting, outlasting and outplaying the Bison. The final score was 34-21, and the scoring flurry in which the Bearcats put up those points won't soon be forgotten.

The Bearcats have the title now -- and they can breathe a bit easier now that 30 years of "not quite" is now gone.

Speaking of breathing, Gillette was the only one of Saturday's winners left holding its breath in the final moments, as the Camels had to survive a missed field goal in the final minute to beat Green River 23-21. The Camels won the title for the second time in three years and the fourth time overall -- and they needed to rally from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to do so. It's a great win for a great program, one that won its second title in three years and doesn't need to do anything more to prove it's back for good.

All the other winners didn't have it quite as nerve-wracking. Glenrock put up a strong defensive effort, limiting Kemmerer to 39 rushing yards while absolutely owning the field-position battle to put the Rangers in an unusual spot. These two programs have been the class of Class 3A for the past four years, meeting in the title game three times in that span. And this was the first time the Herders came out on top. For Glenrock's seniors, finally breaking through after coming up short twice before in the title game makes it that much sweeter.

Burns put up the most dominating performance of the day, knocking out Big Horn in a meeting of two unbeatens. Well, now there's only one, and Burns made Big Horn just another victim in a season full of domination. The Broncs' turnaround -- from 0-8 in 2004 to 11-0 now -- didn't happen overnight. Certainly, a great core of athletes helped build the Broncs' championship aspirations. But aspirations never made champions. Hard work -- both on the field and in the weight room -- turned Burns into what it is today.

Southeast, meanwhile, capped three seasons of stellar play with another state championship, this one a 12-0 victory over Burlington in the 1A championship. The Cyclones are now 30-3 over the past three seasons, all the while earning three state title trophies for its case. The case will need to grow a bit to fit another, but that's only a small problem -- and I'm sure the fine folks in Yoder don't mind re-sorting the trophies so they can all fit. And, of course, you can go ahead and start the questions now: Four?

There it is. Another football season in the books. Everyone will remember this season for something different. What's going to be your lasting memory of the 2008 season? Post your thoughts below.

(By the way, one lasting image I'll take is from today's Kemmerer-Glenrock game. As Kemmerer headed toward the sidelines after the postgame handshake, the Rangers lined up for "pride jacks" -- basically, jumping jacks combined with spelling. And right there in the middle of it was a Kemmerer player in street clothes, sporting an obvious limp and some kind of lower leg brace, doing pride jacks on one foot. That's the kind of stuff that makes me proud to be from Wyoming and proud to be associated with high school sports here.)

This week: 4-1 (80 percent). This year: 220-66 (77 percent -- my best one-season mark in four years of making picks!). Overall four-year record: 864-284 (75 percent).

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Championship game playoff picks

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:47:37 GMT

You know how this works by now. I make the picks, everyone laughs, and then by the time kickoff rolls around, everyone's forgotten about all of this. At least that's the way it's supposed to work.... :)

So here's this week's picks, with a little bit more depth to them than usual:

Class 5A
Green River (9-2) at Gillette (9-2)
Any previous meetings? Gillette beat Green River 14-13 on Sept. 19 in Gillette.
Any common opponents? Seven. Natrona County (Gillette beat 15-13, Green River beat 14-12 and 23-17 in OT); Cheyenne Central (Gillette beat 26-13 and 30-0, Green River beat 38-14); Rock Springs (Gillette beat 28-0, Green River beat 57-31); Sheridan (Gillette lost 49-21, Green River beat 44-28); Kelly Walsh (Gillette beat 27-7, Green River beat 57-27); Riverton (Gillette beat 46-0, Green River beat 58-0); Cheyenne East (Gillette beat 50-0 and 37-6, Green River lost 26-14).
Recently? Since losing to Sheridan mid-season, Gillette has won six in a row, giving up only 26 points in that stretch and only six in the playoffs. Green River shook off its late-season upset loss to Cheyenne East, beating Rock Springs to cap the regular season, then Natrona and Sheridan in the playoffs to make the title game.
The pick? Offense wins games, and the Wolves have the best offense in the state -- something they've proven over and over. But defense wins championships, and the Camels have the best defense in the state -- something they've proven over and over. My choice goes to Gillette.
Why I could be wrong: Because offense wins games.

Class 4A
Buffalo (8-2) at Douglas (8-2)
Any previous meetings? Douglas beat Buffalo 21-14 in overtime on Oct. 17.
Any common opponents? Six. Lander (Buffalo beat 42-0, Douglas beat 19-12); Powell (Buffalo beat 14-7, Douglas beat 28-27 in 2OT); Glenrock (Buffalo lost 16-14, Douglas lost 27-14); Torrington (Buffalo won 40-0, Douglas won 38-7); Wheatland (Buffalo won 47-0, Douglas won 41-0); Rawlins (Buffalo won 49-7, Douglas won 48-0 and 55-0).
Recently? Since the Week 7 loss to Douglas, the Bison have won three in a row, swooping past Rawlins, Worland and Cody with relative ease. Douglas has won seven in a row, but have those two big OT wins to their credit in that streak.
The pick? Buffalo. I make this choice not based on talent (both teams have plenty) or coaching (both teams stack up plenty fine there) or previous results (obviously, Douglas beat Buffalo once already). I make it because I have to pick somebody. Look at it this way, Bearcats -- I also picked Buffalo to beat you in the regular season, and look how well that turned out! Either way, I think it'll be a great game, perhaps the best of the bunch this weekend.
Why I could be wrong: Because it's gonna be close, and close games fall easily to either team.

Class 3A
Kemmerer (10-0) at Glenrock (10-0)
Any previous meetings? Not since last year's title game, won by Kemmerer 22-0 in Kemmerer.
Any common opponents? Four. Mountain View (Glenrock beat 35-0, Kemmerer beat 33-0 and 36-12); Thermopolis (Glenrock beat 37-7 and 48-8, Kemmerer beat 46-0); Moorcroft (Glenrock beat 34-0, Kemmerer beat 41-6); Pinedale (Glenrock beat 56-0, Kemmerer beat 40-0).
Recently? Well, both are 10-0. Glenrock's had a bit easier time of it in the playoffs, though, winning 48-8 and 56-0; Kemmerer's two playoff victories were 36-12 and 41-6. Either way, it's dominating.
The pick? Ummm... I'll defer this one to Mr. Lincoln on the penny. He's up... and he says Herders. I'll take Glenrock.
Why I could be wrong: Because finding weak spots in either team is like trying to find Atlantis -- it's pointless, because it's just not there. Kemmerer could just as easily make it three titles in four years as Glenrock could turn the recent tide.

Class 2A
Big Horn (10-0) at Burns (10-0)
Any previous meetings? Not since last year's playoffs -- a 15-7 victory for Big Horn in the 2A quarterfinals.
Any common opponents? Four. Sundance (Big Horn beat 61-0, Burns beat 47-6); Wind River (Big Horn beat 19-14, Burns beat 20-0); Rocky Mountain (Big Horn beat 40-12, Burns beat 48-7); Lusk (Big Horn beat 6-0, Burns beat 34-14).
Recently? Just like 3A, both teams are unbeaten. It's kind of odd that both teams have given up exactly 57 points this season. Both teams had shutout victories last week, although Burns' 20-0 victory over Wind River was a tad more impressive than Big Horn's 6-0 victory over Lusk.
The pick? Burns. I think the Broncs have a tad more consistency on offense and a bit more of an opportunistic defense -- and that's enough for me to pick them.
Why I could be wrong: Big Horn knows how to win. They're healthier than they were last week, they've got a tough offense to stop and their defense is the best in Class 2A, yardage-wise.

Class 1A
Southeast (8-2) at Burlington (9-1)
Any previous meetings? None. None as in never. It's the first time these two schools have played each other on the gridiron.
Any common opponents? Three. Hulett (Burlington beat 10-0 and 13-9, Southeast beat 26-6); Cokeville (Burlington beat 7-6, Southeast beat 7-2); Normative Services (Burlington beat 48-14, Southeast beat 27-12).
Recently? Southeast's only losses were to Burns and Lusk, and in their past three games the Cyclones have given up just nine points. Burlington has won nine in a row with four shutouts, and proved they can win close ones by nipping Hulett 13-9 last week in the semis.
The pick? Another toughie, but I'll take Southeast. They Cyclones have been here each of the past two years. They know how to win these games and they've got enough talent to bring another trophy back to Yoder.
Why I could be wrong: Burlington has a coach that knows how to win -- Mike Aagard was a player on Burlington's only two title teams in '92 and '94. And the Huskies have won nine in a row and are confident because of that.

There are the picks as I see them. Five great games, one great day. It's kind of like Christmas, only like 100 times better.

Just a reminder about comments. I'm still trying to pick up the pieces here and I still can't quite trust people to behave, so comments will be moderated by yours truly before they get posted. I'm pretty open about what I'll let in, but how long this whole moderation thing takes could vary wildly depending on where I'm at and what I'm doing. It could be eight seconds, it could be 12 hours... Thanks for understanding and sorry it has to be this way. I just would rather take this extra step and protect the innocent than continue the free-for-all of the pretty horrible stuff that went on here in the last 24 hours.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Strike three

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:29:11 GMT

Please note, live commenting for Sports Goulash has been disabled.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

2009 high school football schedules

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:06:47 GMT

As released today by the Wyoming High School Activities Association. See Wednesday's Star-Tribune for more.

By Week

Week 0: Gillette at Evanston; Natrona County at Cheyenne Central; Cheyenne East at Green River; Kelly Walsh at Sheridan; Rock Springs at Laramie.

Week 1: Laramie at Gillette; Cheyenne Central at Rock Springs; Sheridan at Cheyenne East; Evanston at Natrona County; Kelly Walsh at Green River; Hardin, Mont., at Cody; Teton, Idaho, at Jackson; Rawlins at Lander; Powell at Riverton; Star Valley at Snake River, Idaho; Buffalo at Worland; Douglas at Belle Fourche, S.D.; Chadron, Neb., at Torrington; Wheatland at Sidney, Neb.; Big Piney at Burlington; Greybull at Big Horn; Glenrock at Kemmerer; Wright at Lovell; Lyman at Thermopolis; Cokeville at Mountain View; Pinedale at Riverside; Wind River at Wyoming Indian; Burns at Lusk; Moorcroft at Sundance; Southeast at Newcastle; Hulett at Tongue River; Upton at Dubois; Rocky Mountain at Normative Services; Saratoga at Lingle; Pine Bluffs at Shoshoni; Farson at Hanna; Fort Washakie at Midwest; Ten Sleep at Guernsey; Snake River at Kaycee; Meeteetse at Rock River.

Week 2: Rock Springs at Gillette; Evanston at Cheyenne Central; Cheyenne East at Kelly Walsh; Green River at Sheridan; Natrona County at Laramie; Cody at Rawlins; Jackson at Douglas; Lander at Buffalo; Powell at Wheatland; Riverton at Star Valley; Worland at Torrington; Wyoming Indian at Big Piney; Mountain View at Greybull; Kemmerer at Lyman; Lovell at Pinedale; Big Horn at Burns; Tongue River at Glenrock; Newcastle at Moorcroft; Thermopolis at Wright; Burlington at Saratoga; Riverside at Cokeville; Dubois at Rocky Mountain; Shoshoni at Wind River; Lusk at Hulett; Lingle at Upton; Normative Services at Pine Bluffs; Sundance at Southeast; Guernsey at Farson; Kaycee at Fort Washakie; Hanna at Snake River; Midwest at Meeteetse; Rock River at Ten Sleep.

Week 3: Gillette at Cheyenne East; Laramie at Cheyenne Central; Green River at Evanston; Kelly Walsh at Natrona County; Sheridan at Rock Springs; Torrington at Cody; Rawlins at Jackson; Lander at Riverton; Buffalo at Powell; Star Valley at Marsh Valley, Idaho; Wheatland at Worland; Chadron, Neb., at Douglas; Big Piney at Mountain View; Greybull at Wyoming Indian; Pinedale at Kemmerer; Lyman at Lovell; Wright at Big Horn; Burns at Newcastle; Glenrock at Thermopolis; Moorcroft at Tongue River; Burlington at Shoshoni; Cokeville at Saratoga; Wind River at Dubois; Rocky Mountain at Riverside; Hulett at Lingle; Lusk at Southeast; Upton at Normative Services; Pine Bluffs at Sundance; Farson at Fort Washakie; Guernsey at Hanna; Midwest at Kaycee; Snake River at Rock River; Meeteetse at Ten Sleep.

Week 4: Sheridan at Gillette; Cheyenne Central at Cheyenne East; Evanston at Laramie; Natrona County at Green River; Rock Springs at Kelly Walsh; Cody at Lander; Jackson at Powell; Star Valley at Worland; Douglas at Buffalo; Riverton at Rawlins; Torrington at Wheatland; Big Piney at Lyman; Pinedale at Greybull; Kemmerer at Wyoming Indian; Lovell at Mountain View; Big Horn at Glenrock; Tongue River at Burns; Thermopolis at Moorcroft; Newcastle at Wright; Riverside at Burlington; Shoshoni at Cokeville; Saratoga at Dubois; Rocky Mountain at Wind River; Normative Services at Hulett; Lingle at Lusk; Southeast at Pine Bluffs; Sundance at Upton; Ten Sleep at Farson; Fort Washakie at Snake River; Rock River at Guernsey; Hanna at Midwest; Kaycee at Meeteetse.

Week 5: Gillette at Cheyenne Central; Cheyenne East at Natrona County; Kelly Walsh at Evanston; Green River at Rock Springs; Laramie at Sheridan; Cody at Jackson; Worland at Lander; Powell at Star Valley; Riverton at Buffalo; Wheatland at Douglas; Rawlins at Torrington; Kemmerer at Big Piney; Lovell at Greybull; Wyoming Indian at Lyman; Mountain View at Pinedale; Big Horn at Thermopolis; Burns at Moorcroft; Newcastle at Glenrock; Wright at Tongue River; Dubois at Burlington; Cokeville at Rocky Mountain; Riverside at Shoshoni; Wind River at Saratoga; Upton at Hulett; Lingle at Sundance; Lusk at Pine Bluffs; Southeast at Normative Services; Farson at Meeteetse; Fort Washakie at Guernsey; Kaycee at Hanna; Snake River at Ten Sleep; Midwest at Rock River.

Week 6: Natrona County at Gillette; Cheyenne Central at Green River; Rock Springs at Cheyenne East; Sheridan at Evanston; Laramie at Kelly Walsh; Star Valley at Cody; Lander at Jackson; Worland at Powell; Buffalo at Wheatland; Rawlins at Douglas; Torrington at Riverton; Pinedale at Big Piney; Greybull at Kemmerer; Wyoming Indian at Lovell; Lyman at Mountain View; Moorcroft at Big Horn; Thermopolis at Burns; Glenrock at Wright; Tongue River at Newcastle; Burlington at Wind River; Cokeville at Dubois; Saratoga at Riverside; Shoshoni at Rocky Mountain; Hulett at Southeast; Normative Services at Lingle; Lusk at Sundance; Pine Bluffs at Upton; Farson at Midwest; Ten Sleep at Fort Washakie; Guernsey at Snake River; Meeteetse at Hanna; Rock River at Kaycee.

Week 7: Gillette at Kelly Walsh; Cheyenne Central at Sheridan; Evanston at Cheyenne East; Green River at Laramie; Natrona County at Rock Springs; Cody at Powell; Jackson at Worland; Lander at Star Valley; Torrington at Buffalo; Douglas at Riverton; Wheatland at Rawlins; Big Piney at Greybull; Kemmerer at Lovell; Lyman at Pinedale; Mountain View at Wyoming Indian; Tongue River at Big Horn; Glenrock at Burns; Wright at Moorcroft; Newcastle at Thermopolis; Rocky Mountain at Burlington; Wind River at Cokeville; Dubois at Riverside; Shoshoni at Saratoga; Sundance at Hulett; Pine Bluffs at Lingle; Normative Services at Lusk; Southeast at Upton; Snake River at Farson; Fort Washakie at Meeteetse; Guernsey at Midwest; Hanna at Rock River; Ten Sleep at Kaycee.

Week 8: Gillette at Green River; Kelly Walsh at Cheyenne Central; Cheyenne East at Laramie; Rock Springs at Evanston; Sheridan at Natrona County; Worland at Cody; Jackson at Star Valley; Powell at Lander; Buffalo at Rawlins; Douglas at Torrington; Riverton at Wheatland; Lovell at Big Piney; Greybull at Lyman; Mountain View at Kemmerer; Wyoming Indian at Pinedale; Big Horn at Newcastle; Burns at Wright; Moorcroft at Glenrock; Thermopolis at Tongue River; Burlington at Cokeville; Dubois at Shoshoni; Riverside at Wind River; Saratoga at Rocky Mountain; Hulett at Pine Bluffs; Lingle at Southeast; Upton at Lusk; Sundance at Normative Services; Rock River at Farson; Hanna at Fort Washakie; Kaycee at Guernsey; Meeteetse at Snake River; Midwest at Ten Sleep.

By Team
Class 4A
Gillette: at Evanston; vs. Laramie; vs. Rock Springs; at Cheyenne East; vs. Sheridan; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Natrona County; at Kelly Walsh; at Green River.
Cheyenne Central: vs. Natrona County; at Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne East; vs. Gillette; at Green River; at Sheridan; vs. Kelly Walsh.
Cheyenne East: at Green River; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Gillette; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Natrona County; vs. Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Laramie.
Evanston: vs. Gillette; at Natrona County; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Green River; at Laramie; vs. Kelly Walsh; vs. Sheridan; at Cheyenne East; vs. Rock Springs.
Green River: vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Sheridan; at Evanston; vs. Natrona County; at Rock Springs; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie; vs. Gillette.
Kelly Walsh: at Sheridan; at Green River; vs. Cheyenne East; at Natrona County; vs. Rock Springs; at Evanston; vs. Laramie; vs. Gillette; at Cheyenne Central.
Laramie: vs. Rock Springs; at Gillette; vs. Natrona County; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Evanston; at Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Green River; vs. Cheyenne East.
Natrona County: at Cheyenne Central; vs. Evanston; at Laramie; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Green River; vs. Cheyenne East; at Gillette; at Rock Springs; vs. Sheridan.
Rock Springs: at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Green River; at Cheyenne East; vs. Natrona County; at Evanston.
Sheridan: vs. Kelly Walsh; at Cheyenne East; vs. Green River; at Rock Springs; at Gillette; vs. Laramie; at Evanston; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Natrona County.
(Class 4A schedules include Zero Week games.)

Class 3A
Cody: vs. Hardin, Mont.; at Rawlins; vs. Torrington; at Lander; at Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Powell; vs. Worland.
Jackson: vs. Teton, Idaho; at Douglas; vs. Rawlins; at Powell; vs. Cody; vs. Lander; at Worland; at Star Valley.
Lander: vs. Rawlins; at Buffalo; at Riverton; vs. Cody; vs. Worland; at Jackson; at Star Valley; vs. Powell.
Powell: at Riverton; at Wheatland; vs. Buffalo; vs. Jackson; at Star Valley; vs. Worland; vs. Cody; at Lander.
Star Valley: at Snake River, Idaho; vs. Riverton; at Marsh Valley, Idaho; at Worland; vs. Powell; at Cody; vs. Lander; vs. Jackson.
Worland: vs. Buffalo; at Torrington; vs. Wheatland; vs. Star Valley; at Lander; at Powell; vs. Jackson; at Cody.
Buffalo: at Worland; vs. Lander; at Powell; vs. Douglas; vs. Riverton; at Wheatland; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins.
Douglas: at Belle Fourche, S.D.; vs. Jackson; vs. Chadron, Neb.; at Buffalo; vs. Wheatland; vs. Rawlins; at Riverton; at Torrington.
Rawlins: at Lander; vs. Cody; at Jackson; vs. Riverton; at Torrington; at Douglas; vs. Wheatland; vs. Buffalo.
Riverton: vs. Powell; at Star Valley; vs. Lander; at Rawlins; at Buffalo; vs. Torrington; vs. Douglas; at Wheatland.
Torrington: vs. Chadron, Neb.; vs. Worland; at Cody; at Wheatland; vs. Rawlins; at Riverton; at Buffalo; vs. Douglas.
Wheatland: at Sidney, Neb.; vs. Powell; at Worland; vs. Torrington; at Douglas; vs. Buffalo; at Rawlins; vs. Riverton.

Class 2A
Big Piney: at Burlington; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Kemmerer; vs. Pinedale; at Greybull; vs. Lovell.
Greybull: at Big Horn; vs. Mountain View; at Wyoming Indian; vs. Pinedale; vs. Lovell; at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Lyman.
Kemmerer: vs. Glenrock; at Lyman; vs. Pinedale; at Wyoming Indian; at Big Piney; vs. Greybull; at Lovell; vs. Mountain View.
Lovell: vs. Wright; at Pinedale; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; at Greybull; vs. Wyoming Indian; vs. Kemmerer; at Big Piney.
Lyman: at Thermopolis; vs. Kemmerer; at Lovell; vs. Big Piney; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Mountain View; at Pinedale; vs. Greybull.
Mountain View: vs. Cokeville; at Greybull; vs. Big Piney; vs. Lovell; at Pinedale; vs. Lyman; at Wyoming Indian; at Kemmerer.
Pinedale: at Riverside; vs. Lovell; at Kemmerer; at Greybull; vs. Mountain View; at Big Piney; vs. Lyman; vs. Wyoming Indian.
Wyoming Indian: vs. Wind River; at Big Piney; vs. Greybull; vs. Kemmerer; at Lyman; at Lovell; vs. Mountain View; at Pinedale.
Big Horn: vs. Greybull; at Burns; vs. Wright; at Glenrock; at Thermopolis; vs. Moorcroft; vs. Tongue River; at Newcastle.
Burns: at Lusk; vs. Big Horn; at Newcastle; vs. Tongue River; at Moorcroft; vs. Thermopolis; vs. Glenrock; at Wright.
Glenrock: at Kemmerer; vs. Tongue River; at Thermopolis; vs. Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; at Wright; at Burns; vs. Moorcroft.
Moorcroft: at Sundance; vs. Newcastle; at Tongue River; vs. Thermopolis; vs. Burns; at Big Horn; vs. Wright; at Glenrock.
Newcastle: vs. Southeast; at Moorcroft; vs. Burns; at Wright; at Glenrock; vs. Tongue River; at Thermopolis; vs. Big Horn.
Thermopolis: vs. Lyman; at Wright; vs. Glenrock; at Moorcroft; vs. Big Horn; at Burns; vs. Newcastle; at Tongue River.
Tongue River: vs. Hulett; at Glenrock; vs. Moorcroft; at Burns; vs. Wright; at Newcastle; at Big Horn; vs. Thermopolis.
Wright: at Lovell; vs. Thermopolis; at Big Horn; vs. Newcastle; at Tongue River; vs. Glenrock; at Moorcroft; vs. Burns.

Class 1A 11-man
Burlington: vs. Big Piney; at Saratoga; at Shoshoni; vs. Riverside; vs. Dubois; at Wind River; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Cokeville.
Cokeville: at Mountain View; vs. Riverside; at Saratoga; vs. Shoshoni; at Rocky Mountain; at Dubois; vs. Wind River; vs. Burlington.
Dubois: vs. Upton; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Wind River; vs. Saratoga; at Burlington; vs. Cokeville; at Riverside; at Shoshoni.
Riverside: vs. Pinedale; at Cokeville; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Burlington; at Shoshoni; vs. Saratoga; vs. Dubois; at Wind River.
Rocky Mountain: at Normative Services; vs. Dubois; at Riverside; at Wind River; vs. Cokeville; vs. Shoshoni; at Burlington; vs. Saratoga.
Saratoga: at Lingle; vs. Burlington; vs. Cokeville; at Dubois; vs. Wind River; at Riverside; vs. Shoshoni; at Rocky Mountain.
Shoshoni: vs. Pine Bluffs; at Wind River; vs. Burlington; at Cokeville; vs. Riverside; at Rocky Mountain; at Saratoga; vs. Dubois.
Wind River: at Wyoming Indian; vs. Shoshoni; at Dubois; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Saratoga; vs. Burlington; at Cokeville; vs. Riverside.
Hulett: at Tongue River; vs. Lusk; at Lingle; vs. Normative Services; vs. Upton; at Southeast; vs. Sundance; at Pine Bluffs.
Lingle: vs. Saratoga; at Upton; vs. Hulett; at Lusk; at Sundance; vs. Normative Services; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Southeast.
Lusk: vs. Burns; at Hulett; at Southeast; vs. Lingle; at Pine Bluffs; at Sundance; vs. Normative Services; vs. Upton.
Normative Services: vs. Rocky Mountain; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Upton; at Hulett; vs. Southeast; at Lingle; at Lusk; vs. Sundance.
Pine Bluffs: at Shoshoni; vs. Normative Services; at Sundance; vs. Southeast; vs. Lusk; at Upton; at Lingle; vs. Hulett.
Southeast: at Newcastle; vs. Sundance; vs. Lusk; at Pine Bluffs; at Normative Services; vs. Hulett; at Upton; vs. Lingle.
Sundance: vs. Moorcroft; at Southeast; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Upton; vs. Lingle; vs. Lusk; at Hulett; at Normative Services.
Upton: at Dubois; vs. Lingle; at Normative Services; vs. Sundance; at Hulett; vs. Pine Bluffs; vs. Southeast; at Lusk.

Class 1A six-man
Farson: at Hanna; vs. Guernsey; at Fort Washakie; vs. Ten Sleep; at Meeteetse; at Midwest; vs. Snake River; vs. Rock River.
Fort Washakie: at Midwest; vs. Kaycee; vs. Farson; at Snake River; at Guernsey; vs. Ten Sleep; at Meeteetse; vs. Hanna.
Guernsey: vs. Ten Sleep; at Farson; at Hanna; vs. Rock River; vs. Fort Washakie; at Snake River; at Midwest; vs. Kaycee.
Hanna: vs. Farson; at Snake River; vs. Guernsey; at Midwest; vs. Kaycee; vs. Meeteetse; at Rock River; at Fort Washakie.
Kaycee: vs. Snake River; at Fort Washakie; vs. Midwest; at Meeteetse; at Hanna; vs. Rock River; vs. Ten Sleep; at Guernsey.
Snake River: at Kaycee; vs. Hanna; at Rock River; vs. Fort Washakie; at Ten Sleep vs. Guernsey; at Farson; vs. Meeteetse.
Meeteetse: at Rock River; vs. Midwest; at Ten Sleep; vs. Kaycee; vs. Farson; at Hanna; vs. Fort Washakie; at Snake River.
Midwest: vs. Fort Washakie; at Meeteetse; at Kaycee; vs. Hanna; at Rock River; vs. Farson; vs. Guernsey; at Ten Sleep.
Rock River: vs. Meeteetse; at Ten Sleep; vs. Snake River; at Guernsey; vs. Midwest; at Kaycee; vs. Hanna; at Farson.
Ten Sleep: at Guernsey; vs. Rock River; vs. Meeteetse; at Farson; vs. Snake River; at Fort Washakie; at Kaycee; vs. Midwest.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Semifinal Humble Pie: Leisure suits, the King of Pop and getting caught up

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:33:49 GMT

The Green River Wolves have proven themselves each of the past two weeks.

Last week it was a come-from-behind overtime victory over Natrona. This week, it was a get-a-lead-and-protect it victory over Sheridan.

Because of that consistency -- and because the Wolves have proven they know how to win games, no matter what the style -- Green River is in the Class 5A championship game.

The Wolves' 44-28 victory over top-ranked Sheridan on Saturday was perhaps the most impressive of their season. Green River had a long bus ride, a confident foe and a wee bit of big-game pressure. None of it shook the Wolves out of their game plan.

Next up: Gillette. Remember that one from early in the season? That 14-13 Camels' win that was secured only by a blocked extra point?

Yep. That's going to be a fun one to watch.

The Wolves were the only ones this week to tip the Sports Goulash's picking apple cart. Every other game went as picked.

I got the chance to watch Glenrock on Saturday, and, um, yeah. They're pretty good. Pinedale tried and tried but just couldn't catch up to the Herders' strategies -- and Pinedale looked like a pretty fair ballclub. They were just playing the wrong team on Saturday. Those 50 first-half points the Herders put up weren't flukey, either. Glenrock's just that good. And now, we get that matchup that everyone's waited for since last November: Kemmerer at Glenrock, 1 p.m., Nov. 15, 2008.

Oddly enough, the Glenrock game was not the best game in Converse County on Saturday. No, that honor goes to the 28-27 Douglas-over-Powell double-overtime thrillfest. Douglas won after a weird set of circumstances -- the Bearcats scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point to send the game into a third overtime, but a penalty on Powell made Douglas' coaches rethink the situation. Rather than go into another OT, Douglas decided to go for two from the 1 1/2. Cody Bohlander skied into the end zone and that's how it ended. Now, Douglas has Buffalo -- and has the chance to prove its OT victory over the Bison in the regular season was more than a fluke.

Big Horn and Burns will meet in the 2A championship -- and one of them will finish the season as the undefeated state champions. Both teams didn't need much offense, because the defenses were playing at the top of their games. The B&B defenses held Wind River and Lusk, their semifinal opponents, to a grand total of zero points. That's right. No scoring. At all. Somebody will have to break that string next week....

In 1A, it's the two conference champions meeting up in the title game. Combined, the four Class 1A teams only scored 31 points on Saturday (oh, and Glenrock alone scored 32 in the first quarter vs. Pinedale). Even so, Southeast -- 7-2 winners over Cokeville -- and Burlington -- 13-9 winners over Hulett -- will meet up in the championship game. Here's a kind of cool fact: The Huskies and Cyclones have never played each other, and now they meet for the first time in a state championship game. By the way, does anyone else remember what happened the last time Southeast headed into the Bighorn Basin for a championship game? The folks up at Riverside sure do....

So that's it for now. Want to start picking your championship game winners now? Want to give some mad props of your own? Want to point out a particularly interesting play from this weekend's action? Go ahead. Leave a comment by clicking where it says "Comments."

This week: 9-1 (90 percent). This year: 216-65 (77 percent).

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Semifinal football playoff picks

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:51:28 GMT

To all the state's football team managers: Please send me a copy of your game film/tape/DVD after this weekend. All of you. Please? Pretty please?

There are so many good games this weekend, I don't want to miss any of them.

The schedule is littered with amazing semifinal matchups. Part of the appeal is that only two of the games (Gillette-East and Hulett-Burlington) are rematches from the regular season. The other eight games are exactly what you like to see in the playoffs -- teams that have had great successes throughout the season and meeting with the right to play for all the bowling balls (marbles are too small).

Even though eight games are not rematches from the regular season, it's not like these teams are strangers to each other. Kemmerer and Moorcroft played each other in last year's playoffs. Buffalo and Cody last meet in 2006, while Powell and Douglas last played in the '06 4A title game. Sheridan and Green River last played in 2004. Lusk and Big Horn played have played some high-stakes games against each other, meeting in the state championship game in both 2002 and 2003; Southeast and Cokeville also last met in the 2003 championship.

Of course, there's the simple fact that these teams have probably spent so much time in the film room this week that they feel like they know the other team pretty well -- even without seeing them on the field yet.

But it is kind of cool that two new series are starting this weekend. Wind River and Burns have never played each other. Neither have Pinedale and Glenrock.

I'm a geek for this kind of stuff (see follow-through on shameless plug by clicking here), so seeing two teams that have never played each other meeting up in the playoffs is pretty cool. The CST's coverage plans have me headed to Glenrock on Saturday, so I'll be a witness to one of those cool series-starting games.

I'm greedy, though. One isn't enough. I want to see all 10.

DVDs, please? :)

Here are this week's picks, with projected winners in bold and projected non-winners ready to make me look like I don't know what the heck I'm talking about (who knows, maybe all these early morning wake-up calls this week are getting to me):

Friday
Class 5A
Gillette at Cheyenne East: You can pretty much guarantee that this game will be closer than the last time these two teams got together -- a 50-0 Gillette victory just a few weeks ago. But a 51-point turnaround probably isn't in the books.
Class 4A
Buffalo at Cody: This is a tough, tough pick. Cody has done everything they've needed to do to be in this position, winning every 4A game it has played this fall. The Broncs know how to win and they're at home. They have every reason to be confident and to be the favorites. And yet my gut says Bison. Go figure.
Class 2A
Wind River at Burns: This game will be a heck of a lot thougher than the game the playoff game the Broncs had last week against a West Conference foe. Wind River has proven at every step of the way this season that it belongs here. Whichever team wins, it won't be a surprise.

Saturday
Class 5A
Green River at Sheridan: The Broncs are at home, riding huge momentum from proving over and over that they know how to win in a ton of different ways. Sheridan's defense will again be put to the test -- and Green River will likely earn its fair share of points -- but I'll take the Broncs in a close one.
Class 4A
Powell at Douglas: Got to looking at Powell really close this week and realized just how close they've been to an unbeaten season. All four of their losses were within a touchdown. Despite that, Douglas is rolling and is getting better and better each week, and I don't see that big mo stopping now.
Class 3A
Pinedale at Glenrock: One more hoop for the Herders.
Moorcroft at Kemmerer: One more hoop for the Rangers.
Class 2A
Lusk at Big Horn: Lusk looked sharp last week. The problem is that so did Big Horn. Rams, but not by much.
Class 1A
Hulett at Burlington: Both teams are better than they were in September when Burlington beat Hulett 10-0. Whichever team has improved more will win. I'm banking on the Huskies.
Cokeville at Southeast: Don't want to pick this one. Nope, nope, nope. Both these teams look really, really, really, really good. This will probably be one of those games that's not decided by touchdowns -- it'll be decided by extra points (or, maybe, two-point conversions). So I just flipped a coin and it landed Cyclones up.

There are my choices. What sticks out to you as we get closer and closer ot the end of the season? Contribute your thoughts and add a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The Events Center madness!

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:53:17 GMT

I can't talk much about the state volleyball tournament, because, well, I got to watch about five minutes of it. But even so, there were some really interesting things that stuck out to me:

First off, the two Casper teams met again in the state championship match. Looking ahead to next year, they might do so again. Either way, Casper volleyball has proven it's on top -- it's up to the rest of the state to catch Kelly Walsh and Natrona County. The past two years, that hasn't happened very often, and not at all at state.

In 3A, Powell won the title by knocking off Kemmerer in the championship. Certainly, Powell earned that title, and it's the Panthers' name that'll be inscribed on the trophy. That alone is reason to celebrate. And as Rawlins and Wheatland will wonder forever "What if?", Powell will never have to wonder.

Just like KW-NC in 4A, Big Horn and Mountain View staged a rematch from '07 in 2A. But in 2A, the same team won the same way. The Rams swept the Buffalos and proved their championships, both of them, were no flukes. Not that anyone was doubting anyway. Big Horn is just plain good.

And Cokeville finally shook off their mini-jinx and won the 1A title, topping Burlington in the title match. Cokeville came oh-so-close last year before losing to Hulett, but with an added season of experience, they didn't leave anything to chance this year.

Seeing as I wasn't at the Events Center, though, I can't get really insightful. That's where I'm calling on you, those who actually saw some of the tournament: What was your favorite moment of the weekend? Any great moments stick out in your mind a few days later? Post them with a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Quarterfinal Humble Pie: The Lolcats edition

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:22:09 GMT

Pinedale and Green River will never be confused -- be it geographically, aesthetically or gridironally.

But, wow, if they didn't pull off the exact same trick on Friday.

Both the 5A Wolves and the 3A Wranglers came back from big deficits to win on Friday, Green River rallying from a 14-0 first-quarter hole to beat Natrona County 23-17 in overtime, Pinedale coming back from a 23-0 first-half deficit to beat Lovell 28-23.

They both earn mad props -- not only for playing well, but for playing well with the game, and the season, on the line.

Green River fell behind quick to Natrona, allowing 14 points on the Mustangs' first two drives of the game. The Wolves never panicked, though, and most importantly never strayed from their running game.

Drew Martinez came up huge, consistently eluding the Natrona defense for big plays, including the game-winning 7-yard touchdown run in overtime. The rest of the Wolves were big on both sides of the ball, and did more than just make the semifinals: They proved they belong by earning their spot.

Second mad props to Pinedale, which was in a similar situation. Down 23-0 to Lovell, the Wranglers had to act fast. They did just that, rallying for 28 unanswered points -- all on touchdown passes from Nick Jaquez, including three in the second half to Aaron Milne. The defense did its part, too, and just like that the Wranglers have their first playoff victory since 1999.

Third mad props to Moorcroft, which beat Wright 12-0 in a game that could have gone either way. The Wolves made the big plays on both offense and defense, though, and limited the Panthers' offensive opportunities when they had the chance.

However, most of the first round games -- like usual -- were one-sided affairs. Outside Green River-Natrona and Pinedale-Lovell, only one other game ended up as a one-possession game: Powell's 12-7 victory over Lander. The average margin of victory in the first round was 26.6 points. The closest game in Class 1A was 34 points, oddly enough a margin reached in three games (Burlington's 48-14 victory over Normative Services, Hulett's 40-6 victory over Shoshoni and Southeast's 34-0 victory over Upton).

Most of these games were simply a case of too much versus not enough. There were no real defining upsets; no real surprises; no real jaw-droppers. Only one team -- Powell -- won on the road. This thing went almost exactly according to plan.

I guess, in the long run, that's not a bad thing. The teams that separated themselves in the regular season are continuing to do so in the postseason. And because of that, we've got some awesome matchups in the semifinals.

Combined, the four teams in the 2A semis have two losses. Green River gets to go to Sheridan; Glenrock and Kemmerer are still on a collision course; Cokeville and Southeast meet in the semis in 1A in what could be the game of the week....

In short, there's still a lot of fun to be had, even if there weren't many "upsets." I guarantee that the 20 teams remaining aren't minding how they got there. They're just glad they're there. Even if they can't really show it right now. After all, next week awaits.

This week: 17-3 (85 percent). This year: 207-64 (76 percent).

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com