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

Here are the unofficial pairings for the Wyoming State High School Volleyball Championships, set for next Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Casper. Official brackets, including match times, will be released on Sunday by the WHSAA.

Class 4A
Sheridan (1E) vs. Green River (4W)
Kelly Walsh (2W) vs. Riverton (3E)
Gillette (2E) vs. Rock Springs (3W)
Natrona County (1W) vs. Cheyenne East (4E)

Class 3A
Wheatland (1E) vs. Worland (4W)
Kemmerer (2W) vs. Douglas (3E)
Rawlins (2E) vs. Lyman (3W)
Powell (1W) vs. Buffalo (4E)

Class 2A
Big Horn (1E) vs. Thermopolis (4W)
Riverside (2W) vs. Tongue River (3E)
Sundance (2E) vs. Rocky Mountain (3W)
Mountain View (1W) vs. Lingle (4E)

Class 1A
Southeast (1E) vs. Snake River (4W)
Burlington (2W) vs. Kaycee (3E)
Hulett (2E) vs. Farson (3W)
Cokeville (1W) vs. Arvada-Clearmont (4E)

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

With volleyball's regional tournaments beginning on Friday, here's a short debate-stirring look at who might win each tournament:

4A East: Gillette. The Camels have been the scariest 4A team outside of Casper. They've been improving consistently and they're poised for a big weekend.... which may lead to more success next week.
4A West: Natrona County. This is simply a toss-up between the two Casper squads, but the Fillies have shown more consistency during the conference schedule than Kelly Walsh. Plus, NC beat KW twice in the regular season.
3A East: Wheatland. Once again, it could go either way with either the Bulldogs or Rawlins, especially since the tournament is on the Outlaws' home court. But Wheatland has already won once at Rawlins in the regular season and also beat Rawlins again at Wheatland during the regular season. Douglas and Glenrock, though, could also provide some upsets along the way and de-rail a Bulldogs-Outlaws championship.
3A West: Powell. No one has been more consistent in the 3A West this year than the Panthers. They just keep plugging away. They've been a bit under the radar due to Wheatland and Rawlins, but believe me -- Powell will have every team's full attention at state.
2A East: Big Horn. The Rams haven't shown any signs of a post-championship letdown. They're just as good this year as they were last year. Maybe better.
2A West: Mountain View. This is the scary part of trying to repeat for Big Horn: Mountain View is better this year, too. They've been tearing it up in the southwest corner this year and will be one of the teams to beat at state.
1A East: Hulett. There's quite a bit of parity in the 1A East this year, as Southeast, Kaycee and Arvada-Clearmont have all proven they know how to win big matches. But Hulett has proven all season that last year's title was no fluke -- and that they have the ability to win it all again.
1A West: Cokeville. As usual, no one has been close to touching the success the Panthers have experienced this fall. Now, all they have to do is put the pieces together at the right time, and they should be right there next Saturday night in the Casper Events Center, fighting it out in yet another championship match.

So what do you think? Any volleyball teams come into this week poised for some upsets? Who are your underdog picks for this weekend? Or did I hit the nail on the head with my picks? Make a comment below and fill me in on your thoughts.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.

Here is this week's Trio, trying to look as good as possible as we head into the final stages of the fall season.

VOLLEYBALL: Volleybowl. The annual rivalry game between Natrona County and Kelly Walsh always takes on a little extra meaning in the volleyball version, simply because both teams are usually pretty good. That's the case again this year, as the Trojans' only West Conference loss has come courtesy of the unbeaten-in-league-play Fillies.

GIRLS SWIMMING: 4A North Regional, Riverton. I just want to see by how much Gillette wins. The Camels look unstoppable this year, but the scary part is they look unstoppable for about three or four more years to come, too.

CROSS COUNTRY: 4A East Regional, Cheyenne. Given how often Wyoming teams leave the state for their cross country fix, regional meets are the best -- and sometimes, the only -- gauge for possible state meet success. With all the teams in Wyoming scheduled to stay in Wyoming the next two weeks, the best teams and individuals will undisputedly be sorted out. The most intrigue rests in Cheyenne, though, where any of the half-dozen teams in attendance could come out on top.

There are three events I'm watching closely this weekend. How about you? What's got your attention? Post a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here are five teams that are starting to hit their peaks at the right time of the year, in no particular order:

1. Top-ranked volleyball teams: It was a good week to be one of the top-ranked teams in the Star-Tribune's volleyball poll. Combined, Natrona County (2-0), Wheatland (1-0), Big Horn (1-0) and Cokeville (3-0) went 7-0 in their seven matches. Together, they lost only one game all weekend.

2. Cheyenne girls swimming: Central and East finished 1-2 at the Rawlins Invitational on Saturday. Central had the most points -- 388 to East's 290 -- but East had more event winners -- seven to Central's four.

3. Burns football: The Broncs won two games in a span of four days, topping Sundance 47-6 on Friday and Saratoga 46-0 on Monday.

4. Kelly Walsh girls swimming: The Fish Bowl is always a big pride meter for the Casper swimming teams. This year, it was the Trojans that came out on top. And that's momentum KW can carry into regionals next week.

5. Snow: For the first time this fall, we all got reminded who's in charge for real. Snow moved a bunch of events around and caused a few to be canceled. Be careful out there.

Additions? Post yours below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

KW MOVES UP TODAY'S VOLLEYBALL TIME: Saturday's Kelly Walsh volleyball game times against Star Valley have been moved up. Games will start at 9 a.m. with the varsity game scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. start. 

KW, NC SKIP GILLETTE: The Natrona County and Kelly Walsh girls swimming teams will not be traveling to Gillette on Saturday to participate in the Gillette Invitational.

RIVERTON CANCELS XC: The Berry Bryant/Kyle Johnson Invitational cross country meet on Friday in Riverton was canceled.

If you know of any more postponements or cancellations, please e-mail sports@trib.com

It's an absolutely crazy busy week here, so here's the abbreviated version of the SGT:

GOLF: State. 4A in Evanston, 3A in Douglas, 2A in Thermopolis. It's kind of a big deal.

VOLLEYBALL: Casper Invite. Like basically anyone who's anyone is in Casper. It's kind of a big deal.

TENNIS: Regionals. North in Riverton, South in Laramie. That whole seeding for state thing? It's kind of a big deal.

Those are three events I'm watching with a keen eye this weekend. Anything else stick out to you on the schedule? Comments welcome.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

You know how we do. This week's 5:

1. Gillette golf: The Camels won the girls' team title and finished second in the boys' division at the Casper Invitational last week -- not a bad little roll to start the week before state.

2. Lyman volleyball: We see ya there, Eagles. Lyman finished third at its host tournament, but watch out -- the Eagles have been consistently pesky all season and could be a scary team come late October.

3. Cokeville volleyball: Speaking of volleyball tournaments, check out the Panthers. They won the Thermopolis Invitational, beating some much bigger schools (Cody in the championship and Powell in pool play) in the process. Then again, it's not all that surprising. Cokeville seems to do this every year.

4. Gillette girls swimming: OK, one more quick trip up to Campbell County, because I've got to give a quick shout-out to the Camels' swimmers. Really, think about this: It's not all that often you see a team more than double up the second-place team in a nine-team meet, but that's exactly what the Camels did at the Riverton Invitational. In fact, the rest of the field couldn't even double up the Camels -- the eight other teams scored 766 points combined; Gillette scored 443 all on their own. I don't care who you are, that's impressive right there.

5. Lovell football: I knew it was only a matter of time. The Bulldogs finally broke out big in a 30-point victory over Wright; Grant Geiser threw five TD passes to five different receivers. Yay, diversity!

That's it for now. Who else had a noteworthy weekend? Comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's trio is a little conspiracy, a little cross-section and a little conference action -- and I think the 'c' button is now broken... :

GOLF: 3A conference meets, Lander and Lovell. The 3A teams have their conference meets in the fall; the 4As have them in the spring... which makes this weekend even more key for the 3A teams, not only for state placing but for all-conference honors, too.

CROSS COUNTRY: Michelle Ludwig Invitational, Saturday, Sheridan. The meet is a good cross-section of small and big schools from both sides of the Bighorns. With 11 in-state schools scheduled to go, it's the biggest in-state meet of the weekend, too.

VOLLEYBALL: Look out! The L Conspiracy is back! Tournaments this weekend are scheduled for Laramie, Lingle, Lusk AND Lyman. All four look fun. And all four kind of blend together into one sort of big L-type tournament on a weekend like this.

If you're in Casper on Thursday, don't forget about the first regular-season Kelly Walsh-Natrona County volleyball match, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at NCHS.

Where are you going this weekend? Post a comment and fill us in on where your hot spots are this week.  

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's Five, in NPO:

1. Rawlins volleyball: In the biggest 3A tournament outside of state, the Outlaws won their own tournament, losing only one set along the way. And that was in pool play -- Rawlins swept everything on Saturday in the Gold bracket.

2. Jackson girls swimming: The Broncs did the double-dip this weekend, winning both the Pinedale Invitational and the Kemmerer Invitational. So how about it: Lander and Jackson are again alone at the top in 3A? Can anyone push either of these teams?

3. Sheridan girls cross country: Lela Carpenter won and Dana Morin finished third to pace the Broncs to a team championship at the talent-rich Wayne Chaney Memorial in Gillette on Friday.

4. Lingle football: The Doggers are playing Norman Dale-style football: "They can't win if they don't score." The Doggers pitched their second straight shutout and improved to 2-0 this season, even though they've only scored 14 points combined.

5. Cokeville football: Speaking of shutouts, the Panthers notched their second straight zero of the season, too, by beating the Evanston JV. Cokeville's total points scored through two games is a bit more impressive -- 77.

There they are. Add yours by making a comment below.

Before we get too deep into the possible new conference alignments facing the scrutiny of the Wyoming High School Activities Association this fall, we need to set the ground rules of what's up for vote. The WHSAA's first quarterly meeting, scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 1 in Casper, will have great sway in how the conferences and classifications are organized for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

It's easiest to examine the proposals if we look at football as separate from everything else. And here's how everything else breaks down:

One proposal before the WHSAA is the so-called "natural breaks" proposal, one that would allow the WHSAA to put as many as 14 teams into Class 4A. Using enrollment numbers provided to them earlier this fall, the WHSAA executive staff has already set those "natural breaks" so schools will know where they would go if this proposal passes.

Here are how the conferences would break down IF this proposal passes (for basketball, track and volleyball, and to a certain extent for wrestling):

4A West: Cody, Evanston, Green River, Jackson, Riverton, Rock Springs, Star Valley.
4A East: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Natrona County, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie, Sheridan.
3A West: Lander, Lovell, Powell, Worland, Kemmerer, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale.
3A East: Buffalo, Glenrock, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland.
2A Northwest: Greybull, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni.
2A Northeast: Big Horn, Moorcroft, Sundance, Tongue River, Wright.
2A Southwest: Big Piney, Saratoga, Wind River, Wyoming Indian.
2A Southeast: Burns, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast.
1A Northwest: Burlington, Dubois, Fort Washakie, Meeteetse, St. Stephens, Ten Sleep.
1A Northeast: Arvada-Clearmont, Hulett, Kaycee, Normative Services, Upton.
1A Southwest: Arapaho Charter, Cokeville, Encampment, Farson, Hanna, Snake River.
1A Southeast: Chugwater, Glendo, Guernsey, Midwest, Rock River.

If the proposal DOES NOT pass, and the WHSAA goes back to using its current classification system (12-16-20-rest), here's how the conferences would break down:

4A West: Natrona County, Evanston, Green River, Riverton, Rock Springs, Star Valley.
4A East: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie, Sheridan.
3A West: Cody, Lander, Powell, Worland, Jackson, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale.
3A East: Buffalo, Glenrock, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland.
2A Northwest: Greybull, Lovell, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni.
2A Northeast: Big Horn, Moorcroft, Sundance, Tongue River, Wright.
2A Southwest: Big Piney, Kemmerer, Saratoga, Wind River, Wyoming Indian.
2A Southeast: Burns, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Southeast.
1A Northwest: Burlington, Dubois, Fort Washakie, Meeteetse, St. Stephens, Ten Sleep.
1A Northeast: Arvada-Clearmont, Hulett, Kaycee, Normative Services, Upton.
1A Southwest: Arapaho Charter, Cokeville, Encampment, Farson, Hanna, Snake River.
1A Southeast: Chugwater, Glendo, Guernsey, Midwest, Rock River.

It's important to note several things at this point. First, conference alignments are still flexible, and there could still be changes in the make-up of the conferences even if the "natural breaks" proposal passes or fails. This is most likely to happen at the 1A level, specifically with Midwest rejoining the Northeast or Arapaho Charter rejoining the 1A Northwest or swapping spots with Fort Washakie in the Southwest.

But it could also happen in Class 4A, especially if the "natural breaks" proposal does not pass. The current Class 4A ADs got together in Casper last week and hammered out the alignment shown above in the example where the "natural breaks" proposal doesn't pass. You'll note that the Casper schools are split -- Natrona in the West, Kelly Walsh in the East -- and that Riverton has moved into the West. As I understand it, the ADs suggested this alignment by a vote of 11-1.

Schools' classifications will be determined by the vote on the "natural breaks" proposal, and classification can't change once it's set except for by special vote by the WHSAA board. But, as I said before, though, conference alignment is still fluid and will continue to be fluid right up until the final vote in November.

And we haven't even touched soccer. In each case, no matter what, soccer will stay at 12 teams in Class 4A, with Natrona, Evanston, Green River, Riverton, Rock Springs and Star Valley in the West and Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie and Sheridan in the East.

Now, take a breath....

Whew.

On to football... and another proposal. This one is for the reorganization of the football classifications, the big crux of which is reducing Class 5A to 10 teams and adding a division of six-man football.

Here is how the football conferences would shake out IF the proposal passes:

Class 4A: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Natrona County, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Evanston, Green River, Laramie, Rock Springs, Sheridan.
3A West: Cody, Jackson, Lander, Powell, Star Valley, Worland.
3A East: Buffalo, Douglas, Rawlins, Riverton, Torrington, Wheatland.
2A West: Big Piney, Greybull, Kemmerer, Lovell, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale, Wyoming Indian.
2A East: Burns, Big Horn, Glenrock, Moorcroft, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Tongue River, Wright.
1A 11-man West: Burlington, Cokeville, Dubois, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Saratoga, Shoshoni, Wind River.
1A 11-man East: Hulett, Lingle, Lusk, Normative Services, Pine Bluffs, Southeast, Sundance, Upton.
1A six-man: Fort Washakie, Guernsey, Hanna, Kaycee, Snake River, Meeteetse, Midwest, Rock River, Ten Sleep.

You'll note that there are no conferences for 4A or 1A-six-man. In both cases, there will only be one conference, with a round-robin schedule set up for both divisions. Class 4A teams will play each other each once, including a full-on regular season game scheduled for Zero Week, for a nine-game regular season. Each game will be a "conference" game -- there will be no non-conference games -- and the top eight teams from that "conference" will be seeded 1-8 in the playoff bracket.

For six-man, each team will play every other once -- nine teams, making for an eight-game regular season -- and the top four teams will advance to the playoffs.

As for 2A and 1A-11, you'll note that the conferences themselves are much bigger now. Therefore, the conference season will take up the bulk of the schedule -- seven of the eight games for each team will be conference games.

If the proposal DOES NOT pass, here is how the classes/conferences would be made up:

5A East: Gillette, Kelly Walsh, Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East, Laramie, Sheridan.
5A West: Natrona County, Evanston, Green River, Rock Springs, Star Valley.
4A West: Cody, Jackson, Lander, Powell, Riverton, Worland.
4A East: Buffalo, Douglas, Rawlins, Torrington, Wheatland.
3A West: Big Piney, Kemmerer, Lovell, Lyman, Mountain View, Pinedale.
3A East: Burns, Glenrock, Moorcroft, Newcastle, Thermopolis, Wright.
2A West: Greybull, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Shoshoni, Wind River, Wyoming Indian.
2A East: Big Horn, Lingle, Lusk, Pine Bluffs, Sundance, Tongue River.
1A West: Burlington, Cokeville, Dubois, Hanna, Saratoga.
1A East: Guernsey, Hulett, Midwest, Normative Services, Southeast, Upton.

Once again, it's important to note in both cases, conference alignment can be fluid but, usually, classification is not. The only hiccup I see here is with Saratoga football, which usually co-ops with Encampment, which might cause them to move up a classification in the second case.

And it's interesting to see here that if the six-man/10 in 4A proposal doesn't pass, Casper's two teams could again be split up, aided by Star Valley's jump into 5A and Riverton's fall to 4A.

It's a lot to process. I'm still trying to do just that.... And now, you have some time to do so, too.

The first of the four district meetings was today; those will continue through next week. Then, on Sept. 30, the WHSAA board will gather in Casper, make some votes and help clear up a lot of the "what-ifs" facing them this month.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The Trio this week is a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll -- and all awesome.

VOLLEYBALL: Rawlins Invitational, Friday and Saturday. It's just like the 3A state tournament, only with 15 of the 3A teams instead of eight. Of course, it was 2A Mountain View that won the tournament last year. Oh, sweet irony! Anyway, this year's edition of the tournament should be a great gauge for the rest of the season.

GOLF: Wright Invitational, Friday and Saturday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there might be some better golf played at some other tournaments in the state this weekend. But this tournament -- with Big Horn, Lusk, Moorcroft, Tongue River and Wright, at last check, all ready to attend -- is almost like a mini-preview of the 2A state meet. And that makes it incredibly intriguing.

CROSS COUNTRY: Cody Invitational, Friday. Call it the Bighorn Basin championships... all the BHB schools (plus Lander and Fort Washakie) are scheduled to attend.

That's it for now. Check back later today for an update on the WHSAA's reclassification proposals, which got underway today with the first of four district meetings.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here's the fall's first installment of the "Five on the Rise," a list of five teams that looked good last week and should be watched this week. In no particular order, they are:  

1. Jackson tennis: In duals with Cody and Powell on Saturday, the teams from Teton County went a combined 20-0. Four sweeps. In fact, the Broncs lost only one set... 40-1. That's impressive.

2. Sheridan golf: For Cameron Lindell. Lindell tied for the championship at the Buffalo Invitational on Saturday, but how he did it -- with a hole-in-one on the fourth hole -- made his day all the more impressive.

3. Kemmerer volleyball: In case you're keeping track, the Rangers haven't lost yet this season. They won the championship at the Douglas Invitational two weeks ago, then swept both Lyman and Pinedale last week.

4. Kelly Walsh volleyball: Two weeks into the season, the Trojans are still undefeated. KW beat Gillette in the championship of the Camel Volleyball Tournament last week on the Camels' home court, finishing 6-0 in the tournament and moving to 12-0 overall.

5. Lingle volleyball: Want excitement? Go to a Doggers volleyball match. Lingle won a pair of five-game conference matches last week, beating Guernsey 3-2 on Tuesday and Pine Bluffs 3-2 on Friday.

So there they are. If you think you've got some knowledge worth dropping on the world, comment below with some thoughts.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Without going into too much detail, this has been one of the longest, weirdest days of my life. That said, you've been waiting all week for the Sports Goulash Trio, and here it is, hot off the sidewalk:

VOLLEYBALL: Camel Invitational, Friday and Saturday, Gillette. This is one of the premiere tournaments in the state, and it's all due to the field. Right now, I've got nine of the 12 Class 4A teams scheduled to attend the tournament, plus last year's 3A runner-up, Rawlins, plus last year's 2A champ, Big Horn. The field is always stacked in Gillette, and that makes it fun to see who's already on top of their game and who has a ways to go.

CROSS COUNTRY: Rawlins Invitational, Friday. There will be 15 Wyoming teams heading down Carbon County way, and the eclectic mix of small schools and big schools should make for some interesting races.

GOLF: McDonald's Invitational, Kingsport, Tenn., Saturday through Monday. The Cheyenne Central boys were the only team to earn a spot at the prestigious invitation-only tournament in Tennessee. Congratulations, Indians -- the invitation alone says a lot about the caliber of program that has been built in the Capital City.

'Tis it for now. More tomorrow. I'm going to go home and rest until my eyes stop spinning.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The world-famous (or at least Wyoming-famous) Sports Goulash Trio is back this fall with three events that are likely going to be the ones everyone will be talking about on Monday:

CROSS COUNTRY: Laramie Invitational, Friday. This is where three of last year's six state individual champions are slated to run, including both of last year's Class 4A champs. Talk about a great way to gauge summer improvement... not only for the defending individual champs, but for everyone else, to see how they stack up.

VOLLEYBALL: Cheyenne Invitational, Friday and Saturday. This weekend is so much fun -- most of the state's teams are partaking in tournaments this weekend, so it's a great way to play a lot of volleyball and see exactly what needs work. But more than that, this is Kelly Walsh vs. Natrona County, version 2008, Round 1. Even though it doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of the season, it'd still be fun to watch it (and don't forget the other four teams there.... improved East, perennially tough Central and one of the 3A favorites, Rawlins).

TENNIS: Kelly Walsh/Natrona County at Cheyenne Central/Cheyenne East, double dual, Saturday. Oil City vs. Capital City -- it's always a great way for all four teams to figure out where they stand early in the season.

There they are, this week's trio. Where are you headed this weekend? Leave a comment below and tell the universe.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

... Where are you going? Do you have some room for me?

Tomorrow is Thursday. A big Thursday. The start of fall sports big.

Golf tournaments in Riverton, Sheridan and Wheatland mark the start of competition. As usual, golf hogs the early sports spotlight, simply because it's the only sport allowed to have competitions the first week and a half.

Next week is when stuff gets truly busy -- cross country and tennis start next Thursday, then volleyball, swimming and football join the fun next Friday.

We'll be running our fall sports previews for all sports starting next Friday (Aug. 29), with class-by-class football previews starting the following day.

Coaches have begun to send me their fall sports preview information. Reading through those in and of itself is enough to spark my excitement. It's a fun time of year...

Is there any event in particular you've been keeping your eye on this summer? I have a few that have already piqued my interest: Gillette Invitational and Rawlins Invitational volleyball, anything tennis in Rawlins (but that's a whole other blog post), Riverside at Big Horn in Week 2 of football season, Casper Invite cross country to kick off the season.... How about you? Any "can't miss" events this fall?

Now for something completely different:

HEY COACHES! Be sure to send me your fall sports preview information if you haven't done so already. Call me at (307) 266-0615 or (800) 791-5002 or e-mail me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com if you have questions.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Of the WHSAA's 12 boys and 12 girls sanctioned sports, each one has had its dynasties.

Sooner or later, all dynasties eventually fade. Some last longer than others, and they're all worthy of recognition.

But in which sport is it hardest to build and maintain a multi-year dynasty?

Is it a mainstream team sport like football, basketball or soccer, where seasons are often defined by how teams play in a three-game loser-out tournament?

Or is it tougher in a sport like golf, where one bad day for a team meber -- or one outstanding day -- might mean the difference between first and fifth?

Or is it in a sport like wrestling or tennis, where individual efforts are paramount and team success -- and therefore the construction of a dynasty -- simply a byproduct?

For argument's sake, here are the the longest and second-longest state championship streaks in WHSAA-sponsored sports (excluding indoor track, which is brand new, and alpine skiing, where our archives only go back to 1993):

Boys
Football: Cokeville, 6 (1986-91), and Worland, 5 (1952-56)
Cross country: Gillette, 7 (1988-94) and 6 (1998-2003), and Wright, 5 (1998-02) and Encampment, 5 (1973-77)
Tennis: Cheyenne Central, 8 (1986-93), and Natrona County, 3 (1977-79) and Jackson, 3 (2000-02)
Golf: Cheyenne Central, 4 (2004-07) and Douglas, 4 (1981-84)
Basketball: Gillette, 6 (1992-97), and Cheyenne Central, 4 (1942-45) and La Grange, 4 (1958-61)
Wrestling: Star Valley, 7 (1992-98), and Cody, 6 (1947-52) and Gillette, 6 (2003-08)
Swimming: Lander, 12 (1997-08), and Green River, 4 (1974-77), Laramie, 4 (1976-79 and 1985-88) and Gillette, 4 (1993-96)
Nordic skiing (since 1982): Jackson, 5 (1989-93 and 2004-08), and Natrona County, 4 (1996-99)
Track (since 1974): Torrington, 6 (1974-79) and Gillette, 6 (2001-06)
Soccer: Cheyenne East, 4 (1986-89), and Kelly Walsh, 2 (2002-03) and Cheyenne Central, 2 (1990-91)

Girls
Volleyball: Cokeville, 9 (1985-93) and 7 (1995-01), and Pine Bluffs, 5 (1978-82)
Cross country: Gillette, 12 (1995-06), and Douglas, 5 (2001-05)
Swimming: Gillette, 6 (1994-99), Laramie, 6 (1972-77) and Douglas, 6 (1978-83)
Tennis: Cheyenne Central, 7 (1981-87), and Sheridan, 4 (1990-93)
Golf: Lusk, 6 (2001-06), and Gillette, 4 (2000-03) and Natrona County, 4 (1991-94)
Basketball: Gillette, 5 (1994-98), and Gillette, 4 (2001-04) and Star Valley, 4 (1986-89)
Nordic skiing (since 1982): Lander, 6 (1993-98), and Natrona County, 4 (1989-92)
Gymnastics: Gillette, 7 (1999-05), and Laramie, 6 (1979-84)
Track: Ten Sleep, 6 (1981-86), and Worland, 5 (1993-97)
Soccer: Cheyenne East, 3 (1986-89) and Natrona County, 3 (1989-91)

What do you think? Looks like soccer might have the early edge...

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

With the first practice approaching fast -- don't look, but it's less than three weeks away -- now is the right time to start looking ahead to the upcoming volleyball season. To get the discussion started, here are my early top five in each classification, made without consulting anyone except me. Tell me where I went wrong...

Class 4A
1. Natrona County: I wholly underestimated the Fillies at the beginning of last year, but even before they won the 4A state championship, they had earned my respect. And with basically the entire front line coming back from last year's championship team, they're the odds-on favorites to win this year.
2. Kelly Walsh: The Trojans were actually pretty young last year, and although KW lost some talent, plenty remains -- including last year's Gatorade player of the year, Emily Rochelle.
3. Gillette: The Camels only lost three seniors and are in reloading mode -- not rebuilding mode.
4. Sheridan: Sheridan lost a lot of talent to graduation, but it also returns just enough to stay competitive with the state's top teams.
5. Evanston: The returning Red Devils are quick and athletic, which should help them overcome the big losses they suffered to graduation rather quickly.
(How can I leave out... Star Valley? Lost only three seniors and have an unmatched tradition... D'oh!)

Class 3A
1. Rawlins: Three seniors are gone, including the Outlaws' only all-stater (Myriah Warren), but a solid group of underclass players are more than ready to take their place.
2. Douglas: My instincts tell me to vote the Bearcats high. They have a good group of returners and a strong senior class leading the way.
3. Jackson: Perhaps the state's best player (Kelly Burns) plays here. She's going to play at N.C. State in '09 -- and her presence alone should be enough to make Jackson one of 3A's favorites.
4. Wheatland: The back-to-back state champs were hurt pretty hard by graduation, but there's enough talent returning to make a run at a three-peat.
5. Kemmerer: My early underdogs. The Rangers made state last year for the first time in a loooooong time and return all but one player from that squad.
(How can I leave out... Worland? Yeah, the front line's gone, but basically everyone else is back... D'oh! )

Class 2A
1. Big Horn: Coach Daley has that program in perfect shape for another title run -- he's got athletic players who've bought into the team concept he preaches.
2. Mountain View: Last year's runners-up may be the most athletic 2A team in the state (and them's fightin' words for those Big Horn folks...).
3. Sundance: The Bulldogs have become contenders year in and year out, and even though they lost some talented players to graduation (including two-time all-stater Sidney Materi), they return enough to stay competitive.
4. Thermopolis: The Bobcats have a deep core of talented players and should make life tough again for all those schools up in the Northwest.
5. Wyoming Indian: Only one senior graduated and there is a solid senior class ready to make this season special.
(How can I leave out... Tongue River? Made a deep run at state last year and return a bunch of height... D'oh! )

Class 1A
1. Cokeville: The Panthers are consistent year in and year out, and they've got a load of players back who saw time on the floor last year.
2. Burlington: Burlington will miss a lot of seniors that graduated, but in 1A this year, that's the trend. And the Huskies bring back enough talented players to stay right in the thick of the race, including 2x all-stater Paige Neves.
3. Southeast: The Cyclones were also hurt hard by graduation, but a tough schedule plus depth should yield a talented team come October.
4. Farson: Don't overlook the Pronghorns. They lost only two seniors to graduation and all-stater Jewell Moss is surrounded by an enthusiastic -- if a little young -- team.
5. Hulett: The core of last year's championship team is gone, but the returning players know what it takes to win and will be a threat all season.
(How can I leave out... Arvada-Clearmont? Morgan Mines goes there. All they need is someone to get her the ball... D'oh! )

So there you go. Debate away.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Brief reminder of the rules: No researching to find the answer. Guessing is allowed and encouraged. Post your guess as a comment on this post and I'll comment whether or not you're right as quick as I can.

This week's question:

The rosters for the Wyoming Coaches Association's all-star weekend were released today (see below). My question: Who won last year's WCA all-star volleyball, girls basketball and boys basketball games? (You have to get all three right, and if any part of your answer is wrong, it's all wrong).

Oh by the way, here are the rosters. Two spots still need to be filled, one on the South's girls basketball team and one on the South's volleyball team.

Volleyball
NORTH
BIG HORN: Winsome Williams, Lauren Roberts. HULETT: Sonja Neiman. KELLY WALSH: Kristin Glisczinski, Kristen Getter. NATRONA COUNTY: Brianna Wood, Kaylee Beddes. POWELL: Abby Pollart, Katie Patterson. SHERIDAN: Erika Stender, Katie Malin. SUNDANCE: Sidney Materi. Coaches: Sally Nichols, Natrona County; Mike Daley, Big Horn.
SOUTH
CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Sharaeh Bullock, Kayli Jordan. COKEVILLE: Camille Petersen. DOUGLAS: Elisa Etchemendy. KEMMERER: Lynzee Crosland. LARAMIE: April Johnson, Carlynn Meranda. PINE BLUFFS: Kori Gilbert. WHEATLAND: Jannel Patterson, Bailey Yost, Whitney Jenkins. Coach: Brandy Taylor, Star Valley.

Girls basketball
NORTH
ARVADA-CLEARMONT: Becky Holland. GILLETTE: Becky Miller. JACKSON: Alex Koncak. LANDER: Dani White. LOVELL: Kristen Scheffler, Wendy Walker. NEWCASTLE: Emily Gregory. RIVERTON: Jeri Jacobson. SHERIDAN: Laura Quist. TONGUE RIVER: Kelly Horn. Coaches: Mark Mortimer, Worland; Dave Egger, Ten Sleep; Jacob Kraft, Worland.
SOUTH
CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Cassie Carlson. GREEN RIVER: Kada Williams. LARAMIE: Kendahl Avery. MOUNTAIN VIEW: Keshia Iorg. PINEDALE: Chelsey Hanson. SOUTHEAST: Katelin Ross, Megan House. STAR VALLEY: Danette Warren. TORRINGTON: Mandy Mullock. Coaches: Darol Nutt, Green River; Marvin Applequist, Farson.

Boys basketball
NORTH
BUFFALO: Jerad Anderson. BURLINGTON: Paul Christiansen. CODY: Trevor Morton. JACKSON: Ryan Stafford. KAYCEE: Seth Pheasant. LANDER: Tony Redman. MIDWEST: Noah Adams. SUNDANCE: Cody Emrick. TONGUE RIVER: Rob Johnson. WIND RIVER: Leithaniel Peahrora. Coaches: Dick Quayle, Wind River; Tony Selph, Lander.
SOUTH
CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Jason Moyte. DOUGLAS: Jordan Lisco. EVANSTON: Austin Kofoed. GUERNSEY: David Moats. LARAMIE: Galand Thaxton. LUSK: Taylor Johnson, Kaare Sigvartsen. PINEDALE: Conor Raney. ROCK SPRINGS: Brandon Allen. SARATOGA: Jake Johnston. Coaches: Rex Hohnholt, Saratoga; Ron Erickson, Douglas.

Golf
Boys
CHEYENNE CENTRAL: Josh Creel, Derek Francois. CHEYENNE EAST: Riley Kallhoff. CODY: Clinton Boutelle. GILLETTE: Kyle Hanson. LANDER: Seth Rohrbacher, Eric Ragan. TORRINGTON: Ryan Yung.
Girls
CODY: Brandi Holmes. LANDER: Melia Rohrbacher. WRIGHT: Katlyn Thomas.
Coaches: Kirk Aegerter, Laramie; Paul Hartigan, Cheyenne East.

Officials
Volleyball: Bev Leichtnam, Pauline Fackrell. Girls basketball: Mark Errampouse, Rock Springs; Jeff Lee, Worland; Eric Heiser, Riverton. Boys basketball: Joe White, Lovell; Jake Hagar, Casper; Lane Buchanan, Laramie. Trainer: Nancy Robertson, Casper.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Since August, I've been privileged enough to watch a good number of high school sporting events. Of the events I was able to watch in person, here are a few that stick out in my mind:

-- 5A football quarterfinals, Evanston at Kelly Walsh: A back-and-forth game that wasn't decided until the final moments. Eventually, Evanston rallied from a two-score deficit in the final few minutes of the fourth quarter to win.

-- 1A volleyball championship game, Hulett vs. Cokeville. Another back-and-forth affair where momentum shifted like the Wyoming wind. Hulett won in five.

-- The entire 2A boys state basketball tournament. Both semifinal games went into overtime; the championship game was close throughout; even the quarterfinals had an OT game. Lots of tight, hard-fought, close, well-played basketball games.

-- 1A boys basketball championship game, Encampment vs. Southeast. There is not much better than winning the state championship at the buzzer -- and there's not much more of a gut punch than losing the state championship at the buzzer.

-- Saturday at state track. Feeling sorry for myself that I'll never again get to see Stephen Michel or Maggie Ochsner or a host of other seniors run track again in high school -- and feeling good that I'll have at least one more year to watch Amber Henry, Emily Moore and a ton of others.

Those are the ones that stick out in my mind. How about yours? Comment below with your favorite high school sports moments from the past nine months.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com