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.)

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every year, about the last week in October, I start thinking about Wyoming's football playoffs.

I wonder why more than 2/3 of the state's teams make the playoffs -- and how, in that system, some teams at .500 or better can be left out of the postseason.

I wonder if reducing the number of teams that makes the playoffs is the answer.

I wonder if all those road teams in the first round really do have a chance to win a state championship.

Then I think about 2003.

That was the year Glenrock won three consecutive road games in the playoffs, knocking off Wright, Big Piney and Lovell three weekends in a row -- and three bus trips in a row -- to become the only Wyoming team to ever win a state football championship by winning three straight road games in the playoffs.

And then I think about this season, and wonder who might "pull off a Glenrock" and win three straight on the road.

This year, there is one team that sticks out with the best chance to do just this: Natrona County. What a sweet ride it could be for the Mustangs, too.

On Friday, NC plays at Green River, a team that beat them 14-12 in Zero Week. If the Mustangs win there, there's a possible semifinal game awaiting with top-seeded Sheridan, which beat the Mustangs 10-9 in NC's conference opener. And if the bracket comes together under coincidence's sweet plan, NC could play Gillette in the championship -- the same Gillette that beat NC 15-13 a few weeks ago in Camel-land.

Three games, three losses, five total points. The Mustangs' only three losses of the season.

It's a revenge tour in the making.

I think the Mustangs take that first step tonight against Green River. The Wolves have shown a propensity to struggle against teams that control the ball (think Cheyenne East). And few teams are better at grinding it out than the Mustangs.

And maybe, just maybe, NC will get that shot at Sheridan in the semis. And maybe, just maybe, NC will have that chance against Gillette in the championship.

But none of that cool stuff happens if the Mustangs don't win on Friday, and beating an athletic group of players from Green River is much easier said than done.

Even so, the thought of the Mustangs "pulling a Glenrock" is too intriguing to ignore. I'll take NC.

Here are my other quarterfinal playoff picks, with projected winners in bold and projected losers ready to make me think twice:

Thursday
Class 2A
Greybull vs. Big Horn, at Sheridan: The Rams have been the class of 2A all season and already have a 24-6 victory over Greybull to its credit.

Friday
Class 5A
Evanston at Sheridan: The worst thing that could happen to Sheridan here is a blowout victory. Another close victory like the one last week could keep the Broncs sharp for the semis -- an edge they'll need, no matter who they play.
Cheyenne Central at Gillette: The Camels have already beaten the Indians once this year. And that was in Cheyenne. This one's in Gillette.
Rock Springs at Cheyenne East: This is a real landmine-type game for the Thunderbirds. Remember, it was Rock Springs that knocked a South Conference champ (Cheyenne Central) out of the playoffs in the first round a year ago. And East's victory over Rock Springs was one of those tight defensive battles that could have gone either way. Even so, I'll still take East.

Class 4A
Rawlins at Douglas: The Bearcats have to be feeling good about their prospects. As long as they don't get caught looking ahead to Nov. 15, they cruise.
Powell at Lander: Yep, trust me -- I know all the reasons why I should pick Lander to win this. They're at home and they've already beaten Powell once this season. For some reason, though, the Panthers have earned my choice this time around. I wish I knew why... but my gut tells me to take Powell.
Worland at Buffalo: They already played this game once this season. Buffalo won it by a bunch. Look for more of the same.
Torrington at Cody: These two teams haven't played each other since 1996. And even though Cody won the West Conference, this game could stay close due to the Trailblazers' ability to control the ground game.

Class 3A
Thermopolis at Glenrock: The first time around, Glenrock had five turnovers against the Bobcats -- and still won by 30.
Lovell at Pinedale: Pinedale has defensive backs that are athletic enough to slow the Bulldogs' aerial game, and I think because of that, this game is a toss-up. But I can't ignore the offensive numbers Lovell has put up this year.
Wright vs. Moorcroft, at Sundance: In a little bit of an upset pick, I'll take the Panthers. The first game between these two could have gone either way (Moorcroft won in OT), and I think the law of averages swings Wright's way this time.
Mountain View at Kemmerer: Even against an improved Buffalos squad, the Rangers keep rolling.

Class 2A
Rocky Mountain at Burns: Can anyone hang with the Broncs? Maybe. But of all the teams that cross my mind first, the Grizzlies aren't on the list. Maybe in darn near Montana, but not in darn near Colorado.
Lingle vs. Wind River, at Riverton: For as good a season as the Doggers have had, the Cougars have been able to prove themselves in several other different ways.
Riverside at Lusk: At 4-4 versus 7-1, this shouldn't be a tough selection, right? But it is. This will likely rival last year's semifinal meeting between these two teams (won by Riverside 10-9) as far as intensity and drama.

Class 1A
Normative Services at Burlington: Don't count out the Wolves, who beat Burlington last year on the Huskies' home field in the quarterfinals. But I don't think anyone will question that Burlington has a better team this year -- one that should go deep into the playoffs.
Shoshoni at Hulett: This is one of those potential game-of-the-week-type games. Both teams are solid, but at home the Red Devils should eke out the victory.
Guernsey at Cokeville: It seems like every time Guernsey goes to Cokeville, the Vikings play out of their minds. But this year, the Panthers' defense has just been too good to let that Guernsey curse strike again.
Upton at Southeast: It'll be closer than last year's quarterfinal game between these two teams (74-21 SE) -- but not as close as the game these two had earlier this year (34-0 SE).

There are my picks. Do you agree? Did I hit the nail on the head or did I hit my thumb instead? Leave a comment below, then let's all enjoy it as the postseason unfolds for us and makes choices like mine look silly. :)

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The official football playoff pairings have been posted by the Wyoming High School Activities Association. Game times will be posted Monday.

Two games have moved location. The Wind River-Lingle game will be played in Riverton, while the Wright-Moorcroft game will be played in Sundance.

The official pairings are as follows:

Class 5A
(8) Evanston at (1, 1N) Sheridan
(5) Natrona County at (4, 2S) Green River
(6) Cheyenne Central at (3, 2N) Gillette
(7) Rock Springs at (2, 1S) Cheyenne East
Class 4A
(8) Rawlins at (1, 1E) Douglas
(5) Powell at (4, 2W) Lander
(6) Worland at (3, 2E) Buffalo
(7) Torrington at (2, 1W) Cody
Class 3A
(8) Thermopolis at (1, 1E) Glenrock
(5) Lovell at (4, 2W) Pinedale
(6) Wright at (3, 2E) Moorcroft
(7) Mountain View at (2, 1W) Kemmerer
Class 2A
(8) Rocky Mountain at (1, 1E) Burns
(5) Lingle at (4, 2W) Wind River
(6) Riverside at (3, 2E) Lusk
(7) Greybull at (2, 1W) Big Horn
Class 1A
(8) Normative Services at (1, 1W) Burlington
(5) Shoshoni at (4, 2E) Hulett
(6) Guernsey at (3, 2W) Cokeville
(7) Upton at (2, 1E) Southeast

Pairings are also available by clicking here.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The regular season's over. So no messing around. Let's just get right to it:

First mad props to Riverside, which beat Greybull 35-21. Matt Craft ran every which way through the Buffs' defense and finished with -- are you ready? -- 294 rushing yards. Although both teams are on the road in the first round of the playoffs, this was a big win for the defending champion Rebels as they try to gain some momentum heading into the postseason.

Second mad props to Thermopolis, which knocked off Lovell. The more I think about it, the more I think that this was not a flukey win at all. Thermopolis has had a solid defense all season, and tonight that defense came up with four interceptions and generally hounded the Bulldogs' passing game into submission and left it looking sort of like this. Granted, this game didn't affect the playoff make-up that much -- Lovell's still the five seed, going to Pinedale; Thermop is still the eight seed, going to Glenrock -- but mentally, this has to be a huge lift for the Bobcats.

Third mad props to Star Valley, which knocked off Worland 14-0 and made me sad at the same time. Sad? Well, yeah. The Braves have finally started clicking. They'd be a scary team if they could have made the playoffs. But they didn't make the playoffs. And that kind of makes me sad -- because I think the Braves could be that one team no one really wanted to play in the first round.

Now, for something outside the Bighorn Basin....

Fourth mad props to Pine Bluffs, which whomped Saratoga 41-8. What took the Hornets so long? I really thought this was the year they'd break through and cause some damage in the East. And if not for a one-point loss to Lingle, they could be in the playoffs. Instead, they'll have to settle for winning the last two games of the season and find some solace in the fact that they did, eventually, find that other level they'd been waiting for all year.

Fifth mad props to Upton, which solidified a playoff spot by beating Normative Services in OT. Matt Lougee was the Bobcats' savior; he scored the game-tying touchdown with 2 minutes to go, intercepted a Wolf pass during NSI's OT possession, then scored the game-winning touchdown on Upton's subsequent drive. Only the appearance of a bear and a Webelo would have made this game any better.

Now, onto the thing everyone is waiting for anyway: the playoff shakedown.

I've posted the brackets below in a post of their own (please remember these are PROJECTED power ratings and brackets; real brackets won't be out from the WHSAA until today sometime). But there were a couple things that stuck out. First was how close the battle for the last Class 4A spot ended up. Rawlins, with a PPR (projected power rating) of 25.94, wound up with the eighth spot. Star Valley finished ninth at 25.88. And defending champ Jackson looks like it won't even get a chance to play in the postseason; the Broncs are 10th with a PPR of 25.75. (FWIW, Wheatland was 11th at 25.28). As its reward, Rawlins gets to go to play Douglas, a team that beat it 48-0 about a month ago, in the first round.

In 5A, thanks to what's probably the highest-scoring Trona Bowl in history (certainly, the highest-scoring Trona Bowl in the past 50 years, as Green River and Rock Springs combined for 88 points in the Wolves' 57-31 victory), the brackets shook out almost exactly as I thought they might. Natrona will go to Green River in the most intriguing of the first-round games. Remember, though, last year, no team was safe in the 5A first round, as three of the four home teams lost in the quarterfinals. And then Cheyenne East, the only home team to win in the first round, went on to win the title.

Class 2A shook out a bit differently due to Riverside's win and Rocky Mountain's loss to Pinedale. Riverside, Greybull and Rocky went 6-7-8 as the West Conference earned five of the eight seeds. Speaking of such, conference balance was pretty much thrown right out with the bathwater ... 3A also finished unbalanced as the East earned five of the eight seeds ... as did 5A, where the South got five of eight ... as did 1A, where the East took five of eight.

And, for once, the first-round playoff pairings do not feature a single game where the participants played against each other in Week 8. Finally.

So there you go. The playoffs start next week. Did Week 8 change your mind at all about who might be the favorites for the state titles? Comment below if you think of something relevant. :)

Projected playoff pairings are right below this post; I'll post official pairings as soon as I get them.

This week: 24-5 (83 percent). This year: 190-61 (76 percent).

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Projected playoff pairings
Through early Friday using current standings. For complete projected playoff pairings, check The Blitz, the Star-Tribune's one-stop checkpoint for everything high school football: http://www.trib.com/theblitz
Class 5A
(8) Evanston at (1, 1N) Sheridan
(5) Natrona County at (4, 2S) Green River
(6) Cheyenne Central at (3, 2N) Gillette
(7) Rock Springs at (2, 1S) Cheyenne East
Class 4A
(8) Rawlins at (1, 1E) Douglas
(5) Powell at (4, 2W) Lander
(6) Worland at (3, 2E) Buffalo
(7) Torrington at (2, 1W) Cody
Class 3A
(8) Thermopolis at (1, 1E) Glenrock
(5) Lovell at (4, 2W) Pinedale
(6) Wright at (3, 2E) Moorcroft
(7) Mountain View at (2, 1W) Kemmerer
Class 2A
(8) Rocky Mountain at (1, 1E) Burns
(5) Lingle at (4, 2W) Wind River
(6) Riverside at (3, 2E) Lusk
(7) Greybull at (2, 1W) Big Horn
Class 1A
(8) Normative Services at (1, 1W) Burlington
(5) Shoshoni at (4, 2E) Hulett
(6) Guernsey at (3, 2W) Cokeville
(7) Upton at (2, 1E) Southeast

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Bighorn Basin rivals whose rivalry goes way back.

A game with huge playoff seeding implications.

A chance for one team to prove it's back for good; a chance for another team to prove its glory days aren't over yet.

So... are you thinking about Greybull at Riverside? Or Powell at Cody?

Because those statements accurately describe both games -- two huge Week 8 games on Friday.

The Powell-Cody matchup will decide which school wins the 4A West championship (and, subsequently, the No. 2 seed in the 4A playoffs). The fallout for the loser isn't quite as cut-and-dry, though.

If Powell wins, it's pretty simple: Cody is the runner-up and the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. If Cody wins, Powell falls into a tie with Lander -- and maybe Worland, if the Warriors beat Star Valley -- for second place in the conference standings. Then we all break out our tiebreaking procedures and go from there.

But we'll worry about that when the time comes. For now, it'll be interesting to see how the defenses stack up in this one. Powell has only given up 83 points this season and never more than 19 in a game -- and never more than 14 in a game it's won -- while Cody's given up only 77, including single digits to four of its past five opponents.

As for Greybull-Riverside, the 2A playoff implications are limitless. Right now, the defending state champion Rebels are seventh in the power ratings, hardly a secure spot for a team trying to defend its championship. Meanwhile, Greybull is not much safer in sixth place as the oft-stomped Buffaloes try to finish the regular season with a winning record for the first time since 2003 -- a huge mental step for a team on the verge of becoming a perennial powerhouse.

These two schools are only eight miles apart and their rivalry is deep. But there hasn't been a game this big in this rivalry for quite some time. The winner is guaranteed to move on in the playoff race, while the loser sits on pins and needles until the power rankings sort themselves out.

To put it succinctly, these are big games. And I'll take the upstarts -- Cody and Greybull -- to knock off the old favorites.

Here are the rest of this week's picks, with projected winners in bold type:

Thursday
Class 2A
Big Horn vs. Tongue River, at Sheridan: Even with the Rams at 7-0 and the Eagles at 0-7, nothing can be taken for granted in this game. That's been proven time and time again in this series.

Interclass
Wind River at Shoshoni: Even with both teams heading to the playoffs -- WR in 2A, Shoshoni in 1A -- the Cougars have the upper hand here.

Friday
Class 5A
Cheyenne Central at Laramie: The Indians have been a quirky team all year. And they could very well be a dangerous team in the playoffs.
Cheyenne East at Gillette: Don't call this game meaningless. Neither team wants to interrupt the momentum they have built up heading into the playoffs.
Evanston at Natrona County: With both teams already in the playoffs, don't expect too many fireworks. Think lots of off-tackle running plays, safe passes and a final score that might be closer than you think.
Kelly Walsh at Sheridan: The Broncs are back. And if they do things right, this could be the second of five straight games at home for them.
Rock Springs at Green River: The Tigers could create a whole bunch of problems in the 5A South if they can find a way to pull off the upset of the Wolves. And after the Wolves' tough loss last week, a Rock Springs upset seems entirely plausible. For now, though, the house will take GR.

Class 4A
Douglas at Wheatland: The Bulldogs could have probably wrapped up a playoff berth if they had won last week. But they lost. Now they have to try and pull off a monumental upset if they want to sniff the playoffs again.
Rawlins at Buffalo: Never bet against the Bison to lose twice in a row.
Worland at Star Valley: The Warriors' October curse has finally been lifted -- which means a deep playoff run is still a possibility.

Class 3A
Lovell at Thermopolis: The Bulldogs' loss last week was more of a ? than a ! Look for them to bounce back.
Mountain View at Lyman: The Buffalos have had control of this series lately, winning three in a row and 15 of the past 19 meetings. And with the Eagles' struggles, it's a pretty safe bet that trend will continue.
Wright at Glenrock: Last four weeks: Glenrock 148, opponents 13.

Class 2A
Lusk at Burns: This is a pretty rare occurrence in Wyoming: Two undefeated teams meeting up in the last week of the regular season. My educated guess goes to the Broncs....
Pine Bluffs at Saratoga: If the Panthers can find a way to generate some offense, their defense is stout enough to pull out a win in this one.
Sundance at Lingle: The Doggers have been one of the most pleasant surprises in 2A this fall. Now, they have to prove something else: that they're not just a nice surprise, they're a legit championship contender. The bulk of that proving comes next week, but it sure can start here....

Class 1A
Burlington at Dubois: The Huskies are conference champs for a reason.
Hanna at Wyoming Indian: The Chiefs can wrap up their second straight winning season -- a first in school history -- if they can win at home on Friday.
Normative Services at Upton: The Wolves could be a nightmare in the 1A playoffs if the improvement they showed last week continues to grow.
Southeast at Guernsey: With the conference championship on the line, the experienced Cyclones should play up to the challenge.

Interclass
Big Piney at Cokeville: The Panthers could be nice guys and try to let the Punchers keep some of their fading playoff hopes alive. But don't count on it.
Hulett at Moorcroft: With both teams likely hosting games in the first round of the playoffs, this game simply becomes a tune-up for the bi