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

It's Thursday, so you know what that means: Sports Goulash's impossible trivia. Brief reminder of the rules: No researching to find the answer; guesses are allowed and encouraged; you guess by putting your answer in as a reply to this post; I let you know whether you're right or wrong as soon as I can; everybody happy!

This week's question: In the 22-year history of the Wyoming State High School Soccer Championships, what team (you have to name both the school and the gender) has scored more combined goals than any other squad?

Bonus question: How many goals has this team scored in those 22 years at state?

Begin your guesses now....

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

South Dakota recently became the final state to add state-sanctioned soccer. The big debate, though, in South Dakota, is when the sports should be played.

Overwhelmingly, the state's soccer coaches want both boys and girls to play in the fall. They say too many soccer players are also involved in track....

And that got me thinking about Wyoming. Right now in Wyoming, both track and soccer are spring sports, despite the fact that most states around Wyoming play soccer in the fall (Nebraska is the lone exception).

Obviously, the big difference here in Wyoming is the lack of state-sanctioned high school baseball and softball, which are big in surrounding states in the springtime. But if Wyoming did ever decide to move soccer to the fall, many other dominoes would have to fall for it to work.

Simply placing soccer in the fall wouldn't work -- too many other sports are going on in the fall season for soccer to have a chance.

What might make fall soccer work is if some other sports moved from the fall to the spring. Girls swimming is the keystone in soccer's move -- and moving swimming from the fall to the spring would be tough. But both golf and tennis could move easily to the spring (many schools already have the sport in both the fall and the spring, and all that would have to move to the spring is the state culminating events).

But going up against both football and volleyball might be too much for soccer to overcome, especially at the 3A level.

What do you think? Should soccer be a fall sport? Does it work better in the spring in Wyoming? What would it take for soccer to move to the fall in the Equality State?

Just curious.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Saturday is your last chance to catch some high school sports action this year. Take advantage of it.

The track finals start at 9 a.m. in Casper. The Saturday morning session is the showcase of the meet, and if you've never been to it, it's worth your time. Get there early; finding a good seat can be tough.

The soccer championship games start at 10 a.m. in Laramie. For the first time, there will be back-to-back-to-back-to-back championship games in one spot. Find a seat, bring some sunblock and fuel up on concession stand nachos, then watch championship soccer to your heart's content.

Just remember this day when you're sitting there in mid-July waiting for the fall sports to start. And don't make it a "could have been."

If you're going to track, I'll see you there. If you're going to soccer, I'll miss you, so comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Not your friends, not your nose, not your friend's nose. Nope, these picks are for state track and soccer. Here's who I think is going to win.... And I'm more than ready for you to make fun of me if you don't agree.

4A boys soccer: Kelly Walsh. The Trojans have already beaten Laramie in Laramie. That's not easy. If they want to win it all again, they'll probably have to beat Laramie in Laramie again....

4A girls soccer: Laramie. That record is intimidating -- unbeaten and untied since an early loss to Gering, Neb. No other team has proven it has what it takes to beat the Lady Plainsmen thus far. That, coupled with the sort-of home-field advantage, prompts me to put the favorites' tag on Laramie.

3A boys soccer: Cody. Unbeaten so far, the Broncs have risen up to every challenge they've had this year. They've given no reason why they won't come up big again this week.

3A girls soccer: Buffalo. This is probably the most wide-open bracket of them all, and that's what'll make this one fun. Jackson, Worland, Cody and Lander have all proven they belong, but I think it's the Bison's score-at-will ability that puts them on top.

Now, on to track and field, which is where I'll be this week...

4A boys track: Gillette. This meet has developed into a two-team race -- Gillette and Natrona County -- and I know I'll never hear the end of it if the Mustangs win. Either way, I think it'll be really close, and the difference is only a numbers game. Gillette has 38 qualifiers, NC has 31. It'll be those few extra eighth-place finishes that will give the Camels the title, likely in a team race that will come down to the 4x4 relay.

3A boys track: Cody. The Broncs have been the favorite all season, and they have more qualifiers than anyone else. Douglas, Powell and Lander won't go down without a fight, but when the dust settles I envision Cody on top.

2A boys track: Wind River. Thye were the preseason pick of a lot of 2A coaches and now I see why. The Cougars are deep -- 23 qualifers -- and talented. Guernsey and Burns are the only teams that can realistically challenge Wind River, and they will. But I don't think either has the depth to win like the Cougars do.

1A boys track: Saratoga. This one could get really, really fun. Burlington and Dubois have a ton of qualifiers, too, and Cokeville is always strong. Here's what has to happen -- Cokeville has to take away points from Saratoga on the track (after all, Cokeville doesn't have anyone qualified in a single field event). Then Burlington and Dubois have to take points away from Saratoga in the field events. If and only if that happens will anyone have a chance at catching Saratoga. It's possible, sure, but a lot of dominoes will have to fall right for anyone but Saratoga to win it.

4A girls track: Cheyenne Central. Central has 42 individual qualifiers. Second-most is Natrona with 28. That should just about say it all right there.... Central is deep in pretty much every running event, the high jump and the throws. It might be close after the first day or two, but depth is always key at state, and no one has more of it than the Indians.

3A girls track: Cody. Favorites from Day 1, Cody will not just storm into Casper and take the championship by force. Torrington, Douglas, Glenrock, Powell and Jackson all have the type of depth that will make the week frustrating. But, again, no one has more depth than Cody, and that'll carry the Broncs to first place.

2A girls track: Mountain View. This is the one three years in the making -- Mountain View vs. Lingle. Forget everyone else, because this is just a straight-up dual. Every point will be crucial, every event hotly contested. Again, it's that small edge in depth that points toward the Buffalos that prompts me to pick them. But those finals on Saturday sure could sway the final point total back to the Doggers. This one will be fun, really fun, to watch all week.

1A girls track: Ummm... can I just forfeit this pick? Right now, it's too close to call. I'll pick Burlington, mostly for the Huskies' prowess in the field events. But Cokeville has the depth in the running events to make a run at the title, too, and even little-heralded Dubois could rack up enough first-place finishes to stay in the hunt.

OK, there are my picks. Let's hear yours. Then we'll look Saturday night and see how our picks stacked up against each other. Winner gets a cookie.*

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

*-OK, not really. No cookies. Unless you come to Casper and find me at work. We'll go to Subway or something. Cookies on me.

Official brackets will be released sometime between now and Monday, but here are the Star-Tribune's projected state soccer brackets:

State soccer brackets
BOYS
Class 4A
Thursday
Kelly Walsh (1W, 13-1-2) vs. Gillette (4E, 2-12-2), 2 p.m., Field 3
Cheyenne East (2E, 10-4-1) vs. Natrona County (3W, 8-6-2), 2 p.m., UW field
Rock Springs (2W, 8-6-3) vs. Cheyenne Central (3E, 12-4-1), 4:30 p.m., Field 3
Laramie (1E, 12-1-2) vs. Green River (4W, 5-8-4), 4:30 p.m., UW field
Friday
Kelly Walsh-Gillette loser vs. Cheyenne East-Natrona County loser, 2 p.m., Field 1
Rock Springs-Cheyenne Central loser vs. Laramie-Green River loser, 2 p.m., Field 2
Kelly Walsh-Gillette winner vs. Cheyenne East-Natrona County winner, 4:30 p.m., Field 1
Rock Springs-Cheyenne Central winner vs. Laramie-Green River winner, 4:30 p.m., Field 2
Saturday
Consolation championship, 11 a.m., Field 2
Third place, 11 a.m., Field 1
Championship, 4 p.m., Stadium Field

Class 3A
Thursday
Cody (1W, 13-0-1) vs. Newcastle (4E, 1-10-0), 2 p.m., Field 1
Lander (2E, 10-3-1) vs. Worland (3W, 4-5-3), 2 p.m., Field 2
Jackson (2W, 7-4-2) vs. Torrington (3E, 1-12-0), 4:30 p.m., Field 1
Buffalo (1E, 10-1-3) vs. Powell (4W, 2-11-1), 4:30 p.m., Field 2
Friday
Cody-Newcastle loser vs. Lander-Worland loser, 2 p.m., Field 3
Jackson-Torrington loser vs. Buffalo-Powell loser, 2 p.m., UW field
Cody-Newcastle winner vs. Lander-Worland winner, 4:30 p.m., Field 3
Jackson-Torrington winner vs. Buffalo-Powell winner, 4:30 p.m., UW field
Saturday
Consolation championship, 11 a.m., UW field
Third place, 11 a.m., Field 3
Championship, noon, Stadium Field

GIRLS
Class 4A
Thursday
Kelly Walsh (1W, 11-4-1) vs. Cheyenne East (4E, 8-7-1), 9 a.m., Field 3
Cheyenne Central (2E, 9-7-0) vs. Star Valley (3W, 4-10-1), 9 a.m., UW field
Natrona County (2W, 13-2-2) vs. Gillette (3E, 7-8-1), 11:30 a.m., Field 3
Laramie (1E, 13-1-0) vs. Rock Springs (4W, 7-9-1), 11:30 a.m., UW field
Friday
Kelly Walsh-Cheyenne East loser vs. Cheyenne Central-Star Valley loser, 9 a.m., Field 1
Natrona County-Gillette loser vs. Laramie-Rock Springs loser, 9 a.m., Field 2
Kelly Walsh-Cheyenne East winner vs. Cheyenne Central-Star Valley winner, 11:30 a.m., Field 1
Natrona County-Gillette winner vs. Laramie-Rock Springs winner, 11:30 a.m., Field 2
Saturday
Consolation championship, 9 a.m., Field 2
Third place, 9 a.m., Field 1
Championship, 2 p.m., Stadium Field

Class 3A
Thursday
Jackson (1W, 10-2-1) vs. Torrington (4E, 0-14-0), 9 a.m., Field 1
Lander (2E, 8-2-4) vs. Cody (3W, 5-4-5), 9 a.m., Field 2
Worland (2W, 8-4-2) vs. Newcastle (3E, 3-9-0), 11:30 a.m., Field 1
Buffalo (1E, 11-2-2) vs. Powell (4W, 2-11-1), 11:30 a.m., Field 2
Friday
Jackson-Torrington loser vs. Lander-Cody loser, 9 a.m., Field 3
Worland-Newcastle loser vs. Buffalo-Powell loser, 9 a.m., UW field
Jackson-Torrington winner vs. Lander-Cody winner, 11:30 a.m., Field 3
Worland-Newcastle winner vs. Buffalo-Powell winner, 11:30 a.m., UW field
Saturday
Consolation championship, 9 a.m., UW field
Third place, 9 a.m., Field 3
Championship, 10 a.m., Stadium Field

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Yes, there are still a few games remaining in the regular season. But the 4A East and West regional soccer tournaments are close to being set.

Here are the projected brackets as we have them:

BOYS
4A East
At Gillette, South Campus
Thursday
(3) Cheyenne Central or Cheyenne East vs. (6) Sheridan, 3 p.m.
(4) Riverton vs. (5) Gillette, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
(2) Cheyenne Central, Cheyenne East or Laramie vs. (3-6) winner, 3 p.m.
(1) Cheyenne Central or Laramie vs. Riverton-Gillette winner, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 11 a.m.
Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.

4A West
At Evanston
Thursday
(4) Green River vs. (5) Evanston, 3 p.m.
(3) Rock Springs vs. (6) Star Valley, 5 p.m.
Friday
(1) Kelly Walsh vs Green River-Evanston winner, 3 p.m.
(2) Natrona County vs. Rock Springs-Star Valley winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 11 a.m.
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.

GIRLS
4A East
At Cheyenne East
Thursday
(3) Cheyenne East vs. (6) Sheridan, 3 p.m.
(4) Riverton vs. (5) Gillette, 5 p.m.
Friday
(2) Cheyenne Central vs. Cheyenne East-Sheridan winner, 3 p.m.
(1) Laramie vs. Gillette-Riverton winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 10 a.m.
Semifinal winners, noon

4A West
At Rock Springs, Crossroads Complex
Thursday
(3) Rock Springs vs. (6) Evanston or Star Valley, 3 p.m.
(4) Green River vs. (5) Evanston or Star Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Friday
(2) Natrona County vs. Rock Springs-Evanston/Star Valley winner, 10 a.m.
(1) Kelly Walsh vs. Green River-Evanston/Star Valley winner, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday
Semifinal losers, 10 a.m.
Semifinal winners, 12:30 p.m.

Right now, there are three games remaining in the regular season for 4A teams, and they're all scheduled for Monday. The first is Buffalo at Natrona County girls, which obviously won't affect conference seeding. The second is Cheyenne East-Gillette girls (they're playing at the North Casper Soccer Complex in, duh, Casper), which won't affect seeding either despite being a 4A East game. No matter what, East is locked in as the three seed, and Gillette is locked in as the five seed in that conference.

The third and final game is the Central-Laramie boys game in Laramie. This one has huge implications for the top three spots in the 4A East. If Laramie wins, the top three seeds will go Laramie-East-Central. If Central wins, the top three seeds will go Central-Laramie-East. If they tie, Laramie would earn the top seed and Central and East would tie for the second spot. That's where it gets fun.... If this happens, they'd have to go down to the fourth tiebreaking criteria, which is goals allowed in conference play. Central has given up 11 so far, East has given up 13. So if Central and Laramie tie 0-0 or 1-1, Central is the second seed, East is third. If Central and Laramie tie 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, etc., then East is second and Central is third. If Central and Laramie tie 2-2, then East and Central have to flip a coin to see who gets the second seed and who gets the third seed.

What can I say? You're welcome. Aren't you glad I went and figured all that out?

Oh, and the only other thing we're not sure about is the seeding for the fifth and sixth spots in the 4A West girls. We haven't heard a score from Friday's Rock Springs-Star Valley game in Rock Springs, and that's key because Star Valley is in limbo right now for that 5-6 spot. If you happen to know that final score, e-mail me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com or post the score in a comment below.

Whew. I'm going on break.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Snow will postpone the Casper Cup to Saturday, and it will also move the games to Natrona. The annual games between Kelly Walsh and Natrona County will be played Saturday at Cheney Alumni Field, with the girls starting at 1 p.m. and the boys at 3 p.m.

Update, 1:52 p.m.: Three Friday track meets have been canceled due to weather -- the Bulldog-Bobcat Invitational in Newcastle, the Thermopolis Pre-Regional meet and the Wiseman Invitational in Torrington.

Update, 2:45 p.m.: The Sheridan-Gillette boys soccer game, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Saturday. The game will be played in Gillette. ... The Laramie-Cheyenne Central boys soccer game has been postponed to Monday. The game will be played at 5 p.m. in Laramie. ... Today's soccer games between Buffalo and Gillette were canceled. School was canceled in both places.

Update, 4:37 p.m.: The Snake River Invitational track meet in Baggs scheduled for today has been canceled.

Update, 5:12 p.m.: The Camel Qualifer track meet in Gillette scheduled for today has been canceled.

Update, 7:08 p.m.: The end of the 4A East Conference soccer season will see some schedule shuffling. The Riverton-Cheyenne East soccer games, originally scheduled for today, will be played Saturday, with the girls at 4 p.m. and the boys at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, the East boys will move their regularly scheduled game Saturday with Laramie to 9 a.m. That game will be played in the Indoor Practice Facility at UW.
Riverton will also play Cheyenne Central on Saturday, with both the boys and girls playing in Cheyenne. The girls game will be at 10 a.m. and the boys at noon.
Additionally, the Laramie-Cheyenne Central boys soccer game has been postponed to Monday. The game will be played at 5 p.m. in Laramie.

If you know of any more postponements or cancellations, e-mail me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's trio is focused -- and with good reason. For everything but 3A soccer, this is the last weekend before regionals. So here it is:

Soccer: Casper Cup. It's a two-fer in the Trio this week. KW vs. NC. In Casper, it doesn't matter if it's football, soccer, meat judging or tic-tac-toe, this rivalry helps bring out the best in all involved. The NC boys need a win here to wrap up an automatic bid to state, while the winner of the girls' game wins the 4A West Conference.

Boys soccer: Cheyenne East at Laramie, Saturday. Speaking of fun atop conferences, how about that 4A East boys race? Laramie has 20 points, East has 19 and Central has 18. Laramie and Central were scheduled to play on Thursday (haven't heard a final as of late Thursday night), but this game Saturday could be for more than just a conference title -- an automatic berth at state could be on the line, too.

Track: Shane Brock Invitational, Lander, Saturday. There are like 875 teams coming to this (OK, not really, but there are a bunch). It's one of the biggest meets in the state on the last week of the regular season, and it's important as athletes gear up for regionals and state.

There's the trio. Make it the quad or the quint or the whatever by adding your most anticipated event with a comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's newest installment of the five teams that had a taste of success last week, and how I prove it's not a coincidence:

1. Worland girls soccer: Quietly, the Warriors have put together a solid streak. They haven't lost in almost a month and are 5-0-1 in their past six games. Worland won a pair of road games last week -- 4-1 over Newcastle and 9-1 over Torrington -- but the critical stretch is coming next. Worland's last three games of the regular season are all 3A West games.

2. Cheyenne boys soccer: Combined, the boys from East and Central won their four road games last week by a combined four goals. Central had identical 3-2 victories over Sheridan and Gillette, while East beat Sheridan 2-1 and Gillette 1-0. Ever so stealthily, these two have creeped up on conference leader Laramie (Laramie has 20 points, East 19 and Central 18), and guess who Laramie plays this week? East on Thursday, Central on Saturday. The term "big week" is an understatement.

3. Natrona County track: When is the last time a single team swept the top four spots in the throwing events at the Wyoming Track and Field Classic? I'm asking because I don't know. But NC did just that on Monday, as Carson Rowley and Baillie Gibson swept the top spots in the shot and disc.

4. Lander track: The Tigers swept the team titles at the rescheduled Bobcat Invitational in Thermopolis on Monday. Thirteen event titles -- including all three girls relay races -- helped Lander break out the brooms. With their own meet coming up this weekend, Lander has set the standard.

5. Gillette wrestling: Yes, it's not wrestling season. But now is when champions are made. Tyler Cox, for example. He won his weight bracket at the FILA Junior Greco-Roman Nationals. Now he's the top seed for the FILA Junior World team. What's more is that his teammate, Tyler Juby, finished seventh in his Greco-Roman bracket. It's no wonder team titles always seem to find their way up Highway 59.

This week's five. Discuss or add to it with a comment.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

After a week off, the Trio is back and better than ever. This week's trio is pretty intense, pointing out three events you shouldn't miss:

Boys soccer: Buffalo at Cody, Friday. The first time these two teams played each other this season was in the Worland Jamboree, and they played to a 1-1 tie. That's the only non-victory for the Broncs in their 8-0-1 season. Buffalo's had similar success, piling up a record of 7-0-3. It should be no surprise that these two teams are the top two ranked teams in Class 3A..... Ramble, ramble, ramble, ramble. I could go on and on. But I'll stop here with this: It's the biggest 3A boys soccer game so far this year.

Girls soccer: Riverton at Laramie, Saturday. Can you believe that Laramie has already secured at least a tie for first in the 4A East? Me neither. With two weeks to go in the regular season, the Lady Plainsmen can do no worse than tie for the top spot in the conference. But Laramie would rather not worry about tiebreakers. A win or tie on Saturday would give Laramie the outright conference title and the top seed at regionals.

Track and field: This one's easy. Wyoming Track and Field Classic, Friday, Casper. The 10 best competitors in each event (top eight in sprints and hurdles) all on one track, competing together regardless of classification. It's a pretty awesome setup, and for the track junkies and casual fans alike it's a can't-miss event.

There are the ones that have me excited. Where are you headed this weekend? Post a comment below and let the world know.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's list of the fab five, the teams that caught my attention and should be catching yours, too, if you know what's good for you...

1. Lingle girls track: The Doggers placed third at the Scottsbluff (Neb.) Twilight Invitational. That doesn't sound like much, but consider this: Lingle (school population of about 100) beat the likes of Kelly Walsh, Torrington, both Cheyenne schools, Alliance and Gering, Neb., and Sterling, Colo. -- all of which are at least five times the size of Lingle, if not more. The Doggers' Candace Wollert won the 400 and 800 and the 400 relay team won as well.

(Oh, and by the way, I couldn't help but smile when I saw the results of the girls' 100 hurdles final from Scottsbluff. KW's Jordan Merback was first at 14.53 seconds, while Lingle's Maggie Ochsner was second at 14.57. If you've followed Wyoming track and field, even casually, over the past three years, you know what kind of race this was.... For me, though, it was still a little bit disappointing, too, to see these times, because... well... after I saw those times, I really wanted to have been there there to SEE that race. Wow. As far as I know, they'll meet again on Friday at the Wyoming Track and Field Classic in Casper.)

2. Laramie boys track: While we're at it, let's recognize the Plainsmen, who came up half a point short in Scottsbluff to the hosts. Stephen Michel scored 40 of Laramie's 95 points, winning the 100, 200, long jump and triple jump, but he got quite a bit of help from his teammates. Ryan Ivy proved he can jump and run at the same time, winning the 300 hurdles while finishing third in the 110 hurdles, while Alex Walker, Alex Bradfield and Morgan Asay all added top-six finishes.

3. Rock Springs boys soccer: The Tigers picked up an important victory on Thursday, knocking off rival Green River 2-0. So what made it so important? Well, the Tigers still have a chance to grab the No. 2 seed out of the 4A West, and every conference victory is key. Rock Springs has now won three of those league games in a row and four of five.

4. Natrona County girls soccer: New goalie? No problem. With regular goalkeeper Ashley Akers likely done for the season with a hand injury, the Fillies moved defender Hannah Chapman into goal for their road swing in Evanston and Star Valley. The result was two more shutouts, as the Fillies beat Evanston 3-0 and Star Valley 2-0. NC has only given up one goal through 10 games this season.

5. Normative Services boys track: Friday was vintage Wolves at the Scott Hardy Invitational in Gillette. NSI didn't have a single individual winner, yet won the meet by 13.5 points over Big Horn. The two events the Wolves did win were both relays (the 400 and 1600 relays). From there, it was superior depth -- lots of seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths and sixths -- that boosted the Wolves to the strong finish. It's nothing new, but it's always fun to see.

There are my five. Feel free to highlight another team's accomplishments last weekend by posting a comment below.

Sweet.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

This week's Five on the Rise, five teams that have impressed some short, balding guy working at some newspaper in central Wyoming:

1. Cody track: Boys, girls, whatever. Let the sweep talk begin in earnest. The Broncs swept the L.A. Kohnke Invitational in Powell on Saturday, marking the second straight week in which Cody swept the top spots at a large meet (it also swept the Roy Peck Invite in Riverton). This week, Cody is heading to the Dan Hansen Invitational in Sheridan.... Can they sweep again?

2. Worland boys soccer: After an inauspicious 0-2-3 start, the Warriors won two in a row last week, beating both Powell and Sheridan to pick up their first two victories of the season. Then the Panthers beat Lander on Tuesday night. But this sudden uprising probably is no fluke. Worland has been tested a lot early this season, and that should pay off big for the rest of the year.

3. Dubois girls track: Let's let the Rams enjoy this one. They won the Wyoming Indian Invitational on Saturday by 21 points over Thermopolis, besting an eight-team field with their depth. Yes, Dubois got 20 points from winning events that no one else had anyone competing in (the 1600 relay and the high jump). And yes, Lindsay Copeland did her usual amazing job, winning the 100, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. But the Rams proved they have the numbers to pick up some points here and there along the way and win a meet every now and then -- and in 1A, that's extremely important.

4. Pinedale boys track: Pinedale had a solid finish at the Tiger Invitational in Rock Springs, finishing third while sandwiched between a whole bunch of 4A teams. The Wranglers finished with 93 points, with 40 of those coming off first-place finishes by two athletes (Lincoln Proud in both hurdles events, Abe Pearce in the high jump and pole vault.

5. Buffalo girls soccer: They can't win big, but they sure can win. With a 6-0-2 record, the Bison are tied for the top spot in the 3A East -- and all six of their victories have been by no more than two goals. One of those two-goal victories -- a 4-2 victory last week over 4A Sheridan -- came in overtime. The Bison are proof that it doesn't matter how many goals you score, all that matters is if you score more than the other team.

By no means is this list complete; lots of teams had great weeks last week. Add your thoughts by commenting below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here on the sports desk tonight, we received two extremely different accounts of the girls soccer game between Riverton and Cheyenne Central. The only thing that sounded similar in both calls was that Riverton won the game 1-0. Everything else was up in the air.

Central claimed a 37-6 shot advantage, and a 21-2 advantage in shots on goal. Riverton, meanwhile, claimed a shot difference of 11-7 for Central.

It's just like Spandex: The critical areas are covered, yet it still doesn't fit right.

How can two people wtching the same game end up with such drastically different numbers? Well, it has to do with subjectivity.

Remember, the coaches themselves don't normally take the team's stats -- instead, they leave that task (rightfully so) to the team manager, or, sans manager, to some random JV player. Usually, with clipboard and pencil in hand, they're more than eager to give a shot on goal to one of their friends, and probably less than eager to do so to someone on the other team.

That doesn't make it right or wrong. That's just how it is, especially in a sport like soccer where stats can be as different as the people taking them.

Put two statisticians next to each other at the exact same game, and chances are high that their stats won't be identical at the end of the day. While the difference may only be a few yards in football or a couple rebounds in basketball, in soccer, stats can be widely different based on interpretation. Is that long through ball picked up by the goalkeeper a shot? Is it a shot on goal? Is that crossing pass that goes out of bounds and ends up as a goal kick a shot? Is that mis-struck kick that goes wildly away from the goal still a shot?

Variance is common and understandable. And when you realize that it's usually untrained JV players taking the stats that'll end up in the paper, variances like the big one we saw here on the desk on Friday night are for the most part excusable.

(In situations like this, we at the Star-Tribune tend to use the stats of the home team by default, although we will use visiting team stats to augment any missing info from the home team. However, if the home team doesn't send or phone in its stats to us, we will use visiting stats exclusively. Hope that explains the differences you'll see in the recap in Saturday's paper. As always, you can call or e-mail me with any questions that you ever have about how we do stuff.)

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Here it is, this week's trio, three events that'll make you give sunflowers to random strangers....

Track and field: The I-80 duo. Rawlins has about a dozen teams scheduled to attend its meet on Friday, while Rock Springs has about 15 or so ready to come to the Tiger Invitational on Saturday. The only question mark on the meets is if they'll happen -- last I looked, I-80 wasn't in great shape.

Boys soccer: Cheyenne Central at Laramie, Saturday. The 4A East Conference has left all but these two teams with a league loss. Central's 3-0-0 league mark has only a slight edge on Laramie's 2-0-1, and both teams still have to play Friday. But Saturday's game in the Gem City -- if it gets played -- looks like it could be a dandy. And it could help solidify just who is the favorite in the East.

Girls soccer: Powell at Cody, Friday. The complexion of Class 3A soccer is something new and unusual to everyone involved. Thus far, the calling card of 3A play has been defense, and Powell -- the last of the 3A teams to play its first conference game -- recorded two shutout victories last weekend. We'll see if that trend continues this weekend.

Honorable mention to Friday's big soccer games in Casper. Friday's winners, be they Kelly Walsh or Natrona County, will have control of their own destinies in the 4A West Conference standings, and that's key for seeding at regionals.

Although it's not exactly put-the-top-down weather, where are your wheels taking you this weekend? Comment below.

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Through 5:30 p.m. Thursday. If you know more, e-mail them to me at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com.

-- Glenrock has canceled Friday's Tony Lehner Invitational track meet. The meet will not be made up.
-- Kelly Walsh and Natrona County moved their junior varsity soccer games from Thursday to Saturday. The games will be played at the North Casper Soccer Complex, with the girls playing at 9 a.m. and the boys at 11 a.m.

Finally! We have the chance to dust off an old Goulash relic, the Sports Goulash Trio. This week, the trio is looking forward to some sunny days and chasing the clouds away:

Boys soccer: Riverton at Laramie, Saturday. There are still four remaining unbeaten teams in Wyoming's 4A soccer division, and the Wolverines and Plainsmen are two of those four. Both played the Gillette-Sheridan swing on the road last week and both emerged successful (Riverton at 2-0, Laramie at 1-0-1), so Saturday's game will in part be for the early lead in the East Conference (lest we forget Central and East, who played their first conference games against each other on Wednesday).

Girls soccer: Jackson's homestand -- vs. Lander on Friday; vs. Buffalo on Saturday. It can't be this easy for Jackson, can it? The Broncs are out to their typical quick start (4-0-1 so far) and have outscored their opponents 17-2 so far. But a few teams have the chance to stick with Jackson on the pitch. Both Buffalo and Lander are 2-0-2 and played each other to a 1-1 tie last week. And if Jackson sweeps this weekend, watch out.

Track and field: Riverton Invitational, Saturday. The Invite has 22 Wyoming teams scheduled to attend, most from the west side of the state, and should be a good gauge for everyone to see how they'll likely stack up for the rest of the season. The early part of the track season is all about trying new things, so don't be too surprised to see some unusual results come out of this huge meet.

So there it is, from the place where the air is sweet... What are your plans for the weekend?

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

Updated 4:50 p.m. Friday: Saturday's Camel Invitational in Gillette has been canceled. To make up for the lost meet, Kelly Walsh will host a track meet that will begin at noon on Saturday. In addition to the two Casper high schools, Douglas, Gillette and Sheridan will also compete.

Today's (Thursday's) soccer games between Rock Springs and Green River were postponed. The games will be made up Tuesday in Green River, with the girls playing at 3 p.m. and the boys at 5 p.m.

Saturday's Mountain View Invitational track meet has also been postponed. No make-up date has been set.

The Cheyenne East-Jackson soccer games, postponed from the originally scheduled date of March 20, will be made up April 22. The games will be played in Green River.

If you know of any more postponements or cancellations, let me know at patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

The Torrington Trailblazers didn't waste any time wrapping up their first varsity soccer victory.

Torrington's boys beat Newcastle 3-2 in overtime on Tuesday in the Trailblazers' first varsity soccer game in school history.

For now, Torrington is all alone at the top of the 3A East standings -- not a bad place to be after game No. 1.

Inaugural seasons are full of firsts, and Torrington didn't need to wait long for its first victory.

The next test for Torrington becomes winning at home. The Trailblazers host Lander on Saturday, the first of four home games between now and April 7.

(By the way, the Torrington girls didn't fare quite as well in their first game, losing 8-0 at home to Newcastle. But give it time. My guess is the next game between these two teams, scheduled for May 6, will be a lot closer than this one was.)

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com

With Torrington entering its first year of varsity soccer this season, and with Pinedale set to do the same next spring, I wonder what the future holds for soccer in Wyoming.

The split to two classes should help smaller schools with less of a student base to pull from, but will it actually encourage smaller schools to pick up the sport?

Newcastle is the smallest school sponsoring soccer, and only three schools larger than Newcastle -- Wheatland, Douglas and Rawlins -- don't offer the sport.

Schools smaller than Newcastle would have a tough time fielding a competitive team (only three other schools in the state have more than 200 kids total, and that's BARELY 200). So what we're looking at is, max, a Class 3A with 12 teams.

However, I've heard nothing from Wheatland, Douglas or Rawlins that would in any way lead me to believe that they're interested in adding soccer to their spring schedules. That leads me to believe that, at least for the immediate future, we'll have a Class 3A soccer division with nine teams -- and eight of those will go to state.

Maybe, and hopefully, the new 3A division will lead to some co-ops and some more soccer teams across the state. But, for now, I don't see many new teams coming on board.

What do you think? Is 3A soccer destined to be a nine-team division? What else, aside from the 3A division itself, might encourage some schools with the numbers to add a program of their own?

Posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com