Disavowing all travel issues and all team, school or city allegiances, opting only for the chance to see the state's best high school football, what Week 3 game would you go to this weekend?

If Green River at Gillette isn't at the top of your list, then you haven't been paying attention.

Green River is the top-ranked team in Class 5A and has enough individual talent to be one of the classification's true championship threats.

Gillette is ranked third in 5A after topping Central and Rock Springs in impressive fashion the first two weeks of the season.

When coaches mention seeing teams again, this is the type of game they're talking about. Right now, it looks like there will be a very, very, very good chance of these two teams meeting again in the playoffs.

Obviously, there are plenty of side-plots in this game. Can Green River's defense handle Gillette's resurgent run game? Can Gillette's defense do the same to Green River's offensive rushing attack? Will bus lag affect the Wolves on a trip that's about 375 miles long -- one way?

For now, my pick is with the Wolves. But come November, when these two teams may meet again, who knows?

Here are the rest of this week's picks. Projected winners are the bold teams, but projected non-winners have the perfect chance to prove me wrong this weekend... and if they do, I'm not sad about it. :)

Friday
Class 5A
Cheyenne Central at Rock Springs: Based purely on what's happened the past two weeks, I have to take the Indians (both teams lost to Natrona and Gillette, but Central didn't lose as bad.... or something....)
Evanston at Cheyenne East: Rematch of last year's championship game could go either way, and I'm always partial to a home team coming off a win rather than a road team coming off a loss. But don't be surprised if the Red Devils win this one.
Laramie at Kelly Walsh: The Trojans' offense has started to come around and the defense is eager for redemption.
Sheridan at Natrona County: I wrote in my game preview that NC has beaten Sheridan 11 consecutive times, but that none of those 11 games could stack up to how tough this one could end up being. I truly believe that, and if Sheridan can get its passing game going, the Broncs could pull an upset.

Class 4A
Cody at Rawlins: Is Rawlins' 2-0 start really worth making the rest of 4A sweat? Time to find out.
Lander at Worland: This is an incredibly intriguing game, and I like what Lander's doing. But I still think Worland has enough in the tank to win this at home.
Star Valley at Jackson: Maybe the road will be kinder to the Braves than the new fancy home field has been. Either way, I do think there's enough rivalry fire in this one for the game to stay close.

Class 3A
Lovell at Wright: Don't ask me why. I've sat on the fence for this game all week long and finally just threw my hands up and picked a team.
Pinedale at Lyman: Some other 3A West team other than Kemmerer has to win eventually.... right? Kemmerer's 2-0, the other four combined are 0-9. Unless this game ends in a tie, that 0-fer streak is guaranteed to somehow end today.
Thermopolis at Newcastle: Odd quirk: Both teams lost by 28-0 scores last week.

Class 2A
Lingle at Burns: The Broncs just look too tough right now.
Pine Bluffs at Lusk: It's a brutal stretch coming up for the Hornets, and if they don't sense the urgency needed to win this one and gain a little momentum, the next two weeks (vs. Burns, then at Southeast) could be pretty long.
Rocky Mountain at Tongue River: Call it Grizzlies by eight. After all, RM won its first two games by eight-point spreads (14-8 and 20-12)....
Saratoga at Sundance: Don't let Saratoga's 1-2 record fool you. The offense is still explosive and the defense is still stout.

Class 1A
Burlington at Wyoming Indian: It's tempting to pick the Chiefs in this one, but I think the Huskies are a bit more battle-tested through two weeks of the season.
Hanna vs. Hulett, at Casper (NCHS): Neutral site, turf, both teams on the road, identical records... these types of games are always hard to read. Hulett in a coin flip.
Normative Services at Shoshoni: Wolves almost had their breakthrough game last week. Don't be too surprised if they end up having it this week.
Upton at Southeast: Bobcats would need a monumental effort for the upset. It's possible -- but not probable.

Interclass
Big Horn at Moorcroft: What? Picking against Moorcroft for a third straight week? Well, yeah. Big Horn has been the class of Class 2A so far this fall.
Buffalo at Glenrock: This game is always one of the most intriguing on the nonconference schedule. Last year, the Bison won 14-6 and both teams went on to fantastic seasons. Expect the same here -- low-scoring, close, fantastic seasons to follow.
Dubois at Wind River: Cougars have looked good in their 2-0 start. Might as well pencil in 3-0....
Greybull at Big Piney: This game, just like the Punchers' game against Rocky Mountain last week, should be a good test for both teams. Think close and hard-fought, with something like a 109-yard missed field goal return or some crazy big play like that breaking it open.
Kemmerer at Riverside: Two defending state champions going at it... but, as every coach in Wyoming will tell you, that was last year.
Mountain View at Cokeville: Cokeville has yet to allow a point on defense; Mountain View is averaging 1.0 ppg on offense.... While I do think the Buffs will get on track this week, I don't think it'll be enough to knock off the Panthers.
Riverton at Powell: Powell is much better than that 1-2 record will lead you to believe.

Interstate
Chadron, Neb., at Douglas: Chadron has owned this series recently, and they're off to another fast start this year.
Gering, Neb., at Wheatland: A lot depends on how well Wheatland's usually stout defense fares against Gering's balanced offense.
Torrington at Alliance, Neb.: Another game that's too close to call. Neither team has a victory yet, so this will end up being a key game one way or the other.

Saturday
Six-man
Meeteetse at Belfry, Mont.: The Longhorns have most of their "big" games at the end of their schedule -- but Belfry's a conference foe, and that makes this one just as "big" as the rest.

So am I right? Am I wrong? How did I get here? Am I channeling the Talking Heads too much? What picks make sense, and what picks make you think I've lost my mind? Comment below with some thoughts.

Same as it ever was, posted by patrick.schmiedt@trib.com