Two New Top-Ranked Teams Highlight the WyoPreps Football Rankings

There are a pair of new teams at No. 1 and at least one new team in three of the five classes in this week’s WyoPreps.com Coaches and Media Football Poll.

Jackson and Lovell have snagged the top spot in 3A and 2A, respectively. The only class that stayed the same is 4A.

The Jackson Broncs lead a shift among the top four in Class 3A but the voters see the power still being in the West Conference. Despite getting the most votes for No. 1, two-time defending champ Star Valley falls three spots this week. Jackson received six first-place tallies and more votes in the 2-5 spots to nab the top position. The Powell Panthers make a move up to second, as they climb one spot for the second consecutive poll. Cody is the new No. 3 ranked team. The Broncs didn’t receive a first-place vote but enough tallies for second and third have them on the heels of Powell and in front of Star Valley. The Braves got seven top votes but slide down to fourth. Even after a road win and all the movement above them, the Lander Tigers hold in the No. 5 slot. The Panthers and Tigers go head-to-head on Friday night in Powell.

The Lovell Bulldogs were a preseason top-five choice in Class 2A. They didn’t play in week 0 and fell out, but last week’s upset of previous No. 2 Big Horn has vaulted Lovell from unranked to on top of 2A. The Bulldogs received less first-place votes than Mountain View, but it was the votes in the 2-5 positions that lifted Lovell to No. 1. The defending champion Buffalos fall one spot to second in the poll. Mountain View garnered 10 first-place votes. Thermopolis earned the other four first-place nods but the Bobcats hold steady in third. After another lopsided victory, the Wheatland Bulldogs move up on position to No. 4, which pushes Upton-Sundance down to fifth, even though the Patriots didn’t play last week. Still, there looks to be some indecision amongst the voters, as six other teams received votes this week.

In 9-man, after the first games in nearly three decades in Wyoming, the top four remain the same. Southeast hauled in 12 of the 17 top ballots. The Cyclones have a firm grip on No. 1. Rocky Mountain earned four first-place votes, and the Grizzlies had the majority of second-place tallies, as they hold at No. 2. Lusk stays in third in the rankings, while Shoshoni holds in fourth, even after being shutout at Southeast last Friday. The new team to the poll is at No. 5. That’s the Lingle-Ft. Laramie Doggers. Four more teams picked up votes in 9-man this week.

Class 1A-6 man has a couple of changes at the bottom of the rankings. Farson-Eden pulled all but two votes for No. 1 and stays on top. Defending champ Little Snake River and Encampment hold second and third again. Burlington climbs one position to No. 4. The Kaycee Buckaroos join the top five in fifth after their season-opening win last week. It’s a big week for the class, as the top four faces a ranked foe. The No. 1 Pronghorns go to Burlington to face the fourth-ranked Huskies on Friday. Then, on Saturday, it’s a new Carbon County battle, as the Rattlers and Tigers square off in Encampment.

The big school division, 4A, stays the same as a week ago. Sheridan earned a majority of the top ballots and stays No. 1. They are followed by Cheyenne Central, Thunder Basin, and Cheyenne East in the two through four positions. Despite a 0-2 start, Natrona County stays No. 5. The big game this week has the top two facing off in Sheridan on Friday night.

To see how the coaches and media ranked the teams, click on the voting breakdown below.

Disclaimer: The WyoPreps Coaches and Media Poll is done strictly for fun. It does not have any bearing on the playoffs or playoff positioning.

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