Entering the second half of the season, some teams are starting to get into the nitty-gritty part of their schedule.

2 new #1 grace the polls, and 3 of the top 5 ranked teams reside in the Big Horn Basin.

It's rivalry week in 4A and the poll is going to go crazy after this week. Only 2 undefeated teams remain and they clash this week in the Energy Bowl...#2 Sheridan at #1 Gillette. The middle of the poll will see it's share of action as well. There's the Capital Bowl with #3 East at #5 Central, and the Oil Bowl, with unranked Kelly Walsh at #4 Natrona.

This is a big week in 3A...particularly in the west. The trip just got a bit longer for #3 Cody and #1 Powell, because with Yellowstone closed, due to the government shutdown, the Broncs and Panthers have to take the long way for their road trip this weekend. Powell has history working against them this week, because they visit #4 Star Valley. The Braves are 15-2 lifetime at home vs. the Panthers. The defending champs may need to party like it's 1999 to win this rematch of last year's title game...because 1999 was the last time they won in Afton. In the east, #2 Douglas is home vs. Lander. Meanwhile Riverton is back in the rankings at #5, and look to put loss #5 on Buffalo's record, in Johnson County.

It was close, but Lovell's road win at former #1 Mountain View, allowed the Bulldogs to claim the #1 ranking...by 2 votes over current #2 Burns. It's rivalry week in Big Horn County as Lovell is at Greybull this weekend. The Broncs will have to settle for entertaining Tongue River. Wheatland is climbing up the ranks and now hold the #3 spot, heading into a game at Moorcroft. #4 Big Horn has a tough 2-game stretch if they want to climb back up. The Rams have Glenrock and Wheatland, back-to-back on the road. #5 Mountain View will look to rebound for loss #1 last week, with a trip to Pinedale this week. The voters are not giving undefeated Thermopolis much love so far, because the teams they've beaten have a combined record of 2-14. The next 3 games could show whether the Bobcats are contenders, or pretenders. They play at Lyman, at Lovell and home vs. Mountain View.

The top 2 teams in 1A played a game of one ups-man-ship in the past 2 weeks...all at the expense of Lingle-Ft. Laramie who was squashed by both. Cokeville keeps the top spot, with Lusk at #2. The next 2 games for #3 Upton-Sundance mean a lot to the Patriots, because they have #4 Southeast AND #2 Lusk, back-to-back on the road. Rocky Mountain is back in the rankings at #5, as the Grizzlies head to rival Burlington this weekend.

Meeteetse is now the team in 6-man...because they beat the team last week on the road. The Longhorns are now the new #1, and are home this week vs. Wyoming Indian. Midwest just got over Dubois for the #2 rankings. The Oilers have a play conference road game this Saturday against #4 Hulett...a team that knows something about playing tough opponents. Dubois will also play Saturday at Ten Sleep. #5 Kaycee is also on the road...against a team that wants to take their ranking...Saratoga.

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