It’s the 2024 WyoPreps Preseason Football Poll

Three of the five defending state champions start the 2024 season at the top of the WyoPreps Coaches and Media Preseason Football Poll debuting on Friday. The new campaign is one week from officially starting, but some teams do not play until Sept. 6. Three-time defending 4A champion Sheridan, two-time defending state 3A champion Star Valley, and defending 6-man state champion Burlington will begin the 2024 season with a No. 1 ranking.

The two that were not state champs last year and are at the peak position to begin this year were a runner-up and a semifinalist. Those two are Big Horn and Lingle-Ft. Laramie.

In Class 1A 6-man, the Huskies received 13 of 17 first-place votes to start the year on top. Burlington held off Little Snake River by three points to win the title last November. They hold off the Rattlers for No. 1 to begin this season. LSR is second in the poll, just 15 points back, and got four first-place votes. 6-man newcomer Riverside snags the third spot. Fresh off four years of 9-man football, the Rebels drop back to the 6-man division and should have some pieces to contend. Encampment lost some key seniors, but the Tigers check in at No. 4. Casper Christian holds the fifth spot. The Mountaineers are in their second season of football.

The favorites in 9-man football entering this year are last year’s East Conference champs, the Lingle-Ft. Laramie Doggers. They earned 14 of the 17 first-place votes and have a lot of talent returning off last season’s squad that made a run to the semifinals. Defending champion Big Piney is second in the first rankings. The Punchers lost some key personnel but return all-state running back Caden Clifford and a couple of other notable players. The Rocky Mountain Grizzlies are third in the preseason poll. They return several key pieces and look to step up. Two SEWAC rivals round out the top five. Pine Bluffs is fourth. The Hornet made the playoffs last year and lost to eventual champion Big Piney. The Southeast Cyclones, under new Coach Shawn Burkart, are at No. 5. They return two all-state players and a third, who was all-conference.

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The next two classifications have a tie for fifth in the preseason rankings.

In 2A, last season’s runner-up (by 2 points), Big Horn, is a heavy favorite. The Rams picked up 18 of the 23 first-place votes. Lovell earns the second position. They edge out last year’s West Conference champs, Mountain View, by six points in the voting. Both teams lost some key players but bring back others at the same time. A newcomer to the division, Worland, checks in at fourth. The Warriors have a new coach and 19 seniors to lead the team this season. Two more West Conference foes tied for fifth in the poll. That is Lyman and Cokeville. Both were playoff teams last fall and look to remain competitive again this year. Notably absent are the defending 2A champs, but that’s because Torrington is back in Class 3A.

If you like traditional powers and the same look as we’ve had for most of the past decade in 3A, then you know what’s coming in their rankings. The Star Valley Braves got all but one first-place vote to top the division in the preseason poll. They return all-state QB Smith McClure and four more all-state players. Right behind them are the Cody Broncs, who have been runner-up the last two seasons to SV. The Broncs return conference players of the year Chase Hatch and Grady McCarten to lead them into a new season. The veteran Powell Panthers are third after they received a majority of the votes behind the top two. Douglas checks in at No. 4. The Bearcats have a new coach but still look to be one of the top teams in the East Conference. Right behind them in a tie for fifth are fellow conference foes Riverton and Buffalo. The Wolverines are the defending conference champs, while the Bison have a new head coach. That conference could be tough to figure out.

Finally, in Class 4A, the Sheridan Broncs garnered all but two of the first-place votes to start at the top. Jeff Mowry continues to have that program in contention year in and year out. Last year’s runner-up, Cheyenne East, begins the season in second. They replace most of their skill positions, but talent remains with the T-Birds. Campbell County is third in the big-school division. The Camels return several key players, including Mason Drube and Trent Rosenau, and are a trendy pick to dethrone the Broncs. Natrona County is fourth in 4A. The Mustangs were a semifinalist last season and return a good nucleus to make a run this year. Wrapping up the top five is the Thunder Basin Bolts. A semifinalist last season, the Bolts return two key defensive players, Logan Mendoza and Cort Catlin, to build around.

Here is a look at the voting breakdown:

WyoPreps gives every head coach in each classification and media from around the state a chance to vote in the rankings.