Submitted for your approval (or even if you don't approve - here it is, anyway):

8/27 at Powell (6 pm)
9/2 vs. Dickinson (7 pm)
9/9 at Havre (6 pm)
9/16 vs. Belgrade (7 pm)
9/23 at Laurel (7 pm)
9/30 vs. Billings Central (7 pm)
10/7 at Glendive (7 pm)
10/14 vs. Sidney (7 pm)
10/21 at Hardin (7 pm)

The conference schedule has been BC-Glendive-Sidney-Hardin-Laurel for the last two seasons, so this year will be a bit of a change.

Source: http://www.garfieldweb.co...0page.html

It's hard to believe that it's almost THAT time, already!

I'm pondering what kind of year the Cowboys will have having lost Cooley, Stanton and that class. Time will tell.

Are the Cowboys going to be selling the cowboy cards again? If yes how much and where can we get them if we don't get a Cowboy visit?

They have a lot of juniors from last year so I am very confident that they will do well. They are selling cards already, if you need one just let me know where to send my son, he is selling them.

They'll be good. They (almost) always are. They were very young going into the 2008 season and did just fine. I'm not saying the end result will be the same, but they'll be very competitive.

Who do you think will be the top picks for varsity? If the team is young this year, will there be any stand outs from the JV squad that are coming up? Are there any returning?

now that the NFL has banned 2-a-day practices will the Cowboys follow suite?

Josh would be able to fill you in better than I can as to who the Cowboys will rely on this year, but they do have Tyler Essex coming back. If he runs hard, the Cowboys should have a good running game.

And now, a Historical Tidbit of Possible Interest:

Here are the Cowboys' points-per-game allowed for the last three seasons:

2008 (12-1): 114 points allowed in 13 games played - 8.77 ppg
2009 (7-3): 90 points allowed in 10 games played - 9.00 ppg
2010 (12-1): 102 points allowed in 12 games played* - 8.50 ppg

* Why not 13 games played? Because their win over Powell was a forfeit.

Only one other Class A team since 1980 has allowed fewer than 10 ppg in three consecutive seasons. A shiny new goat goes to the first person who can tell me which team that was. I won't even ask for the seasons or specifics.

Just a guess, but I would guess a former Cowboy team put up those numbers. Perhaps a Cowboy team you played on?

[This message has been edited by Mathew Schmitz (8/14/2011)]

Dillon? Butte Central?

I'll throw out a Sidney... since nobody else has.

Brian,

I'm a homer so I'll say the 1994 team.

Mathew - No ... and I'm hoping that wasn't intended as a dig.

The Cowboys' defense my junior year was actually one of their worst (18.3 ppg allowed). Our defense was much better my senior year (11.9 ppg), but the 1994 Cowboys were better known for their offense, which scored 419 points (the best mark in modern-era Class A history at the time).

Sarah - No and No. Dillon came close from 2000-02, when they allowed 7.5 ppg, 11.4 ppg and 7.7 ppg, respectively. Butte Central has never really had a dominating defense. The Maroons have only held opponents under 10 points per game once since 1980, when they allowed 8.2 ppg in 1996.

Rick - You're not far off, at least when it comes to the time frame. Sidney had back-to-back seasons of allowing fewer than 10 ppg (8.9 ppg in 1992 and 7.4 ppg in 1993). The Eagles had allowed 10.8 ppg in 1991.

The correct answer, surprisingly enough, is Ronan. The program has fallen of tough times over the last decade and a half or so (to the point where the Chiefs will be playing at the Class B level this season), but Ronan was one of the best teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

1989 (9-2, runners-up to Sidney): 9.3 ppg allowed
1990 (3-5, missed playoffs): 10.0 ppg
1991 (7-2, lost in semis to Sidney): 9.4 ppg
1992 (8-2, lost in semis to Sidney): 7.1 ppg
1993 (6-3, lost in quarters to Sidney): 8.7 ppg

Ronan came within a single point of having five consecutive seasons of having a an opponents' ppg of under 10.0.

Other than Miles City, the closest any team has come to matching Ronan since then has been Billings Central. Here are the Rams' opponents' ppg since 2007:

2006 - 9.5 ppg
2007 - 4.6 ppg (the best Class A defensive team since 1980).
2008 - 11.3 ppg
2009 - 6.9 ppg
2010 - 10.7 ppg

Here are the top 5 teams in terms of defensive ppg since 1980:

2007 Billings Central (12-0, state champions, 459-55 PF-PA): 4.58
1983 Glasgow (9-2, state champions, 260-59 PF-PA): 5.36
1998 Hamilton (11-0, state champions, 397-61 PF-PA): 5.55
1999 Laurel (11-0, state champions, 487-62 PF-PA): 5.64
1984 Sidney (9-1, state champions, 228-61 PF-PA): 6.10

Miles City's best defensive effort in terms of points allowed was in 1984, when the Cowboys held opponents to 6.70 ppg. This ranks them 10th.

So who are the conference games this year if it is different?

Can not seem to see that anywhere.

Same conference teams, of course. Different order in the schedule.

OH! Now I see what you were saying.

When I 1st read it I thought we had a different team
in Eastern A or something and it did not make sense.
Thank you

This week's shiny new goat goes to the first person who can tell me who can tell me who the eight winningest teams are in Class 'A' since 1980.

I'll give you the first two: Miles City (222-77) and Sidney (195-92).

Central, Dillon, Frenchtown, Beaverhead Co, Hamilton, Havre?

Beaverhead Co. IS Dillon, isn't it?

I'll guess: Billings Central, Dillon, Butte Central, Havre, Polson, Laurel.

I base this on the observation that all of these teams make very regular playoff appearances and several have also won state titles since '80.

Does this record include all games, or just games played as a class 'A' team? I'm sure Frenchtown's got an amazing record, but most of that was racked up as a class 'B' school - does it still count?

Bridgier - this should include all games that a team has played while their school has been classified Class A. If a Class A team should happen to play a Class AA or B school, it counts.

Former Eastern 'A' rivals Glasgow (1980-91) and Colstrip (1985-05) were 73-35 and 80-91, respectively, as Class A teams.

Frenchtown has been Class A since 2003. Over the last eight seasons, the Broncs are 63-23. The only schools with more victories over that span are Billings Central (74-15) and Dillon/Beaverhead Co. (72-13). The Cowboys are 61-23 since 2003.

Shu and Blayne - You're both pretty close. You only missed with Laurel and Hamilton (which rank 10th and 9th, respectively). The Locomotives were pretty lousy for most of the 90s and and mid-oughts. Without Vince Henman and Co. or Jeff Fischer, they haven't had a great deal of success. Hamilton was 49-5 from 1996-00 and 94-122 the rest of the time. Kind of odd how the two programs' best eras coincided with each other.

The Elite 8, so to speak:

1.) Miles City - 222-77 (.742)
2.) Sidney - 195-92 (.679)
3.) Butte Central - 191-99 (.659)
4.) Dillon - 188-93 (.669)
5.) Whitefish - 182-104 (.636)
6.) Havre - 161-74 (.685)
7.) Polson - 154-117 (.568)
8.) Billings Central - 151-122 (.553)

Keep in mind that Havre has only been in Class A since 1986. Only Miles City (172-69), Dillon (170-63) and Sidney (164-70) have more wins since then.

Any guesses as to which teams represent the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of success?

Of the teams have played at the Class A level for at least 25 of the last 31 seasons, the worst have been Hardin (79-179), Livingston (46-206) and Browning (35-180).

A sack o' doorknobs goes to whomever can tell me the last time Dillon finished a season below .500. The Beavers have the longest current streak of winning seasons in Class A.

[This message has been edited by Brian A. Reed (8/22/2011)]

Hmmm...Whitefish being at number 5 is a bit surprising. I remember the Bulldogs making the playoffs a time or 2, but I thought they were bottom-feeders most other years.

The 3 worst teams don't surprise me at all. Livingston and Browning have been terrible for as long as I can remember. I thought Hardin has had a good year or two, but I think you'd have to go back to the days when they had Kroy Biermann (was a star with the Griz and now plays for the Atlanta Falcons) to see the last time they were decent, at least.

As for Dillon, I'll not venture a guess as to the last time they were below .500...well, okay, I'll take a shot in the dark and say...maybe...1996?

Shu - Hardin's best seasons actually came after Biermann was gone. The Bulldogs were 6-3 in 2004, 7-3 in 2006 and 2007 and 7-4 in 2008. Their best record prior to that was in 1980 ... when they were 6-2 and missed the playoffs (as did Miles City and Glendive, which were both 7-1). Laurel, playing in the South subdivision of the Eastern 'A,' qualified for the postseason with a 3-5 regular season mark. Strange year.

Whitefish hasn't been a doormat except for last season. Only the Cowboys have had as many trips to the postseason (23) as the Bulldogs since 1980. Since winning the state championship in 1979, Whitefish has finished second four times (1980, 1986, 1987, 2001) and has ended the season with a single loss five times. From 1984 to 2007, they missed the playoffs just three times.

The Cowboys played Whitefish in four consecutive postseasons, losing in 1992 before winning three straight from 1993-95.

Looks like my beloved sack o' knobs is safe for another day. Dillon's last losing season was in 1990, when the Beavers finished 3-5. That year also marked the last time Browning finished above .500 (5-3).