LARAMIE - The kickball champs are on the brink of another title.

This time the Laramie sophomores are doing a different sort of footwork, and they're getting some help from the rest of the roster.

Stocked with sophs, Lady Plainsmen coach Anne Hawley generally splits the squad between that class and the other three in practice. All together they're dangerous and on the brink of the Class 4A state championship after a 4-0 win over Natrona County on Friday in the semifinals in Laramie.

"I just have so many sophomores that it's the only way to do it," Hawley said. "Usually the upper-class and lower would work, but I only have five upperclassmen (and 11 sophomores) so it's hard to do that.

"The sophomores are still dominating, but the others are catching up."

Hawley was only joking about the sophomore's kickball run, capped off with a recent 20-19 win in five innings, but the group is starting to expand its dominance.

The Lady Plainsmen haven't lost a game to a Wyoming team this season and they were hardly threatened by the Fillies after Makenzie Meade scored her second goal in the 50th minute to push the lead to three.

"They're good, and one-on-one they don't have a weak spot anywhere," NC coach Paul Kinner said. "They just don't.

"You take a talented group of athletes like that, they're going to be tough. It's tough to take advantage of a team like that, and when they have opportunities to score, they score."

Particularly Meade, who's been the star of the tournament through two rounds.

The sophomore has five goals already heading into the finals today against Cheyenne East - although a junior, Kelsey Gapter, opened the scoring against NC.

"This has definitely been a good experience," Meade said. "We're very, very proud we got in (the championship) after missing last year, and we were able to suck it up and keep our heads in the game and play."

If anything, Hawley might not mind if they lost them once in a while.

Atypically emotionless for a young team, she's tried all season to get the Lady Plainsmen to open up a little bit - which they had no problem with after locking up their spot for today.

"This team is just so funny," Hawley said. "I almost have to tell them to go out and to celebrate. We're just ready, our girls are excited and want to be here, and they've actually showed some emotion.

"This has been their goal all year, and we didn't know at the beginning of the year if we could get here. In the state championship, anything can happen and we're just ready to go out and fight for it. They've played well the last two days and hopefully will for a third day."

Imagine the celebration then.

And the possibilities for a team that will bring almost everybody back - for the next two seasons.

"I'm going to miss the seniors from this year definitely, but I'm very glad I'm only a sophomore," Meade said. "I can't wait for the next two years."

There's at least one title already to defend.

LARAMIE 4, NATRONA COUNTY 0: Makenzie Meade scored two more goals, giving her five through two games at state, to lead the Plainsmen past the Fillies and into today's 4A championship game.

Scoring: Lar, Kelsey Gapter 12; Lar, Makenzie Meade 47; Lar, Meade 50; Lar, Ariela Schreibeis 56.

WGK: Ali Galey. LGK: Melissa Heck.

n CHEYENNE EAST 2, CHEYENNE CENTRAL 1: The Thunderbirds reclaimed city bragging rights - and locked up a spot in the title game today.

After going to the brink of elimination twice in a first-round shootout with Kelly Walsh, the T-Birds locked up their semifinal win in regulation with solid work in their set pieces.

Scoring: Not available.

Consolation Bracket

KELLY WALSH 2, STAR VALLEY 1 (SO): Trojans coach Jerry Realing is going gray.

Goalkeeper Karissa Thunselle is getting sick of the extra work.

But fortunately for KW, its third consecutive shootout turned out more like the first one.

Thunselle made two saves and the Trojans won 3-0 on penalty kicks to earn another game today against Gillette in the consolation bracket.

"Pretty sick of them," Thunselle said. "After losing it (Thursday), nothing was getting past me.

"It was hard to lose like that and it took us awhile to get over it. We're here now, we're going to play (today) and that's all that matters."

Scoring: SV, Shaina Aullman 90; KW, Whitney Barrett 95.

GILLETTE 5, ROCK SPRINGS 0: The Camels jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first five minutes and eliminated the Tigers with a stellar offensive performance.

Scoring: Gil, Libby Storie 3; Gil, Angie Benson 5; Gil, Julionna Skinner 23; Gil, Hannah Phillips 48; Gil, Bailey Wenz 62.