It's that time of the year again, when school pride is taken to an all new level. The 2012 Oil Bowl is upon us. On September 22, the Natrona County Mustangs will once again go head to head with the Kelly Walsh Trojans in what is sure to be an absolute barn-burner. We'll be there for the entire game to provide you up to the minute play-by-play action, as well as a HUGE gallery of the game and its fans. But we thought we would take some time, for those of you who have been living under a rock, to tell you everything you need to know about the Oil Bowl.

A Brief History-

The year was 1965. Kelly Walsh High School had just become Casper's 2nd high school. NCHS had been around since arguably 1896 and had long since been known as THE high school in Casper. KW was eager to establish itself as an exceptional alternative to the former "Casper High School" (as it had previously been called), and the only way to do that, it seemed, was on the gridiron.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, they lost the inaugural Oil Bowl 12-7, but a decades-long tradition had been established. KW won its first game four years later, when they defeated the Mustangs 8-7, after KW's Quarterback ran a two-point conversion with less than a minute to play. The Mustangs rebounded the following year and continued to dominate the Oil Bowl until 1977. KW finally got a win after quarterback Scott Craig threw a 40-yard TD pass and then proceeded to score a touchdown himself, running into the goal line from 24 yards out. KW defeated NC 13-3 on that night.

Oilbowl 2011
Nick Perkins, Townsquare Media
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From 1980-1984, KW locked up four victories against their cross-town rivals, until finally giving up a victory to the Orange and Black attack in 1985. The Mustangs absolutely crushed the Trojans, locking up a victory of 42-7. Mike Lansing was the hero of that game, as he threw for 170 yards and rushed for another 116. KW and NC traded victories back and forth until 1992, when the Mustangs embarked on a decade-long winning streak. That streak finally ended in 2002, when KW pulled out a victory of 27-26 in what was one of the most exciting Oil Bowls ever, thanks in large part to KW senior Derek Hepner and NC junior JC Navarro.

The following year, eager to once again establish their dominance, NC shut out KW 43-0 in what was the most one-sided victory in the game's history. Navarro was the all-star of that game, as he rushed for 107 yards and scored two touchdowns on six carries. KW finally got another victory in 2006, and one in 2009, but the Mustangs proved that for the most part, they are the superior football team. NC leads the series 35-12.

Which brings us to this year. The Mustangs, led by Coach Steve Harshman, are 4-0 so far this season, while the the Trojans, led by Coach Jon Vance, are 2-2. Both teams show immense talent and promise, but if history is indication, the Kelly Walsh Trojans have one heck of an uphill battle if they want to defeat the Natrona County Mustangs in the 2012 Oil Bowl.

2012 Oil Bowl

Oil Bowl 2011
Nick Perkins, Townsquare Media
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When: September 22, 2012.

What Time: 6:00 pm-9:30 pm

Where: KellyWalsh High School Football Field

2012 Record: NC Mustangs (4-0) KW (2-2)

Oil Bowl Record: NC (35) KW (12)

KW Players To Watch For: John Fabrizius, Talen Markovich and Tanner Fischer

NC Players To Watch For: Brecken Briggs, Josh Flanagan and Logan Wilson

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