Ford powers into first place in Grid Picks

All hail the Pigskin Prophet.

With an astounding record of 42-3 over the past three weeks, Bob Ford now has sole possession of first place in the standings and owns a comfortable three-game lead over the rest of the pack. “I’ve been having good luck the past few weeks. But it’s just a matter of time before I blow it with a 6-9 week, even though that is an average week for some of the writers.”

As expected, Week 6 brought about a shuffle in the standings. Hot Rod Heckman jumped from third place into a tie for second with last week’s front-runner, Justin Carlucci. Heckman tied Ford with a 14-1 week, while Brad Hurley’s 13 winners locked him alone in third.

Yours truly faltered once again. At 10-5 for the week and 61-29 overall, I dropped another game behind TJ and Son. With four weeks to go, I’ll keep shoveling the dirt to try and get out of the Pundit Pit.

I’ll roll my dice on lucky Week 7. Falter again and next week, my picks will come from Strack and Son as my 12-year-old thinks he can do better than his dad, who can’t seem to find his way out of the dark.

Tamaqua visits Lehighton

in Picks Game of the Week

The once-beaten Raiders look to get back on track after last week’s loss and knock Lehighton from the ranks of the undefeated. After falling behind against North Schuylkill last Friday, the Indians mounted a victorious comeback. Led by quarterback Cody Scherer, running back TaQuan Bradley-Chambers and a strong second-half defensive effort, Lehighton came away with a win against a strong opponent.

Tamaqua ran into a Pottsville buzz saw last week, but the Raigers’ go-to running back Nick Breiner managed to rush for 91 yards against the Tide’s tough front four.

This should be a great matchup. Both teams can run and pass and have proved big-play capabilities. Because of Tamaqua’s first loss, the staff swings over to Lehighton to win this game and remain undefeated. Don’t be surprised, however, if the Raiders prevail in a mild upset.

Shutouts and six routs

Jim Thorpe puts its incredible shutout streak on the line against North Schuylkill tonight. The Red Swarm defense has registered five straight shutouts and has not allowed a point for 23 consecutive quarters. The Olympians have won all six games, outscoring opponents, 222-7. The Spartans, perhaps JT’s toughest test yet, look to bounce back after their first loss. Look for Justin St. Hill, who ran for 325 yards and four TDs last week, to slice and slash through the Spartan defense. North Schuylkill will have to be at its best in the red zone. At least four times this season, the Red Swarm has stopped opponents on fourth downs from inside the five.

Turnovers are touchdowns

Seven of the 15 contests are unanimous picks by the staff. The toss up game is Mahanoy Area at Marian, where the staff is split down the middle. The Golden Bears come into the game at 3-3 while Marian is 2-4. Last week, the Colts, who scored just 12 points in their first four games, erupted for 41 fourth-quarter points to defeat Panther Valley. Seth Paluck ran for 125 yards and two TDs, but it was the Colt defense that scored three times in the fourth quarter on a fumble recovery and two interceptions. Based on strength of schedule and playing at home, Marian is in my prayers to gain me a game over five pickers.

Key matchups in Week 8 will be Jim Thorpe at Tamaqua and Lehighton at Pottsville.

There’s still plenty of time for me to dust off the dirt and make my move out of the Pundit Pit.