Seeing as how I hadn’t written a picks column in a year, I thought there might be a hiccup or two when it came to picking games last week.
But I’ll certainly take a 5-0 mark to get things started.
The first couple of weeks are always tough to pick. Teams are still finding some things out about themselves. But things might get a little tougher this week as region play begins for six of the seven WEIS Radio coverage area teams. Cherokee County is the lone exception, as the Warriors travel to Class 6A Springville.
So let’s see ‘What in the World is Shannon Fagan Thinking’ about Week 2 of the high school football season.
Appalachian (0-1) at Gaylesville (1-1): A week after impressing me with their fourth-quarter grit against Whitesburg Christian, the Gaylesville Trojans hit a brick wall in Ragland with a 40-14 setback.
So which team will show up this week? If the Trojans can cut down on the turnovers, I think they’ll defeat Appalachian. Here’s thinking they might just do that.
The pick: Gaylesville.
Valley Head (0-2) at Cedar Bluff (0-1): Not much went right for Cedar Bluff at Spring Garden last week, but by no means do I believe one game makes a season.
Valley Head won this battle last year, so the revenge factor is on Cedar Bluff’s side. I look for the Tigers’ offensive line to give senior quarterback Jacob Burleson a little better protection this week, and for the defense to find a way to slow down Valley Head junior quarterback Eian Bain.
The pick: Cedar Bluff.
Collinsville (1-1) at Fyffe (1-0): Collinsville made a few strides last week at Crossville, but it’s going to take playing an almost perfect game by the Panthers at defending state champion Fyffe.
Even with that, it still might not be enough.
The pick: Fyffe.
Cherokee County (0-1) at Springville (1-0): Take away a couple of early interceptions that led to touchdowns, and the Warriors just might have been able to keep things close at Piedmont.
I look for quarterback Cade Hopper to bounce back from a tough outing, and for the stout running of Damien Ramsey and Lamycal Mitchell to be the difference in a Warrior win at Springville.
The pick: Cherokee County.
Spring Garden (1-0) at West End (1-1): The Panthers looked every bit as strong as last season’s state semifinal team last week.
Chaz Pope looked sharp throwing the football. Andrew Floyd carried the ball effectively. Cooper Austin was, well, Cooper Austin. And Landon Gowens looked like a man on a mission on defense.
Look for those four names to come up with big performances again at West End.
The pick: Spring Garden.
Sand Rock (1-0) at Westbrook Christian (1-0): The Wildcats are coming off an emotional high after outlasting Pisgah, 48-42. Ace Ashley tossed the game-winning 10-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Logan Crider with 28 seconds remaining.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have had an extra week to prepare for this region clash.
I look for a close battle, much like last year’s game, but I’m afraid the result will be the same.
The pick: Westbrook Christian.
Piedmont (1-0) at Saks (2-0): This is the team Saks fans have been anticipating the past couple of years, and with good reason.
The Wildcats have a 3-year starter at quarterback in senior Sean Parnell. They have a bruiser of a back in senior Rickey Garrett, and they’ve proven they can put up the points in wins over Sylvania (42-32) and Talladega (42-0), both on the road.
Add to that it’s the Wildcats’ first home game of the season, and you’ve got a recipe for a big win.
But one of the things I’ve learned over the years in covering high school football is never underestimate what Steve Smith is capable of cooking up. He has some pretty solid ingredients himself, including junior quarterback Jack Hayes and the opportunistic Omarion Foster on defense.
This could be one of those whichever team has the ball last will win type of games. Here’s thinking its Piedmont, and the Bulldogs make something happen.
The pick: Piedmont.