I’ve enjoyed Halloween for as long as I can remember. It’s the time of year for carving jack-o-lanterns, creepy costumes, trick-or-treating, and watching a scary movie or two.

All of those memories have been a part of Halloweens past for me, but from this Halloween on, I’ll remember the season for so much more.

On Saturday afternoon, I’ll officially say “I do” to the lovely Bethany Garmon. She and I have been dating almost two years now. Our first date was in the fall, so what better time to get married than the same season we met?

Following our wedding, we’ll be spending Halloween in the Smoky Mountains on our honeymoon, but for all you area high school football fans, don’t worry. Bethany will have me back in time to give you picks and coverage for next Friday’s final week of the regular season.

Just call it a mini-fall break.

I hope I can pick up where I left off following our honeymoon. For the past two weeks, I’ve picked a perfect 6-0 to improve my overall record to 43-8 on the season.

Let’s see if this week is full of treats or tricks.

Cherokee County (8-0) at Ashville (0-8): Speaking of treats, the Warriors had an early one last week by clinching their second consecutive Class 4A, Region 6 title with a 49-0 massacre at Etowah.

Could Ashville play a trick on the Warriors by picking up their first win and end their shot at an undefeated regular season? No way. I look for the Warriors to haunt the Bulldogs.

The pick: Cherokee County.

Sand Rock (2-7) at Whitesburg Christian (0-8): The Wildcats know they won’t be playing next week, but they still have something to play for. They can close of their season by winning two in a row and know they have plenty of promise throughout the off-season with a young quarterback in Alec Ashley, a solid running back in Kane Robison, and other players who have emerged at key positions.

Look for the Wildcats to spook Whitesburg Christian.

The pick: Sand Rock.

Gaylesville (1-7) at Valley Head (6-2): The Tigers have terrorized their opponents over the past month, winning by a combined score of 172-50. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot and will host in the first round on Nov. 10.

They’ve also won four straight in the series with the Trojans, so I like the Tigers in this one.

The pick: Valley Head.

Appalachian (4-4) at Cedar Bluff (3-5): Before I give my pick here, a quick shout out to former Cedar Bluff football player Ethan Teague and his girlfriend Darrah Stancil for taking time out of their Sunday to stop by our new house and put together a desk for Bethany and myself. It also gave Ethan and me a chance to talk a little football, which is always a plus.

Anyway, Ethan’s alma mater is coming off a much-needed bye week following two straight losses. Speaking of bye weeks, since the Eagles come off of theirs back on Sept. 29, they haven’t won since. They’ve been outscored 110-15 in losses to Decatur Heritage, Valley Head and Coosa Christian.

Cedar Bluff has also lost to those three squads, so both teams desperately need this game to keep playoff hopes alive. Since the Tigers are playing at home, and they’ve traditionally done well against Appalachian (15-3 lifetime), I’ll give them a slight edge here in a “Thriller.”

The pick: Cedar Bluff.

Hokes Bluff (5-3) at Piedmont (3-5): Piedmont has been playing better of late, but Hokes Bluff has been playing pretty well most of the season.

I also know Piedmont has won the last five in this rivalry, but I think Hokes Bluff holds the edge in this one and will bewitch the Bulldogs.

The pick: Hokes Bluff.

North Sand Mountain (5-3) at Collinsville (6-2): These two teams have already clinched playoff spots. Both will travel in the first round Nov. 10. It’s just a matter of which one will be the three seed and the four seed.

The Panthers’ Quintavious Rogers has been like catching a ghost for opposing defenses, including on special teams. I’m thinking he’ll be the difference maker once again here.

The pick: Collinsville.

Ragland (6-3) at Spring Garden (7-2): Like the North Sand Mountain-Collinsville game, playoff positioning is also at stake here. The difference here is a home or a road game in the first round of the playoffs.

I’ve really been impressed with how well Spring Garden’s ground game has come alive the past three weeks behind Connor Bates, John Welsh and Chapel Pope. With that three-headed monster leading the charge, I’m thinking the Panthers close out their regular season with a win in this week’s Foothills Tractor Game of the Week.

The pick: Spring Garden.