The title of this week’s picks column has a double meaning. Not only am I on the mend from a 1-3 start to the 2025 high school football season, but now I’m also on the mend from surgery.

Last Friday night, during the fourth quarter of the Arab at Cherokee County game, my left leg got rolled up on during a tackle on the Warrior sideline.

Initially thought to be a severe ankle sprain, an x-ray revealed further damage to my fibula. Maybe by the time you read this I will have had surgery.

Thanks to everyone who has called or messaged me with prayers and well wishes. If the surgery and recovery go well, I plan to be back covering games as soon as possible.

But don’t worry. In the meantime, I’ll make sure you continue to get your Friday night high school football fix like you’re accustomed to seeing on our website, weisradio.com, and our social media.

Now, back to me mending my mark.

After posting a 4-2 record last week, I’m now at 5-5 after two weeks of picking. Not the most stellar of starts, but considering where I was a week ago, I’ll take any improvement.

Region play begins tomorrow for most of our area teams, so the stakes are raised a bit higher. Let’s see what yours truly is thinking for this week.

Hopefully I haven’t had too much pain medication with these picks.

Valley Head (1-1) at Gaylesville (2-0)

With a win this week over Valley Head, this year’s Trojans have a chance to do something not many have accomplished.

You have to go all the way back to 1994 to find the last time Gaylesville was 3-0. That year the Trojans finished 7-3. The Trojans were technically 3-0 on the field in 2020, but had to forfeit their second game of the season to Ragland because of COVID-19.

Behind Jack Sentell, I think this team will add its name to the school history book and open Class 1A, Region 8 play on the right foot.

The pick: Gaylesville.

Ragland (1-0) at Spring Garden (1-1)

Speaking of streaks, the Panthers had their 15-game regular season winning streak snapped with last week’s setback to Pleasant Valley. I look for Brady Ruark, Clayton Sadler and company to begin a new one beginning this week against region rival Ragland.

The pick: Spring Garden.

Piedmont (2-0) at Ohatchee (0-2)

Ohatchee has been a thorn in the side of the Bulldogs through the years. The Indians have won three of the last five meetings, and are playing at the Creekbank in this one, but this Piedmont team has rolled right out of the gate. Look for Cole Austin and company to continue the pace and take another leg up in the Class 3A, Region 6 race.

The pick: Piedmont

North Sand Mountain (2-0) at Sand Rock (0-2)

Another team that’s come out of the gate hot is the Bison. They’ve won their first two games by a combined score of 96-7, including a 43-0 swatting of Ider last week.

Alec Ashley had another solid game throwing the ball last week against West End, but the Patriots pulled away for a 33-14 win.

If the Wildcats could establish more of a running game to compliment Ashley, that would be huge. That might be too difficult a task against North Sand Mountain’s defense.

The pick: North Sand Mountain.

Gaston (1-0) at Cedar Bluff (1-1)

There weren’t too many bright spots for Cedar Bluff in last week’s 53-6 drubbing at Collinsville, but Jeremiah Miller proved to be a load for the Panthers to handle. He almost ran for 100 yards and the Tigers’ lone touchdown.

Cedar Bluff and Gaston played a great game last season, with the Tigers coming out on top 28-22.

Gaston, coached by Cherokee County native Randy Dupree, has had an extra week to prepare for the Tigers, which could prove to be key, but I’ll take Cedar Bluff in another close one.

The pick: Cedar Bluff.

Collinsville (1-0) at Fyffe (1-1)

Here are two teams coming off dominating performances last week. I just mentioned how the Panthers pummeled Cedar Bluff in their season opener. The Red Devils rebounded from a season-opening 35-6 loss to Maplesville to defeat Class 2A top-ranked Pisgah last week 60-28.

Fyffe has owned the series with the Collinsville. The Red Devils have won 25 in a row and have a 46-18 lead in the overall series with a tie. Collinsville’s last win over Fyffe came back on Sept. 9, 1983, a 14-0 victory.

This Panther team certainly has the weapons to put an end to that streak, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they did. But the Red Devils are playing at home, and I think that gives them a slight edge.

The pick: Fyffe.

Oneonta (1-0) at Cherokee County (1-1)

The Warriors responded to their season-opening loss at Piedmont behind a strong running game and an opportunistic defense to earn a 25-0 win over Arab. I look for those type efforts to continue against the Redskins on Friday night, which is the Warriors’ homecoming and our Foothills Tractor Game of the Week.

The pick: Cherokee County.