The Cherokee County Warriors weren’t the only ones who suffered heartbreak in Week 0.

With just 0.3 of a second remaining, Piedmont senior quarterback connected with senior receiver Ishmael Bethel on a fade route in the end zone. Bethel bobbled the ball but made an amazing catch to lift the Bulldogs to a thrilling 34-27 victory.

Bethel not only won the game for his team, but he kept yours truly from being undefeated in my picks last week.

Instead, I went 3-1 in perhaps the hardest week to pick every season.

I say perhaps the hardest week to pick, but there are a couple of games this week that could go either way.

Will I pick up my first perfect week or will another last second heartbreak strike again? Read on to find out ‘What In The World Is Shannon Fagan Thinking?’

Gaylesville (1-0) at Asbury (0-1)

Out of all of my correct picks last week, I was most proud of selecting Gaylesville to defeat Donoho. Alex Baty, Jack Sentell and company didn’t let me down. Baty battered the Falcons for 235 yards on 26 carries and four scores, while Sentell added 175 yards on 10 totes with two scores for good measure. Their efforts lifted the Trojans to a 42-28 victory.

Meanwhile, Asbury got blanked by Gaston 32-0.

Gaylesville has won all three of its meetings with the Rams, including a 55-20 victory back in 2021.

The last time Gaylesville went 2-0 to begin a season was back in 2013. Here’s thinking that’s all the motivation the Trojans need in this Thursday night contest.

The pick: Gaylesville.

West End (0-1) at Sand Rock (0-1)

Sand Rock showed flashes in last week’s loss to Spring Garden that it could be a formidable opponent during the 2024 season. The Wildcats scored on their first possession and led Spring Garden at the end of the first quarter 7-6. They only trailed by five at halftime before being blitzed by the Panthers in the second half.

West End fell behind at home to Pleasant Valley last week by three scores in the first half in a 28-12 setback. It was head coach Matt Harris’s regular-season debut with the Patriots.

Speaking of Harris, he spent the last three seasons at Gaston, where he went 0-2 against the Wildcats.

If Sand Rock can get off to a quick start offensively, I like their chances of keeping Harris winless against them. Here’s thinking the Wildcats will defend their home turf.

The pick: Sand Rock.

Spring Garden (1-0) at Pleasant Valley (1-0)

As I mentioned above, Sand Rock put a bit of pressure on the Panthers last week, but they responded with a 29-0 run in the second half.

That’s senior leadership for you, of which the Panthers have plenty of. There are 12 of them on the roster this season.

Seniors John Welsh, Connor Bates and Noah Barber helped carry Spring Garden to the win last week, and I think they’ll do much the same this Friday at Pleasant Valley.

The pick: Spring Garden.

Piedmont (1-0) at Saks (0-1)

Sometimes when a team earns a thriller of a win against a rival they suffer a letdown the following week. I don’t expect that with the Bulldogs, especially since head coach Jonathan Miller is going against his former team, the Saks Wildcats.

Miller was the coach with the Wildcats from 2012-22. He compiled a 100-32 record while there.

I look for another big night from quarterback Cole Wilson and all-purpose threat Rollie Pinto, who almost set a state record in catches last week.

The pick: Piedmont.

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

To say things didn’t go as planned for the Warriors last week against Piedmont is an understatement. Now they have to face a formidable 5A team on the road in the Knights, who blanked Albertville last week 35-0.

Senior quarterback Drew Puccio ran for 100 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns. He also completed 10 of 20 passes for 111 yards with a pair of scores.

Arab’s defense also forced four turnovers in the win.

Honestly, I don’t know what to expect in this first-ever meeting, but it sounds like the Warriors have their hands full. While I do expect a much cleaner performance from the Warriors, I think the Knights have the edge in this one.

The pick: Arab.

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

Hunter Stallings had an impressive debut as the Tigers’ starting quarterback last week at Valley Head. The senior completed 13 of 21 pass attempts for 194 yards and a 54-yard touchdown to fellow senior Caleb Edmondson. Stallings also ran for 92 yards on 12 carries.

But the Panthers also feature a pretty good signal caller in sophomore Mason McAteer.

McAteer threw for over 1,400 yards last season. He tossed  three touchdown passes – two to Gavin Lang and one to Quintavious Rogers – to lead the Panthers in a 49-6 scrimmage rout at Appalachian two weeks ago.

The Panthers have had an extra week to prepare for this one, so I like their chances in the Foothills Tractor Game of the Week.

The pick: Collinsville.