Sometimes
I wonder
if emotion
gets in
the way
of brains
when it
comes to
picking
games. Sometimes
you just
want a team
to win or
lose and
that dictates
the pick
when you
have no
right picking
that outcome.
That,
of course,
doesn’t
count for
the Cardinals,
who emotionally
and logically
need to
be picked
to lose
most weeks.
But
I’m back
to avenge
my poor
picks, despite
the games
being tough
this week.
The top
two teams
in prep
5A‑Division
II square
off, Cactus
Shadows
has a Thursday
TV game
and the
Cardinals
go back
to St. Louis–to
play, not
to move.
Here
we go with
this week’s
picks:
PINNACLE
22, MARCOS
DE NIZA
17. The
Game of
the Year
in 5A‑Division
II ... at
least so
far. The
top two
teams in
the latest
Arizona
Interscholastic
Association
power point
rankings
battle for
bragging
rights of
who’s No.
1 in the
state. Of
course,
the No.
1 team at
this point
in the season
doesn’t
mean anything,
and chances
are these
teams will
see each
other again
in the postseason.
That still
doesn’t
stop us
from getting
excited
for this
one.
BOULDER
CREEK 24, WILLOW
CANYON 21
(OT). This
one is going
to be good.
Willow Canyon
beat Boulder
Creek to
end last
season,
and both
teams have
talent to
make the
playoffs
this season.
The fact
that it’s
a region
game makes
it even
more important.
This game
may or not
go to overtime,
but will
be close
and really
could go
either way.
GOLDWATER
59, VALLEY
VISTA 9.
If there
is anything
that will
cure a team’s
ills faster
than playing
a new program
without
seniors,
I don’t
know what
it is. After
three straight
weeks of
losses that
has seen
Goldwater’s
offense
disappear,
the Bulldogs
are fortunate
enough to
get new
Surprise
school Valley
Vista on
the schedule.
This should
be ugly.
SAGUARO
28, CACTUS
SHADOWS
10. Cactus
Shadows
is still
looking
for its
first Desert
Sky Region
victory
and first
win against
a 4A‑Division
I team.
Unfortunately
for Falcons
fans, it
won’t come
against
No. 1‑ranked
Saguaro,
which is
loaded after
winning
the state
championship
a year ago.
Making matters
worse for
Cactus Shadows
is the game
will be
played on
Cox‑TV
as part
of its Game
of the Week
package.
Maybe Cox
can switch
and pick
up the Pinnacle‑Marcos
de Niza
game instead.
ARIZONA
STATE 40,
WASHINGTON
STATE 18.
Arizona
State is
on a roll
under coach
Dennis Erickson.
Typically,
this is
about the
time of
year one
would expect
the Sun
Devils to
roll over
and die
because
too much
success
is not allowed.
But something
tells me
something
is different
this year
with Dennis.
In fact,
maybe the
Devils can
run the
table, before
having their
season ruined
by the U
of A, which
leads me
to ...
ARIZONA
35, OREGON
STATE 28.
Once again,
I pick them
to win,
they lose;
I pick them
to lose,
they win.
This week,
I’m predicting
Arizona
to beat
Oregon State
by a touchdown,
so that
obviously
means Oregon
State will
win in a
rout.
PORTLAND
STATE 38,
NORTHERN
ARIZONA
14. What
the heck
happened
to the Lumberjacks
at Sacramento
State last
week? Did
NAU actually
make the
trip? Man,
if they
can’t even
beat Sac
State, Jerry
Glanville’s
Portland
State team
is going
to have
a field
day.
CARDINALS
20, RAMS
16. How
’bout them
Cardinals?
They didn’t
blow the
game last
week and
they are
literally
seconds
away from
being 4‑0.
But the
fact that
they’re
not proves
that they’re
still the
Cardinals.
This week
they play
the suddenly
lowly Rams,
who can’t
pass gas
at this
point. In
all logic
the Cardinals
should destroy
St. Louis,
but whenever
they go
back to
their former
hometown,
weird things
happen.
They should
still win
though.
Last
Week: 3‑5
(.375)
Season:
22‑13
(.629)
