Keith’s Week 5 picks from ‘The Huddle’ blog here
LAST WEEK: 10-2.
OVERALL: 49-17.
Time for the picks … and if you know me, I’m usually quite giddy when I sit down to write the weekly prediction column.
But as I sit here, I have two things going against me.
First, I’m sick. I have a cold, I have really bad chest congestion and a splitting headache. Hopefully the antibiotics I’m picking up this afternoon will help – I definitely need something.
Second, my 40th birthday is on Friday, and I’m not exactly thrilled that I only have one more day left in my 30’s. Oy.
So if there isn’t a lot of gusto in this pick column, now you know why.
But I press on … here are my stone-cold Week 5 selections …
Cedar Crest @ Wilson – Falcons stinging after coughing up late lead in loss to Warwick; Bulldogs looking for more stability after back-to-back come-from-behind wins. Wilson wins here, 38-13.
Hempfield @ McCaskey – Black Knights need to clean it up on O after six giveaways in loss to Penn Manor; Red Tornado, with new-look D personnel, looking to snap this head-scratching 15-game skid. Not this week. Hempfield wins, 27-14.
Manheim Township @ Warwick – Blue Streaks feeling fine after throttling Reading; Warriors feeling frisky after come-from-behind win over Cedar Crest. The more I look at it, this is a really, really good game. Who wins? Tough call. Leaning Warwick, at the wire, 21-20. Toughest game to pick this week – hands down. Oh by the way, I’ll be blogging live from this game at LancSports.com if you can’t make it.
Penn Manor @ Reading – Comets are sailing at 4-0; Red Knights are looking to get healthy and back in the W column. Penn Manor picks off another customer, 40-12.
Conestoga Valley @ Elizabethtown – Buckskins are still humming along quite nicely, thank you; Bears back on track after slug-it-out win over Solanco. Head says CV. Gut says E-town. I think I’ll go with the gut with this pick. Bears hold off Bucks, 23-21. Really like this matchup, by the way.
Anyone have a tissue?
Ephrata @ Cocalico – Mountaineers losing skid up to 14, and not much is going right; Eagles coming off a stinger loss to Manheim Central. Cocalico cruises here, 49-7.
Garden Spot @ Lebanon – Spartans still looking for a spark; Cedars coming off first win this season. Garden Spot went 2-0 vs. Lebanon last year (including rip-roaring come-from-way-behind win in District 3 playoffs). Cedars get some revenge here. Air Raid alert! Lebanon wins, 27-7.
Manheim Central @ Solanco – Barons seem to be on a different planet at the moment; Golden Mules are up a week, down a week, up a week, down a week. I’ll take Central here, 42-14.
Annville-Cleona @ Northern Lebanon – Little Dutchmen rode Rickey Snyder’s 328-yard, 6-TD effort to first win this season last week; Vikings are coming off a loss to a really good Elco team, but still have gigantic expectations. Northern Lebanon wins this backyard scrap, 30-14.
Columbia @ Elco – Tide has given up the most points in the league; Raiders have scored the most points in the league. Uh, oh. Elco romps, 49-6.
Donegal @ Pequea Valley – Indians are flat-out struggling; Braves not only have won a game, but are moving the ball and scoring mad points. So I’m going Pequea Valley here, 41-14. And yes, that’s the third week in a row I picked the Braves. So there.
Lampeter-Strasburg @ Lancaster Catholic – Pioneers have 94 points in their last two games – both blowout wins; Crusaders, with QB Kyle Smith back in the saddle, are rounding into shape after the Week 3 loss to Manheim Central. This one is always a treat and is always close. No reason to believe it won’t be again. Catholic wins a squeaker, 28-20. Keith Schweigert blogging live from this game at LancSports.com don’t forget.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and cough my lungs out.
Enjoy the games …
