Pigskin Picks

My, my, how time flies when you're having fun. Seems like it was just a few weeks ago when our sports guys were ramblin' and scramblin' to get their interviews, previews and overviews done for the 2024 football tab. Now here it is, Week 9, and another season is almost in the books. Some teams are hoping to claim a league championship in the next week or two. With 16 teams in every region now making the playoffs, even more are checking out post-season pairings and possibilities. We've got our own down-to-the-wire competition going on in the newsroom as well with only two games separating our Pigskin Picks prognosticators. Sports editor Zach Baker, looking at a four-game deficit midway through the season, has rallied and is hanging tough. He made up two games with a perfect 15-0 prediction in Week 6, and made up another game with a 13-2 record last week. He's 97-22 overall, just two games back of Dave Hanneman's 99-20 record with two weeks to go. Hanneman dodged a bullet last week. He split with Baker on three games and had already lost two of them before the report of Ottawa-Glandorf's 21-7 win over Celina came in. Had he lost that game, our fearless forecasters would dead even this week, Hanneman faces the same dilemma this week, considering he and Baker are not seeing eye-to-eye on every pick. In a couple of games that could go either way, Baker is taking Ada over Pandora-Gilboa and Crestline over North Baltimore, with Hanneman going with the Rockets and Tigers respectively. Hanneman's Picks Last week, 11-4; overall, 99-20 Toledo Whitmer over FINDLAY – Whitmer still has a shot at sharing the Buckeye Division title, but the Panthers know they have to win out to keep that chance alive. PANDORA-GILBOA over Ada – Toss-up. The crystal ball was so cloudy on this one I decided to flip a coin in frustration. It landed on its edge. LIBERTY-BENTON over Arcadia – Redskins end the season with three road games, all against teams with .500 or better records. McCOMB over Riverdale – Panthers haven't strung back-to-back wins together since the first two weeks of the season. Here's a chance, though, to create some momentum heading into Week 10, then the playoffs. Leipsic over ARLINGTON – Another good matchup – but a tough game to predict – in the BVC. VAN BUREN over Elmwood – Knights only home game the last half of the season, and I'm banking the players, especially the seniors, will want that last game to be a W. Maumee over FOSTORIA – Great win by Fostoria last week, but Maumee won't be caught looking past the Redmen. Carey over MOHAWK – Winning the Wyandot County title just might earn the Blue Devils an N10 title as well. Ridgemont over CORY-RAWSON – Tough row to hoe for the Hornets, with 6-2 teams Ridgemont and Gibsonburg to wrap up the season. NORTH BALTIMORE over Crestline – Taking the Tigers at home in what looks like another either/or pick. COLUMBUS GROVE over Lima Central Catholic – The Week 10 showdown is gonna happen, count on it. BLUFFTON over Allen East – Did I mention the Week 10 showdown is gonna happen? Ottawa-Glandorf over LIMA SHAWNEE – Titans are not only playoff bound after going 1-9 a year ago, they're very, very close to hosting a first-round game. Summerfield, Mich. over VANLUE – Don't know much about Summerfield, but its 6-1 record speaks petty loud. Baker's Picks Last week, 12-3; overall, 97-22 Toledo Whitmer over FINDLAY – Panthers have had some impressive wins. Ada over PANDORA-GILBOA – Ada has passed a lot of tests this season. LIBERTY-BENTON over Arcadia – L-B will clinch at least a share of BVC crown. McCOMB over Riverdale – Grady Schroeder ran for 266 yards last week. And he's the quarterback for McComb. Leipsic over ARLINGTON – It's a bounce-back game for both teams, but Leipsic has been better in recent weeks. VAN BUREN over Elmwood – Royals have struggled, but beating the Division V team should help Van Buren's postseason hopes. Maumee over FOSTORIA – Big win for the Redmen last week, but Maumee represents tougher competition. Carey over MOHAWK – Dave usually does this, so I might as well try it: Upper Sandusky defeated Mohawk, but Carey hammered the Rams. So... Carey beats Mohawk, right? Ridgemont over CORY-RAWSON – It has been a while since the Hornets have scored on a field goal. Crestline over NORTH BALTIMORE – Whenever Crestline comes up in the picks, I always think of the late Gates Brown, a Crestline native and former Detroit Tigers outfielder. Gates' old MLB team didn't win its last game. The Bulldogs will win their next one. COLUMBUS GROVE over Lima Central Catholic – Nope, not picking against Grove. In fact, I may never pick against Grove. Not this season or any season. BLUFFTON over Allen East – Bluffton holds serve on the road to another showdown with Columbus Grove. Ottawa-Glandorf over LIMA SHAWNEE – O-G remains resilient. Summerfield, Mich. over VANLUE – Summerfield sounds like one of those towns you play in one of those 1950s sitcoms. And lose to. Home team in caps.