We are on the eve of the 2017 high school football season. It’s when the gridiron rumbles back to life and the Friday night-lights illuminate the field to test the metal of every high school football player. The start of the football season also means one other time-honored tradition at the Journal-Tribune. . . the Pigskin Pickers.
The annual battle is a game of who can pick the most wins across a selection of high school, college and professional games.
Pickers again this year are managing editor Chad Williams, sports editor Tim Miller, publisher Kevin Behrens, reporters Mac Cordell and Will Channell and sports writer Sam Dillon.
Week one of the Pickers will consist of four high school games: Marysville vs. Jonathan Alder, North Union vs. Swanton, Fairbanks vs. Benjamin Logan and Triad vs. Indian Lake.
Williamson will be covering the Game of the Week, which is Marysville at Jonathan Alder.
Dillon will cover the North Union-Swanton game, while Miller and Channell will team to handle the Fairbanks-Benjamin Logan contest.
Fans who do not go to the games may follow the scores, sponsored by Memorial Health and Kirby Auto Parts and Towing, at the end of each quarter on the Journal-Tribune’s Facebook page.
Let the games begin.
Marysville vs.
Jon Alder
Williamson – JA by 7
Miller- JA by 7
Behrens- JA by 1
Cordell- Pioneers by 2
Channell- JA by 6
Dillon- Jon Alder by 14
North Union
vs. Swanton
Williamson- NU by 6
Miller- NU by 6
Behrens-NU by 2
Cordell- Wildcats by 6
Channell- NU by 9
Dillon- North Union by 3
Fairbanks vs.
Benjamin Logan
Williamson- Ben Logan by 21
Miller-Benjamin Logan by 6
Behrens- Raiders by 3
Cordell-Raiders by 5
Channell- BL by 9
Dillon- Benjamin Logan by 14
Triad vs. Indian Lake
Williamson- Indian Lake by 10
Miller-Indian Lake by 6
Behrens-Indian Lake by 4
Cordell- Lakers by 4
Channell- Indian Lake by 9
Dillon-Indian Lake by 7
Disclaimers:
Williamson: “Fairbanks and Marysville both come out of the gate with difficult neighboring battles. Marysville is going to have to show me something before I can pick them with any confidence. They have talent in spots, but I don’t know if the package is complete.”
Miller: “The first week is always tough to pick. I’m not sure what to expect from some local teams.”
Behrens: “The first week of the season, Ole Coco Cordell usually comes out crowing like a rooster, however this year is different. Maybe old age has caught up with him? He needs to get his head on straight because the last comment I heard Coco Cordell make was he was more interested in doing a 5K with his infant son on his back than concentrating on his picks. Reminds me of Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump.”
Cordell: “Week 1 is like a box of chocolates…if it gets too hot out, things could get messy. Plus, you never know what you’re gonna get the first week. It could be only vanilla caramel in the box or it could be that disgusting fruit and nut-filled maple molasses thing.”
Channell: “Week 1 is like a box of chocolates … I’m not crazy about chocolate. But, Pigskin Pickers is inevitable. Kind of like my co-workers accusing me of copying their picks is inevitable. But, if I have to, I may as well try at it. And I have no intention of stopping my ‘not losing’ streak.”
Dillon: “To take a quote from the North Union football coach Nick Hajjar, ‘week one in the great equalizer,’ you never know what you are going to get, like a box of chocolates. Good luck.”