by Bill Turner
High school football reaches its final two weeks of the regular season, with key matchups set for this Friday night across the area. Some teams are set to position themselves for district championships and others look to simply get in the mix when first-round play opens the second weekend of November.
Last week resulted in a 8-1 record in the prediction ledger, making it 19-1 (.950) for the past two weeks. There’s plenty of Friday night lights left, and the games keep getting tougher, so let’s tackle this week’s slate. Most importantly, head out to support your favorite team this Friday night.
Franklin County at Patrick Henry: This one is for all the marbles in the Western Valley District. Both teams are undefeated in the district and both have two losses overall. PH head coach Alan Fiddler has plenty of experience getting ready for a game of this magnatude. Patrick Henry- 27 Franklin County-20
William Fleming at Halifax County: This was Fleming’s only on-field win last season, but it eventually turned into a forfeit to the Blue Comets. Halifax must regroup from its blowout loss in Roanoke last week. Halifax County- 21 William Fleming- 12
Alleghany at Lord Botetourt: Botetourt needs to strengthen its playoff position in Division 4. Alleghany has yet to win a Blue Ridge matchup. Tater Benson’s win last Friday on a late field goal should work wonders with momentum. Lord Botetourt- 20 Alleghany-16
Northside at Rockbridge County: The Vikings keep escaping like Houdini. Rockbridge has been pointing to this game since they joined the Blue Ridge. Both are undefeated in the district and Rockbridge has the only overall loss. Horns blow on the way back down I-81 Friday night. Northside- 35 Rockbridge County- 24
Staunton River at William Byrd: Byrd has shed most of its early-season injuries and gave Northside a fit last week before losing by one. Staunton River still is without a district win, Byrd should keep it that way. William Byrd- 27 Staunton River- 13
Hidden Valley at Salem: This one could be a barnburner. This is a much-improved Titan team that only mustered a field goal in last year’s game. Can Salem rebound from its loss to Christiansburg? The Spartans rarely lose two in a row. Salem- 24 Hidden Valley- 19
Christiansburg at Cave Spring: The number-one AA team in the state comes to Bogle Field to tackle the 6-2 Knights. Remember the Salem visit to Bogle last year when Cave Spring didn’t have a chance? I’m sticking my neck out, hoping for the Wright results. Cave Spring- 30 Christiansburg- 28
Auburn at Glenvar: The Highlanders get back on track in a hurry with this one. A tough loss to Radford makes this timing even worse for 0-8 Auburn. Glenvar- 48 Auburn- 6
Blessed Sacrament at Roanoke Catholic: The Celtics have been road warriors in running their record to 7-2. This one plays out in Vinton, and Blessed Sacrament may have the better weapons. Blessed Sacrament- 29 Roanoke Catholic-17
Now, off to grab a couple of inquiries out of the always-auspicious mailbag.
Dear Wild Man: This seance business you’ve been pushing sounds fishy to me. Who in the world do you conjure up from the other side that knows anything about football? (Bob/Troutville)
Answer: Knute Rockne
Dear Wildo: How does a seance denote which team will win a football game? (Cecil/Roanoke County)
Answer: It’s sorta like Paul Revere’s ride, Cecil. One rap means the visitors will win; two raps, the home team.
Dear Prediction Guru: My Ouija board won’t answer the first question. Any tips? (Doris/Floyd)
Answer: Your planchette probably needs a tuneup or alignment. And, if you don’t know what a planchette is, Doris, I’d suggest ditching your Ouija altogether.
Send your inquiries to: [email protected]
