By J.T. Wilcox | Senior Writer
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It’s the final week of the regular season.
For some players this will be the last high school football game they ever play.
I hope that everyone, especially the seniors, really appreciated the experience gained from playing high school football. Whether it’s your final game or not, let this be one of the final lessons that the great game of football gives you – life goes by fast and waits for no one.
We all have a set amount of time on our individual game clocks and you have to make sure you do everything you can to come out of the game – of life – with a victory.
To the teams that are playoff-bound – hats off to you. This week is all about staying healthy and getting ready for the “new” season.
Picking games in the final week of the regular season is always tough. Some coaches will elect to rest players; they’ll bring up deserving junior varsity players; they’ll streamline the playbook because they know other teams are there scouting – a lot of extenuating factors.
On the flip side, teams that aren’t bound for the playoffs will have either checked out or will be so jacked up for the game this week that they play like supermen.
Still, I have to find a way to bounce back from what happened last week – going 40-11.
It’s the last week of the regular season – let’s enjoy it.
Record last week: 40-11
Season record: 399-93 (.810 Correct Pick Percentage)
41 games picked this week with three games in the Bald Predictions spotlight.
(2) Deerfield Beach Bucks (8-1) vs. Cardinal Gibbons Chiefs (4-5)
Friday at Cardinal Gibbons, 7pm
Deerfield Beach is quickly becoming a darkhorse team to make a deep run in Class 8A. The Bucks have a signature win; they won their district and they have a loss on their record to keep them humble.
I’d like to see them clean up the penalties – the Bucks are averaging more than 10 flags per game – but still, Deerfield Beach is a team worth paying attention to.
Cardinal Gibbons was essentially what I thought it would be this season – a team with some talented players, but a squad not quite ready for primetime.
The Chiefs aren’t headed for the postseason, but I’m sure they’ll want to end their season on a high note and finish with a .500 record – especially since they are going up against a big-name opponent.
Deerfield Beach will probably try to come out and take control of this game early, allowing head coach Jevon Glenn to sub-out some of his starters and essentially coast to the final whistle.
Cardinal Gibbons might put up a fight, but they won’t be able to hang with Deerfield Beach all night – especially if Jerry Jeudy and Cavin Ridley get going.
Bald Prediction = Deerfield Beach wins by 35-20
(3) St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders (7-1) vs. (6) Flanagan Falcons (7-1)
Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7pm
Boy do I wish this game was played five weeks ago.
I’ve already gotten confirmation that Flanagan is going all out and won’t be resting players or taking it easy in this regular season finale.
But, I have also confirmed that St. Thomas Aquinas is dealing with a litany of injuries right now.
Star defensive lineman Nick Bosa is out for the remainder of the season. Starting quarterback Jake Allen hasn’t played the past two weeks. And even if he was able to come back this week – I wouldn’t recommend throwing him in there against Flanagan’s defense.
There is another handful of players that the Raiders will be without for this game and into the playoffs, so the big storyline of this game is how Aquinas is able to plug those holes and how they look against a very talented team with a chip on its shoulder.
My concern for St. Thomas lies more with the offense. Allen is a very good distributor of the football. He’s a smart quarterback that generally makes good decisions with the ball and he does a great job of getting the ball in to the hands of his playmakers.
Beau Fillichio has played in Allen’s place for the past two games. He’s done a serviceable job, but he hasn’t faced a defense like what the Dirty Birds have.
Flanagan comes into this game with a chip on their shoulder. The Falcons have only given up 47 points this season – and since their surprising loss to South Plantation, they have shutout three opponents and allowed just 13 points in five games.
The more intriguing thing about Flanagan is that in that stretch, the Falcons have scored at 30 points or more in each game. When quarterback Kato Nelson had to miss time recovering from an injury, the Falcons struggled to put up points.
Now, the Dirty Birds look one of the best teams in Class 8A.
Emotions may run high in this one. The players are pretty familiar with one another and I know Flanagan is chomping at the bit to play against top-tier opponent and get a signature win headed into the playoffs.
I think Flanagan pulls off the “upset”. I think Aquinas’ injuries catch up with them and the Falcons defense plays one of its better games of the year – even though it doesn’t get the shutout.
Bald Prediction = Flanagan wins 22-18
(9) Boyd Anderson Cobras (8-1) vs. Nova Titans (5-4)
Friday at Nova HS, 7pm
It’s high times at both of these schools right now.
Both of these programs are playoff-bound under first-year head coaches and both have truly gotten their schools and communities excited about the magical seasons they are having.
Nova played its way to a district championship last week and will host a playoff game for the first time in a long time. Head coach Kevin Huntley, a Wisconsin grad and former Kansas City Chief, has changed the Titans’ fortunes and is putting his stamp on the program.
Boyd Anderson’s turnaround might be the most dramatic of any in South Florida. The Cobras were winless in 2014. They barely averaged a touchdown (6.9 points per game last season). Things weren’t going well.
Enter new coach Eddie “Rabbit” Brown.
Fast forward to this season, Boyd Anderson is a district champion, the team has scored 20 or more points in all but one game this season and they’ve climbed into the top 10 of the latest SFHSSports Top 20 Poll.
“Rabbit” Brown has grown immensely in just one year since his time at Miami Northwestern. He’s evolved as a coach and is easily one of the best motivators that we have in the area. He gets my vote for coach of the year.
I’d be interested in seeing how Nova’s super senior running back Anthony Sims plays against a pretty aggressive Boyd Anderson defense.
Ultimately though, I think Boyd Anderson is the deeper team – man for man. Cobras quarterback Shabazz Telfort is having a big year and I know Brown will have his team ready to end the year with a win.
Bald Prediction = Boyd Anderson wins 28-14
Other Games
(5) Coral Gables vs. Southwest = Coral Gables wins by 14
(8) South Dade vs. North Miami Beach = South Dade wins by 17
(10) Hallandale vs. Monarch = Hallandale wins by 42
(12) Carol City vs. American = Carol City wins by 9
(13) Archbishop McCarthy vs. Coral Glades = McCarthy wins by 31
(15) Chaminade-Madonna vs. Gulliver Prep = Chaminade wins by 14
(16) Piper vs. Cooper City = Piper wins by 10
(17) Sunset vs. Braddock = Sunset wins by 12
(18) West Broward vs. University School = University School wins by 7
(20) Mater Academy vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes = Mater Academy wins by 6
Ferguson vs. Palmetto = Palmetto wins by 12
Killian vs. Norland = Norland wins by 2
Hillel vs. Palmer Trinity = Hillel wins by 9
A&T Mourning vs. Hialeah Gardens = Hialeah Gardens wins by 23
Hialeah vs. Coral Reef = Hialeah wins by 3
Coral Park vs. South Miami = South Miami wins by 19
Fort Pierce Westwood vs. Somerset Academy Pines = Westwood wins by 41
Monsignor Pace vs. Belen Jesuit = Belen Jesuit wins by 18
St. John Neuman vs. Doral Academy = Doral Academy wins by 30
Northeast vs. Coconut Creek = Coconut Creek wins by 42
Somerset Academy Silver Palms vs. Melbourne Holy Trinity = Holy Trinity wins by 7
Coral Springs vs. Cypress Bay = Cypress Bay wins by 14
Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy vs. Everglades = Oxbridge Academy wins by 21
Stranahan vs. Fort Lauderdale = Fort Lauderdale wins by 13
Hollywood Hills vs. Stoneman Douglas = Stoneman Douglas wins by 10
North Broward Prep at Key West = Key West wins by 14
South Plantation vs. McArthur = South Plantation wins by 2
South Broward vs. Western = Western wins by 28
Fort Myers Evangelical Christian vs. Dade Christian = Dade Christian wins by 24
Westland Hialeah vs. Port Charlotte = Port Charlotte wins by 49
Miami Beach vs. Edison = Edison wins by 14
Keys Gate Charter vs. Homestead = Keys Gate Charter wins by 2
Miami High vs. Southridge = Miami High wins by 3
Reagan vs. Varela = Reagan wins by 7
Jackson vs. Northwestern = Jackson wins by 11
Miami Springs vs. Dr. Krop = Miami Springs wins by 5
Everglades Prep vs. Goleman = Everglades Prep wins by 8
Blanche Ely vs. Dillard = Dillard wins by 16
