BY J.T. WILCOX | Senior Writer
The stakes are about to get higher, folks.
How so, you ask?
District play starts this week and that will turn up the pressure on all the teams in South Florida. The margin for error shrinks and attention to detail – for the players and coaches – could be the difference between playing in the postseason and reading about it on Twitter.
I enter week four – can you believe it’s already week four – having reached the correct pick goal that I set for myself. I wanted 40 correct picks, and I got them. But I shan’t rest on laurels. I still have work to do.
There are a lot of intriguing matchups this week, many of which will have huge bearings on the updated SFHSSports rankings – which will come out September 21st.
Record last week: 40-8
Season record: 112-37 (.751 Correct Pick Percentage)
51 games picked this week with four games in the Bald Predictions Spotlight
(1) Central Rockets (2-1) vs. (15) Norland Vikings (2-1)
Saturday at FIU North Stadium, 7pm
The defensive battle of the year – and it’s a district game.
Central hasn’t allowed a single point since returning from its opening week trip to Maryland DeMatha. I figured the Rockets were plenty upset about losing in week one and would take it out on the rest of their opponents.
Norland dropped a tough one on the road to South Dade in week three – a 7-6 loss – but still showed that it is among the state’s best in terms of overall defenses.
The Rockets may have found something special on offense, giving the ball to sophomore quarterback Tijuane Morten full time. While he is on the smaller side – standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 170 pounds – Morten is a big playmaker as a passer and runner.
Being able to make plays through the air will force opposing defenses to take that extra defender out of the box and give Central’s offense options as a whole. Teams will still try to stop the run first, but now the Rockets will be able to take advantage of the one-on-one coverage that stud receivers Jernard Phillips and Darnell Salomon will see on the outside.
For Norland, even with its early success, I was still wondering if its offense would be able to consistently produce the points to support the Vikings defense – especially against the county’s tougher teams.
Full credit to South Dade’s defense for holding the Vikes to six points; and with that, I can’t see how things will be any easier for Norland to score points this week.
Norland’s defense will make things hard for Central’s offense. But the Rockets are going to make it near impossible for the Vikings’ offense.
Bald Prediction = Central wins 21-6
(4) Booker T. Washington Tornadoes (1-2) vs. (13) Southridge Spartans (2-1)
Saturday at Traz Powell Stadium, 7pm
This game is very intriguing. I know I say that a lot, but there’s a lot of storylines at play in this game.
Someone is going to leave this game on a two-game losing streak.
Southridge lost to Columbus last week, watching the Explorers rally back despite the Spartans holding a 13-3 lead in the third quarter. Southridge is a team that is still trying to answer some questions along its offensive line. They have plenty of talented offensive players – especially at wide receiver; but without time to throw, the Spartans will struggle to distribute the ball effectively and score points.
The F5 Nation has to be in a bit of panic mode at this point. Booker T. Washington lost to neighborhood rival Jackson for the first time in school history this past week and fell to 1-2.
Booker T. hasn’t had a sub .500 record since 2008, when it started that season 1-2. Also, the Tornadoes haven’t loss consecutive games since 2010 when they loss their regular season finale to Central then lost to Norland in the opening round of the playoffs.
I’m those are two stats that head coach Earl Tillman and his team hope to leave in the past.
The matchup itself slightly favors Booker T.
The Tornadoes’ offense can still put up big point totals – and I think Booker T. is capable enough to run the ball against a Spartans defense that more suited to stop the pass. That being said, Booker T. will have to make a commitment to running the ball if it wants to have success in this game.
Also, the Tornadoes defense is fast off the line and will give Southridge problems.
Where Southridge can turn the tides is starting fast and possibly getting on top of Booker T. early – boosting its own confidence and shaking the Tornadoes’ confidence.
I think Booker T. gets the win, but it should be close.
Bald Prediction = Booker T. wins 30-28
(5) American Heritage Patriots (2-1) vs. (11) Coconut Creek Cougars (2-1)
Friday at Plantation American Heritage, 7:30pm
This game is going to be a lot of fun.
I can see a lot of points being put up on the board.
I don’t have to explain how well-equipped Coconut Creek is for a high-scoring shootout game. I’m sure the Cougars want the game to open up and be a fast-paced score-fest.
My rationale is this: American Heritage allowed 23 points to Northwestern last week – the Bulls’ highest point total of the season so far. Northwestern is a team that has some very good athletes on the offensive side of the ball, but by no stretch is it considered an offensive juggernaut.
So welcoming in district foe Coconut Creek, a team that can literally score 14 points in two-minute span, I have to think the score board operator will get a workout on this night.
Still, Heritage has shown a lot of moxie this season. The big win at Bradenton IMG Academy still resonates, going toe-to-toe with Maryland DeMatha to only lose by one is something to applaud and last week’s performance against Northwestern showed they can take a punch and still win.
Coconut Creek will challenge a Patriots’ secondary that is missing Marco Wilson but can still compete at a high level. American Heritage has to control this game by running the ball – I’m talking a heavy dose of Khalil Herbert.
If the Cougars flip this game and hit Heritage with big plays in the air – I could see an upset. Especially if Coconut Creek defense plays how it did in week two against Flanagan.
Still, I give a slight edge to the Patriots.
Bald Prediction = American Heritage wins 38-33
(16) Miramar Patriots (1-2) vs. (20) Plantation Colonels (2-1)
Friday at Miramar Field, 7pm
This is a sneaky-good game. And it’s a district game, so you know it’ll be intense.
Miramar got in the win column for the first time under head coach Pierre Senatus last week by dominating Monarch. And as usual, the “Dark Side Defense” is still a physical and playmaking group.
Very quietly, Plantation has been one of the more solid looking teams in the early part of the season. Granted, the Colonels took down two teams that haven’t been all that they were slated to be – Cardinal Gibbons and Blanche Ely – still, they won those games the way contenders are supposed to.
I see two big factors in this game for the team that ends up winning: one is the offense has to stay in front of the chains. Both teams have offenses that operate better with second or third and short, so penalties or negative plays will be almost instant drive killers.
The other key is protecting the ball. Miramar’s defense is good a generating turnovers and I know the Colonels would love to start its drives with short fields.
This is a toss-up game in my opinion. I think the coin lands in Plantation’s favor this time.
Bald Prediction = Plantation wins 21-20
Other Games
(2) St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Cypress Bay = St. Thomas Aquinas wins by 28
(3) Flanagan vs. South Plantation = Flanagan wins by 22
(6) Hallandale vs. Stranahan = Hallandale wins by 30
(7) Columbus vs. Miami High = Columbus wins by 14
(8) Carol City vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes = Carol City wins by 27
(9) South Dade vs. Palmetto = South Dade wins by 14
(10) Jackson vs. Cardinal Gibbons = Jackson wins by 17
(12) American vs. Hialeah Gardens = American wins by 32
(14) Dillard vs. Stoneman Douglas = Dillard wins by 12
(17) Deerfield Beach vs. Coral Springs = Deerfield Beach wins by 21
(18) Coral Gables vs. Killian = Coral Gables wins by 6
Goleman vs. Sunset = Sunset wins by 7
Miami Springs vs. South Miami = Miami Springs wins by 5
Palmer Trinity vs. Scheck Hillel = Hillel wins by 8
Keys Gate Charter vs. Edison = Edison wins by 10
Belen Jesuit vs. Ferguson = Belen wins by 13
North Miami Beach vs. Dr. Krop = North Miami Beach wins by 2
North Miami vs. Hialeah = Hialeah wins by 3
Doral Academy vs. Westland Hialeah = Doral Academy wins by 17
Ransom Everglades vs. Archbishop Curley = Ransom wins by 8
Highlands Christian vs. Archbishop Carroll = Archbishop Carroll wins by 1
Monsignor Pace vs. Gulliver Prep = Gulliver Prep wins by 7
Everglades Prep vs. Chaminade-Madonna = Chaminade wins by 35
Somerset Academy Silver Palms vs. Westminster Christian = Westminster Christian wins by 12
University School vs. Somerset Academy Pines = University School wins by 15
Naples Golden Gate vs. Boyd Anderson = Boyd Anderson wins by 21
Hollywood Hills vs. Cooper City = Cooper City wins by 2
Coral Glades vs. Pembroke Pines Charter = Pines Charter wins by 28
Coral Springs Charter vs. Westminster Academy = Coral Springs Charter wins by 14
Pine Crest vs. Coral Shores = Pine Crest wins by 12
Palm Beach Pope John Paul II vs. Calvary Christian = Calvary Christian wins by 7
Champagnat vs. Dade Christian = Dade Christian wins by 13
Coral Park vs. Miami Beach = Miami Beach wins by 27
Everglades vs. Western = Everglades wins by 9
Fort Lauderdale vs. Lakeland = Lakeland wins by 11
McArthur vs. South Broward = McArthur wins by 18
Archbishop McCarthy vs. Fort Pierce John Carroll Catholic = Archbishop McCarthy wins by 16
Monarch vs. Taravella = Monarch wins by 2
Nova vs. West Broward = Nova wins by 4
Key West vs. North Broward Prep = Key West wins by 7
Pompano Beach vs. Boca Raton St. Andrews = Pompano Beach wins by 9
Marathon vs. Miami Country Day = Miami Country Day wins by 13
LaSalle vs. Florida Christian = LaSalle wins by 10
Mater Academy vs. A&T Mourning = Mater Academy wins by 37
Varela vs. Southwest = Southwest wins by 20
Coral Reef vs. Braddock = Coral Reef wins by 13
