BY J.T. WILCOX | Senior Writer
The weeks keep – quickly – moving along, folks.
This is the point of the season where teams are trying to get over the hump.
For some teams its understanding that, despite already playing in some “big games”, the crucial part of the season – district play – is here and the margin for error is thin.
For other teams, it’s time to turn the corner. Getting over the hump that’s been in the way up to this point, start rolling downhill and begin to make some positive things happen.
Piggybacking off a very solid week four, week five was quite positive for this bald predictor. I finally got my Correct Pick Percentage (CPP) over 80 percent and I kept by “picks gone wrong” to a minimum. But I too have to keep the ball rolling.
And a quick reminder for everyone out there: don’t forget to get those Scholar Athlete nominations in. Each month, SFHSSports selects two student-athletes – one from Miami-Dade and one from Broward County – as its Scholar Athletes of the Month and those two students will have $1,000 awarded to the team that they represent in their honor.
Also, those two students then become eligible to win our Scholar Athlete of the Year – which is $5,000 for the team. So get those nominations in. Here’s the direct link.
Record last week: 42-3
Season record: 199-45 (.815 Correct Pick Percentage)
48 games picked this week with four games in the Bald Predictions Spotlight
(T-2) Central Rockets (4-1) vs. (7) Carol City Chiefs (4-1)
Saturday at Traz Powell Stadium, 7pm *Game Of The Week*
At the start of this season I knew this game was going to be a good one. But things got a major shove into “must-see” status after the events of the first five weeks of the season.
Watching Central last week in its win over Booker T. affirmed what I pretty much already knew. The Rockets defense is one of the best units in the country. Linebacker Donovan Thompson makes just about every tackle and defensive lineman Keir Thomas is one of the most intimidating forces in Miami-Dade County.
Also, defensive end Eric Mitchell wreaks havoc on the weak side and 6-foot-5, 230-pound end Kenny Turnier – the latest basketball player to transition to the gridiron – is getting better by the game.
Offensively, Central is still a bit of an enigma – to me. Some might say they have things figured out offensively, but I see a group that’s still trying to find the right thing to wear. They have good pieces on offense – Darnell Salomon, Jernard Phillips, Keino Mike, Kywan Smith, Navaughn Donaldson – but it’s not clicking all the way.
Carol City has been nothing but impressive since rebounding from its week one loss to Coral Gables. The Chiefs are winners of their last four games and appear to be one of the few teams equipped to potentially topple Central.
The game between these two was close in 2014, and I expect a similar situation this year – with an improved “Buckshot” Calvert under center and a much better Carol City offensive line protecting him.
I did see last week that Central’s secondary is susceptible to giving up big plays and large chunks of yards. And the Chiefs have the deepest group of receivers in Florida – without a doubt.
If Carol City is to ever knock off Central, this is the year to do it.
With that said, I still lean towards the Rockets. I can see Central still getting enough pressure on Calvert to force him into a few mistakes that puts Central’s offense in advantageous positions.
I expect another close game; that the “Roc Boys” pull out and remain atop the district.
Bald Prediction = Central wins 25-21
(6) Hallandale Chargers (3-1) vs. Jackson Generals (1-2)
Friday at Traz Powell Stadium, 7:30pm
Hallandale opened my eyes in week five.
I knew the Chargers were a legit squad with one of the most dynamic offenses in the state, but I didn’t know they could turn the switch a few more notches and play at the level they did against St. Thomas Aquinas.
Color me impressed.
On the flip side, I was just about ready to buy what my brother from another mother Larry Blustein was selling to me about Jackson – going all the way back to before the start of the season.
The Generals knocked off Booker T. for the first time in school history and were riding high. Then the following week, they drop a much-needed district game to Cardinal Gibbons – getting shutout in the process.
I think Jackson is somewhere in between those two versions of itself.
Hallandale represents the best offensive team that the Generals have seen up to this point of the season. And I am pretty confident in Chargers head coach Dameon Jones’ ability to have his team ready to play.
I see big games for Chargers running back Zack Moss and Mr. Everything Chris Cotto as Hallandale gets an early lead and holds Jackson off the rest of the way.
Bald Prediction = Hallandale wins 37-25
(11) Dillard Panthers (3-1) vs. (14) Boyd Anderson Cobras (4-1)
Thursday at Dillard HS, 7pm
This game was almost the Game of the Week.
Here’s a sneaky good game that has major district implications.
Boyd Anderson has completely turned around its fortunes from this past season. Even if by some weird occurrence, the Cobras don’t win any more games in 2015 – I think head coach Eddie “Rabbit” Brown fully deserves or should be one of the top candidates for coach of the year honors.
Dillard has been silently putting together a solid first half of the season. Defensively, the Panthers are a physically imposing group. I see you Kenneth Ruff (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) and Aaron Thompson (6-foot-4, 260 pounds).
What concerns me in this game is Dillard’s lack of a running game. Through four games, no Panther has rushed for more than 150 yards. Quarterback Anthony “Mo” Hasan has thrown it around – successfully – a ton, but as the season wears on, Dillard is going to need more balance.
Boyd Anderson is solid on both sides of the ball and is fairly balanced on offense, even though the Cobras are probably more dangerous when Shabazz Telfort drops back to pass.
Home field could come into play in this one as could the fact that Dillard has had an extra week to prepare for this game. Slight – and I mean slight – edge to the Panthers.
Bald Prediction = Dillard wins 23-21
(20) McArthur Mustangs (4-0) vs. Cooper City Cowboys (2-2)
Friday at McArthur HS, 7pm
Here’s another district game that more people should pay more attention to.
McArthur is enjoying one of its best seasons in years so far under first-year head coach Laron Culpepper. The Mustangs were winless in 2014 and scored a total of 51 points in 10 games. McArthur has scored 84 points in four games this season.
Kudos, Mustangs.
Cooper City has been up and down up so far this year. I know depth has been an issue for the Cowboys this season, so perhaps that speaks to the lack of consistency.
I think this will be a good test for McArthur. Coach Culpepper made a bold statement back at Media Day, saying that he came to McArthur to win district titles – well coach, winning games like this one is how you do it.
A heavy dose of running back Jerome Lindo for McArthur – away from Cooper City’s Rashad Smith – and the Mustangs should win this game.
Bald Prediction = McArthur wins 25-18
Other Games
(T-2) American Heritage vs. Stranahan = American Heritage wins by 39
(4) Columbus vs. Coral Park = Columbus wins by 44
(5) South Dade vs. Southridge = South Dade wins by 14
(8) Flanagan vs. Miramar = Flanagan wins by 8
(9) Plantation vs. Everglades = Plantation wins by 13
(10) Coral Gables vs. Miami High = Coral Gables wins by 10
(12) Booker T. Washington vs. Keys Gate Charter = Booker T. wins by 27
(13) Southwest vs. Belen Jesuit = Southwest wins by 6
(15) Deerfield Beach vs. Taravella = Deerfield Beach wins by 20
(16) Piper vs. Monarch = Piper wins by 9
(17) Chaminade-Madonna vs. Somerset Academy Silver Palms = Chaminade wins by 19
(18) Edison vs. Gulliver Prep = Edison wins by 7
A&T Mourning vs. Miami Springs = Miami Springs wins by 27
Westland Hialeah vs. South Miami = South Miami wins by 33
Everglades Prep vs. Westminster Christian = Westminster Christian wins by 42
Hialeah Gardens vs. North Miami = North Miami wins by 12
Hialeah-Miami Lakes vs. Northwestern = Northwestern wins by 7
Homestead vs. Palmetto = Palmetto wins by 10
Goleman vs. Reagan = Goleman wins by 1
Braddock vs. Varela = Varela wins by 4
Belle Glade Glades Central vs. Somerset Academy Pines = Glades Central wins by 47
Palmer Trinity vs. Pinecrest Prep = Palmer Trinity wins by 30
Ferguson vs. Coral Reef = Coral Reef wins by 12
Clewiston vs. University School = University School wins by 7
Belle Glade Glades Day vs. Archbishop McCarthy = Archbishop McCarthy wins by 21
Coral Shores vs. Westminster Academy = Westminster Academy wins by 14
Pine Crest vs. Calvary Christian = Calvary Christian wins by 13
Blanche Ely vs. Fort Lauderdale = Blanche Ely wins by 3
Cardinal Gibbons vs. Coconut Creek = Coconut Creek wins by 9
Coral Springs vs. Stoneman Douglas = Stoneman Douglas wins by 17
Western vs. Cypress Bay = Cypress Bay wins by 7
Northeast vs. Boynton Beach = Boynton Beach wins by 14
South Broward vs. Nova = Nova wins by 8
Pembroke Pines Charter vs. Key West = Key West wins by 20
West Broward vs. Hollywood Hills = West Broward wins by 6
North Broward Prep vs. Coral Glades = North Broward Prep wins by 21
Coral Springs Charter vs. Florida Christian = Coral Springs Charter 41
Sunset vs. Doral Academy = Sunset wins by 6
Boca Raton St. Andrews vs. Miami Country Day = Miami Country Day wins by 2
Pompano Beach vs. Ransom Everglades = Pompano Beach wins by 13
Palm Beach Benjamin vs. LaSalle = LaSalle wins by 3
Archbishop Curley vs. Marathon = Curley wins by 15
Hialeah vs. North Miami Beach = Hialeah wins by 2
Dr. Krop vs. American = American wins by 11
