High School Football Week one picks

Frontier Football
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The High School football season has arrived and I can honestly say I will miss covering Friday Night Lights. Fortunately, we have blogs. So even though I won’t be at a game every Friday night (and sometimes Saturday), it won’t stop our coverage of High School sports. In week one, the western Massachusetts high school football scene has some intriguing matches this week. We break down our predictions for each matchup here:

Greenfield 30, Woodstock Academy, 26

The only thing I have to say about this game: RJ Byrd. Byrd ran for 1,571 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior for Greenfield in 2017. He’s back for his senior season and should lead Greenfield over Woodstock Academy.

West Springfield 24, Commerce 6

West Springfield graduated 20 players. Naturally, this would make anybody shy away. But West Springfield still has a strong team that should take down a Commerce team that finished 2017 with a 0-8-1 record.

Easthampton 27, Taconic 17

Easthampton is the better team. Nick Pellegrini and Quintin Baker-Cisero should continue to lead Easthampton this season.

Hoosac Valley 28, Mount Greylock 6

Hoosac Valley has one of the best quarterbacks in Michael Wellspeak. Wellspeak should lift Hoosac Valley over Mount Greylock, it becomes about Mount Greylock staying in this game. I don’t think Mount Greylock has what it takes this season.

Chicopee Comp 26, Plymouth South 24

Chicopee Comp’s Nathaniel LePage threw for 1,285 yards and seven touchdowns last year, while Isaias Gomez ran for five touchdowns. The duo is back this year and should help Chicopee Comp defeat Plymouth South.

Ware 18, Belchertown 6

Ware graduated a heavy senior class, which makes it seem possible that Belchertown takes this game. In what could be a toss-up, Ware played to a 10-1 record in 2017, while Belchertown played to a 3-8 record. Ware continues its 2017 success into week one.

Minnechaug 24, Longmeadow 22

This game is so close, it wouldn’t surprise me if either team won. Minnechaug made it to the western Massachusetts Division III finals against Central last year and return its starting quarterback Anthony Izzo. I give this one to Minnechaug because of that.

Northampton 18, Amherst 16

Both teams have a strong defense this season, but like most of the picks I’ve made, I have relied on the team’s offense. Northampton has the better quarterback in Tom Jacques, so Northampton gets the nod over Amherst.

Lincoln-Sudbury 34, Central 28

Central is probably the best team in western Massachusetts again this season after making it to the Division III state semi-final game in 2017. But North football tends to be the best football in Massachusetts and Lincoln-Sudbury should take this one.

Athol 24 Narragansett 22

Athol is the better team in this matchup, even though Narragansett defeated Athol 34-0 in the 2017 opener. Athol defeated Greenfield and Amherst in the second-half of 2017, which shows they overcame their struggles in the early stages of the season. Mason Barrieau should run the Red Raiders to victory.

Palmer 26, Quaboag 21

Palmer’s trio of Jeff Pardo, Joe Lombardi and Dan Ladue should take care of Quaboag on both sides of the ball.

Franklin Tech 24, Mohawk Trail 12

Franklin Tech had the better team in 2017 and will have the better team this season as well.

Abington 21, Central 20

This could end up the closest score of the weekend. Central seems like the better team, but like I said, the North tends to reign football.

Holyoke 20, Putnam 13

Holyoke returns several key players, which makes me believe they will defeat Putnam in this matchup.

Mahar 24, McCann Tech 12

Mahar has a lot of question marks this season, but they have the right week one matchup to start the season with a win. I predict Jon Gariepy to have four touchdowns in this game.

Lee 38, Turners Falls 34

Both teams have above average offenses, but Lee has the better quarterback in Homer Winston (1,068 yards, 15 touchdowns), which gives the edge to Lee.

Westfield 24, Ludlow 20

Westfield was much better than their 2-8 record in 2017. How much better? Enough to beat Ludlow in week one.

Frontier 24, Pittsfield 20

You never know what you will get from Berkshire County. Pittsfield played some close games last year, but I think Frontier has what it takes to defeat Pittsfield in week one.

Monument Mountain 28, Pathfinder 0

Not much to say expect that Monument Mountain should defeat Pathfinder.

Wahconah 35, Agawam 16

Agawam has a sneaky-good team, but Wahconah was one of the best teams in western Massachusetts in 2017, making it to the state semi-finals in 2017. They return all their offensive weapons, which gives the edge to Wahconah in week one.

East Longmeadow 26, South Hadley 22

East Longmeadow lost both of its top running backs, which will make the start of the season interesting for them, but I still think East Longmeadow is one of the better teams in western Massachusetts. I think they will find a way to defeat South Hadley in week one.

Smith Voc. 16, Drury 6

Drury wasn’t known for its football and will likely start its season off with a loss to Smith Voc.

Bonus pick:

Tyngsborough 21, Gardner 6. Gardner is my home town. Have to add them here.

NFL Wildcard Predictions + Super Bowl predictions

     One of the best times of the year is coming up this weekend as the NFL Playoffs begin. Great for so many reasons, it strikes sports fans as one of the best times in sports because it is football all weekend long. With games (of great importance) happening twice a day all weekend, nothing excites fans more.
     I now present to you my picks for this weekend's games, but first I would like to prime you with my super bowl predictions. I have been saying this for a while now, and I believe the Super Bowl will showcase the Indianapolis Colts vs the Seattle Seahawks. The Colts look like that team that nobody thinks of that makes it all the way. Luck is a great QB and with solid defensive play, I believe this team will be the one who comes out on top. For the Seahawks, playing at home the entire way will clinch them the spot. Seattle is the best home team and that's not changing now. So you heard it hear first, the Colts are going to the Super Bowl. But if I'm wrong, I will probably look like a fool. On to the Wild Card predictions...

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts (Sat., 4:25)
Wouldn't it be ironic if I pick the Chiefs here? hahahahahaha..........not happening. The Colts are going to take this game at home. Luck is going to carry the team throughout this game. He will end up with 250 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, looking like an established QB. On the down, losing 5 out of their last 7, The Chiefs offense will put up a good fight as well, led by running back Jamaal Charles. However, their down slide will continue and Charles won't be able to carry the team to victory. Colts win 23-20.

New Orleans Saints @ Philadelphia Eagles (Sat., 8:10)
This game can go so many ways. The Eagles have looked good at times under Chip Kelly's new offense and other times they have looked flat. If New Orleans were playing at home, they would be a lock for the win. But they have struggled away this year and outside the division (5-1 in division/ 6-4 outside). I think Drew Brees' postseason experience will give them the advantage in this game and the win. Saints win 34-28.

San Diego Chargers @ Cincinnati Bengals (Sun., 1:05)
The Bengals have been perfect at home, scoring 30+ points in their last 5 home games. However their track record under the regime of Dalton have not performed well in the playoffs. They have lost badly to the Texans in the past two years with Dalton looking pretty flat. However, this year they are not playing the Texans and are at home. It won't look pretty, but Dalton gets the job done this year. Bengals win 17-13.

San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers (Sun., 4:40)
The 49ers come into this game with a 6 game winning streak, with wins against the Seahawks and Cardinals. They have looked pretty good in all 6 games on defense, which will help them. But one of my philosophies is that a good offense wins games during the playoffs. The Packers have one of the best offensives when everybody is healthy. We saw that last week with Rodgers rallying a late win for the Packers, racking up 300 yards and 2 TDs. I believe the offense continue into this week and the Packers take an upsetting win from the 49ers, beating them in the 4th quarter. Packers win 38-35.

Predicting the Patriots offseason moves

As all Patriots fans know, their offense has been less than stellar this year. Full of new players and many rookies, the offense has looked flat and awful at times. Upgrading the offense should be a big concern for the Pats during the offseason, and it is never too early to create a free agent wish list. Thus, I have created a list of the offensive players that I believe the Patriots need and should sign in order to bolster their offense. Although it is still very early and no guarantees on resigning’s and such, one can still dream right?

Player #1:

RB Toby Gerhart, Minnesota Vikings

                This guy is a great running back. He’s big and can push through players like nobody’s business. When he has started in Minnesota due to injuries from Peterson, he has looked great. With a less than average performance from starter Steven Ridley and Vereen looking more like a receiver, a running back should be of some concern for the Patriots. Gerhart isn’t made to play every down, but he can, which makes him a good fit for the Patriots. Featuring a backfield of Ridley, Blount (assuming he resigns), and Gerhart could make the Pat’s running game a threat. I can picture now, Ridley running on first or second downs, Gerhart coming in to get the 3^rd & 3 yardage, and Blount at the goal line.

Player #2:

WR Riley Cooper, Philadelphia Eagles

                Disregarding all the drama Cooper has created this year, this guy can play. At 6’3”, Cooper stands as a big target for Brady and during a few games this season (most notably during Week 9 where Cooper had 140 yards and 3 touchdowns), Cooper has looked phenomenal. This guy can run some cross patterns and get some mid-yardage under the Patriots passing game across from Danny Amendola.

Player #3

TE Fred Davis, Washington Redskins

                Facing injuries and suspension the last several years, Davis’ road has been harsh. But he can still play. Coming in at 6’4” and 240 lbs., Davis would become another big target for Brady. With Gronkowski suffering a major ACL injury and Hernandez gone for good, the Patriots are in need of Tight Ends. I believe this guy could be a force in the passing game and blocking. Davis would be a key piece to the Patriots offense.

I believe that these three players would bulk up a declining New England offense. They’re all big, tough guys that Brady could use around him. We’ll see what happens this offseason, and make sure to leave any comments regarding your choices or any disagreements with these players.

The Curse of the Football Jersey

            Finals are completely over! Which means I am now dedicated to posting a couple times a week. For my first post back, I would like to tell a personal story in why I should never buy another Football jersey again. Every time I buy a shirt with a player’s name on it something bad happens. Maybe I should actually take this and purchase a really good player’s shirt and hope for the worst, right? Nah, I wouldn’t do that… maybe…

            My first experience with this in 2010, I had a weird fixation with the New York Jets. But wasn’t it hard not to? They had Mark Sanchez, a QB we all liked at USC because of his story, they had recently signed LaDainian Tomlinson, Traded for Santonio Holmes, and featured one of the best defenses in the game. On top of that, they had a head coach that nobody liked in Rex Ryan, which made it kind of fun to root for. For this, I purchased a Mark Sanchez jersey, wearing it in pride.

            The following year Sanchez began his downward climb into nothingness. He threw more and more interceptions with less touchdowns, fumbled the ball more than any other QB, and began to get ridiculed by the fan base.  Heck, even I started mocking him. Now in 2013, he has been out for the entire season, and will most likely lose his job next year as well. While this was occurring, my home team, and a team I still cared for deeply in the New England Patriots, were in Super Bowl XLVI. This team featured one of the best Tight Ends in the league: Rob Gronkowski. He was having a season unprecedented for a wide receiver, let alone TE. Because of Gronk’s height, body-build, and athleticism, I began to believe he would become one of the best Tight Ends to ever play the game. In this, I bought his jersey in order to wear it during the Super Bowl.

            Shortly after the Super Bowl, Gronk had his already injured ankle tested. As the results came in, they found he had a strained ligament that needed surgery. He would make his way back to start the following season on opening day, but in Week 11, Gronk broke his arm, requiring another surgery. Coming back for the playoffs, in the first quarter of the Patriot’s playoff game against Houston, Gronk would reinjure his arm.

            During the next season, Gronk still had issues in his arm and had then developed problems in his back, requiring yet another surgery. He would come back in the 2013 season, only to have a player take out his legs, inflicting a torn ACL and MCL. With that, Gronk was done for the season and my time. Another waste of a jersey.

Then I had already pushed my attentions towards Running Back Steven Ridley for the 2013 season in wake of Gronk’s arm issues. Ridley put up great numbers for the Pats the year prior with 12 Touchdowns and over 1,000 yards. Finally a RB I could enjoy watching because BenJarvus wasn’t doing it for me during his time with New England. I purchased Ridley’s jersey right before the start of the season.

Again, I would be disappointed. Ridley started the season off in horrible fashion. His first four games were atrocious, almost to the point where the Patriots were going to give up on him. With this, I retired the Ridley jersey and with the retirement, Ridley came back to form. He would have 6 touchdowns in four games, garnering over 90 yards a game twice in that span. I quickly grabbed the Ridley jersey and wore it every Sunday since Week 8. Since Week 8, Ridley has put up one touchdown and 130 yards. Yet another bust of a jersey.

This was a long version of the story, but I think I have learned my lesson. If I like a player, I probably shouldn’t purchase his jersey. But then again, I probably will never learn. I should probably purchase a jersey of a player everybody hates and see if he goes down… I think it would be worth the experiment.