5A tourney picks

Well, I don’t really have an explanation for my current hot streak. I was correct about all eight games yesterday and I got the Clearfield upset right on Monday. That makes me 9-0 (I’m really good at math) in the last two days and I’m feeling confident about my prognostication skills right now.

Not that all of yesterday’s picks went smoothly.

Pine View’s win over Highland didn’t look like it was going to happen until the game actually ended. The Olympus-Woods Cross game was a classic, with the Wildcats making some plays and pulling it out in the end.

I thought Timpview-Roy was going to be much closer. I actually was going to pick the Royals before changing my mind at the last minute.

Let’s move on to today’s 5A quarterfinals, and I’m making another big upset pick. It could stop my momentum, but you’ve got to take some chances every once in a while.

Bingham vs. Clearfield: The Miners were dominant against Weber on Monday, and I get the feeling that they’re pretty happy that they won’t be lining up against Pleasant Grove today.

They better be ready for Clearfield.

I’ve felt good about the Falcons making a solid tournament run since I saw them beat Weber earlier this month. Tournament basketball is a completely different game, and Clearfield is built for it. The Falcons eliminated Bingham in 2005, and I think they do the same thing today. Falcons by 2

Viewmont vs. Brighton: Here’s another rematch from the 2005 tournament. The Vikings prevailed back then, but Brighton will get a small measure of revenge today. It isn’t going to be easy for the Bengals. If they fail to take Viewmont seriously, or play as carelessly as they did at times against Hunter, they’ll be in trouble. That being said, Brighton is just too athletic and talented to lose today. Bengals by 4

Alta vs. Davis: People are wondering if the Darts are for real after they struggled against Timpanogos on Monday. I think that game was good for Davis. The Darts have been on cruise control for months, and they needed someone to give them a scare. Davis will play better today, and advance to the semis. Darts by 6

West Jordan vs. Lone Peak: It’s the best coach in the state (Scott Briggs) matched up against the best team (Lone Peak). The Jaguars are going to give the Knights a big-time battle. They’ll keep it close for much of the game, but Lone Peak, with its superior size and depth, will pull away in the fourth quarter. Knights by 7