Playoff Picks Pt. 3

Today I’m taking my third shot at beating my coworker John Coon in the picks. After a perfect Week 11, I came crashing back to earth last week. It’s just been that kind of season for me.

JC: Everybody loves a underdog story. Especially in the playoffs, where a team comes out of nowhere and knocks off the favorite. Well, that’s not going to happen this time. I’m 2-0 vs. Andrew in ’08 and I feel pretty good about keeping my undefeated record intact. If this were a BCS bowl game, I would be playing the role of Georgia while Andrew would be playing the role of Hawaii.

AA: (Gritting my teeth).

JC: Anyway, with another impending victory here, I’m thinking maybe I’ll start my own psychic hotline. For the super low rate of $5.99 per minute, I could offer predictions on all sorts of things. The possibilities are endless. . .

AA: I have no response.

Bingham-Skyline
JC: Revenge game for the Miners. Skyline surprised Bingham with a 24-17 victory to open the season. It is never wise to bet against a Roger DuPaix coached team. But Bingham has improved dramatically since then and have won 10 straight. I don’t think the Eagles can match the Miners depth and athleticism in this one. But they will find a way to keep it close. Bingham 26, Skyline 19
AA: I know most people are expecting Bingham to kill Skyline today. That could happen, and it really depends on the first quarter. If the Miners hit some big pass plays and get up a couple of touchdowns, forget it. Skyline isn’t equipped to play from behind. But we’re here at Rice-Eccles, Skyline knows all about being here, and I think the Eagles will play with a lot of pride today. I still think Bingham wins, but I bet it will be close. Bingham 24, Skyline 17.

Alta-Syracuse
JC: I like the turnaround the Titans have put together. I blogged earlier on how they were the only team other than Hunter in 1991 to go from winless to reaching a semifinal game from one season to the next. They might be able to continue on. Alta definitely looked vulnerable against Davis. But the Hawks are defending state champions and have reached the 5A title game two years in a row. Do I hear three? Alta 23, Syracuse 17
AA: It’s been a great season for the Titans. No one expected them to get this far and I give them all the credit in the world for doing so. But I believe Alta is just a bad matchup for them, and the Hawks win by a couple of scores. Alta 28, Syracuse 14.

Cottonwood-Pine View
JC: This one was ugly when the teams met in week 3. Cottonwood won in a rout then and they will win in one now. I’m sure Panthers’ fans will flood my inbox with e-mails telling me I’m an uniformed jerk because I picked against them. Be my guest. I’m still not going with Pine View when the Colts won by 29 points when the teams met back in September. Cottonwood 49, Pine View 24
AA: I can’t write anything about either team without offending someone. So I’ll just say it will be close. Cottonwood 11, Pine View 10

Timpview-Mountain Crest
JC: I might be the only person who thinks Mountain Crest can give Timpview a game besides Friday Night Rider, but I really like the Mustangs chances here. They are the type of team that plays hard nosed football. Mountain Crest has a solid defense, but it also has a good enough offense to keep up with most teams. Will it be enough to finally end Timpview’s long winning streak? Let’s just say if the Mustangs keep it close, things could get interesting in the fourth quarter. Timpview isn’t immortal, guys. And it’s been so long since they’ve been challenged, I’m not sure if they could handle a tight game. But I just can’t bring myself to pick the upset. I’ll probably kick myself later for not doing it. Timpview 28, Mountain Crest 21
AA: Well, I visited Mountain Crest back in early August and the Mustangs’ entire focus seemed to be about getting another shot at Timpview. I think Mountain Crest will play hard, scrap and give Timpview its toughest challenge of the season. But the T-Birds are just too loaded for any other team in the state. Timpview 21, Mountain Crest 14

Morgan-Hurricane
JC: These two teams look a lot like each other: Strong defenses and potent run-oriented offenses. Both teams are on a roll offensively and defensively over the last few weeks. I’m not sure if this will be low scoring or a shootout. However it plays out, I liked how the Trojans handled Delta last week, so I’ll go with them here in a close one. Morgan 27, Hurricane 24
AA: I really haven’t given the Trojans the respect they deserve this season. I thought Delta would handle them last week and I was way off. Nothing personal, but I think Hurricane is the better team here and advances to the state title game. Hurricane 24, Morgan 21

Juan Diego-Park City
JC: The Miners enjoyed an easy path to the semifinals. Their first two opponents — Emery and Cedar — both hovered around the .500 mark when Park City beat them. Juan Diego looked mighty impressive against Logan. Jeff Manning had the game of his life in the second half and it still wasn’t enough against the Soaring Eagle defense. I can’t see where Park City will do any better with an offensive attack that is painfully one-dimensional at times. The Soaring Eagle will soar to the title game. (Pun intended). Juan Diego 24, Park City 10
AA: This will be an interesting game. I don’t expect a lot of passing, but I do expect a lot of hard hits in what should be a slugfest. Juan Diego can’t look past Park City, and that’s always a factor in high school football. I still like the Soaring Eagle to win though. Juan Diego 21, Park City 7

Manti-North Summit
JC: The Braves already avenged one of their two regular season losses last week with Juab and now get a shot to do it again against Manti. The Templars are a tough customer though and ended San Juan’s perfect season with ease in the semis. North Summit is scoring 42 points per game in the playoffs and Manti is allowing 11.5. Something has to give and I think it goes for the Braves this time. But just barely. North Summit 27, Manti 26
AA: This game is all about vindication ‘ for me. Back when I made this the game of the week earlier in the season, I noticed some people were unhappy with my choice. They believed the Layton-Northridge game should have been the game of the week. I’d just like to ask those same people where Layton and Northridge are now, and did you like how I highlighted a preview of the 2A state championship game? The lesson here is just assume I know what I’m doing. That is, unless we’re talking about picking winners in these games.

OK, now to this game. I took North Summit the first time these two teams played. The Braves are on a roll and they know how to win big games. But I just think Manti is a team of destiny, and will pull out what should be a classic. Manti 28, North Summit 27

Kanab-North Sevier
JC: The Wolves are in their first state title game in school history. For Kanab, a win here would give the team its 10th title. I like North Sevier. They showed some good balance with their run game and passing game in beating Rich in the semis. But the Cowboys have too much experience to go with their talent to go against them at this juncture. The dream ends here for the Wolves, but they can go home feeling good about making history this season. Kanab, 26, North Sevier 21
AA: I like North Sevier and how it has had a breakthrough season. The Wolves deserve plenty of credit for getting here, and especially for beating my preseason state-title pick Rich last week. But Kanab deserves to be the favorite here, and I’m tired of picking against the Cowboys ‘ and being wrong. Kanab 28, North Sevier 20