Week 2 picks

Terrible. Just terrible.
That’s about how you can sum up by performance in the picks last week. John Coon once again beat me and continued to have my number. He’s had the hot hand since last season, so we’ve decided to add a stipulation to this week’s picks.

If JC once again beats me this week, he will take on challengers the rest of the season. If he’s better at this, he should be the one to do so. So we’ll see how this plays out. Luckily, JC says he’s been sick for the last couple of days so hopefully I can pull out a win.

JC: It has been brought to my attention that a certain Friday Night Rider has expressed disbelief at why he cannot beat me in these picks. Simply put, you got to learn to walk before you can run, sport. You can’t take down the big dog until you tangle with a few puppies first.

AA: Whoa, whoa, whoa I don’t think the FNR meant any harm in what he said. Allow me to add that I can’t believe I can’t beat you either, JC.

JC: By the way, I am the big dog here. Just so we’re all clear. That won’t change. Not now. Not next week. Not ever.

AA: We’ll soon find out.

Alta at Bingham
JC: No football rivalries in the state can equal this one in terms of talent and intensity. The Hawks seemed to have the edge on this rivalry in the postseason, where the Miners seem to have the edge in the regular season. Alta looked awfully impressive smearing Cottonwood. I believe they’ll get a tighter game against Bingham and I’m looking for the Miners to squeak by with this one. Bingham 24, Alta 21
AA: It should be another classic between these two teams. Alta looked like a machine last week against Cottonwood, while Bingham seemed to have some struggles on offense against Viewmont. I still like Bingham to win the state championship this season, but I’m going with Alta tonight with “Moose” kicking a late field to win it. Alta 16, Bingham 14

Juan Diego at Park City
JC: A rematch of a 3A semifinal game from last fall. The Soaring Eagle exposed the Miners one-dimensional offense back then. Can they do it again? Sure, why not. They are the defending 3A champs after all. If they bring even a decent run defense to Summit County, Park City is doomed.
Juan Diego 20, Park City 12
AA: Impressive openers for both teams and from what I hear bad blood is brewing between the two programs. Juan Diego 24, Park City 13

Lone Peak at Mountain Crest
JC: There is two strikes going against Lone Peak in this matchup: 1) Alex Kuresa 2) Playing at Hyrum. If the Mustangs can dominate Highland on the road, I feel pretty safe about them taking care of business at home.
Mountain Crest 35, Lone Peak 17
AA: Lone Peak was a little disappointing last week. Don’t get me wrong, Bountiful is solid but I expected a closer game than 30-9. Mountain Crest is in midseason form, and Kuresa continues to live up to the hype. Mountain Crest 35, Lone Peak 21

West Jordan at East
JC: We get a duel of spread offenses here. The Leopards might help things along if they can avoid getting shutout this week. I feel tempted to pick West Jordan. But then I realized that they drilled Granger in Week !. Who knows how good they are at this point? This might be a mistake but I see the Leopards bouncing back at home. East 20, West Jordan 17
AA: It looks like that cold has gotten to JC. East showed it has a long ways to go last week, while West Jordan put up 40 points. I think the Jaguars win handily. West Jordan 42, East 21

Delta at Hurricane
JC: Could this be a preview of a 3A playoff matchup this fall? I wouldn’t bet against it. Both teams have solid running games, so I expect some good ol’ fashioned smash-mouth football. And a low score to boot. Ultimately, I think the Tigers win the defensive slugfest. Hurricane 14, Delta 13
AA: Yep pretty much. Hurricane 14, Delta 13

Sky View at Cottonwood
JC: I’m not sure which team impresses me least. The Colts looked thoroughly overmatched against Alta. The Bobcats needed overtime to beat Fremont. Still this is a 4A team Cottonwood is facing and — aside from Timpview — the Colts had little trouble with 4A teams last season. Look for that trend to continue. Cottonwood 38, Sky View 28
AA: Cottonwood did have some issues last week but it was Week 1 and against what was probably the state’s deepest and most talented team. I bet the Colts were put through some tough workouts last week and they’ll rebound. Cottonwood 31, Sky View 21

Skyline at Olympus
JC: Talk about rivalries. The classic Battle for the Rock is back! You know that cliche that you can throw out records in a rivalry game? That doesn’t really apply here. The Eagles have owned the Titans — winning 10 of the last 11 in this series. Make that 11 of 12 after Friday night. Skyline 34, Olympus 10
AA: I agree that Skyline wins, but I bet the game is closer than the big dog expects. Skyline 28, Olympus 21

Riverton at American Fork
JC: It is hard to gauge where these teams are at based on last week’s results. Riverton drilled Lehi and American Fork did the same to Cedar. Neither opponent is exactly on a competitive level with 5A schools. So the real test is this week. One thing that the Silverwolves have in their favor is the fact they have started at least 2-0 for four consecutive seasons. I’ll go out on a limb and say five is around the corner. Riverton 27, American Fork 20
AA: This will be a real test for both teams and is a tough game to call. I hate to pick against Riverton, but I have a feeling AF wins this game. Hopefully it’s not the same feeling that “led” me to a 4-4 mark last week.