Week 5 picks

A total of 23 state football teams enter Week 5 action with 2-2 records. Some might say being .500 average.
I say I got some good company. Jordan, Riverton, West, Timpview, I’ll gladly share the 2-2 record with you. Last year, I had a worse record at this point. Life is all about improvement, right?
So anyway, I decided to take on my man Trevor Phibbs one last time this week. We’re at 1-1 right now and this is the rubber match. He thinks I’m putting the Friday picks blog on the line, but I’m not. Who else could rile up the anonymous tough guys like I do? You’d miss me too much.
I forgot to mention last week that the Friday Night Rider beat us both the previous week. So I’m sending a belated good job to Mr. Rider. Good work two weeks ago.

TP -I’ll have to agree with what Andrew said last week, winning is nice. I can’t believe Syracuse though, that’s twice that they’ve cost me a game. Come on boys! Well, in fact I may never pick a team with the mascot “Titan” again, as Olympus was the other team standing in the way of a perfect week. However, a win is a win and I can’t complain. This week is HUGE! If I can pull another upset, Andrew has agreed to hand over the blog. Like I said last week, I’m going try and make him sweat, so… you gettin’ nervous yet man?
AA: Yes I am. I made some bad picks last week, so I’m basically going to just follow what you say this week — except for one pick. It’s all going to come down to one game, my friend.

West Jordan at Pleasant Grove
TP- At first glance – it’s an obvious pick to choose the Vikings. They’ve got eight D1 players including, who I think is the best quarterback in the state, Stanford signee Dallas Lloyd. However, everyone is fully aware of how good PG is. The same cannot be said about West Jordan. What’s commonly misconstrued about the Jaguars is the overall team speed. They have some burners who have breakaway speed – hence the reason why they have the highest scoring offense in the state (183 points in four games). As much as I’d love to pick “Dub-J” to win, I can’t see them actually pulling the upset. But, let it be said, this will be much closer than some experts might think. Pleasant Grove 23, West Jordan 20.
AA: So I was watching my Green Bay Packers on Sunday night and when they got the ball with less than three minutes left in the game trailing the hated Bears, I said out loud, “OK, Aaron Rodgers it’s time to make a play.” Last year, he had several chances to win close games and didn’t win any of them. I needed the hype to stop and for him to show me something. Why am I telling you this? Because that’s what I need from PG. Please stop it with all the talk. Beat Alta, beat Bingham, win a state championship and then come and talk to me. Until then, give it a rest. But I do think you win tonight. PG 28, WJ 21.

Bingham at Cottonwood
TP- If you like hard, physical play in the trenches…this is the game for you. These guys are going to beat up on one another. Bingham made a strong statement following the loss to Trinity with the thumping of American Fork. They still are the team to beat in Utah, no doubt. The player who’s caught my attention for the Miners isn’t star running back Harvey Langi, but rather quarterback Ty Hannay. The gunslinger has already tossed 10 touchdowns in the first four games – pretty productive for a running based offense if I do say so myself. As for the Colts, I was at the Alta vs. Cottonwood game the first week of the season. It wasn’t even close. The Hawks dominated on every aspect of the game. The jump to 5A from 4A is larger than some think. Once again, I think the Colts will realize that. I don’t think this game will be close at all. Bingham 42, Cottonwood 14.
AA: Trevor is a young guy with a lot of energy. Look at that breakdown and analysis. That is great stuff. I think I’ve been doing this too long. Bingham 38, Cottonwood 21.

American Fork at Jordan
TP- Every single game in Region 4 is an eye opener. It’s amazing that one team – who probably will be ranked in the top 15, won’t make the playoffs in Region 4. With that being said, every week is a season and everyone knows it. The Cavemen fell back to earth last week with the loss to Bingham. Jordan is also coming off a loss to Alta, making this game crucial. The loser is looking from the outside in the rest of the year. I think the Diggers have the distinct advantage playing at home, with the quick turf they’re almost unstoppable on offense. For that reason and that reason alone – I’m taking the Beets. Jordan 35, American Fork 21.
AA: There is a lot of talk about Region 4 not getting enough teams in the playoffs. All I can say is that if you were on a good high school football team and you missed the playoffs because the UHSAA draws pairings out of a hat when it determines brackets and missing the playoffs is the worst thing that will ever happen to you, you’re going to have a good life. I like Alex Hart. He’s good. Jordan 35, American Fork 34.

Woods Cross at Bountiful
TP- Well, well, well – look at the Wildcats. I’ll have to be honest, I never saw them coming – but they’ve been nothing short of impressive thus far. Congrats on the early success in WC, but, they have to play on the road against perhaps the best defense in the state. It’s like trying to score points against Optimus Prime, they’re that destructive. However, if the Braves read the papers rather than play the game, Woods Cross has the ability to sneak up on them. Bountiful 28, Woods Cross 10.
AA: OK, I’ll be honest, I had to google Optimus Prime to know what Trevor was talking about. It’s a character in the Transformers. I like how Fred Fernandes has transformed the Wildcats into a good team that has a real shot in Bountiful tonight. But I still have to go with the Braves. They look like the team of destiny in 4A this season. Bountiful 21, Woods Cross 11.

Logan at Ogden
TP- The Tigers have officially splashed into statewide attention. They have the 3rd highest scoring offense in the state behind West Jordan and Alta. Head coach Eric Eyre has the train rollin’ in “O-Town.” Trust me, from past experience playing under Eyre – the guy is a winner and his players feed off his passion for the game. The only thing that’s standing in the way of making me a 100% believer is the quality of play. With wins over Murray, Judge Memorial, Stansbury and Ben Lomond, who have combined for a 4-12 record so far. However, being that Logan is in a down year, I think it could get ugly in “The Jungle.” Ogden 49, Logan 21.
AA: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why are we throwing Murray under the bus? Are we bitter that they won our Week 3 contest for me Mr. Phibbs? There’s no time to be bitter in this life. Sheesh. Ogden 28, Logan 27.

Alta at Brighton
TP- Finally, an old time rivalry that has some rejuvenated hype. Brighton was the shocker of the high school football world to start the season, but came back to reality with the loss to Lone Peak last week. So far, the two-time champs haven’t shown many weaknesses – other than the two final quarters at Bingham, Alta has played perfect. Literally. Brighton is always a miserable place to play and any team that haphazardly skips into playing the Bengals will regret it – it’s like traveling to Tennessee to play the Volunteers, you’re going to hear Rocky Top until your ears bleed, but that can be surprisingly intimidating. It’s basically the same gig with “Welcome to the Jungle,” by Guns N’ Roses for the Bengals. The fans are wild and they all have a unified hate towards Alta. Although I think it’ll be a much, much better game in recent past – the Hawks are superior. Alta 35, Brighton 17.
AA: Well those Bengals really let me down last week. They could have salvaged a tie for me. If they couldn’t beat Lone Peak they ain’t beating Alta. Alta 28, Brighton 13

Bonneville at Mountain Crest
TP- One name is all you need to know. Alex Kuresa. He’s a pint sized quarterback, standing at 6-0 and weighing in at 165 lbs, but the kid can burn. He has “Criss Angel” like moves – jukes, throws and spins leaving you asking yourself – was that magic? He’s accompanied by Alex Knowles and Tyler Weese – both of whom can stretch the field in seconds. The ‘Stangs can put up points in a hurry. It’s hard to judge the Lakers. They’ve performed well outside of region play, but how can you blame them struggling in such a strong region? Their best showing was the second week against Woods Cross, where they lit the ‘Cats up 31-14. If they can play like that, they might have a shot. A long shot, but still…a shot. Mountain Crest 35, Bonneville 21.
AA: One thing I noticed while previewing all the Region 5 teams during the summer was that Bonneville played Mountain Crest tough last year. The Lakers will play them tough again, but the Mustangs still win. Mountain Crest 33, Bonneville 24

Millard at South Sevier
TP – Millard knows how to win, especially against South Sevier. Up until last year, Millard had beaten the Rams every year from 2001 to ’07. Millard won the state championship in 2001, and were runner-ups in ’06 and ’07. The Eagles once again are playing great football, with a 3-1 record to start the year with their only loss coming against 3A Cedar. However, with that being said, there’s a different aroma, an unfamiliar taste brewing within the South Sevier program. Unlike Millard, they don’t have the accolades or championship exposure, but yet find themselves ranked 2nd in 2A ball. With this game being at home, I can’t see the Rams letting this huge opportunity slip through the grasps of their hands. This game could be a dandy. South Sevier 28, Millard 24.
AA: Trevor loves South Sevier. Let’s put that love to the test. I don’t feel really confident in this pick, but we have to disagree at least once. Don’t let me down, Eagles. Millard 28, South Sevier 27