Week 14 Football Picks

It seems appropriate we should decide the winner of these picks on championship week even as we find out who will be claiming a state title at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday. It has been a fun competition and it is something I have looked forward to doing each Friday this fall.

Trevor has given both me and Andrew a fantastic battle this season and has a good shot at dethroning me as the picks champion. It all comes down to these final games and we know what is at stake.

TP: So it comes down to this. I’m gonna keep it classy John and just say good luck. No trash talking from me, I just want to extend my hand and say may the best man win.

JC: Don’t worry, I will. Um . . . what I met say is good luck to you too, man.

Hurricane vs Juan Diego

TP: The whole Hurricane community has been waiting for this exact moment. Losing back-to-back championship games in the closing seconds like the Tigers have is almost too cruel. They’ll finally get over the hump and pick up the hardware.
Hurricane 21, Juan Diego 14.

JC: Do you think they are avoiding black cats, broken mirrors and ladders down in Hurricane? No team has had worse luck the final minute of a championship game that I can remember. And I can remember a lot, considering I used to win sports trivia contests in high school. I’m guessing the Tigers will be motivated to make sure they are not in a position to lose on a last-second play for a third consecutive season. Juan Diego used up its end-of-game magic with its overtime win over Judge last week. The Bulldogs exposed the fact that the Soaring Eagle offense can be very mediocre when enough defensive pressure is applied. Enter Hurricane. The Tigers have allowed just 13.69 points per game this season. Hurricane fans can leave the lucky rabbit feet at home. The Tigers won’t need to worry about luck this time.
Hurricane 17, Juan Diego 13

Bingham vs Fremont

TP: I feel if Silver Wolves comes within 17 points of Bingham they played a fantastic game. Start ordering the rings big blue.
Bingham 42, Fremont 17.

JC: Can the Silver Wolves do the seemingly impossible and stop the virtually untouchable Miners? Not a chance. Don’t get me wrong. Fremont is a good team. Nick Vigil is a solid running back. It is no fluke to see the Region 1 champions get this far in the playoffs. Having said that, Bingham is much much better. The Miners are just too good at creating takeaways on defense to allow Fremont to get in a rhythm on offense. And Bingham can move the ball downfield quickly behind standout RB Harvey Langi and versatile QB Stefan Cantwell. With how dominant Bingham is against other high school teams, maybe the Miners should line up exhibitions with the local college teams too just to see if they are truly best in state.
Bingham 38, Fremont 13

Mountain Crest vs Highland

TP: This is where things are going to get tricky. This game is going to be flat out awesome. I think with Kuresa running the show, he’ll finally win the championship he’s deserved all along. Not mention the Mustangs have had Highlands number and I have a hard time seeing that change.
Mountain Crest 35, Highland 31.

JC: I have to admit that it would have created an interesting dynamic if Highland was still ticketed to move to 3A next season. You know the Rams would have had a ton of motivation to show their worthiness to stay in 4A. There’s no worries about that now. I was tempted to pick Mountain Crest in this one. Alex Kuresa has a history of lighting up the Rams’ secondary. When these teams met in week one, for example, he passed for 237 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-28 passing. The difference between then and now, however, is that Highland has some new and improved offensive weapons – a dangerous QB in Anthony Smithson and an explosive runner in Sione Houma. Call me crazy, but I think the Rams have a real chance to pull off a shocker here. Everyone expected Mountain Crest versus Timpview for the state title. Well, we all know what happened to the T-Birds. The Mustangs also appear vulnerable after Bountiful took them to the wire last week. Highland will keep Kuresa from getting his storybook finish.
Highland 38, Mountain Crest 35

BYU at Utah (Nov. 27th)

TP: Utah is a better team through and through and will win easily. Utah 100, team down south 0.

JC: What is with the Utes lately? Jordan Wynn is going through the mother of all sophomore slumps the last two weeks and fast becoming Utah’s answer to Max Hall when it comes to choking in big games. It has damaged some of my confidence in the Utes. Before the TCU game, I would have predicted Utah obliterating BYU. Now, I’m not so sure. The Utes have scored 10 points total in back-to-back losses. The Cougars have blown out their last two opponents. Granted, it’s UNLV and Colorado State. But, that’s still much better than how it was for BYU earlier in the season. My instincts tell me this will be closer than Trevor’s prediction. Still, I think Utah is good enough to turn it around and come out on top in the MWC finale for both teams. Look for BYU to declare its independence from its current winning streak over Thanksgiving weekend.
Utah 31, BYU 28