Pigskin Picks stay with you
BY TOM WILLIAMS
YOUNGSTOWN — “Dad! How could you?”
Just two weeks ago, I was on top of the world and those words were almost forgotten. After three weeks of high school football, I held a one-game lead in the Pigskin Pick ’Ems prediction competition that runs every Thursday.
Congratulations were pouring in. “Way to stick it to The Kid” was heard at the church corn roast.
After participating in this contest for seven seasons, I promise you that it’s much better to hear “Way to go” than “What are you thinking not picking Canfield [or South Range or Mooney or ...].
Take last fall when a stepdaughter professed embarrassment because of picking Crestview to upset South Range in the playoffs.
Or two years ago on the night before Thanksgiving at a movie theater when a Canfield cheerleader questioned what the pick would be for the state semifinal. (Who says high school students don’t read newspapers?)
The answer, of course, was Canfield — I had learned my lesson.
Obviously, these picks matter ... so why do we keep getting our bottoms spanked by The Kid?
Same winner
every season
Since The Vindicator sports department initiated this contest, we’ve had one winner.
And he likes to tell you about it.
A lot.
He doesn’t mention the year he trailed by one game going into the final two high school state championship games. Naturally, he checked to see who the leader had picked and went the other way. He won both games.
There are some valid reasons why The Kid is our only winner.
For one, he’s good.
He knows the difference between Cleveland St. Ignatius and Cleveland East Tech or Cincinnati Mariemont and Cincinnati St. Xavier. (With a little detective work, the rest of us could learn but ...)
Two weeks ago, I was congratulated by a neighbor for taking a chance on Ursuline against Massillon even though Darrell Mason is injured.
Mason injured? Inside, I screamed “D’Oh!”
More importantly, The Kid doesn’t spend just 60 seconds weighing the pros and cons of each of the 40 teams on the weekly list to consider.
Agreed, a lot more thought should go into picking the winners. But honest to goodness, it seems that the more time spent, the worse the results.
Take last week. Remember how you felt when the exam you thought you aced came back drowning in red ink? That was the feeling most of us had when the scores rolled in from across the Valley last Friday night.
Upsets can really
make you look bad
Girard shocks Liberty. LaBrae edges Champion by a point. Winless Salem defeats Campbell. Lakeview thumps Hubbard.
Who knew? (OK, to be fair WFMJ sports director Dana Balash knew enough to pick 16 winners and bolt into first place).
This forecaster actually thought about some of these games for at least a minute. Each. Big mistake.
The Kid’s biggest advantage is he doesn’t have to worry about what friends, neighbors and former classmates might say if he dared to pick against his hometown team.
That’s a luxury.
Five autumns ago, when Canfield was on the way to its first unbeaten regular season under Coach Mike Pavlansky, most of the forecasters picked Canfield to defeat Howland in Cardinals Stadium.
One ugly pick
will be remembered
One fearless forecaster, with no regard for where he lived or where his wife teaches or where his daughter was a senior, went with a gut feeling and chose Dick Angle’s Tigers.
Uh oh.
On the evening that this bold prediction was published, there was a volleyball match in Canfield’s gymnasium. Before the varsity match began, this forecaster was greeted by his favorite player with words that still sting:
“Dad! How could you?”
The parents also read, especially the ones who got up and moved after the forecaster took a seat in the stands. They were being funny (at least I tell myself that).
By the way, Canfield won, 23-7. Seven weeks later, Howland knocked Canfield out of the playoffs (as if ...).
The Kid’s alma mater is Uniontown Lake, a member of the Federal League that shows up in the picks about twice a season. The Kid will never go against Lake (if only we could get the Lake-Hoover or Lake-Perry games in the contest).
Sometimes, it’s tempting to say farewell to loyalty.
Then these words scream at you: “Dad! How could you?”
XTom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.
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