BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Football is back, and what better way to celebrate than try and pick the winners for high school and college games.
This season join me on the journey to see if I end up looking like a future ESPN expert, or never talk about this segment ever again and destroy the evidence of its existence. The article will be updated on Monday to reflect the winners of each game so we can keep track as the season goes on. I will add more games each week to cover more ground and (hopefully) make my record look a little better.
Let’s put those years of playing football video games to use.
High School: The great thing about high school football is how unpredictable it can be. Sure, great teams are great teams. But you have to remind yourself that you’re dealing with players who are still learning the game and their respective systems.
Mt. View vs River View. The Battle of the Views! I love it! Having spent some time living near River View I feel partial to them, but they have had some struggles the past few years. Mount View hasn’t done any better. River View has a lot of returning players and Mt View is looking to avenge their 54-6 loss last year. I’m picking River View to take the win.
Bluefield vs Graham. The biggest game of the week, and one of the biggest high school football games in the nation! I have many memories of going to these games growing up, and they always live up to the billing. It has been a while since Bluefield tasted victory, and that’s because Graham is a well oiled machine. Their discipline from last year will need to show up again in this game and the defense will need to demoralize the Bluefield offense. I think both will be done. My pick is Graham to win this battle.
Giles at Narrows. I remember years ago when this game was a freebie for Giles, but Narrows has turned the tables in recent seasons. With an aggressive offense and physical defense, Narrows has taken it to Giles, and the hometown crowd provides a hostile atmosphere for anyone visiting Narrows High School. The same Narrows team I saw in person last year will need to show up and step it up in order to beat a Giles team looking to prove something. I think this is a close one, but I’m taking Narrows to maintain home-turf advantage and squeak by with a win.
Riverheads vs Central. Not in our area, but this could be the biggest game in Virginia week 1. Riverheads has been a powerhouse for over a decade, and Central has been the perfect villain to their dynasty. I covered Riverheads for two years, and they run one of the best teams, top to bottom, I have ever seen. They lost some key pieces last year, and there’s concern for how the new starters will turn out. Central plays a physical game where they try to force as many turnovers as possible and wear you down. Last year Central and Riverheads tied in their head-to-head meetings. I think Riverheads pulls out a victory, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrong on this one.
College Football: For someone who loves college football as much as I do, I have never been to a game in person. Crazy, I know. I covered the JMU Dukes last season, and their run into the Top 25 polls was as much fun as it looked from a distance. I also had a fairly good record with my picks on our digital sports show. There’s hope for me.
Penn State vs West Virginia. Penn State Quarterback Drew Allar had a strong start against WVU last year but looked shaky the rest of the season. With a new offensive coordinator, and a year of experience, we could see a strong performance from the Peen State Air attack. WVU Freshman receiver DayDay Farmer has received a lot of praise from coach Neal Brown. Senior Garrett Greene is hungry for revenge, and with some new faces and some experienced receivers, we could see an aggressive passing attack. The game will be won up front, and Penn State has the edge over WVU, but don’t count WVU out. Pick: Penn State
Clemson vs Georgia. Georgia looks to dominate the college football field like they have over the past few years, and their offense will come out swinging. Clemson will need to be aggressive and limit mistakes early. Pick: Georgia
Virginia Tech vs Vanderbilt. A closer game than it should be. An early road battle against an SEC school will show us what Virginia Tech is made of. The young players on the roster will get a valuable lesson from the seniors, and Vanderbilt will be a great Week 1 opponent. Vanderbilt has some injuries in key positions, and Virginia Tech is returning some key players from Offense. In a close one. Pick: VT
USC VS LSU. A fun, ranked battle to start the season. LSU has great experience at Running back, and will hope to open up its passing game so their Veteran RB’s can eat up some ground, and clock. USC will look to win the battle up front and limit the damage LSU’s rushing attack can do. With a new defensive coordinator, USC’s defense will need to show up early and stay late to win this ballgame. Pick: USC
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