Pigskin Pick’Em: Week No. 3

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

A couple of big Western Buckeye League upsets highlighted Week No. 2 of the high school football season, including Elida over Ottawa-Glandorf and Bath over Kenton. While great wins for those programs, they contributed to my 15-5 record, but those types of games are what make high school football so much fun.

Entering Week No. 3, my record is 30-9 (76.9 percent), short of my goal of 80 percent and this week’s slate of games isn’t exactly easy to pick. As many as seven of the 20 area games can be considered toss-ups.

Without further ado, here are this week’s picks.

First five

Delphos Jefferson (0-2) at Crestview (1-1)

While I think Delphos Jefferson is showing signs of improvement, I believe Crestview will be too much for the Wildcats on Friday.

The Knights will have to find a way to contain dual-threat quarterback Colin Bailey, which is easier said than done, but Crestview should be able to grind out a win.

The pick: Crestview

Columbus Grove (2-0) at Allen East (2-0)

This has the potential to be an outstanding game.

I’ve gone back and forth a little bit with this pick but I keep coming back to the fact that Columbus Grove is perhaps the favorite to win the NWC title this year.

The Mustangs picked up where they left off last year and they are obviously one of the better teams in the area.

Still, I’m thinking Bulldogs in this one.

The pick: Columbus Grove

Parkway (0-2) at Anna (0-2)

It’s not often that an 0-2 team is picked to beat a defending state champion and I don’t like picking road teams in the Midwest Athletic Conference, but I’m doing just that this week.

I believe Parkway will notch a win by defeating the defending Division VI state champions on Friday.

The pick: Parkway

Wayne Trace (1-1) at Troy Christian (1-1)

Admittedly, I know very little about Troy Christian, other than the fact that the Eagles have beaten a Dayton Christian team that lost to a club team in Week No. 2, and lost to McComb last week.

This could be a close one and as much as I’d like to go with the Raiders, I’m picking Troy Christian, but I won’t be upset if I’m wrong.

The pick: Troy Christian

Van Wert (2-0) at Wapakoneta (0-2)

Cards on the table – my first instinct is to pick the Redskins, given Wapakoneta’s previous success against Van Wert.

Forget the fact that Wapak is 0-2. This is a team that should be getting close to full strength and it’s a team that plays very well at home.

Van Wert has enjoyed two blowout wins, but are the Cougars ready for the physical style of Wapakoneta? How much does Wapak have left in the tank after a 14-7 overtime loss to St. Marys Memorial?

There are quite a few questions and I’ve wrestled with this one all week, but I’ve cautiously decided to go with the Cougars in this one.

The pick: Van Wert

Best of the rest

NWC

Spencerville (2-0) at Paulding (0-2): Spencerville
Bluffton (0-2) at Ada (0-2): Bluffton

WBL

Bath (2-0) at Elida (1-1): Bath
Celina (1-1) at Kenton (1-1): Kenton
Defiance (0-2) at Shawnee (1-1): Shawnee
Ottawa-Glandorf (1-1) at St. Marys Memorial (2-0): St. Marys

GMC

Antwerp (0-2) at Edgerton (0-2): Edgerton
Ayersville (1-1) at Fairview (2-0): Fairview
Tinora (1-0) at Hicksville (1-1): Hicksville

MAC

Fort Recovery (1-1) at Coldwater (2-0): Coldwater
Marion Local (2-0) at Versailles (2-0): Marion Local
Minster (0-2) at St. Henry (1-1): Minster
New Bremen (1-1) at Delphos St. John’s (1-1): New Bremen

Others

Fremont Ross (1-1) at Lima Sr. (1-1): Lima Sr.
Saturday – Liberty-Benton (2-0) at Lima Central Catholic (2-0): Lima CC