Pigskin Pick’Em: Week No. 2

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

There’s no other way to put it – last week, the opening week of the 2026 high school football season, was wild. There were upsets galore around the area, results that very few people saw coming. There were also some nice surprises and for some teams that have struggled, sort of a glimmer of hope.

Thanks to the upsets, my record took a beating. The first week is always the toughest because there are so many unknowns due to graduation losses etc., but some of the results were truly surprising. It hurts to type this – my record last week was 22-10 (68.8 percent), far short of my minimum goal of 80 percent correct picks. It’s really not much easier this week with some intriguing Western Buckeye League games and some premium non-conference games.

Games of the Week

Archbold (1-0) at St. Henry (0-1)

These two teams met last year and St. Henry posted a 27-19 win. The Redskins went on to win the Division VII state championship but suffered notable graduation losses. Meanwhile, Archbold returns a number of starters, including 10 on offense. This feels like the Blue Streaks should get a win but I’m hitting pause on that thought. It’s tough to pick against St. Henry at home and quite honestly, it’s hard to see the Redskins start the season 0-2. This should be one of the better games of the night. One more note – the two teams began the series in 2022, and each team has won two games. I’m picking the Redskins to win this one. If the game was at Archbold, that might be a different story.

The pick: St. Henry

Delphos Jefferson (1-0) at Parkway (1-0)

Given their recent struggles, it seemed improbable that these two teams would enter this game 1-0 but here we are. Delphos Jefferson enjoyed a convincing 34-6 win over Evergreen last Friday night, while Parkway snapped a 19-game losing streak with a dominant 27-14 win over Brookville. I’m pleased for both teams as they try to turn things around. The last time Delphos Jefferson started the season 2-0 was 2014 and the last time Parkway opened the season 2-0 was 2008. So, which one will pick up win No. 2 in as many weeks? I believe it’s the Panthers.

The pick: Parkway

Ottawa-Glandorf (1-0) at Defiance (1-0)

I don’t know about everyone else but this is a game that I didn’t expect both teams to enter 1-0. I thought Defiance had a shot to do it but I wasn’t so sure about Ottawa-Glandorf. Boy, did the Titans prove me and a lot of others wrong last week with a 52-7 win over Liberty-Benton. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs earned a 9-8 win over rival Napoleon, making it the third straight year the game has been decided by a single point. This one is hard to pick, as a case can be made for either team. In my mind, it’s a coin flip and I’ll say the Titans get the win.

The pick: Ottawa-Glandorf

Wapakoneta (0-1) at Celina (1-0)

Before I say anything else, I believe I speak for everyone when I say we all wish Celina quarterback Parker Wynk the very best as he continues to recover from a serious neck injury suffered in the first half of last week’s game against St. Henry. Parker and his family have been strong in the days that have followed and the outpouring of support has been simply amazing, yet not surprising. Everyone is rooting for Parker. As far as the game, it’s another tough one to pick. Wapakoneta is the defending WBL champion but the Redskins saw their 28-game regular season winning streak come to an end last week. Meanwhile, Celina gutted out a 38-35 win over St. Henry, which was incredible given the circumstances. This no doubt will be another emotional game. After some thought, it may not necessarily be a popular pick, but I’m going with the Redskins.

The pick: Wapakoneta

Crestview (0-1) at Minster (1-0)

Defensively, Crestview played well enough to win last week but five turnovers on offense simply proved to be too much to overcome. However, those are correctable mistakes. Minster and Fort Loramie were tied 17-17 at halftime but the Wildcats outscored the Redskins 10-0 in the second half for the win. I’m going to get right to the point here – it’s going to be tough for the Knights to march into MAC country and get a win. Is it possible? Of course it’s possible. But like them or not, it’s extremely difficult for a road team to win against a MAC team. I’m going with the Wildcats but some brighter days are ahead for Crestview.

The pick: Minster

Elida (1-0) at Van Wert (1-0)

Both teams were expected to be 1-0 entering the WBL opener. Both teams had no trouble in their respective openers, with Elida beating Rogers 48-6 and Van Wert topping Bryan 41-6. If I’m looking at it from the Van Wert side, I have to say I’m a little concerned about this one. The Cougars are going to have generate more yards on the ground and allow time for quarterback Zach Crummey to drop back and pass. For the most part, the defense looked good against Bryan but this week will be a bit more challenging with Jonan Snyder leading Elida’s offense. This has the potential to be a close one. I’m picking Van Wert but it won’t be an easy game at all.

The pick: Van Wert

Best of the Rest

WBL

Shawnee at Kenton: Kenton

St. Marys Memorial at Bath: St. Marys Memorial

Non-conference

Allen East at Fort Recovery: Fort Recovery

Antwerp at Edon: Edon

Bluffton at Edison: Bluffton

Coldwater at Clinton-Massie: Coldwater

Columbus Grove at Liberty-Benton: Columbus Grove

Covington at New Bremen: New Bremen

Delphos St. John’s at Lima Central Catholic (Saturday): LCC

Fairview at Delta: Fairview

Findlay at Lima Sr.: Lima Sr.

Fort Loramie at Anna: Anna

Hilltop at Edgerton: Edgerton

Lakota at Hicksville: Lakota

Marion Local at Harvest Prep: Marion Local

Otsego at Tinora: Otsego      

Patrick Henry at Ayersville: Patrick Henry

Paulding at North Central: Paulding

Spencerville at Wayne Trace: Wayne Trace

Versailles at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy: Versailles