{"id":122757,"date":"2019-09-19T03:53:24","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T08:53:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=122757"},"modified":"2019-09-19T08:03:46","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T13:03:46","slug":"pigskin-pickem-week-no-4-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2019\/09\/19\/pigskin-pickem-week-no-4-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Pigskin Pick’Em: Week No. 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SCOTT TRUXELL\/<\/strong>independent sports editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All area high school football teams except Lima Central Catholic and Edgerton will battle a league or conference foe this Friday night, as the Northwest Conference and Green Meadows Conference join the Western Buckeye League and the Midwest Athletic Conference in playing league\/conference games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lima Central Catholic continues as an independent and will make a long trek to northeast Ohio to play perennial small school power Mogadore, while Edgerton picked up Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic to replace Holgate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week was a rough one in terms of correctly picking games. I was 14-9 (61 percent), while guest selector Keith Milligan was 12-11(52 percent), which included a correction \u2013 Milligan picked Marion Local, but I mistakenly listed it as Parkway. Milligan correctly went with Bath, who upset Elida and Allen East, who topped Wynford, two very impressive picks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far this season, I\u2019m 50-27 (65 percent) while the guest selectors have gone 47-30 (61 percent).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week\u2019s guest selector is Ryan McCracken, a 2016 Van Wert High School graduate and a senior baseball player at USF. His father Eric was a guest selector last year, so it\u2019s the first time father and son have taken a shot in the weekly picks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ryan McCracken<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Out of 20 games, we differ on seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Games of the week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Van Wert (2-1) at St. Marys Memorial (1-2): <\/em><\/strong>Based on what I saw against Wapakoneta last week, I think this is a game the Cougars can win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the first game on St. Marys Memorial\u2019s new field, so there\u2019s that, but I like Van Wert\u2019s chances in this game, and McCracken feels the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Van Wert; McCracken: Van Wert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen East (3-0) at Columbus Grove (1-2):<\/em><\/strong> I keep picking against Allen East and the Mustangs have proven me wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Columbus Grove is expected to contend for the NWC title and Friday night could be a key game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a little torn here, but McCracken and I think the Bulldogs will pick up the win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Columbus Grove; McCracken: Columbus Grove<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lima Central Catholic (2-1) at Mogadore (3-0):<\/em><\/strong> The Wildcats are ranked No. 4 in Division VI and while I think the Thunderbirds could win the game, I\u2019m going with Mogadore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCracken thinks Lima Central Catholic will ease the three hour (each way) bus ride with a big win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Mogadore; McCracken: Lima Central Catholic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coldwater (3-0) at Minster (3-0):<\/em><\/strong> Nothing new here, just another battle between two highly regarded and state ranked teams (Coldwater No. 1, Minster No. 5). It\u2019s usually not the best idea to vote against a road team in the MAC, but that\u2019s what both of us are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Coldwater; McCracken: Coldwater<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Delphos Jefferson (1-2) at Crestview (1-2): <\/em><\/strong>It\u2019s the NWC opener for these two schools. Jefferson snapped a nine game losing streak with last weekend\u2019s 38-36 win over Perry, so the Wildcats should have a shot of confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we think Crestview should be considered the favorite in this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Crestview; McCracken: Crestview<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best of the rest<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WBL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bath (1-2) at Ottawa-Glandorf (2-1)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Ottawa-Glandorf; McCracken: Ottawa-Glandorf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elida (0-3) at Celina (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Celina; McCracken: Elida<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defiance (0-3) at Kenton (2-1)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Kenton; McCracken: Kenton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wapakoneta (3-0) at Shawnee (3-0)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Wapakoneta; McCracken: Wapakoneta<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NWC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paulding (1-2) at Spencerville (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Spencerville; McCracken: Spencerville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bluffton (2-1) at Ada (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Ada; McCracken: Bluffton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GMC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wayne Trace (1-2) at Tinora (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Tinora; McCracken: Wayne Trace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antwerp (1-2) at Fairview (2-1)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Fairview; McCracken: Fairview<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayersville (0-3) at Hicksville (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Hicksville; McCracken: Hicksville<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parkway (2-1) at Versailles (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Versailles; McCracken: Versailles<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delphos St. John\u2019s (1-2) at Marion Local (2-1)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Marion Local; McCracken: Marion Local<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anna (3-0) at St. Henry (1-2)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Anna; McCracken: St. Henry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Recovery (1-2) at New Bremen (2-1)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Fort Recovery; McCracken: Fort Recovery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRAC<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lima Sr. (2-1) at Oregon Clay (3-0)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Clay; McCracken: Lima Sr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-conference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fremont St. Joseph (1-2) at Edgerton (3-0)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Truxell: Edgerton; McCracken: Fremont St. Joseph<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to be a guest selector, simply email sports@thevwindependent.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SCOTT TRUXELL\/independent sports editor All area high school football teams except Lima Central Catholic and Edgerton will battle a league or conference foe this Friday night, as the Northwest Conference and Green Meadows Conference join the Western Buckeye League and the Midwest Athletic Conference in playing league\/conference games. Lima Central Catholic continues as an independent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sports"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-01 07:54:33","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122757\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}