KEITH GROLLER'S WEEK 9 FOOTBALL PICKS

FROM KEITH GROLLER

The great thing about sports is that just when you think you have it figured out, you realize you don't.

That's the case with the San Francisco Giants.

This is a team that hadn't scored 20 runs in about a month and here they go and score 20 in the first two games of the World Series.

My guess is that you could have gotten about 5,000 to 1 odds in Vegas that the previously offensive-challenged Giants would not score that many in two games. Many figured the Giants wouldn't score 20 runs in the entire series, but suddenly they have become the 1927 Yankees.

It has been an amazing postseason in baseball, ridiculously unpredictable.

High school football is speeding toward the postseason. Just two weeks of regular season games left.

In some regard, the season has had few surprises.

Central Catholic and Easton were expected to be very good in the Lehigh Valley Conference and they are.

Northern Lehigh was expected to be strong in the Colonial and the Bulldogs are.

A few teams have been disappointments. Freedom and Wilson come to mind.

But for the most part, things have gone the way we thought they would back in August.

The key now is for teams to stay aggressive, stay focused on the task at hand and not get caught looking -- like Ryan Howard in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the NLCS -- at the inopportune time.


Even though a lot of teams will be packing the gear away a week from tonight, many other teams expect to keep playing for six additional weeks.

We know who those teams are.

They just have to stay hungry; not just for that Thanksgiving dinner, but that visit to Chocolate World the weekend of Dec. 17-18.

It was strange for District 11 and the Lehigh Valley not to be represented in the state finals last year. It's not going to happen again.

Now on to the picks.

Like the Phillies, I went into a slump last week and fell from a 1-wrong week to 17-6 . I am 157-43 on the season (78.5 percent).

Here we go:

LEHIGH VALLEY CONFERENCE

Central Catholic 55, Allen 20 -- Don't worry Allen fans, basketball season is coming.

Emmaus over Dieruff -- Even though he's an Emmaus assistant now, I doubt Keith Brader will enjoy watching this. Hopefully, at least Kiska V will have a good night.

Northampton 22, Parkland 14 -- I agonized over this one. It's Halloween weekend and the K-Kids wear black and orange, so why not? It would be a nice diversion from the craziness and sleaze that continues to go with the baseball job in Northampton.

Whitehall 28, Nazareth 21 -- My man the Weave is going overtime. He's picking his Blue Eagles, 35-28 in OT in what he's calling a touchdown marathon. I was torn over this one, too, but just think the Zephs defense will find a way -- again.

Easton 23, Liberty 20 -- Great battle of the bands in addition to a renewal of one of the great rivalries in Lehigh Valley football. Hurricanes are coming on strong, but Rovers quarterback Justin Pacchioli is a gritty kid and he and the defense will find a way to pull it out. Liberty still wins the battle of the bands, however.

Freedom 27, Becahi 20 -- Get the feeling there's not a lot of love lost between these two coaching staffs.

COLONIAL LEAGUE

Bangor 21, Northwestern 14 -- I was in Bangor/Roseto area earlier this week. Still can't believe I didn't use that Route 191 shortcut until very recently. Sure beats 512. Somewhere in that Bangor/Roseto neighborhood there should be a statue of the great Frank Scagliotta. Maybe if he and the Slaters beat Pen Argyl next week.

Northern Lehigh 35, Catasauqua 13 -- Is this going to be 2003 all over again for the Bulldogs?

Southern Lehigh 28, Palisades 12 -- Covered this game a couple of years ago and a monsoon broke out. It took me three weeks to dry out. Back then, Southern Lehigh was on the rise. Now, the Spartans have arrived.

Notre Dame 36, Salisbury 0 -- Thirty-six points to end a 36-game losing streak for the Crusaders. Some are calling this "The Game of the Night." I don't know about that, but it's always nice to see kids experience success for the first time. I saw it with Palisades boys basketball two years ago.

Pen Argyl 34, Palmerton 7 -- Green Knights just can't get caught looking ahead to Bangor.

Wilson 33, Saucon Valley 20 -- Panthers have yet to beat a team that has won a game. Warriors showed no mercy on Salisbury last week.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY CONFERENCE

Pleasant Valley 49, Pocono Mt. East 21 -- Bears better be wary of a letdown here after that big win over East Stroudsburg South.

ES North 28, Lehighton 20 -- Indians do at least play entertaining games.

PM West 20, Stroudsburg 14 -- Might be Fred Ross' last best chance for a win.

OTHERS

ES South 38, Hazleton 20 -- I was in Hazleton recently and saw political signs for an Eachus running for some office. If this was Nate, I'd vote for him for just about anything. But it was not. I imagine a few people from Hazleton will be at Lehigh on Saturday for the big Lehigh-Colgate Patriot League game.

Jim Thorpe 42, Marian Catholic 14 -- I recently received a good-looking, new book by Kate Buford called "Native American Son -- The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe." After the recent HBO feature on Jim Thorpe and the heated debate on his remains, I plan to read it -- although at nearly 400 pages with my schedule, it could take me six months, or maybe six years to get through it.

Minersville 20, Tamaqua 18 -- Like Hazleton, Minersville should be represented at Lehigh's Goodman Stadium on Saturday, backing former Battlin' Miner Shane Ryan in the big game against Colgate.

North Schuylkill 56, Panther Valley 0 -- Thank goodness for the mercy rule.

Hamburg 33, Kutztown 7 -- When I think Hamburg, I think Cabela's. Never been inside, but that building looks big enough to host a baseball game.

Pottsgrove 26, Upper Perk 14 -- Pottsgrove is not the same caliber of Central Catholic or some of those Philly Catholic League powers, but the Falcons could be a player on the PIAA 3A stage next month.

CB West 34, Quakertown 23 -- Wonder if Dave Mika, Jr., ever made progress with his talk about a CB West vs. Berwick alumni game. After that Easton-P'burg Replay Game, I think it might sell.

Phillipsburg 34, Hillsborough 13 -- After suffering his first loss, Stemmy's back in the winners circle, and probably ticking people off.

Pius X 56, Carson Long 7 -- Freshman quarterback AJ Long is good. Carson Long is not.

Enjoy the games everybody. Stay safe Lehigh Valley.

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