KEITH GROLLER'S FOOTBALL PICKS

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I'm coming to Andy Weaver Country tonight.

First visit to Nazareth since the McDonald's All-Star Classic in June and I am looking forward to seeing my friend and the game between his Blue Eagles and Whitehall.

It figures to be the most competitive game of the night, and maybe, the entire weekend.

And it may take awhile.

Considering how many extra-points and kickoffs there may be, that clock could be stoppped often. My guess is that this one won't be over before 10.

There are several other intriguing matchups, like East Stroudsburg South vs. Easton and Emmaus-Liberty.

In Allentown, Central Catholic goes for a second straight 3A title and Southern Lehigh goes for one of the biggest upsets in Lehigh Valley football history.

In 2A, North Schuylkill and Northern Lehigh get their much-anticipated rematch and I just have feeling about those Bulldogs rising up and pulling a surprise.

Before we get to the picks, I want to thank the Eastern Pennsylvania Football Officials Association for having me at their banquet on Thursday night. Good bunch of guys with a good sense of humor.

Writers and officials have one thing in common: no matter what we do, we're not going to make someone happy. All we can do is our best, call them as we see them and let the chips fall where they may, knowing that someone will always be accusing us of one thing or another. They get it on game nights. I get it daily.

But despite the nastiness and general stupidity we sometimes encounter, I think officials and writers generally enjoy what they do and love being a part of the scene and involved with high school athletics.

I talked to young Mike Brusko on Thursday and in talking about his part-time job at Service Electric, he said something that resonated with me. He said he has always loved sports, and to have an occupation involved with something he loves is a dream come true. That's how I've always felt.

Nobody's perfect. We're not robots. We make mistakes. Who doesn't? But as long as you're trying to do your best and trying to be as fair as possible, there's no need to apologize for anything.

Ok, I will apologize for the three wrong picks I had last week, but I bet few people thought Southern Lehigh and Pius X would win, and Catty was so darn close to pulling a suprise at Pine Grove. Last week's 14-3 mark makes me 209-56 on the season.

Looking for a few more surprises this week.

CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS

Easton 34, East Stroudsburg South 14 -- Two of the area's coaching legends -- Steve Shiffert and Ed Christian -- hook up at Cottingham Stadium. They had a great game in the 2009 opener. But the Cavs are a bit too banged up this time to pull off a surprise. By the way, I think the world of Easton grad Jarred Holley. I can't say that strongly enough. Can't believe some think I ripped him to shreds by merely saying he's a guy "who may not be headed to the NFL, but is the type of player you need to be a champion." That's an insult? At 5-10, 180 pounds, Holley is generally not the size that catches NFL eyes. That's all I meant in saying that he may not be headed to the NFL. How many out of thousands of college players do make it? If he does make it, I will be thrilled. Either way, this is a special kid and athlete and for anyone to think that I ripped him is just completely ridiculous and frustrating. Read the whole story and don't dwell on one line. I root for Pitt because of Holley, Street, Tkach and other locals.

Nazareth 35, Whitehall 24 -- I have seen the Whitehall defense two weeks in a row and they impress me, especially Glen Klein, Tanner Madouse and Andrew Harris. And I have been told that they were missing key guys, including Harris, the last time they played Nazareth. It's the offense that's the concern if you root for Whitehall. I just don't know if they can play consistently enough to match the firepower of the Blue Eagles. You're going to have to score in the high 30s, at least, to beat Nazareth. The Whitehall team I saw the last two weeks can't do that. Weave is going with something similar, 38-21 Nazareth, by the way. I am a little concerned about the seating arrangements, but I'll try to tweet at Twitter@KeithGroller.

CLASS 4A EASTERN CONFERENCE

Emmaus 28, Liberty 21 -- After what Joe Williams did last week at Pocono Mountain West, I just figure the Green Hornets are on a roll and Joe Bottiglieri will make the necessary defensive adjustments to avenge an earlier loss to the Hurricanes. And, by the way, it was good to catch up with ex-Cane Devin Street this week. Dave Wannstedt can't say enough good things about him at Pitt.

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIP

Central Catholic 48, Southern Lehigh 14 -- These Spartans showed how special they are with that win last week. But the Vikings have shown how special they are from Day One. I've covered enough Southern Lehigh-CCHS championship games in boys basketball to know how badly the Spartans will want to pull off this surprise and shock the Valley, not to mention the state. It just would take a lot of bizarre twists and turns for that to happen.

CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP

Northern Lehigh 28, North Schuylkill 21 -- I watched North Schuylkill on TV last week and wow they sure looked good against Pen Argyl. Northern Lehigh, however, has waited for this one for an entire year. The Bulldogs didn't play well last week. Hopefully, for them that means they are due for a classic performance because that's probably what it will take.

CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP

Schuylkill Haven 41, Pius X 27 -- I have talked to Phil Stambaugh often this season and there's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be one of the finest coaches in area football, if he isn't already. His offensive approach is going to give lots of teams major headaches, and quarterback A.J. Long may finish with some of the most extraordinary passing numbers we've ever seen. At this time of year, experience and home field mean so much and Haven has those things on their side.

JERSEY

Phillipsburg 28, Piscataway 21 -- Sounds like a classic Jersey playoff game is taking shape. Piscataway is unbeaten and plays terrific defense. And the Stateliners do have the Thanksgiving game with Easton as a possible distraction. Still, in Stem I trust.

COLLEGE

Lafayette 30, Lehigh 20 -- This is about who wants this game more. There's no question, the Leopards do. Plus, the teams are not nearly as far apart as their records -- Lehigh 8-2, Lafayette 2-8 -- would indicate. And Lafayette has the type of quarterback in Ryan O'Neil and a big-play receiver in Mark Layton that can give Lehigh's defense fits. It's a defense that has been burned often by big plays. The Mountain Hawks haven't really played all that great since whipping Colgate. Their offense, in particular, sputtered for nearly three quarters last week at Georgetown. Strange things are almost expected in this series and Lehigh seldom plays well on College Hill. So, yes, I really do see this happening. Lafayette gets to party on Saturday night; Lehigh gets to find out about its next game on Sunday morning.

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