Week 5 high school football picks: Is another miracle in the Cards?

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I know it's another football Friday, but I want to acknowledge the many folks who have sent me messages -- texts, e-mails, voice mails -- in the past day or so about the St. Louis Cardinals.

Yes, I am a life-long Cardinals fan. Yes, I am happy they made the playoffs. Yes, it was quite a comeback to catch the Braves. Yes, it was a memorable Wednesday night. Yes, it's always good to be playing baseball in October instead of going home.

But do I think they will beat the Phillies in this NLDS?

Uh, well, I will simply say that the Cardinals beating the Phillies would be one of the greatest upsets in recent baseball history. The Phillies are absolutely amazing. They have three pitchers who are better than anyone the Cardinals can throw out there. The offense, the benches and the bullpens are a bit more evenly matched, but the Phillies were 102-60 and the Cardinals were 90-72. That's 12 games better. That's quite significant, even in a 162-game schedule.

From a Cardinals fan's perspective, you have to be proud when your team doesn't give up and fights to the end and this team did that. I didn't think they had it in them.

If it were a one-game deal like in the NFL playoffs, a bowl game, an NCAA basketball tournament; you'd say sure, they could do it. One game, any thing's possible. But that Phillies pitching, and that pesky Hunter Pence who makes that whole lineup so much better... wow ... I just don't know.

I know there are a lot of Yankees fans out there from this area who are rooting for the Cardinals to knock out the Phillies. I've heard a lot of "Go Cardinals!" in the last few days, but the last time the Yankee fans were rooting so hard for the Cardinals was the 2004 World Series and we all remember how that turned out. This one may be headed in the same direction.

Now, back to football:

Here's my personal Top 10:

1. Nazareth

2. Whitehall

3. Freedom

4. Parkland

5. CCHS

6. Liberty

7. Easton

8. Pen Argyl

9. Northern Lehigh

10. Emmaus

Last week I was 16-4 with the picks, improving to 70-20 on the season for a lucky .777 percentage.

Here we go:

FRIDAY NIGHT

Northampton 28, Allen 21 ... A Canary win wouldn't be a shock. It would be their first LVC win over someone other than Dieruff in exactly six years -- Sept. 30, 2005 -- when Allen beat Nazareth. It would be a nice reward for the kids who have hung in there. But would it suddenly mean Allen can compete in the LVC? Please.

Freedom 62, Dieruff 6 ... Pencil the Patriots into districts because realistically they have just two tough games left -- Oct. 14 vs. Nazareth and Nov. 5 vs. Liberty.

Whitehall 35, Easton 21 ... Revenge for last year's district title game.

Parkland 21, Liberty 14 ... I said last week that Parkland defensive coordinator Sam Senneca's familiarity with Easton would be huge. Well, he's obviously even more familiar with the Hurricanes. I will be at this one, assuming the Schuylkill Expressway or Blue Route traffic isn't too much to overcome.

Catasauqua 22, Saucon Valley 14 ... Roughies finally record a win over a team that has beaten somebody else.

Northwestern 34, Notre Dame 7 .... Hearing a lot about a new basketball player with the Crusaders who is 6-foot-8. The football team could use a few 6-8 kids.

Palisades 20, Palmerton 14 ... This is the matchup that always amazes me for the distance traveled. Has to be at least an hour and 20 from Kintnersville to Carbon County. In other parts of the state, that's a backyard brawl, but around here, that's a hike.

Northern Lehigh 49, Salisbury 7 ... This will be a much more competitive matchup in boys basketball this winter.

ES North 28, PM West 7 ... T-wolves win third straight and move closer to a District 11 3A playoff berth.

Stroudsburg 34, ES South 28 ... It will be nice to have Artie Owens, Fred Ross and all associated with the unbeaten 1971 Mounties team back at the stadium tonight.

Pocono Mt. East 26, Lehighton 20 ... These Cardinals beating Stroudsburg last week was about shocking as the St. Louis Cardinals catching the Braves.

Shenandoah Valley 33, Jim Thorpe 13 ... Olympians fall to 0-5 one year after starting 6-1.

North Schuylkill 49, Marian Catholic 14 ... I think last year this is the game I picked North Schuylkill to win by something like 70-0. It turned out to be 48-2. The Colts are a little better, but the Spartans are just as good.

Panther Valley 20, Schuykill Haven 12 ... Haven has scored just a total of 20 points in its last three games. That used to be a one-quarter total for the Hurricanes back when Zach Barket was playing.

Pleasant Valley 28, Tamaqua 13 ... Using Lehighton as a gauge, and what better way to use Lehighton, this should be a close game. The Bears beat Lehighton 7-6 and the Raiders lost to the Indians 14-6.

Hatboro-Horsham 27, Quakertown 13 ... Just hearing the word Quakertown reminds me of the Quakertown Blazers and summertime baseball. Heard we're getting a new ACBL baseball team in Allentown next summer that one will play at ECTB Stadium (the old Bicentennial Park). Need to get that story nailed down next week.

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Bangor 40, Wilson 20 ... Slaters won't be challenged until Oct. 21 game against Northern Lehigh.

Pen Argyl 34, Southern Lehigh 21... We understand that retiring Spartans AD Don Harakal will be filling in at Palisades for three months. Wonder how he looks in purple.

Pius X 49, Bucktail 35 ... With all of the kickoffs that will be needed here, this one could last longer than a Cardinals baseball game with Tony La Russa's standard eight pitching changes.

Emmaus 28, Becahi 14 ... A reunion of several notables here and not all might be sweet. Emmaus kids will want to show their former coaches something and Green Hornets assistant Mike Palos will want to show his former school something as well.

Nazareth 51, CCHS 49 ... The game of the weekend and maybe the year in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Hope the guy changing the scoreboard has his fingers loosened up because there will be a lot of flicking to do. Blue Eagles win by the field goal that just wouldn't go through last year. Weave, who is hotter than the Blue Eagles offense, is going with his beloved alma mater by a 41-38 score.

That's it, 21 ways to have some fun.

Enjoy the cooler temps, and hopefully, dry weather.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/