KEITH GROLLER'S FOOTBALL PICKS

FROM KEITH GROLLER

This week, I was assigned to do a column on the 10 most frustrating moments in Philly sports over the past 10 years, which was interesting, because I am not a Philly sports fan.

Groller's Corner readers know that by now.

Matter of fact, I felt pretty good about some of those "heartbreaking" moments I wrote about, especially the Rams win in the 2001 NFC title game.

But I know so many people who felt the pain of those losses, including some family members. So while I wasn't personally saddened by anything that happened on that list, I could relate, because I know so many people who did.

I have my own list of misery.

As a LA/St. Louis Rams football fan, a St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, a Wilt Chamberlain hoops fan, and a fan of UCLA basketball and USC football, my list of frustrations would be very different from the average person around here.

It would include that stinkin' Rams Super Bowl loss to Patriots where I swear the Pats defense was holding the Rams receivers on every play.


It would also include Matt Holliday dropping the fly ball in left against the Dodgers in the 2009 playoffs and the Don Denkinger call in the 1985 World Series.
It would include UCLA not scoring for like five minutes and Notre Dame beating them to end the Bruins' record 88-game win streak in the 1974 game that made Digger Phelps famous.
It would include Texas and Vince Young beating USC in the national championship game; although had USC won that game the NCAA would have come up with some baloney violations to take it away from them anyway,

Going way back, it would include Willis Reed hobbling out of the locker room at Madison Square Garden to beat Wilt and the Lakers in the 1970 NBA finals.
It would include about five or six NFC title game losses for the Rams in 70s and 80s, most of them to either the Vikings or the Cowboys.

And it would include Cardinals Game 7 losses to Detroit in the 1968 World Series (yes, even as a second-grader I was crushed) and to Minnesota in the 1987 World Series.

If you wanted to go beyond the playing fields, my list of misery would include the heartbreak of every time my favorite dancer Edyta Sliwinska (below) was eliminated on Dancing With The Stars.
So you have your heartbreaks, I have mine.

But as we close out the regular season of this high school football season, we're not looking for heartbreak -- only success.

We've had a lot of success this season.

A 20-4 mark last week put me at 177-47 for the season (79 percent). We'll see if it can continue during this rivalry weekend.

Here we go:

LVC

CCHS 34, Emmaus 14 -- Congrats to Mr. Craig Demmy, a big Emmaus fan, on winning the Groller-Zambelli Challenge lastg week, but even more congrats for the Vikings for running the table and winning their second straight LVC title, and not even having to share it this time.

Easton 42, Becahi 7 -- Congrats to longtime area official and Easton High grad John Gerbino who is working his final high school game this weekend. He'll wear the white hat for this one at Cottingham, a fitting ending to his high school career.

Nazareth 48, Northampton 20 -- Gotta say, wow. That's right, wow. The Blue Eagles may be the best 4A team in the area right now and may be the favorite once districts begin next week. My buddy Andy "The Weave" Weaver was right on target last week and he's going with 38-17 Nazareth this week.

Liberty 34, Freedom 13 -- Hurricanes offense was shut down by Easton last week after the first two plays, but Freedom is not Easton.

Whitehall 35, Parkland 28 -- I will be at this one and I expect another shootout between rivals. They give out the Joe Gerenscer Award after this one, a fitting tribute to a solid football coach. But Joe, who coached at both schools, wouldn't recognize the Zephyrs style of offense.

Allen 33, Dieruff 13 -- Cedric Lloyd gets his first win. John McDowell is still waiting. Hope the kids have a good time and it's a good day for the community without anybody getting hurt.

COLONIAL

Northwestern 21, Catasauqua 14 -- Nice first season for Tom Linettte.

Northern Lehigh 49, Palmerton 12 -- They'll be selling a lot of french fries in Slatington the next couple of weeks as the Bulldogs will have a few home playoff games.

Saucon Valley 21, Palisades 20 -- A battle of 2-7s and a flip of the coin.

Southern Lehigh 41, Salisbury 7 -- For a few moments last week, I thought the Falcons were going to pull a surprise and extend the misery for Notre Dame.

Wilson 55, Notre Dame 6 -- Hope the Crusaders enjoyed that winning feeling last week.

Bangor 28, Pen Argyl 21 -- A terrific game between terrific rivals. I know the Slaters will miss LaValva, but they've played without him before and found a way to win.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY CONFERENCE

Pleasant Valley 42, Stroudsburg 14 -- A Mountain Valley Conference title for second-year coach Jim Terwilliger, and who knows, they might be able to win a district game or two as well.

ES South 27, ES North 7 -- Cavs will qualify for districts for fifth straight year.

PM East 33, PM West 27 -- Football was ok, but basketball season is going to be fantastic for these two schools.

OTHERS

Jim Thorpe 41, Lehighton 14 -- The late, great Jim Thorpe was ranked 37th on the NFL Network's list of all-time great players. My guess is that he'd like the team that represents his name this season.

Tamauqa 21, Marian 7 -- I never thought I'd see a 1-9 season from the Colts.

Minersville 14, Panther Valley 0 -- Panthers have scored just 63 points all season.

Souderton 34, Quakertown 14 -- Indians' three losses were to teams (Neshaminy, Abington and North Penn) with a combined 23-4 record.

Kutztown 6, Fleetwood 3 -- I wonder if these two are still soccer powers, because at a combined 1-17, they're certainly not football powers.

North Penn 35, Pennridge 21 -- I wouldn't discount another strong PIAA push by Dick Beck's boys. The Pennridge Rams have won five games. I hope my St. Louis Rams (now 4-4) can beat that total.

Phillipsburg 28, Bridgewater-Raritan 14 -- Thanksgiving on College Hill should be very interesting, again.

Pius X 35, East Juniata 13 -- Royals return to the district playoffs. Roseto rejoices.

Upper Perkiomen 21, Pope John Paul II 13 -- Upper Perk's Casey Perlstein was at Lehigh for a recruiting visit last Saturday and he had to like what he saw that day from the Mountain Hawks.

And that's our list. Bundle up and enjoy the games everybody.

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