First Round Picks

Sure does help to be a high seed in any playoff because that gets you matched up in the early rounds with teams that are about halfway shocked that they made the playoffs. Last week I was 6-1 missing only the Fike loss so for the regular season finished 76-13 on the year. As they say "playoffs start a new year" so let's see where these playoffs are going. East Columbus 4-7 @ North Edgecombe 5-5: This is one of those games where neither team has played the same team during the year so how do you pick such a game. EC has allowed 408 points during the season so do I think the Warriors can score in this one? I sure do North Edgecombe 28 East Columbus 14 Moving up to 1AA Spring Creek at Tarboro: This is one of those games in which the playoffs need to be cut back to four games instead of five. More bad can happen for Tarboro than good. Nothing could be worse than getting an important player hurt in a 45-0 playoff game and can't play rest of the playoffs. I'll take the Vikings with ease. SouthWest Edgecombe: What a reward for being in the playoffs. You get the best team in the tournament first game. SWE 5-6 travels to T W Andrew 10-1 who's only loss all year was the first game of the season to a much larger school. The Cougar defense had better be ready as Andrews has scored at least 35 in ten of eleven games. Andrews 42 SWE 22 Southern Nash 8-3 @ Swansboro 8-3: Oh boy Swansboro is in the league with West Craven, Jacksonville and the likes. I keep hearing rumors that the Firebirds are beginning to get some folks back and if that is true they could be a sleeper in the 3-A race because we all know that the Firebirds were my pick to win the Big East until all those injuries. I like the Birds in a slugfest 36-32 over Swansboro. Fike 10-1 at Lee County 9-2: If the Big East is as good as they think they are then Fike should go handle this one in a close game. This truly is a game of which conference is better because these are two #2's colliding. Fike 31 Lee County 28 Terry Sanford 4-7 at Hunt 8-3: If Hunt has their game face on this is a no brainer. But after beating Fike they could be flat and this game could be closer than needed. Hunt 35 Terry Sanford 21. Rocky Mount 8-3 at Orange 10-1: If Rocky Mount has penalties like they had last week kiss this one good bye. Here we are again looking at the strength of the conferences of these two teams. I don't get any feeling from the Gryphon fan base that they have a chance hitting the road in the opening round. They are could be right Orange 26 Rocky Mount 17 Southampton Academy at Rocky Mount Academy at Rocky Mount Sports Complex. State private school state championship on the line in eight man football. Southampton handled the Eagle at Southampton already this year. Now this one is in Rocky Mount where I hope a big crowd is following the Eagles. Holt and company earn respect but not a title Southampton 34 RMA 28.