In my haste to make deadline last week, I got ahead of myself and did not make a pick in the Pine Forest-Ashley playoff game.

Since there was no prediction, I’m counting it as a loss, which dropped my record for the week to a barely acceptable 4-3. The season total is 60-20, or 75%.

With only three games to call Friday night, I hope I don’t leave anybody out.

• Terry Sanford at Harnett Central: I’ve always felt when you play someone you already lost to a second time, the odds favor the loser if it was a close game.

Terry Sanford lost by a couple of touchdowns in an earlier meeting with Harnett Central, when head coach Bruce McClelland was sidelined by a one-game suspension.

The Bulldogs are familiar with the territory at Harnett Central, and it’s not at all an exhausting trip so I’m giving the Bulldogs the edge tonight … Terry Sanford 21, Harnett Central 20.

• Burlington Williams at Seventy-First: This is about as tough as a second-round game can get for a high seed like the Falcons. Williams is a seasoned playoff team and gave Seventy-First an overtime scare just two seasons ago.

I’m sure Coach Duran McLaurin is taking this one extremely seriously and will have his Falcons ready … Seventy-First 28, Williams 22.

• Cape Fear at Havelock: I’d like to be optimistic about this one, but Havelock has been a tough opponent since my earliest days covering high school sports.

I wish the Colts well, but they are going to be hard-pressed to get a win tonight … Havelock 28, Cape Fear 14.

1st Round, NCHSAA Playoffs, November 3

Last week’s record was 4-2, putting the score for the season at 56-17, or 76.7%.

Now to the challenge of trying to correctly predict state playoff outcomes:

Western Alamance at Cape Fear: The Colts enter the postseason on a hot streak … Cape Fear 28, Western Alamance 12.

Terry Sanford at Vance County: Vance County gets the edge at home … Vance County 28, Terry Sanford 26.

Triton at Seventy-First: The Falcons are looking to be in the postseason for a while … Seventy-First 30, Triton 12.

Fuquay-Varina at Jack Britt: Britt wins a close one … Jack Britt 14, Fuquay-Varina 12.

South View at Clayton: The Tigers have their hands full … Clayton 29, South View 6.

Gray’s Creek at Cleveland: A tough one for the Bears … Cleveland 39, Gray’s Creek 6.

Week 11, October 27

Week 10, October 21

After weeks of trying, I finally hit a perfecto, a 7-0 record for last week’s games.

That improved the record to 46-14, or 76.6%.

This week looks to be a little trickier, especially with games moving because of the threat of rain Friday.

As of press time Thursday, two games had been switched to kicking off this evening. 

Pine Forest at Harnett Central and Western Harnett at Westover are both 7 p.m. kickoffs today.

The rest of the schedule remains on Friday.

Here are the picks:

Terry Sanford at E.E. Smith: The Bulldogs need a late run in order to seal a playoff berth … Terry Sanford 30, E.E. Smith 8.

Purnell Swett at Douglas Byrd: The Rams pick up a road victory … Purnell Swett 29, Douglas Byrd 7.

Pine Forest at Harnett Central: This should be a close one. I give Harnett Central the edge at home … Harnett Central 21, Pine Forest 20.

South View at Cape Fear: I think Cape Fear is the county’s No. 2 team behind Seventy-First … Cape Fear 24, South View 22.

Western Harnett at Westover: The Wolverines grab another victory … Westover 32, Western Harnett 14.

Jack Britt at Gray’s Creek: Britt finds the winner’s circle … Jack Britt 24, Gray’s Creek 12.

Lumberton at Seventy-First: Odds are high for a running clock in this one … Seventy-First 39, Lumberton 0.

Week 9, October 13

Last week’s record was 5-2, making the mark for the year 39-14, or 73.6%.

Here’s this week’s forecast:

E.E. Smith at Western Harnett: The Golden Bulls have a chance to get back into the win column … E.E. Smith 21, Western Harnett 14.

Westover at Terry Sanford: Terry Sanford seeks a bounce back after the loss to Pine Forest … Terry Sanford 28, Westover 12.

Pine Forest at Triton: This isn’t the Triton team we’ve been used to seeing over the years … Triton 20, Pine Forest 12.

Cape Fear at Jack Britt: This should be another win for the Colts … Cape Fear 30, Jack Britt 10.

Seventy-First at Purnell Swett: I don’t see the Falcons facing a serious challenge until the state 3-A playoffs begin in a few weeks … Seventy-First 39, Purnell Swett 6.

Gray’s Creek at South View: The Tigers haven’t lost in this rivalry since 2015. I expect the streak to continue tonight …  South View 29, Gray’s Creek 12.

Douglas Byrd at Lumberton: Lumberton gets a slight edge because of home field … Lumberton 21, Douglas Byrd 20.

Week 8, October 6

Speaking of the sun coming up, it keeps getting brighter as my picking continues to improve. Last week’s record was 6-1. I came within seconds of 7-0 until Pine Forest rallied in the closing seconds to beat Terry Sanford 41-38.

The season total is 73.9%.

Here’s this week’s forecast:

Pine Forest at E.E. Smith: The visiting Trojans go for their third straight win … Pine Forest 30, E.E. Smith 6.

Harnett Central at Terry Sanford: The Bulldogs face a critical conference matchup after the tough loss to Pine Forest last week … Terry Sanford 28, Harnett Central 14.

Douglas Byrd at Cape Fear: The Colts seek to bounce back after a close loss to unbeaten Seventy-First … Cape Fear 32, Douglas Byrd 7.

South View at Purnell Swett: The Tigers go for their third straight win … South View 39, Purnell Swett 7.

Overhills at Westover: The Wolverines look to snap a three-game losing streak … Westover 22, Overhills 6.

Jack Britt at Seventy-First: Big Red rolls to victory No. 7 … Seventy-First 31, Jack Britt 8.

Lumberton at Gray’s Creek: The host Bears get their second straight win … Gray’s Creek 37, Lumberton 8.

WEEK 7, September 29

Monday high school football games are a pain for everybody and, unfortunately, Cumberland County had to deal with them earlier this week because of last week’s foul weather.

At the end of a long football weekend, I had a respectable record of 6-2, putting the season total at 28-11, 71.%.

• E.E. Smith at Harnett Central: The Golden Bulls have to deal with playing twice in a week, which is not helpful … Harnett Central 28, E.E. Smith 12.
• Terry Sanford at Pine Forest: Terry Sanford appears headed back in the right direction … Terry Sanford 22, Pine Forest 14.
• Lumberton at South View: This should be an easy one for the Tigers … South View 40, Lumberton 8.
• Cape Fear at Seventy-First: Game of the week, for sure. The Colts will be hard-pressed to outscore the Falcons … Seventy-First 29, Cape Fear 10.
• Westover at Triton: Difficult road trip for the Wolverines … Triton 30, Westover 12.
• Purnell Swett at Jack Britt: The Buccaneers should get another win … Jack Britt 31, Purnell Swett 7.
• Gray’s Creek at Douglas Byrd: The Bears pick up another victory … Gray’s Creek 29, Douglas Byrd 8.

WEEK 6, September 21

Last week’s record was 5-2, running the season total to 22-9, or 70.9%.

We’ve moved the picking story to today because some of this week’s games have been moved to tonight. The scheduling situation is fluid because of the weekend weather, so check with your school to make sure what day and time your school will be playing.

• Seventy-First at Gray’s Creek: The Bears dropped from the ranks of the unbeaten last week. I don’t think they’ll hand Seventy-First its first loss this week. … Seventy-First 28, Gray’s Creek 7.
• Triton at Terry Sanford: This one could be close but I think the host Bulldogs have the advantage. … Terry Sanford 21, Triton 14.
• Harnett Central at Westover: The Wolverines should rebound from last week’s defeat. … Westover 28, Harnett Central 14.
• Jack Britt at Lumberton: The Buccaneers should pick up their second straight win after a rough start. … Jack Britt 32, Lumberton 8.
• Pine Forest at Western Harnett: The Trojans also righted their ship last week and will continue moving forward this week. … Pine Forest 29, Western Harnett 7.
• Cape Fear at Purnell Swett: Cape Fear gets a second straight win over a Robeson County team. … Cape Fear 30, Purnell Swett 18.
• South View at Douglas Byrd: The Tigers get back in the win column after a disappointing setback to Seventy-First. … South View 27, Douglas Byrd 6.
• Overhills at E.E. Smith:- Home field should help the Golden Bulls get their second win. … E.E. Smith 26, Overhills 22.

WEEK 5, September 15

My percentage dipped a bit but that wasn’t entirely my fault since I had only three games to pick last week, which left little room for mistakes.

The record was 2-1, putting my season total at 17-7, or 70.8%.

Here’s this week’s forecast:

• E.E. Smith at Triton: The Golden Bulls pick up a loss on the road … Triton 27, E.E. Smith 12.
• Gray’s Creek at Purnell Swett: The Bears continue their hot streak … Gray’s Creek 20, Purnell Swett 14.
• Seventy-First at South View: This battle of the unbeatens is definitely the game of the week. The winner will likely have the inside track to the United 8 Conference championship … Seventy-First 28, South View 21.
• Lumberton at Cape Fear: The Colts rebound from their loss to Laney … Cape Fear 30, Lumberton 7.
• Terry Sanford at Overhills: It’ll be interesting to see how the Bulldogs regroup after a tough start and a week off … Terry Sanford 24, Overhills 13.
• Westover at Pine Forest: This is a big conference match for Westover as it seeks to continue its streak … Westover 22, Pine Forest 7.
• Douglas Byrd at Jack Britt: The Buccaneers should finally get in the win column tonight … Jack Britt 29, Douglas Byrd 8.

WEEK 4, September 8

I’m stuck on five wins per week, but the good news for me is I had my best week in losses. Last Friday, I went 5-1, running my season total to 15-6, 71.4%.

Here is tonight’s abbreviated forecast. Douglas Byrd, E.E. Smith, Gray’s Creek, Pine Forest, South View, Terry Sanford and Westover all have open dates.

• Cape Fear at Wilmington Laney: My friend and former Gray’s Creek wrestling coach Earl Horan is now on the staff at Laney. He may be able to provide the Buccaneers with some intel on Cape Fear, but I don’t think it will be enough to thwart a road win for the Colts. Cape Fear 21, Laney 12.
• Jack Britt at Scotland: Tough times continue for the Buccaneers at the hands of their former coach, Richard Bailey. Scotland 30, Jack Britt 8.
• Hoke County at Seventy-First: This is the annual Battle of Raeford Road, but I don’t expect it to be much of a battle. Seventy-First 31, Hoke County 6.

WEEK 3, September 1

Last week’s record was better, but only because I had one fewer game to pick. I was 5-2, which goes with the first week’s mark of 5-3 for a season total of 10-5, 66.7%.

Here’s this week’s forecast:

• Terry Sanford at Cape Fear: The Bulldogs are likely to take their second loss of the young season against a Cape Fear team that looked strong in its opening win against Pine Forest. Cape Fear 28, Terry Sanford 14.
• Douglas Byrd at Hoke County: Byrd fell short against E.E. Smith last week and faces a taller challenge against the Bucks this time. Hoke County 21, Douglas Byrd 7.
• E. Smith at West Carteret: It will be a long road trip for the Golden Bulls, and I don’t expect the ride home to be enjoyable. West Carteret 22, E.E. Smith 6.
• Gray’s Creek at Pine Forest: People have been waiting for the real Pine Forest football team to show itself. I think that is likely to happen this week. Pine Forest 17, Gray’s Creek 12.
• South View at Durham Riverside: The Tigers should continue their hot streak despite a road trip to Riverside. South View 30, Riverside 14.
• Fairmont at Westover: The Wolverines should cruise to their third straight win. Westover 32, Fairmont 7.

Seventy-First and Jack Britt have open dates.

WEEK 2, August 25

I always cringe as scores come in on the first night of high school football season and I’m keeping a record of my initial picks.

That first week is always the toughest. You’re going on expectation, anticipation and team history when making decisions.

Any one or more of those pieces can be misleading early in the season and lead to picking disaster, which it certainly did in the case of a couple of missed forecasts last week.

I’ll definitely take the initial week’s record of 5-3. Anything better than a .500 mark is golden in my book. We won’t even talk about the prospect of dipping sub .500 for a week or, heaven forbid, the entire season.

Here’s my forecast for Week 2:

Douglas Byrd at E.E. Smith: Both teams opened their seasons with losses last week. This is a tough call, but I’m giving a slight edge to Byrd because Coach Maurice Huey has had his team together longer and should have a slight edge in experience. Douglas Byrd 21, E.E. Smith 14.

Gray’s Creek at Red Springs: The Bears look to make it 2-0 after opening with a win against E.E. Smith. Gray’s Creek 28, Red Springs 14.

East Forsyth at Jack Britt: No one can accuse Britt of a soft schedule. East Forsyth is considered to be one of the best teams in the state. East Forsyth 35, Britt 12.

Seventy-First at Pine Forest: I expect the Falcons to add to the misery of what was a disappointing opening for Pine Forest last week. Seventy-First 30, Pine Forest 8.

South View at Hoke County: It’s been an interesting week off the field for the Tigers, who should continue the roll they started last Friday with a win at Hoke. South View 22, Hoke County 7.

Scotland at Terry Sanford: I’m sure Richard Bailey at Scotland has been preaching revenge after that wild ending against the Bulldogs in last year’s state playoffs, but the Bulldogs are at home and seem to have a lot of offense available. Terry Sanford 23, Scotland 21.

Smithfield-Selma at Westover: Don’t look now but the Wolverines may be on the verge of a 2-0 start. Westover 21, Smithfield-Selma 6.

WEEK 1, August 18

Once again, I risk the wrath of fans and coaches as I make a fool of myself trying to forecast the outcome of weekly high school football games.

I’ve made this point more than once, but it’s one I need to repeat because every season, there’s a new generation of readers who have never read one of the picking masterpieces.

For the record, don’t read anything into this beyond a guy who loves high school football trying to make an informed choice about who will win on Friday nights.

If you overread what I write, you may develop the opinion that I don’t like some schools and love other ones. You couldn’t be more wrong.

Over the years, I’ve been accused on more than one occasion of being a fan of more than one school around the county. Interestingly, the ones I was accused of favoring happened to be the ones that were enjoying the best football season at the time.

So try to take these picks with the point of view of neutrality from where they were written.

Here goes for Week 1:

Pine Forest at Cape Fear: As Coach Bill Sochovka noted in his preview, the Trojans could score a three-peat this year as champion of the All American Conference. I like their chances, as well as for tonight … Pine Forest 28, Cape Fear 14.

Red Springs at Douglas Byrd: All signs point to continued improvement of the football program on Ireland Drive … Douglas Byrd 32, Red Springs 8.

E.E. Smith at Gray’s Creek: Antonio Wallace is working hard to change the run of bad luck at Smith, but I think the Bears have experience going for them tonight … Gray’s Creek 22, E.E. Smith 15.

Hoke County at Jack Britt: I expect another solid season from the Buccaneers and Brian Randolph … Jack Britt 29, Hoke County 12.

Seventy-First at Richmond Senior: Richmond is always a tough place for Cumberland County Schools to play, but I think the Falcons have the stuff to come out with a win … Seventy-First 22, Richmond Senior 12.

Overhills at South View: I’m looking for the Tigers to rebound from a rare losing season in 2022 … South View 24, Overhills 14.

Topsail at Terry Sanford: The Bulldogs will be a team with heavy emphasis on the run this year. They’ll give it a first test tonight … Terry Sanford 27, Topsail 8.

St. Pauls at Westover: The Wolverines look to open the year with a win and best last year’s 6-5 record … Westover 19, St. Pauls 7.