Brian's Week 6 in Review

Remember that movie called "Alive," in which a plane crashes in the Andes Mountains and as a means of staying alive (hence the name), the remaining survivors are faced with the dilemma of resorting to cannibalism, choosing to eat the flesh of their dead comrades? That movie was based on a true story, and I found out yesterday that the actual plane crash that led to that difficult decision happened 37 years ago yesterday (10/13/72), the very day I was born! For what it's worth, that day happened to be a Friday the 13th, which explains a lot, as far as how I came to be the person I am today. It may (or may not) also be worth noting that I am 10 years to the day younger than Jerry Rice, and 25 years to the day younger than the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar. MAS TEQUILA!! One more fun fact: I am still 24 minutes to the day younger than my twin brother, who (I have to laugh) is going to reach 40 before I will. :oP

My wife and kids added to my ever-growing Pittsburgh Steelers wardrobe for my birthday, most notably a new pair of Steelers pajama pants, which might move ahead into the starting role, relegating my SpongeBob pajama pants to benchwarmer duty. I did work on my birthday, though, as KPLO listeners and I were treated to a 5-set volleyball thriller in Presho, with Jones Co. outlasting Lyman. Jones won 15-11 in the 5th, but all of the first four games went the distance and then some, with each game being won by only 2 points. A great match, so thanks for that.

Now, on to a look back at last weekend's football picks, and darn those Custer Wildcats and their loss to Lead-Deadwood, 13-0. Custer must still have a bunch of sickness in their school, but if I would have picked that game right, I would have batted 1.000 for my 11A/B picks. Instead, I settle for a 23-1 mark. I went 6-2 in the 11AA games, losing with SF Lincoln and Watertown, and boy, are there two more disappointing teams than these two in the state? A modest 31-7 in the 9-man games, bringing our total to 60-10 overall for the week, and 381-84 (.819) for the entire season.

If anything is anywhere near as impressive as that 23-1 pick record, it's probably the Lyman Raiders. A 36-12 win over a team as good as Philip speaks volumes, although it's still good to see the Scotties in this week's Top 5. Make no mistake, they're still legit, and I think with a few adjustments on their part, they can still give Lyman a run for their money in the postseason. Also impressively scary are the Avon Pirates, after they literally dismantled a previously unbeaten Corsica/Stickney team, 56-6. Three other 9A teams are still unbeaten at 6-0: Estelline, Harding Co., and Sully Buttes (Mt. Vernon was upset by Gregory for their first loss), but it's hard to believe any of these teams have what it would take to unseat Avon, although I would love to see Sully Buttes get another crack at 'em. And as good as Avon is in 9A, it looks like that's how good Hitchcock-Tulare is in 9B - the championship in that class is officially theirs to lose.

11B is still the Tri-Valley & Winner show, although Aberdeen Roncalli, Wagner, and Platte are still feeling good about themselves (Platte hosts Tri-Valley this week and Wagner next week, though, so we'll see how long that lasts). Although, Mobridge-Pollock may just be a couple of big plays away from pulling a stunner in a few weeks, so keep an eye out for that. West Central and St. Thomas More might be on track for a Dome meeting again in 11A, but there is still Harrisburg to contend with, and Dell Rapids, who hosts West Central this weekend in a game that will tell us a lot. And as for 11AA, it is clear who the top 5 are, and that list does still include the Governors, although they've got a reason to start working a little harder now. Perhaps losing to BV was a good thing in that regard, with Aberdeen coming next week - provided they don't look past Huron this weekend.

If I get some time next week, I'll offer my predictions for playoff matchups and what games will mean a little more for some teams that are still on the playoff bubble. One thing is for sure at this point, most classes have several extremely good teams, and those later playoff matchups are definitely going to be worth watching, no matter who will be playing them. Week7 picks coming soon. Peace!
- Radiooo