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FROM THE PRESS BOX: WEEK 12 PICKS — COULD THIS BE THE FINAL WEEK OF ACTION FOR VALLEY TEAMS? (2022-11-11)

Waverly and Tioga play for Section IV titles Friday, while Athens needs a win Saturday to play for a District 4 title next weekend.

Waverly and Tioga are on different ends of the spectrum Friday.

The Tigers are the powerhouse, coming off a state title, and playing for its fifth straight Section IV title, and 10th title in the last 11 postseasons, while the Wolverines are looking to unseat Chenango Forks, which has won back-to-back state titles, and nine Section IV titles in a row.

Athens, meanwhile, will travel to Danville, which is looking to three-peat as District 4, Class 3A champs, for a Saturday afternoon match-up.

It was a good week for our pigskin prognosticators, with Little Red and I going 10-0, The Mick coming in at 9-1, and Country Bob at 8-2. On the season, I have an 88-12 record, while Little Red is 86-14, Country Bob is 79-21, and The Mick is 78-22.

So, what do our pigskins pickers see happening this weekend? Let’s take the plunge and see:

Section IV, Class D Championship
1-Tioga (10-0) vs. Delhi (8-1) @ Johnson City:
The Tigers are coming off a 48-19 win over SVEC, while the Bulldogs topped Walton, 42-20.

Both teams have scored a lot of points this season, but rain could hamper both offenses, and turn this into a ground-and-pound game. Tioga had more success running the ball in their first go-round, outgaining Delhi, 184-115, but struggled running between the tackles until the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Tioga had its hands full in a 28-21 over Delhi four weeks ago, and I won’t be a bit surprised if this afternoon’s game is much of the same. … TIOGA 26, DELHI 15.
Little Red:
Tioga 28, Delhi 14; … The Mick: Tioga 28, Delhi 14; … Country Bob: Tioga 46, Delhi 13.

Section IV, Class C Championship
2-Waverly (9-1) at 1-Chenango Forks (9-1):
The Wolverines are coming off a 48-14 win over Susquehanna Valley, while the Blue Devils rolled over Newark Valley, 40-7.

With heavy rains in the forecast, both teams may be forced into running the ball more than they’d like. While Forks is known primarily as a run-first team, its comeback win over Waverly earlier this season was ignited by QB Grady Stark’s arm. Starks threw for more than 400 yards last week against Newark Valley.

The Wolverines rushed for 185 yards in the first meeting, while Forks had 143 — 80 coming in the game-winning drive in the second half. Waverly QB Joey Tomasso ran for 163 yards and two TDs, but 135 was in the first half.

Prediction: Waverly let a 13-0 first-half  lead slip away earlier this season in a 14-13 loss to Forks. If they can duplicate that start tonight, I like their chances. Otherwise, it’s going to be a battle. … WAVERLY 16, FORKS 13.
Little Red:
Waverly 28, Forks 7; … The Mick: Waverly 21, Forks 16; … Country Bob: Waverly 21, Forks 20.

District 4, Class 3A Semifinals
4-Athens (7-4) at Danville (10-0):
The Wildcats are coming off a 37-7 win over Montoursville in the quarterfinals, while the Ironmen, who had a bye last week, rolled to a 70-8 non-league win over Huntingdon two weeks ago.

Aside from a 17-14 win over Loyalsock, Danville closest games were 35-point wins over Southern Columbia and Berwick. The Ironmen beat Montoursville, 42-0, and Central Columbia, 69-0. (Athens beat CC, 17-10, three weeks ago.)

Danville has outscored its opponents by an average of 50.8 to 3.6 this season.

Prediction: Athens has had a good season, but Danville is on a different level. … DANVILLE 48, ATHENS 7.
Little Red:
Danville 42, Athens 7; … The Mick: Danville 50, Athens 6; … Country Bob: Danville 47, Athens 0.

District 4, Class A Championship
2-Canton (10-1) at 1-Muncy (10-0):
The Warriors are coming off a 42-13 win over South Williamsport in the semifinals, while the Indians rolled to a 54-6 win over Northwest Area.

This is the fifth year in a row these two teams have met in the Class A title game. Canton won last year to snap Muncy’s three-year run atop District 4.

Prediction: Canton played a much tougher schedule than Muncy, and that will pay dividends Saturday night. … CANTON 27, MUNCY 7.
Little Red:
Canton 25, Muncy 14; … The Mick: Canton 44, Muncy 7; … Country Bob: Canton 42, Muncy 7.

District 4, Class AA Semifinals
3-Southern Columbia (8-3) at 2-Troy (9-2):
The Tigers are coming off a 69-0 win over Line Mountain, while the Trojans rolled over Towanda, 49-13.

Southern Columbia has not beaten a team with a winning record this season, while Troy has beaten two — Bald Eagle Area and Athens, and lost a 36-35 heartbreaker to Loyalsock, which beat Southern, 27-10.

Prediction: If it was any other team, I would pick Troy. But, it’s Southern Columbia. … SOUTHERN COLUMBIA 26, TROY 22.
Little Red:
Southern Columbia 28, Troy 14; … The Mick: Troy 28, Southern 24; … Country Bob: Southern 21, Troy 7.

Section IV, Class AA Championship
1-Corning (5-3) at 2-Elmira (7-2):
The Express topped Binghamton, 44-22, in the semifinals, while the Hawks, who had a bye, topped Ithaca, 42-22, two weeks ago.

Prediction: Corning edged Elmira, 22-18, in their first meeting. Don’t be surprised if the weather slows down Elmira’s offense, which has averaged 44.5 points per game in four straight wins since its loss to Corning. … CORNING 20, Elmira 16.
Little Red:
Corning 22, Elmira 16; … The Mick: Elmira 14, Corning 13; … Country Bob: Corning 27, Elmira 20.

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