FROM THE PRESS BOX: COULD ALL FOUR VALLEY TEAMS WIN IN WEEK 7? (2023-10-06)

It’s Week 7 of the high school football season, and all four Valley teams play divisional rivals, and three will have home-field advantage.

Tioga takes on its fifth state-ranked opponent of the season when it hosts SVEC, while Waverly hosts Schuyler, and Athens hosts North Penn-Mansfield Saturday.

Sayre, meanwhile, is on the road at Northwest Area.

The VSR pigskin prognosticators had a really good week in Week 6, with all four posting 9-1 records.

On the season, I lead the pack at 52-5, while The Mick is two games off the pace at 50-7, Country Bob is 47-10, and Little Red is 46-11.

So, what does Week 7 have in store for us? Let’s see what the Pigskin Pickers have to say:

Schuyler (3-2) at Waverly (4-1): The Wolverines are coming off a 19-15 win over Chenango Forks, while the Storm rolled to a 42-7 win over Oneonta.

Waverly’s defense shut down Forks last week, while its offense overcame a couple of big mistakes to pull out the win with 12 seconds remaining in the contest.

Schuyler’s offense piled up more than 400 yards in total offense, but Oneonta’s defense has allowed 49.5 points per game, compared to Waverly’s 14.6.

Prediction: While comparing results for common opponents is not a sure-thing, Schuyler lost at Forks, 40-8. … WAVERLY 48, SCHUYLER 8.
The Mick: Waverly 44, Schuyler 7. … Little Red: Waverly 56. Schuyler 6. … Country Bob: Waverly 54, Schuyler 0.

SVEC (4-1) at Tioga (5-0): The Tigers are coming off a 55-8 win over previously-unbeaten Walton, while the Eagles dropped a 35-20 decision to Delhi.

Tioga has beaten three (Burke Catholic, Delhi, and Walton) state-ranked Class D team this season, outscoring them by an average of 51-14, while SVEC has averaged 20 points per game.

Prediction: SVEC’s lack of offense against Newark Valley, Schuyler, and Delhi doesn’t bode well against Tioga’s defense. And, Tioga’s offense has looked unstoppable. … TIOGA 48, SVEC 6.
The Mick: Tioga 49, SVEC 13. … Little Red: Tioga 48, SVEC 0. … Country Bob: Tioga 62, SVEC 0.

Sayre (0-6) at Northwest Area (1-5): The Redskins are coming off a 34-6 home loss to South Williamsport, while the Rangers dropped a 6-0 decision to Montgomery.

Prediction: Northwest Area’s lone win came against hapless CMVT. Otherwise, it’s averaging just 7 points per game. Meanwhile, Sayre is averaging just 3.3 points per game. … SAYRE 8, NORTHWEST 6.
The Mick: Northwest 23, Sayre 13. … Little Red: Northwest 22, Sayre 6. … Country Bob: Sayre 13, Northwest 6.

North Penn-Mansfield (2-4) at Athens (1-5): The Wildcats are coming off a 27-6 loss at Towanda, while the Tigers upended Cowanesque Valley, 20-14.

Prediction: Athens has lost four in a row, but showed some positive last week. … NP-MANSFIELD 20, ATHENS 19.
The Mick: NP-M 21, Athens 14. … Little Red: NP-M 27, Athens 12. … Country Bob: NP-M 28, Athens 6.

Troy (6-0) at Towanda (4-2): The Trojans are coming off a 51-7 win over Wellsboro, while the Black Knights topped Athens, 27-6.

Prediction: Troy is in a class by itself, and keeps rolling toward its “Old Shoe” showdown. … TROY 55, TOWANDA 6.
The Mick: Troy 55, Towanda 6. … Little Red: Troy 48, Towanda 6. … Country Bob: Troy 48, Towanda 6.

Wellsboro (2-4) at Wyalusing (3-3): The Hornet are coming off a 51-7 loss at Troy, while the Rams dropped a 47-14 decision at Canton.

Prediction: Wyalusing’s three wins come against teams with a combined 2-16 record, while one of Wellsboro’s wins is the only blemish on Muncy’s record this season. … WELLSBORO 22, WYALUSING 13.
The Mick: Wellsboro 17, Wyalusing 13. … Little Red: Wellsboro 28, Wyalusing 14. … Country Bob: Wellsboro 21, Wyalusing 7.

Canton (6-0) at Montgomery (1-5): The Warriors are coming off a 47-14 win over Wyalusing, while the Red Raiders blanked Northwest Area, 6-0.

Prediction: Canton is in a class by itself, and keeps rolling toward its “Old Shoe” showdown. … CANTON 58, MONTGOMERY 0.
The Mick: Canton 54, Montgomery 0. … Little Red: Canton 48, Montgomery 6. … Country Bob: Canton 47, Montgomery 0.

South Williamsport (5-1) at Muncy (5-1): The Mounties are coming off a 34-6 win at Sayre, while the Indians thumped CMVT, 56-18.

Prediction: This is a battle for the second seed, and a home game in the opening round of the District 4, Class A playoffs. South’s lone loss came at Canton, while Muncy lost to Wellsboro. … SOUTH 27, MUNCY 13.
The Mick: South 28, Muncy 15. … Little Red: South 28, Muncy 21. … Country Bob: South 35, Muncy 21.

Cowanesque Valley (3-3) at CMVT (1-5): The Indians are coming off a disappointing 20-14 loss to North Penn-Mansfield, while the Rams were thumped by Muncy, 56-18.

Prediction: CV should find its offensive groove against CMVT — every other team has. … CV 52, CMVT 12.
The Mick: CV 38, CMVT 6. … Little Red: CV 35, CMVT 6. … Country Bob: CV 42, CMVT 12.

Owego (2-2) at Norwich (2-3): The River Hawks are coming off a 42-8 win over Johnson City, while the Purple Tornadoes dropped a 35-15 decision to Vestal.

Prediction: Norwich’s two wins come against teams with a combined mark of 0-8, and their three losses are against teams with a combined 10-4 record. … NORWICH 30, OWEGO 20.
The Mick: Norwich 28, Owego 15. … Little Red: Norwich 35, Owego 21. … Country Bob: Owego 21, Norwich 13.

Newark Valley (2-2) at Walton (3-1):  The Cardinals are coming off a 43-36 win over Deposit-Hancock, while the Warriors dropped a 55-8 decision to Tioga.

Prediction: Newark Valley has one of the best coaching staffs in Section IV, and they are improving. … NEWARK VALLEY 33, WALTON 22.
The Mick: Newark Valley 36, Walton 28. … Little Red: Walton 48, Newark Valley 28. … Country Bob: Walton 28, Newark Valley 7.

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