FROM THE PRESS BOX: WEEK 11 PICKS — PLAYOFFS IN PA., END OF REGULAR SEASON IN N.Y. (2024-11-01)

Week 10 brings up playoff football South of the Border, and the end of the regular season on the North side.

For Valley teams, Athens is on the road to face top-seeded Shamokin in the District 4, Class 4A semifinals, while Waverly hosts Whitney Point, and Tioga is at Bainbridge-Guilford.

Week 10 was nothing spectacular for our Pigskin Pickers, with The Mick and Country Bob leading the way at 10-2, Little Red posting a 9-3 mark, and I was just 8-4.

For the season, The Mick leads the pack with a 91-17 mark, while Little Red and I are tied at 86-22, and Country Bob brings up the rear at 83-25.

So what do the pigskin prognosticators see in Week 11? Let’s take a look:

4-Athens (5-5) at 1-Shamokin (10-0): The Wildcats are coming off a 51-6 win over Sayre in the "Rusty Rail" rivalry, while the Indians blanked Mount Carmel, 21-0, to finish off an unbeaten regular season.

Shamokin has been through the meat grinder and come out unscathed, while Athens let a couple winnable games slip away this season.

Prediction: Shamokin just has too much. ... SHAMOKIN 55, ATHENS 13.
The Mick: Shamokin 62, Athens 0. ... Country Bob: Shamokin 55, Athens 0. ... Little Red: Shamokin 49, Athens 0.
 
Whitney Point (4-4) at Waverly (7-1): The Wolverines are coming off a 48-0 win at Lansing, while the Golden Eagles dropped a 44-6 decision to previously-winless Schuyler.

Whitney Point has been one of the more pleasant surprises in Section IV, but its 44-6 loss to Schuyler last week is a bad sign. Waverly beat Schuyler, 62-0, earlier this season.

Prediction: Waverly is clicking on all cylinders, and keeps it rolling tonight for Homecoming. ... WAVERLY 55, WHITNEY POINT 0.
The Mick: Waverly 52, Whitney Point 6. ... Country Bob: Waverly 55, Whitney Point 0. ... Little Red: Waverly 63, Whitney Point 0.

Tioga (5-3) at Bainbridge-Guildford (6-2): The Tigers are coming off a 56-28 rout of state-ranked Deposit-Hancock (ranked 5th), while the Bobcats bounced back from a 49-12 loss to D-H with a 20-6 win over Newark Valley.

Tioga is still pretty banged up, but it's leaned on its offensive line and the power running of Jake Browne last week in a big win over previously-unbeaten D-H.

Prediction: I think Tioga coach Nick Aiello will serve up another big dose of Jake Browne tonight. ... TIOGA 55, B-G 14.
The Mick: Tioga 46, B-G 28. ... Country Bob: Tioga 42, B-G 13. ... Little Red: Tioga 36, B-G 13.

Maine-Endwell (8-0) at Owego (7-0): The River Hawks are coming off a forfeit win over Johnson City on the heels of a 56-6 win over Chenango Valley in Week 6, while the Spartans rolled to a 42-14 win over Norwich.

This is the best Owego team I've seen, but Maine-Endwell will be the best team the River Hawks have seen this year.

Prediction: The two teams will almost certainly see each other in two weeks in the Section IV, Class B championship game, so tonight's game really doesn't mean much. That said, I think the River Hawks need to play well to prove to themselves they can beat M-E when it matters. ... M-E 28, OWEGO 21.
The Mick: Owego 28, M-E 27. ... Country Bob: M-E 35, Owego 7. ... Little Red: M-E 35, Owego 14.

South Williamsport (5-5) at Troy (10-0): The Mounties are coming off a 21-14 win over Northwest Area, while the unbeaten Trojans thumped Canton, 61-20, in the "Old Shoe" rivalry game.

Prediction: Troy is on a mission, and its "Game of the Year" will be next week against Southern Columbia in the District 4, Class AA semifinals. ... TROY 62, SOUTH 6.
The Mick: Troy 54, South 7. ... Country Bob: Troy 48, South 7. ... Little Red: Troy 52, South 8.

Bloomsburg (5-5) at Towanda (8-2): The Black Knights are coming off a 55-0 win over Wyalusing in the "Bronze Helmet" rivalry game, while the Panthers topped Central Columbia, 29-20.

Prediction: Bloomsburg's five losses come to teams with a combined mark of 37-13, so they've been put through the wringer, and are battle-tested. ... Towanda did not beat a team with a winning record, although they did beat a pair of 5-5 teams in Canton and Athens. ... BLOOMSBURG 27, TOWANDA 21.
The Mick: Bloomsburg 36, Towanda 16. ... Country Bob: Towanda 24, Bloomsburg 7. ... Little Red: Towanda 35, Bloomsburg 14.

Schuyler (1-5) at SVEC (4-4): The Eagles are coming off an 18-6 win at Walton to clinch a Class D playoff berth, while the Lake Hawks rolled over Whitney Point, 44-6, for their first win of the season.

Prediction: SVEC is riding an emotional high, is healthier than they've been, and can run the football. ... SVEC 36, Schuyler 13.
The Mick: SVEC 32, Schuyler 7. ... Country Bob: SVEC 35, Schuyler 13. ... Little Red: SVEC 27, Schuyler 12.

Newark Valley (1-7) at Deposit-Hancock (7-1), 7 p.m.: The Cardinals are coming off a 20-6 loss to state-ranked Bainbridge-Guilford, while the Eagles dropped a 56-28 decision at state-ranked Tioga.

Prediction: Deposit-Hancock will look to right the ship against a banged-up Newark Valley ahead of its showdown with Delhi next week in the Class D semifinals. ... D-H 48, NEWARK VALLEY 22.
The Mick: D-H 48, Newark Valley 7. ... Country Bob: D-H 35, Newark Valley 6. ... Little Red: D-H 34, Newark Valley 14.

Vestal (4-4) at Corning (5-2): The Hawks are coming off a 49-6 win at Ithaca, while the Golden Bears topped Union-Endicott, 14-7.

Prediction: Corning isn't quite what it's been in recent years, but it will be more than enough tonight. ... CORNING 41, VESTAL 14.
The Mick: Corning 28, Vestal 14. ... Country Bob: Corning 37, Vestal 6. ... Little Red: Corning 42, Vestal 14.

Elmira (3-4) at Binghamton (1-6): The Express is coming off a 40-0 loss to Syracuse's Christian Brothers Academy, while the Patriots dropped a 49-14 decision to Horseheads.

Prediction: This game might be a little closer than people think. Then again, it might not. ... ELMIRA 36, BINGHAMTON 22.
The Mick: Elmira 44, Binghamton 12. ... Country Bob: Elmira 35, Binghamton 0. ... Little Red: Elmira 42, Binghamton 7.

U-E (1-7, 1-1 Div. II) at Horseheads (6-2, 2-0): Horseheads is coming off a 49-14 win over Binghamton, while the Tigers dropped a 14-7 decision to Vestal.

Prediction: Horseheads is peaking at the right time, and can clinch the division title with a win. ... HORSEHEADS 45, U-E 6.
The Mick: Horseheads 36, U-E 7. ... Country Bob: Horseheads 42, U-E 0. ... Little Red: Horseheads 28, U-E 7.

SATURDAY
Canton (5-5) at Muncy (8-2): The Warriors are coming off a 61-20 loss to Troy in the "Old Shoe," while the Indians dropped a 28-27 decision to Hughesville.

Prediction: You better buckle up, I think there are going to be a lot of points put on the board. ... MUNCY 55, CANTON 39.
The Mick: Muncy 48, Canton 21. ... Country Bob: Muncy 47, Canton 20. ... Little Red: Muncy 42, Canton 14.

Montgomery (7-3) at Line Mountain (7-3): The Red Raiders are coming off a 36-0 win over Cowanesque Valley, while the Eagles rolled over Susquenita, 44-6.

Prediction: Montgomery has been a great story in District 4, but Line Mountain is battle-tested against a very rugged schedule. ... LINE MOUNTAIN 46, MONTGOMERY 26.
The Mick: Line Mountain 28, Montgomery 13. ... Country Bob: Line Mountain 35, Montgomery 13. Little Red: Line Mountain 27, Montgomery 21.

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