Championship gold is on the line in Section IV this weekend, while District 4's last title game is the one everyone has been waiting for all year.Waverly will square off with Owego Friday night for the Class B title, but even the most ardent fans will likely have one on Catawissa, Pa. As defending state champion Troy squares off with perennial powerhouse Southern Columbia.
On Saturday, Tioga seeks to win coach Nick Aiello his 12th Section IV title since 2011.
For the first time in VSR Pigskin Prognosticating history, all four Pigskin Pickers had an identical 10-4 record last week.
On the season, The Mick is 111-22, I am 107-26, Country Bob is 105-28, and Little Red is 103-30.
Without further ado, the VSR Pigskin Pickers make their picks for Week 13 (Week 12 in Pa. and Week 10 in N.Y.):
Section IV, Class B Championship
1-Waverly (9-1) vs. 3-Owego (7-3): The Wolverines are coming off a 28-7 win over Norwich in the semifinals, while the River Hawks scored on a pick-6 late in the game to pull out a 19-16 win over Maine-Endwell.
This match-up features two of the best defenses in Section IV, with Owego allowing 9.1 points per game, and Waverly 14.4.
Prediction: The Wolverines have been much more consistent offensively this season, and the River Hawks have struggled to score — six of their 10 games have been decided by seven points or less, and they have a 3-3 mark in those games. ... WAVERLY 21, OWEGO 7.
The Mick: Waverly 14, Owego 13. ... Country Bob: Waverly 21, Owego 7. ... Little Red: Waverly 20, Owego 7.
Section IV, Class D Championship
1-Tioga (9-1) vs. 4-Trumansburg (7-3): The Tigers are coming off a 36-20 win over Deposit-Hancock in the semifinals, while the Blue Raiders topped Delhi, 21-13.
Tioga has been very good on both sides of the football since halftime of its Week 2 34-14 win over Delhi. The ground game has been every effective using a number of backs, but senior Logan Bellis can be a workhorse if need be as evidenced by his 300-yard performance in the Tigers' 24-8 regular-season win at Trumansburg.
Prediction: Trumansburg has a puncher's chance with a passing game that has big-play potential, but Tioga had the advantage in the trenches in the first go-round. ... TIOGA 30, T-BURG 14.
The Mick: Tioga 28, T-Burg 12. ... Country Bob: Tioga 28, T-Burg 13. ... Little Red: Tioga 24, T-Burg 13.
District 4, Class AA Championship
3-Troy (11-1) at 1-Southern Columbia (11-1): The Trojans are coming off a 48-34 win over Warrior Run, while the Tigers topped Bloomsburg, 41-21.
Prediction: Southern Columbia played a tougher schedule, and its only loss was to Class 4A state qualifier Wyomissing. ... SOUTHERN COLUMBIA 28, TROY 26.
The Mick: Southern Columbia 33, Troy 14. ... Country Bob: Southern Columbia 28, Troy 20. ... Little Red: Southern Columbia 49, Troy 21.
Section IV, Class AA Championship
Corning (4-5) at Elmira (5-4): The Hawks are coming off a 51-20 win over Ithaca in the Class AA semifinals, while the Express has been off since Nov. 1 when it beat Binghamton, 28-6.
Prediction: Elmira dominated Corning, 34-8, in their regular-season meeting just a month ago, but in this rivalry that is meaningless. I'll take Elmira in the rematch, but without much conviction. ... ELMIRA 24, CORNING 22.
The Mick: Elmira 32, Corning 21. ... Country Bob: Corning 27, Elmira 20. ... Little Red: Elmira 28, Corning 13.
Section IV, Class A Championship
Horseheads (7-3) at U-E (7-2): The Blue Raiders are coming off a 21-7 win over Vestal, while the Tigers thumped Binghamton, 56-6.
Prediction: Horseheads' three losses are by a combined five points, including a two-point loss to Vestal, and a two-point loss to U-E. I think the Blue Raiders make it two weeks of redemption in a row. ... HORSEHEADS 23, U-E 21.
The Mick: Horseheads 20, U-E 16. ... Country Bob: U-E 21, Horseheads 20. ... Little Red: Horseheads 21, U-E 20.
Section IV, Class C Championship
3-Oneonta (6-4) at 1-Chenango Forks (9-0): The Blue Devils are coming off a 37-6 win over Susquehanna Valley, while the Yellowjackets pulled off a stunning 20-14 upset of Windsor — after losing to the Black Knights, 42-14, just two weeks prior.
Prediction: Oneonta's win was a feel-good story last weekend, but all good things come to an end, and this one could end in ugly fashion. ... FORKS 61, ONEONTA 0.
The Mick: Forks 44, Oneonta 7. ... Country Bob: Forks 42, Oneonta 0. ... Little Red: Forks 49, Oneonta 6.
PIAA, Class A Opening Round
Line Mountain (11-0) at Lackawanna Trail (11-1): The Eagles are coming off a 20-14 win over Montgomery in the District 4, Class A title game, while the Lions won the District 2 crown with a 41-14 win over Tri-Valley.
Prediction: Line Mountain's win over Montgomery was much closer than I expected, but I'll credit that to Montgomery. ... LINE MOUNTAIN 35, LT 20.
The Mick: LT 15, Line Mountain 8. .... Country Bob: Line Mountain 28, LT 14. ... Little Red: Line Mountain 42, LT 28.
