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HUCK’S WEEKEND FORECAST

(WEEK 14 – Week of Dec. 2)
Season Record: Huck (218-78-1, .736) -376 point differential
                            Puck (227-69-1, .767)
Last week: Huck (12-4) -38 point differential    
                    Puck (12-4)     
Huck’s Gems: (4-1)   (45-22, .672)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (38-22, .633)
Others: (5-1)   (135-34-1, .799)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (8-1) (82-31, .726)
PL Teams: (9-3) (115-34-1, .772)
I-A Teams: (1-0) (31-15, .674)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
Malvern over Bonner (35-7, 40-6), North over Frankford (24-14, 23-14), Northeast over Central (23-21, 27-16), & Overbrook over West Philly (29-8, 20-7).
Notes: Unless Frankford can pull off an upset, the season will come to an end this weekend for H.S. football teams in our great city. I’m pulling for the Pioneers, but I just don’t know if they have enough to knock off a talented Liberty squad. Of course, a big part of my weekend will revolve around the CL Blue final between the three-time defending champs Wood and my alma-mater West Catholic. I have said from day one that the Vikings were the team to beat in the Blue, and I see no reason why to divert from that belief now. Even with West taking the regular season meeting between the teams. Wood’s senior leadership scares (As a West supporter) me some and I keep seeing Viking standout Chris Lorditch nailing a late-game field goal. What is amazing about this is that I knew I was picking a 17-14 score for ten days now, and then Mr. Thomas “Pucklehead” McKenna goes ahead and throws the exact prediction up on the "webline" as he calls it.  Last week, we picked every Thanksgiving weekend game the same, now this! Are we beginning to display the same tendencies? Landing on the same page? Thinking alike? Ohhh no, stop the nightmare! Please, please, please………..Sorry, where was I, that was a short one, but some of these nightmares, with Freddy Kruger (Puck) himself can last for minutes. Anyhow, Puck enters the weekend with a commanding nine game advantage. Please, be my guest, finish the season up ten, smile! (No offense Vikes, try to understand). Good luck and stay healthy, to ALL of the young men involved!!!
HUCK’S GEMS
Liberty (12-1) vs. Frankford (9-2) (Sat. 2, at NE)                                LB, 34-7.
Wood (9-2) vs. West Catholic (8-4) (Sat. 7, at NE)                             AW, 17-14.

(WEEK 13 – Week of Nov. 22)
Season Record: Huck (206-74-1, .736) -338 point differential
                            Puck (215-65-1, .768)
Last week: Huck (5-1) -22 point differential    
                    Puck (5-1)     
Huck’s Gems: (5-1)   (41-21, .661)
Best of the Rest: (0-0)   (35-20, .636)
Others: (0-0)   (130-33-1, .798)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (3-1) (74-30, .712)
PL Teams: (2-0) (106-31-1, .774)
I-A Teams: (0-0) (30-15, .667)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
Frankford over George Washington (24-13, 15-14).
   Notes: Happy Thanksgiving to all!! Even you Mr. Thomas “Puck” McKenna. Enjoy your chicken! Oh, yeah, I should be able to pick up five games with that awful score you opted for in the Prep-North game last week. No disrespect towards the Falcon faithful. I love the vast improvement you displayed this season, but 31-24 in OT?? C’mon Tom! I have no problem with your faith in your boys to keep it close, but scoring 24 points on that defense?? Overall, you have made GREAT picks, but your scores are terrible, as witnessed by my 338-point advantage entering this week. If you can work on this aspect of prognosticating over the summer and then repeat your picking ability, you’ll certainly be the top guru on the East Coast. But something tells me you have a tough time handling more than one thing at time. I wonder why?
HUCK’S GEMS
North Catholic (7-5) at Frankford (9-1) (Thursday, 9:45)                 NC, 24-14.
Ryan (3-7) at George Washington (9-3) (Thursday, 10)                   AR, 21-14.
Father Judge (6-5) at Lincoln (4-7) (Thursday, 10)                          FJ, 37-6.
Central (8-2) at Northeast (5-6) (Thursday, 10:30)                           NE, 23-21.
LaSalle (9-3) vs. SJ Prep (9-2) (Friday, 7 at NE)                             SJ, 35-14.
BEST OF THE REST
Bonner (0-10) vs. Malvern (7-2) (Wednesday, 7:30, at Nova)           MP, 35-7.
Neumann-Goretti (7-5) at Southern (4-7) (Thursday, 10:30)             NG, 46-6.
Roman (8-3) at Roxborough (9-2) (Thursday, 10:30)                       RC, 38-6.
ML King (2-7) at Germantown (2-8-1) (Thursday, 10:30)                GE, 26-16.
Ben Franklin (8-3) at Dobbins (4-6) (Thursday, 10:30)                     DO, 16-14.
OTHERS
Chester (4-7) at Simon Gratz (1-9-1) (Wednesday, 6)                       CH, 27-12.
Univ. City (6-5) at Mastbaum (4-7) (Thursday, 10)                          UC, 22-14.
Fels (0-7) at Olney (6-3) (Thursday, 10:30)                                      OL, 28-6.
Overbrook (4-6) at West Philly (3-6) (Thursday, 10:30)                    OV, 29-8.
Friere (2-8) vs. Imhotep (5-5) (Thursday, 10:30)                              IM, 28-8.
Conwell-Egan (5-7) at Truman (1-10) (Thursday, 10)                       C-E, 28-20.
West Catholic (7-4) at Penn Wood (6-4) (Thursday, 10:30)               WC, 27-13.

(WEEK 12 – Week of Nov. 17)
Season Record: Huck (201-73-1, .734) -316 point differential
                            Puck (210-64-1, .766)
Last week: Huck (14-5)    
                    Puck (17-2)  -4 point differential  
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (36-20, .643)
Best of the Rest: (5-0)   (35-20, .636)
Others: (6-3)   (130-33-1, .798)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (2-2) (71-29, .710)
PL Teams: (9-3) (104-31-1, .770)
I-A Teams: (3-0) (30-15, .667)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
   George Washington over Northeast (20-7, 19-10), Bok over Fels (38-0, 32-0), West Philly over Friere (28-6, 26-14), & Episcopal over Haverford Sch. (26-21, 27-19).
  Notes: Well, elections and campaigns ended over a week ago, but there is still one more concession speech to be made. And yes, it is coming from yours truly. An apology to all of my loyalists out there, but being nine games down with so few remaining, I am left with no other choice. Mr. Thomas “Puck” McKenna would have to choke on more than a few turkey bones on gobble-gobble day to blow this lead. I gave an honest effort, unlike my counterpart, who smeared his campaign with unwarranted rhetoric and continuous babbling. What makes this year’s defeat much more disheartening is the plethora of nippings I experienced in some of our differences. I couldn’t buy a 50/50 game! Well, that’s how the ball bounces in the picking circuit and the Puckster was the better man. I congratulate him and vow a furious return to greatness come next fall. The big question is, how long will the “confused one” gloat over this victory? If I know him the way I think I do -- Probably for months! Oh boy!!!
HUCK’S GEMS
North Catholic (7-4) vs. SJ Prep (8-2) (Fri. 7, at NE)                  SJ, 31-7.
Conwell-Egan (5-6) vs. West Catholic (6-4) (Fri. 7, at PW)         WC, 26-20.
Garnet Valley (9-1) vs. Bok (9-1) (Fri. 7, at G’Town)                 GV, 35-0.
George Washington (9-2) vs. Frankford (8-1) (Sat. 2, at NE)       FK, 24-13.
LaSalle (8-3) vs. Roman (8-2) (Sat. 6, at G’Town)                     RC, 20-17.
Neumann-Goretti (7-4) vs. Wood (8-2) (Sat. 7:30, at NE)           AW, 24-13.

(WEEK 11 – Week of Nov. 9)
Season Record: Huck (187-68-1, .733) -320 point differential
                            Puck (193-62-1, .759)
Last week: Huck (14-9) -41 point differential  
                    Puck (17-6)  
Huck’s Gems: (2-3)   (33-18, .647)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (30-20, .600)
Others: (9-4)   (124-30-1, .805)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (5-3)  (69-27, .719)
PL Teams: (7-5)  (95-28-1, .772)
I-A Teams: (2-1)  (27-15, .643)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
Ben Franklin over Edison (34-16, 39-14), Roxborough over Friere (32-0, 36-6), & SJ Prep over O’Hara (35-7, 41-7).
  Notes: Child abuse!! Yes, that’s what this weekly battle between me and Mr. Thomas McKenna has turned into. Can you believe it? I’m the child and Puck is the daddy!! I currently can’t buy a 50-50 game. It seems that every game that has come down to the wire has gone the other way. Just one of those years, I guess. So, for all of you teams that find yourself involved a game that can be characterized as being able to go either way. Well, you’ll be relieved if I picked against you, because chances are, you’ll come out on top if everything stays true to form. Smile and good luck to all!!
HUCK’S GEMS
O’Hara (3-7) vs. LaSalle (7-3) (Fri. 7, at NE)                                          LS, 21-7.
Carroll (4-6) vs. Neumann-Goretti (6-4) (Fri. 7, at G’Town)                  AC, 20-19.                
George Washington (8-2) vs. Northeast (5-5) (Sat. 2, at NE)                  GW, 20-7.
Penn Charter (7-2) at Germ. Academy (7-2) (Sat. 1:30)                          PC, 24-21.
Father Judge (6-4) vs. North Catholic (6-4) (Sat. 7, at NE)                      FJ, 17-14.
BEST OF THE REST
Ben Franklin (8-2) at Bartram (7-2) (Fri. 2:30)                                        JB, 22-16.
Frankford (7-1) vs. Dobbins (4-5) (Sat. 1, at NE)                                    FRK, 34-16.
Malvern (6-2) at Chestnut Hill (7-2) (Sat. 1:30)                                       MP, 27-14.
McDevitt (3-7) vs. Conwell-Egan (4-6) (Sat. 7, at Wissahickon)               C-E, 21-17.
Central (7-2) at Olney (6-2) (Fri. 2:30)                                                    CEN, 32-14.
OTHERS
Fels (0-6) at Bok (8-1) (Thur. 2:30)                                                        BK, 38-0.
Univ. City (6-4) at Germantown (1-8-1) (Thur. 2:30)                               UC, 20-18.
Imhotep (5-4) at Roxborough (8-2) (Thur. 2:30)                                      RX, 28-16.
Comm. Tech (2-7) at Southern (3-6) (Fri. 2:30)                                       CT, 14-12.
William Penn (2-5) at Edison (3-7) (Fri. 2:30)                                          ED, 28-12.
ML King (0-8) at Lincoln (4-6) (Fri. 2:30)                                               AL, 20-12.
Mastbaum (4-6) at Simon Gratz (0-9-1) (Fri. 2:30)                                   SG, 22-14.
Friere (1-8) at West Philly (2-6) (Fri. 2:30)                                               WP, 28-6.
Episcopal (4-5) at Haverford Sch. (1-9) (Sat. 2)                                        EA, 26-21.

(WEEK 10 – Week of Nov. 2)
Season Record: Huck (173-59-1, .746) -279 point differential
                            Puck (176-56-1, .759)
Last week: Huck (18-5) -61 point differential  
                    Puck (17-6)  
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (31-15, .674)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (27-18, .600)
Others: (12-1)   (115-26-1, .816)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (6-2)  (64-24, .727)
PL Teams: (9-2)  (88-23-1, .793)
I-A Teams: (2-1)  (25-14, .641)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
   Central over ML King (34-14, 40-12), Lincoln over Fels (28-6, 34-6), Bok over Franklin (22-14, 26-12), Father Judge over Bonner (27-7, 28-8), Conwell-Egan over K-K (41-7, 42-0), Wood over Dougherty (42-13, 44-6), Dobbins over Gratz (26-12, 32-12), Imhotep over Comm. Tech (24-8, 18-14), Chestnut Hill over Episcopal (23-14, 27-13), & Neumann-Goretti over McDevitt (20-13, 19-13).
   Notes: Rumor has it that there are six Pub games slated for Thursday afternoon, but the Puckster didn’t get one. What’s the moral of the story here? It’s easy! Don’t cross Teddy S. and don’t verbally blast the good man in my presence. Why? It’s simple! Because I’ll tell him and you’ll be punished. Ha ha ha…….Before long, Puck will be reduced to covering weight league games. And no, I won’t be picking games between the Frankford Chargers and some team from Mount Airy. Good luck!!
HUCK’S GEMS
Bok (8-0) v. Northeast (4-5) (Pub-QT’s – Fri. 7:30, at G’Town)         BK, 14-10.
Ryan (3-6) at Father Judge (5-4) (Fri. 7, at NE)                                  FJ, 20-17.
Bartram (7-1) at George Washington (7-2) (Sat. 6, at NE)                   GW, 27-14.
LaSalle (7-2) v. Roman (7-2) (Sat. 2:15, at G’town)                            LS, 17-10.
Wood (8-1) at West Catholic (5-4) (Sat. 7, at Widener)                       AW, 24-13.
BEST OF THE REST
Olney (6-1) v. Frankford (6-1) (Pub-QT’s – Fri. 4, at G’Town)            FK, 38-13.
Episcopal (4-4) at Malvern (5-2) (Fri. 2:30)                                         MP, 31-14.
Central (7-1) v. Dobbins (3-5) (Pub-QT’s – Sat. 4, at Gratz)                CE, 28-20.
Chestnut Hill (7-1) at Germ. Academy (6-2) (Sat. 2)                            CH, 24-21.
SJ Prep (7-2) at O’Hara (3-6) (Fri. 7:30, at Widener)                           SJ, 35-7.
OTHERS
Univ. City (5-4) v. Comm. Tech (2-6) (Thur. 2:30, at NE)                   UC, 28-12.
Edison (3-6) at Ben Franklin (7-2) (Thur. 2:30)                                    BF, 34-16.
William Penn (1-5) v. ML King (0-7) (Thur. 2:30, at G’Town)             MLK, 20-12.
Southern (3-5) v. Overbrook (3-6) (Thur. 2:30, at Gratz)                      OV, 26-14.
Mastbaum (3-6) at Lincoln (4-5) (Thur. 2:30)                                      AL, 33-22.
Friere Charter (1-7) at Roxborough (7-2) (Thur. 2:30)                          RO, 36-6.
Germantown (0-8-1) at Simon Gratz (0-8-1) (Thur. 6)                          SG, 20-14.
West Philly (2-5) v. Imhotep (5-4) (Thur. 6, at G’town)                        IM, 26-8.
Haverford Sch. (1-8) at Penn Charter (6-2) (Fri. 2:30)                           PC, 35-14.
Conwell-Egan (4-5) at Carroll (3-6) (Fri. 7:30)                                      CE, 21-14.
Bonner (0-9) at North Catholic (5-4) (Sat. 2, at Frk)                              NC, 35-7.
McDevitt (2-7) at Kennedy-Kenrick (0-9) (Sat. 2, at N’Town)               BM, 34-0.
Neumann-Goretti (5-4) at Dougherty (3-6) (Sat. 6, at G’Town)              NG, 35-14.

(WEEK 9 – WEEK OF OCT. 26)
Season Record: Huck (155-54-1, .742) -218 point differential
                            Puck (159-50-1, .761)
Last week: Huck (17-6) -8 point differential  
                    Puck (19-4)  
Huck’s Gems: (5-1)   (28-13, .683)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (24-16, .600)
Others: (9-3)   (103-25-1, .805)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (5-3)  (58-22, .725)
PL Teams: (9-3)  (79-21-1, .790)
I-A Teams: (3-0)  (23-13, .639)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
George Washington over Germantown (37-6, 43-6), Edison over Fels (26-8, 28-0), & O’Hara over Bonner (27-7, 28-6).
   Notes: Not too much to say except that I’m (0-3) in games that have gone to overtime this year. All three have been differences with the Puckster. Man, does this guy have some luck on his side. I can’t say that he stepped in poop, because he did that three years ago and it’s still on the bottom of his shoes. It’s something though! So, it’s back to the drawing board. Let’s see what happens this week. The man is undoubtedly a thorn in my side, a pebble in my show, a streak of ink on my grill.
HUCK’S GEMS
Bartram (6-1) at Roxborough (7-1) (Thur. 3)                                          RO, 26-22.
Ben Franklin (7-1) at Bok (7-0) (Thur. 3)                                              BK, 22-14.
Frankford (5-1) at Northeast (4-4) (Fri. 6)                                              FR, 32-12.
Malvern (5-1) at Penn Charter (5-2) (Fri. 3:45)                                       MP, 24-10.
North Catholic (5-3) at SJ Prep (6-2) (Sat. 7, at P-W)                             SJ, 31-13.
BEST OF THE REST
Chestnut Hill (6-1) at Episcopal (4-3) (Sat. 11)                                        CH, 23-14.
Ryan (2-6) at LaSalle (7-1) (Sat. 6, at G’Town)                                      LS, 28-7.
O’Hara (3-5) at Roman (6-2) (Sat. 7, at NE)                                           OH, 13-10.
McDevitt (2-6) at Neumann-Goretti (4-4) (Sun. 1, at Southern)                NG, 20-13.
Carroll (3-5) at West Catholic (4-4) (Sat. 12, at Penn Wood)                    WC, 26-14.
OTHERS
Central (6-1) at ML King (0-6) (Thur. 3, at G’Town)                               CE, 34-14.
Olney (5-1) at Edison (3-5) (Thur. 3)                                                       OL, 18-12.
Lincoln (3-5) at Fels (0-5) (Thur. 3, at NE)                                              AL, 28-6.
Friere (1-6) at William Penn (0-5) (Thur. 3, at Gratz)                                FR, 16-6.
George Washington (6-2) at Simon Gratz (0-7-1) (Fri. 6)                           GW, 38-16.
Mastbaum (2-5) at Overbrook (2-6) (Fri. 6, at G’Town)                            OV, 26-18.
Father Judge (4-4) at Bonner (0-8) (Fri. 7:30, at Upper Darby)                   FJ, 27-7.
Conwell-Egan (3-5) at Kennedy-Kenrick (0-8) (Fri. 7, at Norristown)          CE, 41-7.
Dougherty (3-5) at Wood (7-1) (Fri. 7)                                                      AW, 42-13.
Germantown (0-7-1) at Dobbins (2-5) (Sat. 11)                                          DO, 26-12.
Univ. City (4-4) at West Philly (2-4) (Sat. 1)                                              UC, 22-6.
Comm. Tech (2-5) at Imhotep (4-4) (Sat. 1, at G’Town)                             IM, 24-8.
Haverford School (1-7) at Germantown Acad. (5-2) (Sat. 1:30)                    GA, 36-14

(WEEK 8 – WEEK OF OCT. 19)
Season Record: Huck (138-48-1, .742) -210 point differential
                            Puck (140-46-1, .753)
Last week: Huck (16-6-1) -40 point differential  
                    Puck (15-7-1)  
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (23-12, .657)
Best of the Rest: (2-3)   (21-14, .600)
Others: (11-1-1)   (94-22-1, .810)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (7-1)  (53-19, .736)
PL Teams: (8-3-1)  (70-18-1, .795)
I-A Teams: (1-2)  (20-13, .606)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
Central over Roxborough (22-20, 29-22), Bok over William Penn (36-0, 38-0), Malvern over Haverford Sch. (38-7, 41-0), LaSalle over Bonner (35-0, 35-7), O’Hara over Ryan (20-14, 14-13), Roman over North (20-14, 14-13), Carroll over Dougherty (33-15, 24-14).
  Huck's comment: "Puck loses one week and starts his whining about a tie game going to be completed. Nah, not buying it! If anything, they’ll more than likely replay the game in its entirety. So, for now we’ll chalk it up as a tie, and consequently a W for Huck Daddy! That’s the way the commissioner sees it! Who’s the commissioner? Me!!! Only two differences this week and one of them happens to be the West Catholic/Neumann-Goretti game. Unlike Puck, I pick games by putting details and facts together. He in turn, picks games on what he thinks I’m going to do. So, I looked at the West-N-G game and thought to myself that the Saints are playing better at this moment. So, I took them. Do I want the Burrs to win? Of course I do, and they may, but right now my gut tells me that N-G is playing a little better. We’ll see what happens. I make picks with sense and logic, and that is why Huck’s Weekend Forecast averages 133.4 more hits per week on the site. Yes, that is an actual number. Pucks makes picks by asking the 23 high school writers in the Tri-State area and then coming up with a consensus. The man is a fraud! Until next week……"
HUCK’S GEMS
Penn Charter (4-2) at Episcopal (4-2) (Fri. 3:15)                                    PC, 21-7.
SJ Prep (5-2) at La Salle (7-0) (Sat. 1, at Wissahickon)                          SJP, 27-10.
North Catholic (4-3) at Ryan (Sat. 7, at NE)                                          NC, 13-7.
West Catholic (3-4) at Neumann-Goretti (4-3) (Sat. 1)                           N-G, 26-22.
Wood (6-1) at Conwell-Egan (3-4) (Sat. 7)                                            AW, 24-14.
Germ. Academy (5-1) at Malvern (4-1) (Sat. 12)                                   MP, 26-13.
BEST OF THE REST
Imhotep (4-3) at Bok (6-0) (Thur. 3)                                                      BK, 20-8.
Dobbins (2-4) at Frankford (4-1) (Fri. 3)                                                 Frk, 33-12.
Roman (6-1) at Father Judge (3-4) (Sat. 2)                                              RC, 24-14.
Carroll (3-4) at McDevitt (1-6) (Sat. 6)                                                   AC, 20-13.
O’Hara (2-5) at Bonner (0-7) (Sun. 1)                                                    OH, 27-7.
OTHERS
William Penn (0-4) at Ben Franklin (6-1) (Thur. 3)                                  BF, 38-6.
ML King (0-5) at Roxborough (6-1) (Thur. 3)                                         RX, 32-12.
Germantown (0-6-1) at George Washington (5-2) (Fri. 3)                         GW, 39-6.
Northeast (3-4) at Simon Gratz (0-6-1) (Fri. 7)                                        NE, 28-12.
Overbrook (2-5) at Central (5-1) (Fri. 3)                                                 CE, 38-14.
Mastbaum (3-4) at Bartram (5-1) (Fri. 3)                                                JB, 28-13.
Southern (2-5) at Olney (5-0) (Fri. 3)                                                      OL, 22-12.
Fels (0-4) at Edison (2-5) (Fri. 3)                                                            ED, 26-8.
Lincoln (2-5) at Univ. City (4-3) (Fri. 3, at G’Town)                                UC, 14-12.
Comm. Tech (2-4) at Friere (0-6) (Fri. 3, at NE)                                      CT, 25-12.
Dougherty (2-5) at Kennedy-Kenrick (0-7) (Fri. 7, at Conshy)                   CD, 27-7.
Chestnut Hill (5-1) at Haverford School (1-6) (Sat. 2)                               CH, 35-7.

(WEEK 7 – WEEK OF OCT. 12)
Season Record: Huck (122-42, .744) -170 point differential
                            Puck (125-39, .762)
Last week: Huck (16-10) -71 point differential  
                    Puck (21-5)
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (20-10, .667)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (19-11, .633)
Others: (10-6)   (83-21, .798)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (6-2)  (46-18, .719)
PL Teams: (8-4)  (62-15, .805)
I-A Teams: (2-4)  (19-11, .633)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
Bok over Freire (30-0, 36-0), George Washington over Dobbins (26-8, 28-7), Roxborough over Mastbaum  (30-14, 30-6), Wood over Neumann-Goretti (28-13, 28-13), Frankford over Simon Gratz (38-12, 40-20), SJ Prep over Bonner (45-0, 55-0), Chestnut Hill over L. Moreland (30-17, 34-14), Carroll over K-K (35-6, 31-0) & LaSalle over O’Hara (24-14, 24-7).
  Notes: Who’s your daddy? Who’s your daddy? Wait, it was more like, “Yo man, who you daddy?" No matter which way you say it, I heard it all weekend long in my nightmare that I’ll dub, Week Six Debacle! That’s right, an absolute nightmare! Picture this, Puck lurking over me and repeatedly saying, “Yo, Huck, who you daddy now! You pick Judge. Why you pick Judge? Yo, man, you down three games. Put that on the web line.” But hey, I’ll give credit where credit is due. The man kicked my butt!! He has a three-game lead now and climbing that mountain will be tough. I’ll have to hope that he lets his guard down, which will be tough. But hey, I congratulate him on his (5-0) week! Still plenty of time to recuperate."
HUCK’S GEMS
Frankford (3-1) vs. George Washington (5-1) (Fri. 6, at NE)        Frk, 20-19.
Central (4-1) at Roxborough (6-0) (Fri. 3)                                   Cen, 22-20.
Penn Charter (3-2) at Chestnut Hill (5-0) (Fri. 3:45)                     CH, 17-14.           
Neumann-Goretti (3-3) at Conwell-Egan (3-3) (Fri. 7)                  CE, 25-22.
North Catholic (4-2) vs. Roman (5-1) (Sat. 2, at NE)                   RC, 20-14.
BEST OF THE REST
Dobbins (2-3) at Northeast (2-4) (Fri. 3)                                     Dob, 16-14.
Univ. City (4-2) at Olney (4-0) (Fri. 3)                                        UC, 14-12.
Germ. Academy (4-1) at Episcopal (4-1) (Fri. 3:45)                      EA, 23-13.
O’Hara (1-5) at Ryan (2-4) (Sat. 2, at GW)                                 OH, 20-14.
Father Judge (3-3) at SJ Prep (4-2) (Sat. 7, at PW)                      SJ, 41-7.
OTHERS
ML King (0-4) vs. Mastbaum (2-4) (Thur. 3 at NE)                           MA, 24-16.
Freire (0-5) vs. Imhotep (3-2) (Thur. 6, at G’Town)                          IM, 28-6.
Southern (1-5) at West Philly (2-3) (Fri. 3)                                        WP, 18-12.
Edison (2-4) at Lincoln (1-5) (Fri. 3)                                                 AL, 16-14.
Ben Franklin (5-1) at Comm. Tech (2-3) (Fri. 3, at G’Town)              BF, 32-8.
Bok (5-0) vs. William Penn (0-2) (Fri 3, at Gratz)                              BK, 38-0.
Malvern (3-1) at Haverford Sch. (1-5) (Fri. 3:30)                               MP, 38-7.
Bonner (0-6) at LaSalle (6-0) (Fri. 7, at Spring-M)                             LS, 35-0.
Wood (5-1) at McDevitt (1-5) (Fri. 6, at G’Town)                             AW, 24-7.
Simon Gratz (0-6) at Germantown (0-6) (Sat. 2)                                SG, 20-18.
Overbrook (2-4) at Bartram (4-1) (Sat. 2)                                          JB, 33-12.
Carroll (2-4) at Dougherty (2-4) (Sat. 7, at NE)                                  AC, 33-15.
West Catholic (2-4) at Kennedy-Kenrick (0-6) (Sat. 7, at Conshy)       WC, 26-7.

(WEEK 6 – WEEK OF OCT. 5)
Season Record: Huck (106-32, .768) -99 point differential
                            Puck (104-34, .754)
Last week: Huck (23-4) -62 point differential  
                    Puck (24-3)  
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (17-8, .680)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (16-9, .640)
Others: (17-0)   (73-15, .830)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (5-3)  (40-16, .714)
PL Teams: (13-0)  (54-11, .831)
I-A Teams: (5-1)  (17-7, .708)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
   Franklin over Friere (34-6, 24-6), Frankford over Germantown (40-12, 42-7), George Washington over Northeast (20-7, 19-0), Olney over West Philly (22-12, 21-14), Univ. City over Fels (28-6, 22-6), Roman over Bonner (27-7, 29-6), Wood over Kennedy-Kenrick (42-0, 42-0), SJ Prep over Ryan (34-7, 31-12), Boy’s Latin over Haverford Sch. (30-14, 27-20), & Malvern over Peddie (28-7, 37-6).
   Huck's Comment: "Puck annoys me! Especially at 11 o’clock on a Thursday night. This is when I get my weekly call and he tells me that I’ll probably sweep him over the weekend. Yea, he plays the lack-of-confidence card. Feeble attempt by the grizzled vet though! He just wants me feeling good about my picks for the week, then he hangs up and calls Sparky Cooney (Bucks County paper) or John Lohn (Delco paper) to tell them how he hoodwinked me. I just play long and let the man have his fun. It’s the least I can do!"
HUCK’S GEMS
Central (3-1) at Bartram (4-0) (Fri. 3)                                           JB, 24-20.
Ryan (2-3) at Roman (4-1) (Fri. 7, at NE)                                     RC, 17-14.
Neumann-Goretti (3-2) at Wood (4-1) (Fri. 7)                              AW, 28-13.
Father Judge (3-2) at North Catholic (3-2) (Sat. 7, at NE)              FJ, 20-14.
LaSalle (5-0) at O’Hara (1-4) (Sun. 1, at Spring-D)                       LS, 24-14.                           
BEST OF THE REST
Dobbins (2-3) at George Washington (4-1) (Fri. 3)                        GW, 26-8.
Roxborough (5-0) at Mastbaum (2-3) (Fri. 3, at Lincoln)               RX, 30-14.
Ben Franklin (4-1) vs. Imhotep (3-2) (Fri. 3, at Olney)                  BF, 22-14.
West Catholic (2-3) at Conwell-Egan (2-3) (Fri. 7)                        WC, 33-20.
Malvern (3-0) at Salesianum (4-0) (Fri. 7:30)                                MP, 27-24.
OTHERS
Friere (0-4) at Bok (4-0) (Thur. 3)                                               BK, 30-0.
Northeast (1-3) at Germantown (0-5) (Fri. 6)                                NE, 27-15.
Overbrook (1-5) vs. ML King (0-3) (Fri. 3, at G’Town)                 MLK, 20-18.
Fels (0-3) at Southern (0-5) (Fri. 3)                                               SO, 16-12.
Univ. City (3-2) at Edison (2-3) (Fri. 3)                                         TE, 25-20.
Lincoln (1-4) at West Philly (1-3) (Fri. 3)                                       AL, 24-12.
Valley Forge (1-3) at Penn Charter (3-1) (Fri. 3:45)                         PC, 20-14.
Haverford Sch. (0-5) at WC Rustin (2-3) (Fri. 7)                            WC, 21-14.
Frankford (2-1) at Gratz (0-5) (Sat. 11)                                          FRK, 38-12.
Comm. Tech (1-3) at William Penn (Sat. 11, at G’Town)                CT, 26-6.
Bonner (0-5) at SJ Prep (3-2) (Sat. 7, at G’Town)                           SJ, 45-0.
McDevitt (0-5) at Dougherty (2-3) (Sat. 7, at NE)                            BM, 27-21.
Kennedy-Kenrick (0-5) at Carroll (1-4) (Sat. 2, at Radnor)                AC, 35-6.
McDonogh (MD) (3-1) at Episcopal (3-1) (Sat. 12)                           McD, 20-17.
Chestnut Hill (4-0) at Lower Moreland (4-1) (Sat. 1:30)                     CH, 30-17.
Germantown Acad. (3-1) at St. Pius X (Roseto) (Sat. 1:30)                GA, 28-24.

(WEEK 5 – WEEK OF SEPT. 28)
Season Record: Huck (83-28, .748) -37 point differential
                            Puck (80-31, .721)
Last week: Huck (19-6) -52 point differential  
                    Puck (17-8)  
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (14-6, .700)
Best of the Rest: (4-1)   (13-7, .650)
Others: (12-3)   (56-15, .789)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (6-2)  (35-13, .729)
PL Teams: (11-2)  (41-11, .788)
I-A Teams: (2-3)  (12-6, .667)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
Imhotep over Overbrook (18-14, 18-12), Northeast over ML King (30-6, 30-0), & Neumannn-Goretti over Kennedy-Kenrick (30-13, 28-7).
  Huck's Comment: "I was quite pleased with my productive performance last weekend, but unlike Coach Reid against the NY Giants, I will keep my foot on the pedal and try to put the Puckster away with another solid week of picking. A three-win cushion just isn’t enough when you’re dealing with man of Puck’s talents, not to mention unlimited resources. I expect this grizzled vet to pull out all of the stops. Including in this is the actual fixing of games. Yes! The man is scandalous, and when in a bind he’ll resort to unimaginable measures to get a W. So, with this mind I caution all of those who coach or play for the teams that Puck chooses opposite of me – Get caller ID!!!"
HUCK’S GEMS
George Washington (3-1) at Northeast (1-2) (Fri, 6)                             GW, 20-7.
St. Joe’s Prep (2-2) at Ryan (2-2) (Sat, 1 at GW)                                 SJP, 34-7.
LaSalle (4-0) at Father Judge (3-1) (Sat, 7 at NE)                                 FJ, 24-21.
Neumann-Goretti (2-2) at Carroll (1-3) (Sat, 2 at Radnor)                     AC, 29-20.
Gratz (0-4) at Dobbins (1-2) (Fri, 3)                                                    MD, 25-19.
BEST OF THE REST
O’Hara (1-3) at North Catholic (2-2) (Sat, 1 at FRK)                             OH, 27-15.
Conwell-Egan at McDevitt (0-4) (Sat, 6 at Gtn)                                      CE, 20-14.
St. Pius X (Roseto) (4-0) at Chestnut Hill (3-0) (Sat, 1:30)                     SP, 28-24.
Peddie (0-1) at Malvern (2-0) (Sat, 2)                                                      MP, 28-7.
Hun School (2-0) at Penn Charter (2-1) (Sat, 12)                                    PC, 16-10.
OTHERS
Friere (0-3) at Franklin (3-1) (Thur, 3)                                                     BF, 34-6.
Germantown (0-4) at Frankford (1-1) (Fri, 3)                                          FRK, 40-12.
Mastbaum (2-2) at Central (2-1) (Fri, 3)                                                  CEN, 28-12.
Roxborough (4-0) at Overbrook (1-3) (Thur, 3 at G'town)                       ROX, 20-16.                                         
Bartram (3-0) at ML King (0-2) (Fri, 6 at G’Town)                                JB, 30-6.
Southern (0-4) at Lincoln (0-4) (Fri, 3)                                                    AL, 29-12.
West Philly (1-2) at Olney (3-0) (Fri, 3)                                                  OL, 22-12.
Univ. City (2-2) at Fels (0-2) (Fri, 3 at NE)                                              UC, 28-6.
Roman (3-1) at Bonner (0-4) (Fri, 7:30, at U. Darby)                               RC, 27-7.
Kennedy-Kenrick (0-4) at Wood (3-1) (Fri, 7)                                         AW, 42-0.
Edison (2-2) at Bristol (3-1) (Fri, 7)                                                          BR, 23-12.
West Catholic (1-3) at Dougherty (2-2) (Sat, 1 at NE)                             WC, 36-19.
E. Pennsboro (1-3) at Germ. Academy (2-1) (Sat, 1:30)                           GA, 20-14.
Boy’s Latin (MD) (4-0) at Haverford Sch. (0-4) (Sat, 1)                           BL, 30-14.
Episcopal (2-1) at WC Rustin (2-2) (Sat, 1)                                               EA, 27-10.
Imhotep (2-2) at William Penn (0-1) (Fri, 3 at G’Town)                           IM, 32-6.
Comm. Tech (1-2) at Bok (3-0) (Fri, 3)                                                      BK, 36-6.

(WEEK 4 – WEEK OF SEPT. 21)

Huck's Note: "Only one game separates the Puckster and yours truly after three weeks. And now that the games are getting into league play, picking these things tend to get a little easier. It also gets a little easier for all the local high school writers, as Puck doesn’t need to haunt them for insight and selections as frequently. Amazingly, the man who is one of the few in these parts that actually sports a Siena hoops shirt holds a slim fifteen-point lead in the closest-to-the-score category. Yes, this marks the first time ever he has held a lead in this department in our yearly battles. Is it possible that he has somehow figured out a unique mathematical formula to pick the scores? Could a sequel to a Beautiful Mind be coming to a theater near you? Makes me think . . . hmm, which Hollywood actor would play Puck on the big screen? Certainly not Russell Crowe! Let me ponder – I got it! It’s either Philip Hoffman Seymour as he was in Boogie Nights. You remember the disheveled, tank-top and tight short wearing guy. If not him, it could only be one other character. Pulp Fiction – Bring out the Gimp!!!"
Season Record: Huck (64-22, .744)
                            Puck (63-23, .733) -15 point differential
Last week: Huck (22-8)  
                    Puck (22-8)   -62 point differential
Huck’s Gems: (3-2)   (11-4, .733)
Best of the Rest: (2-3)   (9-6, .600)
Others: (17-3)   (44-12, .786)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (9-3)  (29-11, .725)
PL Teams: (10-4)  (30-9, .769)
I-A Teams: (5-1)  (10-3, .769)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
   Edison over Southern (26-8, 21-6), Univ. City over Freire (29-6, 19-6), CR-North over Conwell-Egan (31-13, 34-6), North Penn over Carroll (21-14, 24-7), Wissahickon over Germ. Academy (24-14, 28-17), Malvern over WC Henderson (26-10, 31-7), Bartram over William Penn (34-6, 32-6), North Catholic over McDevitt (27-13, 27-14), Chestnut Hill over Lawrenceville (21-14, 21-19), & Father Judge over Neumann-Goretti (27-13, 35-14).
HUCK’S GEMS
Father Judge (2-1) at O’Hara (1-2) (Fri., 7 at Marple)                          OH, 20-14.
Wood (2-1) at Carroll (1-2) (Fri., 7:30 at Radnor)                                AW, 24-14.
Chestnut Hill (2-0) at George Washington (3-0) (Fri., 3:30)                  GW, 27-23.
Roman (3-0) at SJ Prep (1-20 (Sat., 7 at P-W)                                    SJ, 27-10.
North (2-1) at LaSalle (3-0) (Sat., 1)                                                   LS, 38-13.
BEST OF THE REST
Penn Charter (1-1) at Peddie (0-0) (NJ) (Fri., 4)                                  PC, 26-14.
Bartram (2-0) at Germantown (0-3) (Fri., 6)                                        JB, 20-18.
Conwell-Egan (0-3) at Dougherty (2-1) (Sat., 7 at NE)                         CD, 28-21.
Mastbaum (2-1) at Bok (2-0) (Fri., 3)                                                  BK, 24-12.
Dobbins (1-1) at Chichester (1-2) (Fri., 7)                                           CC, 26-12.
OTHERS
Franklin (2-1) at Central (2-0) (Thur., 3)                                             CE, 36-12.
Overbrook (1-2) at Imhotep (1-2) (Thur., 7 at G’Town)                       IM, 18-14.
Fels (0-1) at Olney (2-0) (Fri., 3)                                                         OL, 29-6.
Univ. City (1-2) at Southern (0-3) (Thu., 3)                                           UC, 22-6.
Edison (1-2) at West Philly (1-1) (Fri., 3)                                              TE, 14-12.
Lincoln (0-3) at Roxborough (3-0) (Fri., 3 at NE)                                   RX, 20-16.
Germ. Academy (1-1) at Lawrenceville (0-1) (Fri., 3:30)                        LA, 27-17.
ML King (0-1) at Northeast (0-2) (Fri., 6)                                             NE, 30-6.
Gratz (0-3) at Interboro (2-1) (Fri., 7)                                                   IB, 41-8.
Bonner (0-3) at Ryan (1-2) (Sat., 1)                                                      AR, 20-7.
McDevitt (0-3) at West Catholic (0-3) (Sun., 2)                                      WC, 27-7.
Upper Perkiomen (3-0) at Frankford (0-1) (Sat., 11)                              FK, 20-10.
Haverford Sch. (0-3) St. Pius X (Roseto) (Sat., 12)                                SP, 34-14.
Hill School (0-1) at Episcopal (2-0) (Sat., 2:30)                                       EA, 27-13.
Kennedy-Kenrick (0-3) at Neumann-Goretti (Sat, 1 at Southern)             NG, 30-13.

(WEEK 3 – WEEK OF SEPT. 14)
Note:
Season Record: Huck (42-14, .750) -47 point differential
                            Puck (41-15, .732)
Last week: Huck (26-6)   -20 point differential
                    Puck (25-7)
Huck’s Gems: (4-1)   (8-2, .800)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)   (7-3, .700)
Others: (18-4)   (27-9, .750)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (11-3)  (20-8, .714)
PL Teams: (12-2)  (20-5, .800)
I-A Teams: (5-1)  (5-2, .714)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
  Central over Lincoln (27-8, 20-7), Franklin over Mastbaum (18-8, 20-6), Pennsbury over Frankford (24-6, 22-0), Neshaminy over Ryan (28-6, 27-7), Episcopal over Chichester (21-13, 20-6), Roman over Milford (25-14, 31-13), & St. John’s over West Catholic (20-13, 29-13).
HUCK’S GEMS
George Washington (2-0) at Bensalem (1-1) (Fri., 7)                         BE, 24-13.
Carroll (1-1) at North Penn (0-2) (Fri., 7)                                         NP, 21-14.
LaSalle (2-0) at West Catholic (0-2) (Fri., 7 at Widener)                    LS, 24-7.
Roman (2-0) at Valley Forge (1-0) (Sat., 1)                                      VF, 17-13.
Neumann-Goretti (1-1) at Father Judge (1-1) (Sat., 7 at NE)              FJ, 27-13.
BEST OF THE REST
Roxborough (2-0) at Ben Franklin (2-0) (Thurs., 3)                           BF, 20-14.
O’Hara (1-1) vs. Colerain (OH) (3-0) (Fri., 8:30 – at Cincinnati)         CO, 30-14.
WC Henderson (1-1) at Malvern (1-0) (Sat., 1)                                 MP, 26-10.
Ryan (0-2) at Wood (2-0) (Sat., 1)                                                   AW, 28-14.
SJ Prep (1-1) vs. Hilliard-Davidson (3-0) (Sat., 2 – at Massillon)         SJ, 24-20.
OTHERS
Olney (0-1) at Lincoln (0-2) (Fri., 3)                                                 AL, 28-6.
Southern (0-2) at Edison (0-2) (Fri., 3)                                              ED, 26-8.
West Philly (0-1) at Fels (0-0) (Fri., 6, at NE)                                    WP, 19-0.
Imhotep (0-2) at ML King (0-0) (Fri., 3, at G’Town)                          MLK, 25-12.
Simon Gratz (0-2) at Central (1-0) (Fri., 3)                                         Cen, 26-12.
Univ. City (0-2) at Friere (0-2) (Fri., 3, at W. Phila.)                           UC, 29-6.
Doughery (1-1) at Academy NC (1-0) (Fri., 3:45)                                CD, 26-18.
Germantown (0-2) at Neshaminy (1-1) (Fri., 6)                                   NS, 31-6.
Mastbaum (1-1) at Comm. Tech (1-1) (Fri., 6 at G’Town)                   MS, 26-19.
Dobbins (1-1) at William Tennett (1-1) (Fri. 7)                                    WT, 33-12.
Northeast (0-2) at Abington (1-1) (Fri., 7)                                           AB, 28-7.
Harriton (2-0) at Kennedy-Kenrick (0-2) (Fri., 7)                                 HA, 20-14.
CR North (2-0) at Conwell-Egan (0-2) (Fri., 7)                                    CR, 31-13.
Germantown Acad. (1-0) at Wissahickon (2-0) (Fri., 7)                        WI, 24-14.
Overbrook (1-1) at Episcopal (1-0) (Sat., 11)                                       EA, 27-6.
Bok (1-0) at Haverford School (0-2) (Sat., 12)                                     BK, 20-13.
Penn Charter (0-1) at McDonogh (MD) (1-0) (Sat., 12)                        MD, 17-10.
Bartram (1-0) at William Penn (0-0) (Sat., 1)                                       JB, 34-6.
McDevitt (0-2) at North Catholic (1-1) (Sat., 1 at FRK)                        NC, 27-13.
Lawrenceville (0-0) at Chestnut Hill (1-0) (Sat., 2:30)                           CH, 21-14.
Pennridge (1-1) at Bonner (0-2) (Sat., 7:30)                                         PN, 27-7.

(WEEK 2 – WEEK OF SEPT. 8)
   Huck's comment: "Well, the Puckster needed a 37-yard halfback pass from Upper Moreland with four-seconds left to post a tie with me this weekend. Amazing!! Is it possible that Puck was in the Conwell-Egan secondary distracting them? The answer to that question, yes!! Anything is possible with this individual. Sorry, but no previews this week. Too much going on and not enough time to critique this week’s action."
Last week: Huck (16-8)   -27 point differential
                    Puck (16-8)
Huck’s Gems: (4-1)
Best of the Rest: (3-2)
Others: (9-5)
Games Involving:
CL Teams: (9-5)
PL Teams: (8-3)
I-A Teams: (0-1)
Near Misses: (Actual score in BOLD)
GW over Dougherty (26-16, 27-12), Dobbins over Lincoln (19-8, 14-6), LaSalle over P-W (24-10, 29-8), Upper Darby over Bonner (20-7, 20-14), Ben Franklin over Univ. City (20-6, 22-0), Norristown over Northeast (23-14, 17-14), and DeMatha over Germantown (46-6, 49-0).
HUCK’S GEMS
Southern (0-1) at Bok (0-0) (Thur 3                                                 Bok, 29-6.
North Penn (0-1) at O’Hara (0-1) (Fri. 7:30, at Widener)                   OH, 22-17.
Wood (1-0) at Penn Charter (0-0) (Sat. 12)                                       AW, 24-10.
Father Judge (0-1) at Northeast (0-1) (Sat. 7:30)                                FJ, 27-14.
SJ Prep (1-0) at Don Bosco (NJ) (Fri 8)                                            SJ, 17-13.
BEST OF THE REST
Frankford (0-0) at Pennsbury (1-0) (Fri. 6)                                          PS, 24-6.
Chestnut Hill (0-0) at Dobbins (1-0) (Sat. 12)                                      CH, 23-14.
Conwell-Egan (0-1) at North Catholic (0-1) (Sat. 1, at Frankford)         C-E, 26-20.
West Catholic (0-1) at St. John’s (DC) (Sat. 2)                                    SJ, 20-13.
Neumann-Goretti (1-0) at LaSalle (1-0) (Sat. 7, Spring.-Montco)          LS, 32-8.
OTHERS
Univ. City (0-1) at Roxborough (1-0) (Thur. 3)                                      RX, 20-8.
Freire Charter (0-1) at Olney (0-0) (Fri. 3)                                             OL, 22-6.
Lincoln (0-1) vs. Central (0-0) (Fri. 3, at NE)                                        CE, 27-8.
Mastbaum (1-0) at Franklin (1-0) (Fri. 3)                                               BF, 18-8.
Overbrook (1-0) at George Washington (1-0) (Fri. 3)                              GW, 29-12.
Edison (0-1) at Academy NC (0-0) (Fri. 3:15)                                        TE, 12-7.
Germantown (0-1) at Coatesville (1-0) (Fri. 7)                                        CV, 38-6.
Simon Gratz (0-1) at Glen Mills (0-1) (Fri. 7)                                         GM, 30-6.
Kennedy-Kenrick (0-1) at Wissahickon (1-0) (Fri. 7)                              WI, 21-13.
Dougherty (0-1) at Bristol (1-0) (Fri. 7)                                                  BR, 28-20.
Ryan (0-1) at Neshaminy (0-1) (Fri. 7)                                                   NS, 28-6.
Episcopal (0-0) at Chichester (1-0) (Fri. 7)                                              EA, 21-13.
Interboro (0-1) vs. Bonner (0-1) (Fri. TBA)                                            IB, 23-13.
Upper Merion (1-0) at Carroll (0-10 (Sat. 11, at Radnor)                          AC, 26-21.
Imhotep (0-1) at Jenkintown (0-1) (Sat. 1)                                               JT, 20-6.
West Philly (0-0) at Bartram (0-0) (Sat. 1)                                               JB, 16-6.
Malvern (0-0) at Chester (0-1) (Sat. 1)                                                     MP, 31-6.
McDevitt (0-1) at Cheltenham (0-1) (Sat. 12)                                            CH, 23-20.
Roman (1-0) at Milton-Hershey (NA) (Sat. 1:30)                                      RC, 25-14.
Comm. Tech. at Tower Hill (DE) (Sat. 2)                                                CT, 19-14.
Haverford Sch. (0-1) at Harriton (1-0) (Sat. 2)                                          HA, 19-17.
Germantown Acad. (0-0) at Ballou (DC) (0-1) (Sat. 3:45)                          BA, 23-17.

(WEEK 1 – WEEK OF SEPT. 1)
   Note: Another season is upon us and once again I will be going head-to-head with the Puckster.
Don’t let his ramblings fool you, he’ll once again be going for my throat, calling every high school
football writer in the tri-state area for suggestions, ideas, information, and yes – Picks!!! He’s
probably right too, West could win the CL Red and the Prep would be lucky to stay within two
touchdowns of them. Wow, where does he get his summertime info??? Is it possible that the man
has lost even a few more screws??? I could’ve sworn that toolbox was bare!!! I guess not, as with
each passing season his comments get even more and more bizarre.
CONFUCIOUS HE IS NOT!!!!

HUCK’S GEMS
Dougherty at George Washington (Fri. 2:30)
     For the second straight year the Eagles and Cardinals will take flight to start the season. Last year GW walked away with a 35-14 victory. The Eagles return what could be one of the more formidable backfields in the Public League in Fateen Brown and Cecil Wise. Brown rushed for 934 yards and 9 TD’s last season, while Wise mixed in an additional 355 yards and six scores on just 45 lugs. They’ll have an experienced offensive line to run behind too, as four starters return from last year’s squad. Included among them is Chris Clanton, who also doubles as a force at defensive end. Chris Riley will make his CL debut as the head coach for Dougherty and expect the Cardinals to be much more organized if nothing else. There is some talent returning for the Cards too in jr. QB Phil Baxter who threw for 742 yards and six touchdowns last season. RB Sean R. Williams is a tough runner who notched 697 yards of rushing and receiving. WR Roberto Townsend is a serious leaper and produced 259 yards on just 15 grabs a year ago. LB’s Matthew Bryan and Charles Gladman spearhead the defense. There should be no shortage of athletes in this tilt and weather permitting this tilt could be enjoyable and competitive. I expect Dougherty to be improved, but knocking off the Eagles this early might be a little much to ask. Eagles soar 26-16.
St. Joe’s Prep at Neshaminy (Fri. 7)
     The defending CL Red champs will once again travel to Langhorne to tackle SE PA toughie Neshaminy. The Hawks should once again be excellent on offense where D-1 prospect QB Chris Whitney returns. All he did last year was run and throw for nearly 2,000 yards, while accounting for 25 touchdowns. Jr. RB Jamir Livingston will handle the bulk of the rushing duties and rushed for 1,076 yards and 14 scores after taking over for John Shaw four games into the season. Aside from Whitney and Livingston the Hawks strength might just lie on the offensive line where three starters return. Defensively, Neil Doogan moved from DE to MLB and he will look to anchor this unit. The Hawks bested the Redskins last season 28-14 in a game that wasn’t that close. Neshaminy does return QB Andrew Flogel, but his main weapon, the multi-purpose Kitt Anderson, who is bound for Temple might be out with an injury. The Redskins are said to be extremely young, but a school with their pedigree doesn’t necessarily rebuild, but more so reloads. I think the Hawks can be special this year and with Anderson out, along with a bunch of new starters for the ‘Skins on defense, look for the Hawks offense to soar. Prep prances, 33-10.
Carroll at Coatesville (Fri. 7)
     Last season in the opener for both squads Coatesville handled the Pats rather convincingly, 28-7. However, that was last season and this year Carroll will once again travel to Chester County, but this time with a slew of experienced seniors. QB Matt Cantafio (11 TD passes) quietly accumulated 1,006 yards on just 55 completions. His favorite target was WR Wiley Flowers (23-432-5). The backfield will feature the speedy Brent Christie among others. There is no doubt that offensively the Pats thrive on the big play and this year should be no different. Anchoring both sides of the line of scrimmage is the mammoth Jordan Faust and John Pettine. LB Kevin Truitt and DB Ellis Rogers should be stalwarts on defense. Coatesville was a state playoff team last season. They return D-1 prospect DE Derrick Morgan and QB Scott O’Hara. The Red Raiders usually have a nice blend of power and speed and this year should be no different. I expect a much closer contest than last year’s. This Carroll squad has high hopes and they definitely want to get off to an encouraging start. Still, Coatesville will be no pushover. Coatesville contains, 24-20.
West Catholic vs. Roman (Sat. 11, at Wildwood)
     For the sixth straight season the Burrs and Cahillites will open their seasons in Wildwood. Roman was victorious in the first three games, but the Burrs have rebounded nicely with identical 14-0 wins in the past two years. Both teams return some quality players with plenty of experience, but both also will be using a handful of younger kids. This should definitely make for an interesting battle. West is led by D-1 hopeful Anthony Rhoades, who will move from DE to LB. LB Marc Holloway, DE/OL Isiah Edmond, and LB Marquese Sanders are a couple of other headliners for the Burrs speedy defense. Offensively, jr. QB Eric Brennan (862 yards, 12 TDs) returns, as does the Catholic League’s leading rusher Dennis Shaw, who amassed 1,568 yards and 16 TD’s. Roman’s headliners are QB Chris Johnson, LB Matt Marcinek, DB/WR Dom Joseph, and DT Jewhan Edwards. Johnson possesses a big-time deep arm that saw him torch Roxborough for 201 yards and 4 TD’s in his only start last season. Joseph can be a playmaker on both sides of the ball and in the return game. Edwards is a quality prospect, but he has been slowed during camp with high blood pressure. This has kept him from practicing and could limit his snaps come Saturday. I think this game will once again be a defensive tussle. The team that scores first probably has a great chance of winning. In fact, overtime could be a distinct possibility. Burrs barely, 8-7.
North Catholic vs. Neumann-Goretti (Sat. 4, at Wildwood)
     The Falcons and Saints will continue their annual beach battle when they meet this Saturday in Wildwood. Both of these squads will be hoping to make vast improvements this season, and both know that it all begins with this game. The Saints wilted the Falcons last year 19-0. They are led by sr. QB Mark Hatty who tossed 13 TD’s and 1,248 yards last year. He’ll be throwing to a new crew of WR’s, so he may have to rely on the running of returning fullbacks Anthony Davis and Mark McPherson until a wide out develops. This duo combined for 1,039 yards and 12 TD’s, with McPherson supplying nine of the scores. The Falcons will come and go as Temple-recruit Daryl Robinson does. This kid is a threat every time he touches the ball and only needs a crack to get into the open. Last season he accumulated 762 yards rushing and receiving, and added five interceptions on defense. His secondary mate and primary back-up in the backfield is Rich Cruz, who also possesses a set of skills to do damage. At QB will be sophomore Dennis Logue who had an encouraging freshman campaign with 539 yards and 5 TD’s. LB Chris James will provide toughness on defense. I think this can a fun game and I expect both teams to be improved from a year ago. The Saints would be smart to keep an eye on Robinson and to control the ball with their bruising fullbacks. Saints squeek, 20-19.
BEST OF THE REST
Dobbins at Lincoln (Fri. 3)                                                          MD, 19-8.
LaSalle at Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Fri. 7)                                      LS, 24-10.
O’Hara at Easton (Fri. 7)                                                             OH, 20-13.
Bonner vs. Upper Darby (Fri. 7, at Marple-Newtown)                   UD, 20-7.
Wood at North Penn (Fri. 2)                                                        NP, 28-10.
OTHERS
Simon Gratz at Lower Moreland (Fri. 10)                                    SG, 20-16.
Edison at Roxborough (Fri. 1)                                                     RO, 12-8.
Mastbaum vs. Southern (Fri. 3, at Northeast)                               JM, 14-6.
University City at Ben Franklin (Fri. 3)                                       BF, 20-6.
Bartram at Ferris (Del.)                                                              canceled
Norristown at Northeast (Fri. 7)                                                  N’Town, 23-14.
McDevitt at Wissahickon (Fri. 3)                                                WI, 28-13.
Father Judge at Council Rock-North (Fri. 3)                                CRN, 26-20.
Conwell-Egan at Upper Moreland (Fri. 1)                                    C-E, 26-7.
Ryan at Pennsbury (Fri. 3)                                                         PS, 30-13.
Freire Charter at Bristol (Fri. 7)                                                   forfeit, Bristol wins
Communications Tech at Jenkintown (Sat. 11)                             JK, 15-6.
Imhotep at St. Pius X (Roseto) (Sat. 1)                                        SPR, 35-8.
Kennedy-Kenrick at St. Pius X (Pottstown) (Sat. 1)                      K-K, 19-6.
Overbrook at Haverford School (Sat. 1)                                       HS, 19-6.
Germantown at DeMatha (Md.) (Sat. 2)                                       DE, 46-6.