THE CHOPPING BLOCK: Navigating small towns on the road

Week 9 picks

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Edtior 

sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

I don’t know where I’d be during these dark, late fall nights without my trusty phone GPS. Probably lost in some town north or south of here, or heck, in the middle of a cornfield. 

As I drove home from the Paton-Churdan volleyball match Tuesday night from Fort Dodge, I found myself deeply appreciating the good fortune we have to be able to call on GPS no matter where we are. 

It would be a scary thing to try and navigate some of these dark, windy roads late at night without it. 

So I hopped on Twitter to voice my satisifactioin, and boy did it ever start a healthy discussion. Mostly, it was my fellow journalists cracking jokes about hard copies of maps and asking for directions. But it got me thinking, how did you journalists, not even five years ago, manage to make it to and from all these tiny Iowa towns way off the beaten path? 

I know one thing, I’d never have made it home the other night. I did hit a deer a few months ago on my way home from Atlantic, that was scary. Thankfully it skidded right off my hood and kept going. The most surprising thing traveling to and from small towns all over north, west and central Iowa is that many high schools are a lot tougher to find than one would think. So, thanks again, GPS. 

What horror stories do you have trying to find your way in the dark back roads of Iowa? And no, they can’t include clowns.

On to business.

Gene Hicks of Scranton is our first back-to-back winner this week as he chose 16 correct picks and prevailed in the tie-breaker, predicting a total score of 851. The actual score was 914. Hicks’ only incorrect game was the Gilbert-Ballard game. He chose Gilbert and Ballard won, 49-41. 

Jim Last of Grand Junction secured second place with 16 correct picks and just one miss. He predicted a score of 987. 

There was a three-way tie for third at 15 correct picks and just two misses. 

Kenna Marquardt of Paton broke the tie with a total score prediction of 908. 

I, myself, went a brisk 14-3, moving my season record to 91-41-3. 

This is the last week for high school picks, so enjoy it while you can. 

 

WEEK 9

 

1. Greene County (1-7) at Ballard (5-3)

Greene County is hot off their first win of the year, but I don’t think they can keep up with the Bomber offense. 

2. Boone (7-1) at Webster City (7-1)

The game of the year in district two and I think Webster City pulls off the minor upset behind a stellar run game.

3. Gilbert (5-2) at Dallas Center-Grimes (5-3)

Gilbert has been a weird team to figure out, and DC-G seems to have a pretty good defense. But I’m taking the Tigers, they can outlast the Mustangs. 

4. Iowa Falls-Alden (3-5) at Perry (2-6)

We saw how bad Perry is last week, Iowa Falls-Alden, easily. 

5. Creston-O/M (8-0) at Carroll (8-0)

This is a real, real doozy. Flip a coin and you could be right. I’m going with Creston-O/M, they seem a little, just a tad, more consistent. 

6. Kuemper (7-1) at Southeast Valley (6-2)

I think Kuemper pulls this out, just thanks to their stellar defense. Should be low-scoring. 

7. Audubon (8-0) at Ar-We-Va (6-2)

Audubon has a slightly more balanced offense and I think that’s what ultimately gives them the edge. 

8. Glidden-Ralston (2-6) at Coon Rapids-Bayard (7-1)

This is a rivalry, but it shouldn’t be close. Too much physicality on defense and too much firepower on offense from CR-B. 

 

College

9. Wisconsin (-3.5) at Iowa 

The boys in Vegas really want the Hawk fans to jump on this line, but I don’t think they can do it. Purdue is trash. Last week’s win means little. 

10. Illinois (+36.5) at Michigan 

This game has moved almost 10 points. I’m taking Illinois, I think they can make it a 30 point game, I hope. 

11. Rutgers at Minnesota (-17)

Minnesota’s perfomance against Iowa was an outlier and Rutgers truly is that bad. Give me the Gophers. 

12. Purdue at Nebraska (-24)

As we saw last week, Purdue has a pathetic defense. The Cornhuskers run all over the Boilmakers.

13. Texas A&M (+18) at Alabama

I keep picking against Bama, I just don’t like the respect Vegas gives them. I should learn my lesson. 

14. Indiana (+1.5) at Northwestern 

I was hoping this would be a pick ‘em and it essentially is. Indiana has a pretty solid team and they finally get themselves another victory.

15. Arkansas (+9.5) at Auburn

The Hogs are such an up-and-down team, but I don’t think the Tigers have an offense to stay close. This is a weird line, I’m riding Woo Pig. 

16. Michigan State (-2) at Maryland 

Sparty has to get back on track sometime, right? Maryland is hot, steaming garbage. MSU in a landslide. 

17. Ohio State (-19.5) at Penn State

A night game at Happy Valley is usually worth five points, but Ohio State is mad now and they are ready to let loose after last week.

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