High School Football Predictions

I’ll never forget the exchange of conversations I had with a Gwinnett County football coach several years ago when I worked for a pictures-and-words outfit out of Atlanta (I think they’re in Dunwoody now).

“Scott,” the coach said of the weekly high school football prediction column I wrote. “Don’t pick us this week. You jinxed us last time.”

Sure enough, that happened, although I wouldn’t call it a jinx. I picked his team to win the week before against an inferior team, and the coach’s team played spectacularly awful and lost. His team’s inability to hold onto the ball had more to do with it than what I wrote.

OK, I said to the coach. Why not? It was an important game and I could be the bad guy and pick against his team. Result? His team won. He called to say thanks.

I then picked his team to win the next several games.

Later in the season, before another important game that could determine the region championship, I picked against his team again — this time, I meant it.

I talked to him the day the column ran.

“Scott, you picked against us? C’mon,” he joked, adding that his team was on a roll and could’ve used the extra boost of confidence for the big game. The conversation was light-hearted, but I could tell he would have preferred a pick for his team.

“Hey, just tell them to prove me wrong,” I joked back.

Result? A resounding victory.

So, here we go again for another week of football predictions.  Last week, I was 21-3 in picking games for 12 Patch sites in four counties.

Will I jinx your team, or bring it good luck? You pick.

Stephenson at Cedar Grove (Hallford Stadium): Ground vs. Air. We’ll get to see these state-ranked teams figure out which is best in this one. Stephenson, ranked in AAAAA, likes to grind it out with RB Mike Davis leading the way. His 71-yard TD run against Parkview last week opened up a close game as the Jaguars won 14-3. Cedar Grove, ranked in the top 10 in Class AAA, is led by QB Johnathan McCrary, who passed for more than 3,000 yards last year. He had more than 300 yards and four TD passes last week in a 41-7 win over Veterans. Got to give the nod Stephenson and its 11 Division I prospects … and a championship-caliber defense. Stephenson 30, Cedar Grove 24.

Redan at Mays: This game has the makings of a shootout, based on last week’s results. Redan lost 42-41 to Lithonia in overtime, Mays beat Dunwoody 31-6. Mays looks more like the playoff team in this 6-AAAA game. Mays 34, Redan 28.

Scott Bernarde is the Associate Regional Editor for 12 Patch sites in DeKalb, Gwinnett, Fulton and Forsyth counties.