Can you feel it? The time has come when the pressures and stresses of practices are coming to a point where the tension is so thick, it could span a bridge and allow the teams to travel across the bridge to compete on the gridiron against an opponent that is declared the enemy for a short time on a Friday night.
The emotions that are flooded out by the fans, bands, families and athlete’s are priceless. The moments that will be forgotten, might be remembered by a teammate or opponent, it is one of the greatest times of the year. The sport of football is controlled chaos and violence that is legal in all 50 states of the United States of America. Is there anything better?
In my opinion, Football is one of the greatest games on the face of the planet. The stories and memories that stick in a person’s mind for a year or upwards of 50 years is astounding; considering the amount of time lapse, the amount of detail that is remembered is amazing. I am just a little biased, considering football has always been a big time love for me, I am not sure but my heart might be shaped like a football, and the love of the game just pumps throughout my arteries and veins.
I have recently received an email that has an extended music video for Kenny Chesney’s new single, entitled, “The Boys of Fall,” if that doesn’t get a football fan and/or player’s blood pumping and emotions forced to the forefront, I am not sure anything would liven up you from your comatose state.
For all the football experts in the TRIBUNE-area, I am challenging each and everyone of you to predict more winners in the Football Fever contest than I can predict. If I got the Football Fever and it running rampant all over America, if you don’t already have it, you better catch it.
Listed below are my in-depth selections followed by my list of expert picks from all over the state of Nebraska and surrounding area.
Gothenburg vs. Ord
This contest should be a hard fought battle within seven points, for the whole first half. In the second half the ground and pound along with the blazing speed and quickness of the Swedes will reign.
Gothenburg 34 Ord 13
Lexington vs. Gering
The two teams dueled twice last season. Gering was the victor in both contests. Lexington will still utilize the spread offense and be running and gunning throughout the contest, whereas the pass first offense of the Bulldogs is being put on the shelf to showcase their stellar running game, in an option style attack. Not all of the bugs will be worked out of the running attack of the Dawgs and they will fall at home, in a close one.
Lexington 17 Gering 14
Cozad vs. Ogallala
A good ole fashioned SWC gridiron battle. Ogallala drops down from the Class B ranks, but doesn't have a drop off in talent. Cozad returns multiple starters that have been in Haymaker threads through the good times, and hopefully those elite times return during the 2010 season. Against the Indians, in the opener, the Haymakers use a potent ground attack and attempt to grind out the clock but don't quite have enough to outdistance the Class B 'big boys' that have dropped down.
Ogallala 21 Cozad 14
Remaining picks from throughout the state:
Chadron over Alliance
Arapahoe over Axtell
David City Aquinas over Weeping Water
Fremont Bergan over Homer
Auburn over Nebraska City
Bellevue West over Bellevue East
Bennington over Elkhorn South
Omaha Skutt over Blair
Broken Bow over St. Paul
Sutherland over Chase County
Kearney over Columbus
Millard North over Creighton Prep
Burwell over Elm Creek
Lawrence/Nelson over Exeter/Milligan
Fairbury over Minden
Grand Island over Norfolk
UNK over Wayne State
Lincoln North Star over Lincoln East
Lincoln NE over Fremont
Lincoln Pius X over Omaha Gross
Lincoln SE over Lincoln SW
PLV South over Papillion LaVista
Pawnee City over Johnson-Brock
Wahoo Neumann over Platteview
South Sioux City over Plattsmouth
Wallace over Potter-Dix
Milford over Raymond Central
Hampton over Red Cloud
Silver Lake over Dorchester
Schuyler over Hastings
Aurora over Seward
Adams Central over Sidney
North Platte over Lincoln High
Millard South over Omaha Westside
Millard West over Omaha North
