Chicks Picks – Week 7 – 2010

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, October 14, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Welcome to Week 7 of the high school football season. Chick's Picks wrapped up yet another week of near-perfect picking, correctly predicting 85% of last week's winners. She hopes that her recent streak of success, however, will not shed light on a sketchy time in her prognosticating past.

Many years ago when Chick's Picks was still an apprentice prognosticator, her mentors just knew that she was full of promise. Before long, the word had spread about this young, exceptionally gifted visionary. Agents were flocking over Chick's Picks, looking to scoop her up as a client before her career had even begun.

They offered Chick's Picks everything under the sun as signs of good will and promise for the chance to make her a star in the future. She never batted an eye at the lavish gifts or trips that were being dangled in front of her–until one came along that she could not resist. It was a brand new crystal ball, on its very on shiny platinum stand that was adorned with hundreds of sparkling jewels. This new crystal ball was much fancier than her trusty old one which sat on an rickety wooden stand that often splintered the fingers of Chick's Picks in the midst of her predicting.

A few short days later, however, the guilt (and the poor prognosticating) set in. Chick's Picks realized that the newer, fancier crystal ball had nothing on her treasured original. Chick's Picks sent it back to the crooked agent and ended any promise of a future partnership.

Since then, Chick's Picks thinks she's done just fine marketing her own career, especially after finishing last week with a 58-10 record. This brought her season total to 309-99 (76%). Here are this week's big games:

CLASS AAAA

#7 Gateway (4-2) at #1 Pittsburgh Central Catholic (6-0)

The top-ranked Vikings host the Gators at Carnegie Mellon University Thursday night in this Class AAAA non-conference showdown. Pittsburgh Central Catholic is coming off of a 33-6 romp of Plum last week, white Gateway shut out Hempfield, 33-0. These two last met in the 2007 WPIAL Championship, where the Vikings pulled off a 35-34 upset of the Gators. This season, Gateway got off to a slow start, dropping its first two games to Bishop McDevitt and Penn Hills. Pittsburgh Central Catholic has been dominant from the start, with its closest game a 15-point win over Penn Hills in Week 5. Chick's Picks thinks the Vikings will have the Gators' number again this time around.
Pittsburgh Central Catholic over Gateway.

CLASS AAA

#10 Trinity (4-2) at #2 Thomas Jefferson (5-1)

Seven weeks into the season, not much has changed in Class AAA–Thomas Jefferson is yet again near the top of the rankings. The Jaguars host the Hillers this week after a convincing 42-21 win over Chartiers Valley last week. Trinity jumped into the Top 10 this week after routing winless Elizabeth Forward, 23-0. Thomas Jefferson's only loss this season came to Cocoa (FL) in Week 1, and currently sit in control of the Big 8 Conference. Trinity is part of a three-way tie for second place, along with Belle Vernon and West Mifflin. Expect to see both sides lighting it up in the air in this one, as both Hillers QB Brad Martin and Jaguars QB Dom Presto each threw for over 130 yards and three TDs last week. Chick's Picks knows the Jags aren't having their typical dominant season, but it will still be plenty to stop the Hillers.
Thomas Jefferson over Trinity.

CLASS AA

#2 Aliquippa (6-0) at #4 Beaver (6-0)

The Quips and the Bobcats square off in this Midwestern Conference showdown Friday night. Aliquippa maintained its perfect record with a 29-7 win over Ellwood City last week. Beaver also remained undefeated after thumping Mohawk 37-7. When these two met last season, the Quips snuck by the Bobcats, 7-0. This time around, Aliquippa will face a much tougher test. Beaver's defense ranks among the best in the WPIAL, having allowed only 25 points all season. The Quips will rely on the experience of QB Mikal Hall, who threw for 170 yards and two TDs last week. Chick's Picks thinks this may be the closest the Quips come to being upset this season.
Aliquippa over Beaver.

CLASS A

#1 Clairton (6-0) at #9 Brentwood (5-1)

The Spartans will get a late-season, rude welcome into Class A Friday night as they host the top-ranked Bears in Black Hills Conference action. Making matters worse, Brentwood is coming off its first loss of the year, 21-7 to Chartiers-Houston–a team that Clairton routed, 48-0 in Week 4. The Bears, on the other hand, recorded their fourth shutout of the year last week, 60-0 over Bentworth. The defending WPIAL and PIAA Class A champs have not slacked at all since their title runs last year. Clairton currently ranks as the top offense and defense in the WPIAL, having outscored opponents 329-12. Chick's Picks thinks the Spartans could be the biggest test the Bears have faced this season, but still no more than a blip on the radar.
Clairton over Brentwood.

CLASS AAAA

Big East Conference:

Plum over Altoona

Penn Hills over Fox Chapel

Woodland Hills over Kiski Area

Foothills Conference:

Hempfield over Connellsville

Latrobe over Penn-Trafford

McKeesport over Norwin

Great Southern Conference:

Peters Township over Baldwin

Mount Lebanon over Bethel Park