Chick’s Picks gets out the crystal ball for Week Zero

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, August 23, 2018 | 4:03 PM

The man, the myth, the legend: Week Zero is here. You may be asking yourself — what exactly is Week Zero anyway?

Week Zero offers WPIAL high school football teams an opportunity to either schedule a scrimmage or a nonconference game. For Chick’s Picks, however, Week Zero means she had better have her trusty crystal ball polished and ready to make some predictions.

As Chick’s Picks kicks off her 19th season as a prognosticator, she could not help but wonder if some of her rivals would be making the leap to Week Zero predictions, or if they would wait out the storm for Week 1. She of course could not blame them for holding out another week. After all, a newbie prognosticator could jeopardize his entire season if Week Zero predictions go awry. These are concerns not had by the veteran Chick’s Picks.

Speaking of men, myths, and legends, Chick’s Picks could not believe her eyes when she saw that The Boss (aka Don Rebel) has finally taken his first steps into social media — only two decades in the making. You can catch him on Twitter @TheDonRebel — a fitting handle for such a man, myth and legend.

Here are Chick’s Picks’ bold predictions for Week Zero:

(No. 5 2A) Charleroi Cougars at (A) Monessen Greyhounds

Monessen opens its season playing host to bitter rival Charleroi on Friday night. The Greyhounds will look to improve on last season’s 3-8 record and a 49-0 loss to Jeannette in the WPIAL Class A first round. Charleroi finished last season at 9-2 after falling to Avonworth, 21-12, in the WPIAL Class 2A first round. The Greyhounds return RB Vaughan Taylor who missed most of last season with an injury. The Cougars will be led once again by standout QB Gino Pelligrini, who threw for more than 2,000 yards last season. When these two opened last season against each other, Charleroi rolled to a 35-13 victory. Chick’s Picks predicts a similar result in this year’s edition.

Charleroi over Monessen.

(3A) Derry Trojans at (5A) Latrobe Wildcats

The Trojans head to nearby Latrobe Memorial Stadium to take on the Wildcats in a nonconference showdown Friday night. Derry will hope to pick up where it left off last season, finishing with a 9-2 record and an Interstate Conference title. The Trojans advanced to the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by Quaker Valley, 51-29. The Wildcats finished last season with a 4-6 record, falling short of the postseason. Derry will be challenged early in this one as it deals with preseason injuries to key players in its running game. Latrobe will rely on QB Brandon Crosby to replace recent graduate Jason Armstrong. When these two met last season, the Trojans came away with a 29-14 win. Chick’s Picks predicts a closer contest this time around.

Latrobe over Derry.

(No. 1 5A) Gateway Gators at (No. 4 6A) Mt. Lebanon Blue Devils

Gateway kicks off its season from high atop the Class 5A rankings. The Gators will take on the Class 6A powerhouse Blue Devils in nonconference action Friday night. Gateway finished last season with a 14-2 record. The Gators claimed WPIAL Class 5A gold after knocking off Penn-Trafford, 49-30, then advanced to the PIAA title game before falling to Archbishop Wood, 49-14. Mt. Lebanon wrapped up last season with a 6-5 record. The Blue Devils were knocked out of the WPIAL Class 6A quarterfinals by North Allegheny, 38-14. The Gators have big shoes to fill at quarterback after losing 4,600-yard passer Brady Walker to graduation. Returning for the Gators are WR Courtney Jackson and RB Derrick Davis, who combined for 38 touchdowns last season. Chick’s Picks predicts that the Gators will come on strong and take down the Class 6A giant Blue Devils.

Gateway over Mt. Lebanon.

(5A) Penn-Trafford Warriors at (No. 5 6A) Norwin Knights

Norwin welcomes neighborhood rival Penn-Trafford in a nonconference battle Friday night. The Knights are coming off of a 5-6 season where they fell to Pine-Richland in the Class 6A quarterfinals, 49-14. The Warriors, on the other hand, advanced to the Class 5A title game before falling to Gateway, 21-16, and finishing the season with a 11-2 record. Norwin will feature senior RB/DB Jayvon Thrift, a Division I recruit with 10 offers already. Thrift was responsible for 79 tackles last season. Penn-Trafford will need to fill a big void after losing QB Cam Laffoon to graduation. Junior running back Caleb Libson, also a D1 prospect, rushed for 814 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Warriors last season. When these two met last year, Penn-Trafford edged Norwin, 3-0. Chick’s Picks thinks this year’s edition could go either way.

Norwin over Penn-Trafford.

(2A) Seton LaSalle Rebels at (No. 4 3A) Keystone Oaks Golden Eagles

Dormont Stadium will be the site as Seton LaSalle takes on Keystone Oaks in nonconference action Friday night. The Rebels wrapped up last season with a 9-2 record, and fell to Quaker Valley, 40-7, in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals. Since then, Seton LaSalle has moved to Class 2A and joined the Three Rivers Conference. The Golden Eagles fell short of the playoffs last season, finishing the year at 5-4. Keystone Oaks looks to build on last year’s winning record, however, behind sophomore quarterback Logan Shrubb, who passed for 1,280 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. The Golden Eagles also return seven starters on both sides of the ball, including 1,000-yard rusher Michael Daure. When these two met last season during Class 3A Allegheny Conference play, Seton LaSalle snuck past Keystone Oaks, 24-21. Chick’s Picks predicts the Golden Eagles will get revenge this time around.

Keystone Oaks over Seton-LaSalle.

(No. 3 4A) South Fayette Lions at (No. 5 5A) Upper St. Clair Panthers

The Panthers host the Lions in a nonconference showdown between Class 4A and 5A powerhouses Friday night. Upper St. Clair finished last season with an 8-4 record, advanced to the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals, and fell to Penn-Trafford, 35-14. South Fayette wrapped up last season with a 35-27 loss to Montour and finished the year at 11-1. The Lions kick off this season on a 57-game regular-season winning streak. That streak could be in jeopardy, though, as South Fayette looks to replace several key players from last year’s squad. QB Drew Saxton passed for 2,749 yards and 33 touchdowns, while RB Johnny Beck and WR Noah Place combined for 2,000 yards. This replacement talent will undoubtedly be challenged by an ever-talented Jim Render squad. Chick’s Picks predicts that the Panthers come away with a victory in this once.

Upper St. Clair over South Fayette.

Nonconference

Central Catholic over Erie Cathedral Prep

West Toronto Prep, Canada over Peters Township

North Catholic over Albert Gallatin

Kiski Area over Allderdice

McGuffey over Ambridge

Armstrong over Indiana

Avonworth over Neshannock

Bentworth over Brownsville

California over Beth-Center

Central Valley over Blackhawk