Birdie doing his part to keep A-K Valley safe for football

By: The Birdie
Thursday, October 15, 2020 | 1:46 PM

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Last Week: 8-2 (80%)

Overall Record: 41-8 (84%)

With the cancellation of games around the area this past week due to the coronavirus, the Birdie, whose desk is covered in old food wrappers, empty water bottles and year-old newspapers, went on a cleaning spree like no other.

By the end of the day, he had gone through three bottles of hand sanitizer and two cartons of cleaning wipes. He even took a play out of the old Kiski Area playbook and installed an automatic desk sanitizer.

The Birdie’s boss asked him who paid for the new cleaning technology, but he wasn’t talking.

“I obtained it on a don’t-ask, don’t-tell basis, sir,” Birdie said. “It’s all for the good of high school football though. I’m just doing my part.”

Freeport was one of the first A-K Valley teams to have a game canceled due to covid-19. Then, on Sunday, it was announced that Apollo-Ridge lost its game with Serra Catholic due to the Eagles having to shut down for two weeks.

So, the Birdie was all about turning the office into a “No Coronavirus Zone.”

“Put your mask on!” he yelled as a stringer walked by.

“Look, we’re in here doing our work, but then we gotta go out to games and practices to talk to coaches,” Birdie said. “I don’t want to be the reason anymore games get canceled.”

The list got longer on Monday with cancelations at Hempfield and Derry.

“Maybe they should hire me as their official sanitation expert,” Birdie said. “Coronavirus isn’t getting past this beak. Just like I can smell good picks from a mile away, I can smell this virus from three.”

The Birdie was going to do whatever it took to prevent anymore cancellations, but before he did that, he had to get back to his regular job and make his picks.

• Burrell (2-2, 2-3) at Freeport (2-1, 2-0): These two produced an epic battle last season. The Yellowjackets are returning from two weeks off, and if the Bucs want to make the playoffs, they can’t lose again. With their backs against the wall, the Bucs come out on top. Burrell, 35-28

• Fox Chapel (2-3, 2-1) at Penn Hills (2-3, 2-1): The Foxes’ winning streak ends at two as Penn Hills is just too much for them. Penn Hills, 28-14

• Shaler (0-3, 0-5) at Kiski Area (1-3, 0-3): The Cavaliers are looking to get back on track, and they might just have a shot against Shaler. Look for a motivated Kiski team in this one. Kiski Area, 21-10

• Highlands (2-3, 2-3) at Armstrong (3-2, 3-2): This one should be a good one. A tough Highlands defense against the WPIAL’s top passer. Defense prevails in this one. Highlands, 28-21

• Plum (5-0, 5-0) at Knoch (0-5, 0-5): The Mustangs are looking to go 6-0 for the first time since 1976. The Knights won’t stand in their way. Plum, 42-7

• North Catholic (5-0, 4-0) at Deer Lakes (0-5, 0-5): The Lancers are rebuilding, and the Trojans are the top team in the section. North Catholic, 35-0

• Imani Christian (1-4, 1-4) at Springdale (4-1, 4-1): The Dynamos are angry after their first loss of the season, and they’ll take it out on Imani Christian. Springdale, 45-7

• Riverview (0-5, 0-5) at Leechburg (2-3, 2-3): The Blue Devils are searching for the program’s 400th win and the Raiders stand in their way. Expect Leechburg to hit its milestone Friday. Leechburg, 28-7

• Valley (1-3, 1-3) at Yough (1-4, 0-4): A pretty even battle will take place in this one. Look for the Vikings’ running game to carry them their second win of the season. Valley, 21-7

Tags: Armstrong, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Imani Christian, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, North Catholic, Penn Hills, Plum, Riverview, Shaler, Springdale, Valley, Yough