Chick’s Picks makes solemn vow: No more clerical errors in Week 2 of WPIAL football

By: Chick's Picks
Thursday, September 8, 2022 | 2:01 PM

5408654_web1_ptr-FTAB22-CanonMac-01 — Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Canon-McMillan quarterback Mike Evans rolls out to pass during a preseason practice.

To say that Chick’s Picks got off to a rough start this season is putting it mildly. Needless to say, her career-worst 33-30 (52%) record landed her in The Boss’s office first thing Tuesday morning.

The Boss voiced his displeasure in her performance and reminded her that there are a lot of interns waiting in the wings to take over the weekly prognosticating duties.

Chick’s Picks tried to plead her case to The Boss, explaining that she and her trusty crystal ball had worked diligently on last week’s predictions, just as they do every week. She could not offer any explanation on the subpar performance.

Driving back to the home office, distraught, Chick’s Picks decided to distract herself by tuning into the Steelers press conference. It was reported that a clerical error had resulted in some misinformation on the Steelers’ depth chart. Then, it became clear to Chick’s Picks. The only explanation for her poor performance last week must have been the exact same thing – the crystal ball much have experienced a clerical error when outputting its predictions.

Relieved that she had some answers, Chick’s Picks dialed The Boss to inform him of her findings. The Boss did not seem as sold on this conclusion as Chick’s Picks, reminding her that she and her primary prognosticating tool were still on thin ice.

Here are this week’s big games:

Class 6A

No. 5 Canon-McMillan Big Macs (0-2) at No. 3 Seneca Valley Raiders (1-1)

The Raiders play host to the Big Macs in Class 6A action Friday night. Last week, Canon-Mac fell to conference rival North Allegheny, 35-21, while Seneca Valley picked up its first loss of the season against Peters Township, 30-27. The Big Macs feature one of the WPIAL’s top passers in Mike Evans, who has thrown for 504 yards and seven touchdowns in two games. The Raiders’ balanced offensive attack is led by veteran quarterback Graham Hancox, who has passed for 379 yards and four scores on the year. Wyatt Craver has racked up 240 rushing yards and one touchdown for the Raiders. When these two met last season, Seneca Valley stole a 24-17 victory. Chick’s Picks likes the Big Macs to pick up their first win in this one. … Canon-McMillan over Seneca Valley

Class 5A

No. 3 Pine-Richland Rams (1-1) at No. 2 Penn Hills Indians (1-1)

The Indians host the Rams in a Northeast Conference showdown between two of Class 5A’s top teams. Penn Hills is coming off of a 26-7 victory over Norwin, while Pine-Richland blanked Kiski, 33-0. Versatile veteran quarterback Julian Duggar heads the Indians’ offense with 278 passing yards and 146 rushing yards. Amir Key leads the Penn Hills ground attack with 232 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Pine-Richland has a new coach at the helm in Jon LeDonne, who is all too familiar with Penn Hills. LeDonne spent the last five seasons as head coach of the Indians, earning a 46-13 record and winning WPIAL and PIAA championships. When these two met last season, Pine-Richland escaped with a 21-14 win. Chick’s Picks predicts that the Indians will have something to prove to their home town crowd in this one. … Penn Hills over Pine-Richland

Class 4A

No. 1 Aliquippa Quips (1-0) at No. 5 North Catholic Trojans (2-0)

The top-ranked Quips take on the Trojans in a nonconference battle between top Class 4A teams. Aliquippa opened its season last week with a 28-14 win over Armstrong, while North Catholic topped Shady Side Academy, 21-10, for its second straight win. The Quips’ running game was solid in the Week 1 victory with Tiqwai Hayes rushing for 201 yards and all four scores. The Trojans have looked to Jack Fennell, who has rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on the year. Last season, Aliquippa finished 13-1, claiming WPIAL and PIAA gold. North Catholic finished with a 12-1 record after advancing to the WPIAL Class 3A title game. Chick’s Picks predicts that the Quips will give the Trojans a warm welcome to the best of the best in Class 4A in this one. … Aliquippa over North Catholic

Class 3A

No. 3 (4A) Elizabeth Forward Warriors (2-0) at East Allegheny Wildcats (2-0)

The Wildcats play host to the Warriors in a nonconference showdown between undefeateds Friday night. East Allegheny remained perfect last week with a 31-12 win over Jeannette. After moving up to Class 4A this season, Elizabeth Forward is off to a smooth start as well, rolling over West Mifflin last week, 50-14. The Wildcats have found success behind the arm of Michael Cahill, who has passed for 284 yards and three scores. Veteran quarterback Zion White has led the Warriors with 174 passing yards and two touchdowns. Elizabeth Forward’s high-powered offense is averaging more than 41 points per game in its first two games – nearly double that of East Allegheny. Chick’s Picks predicts that the Warriors continue to roll in this one. … Elizabeth Forward over East Allegheny

Class 2A

No. 2 Washington Little Prexies (2-0) at No. 5 Serra Catholic Eagles (1-1)

The Little Prexies hit the road to face off against the Eagles in a nonconference showdown between two of Class 2A’s top teams Friday night. Washington is coming off of a 48-20 rout of Clairton last week, while Serra Catholic rolled over Seton LaSalle, 56-24. The Little Prexies are getting it done in the air and on the ground this season. Logan Carlisle has thrown for 315 yards and five touchdowns. Zach Welsh has racked up 120 rushing yards and one score. The defending WPIAL champ Eagles have found success with two quarterbacks in Elijah Ward and Quadir Stribling, who have combined for 523 passing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Wash High boasts the highest-scoring offense in Class 2A with 102 points in two games. Chick’s Picks predicts that the offensive machine of the Little Prexies will be too much for the Eagles in this one. … Washington over Serra Catholic

Class A

No. 3 Clairton Bears (0-2) at No. 2 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chargers (2-0)

The Chargers play host to the Bears in a nonconference matchup featuring Class A Top 5 teams. OLSH maintained its perfect record with a 16-8 victory over Rochester last week. Clairton is still seeking its first win after falling to Washington, 48-20. The Bears’ 0-2 record came as a result of losses to City League power Westinghouse and Class 2A’s No. 2-ranked Little Prexies. Clairton has allowed 88 points so far this season and will face another tough test against OLSH, which boasts one of the WPIAL’s top quarterbacks. Nehemiah Azeem has thrown for 659 yards and seven touchdowns on the year. When these two met last season, the Chargers handed the Bears a season-ending loss in the quarterfinals, 29-15. Chick’s Picks predicts that the Bears will be a force in this one but not quite enough to hold off the Chargers. … OLSH over Clairton

Class 6A

Nonconference

North Allegheny over McDowell

Class 5A

Allegheny Six Conference

Upper St. Clair over Baldwin

Nonconference

Central Catholic over Bethel Park

Fox Chapel over Norwin

Gateway over North Hills

South Fayette over Montour

Mt. Lebanon over Moon