The Birdie cuts back on the shenanigans and makes his Week 4 picks in the A-K Valley

By: The Birdie
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 7:25 PM

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Last week: 10-1

Season: 37-8 (82.2%)

It’s not his specialty, but The Birdie learned a couple of things this week.

The first lesson came when he perused his favorite social media sites after the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

“The most recent Guns N’ Roses album is Chinese Democracy. Does that prevent me from rocking out to Paradise City?” The Birdie said cryptically.

“The most recent new menu item at Sheetz is something called a Frozen Pumpkin Pie Latte. Does that stop me from ordering mozzarella sticks (bucket size) and eating them by the handful like popcorn?

“Now, the Steelers may really stink this season,” The Birdie said, getting to the point. “But if you make bold statements about how good or bad they are based solely on the most recent thing you’ve seen, you come off like a kneejerk.”

The second lesson came when he read his column in the paper last week.

“Two-thirds of it was my clever anecdote about playing the Powerball,” Birdie said. “I know my whimsical stories and hilarious jokes are delightful, but let’s be honest. You’re here for the picks.

“So from now on, I’m going to spend less time on shenanigans and more time on prognostication.

“Here are the picks for Week 4.”

Jeannette (3-1) at Leechburg (3-1): The Eastern Conference could easily bunch up behind Clairton, so this might turn out to be a giant game once the playoff picture develops. Also, Kymon’e Brown vs. Tim Andrasy is a cool marquee matchup. But in picking this game, there’s a common opponent: Apollo-Ridge. The Jayhawks beat the Vikings. The Blue Devils didn’t. Jeannette, 21-20

North Hills (0-4) at Fox Chapel (2-2): This is a great chance for the Foxes to prove how far they’ve come. Their wins are over Baldwin and Knoch, and despite its record, North Hills is a step up in competition. North Hills, 27-23

Kiski Area (1-3) at Penn-Trafford (3-1): For the Cavaliers, a tough loss against Gateway is followed by a tough matchup with a solid Warriors squad. Penn-Trafford, 34-21

Plum (2-2) at Pine-Richland (3-1): The Birdie has no doubt the Mustangs are a much-improved bunch this season, but it probably won’t feel like it this week. The Rams are a wagon. Pine-Richland, 34-14

East Allegheny (0-4) at Deer Lakes (1-3): The Lancers took a shellacking against Freeport, but they’re better than their record indicates. Tough schedule so far. This is a good chance to get right. Deer Lakes, 27-6

Freeport (4-0) at Burrell (1-3): Derry’s a pretty good team, so last week’s narrow loss is nothing for the Bucs to be ashamed of. That said, nobody has even given the Yellowjackets a game yet. They look awesome. Freeport, 42-14

Imani Christian (4-0) at Highlands (2-2): The Golden Rams gave the Saints all they could handle in the playoffs last year, so count them out at your own peril, but this is an Imani roster dotted with Division I talent. Imani Christian, 35-20

Shady Side Academy (3-0) at Apollo-Ridge (2-2): The Vikings are going to be one of the most popular teams in the WPIAL this week. By calling off their game against Clairton then routing Ligonier Valley the next week, the Bulldogs, fair or not, became villains. Apollo-Ridge, 21-20

Riverview (2-2) at Springdale (0-3): It’s a rivalry, so anything can happen, but the Raiders are in a good spot here. Riverview, 28-6

New Castle (3-1) at Knoch (0-4): The Red Hurricanes are one of the WPIAL’s surprise teams this season. An uphill climb for the Knights. New Castle, 34-19

Quaker Valley (2-2) at Valley (0-4): The Quakers have taken lumps against Freeport and North Catholic the last two weeks, but they’re a tough out. Quaker Valley, 27-13

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, East Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Imani Christian, Jeannette, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, New Castle, North Hills, Penn-Trafford, Pine-Richland, Plum, Quaker Valley, Riverview, Shady Side Academy, Springdale, Valley