The Birdie hits the jackpot with his Week 3 picks in the A-K Valley

By: The Birdie
Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 8:00 PM

Last week: 7-5

Season: 27-7 (79.4%)

The Birdie barged into the office Monday morning, slapped a piece of paper down on the desk and squawked.

“Read ’em and weep, suckers,” he crowed. “I won the Powerball.

“Only reason I’m not on a beach in Turks and Caicos right now is because there’s nothing I love to do more than pick high school football games.”

While he was bragging about his newfound riches, an intern was casting a skeptical eye at the ticket on the table.

“Uh, Birdie,” she said. “You only picked the Powerball right.”

“Darn right I did,” The Birdie boasted. “Seventeen. Winger rules.”

“But you didn’t get any of the other numbers right,” the intern explained. “You gotta get five other numbers to win the billions. You won $4.”

“Uh, yeah. I knew that,” Birdie stuttered, shifting his eyes around the room to see if anyone else noticed his buffoonery. “I am an expert at picking the Powerball. Sit down here, and I’ll tell you how to do it.”

The intern was cornered. She had no way out.

“Everybody likes to pick jersey numbers, and that’s fine, but you’ve got to go against the grain. A million tickets around these parts with 12 or 7 as the Powerball. Maybe some 8s after last Sunday. You’re better off with, for example, 15 for 1987 scab Steelers legend Steve Bono.

“Everybody likes to pick their loved ones’ birthdays. Problem with that is you’ve got too much representation from digits 1-31. Represent those closest to you a different way. Just call up your mother-in-law and ask what her social security number is. That’s what I did.

“Don’t forget 21 and 61 are always great options. Those are the numbers that come up most in the Powerball. (The intern looked that up and was shocked to find out it’s true. About 9% of the time.) It’s all about the 1s painted on the balls. Aerodynamically smooth. They shoot right up that tube like a deposit at my bank’s drive-through.

“And if all else fails, just pick it out of a hat. That’s how I make some of these football picks, as last week’s record shows.”

And with that, The Birdie was off to make his Week 3 selections.

Deer Lakes (1-2) at Freeport (3-0): A tough task awaits the Lancers. Nobody’s even sniffed the Yellowjackets so far this season. Freeport, 27-14

Kiski Area (1-2) at Gateway (0-3): The Gators are going to get right eventually. No one wants to be the opponent when it happens. Gateway, 21-20

Fox Chapel (2-1) at Penn Hills (0-3): In July, it would have been unfathomable to think this one would be a toss-up. Penn Hills, 19-15

Plum (2-1) at Shaler (0-3): Look for the Mustangs to keep the ball rolling after a thrilling win over Gateway. Plum, 21-7

Highlands (1-2) at East Allegheny (0-3): Coming off back-to-back losses to tough opponents, it’s time for the Golden Rams to take a stand. Highlands, 34-20

Valley (0-3) at Imani Christian (3-0): Not the ideal conference opener for the Vikings. Saints are stacked. Imani Christian, 34-6

Leechburg (2-1) at Riverview (2-1): In a matchup of teams off to decent starts, the Blue Devils have momentum. Leechburg, 24-14

Springdale (0-2) at Brentwood (1-2): Spartans are probably a little better than their record suggests. Brentwood, 28-12

Burrell (1-2) at Derry (2-1): An intriguing matchup of two teams coming off big wins. Derry, 23-21

Carlynton (1-2) at Apollo-Ridge (1-2): Vikings have a chance to wear down the Cougars in this one. Apollo-Ridge, 14-12

Montour (2-1) at Knoch (0-3): A nonconference doozy for the Knights. Spartans are an elite program. Montour, 34-14

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Brentwood, Burrell, Carlynton, Deer Lakes, Derry Area, East Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Gateway, Highlands, Imani Christian, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Montour, Penn Hills, Plum, Riverview, Shaler, Springdale, Valley