The Birdie’s A-K Valley football picks are sure to be golden this season

By: The Birdie
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Last season: 88-28 (75.9%)

The Birdie spent much of August flying around the A-K Valley like a Canadian soccer drone, spying on high school football practices to build up his knowledge base before the season starts.

But when he wasn’t in the air, he was watching the Olympics.

“I could win one of those things,” The Birdie chirped, pointing at a gold medal with the Cheeto he was holding. “Seriously, dude. I made a list of sports I could medal in.

“1. Thumb wrestling. Got no thumbs. Can’t be pinned.

“2. Long jump (to conclusions). You lose your opener, you can be sure I’ll pick against you for the next three weeks at least.

“3. Channel surfing. My clicker thumb is in midseason form.

“4. Sarcasm. Oh, that’s not really an event? Thanks, genius. Didn’t know that.

“5. Picking football games. Let’s go! Been ready since March.”

• Apollo-Ridge: The Vikings have talent, experience and a good, solid program, but they also have a brutal schedule with three new conference foes dropping in from Class 3A. Wins: 3

• Burrell: Three straight playoff trips is a significant accomplishment. Graduation losses and a bump up to Class 3A will make a fourth a challenge. Wins: 4

• Deer Lakes: The Lancers might go about it a little differently, pounding the ball a little more now that QB Derek Burk has graduated, but they’re poised to keep their momentum going. Wins: 7

• Fox Chapel: The Foxes have a good plan to end a long losing streak: Grind it out with their Wing-T offense. Class 5A in the WPIAL is such a tough place to turn things around, though. Wins: 1

• Freeport: The Yellowjackets are junior-heavy, so next year might be the big year, but why wait? Experienced gained during a tough year last season could pay off immediately. Wins: 6

• Highlands: No team should like WPIAL realignment more than the Golden Rams. They went from a Class 4A grind to a Class 3A conference filled with local rivals. But while the schedule’s more fun, it’s still a challenge. Wins: 6

• Kiski Area: If there’s ever a good time to bump up to Class 5A, it’s when a team’s got a three-year starter coming back at quarterback. The Cavaliers will have to stay healthy and scrap out some wins to keep the playoff train rolling. Wins: 5

• Knoch: The Knights bring back a ton of talent after a breakthrough season and have two quarterbacks who would start on most teams. A step up to Class 4A is formidable, but they’re up to it. Wins: 7

• Leechburg: Seems like just yesterday The Birdie was chirping about the Blue Devils ending a long playoff drought. Now it seems like they make it every year. They’ve got a roster capable of making it four straight berths. Wins: 6

• Plum: The Mustangs bring back some big-time playmakers, but like Fox Chapel and Kiski Area, they’re staring down a WPIAL Class 5A schedule. Wins: 4

• Riverview: The Raiders are on a quest for their first winning season since 2010. It won’t be easy since they graduated some serious offensive talent, but it says here they get the job done. Wins: 6

• Springdale: The Dynamos have made the playoffs pretty recently (2021), but it’s been a rebuilding process since. Time to build the foundation. Wins: 1

• Valley: The Vikings got a couple wins last season and bring back a dual-threat quarterback. The potential for greater growth exists, but the next hurdle is a higher one. Wins: 2

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, Valley