When I debuted making the Post’s weekly football picks in 2002, I vowed to retire if Davie County somehow lost its opening-night breeze against Alexander Central.
As those with elephantine memories will recall, Davie promptly succumbed to those terrors from Taylorsville 13-7 in arguably the biggest gridiron upset since that Super Bowl in which Broadway Joe’s Jets clocked my beloved Colts.
Like Brett Favre, I honored my promise to retire ever so briefly, but popular demand quickly brought me back to duty. I’ve continued to stick my neck out week after week, and year after year with fearless prognostications ever since.
Often wrong. Never in doubt.
Every local school pleads not to be picked. To be doubted, to be tabbed the underdog, to be forecast to falter by the Post, is bulletin-board motivation worth at least a field goal.
The 2008 Common Sense picks were 131-38 (.775 percent), which sounds fine, but it didn’t require Einstein to pick West Rowan, A.L. Brown and Salisbury to win.
Come to think of it, it didn’t take Copernicus to pick North Rowan and East Rowan to lose. No offense intended toward those fine folks.
West will be picked every Friday again this season. The Parks guy, in case you missed it, is pretty decent, and he’s just the ringmaster, not the whole circus. I’m thinking West could go 7-4 with a 50-something Post sportswriter at tailback.
Well, maybe 4-7.
The Wonders lost almost everybody, but they’ll win anyway. That’s what they do.
For the record, since several readers brought up the subject via the magic of e-mail, Common Sense steadfastly refuses to change those Salisbury forfeits from correct picks to misses.
In the Post’s amended record book, Salisbury is 7-5, but we all know the Hornets were 11-1. The letter of the law may have been enforced in their case, but definitely not the spirit.
Some get the book thrown at them. Some get slapped on the wrist. The Hornets got the whole library tossed at them.
Speaking of e-mails, the question of the month wondered if a Rowan football team had ever lost twice in a season to a county rival.
Yes, it’s happened. North beat West twice in 1994, thumping the Falcons 49-32 during the regular season and dumping West 34-30 in the second round of the 2A state playoffs.
When East had the best teams it’s ever had, the Mustangs and North collided twice in both 1969 and 1970.
East won 11-0 in the regular season and 38-0 in the playoffs in 1969 on its way to a storybook 13-0 season.
In 1970, North managed to tie East in the regular season, but East prevailed 12-7 in the NPC playoff game.
There likely were more multiple meetings by county teams in days gone by. Black schools Salisbury J.C. Price and East Spencer Dunbar sometimes tangled twice before integration. Off the top of my head, I can tell you Price pulled off a sweep of its rival in 1966.
Tough picks tonight. North or East? South or Salisbury? Carson or Hickory Ridge? I have no idea. It’s too early to have an idea.
When in doubt, take the home team ó except when you have that gut feeling Carson’s due to pull out a close one.
The picks:East 14, North 8
Could be decided on penalty kicks. Hey, just kidding. Put down those cell phones. Both will be better than last year.
South 21, Salisbury 17
Both are good and this should be the night’s best game. Salisbury’s beaten South five straight, but a breakthrough year is possible for the Raiders.
West 54, C. Cabarrus 7
Schools haven’t met in nine years so maybe K.P. gets nine TDs ó in the first half.
Carson 20, Hickory Ridge 14The Cougars own exactly one road victory in three years, but I have faith they’re turning the corner.
Do I hear an amen?
A.L. Brown 20, Statesville 13
Defenses will be ahead of the offenses. Wonders have to win ugly the first month.
Davie 35, Alex. Central 7Yes, I remember 2002.
If Davie drops this one I really will retire.
At least for a day or two.