Ahoy, mateys!

Today is the day we have pined for all year, International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Yes, it is an official holiday and, yes, you should participate in the festivities. While I would like to write my entire article in pirate lingo, I do not want to annoy you readers. When I annoy readers, I lose readers. That leads to less work and ultimately effects my booty (I’m talking about money).

Real quick, let me give a  big shout-out to the Grace College men’s soccer team for its win over Ohio Christian. The Lancers dished out a 7-0 throttling last Saturday to move to 4-2 on the young season. I am not picking any Lancer games this week but there is a big match coming up next week that I will definitely be weighing in on.

Last Week: 8-5
Overall: 27-12

High School Football Week 5 9/20

Whitko (2-2) at Wabash (0-4), 7 p.m.
The Scoop: Whitko has really impressed me so far this season. I was not sure what the Wildcats would do after that terrible loss in Week 1 to Wawasee. Coach Josh Mohr has his team on the right track and should move above .500 this week. Even though Wabash has no wins this season, this is the type of game that can be a trap. With that in mind, I still like the Wildcats.
The Pick: Whitko 20, Wabash 6.

Tippecanoe Valley (1-3) at Northfield (2-2), 7 p.m.
The Scoop: I honestly thought back in August that Valley might go 9-0 this season. Obviously, I was wrong. The talent is there but the results are not. The Vikings have only managed to put themselves in the win column once this year and have suffered some tough losses and dealt with some big injuries, though only for a short time. That has to change this week. It is time for the Vikings to put up or shut up.
The Pick: Valley 41, Northfield 14.

John Glenn (2-2) at Triton (1-3), 7 p.m.
The Scoop: Alright, I give. You win, Trojans. I have yet to correctly pick a Triton game this year. I cannot figure out the boys from Bourbon. Well, it is time for some primary research. I am heading to Marshall County this weekend in attempt to change my luck with the Trojans. This is a big week for Triton as it will be celebrating 50 years of Trojan football and I will be there for all the festivities. You should all know that I have yet to incorrectly pick a game that I have been in attendance at for the NFL, NCAA or IHSAA this season.
The Pick: Triton 23, John Glenn 21.

Wawasee (1-3) at NorthWood (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
The Scoop: These two teams have given high school football fans some great games over the years, but especially in the past two seasons. The Warriors and Panthers will meet tomorrow night for the fifth time in three seasons. This time it is the Panthers looking for revenge as Wawasee knocked out its NLC rival in last year’s sectional semi-final. Last week Wawasee outplayed Concord for the majority of the game but still took a thumping. That says a lot about just how good Concord is this season. Consistency has been a hard thing for Wawasee to find this season but if head coach Josh Ekovich can get his team to cut back on turnovers and take the field in Nappanee with the same energy it had last Friday against the Minutemen, this will be a big Warrior win.
The Pick: Wawasee 34, NorthWood 31.

Northridge (3-1) at Warsaw (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
The Scoop: This is a game that should be a lot of fun. First-year Raider head coach Tom Wogomon never fails to get his teams fired up for a big game and this is the toughest team Northridge will face to date. But the Tigers will be just as excited as they currently have an unblemished record in the NLC. Stop me if you have heard this before but Tiger tailback Tristan McClone will be the key to this game. If he gets to run wild, then the rest of the Tigers will follow suit. It is worth noting that Wogomon is currently riding a three-game winning streak over head coach Phil Jensen and the Tigers.
The Pick: Warsaw 28, Northridge 14.

College Football Week 4 9/21

Michigan State (3-0) at No. 22 Notre Dame (2-1), 3:30 p.m.
The Scoop: So, Notre Dame basically went into West Lafayette and wet itself for three quarters and still managed to win. I am not sure if I should compliment the Irish or reprimand the Boilermakers, probably the latter. This week Notre Dame will not get the breaks it had against Purdue. The Spartans are too talented and too well coached to not put Notre Dame away early if given the chance, regardless of location. This is a must-see game as these two rivals always give the viewer something great to talk about. I just do not see a Sparty party in South Bend this season.
The Pick: Notre Dame 27, Michigan State 14.

Purdue (1-2) at No. 24 Wisconsin (2-1), 3:30 p.m.
The Scoop: During last week’s game against Notre Dame, first-year Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell was apparently playing a game of charades with Boiler fans. Turns out Hazell was pretending to be Danny Hope. Yes, Purdue let the Irish off the hook yet again. The good news is that Purdue had flashes of being a good team. The bad news is that Wisconsin is a very good team playing in a very hostile environment for opponents. I have faith Hazell will pull of a big win this year, this just will not be it. Like, not even close.
The Pick: Wisconsin 44, Purdue 17.

Missouri (2-0) at Indiana (2-1), 8 p.m.
The Scoop: Breathe a sigh of relief Hoosier fans, the win over Bowling Green is bigger than it seems. It proved IU can whoop the teams it is supposed to and showed a good resiliency for the team after an embarrassing loss. This week the Hoosiers welcome in the Missouri Tigers in 2013’s only Big Ten-SEC regular season match-up. This is a classic “prove it” game for both teams as neither has played any notable competition yet. I am a sucker for the Hoosiers and any of the ridiculous new helmets they wear.
The Pick: Indiana 45, Missouri 35.

NFL Week 3 9/22

Indianapolis (1-1) at San Francisco (1-1), 4:25 p.m.
The Scoop: Let me start by saying that the trade the Colts made to land running back Trent Richardson is absolutely huge and Colts fans should be excited about what he can bring to the team. Unfortunately, the Colts have lost three offensive starters to season-ending injuries in the past week and Swiss cheese has less holes than Indy’s offensive line.
The Pick: San Francisco 45, Indianapolis 24.

Chicago (2-0) at Pittsburgh (0-2), 8:30 p.m.
The Scoop: There are two very rare story lines heading into this game. The first is that the Steelers are 0-2, that is weird enough. But here is the strangest storyline in maybe all of the NFL. You may want to sit down for this. The Chicago Bears have a productive offense. I know, you are flabbergasted. I am too, but it is the truth. Jay Cutler is putting up great numbers and has a new best friend in tight end Martellus Bennett. On top of that, the defense is still stout and the Steelers offensive line is worse off than the Colts.
The Pick: Chicago 34, Pittsburgh 13.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not wish a very happy birthday to my father, Jeff. Even though I have definitely attributed to the two or three gray hairs he refuses to acknowledge, he has always been there to help and guide me through life’s challenges and I would not be who I am today without him as my role model through life. Just for you, Dad, I will withhold your age from this publication.