High school football picks: Week 5

Had my best week of picks in Week 4. Three of my four incorrect picks came on local and area games. Tahlequah, Keys and Sequoyah let me down and proved their not as good as I thought each one was.

My picks this year

Week 1: 14-5

Week 2: 15-5

Week 3: 16-5

Week 4: 19-4

Overall: 54-19

Local and area games

— Tahlequah at Pryor: Tahlequah got the best of Pryor in 2010, but Pryor has Austen Brooner running strong this season. It'll be tough for Tahlequah to make the playoffs if the Tigers fall to 0-2 in District 5A-4. My pick: Pryor 27, Tahlequah 13.

— Claremore-Sequoyah vs. Tahlequah-Sequoyah (at NSU): Tahlequah-Sequoyah has been efforting for a while to get a game moved to Doc Wadley Stadium. Now, can they perform on a little bigger stage? My pick: Tahlequah-Sequoyah 32, Claremore-Sequoyah 23.

— Keys at Bethel: Keys has had a rough go through its first four games. Maybe a long road trip helps the Cougars come together as a team with five district games remaining after this week. My pick: Keys 34, Bethel 20.

— Porter at Hulbert: The hottest team in Cherokee County right now is ...... Hulbert, of course! The Riders have strung together two solid games against Drumright and Oklahoma Union. Homecoming should be a happy celebration at Rider Stadium this week. My pick: Hulbert 33, Porter 13.

— Broken Arrow at Muskogee: Good thing Muskogee got its first win last week at Southmoore. This week and next (Jenks) will be extremely difficult. My pick: Broken Arrow 44, Muskogee 13.

— Hilldale at Broken Bow: Kind of lost some confidence in Broken Bow after a loss to Metro Christian a couple of weeks ago. I like the Savages against Hilldale, though, in a key 4A-4 clash. My pick: Broken Bow 24, Hilldale 17.

— Fort Gibson at Stilwell: Fort Gibson is on the right track now. And Stilwell can't score. My pick: Fort Gibson 20, Stilwell 10.

— Wagoner at Miami: The District 4A-3 champion will be decided when Wagoner plays Catoosa. Until then, Wagoner continues to cruise. My pick: Wagoner 47, Miami 7.

— Victory Christian at Checotah: The winner stays unbeaten in 3A-7. My pick: Checotah 29, VC 20.

— Seminole at Stigler: This one is tough to call because both teams look good this year. My pick: Seminole 30, Stigler 24.

Other top games around the state

— East Central at Coweta: If Coweta doesn't beat East Central, the Cardinals will likely roll until 5A semifinals. My pick: East Central 31, Coweta 13.

— Southmoore at Sapulpa: Sapulpa should rally from its first setback last week at Norman. Like Devin Swift left, right and up the middle. My pick: Sapulpa 33, Southmoore 30.

— Stillwater at Bixby: Can anyone explain how Bixby is this bad? My pick: Stillwater 42, Bixby 20.

— Edmond Santa Fe at Lawton: Lawton has the better defense. My pick: Lawton 32, Santa Fe 14.

— Union at Sand Springs: Union's playing a district game? No contest. My pick: Union 44, Sand Springs 12.

— Claremore at Edison: Edison might go winless in 5A-4. My pick: Claremore 35, Edison 6.

— Grove at Tulsa Central: Grove couldn't stop Brooner and Pryor last week. Not good with Tyron Garth on tap. My pick: Central 23, Grove 20.

— McAlester at Skiatook: Not much talk about his game, but should be a good one in 5A-3. My pick: McAlester 30, Skiatook 20.

— Heritage Hall at NOAH: There will be athletes everywhere at my old intermediate high school (Broken Arrow South Intermediate). My pick: Heritage Hall 47, NOAH 16.

— Afton at Foyil: Could be for the A-8 crown. Afton is strong this year. My pick: Afton 46, Foyil 22.

High school football picks: Week 4

One thing I learned from my picks in Week 3: Metro Christian is pretty good. The Patriots went to Broken Bow and dominated against a highly-ranked Broken Bow team in Class 4A. I can't wait until the Metro Christian-Sequoyah matchup here in Tahlequah later on this year.

My picks this year

Week 1: 14-5

Week 2: 15-5

Week 3: 16-5

Overall: 35-15

Local and area games

— Tulsa Central at Tahlequah: I know Central is 3-0, but I'm not convinced that the Braves have beaten a good team yet. If Tahlequah can contain Central running back Tyron Garth and wide receiver/cornerback/return man Terry Finch, then the Tigers will start 1-0 in 5A-4. My pick: Tahlequah 20, Central 18.

— Verdigris at Sequoyah: Sequoyah has an advantage this year because it hosts Verdigris and Metro Christian -- two of the 3A-6 frontrunners with Sequoyah. The Indians have to take advantage. My pick: Sequoyah 32, Verdigris 27.

— Beggs at Keys: The Cougars must get the ball to Colten Douillard and Christian Worthington early and often. Keys also has to limit the number of big plays by Beggs QB Ramsey Hamilton. My pick: Keys 30, Beggs 28.

— Hulbert at Oklahoma Union: The best unknown player in this area might be Hulbert's Christian Vance. He had a huge game last week against Drumright, and he'll have to continue to put up big numbers if Hulbert hopes to keep winning. My pick: Hulbert 26, Oklahoma Union 24.

— Hilldale at Poteau: Could determine 4A-4 positioning at the end of the year. My pick: Hilldale 27, Poteau 20.

— Vinita at Wagoner: On a week void of any marquee matchups in 5A & 6A, 4A-4 two good showcases on Friday night. This one and Catoosa-McLain (see below). My pick: Wagoner 30, Vinita 13.

— Webster at Fort Gibson: A 4A-4 clash to avoid the district celler. My pick: Fort Gibson 20, Webster 10.

— Stilwell at Sallisaw: Ask Tahlequah how this one will end. My pick: Sallisaw 35, Stilwell 14.

Other top games around the state

— Bixby at Union: Just like every other year, Union can waltz through its punchless district. My pick: Union 48, Bixby 10.

— Owasso at Bartlesville: Bartlesville was humbled last week by Skiatook last week, and Skiatook is a pretty average team beyond Connor Appelberg. My pick: Owasso 32, Bartlesville 17.

— Sapulpa at Norman: A solid matchup in 6A-3 with playoff positioning in mind already. My pick: Norman 37, Sapulpa 34.

— Lawton at Mustang: Possibly the best 6A game of the night. Enough said. My pick: Lawton 32, Mustang 20.

— Coweta at Claremore: Both have been somewhat early disappointments. Claremore should be feeding RB Chase Talbert the ball about 40 times a game. My pick: Coweta 22, Claremore 14.

— East Central at Edison: Probably not the game Edison's Chris Hall -- who was elevated as the team's interim head coach after Jim Cherry resigned -- wanted to debut in. My pick: EC 50, Edison 6.

— Guthrie at Edmond Deer Creek: District 5A-1 provides a good one for the Oklahoma City area fans. My pick: Guthrie 33, E-DC 24.

— Pryor at Grove: Still trying to figure these teams out. My pick: Grove 17, Pryor 9.

— Skiatook at Booker T. Washington: Surely Booker T. has to win eventually, right? My pick: BTW 20, Skiatook 17.

— McLain at Catoosa: Catoosa asserts its authority and sends a message to the rest of 4A-3 in this one. My pick: Catoosa 37, McLain 14.

— Bishop McGuinness at Clinton: What does McGuinness get paid per mile? The Irish don't have any short trips in 4A-1 -- well, except for Piedmont. My pick: Clinton 23, McGuinness 16.

— Inola at Claremore-Sequoyah: With Tah.-Sequoyah, Metro Christian and Verdigris almost certainly locking up the first three spots in 3A-6, this one could be for a date with Cascia Hall in the first round of the playoffs. My pick: Claremore-Sequoyah 28, Inola 17.

— Lawton MacArthur at Ardmore: Can anyone match MacArthur's skill level in 5A-2? My pick: Mac 27, Ardmore 20.

— Midwest City at Yukon: The Bombers are quietly putting together a solid season. My pick: MWC 40, Yukon 21.

— Valliant at Seminole: These two teams have allowed a combined 45 points through the first three weeks. My pick: Seminole 13, Valliant 7.