Week 3: High School Football Predictions

Shawn Rine

Overall: 16-4, .800
Last Week: 16-4
Upset Special: 0-1

WHEELING — Generally speaking I’ve always been fairly successful at this type of thing. But there were some nervous moments considering I hadn’t done it in three years.

Well, we can all put that anxiety to bed after a 16-4 week right out of the gate. Do I expect that to continue? Of course I do. This isn’t the NFL, which is incredibly hard to predict. The cream rises to the top immediately during high school football.

There are some really interesting games out there this week, including a showdown of the top two teams in the Ohio Valley Athletics rankings, when No. 2 Wheeling Park (1-0) invades Harding Stadium to take on No. 1 Steubenville.

So without further delay, let’s get right into this week’s schedule.

Thursday

Brooke 20, Indian Creek 19
It’s been a tough go lately for the Bruins, and nobody deserves a 2-0 start more than Mac McLean.

Friday

Weir 31, John Marshall 10
Liked what I saw from the Red Riders last week, even in defeat.

Steubenville 42, Wheeling Park 14
It’s the Game of the Week in the Ohio Valley. Big Red looks so incredibly nasty. The Patriots are probably a year away. Going into Death Valley as a young group is never a pleasant time.

Oak Glen 40, Allderdice, Pa. 11
The turnaround for the Golden Bears under Coach Ted Arneault has been nothing short of awesome to watch.

Calhoun County 22, Valley 19
The Lumberjacks look to get back on track after a tough opening week.

Cameron 56, Hundred 7
The Dragons won’t pile on because they have a classy coaching staff and community.

Madonna 33, Carrick, Pa. 3
The Blue Dons get out of the gate 2-0, setting the stage for a possible return to the postseason down the road.

Hancock, Md. 17, Paden City 12
Numbers are a game the Wildcats simply cannot win right now.

Bridgeport 26, Trinity 6
The Bulldogs rebound from a pair of tough opening losses to grab their initial victory.

Wheeling Central 30, Tusky Central 9
A big fourth quarter boosted the Maroon Knights last week. They won’t need that this time around.

Doddridge County 34, Tyler Consolidated 24
Tough go of it to start the 2021 season for the Silver Knights.

Magnolia 32, Wirt County 21
The Blue Eagles coming out of the gates quickly this time around.

Frontier 28, Beallsville 8
The Cougars claw their way to a 3-0 beginning.

Bellaire 38, Harrison Central 28
This has all the makings of a shootout, but only the Big Reds remain unbeaten.

Shadyside 37, Buckeye Local 15
The Tigers keep on rolling, as they always seem to do.

St. Clairsville 35, South Allegheny, Pa. 7
The Red Devils get back on track after suffering defeat for the first time.

Meadowbrook 26, Cambridge 22
UPSET SPECIAL: Colts end Bobcats’ bid for a perfect season.

River 41, Monroe Central 18
The Pilots earn their second straight victory after a season-opening defeat.

Buckeye Trail 22, Barnesville 18
Think Trail is a bit better than most have given it credit.

Toronto 26, Lisbon 22
Both of these teams have already had to deal with schedule changes due to Covid 19.

Saturday
Fairmont Senior 28, Linsly 21
This is 1A in terms of the Game of the Week. The Cadets are really good, but Fairmont has been at the top of the mountain in the state for much of the last decade.

Martins Ferry 29, Union Local 23
The Purple Ridgers have played a tough early season schedule, but find a way to win No. 1.

Edison 29, Steubenville Catholic 23
This is really anybody’s game, but we’ll take the rare road team here.