High School Football Predictions

I was leaving church Wednesday night when I heard the beautiful words: “Thank God for football season.”

“Amen,” I thought, as I felt a comfortably cool breeze hit me under the striking golden hues of sunset.

“That’s right,” I was still thinking. The summer heat has broken and become Chamber-of-Commerce quality. College and pro games have started, there’s a game on TV almost every night and our favorite sons are playing high-school ball every weekend in our neighborhood stadiums.

I took a deep breath to take it all in. How great it is!

“Football season is beautiful,” I said in agreement with my fellow church member.

She rolled her eyes.

The mother then rattled off what it’s like to have a young boy playing in a youth league in Gwinnett County. There’s practice three, sometimes four, nights a week. Games are every Saturday. And, she said, if she’s lucky, football could be six days a week.

Oh wait a minute, I get it. She was being sarcastic.

“Yeah, football is great,” she said with another roll of the eyes.

Beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder.

This week’s picks

Every week, I pick high-school football games that are played in Patch coverage areas from Stone Mountain to Cumming. I was 19-6 last week, bringing my overall record to 57-15.

Are you ready for another round of picks?

Alpharetta at Marietta: An interesting matchup for , which needed three overtimes to beat Duluth 43-41 last week. Marietta is 0-3, but gave state-ranked McEachern a tough time last week in a 20-7 loss. The Raiders in a close one. Alpharetta 28, Marietta 21.

Milton at Lassiter: The go from a close loss to a 1-2 team (15-12 to Harrison) to face top-flight Lassiter (3-0), which Georgia High School Football Daily calls the most improved Class AAAAA team in the state. Milton (1-2) may have another tough time this week. Lassiter 35, Milton 24.

King’s Ridge Christian at Fellowship Christian: The Region 5-A North opener for both teams should be a close one, based on early season results. won last year 28-17, which began a five-game losing streak for Fellowship. Go with the visitors. King’s Ridge 17, Fellowship 14.

Scott Bernarde is the Associate Regional Editor for 12 Patch sites in DeKalb, Gwinnett, Fulton and Forsyth counties.