Mike Bradley's Week Nine Picks

Week #9 Bayside Conference Picks:

-We are down to Week #9, the Final Week in the Regular Season…It’s Rivalry Week however there have been some changes…Stephen Decatur’s new rival (even if you still consider Snow Hill a rival which I do) will be Parkside for the purposes of this week. Snow Hill’s new rival will be Kent County, both 1A schools. Washington will play Nandua (ESVA). The Jags in football never really had a rival anyway (maybe Snow Hill at one point, just a guess) and with an odd number of teams it is difficult. The bottom line though is rivalries are only good if they are competitive, the geographic proximity only does so much. You also cannot force rivalries. We will see what the new pairings bring but we hope for competitive and exciting football. 

Many would agree the ‘War on the Shore’ (whose name origins really go back to the description of the Men’s Lacrosse matchup between Salisbury and Washington College that continues to this day-Potter just borrowed it) as the best rivalry in the last 15 years. The Salisbury City Championship is unique with the three schools, not two, and especially with Bennett and Parkside right down the street from one another and Wi-Hi right around the corner. You also have had your share of players transfer between some of those schools over the years as well. There is also the ’Battle of the Choptank’ or ‘Crab Bowl,’ take your pick between Easton and Cambridge. While they don’t call it the ‘Superintendent’s Cup’ in Caroline County anymore there is North Caroline versus Colonel Richardson.

Well before my time Cambridge and Snow Hill had a good secondary rivalry and I believe at one point Colonel and Kent had a good one as well. I am sure there have been other secondary rivalries through the years, at least for short periods of time. 

Some of these games this week will have impacts on Maryland State Playoff seeding while others will not, but they are still meaningful especially if it is a rivalry game and for some, they want to finish the regular season with a winning record and or start or continue the winning into the playoffs.  

Our Overtime Live ‘Game of the Week’ presented by ‘Preston Ford’ can be heard on  94-3 WINX-FM on the Mid-Shore, on the WINX-FM App and streaming at forevermidshore.com…’The Roto Rooter Pre-Game Show’ is at 5:40pm with a kickoff at 6pm…The Friday Night Lights Game of the Week is:

#3 Kent Island (6-2) at #4 Queen Anne’s (5-3)-6pm-It’s another edition of ‘The War on the Shore’ (High School Football edition anyway) and believe it or not Queen Anne’s has not won this game since 2017. The two teams did not meet though in the Fall of 2021 due to the weather, that game was supposed to be played in Centreville. Ironically, despite Covid they did meet in the spring of that year. While I cannot say for sure, a QA win still does not appear to put them ahead of Kent Island seeding wise in the 2A East Region for the upcoming playoffs. Regardless the Lions have won the last three in a row and five of the last six and it is a rivalry game so that is enough to play for right there. Kent Island has lost two in a row for the first time since 2019. 

Both of those losses though came to the other top teams in the 2A in Stephen Decatur and North Caroline. The Bucs have not lost three in a row since they lost five in a row in 2018 when they went 5-5 that season. Both teams come in with strong defenses, which is usually the case. The Kent Island offense, which showed off a good complimentary passing game to their usually strong running attack has been slowed some in the last few weeks, especially the passing game. Some of that though has been self-inflicted. The Lions who have started backup So. QB Lance Arnold the last three weeks (due to starter Devin Wright being out with a rib injury) have not been able to finish enough this season. Yes, they have scored points against some of the lesser teams, but they feel they have left a lot of points on the field in total including last week in their 17-0 win over Parkside. They have showed flashes of a passing game and Arnold provides them with more of a vertical and horizontal attack as compared to Wright who is more of a short to mid-range passer. Who gets the start for the Lions Friday is up in the air, we will have to see on Wright’s health. I see this as a defensive battle and one where the team that can establish the run game and make just enough plays in the air should come out the winner. If Arnold starts for QA, KI will have a bit of advantage at QB from an experience standpoint. If it is Wright, then the script is flipped. This is a tough call and QA can win this game and it would not be a surprise. I am really interested in seeing the Lions from here on out. However, I am leaning with the Bucs who I have a tough time believing will lose a third in a row. I think with their defense and the number of seniors on the roster and starting for them along with having been very battle tested the last two weeks that they can go into Centreville and make just enough plays to pull it out. 

THURSDAY:

#7 James M. Bennett (3-5) at #9 Wicomico (1-7)-6pm-This is another Salisbury City Championship Game and if Bennett wins, they would win the SCC for the first time since 2018. A win would also give them the most wins in a season since 2018 when they went 8-2 during the regular season (9-3 overall). The Clippers will be without QB/Wing/WR Zakai Smullen who was ejected from the Easton game last week for taunting. To their benefit they have also played Liam Nelson at QB this season who is more of passer so while it’s a different type QB they are not in a bad way at that position but the loss of Smullen does hurt. They do have other weapons, like Myles Jarmon and Jorryn Smith, however. Their defense has been inconsistent this season and that is the bigger concern. The Indians have had a rough go of it this season scoring while the defense has played well for the most part this season and kept them in games. This is a rivalry game at the home stadium for both teams and anything can happen. My gut tells me that Wicomico musters together just enough points and relies on their strong defense and pulls the slight upset. My head tells me that Bennett will score enough points to win even with a shaky defense. The last time I went with my head over my gut I lost, I am going to give it one more go and go with my head but this is a toss up game to me.  NOTE: WIHI won 21-7

#13 Washington (0-7) hosting Nandua, VA (3-5)-6pm-The Jags will do something Friday they have not done in the last few seasons and that is a play a complete schedule. That was the #1 goal of new HC Alec Meintzer and to his credit they will have checked the box. The team has shown progress late in the season but not the kind you will see in the win column, not yet. Nandua has won two in a row and defeated Colonel (now 3-time Bayside 1A Champ) two weeks ago thanks to three Colonel turnovers. They also blew out an Arcadia team that beat Washington three weeks ago 23-8. Until the Jags can pull one out, I am going with Nandua, but I can tell you the entire Bayside would be overjoyed to see the Jags get their first win to end the regular season. Let us hope they prove me wrong, but I am going with Nandua. NOTE: Nandua won 33-0

FRIDAY:

#1 Stephen Decatur (8-0) hosting #8 Parkside (3-5)-6pm-Decatur has already locked down the #1 seed in the 2A East Region for the playoffs (have the second most points of all MD 2A teams) along with the Bayside 2A (Big School) Championship. They are also 8-0 for the first time in school history. However, one of those was a forfeit so with a win on Friday it would mark the first time in school history they are 8-0 in games played on the field. While the Rams have size in the trenches it’s not something Decatur has not already faced multiple times and come away a winner including last week against Wicomico. The Seahawks are much more of a threat to score in the air and on the ground and their defense plays fast and smart. The Rams have struggled to score this year for several reasons. They will need to run the ball and keep the Seahawks offense off the field to give themselves a chance to win. SD is at home on Senior Night, going with the Hawks to complete an undefeated regular season. 

#2 North Caroline (7-1) hosting #6 Colonel Richardson (4-4)-6pm-They don’t call it the ‘Superintendent’s Cup’ anymore, but we still do. The Bulldogs’ only blemish is a road loss to #1 Decatur. Caroline is coming off a big win at home over then #2 Kent Island. The Bulldogs have speed and playmakers, some of whom can play multiple positions and can be a threat on the ground and in the air. The defense is also fast and physical. Caroline is more experienced, deeper and can score much quicker if necessary than Colonel. The Colonels did take Caroline down to the wire last year but there were differences last year, mostly experience but the scripts have flipped with Caroline bringing back a slew of starters this season, Colonel is the less experienced team. Colonel lost 43-7 to Kent Island who Caroline beat last week 21-14. Colonel will need to make sure they do not give up the sizable chunk plays on defense. The offense will need to take full advantage of what chances they get to score TDs. While Colonel is at home Caroline is the better team overall and should get the win in Federalsburg on Friday. 

#11 Snow Hill (4-4) at #12 Kent County (1-7)-6:30pm-The Eagles have lost four in a row but all but one of them were to teams ranked higher than them including #1 Stephen Decatur. Snow Hill has the skill guys but struggle at times against better teams in the trenches. They are battle tested but so is Kent County. The Trojans lone win was against Washington, and they will look to finish the season on a high note. This is a long road trip for Snow Hill, and it is Kent County’s senior night, but I believe the Eagles will bounce back and end their losing streak getting the win, but it will not be easy. 
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#5 Cambridge-SD (6-2) at #10 Easton (1-7)-6:30pm-On rivalry week this is the ‘Battle of the Choptank’ or ‘The Crab Bowl’-Talbot versus Dorchester County. These two teams did not play in ’21 due to the weather believe it or not. Cambridge, who is looking to take down Easton for the first time since 2018 is the hottest team in the Bayside behind Stephen Decatur including two wins over 2A teams this season. Easton is a younger team that has had to rely on a backup QB (learning the position on the fly) most of the season along with an offensive line that has been shuffled and has a lot of youth on it as well. The Vikings this year have a lot of experience, skill, and speed. Speed is not something Easton has and not as many skill guys as Cambridge has either. The Vikings are much more adept at throwing the ball than the Warriors and are balanced with the advantage at QB. I like the Vikings to win and while they should win by a few scores my gut tells me that Easton makes this a tighter game than what conventional wisdom would tell us. 

Last Week Picks: 5-2

2023 Season Picks: 50-9

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