Mr. Pickem's Weekly Football Predictions

Week 4 Sept. 23, 2022

#5 Carroll Bulldogs (2-0) Vs Sterlington Panthers (1-2)

I can admit, heading into the season I had this game already pegged as game of the week for week 4 and although there's been a little luster taken away I'm still expecting it to be a thriller. Carroll comes in as a somewhat of a surprise, higher ranking than the panthers and 1st year Carroll Head Coach Brandon Landers isn't trying to look backwards. Carroll is 2-0 following a road win over 5A Southwood last Friday night. In a game that somewhat started sluggishly opened up really quickly for the 'dogs after All-Grissom RB Amaryea Greely returned a Southwood punt to paydirt. The floodgates would open wide from there as Greely would return a second punt for another score on the next possession helping Carroll cruise to a 40-12 victory. Greely did more than return kicks for the 'dogs and led the Carroll offense with 15 carries for 129 yards and another score while also solidifying Grissom's G.O.A.T Of the week award.

The Sterlington Panthers are still trying to figure themselves out in the first half of the season. An opening game loss to West Monroe followed by a strong win over Mangham & then a blowout loss to 1A Oak Grove has the fans in north Ouachita Parish scratching their heads as they head into district play. Health has been a huge concern for the panthers with key injuries early to valuable players on both sides of the ball and even though the panthers have more depth than the average 3A team, losing players like Charlie Robinson and Trammell Colvin for any period of time would hurt any ballclub. The panthers still have All-Grissom WR John Barr available at full strength as they face top-ranked Carroll Friday night.

After 3 weeks of play the 'dogs currently sit at #1 in the newly revamped Division ll power rankings while the panthers are at #17 in Division LLL. With the new playoff format, this game seemingly should be more important to Sterlington because with a loss they could find themselves on the outside looking in of a 28-team bracket. On the other side, Carroll wants to remain in the top spot for as long as they can and a win over Sterlington might just keep them there. The 'dogs have not beaten the panthers since Sterlington joined the district 5 years ago and most of those losses have been pretty lopsided, however nothing ever stays the same. Landers has rejuvenated the spirits on Renwick St. and have them looking similar to the bulldogs of his playing days. QB Demardrick Blunt joins Greely in the Carroll backfield and gives them a two-headed threat on the ground that will be hard to contain, while LB Letravion Christion and DE Davion Edwards head-hunt on the defensive side of the ball. However, I think the bulldogs secondary has shown some signs of inexperience and a seasoned receiver like Barr can make for a difficult night if Carroll can't get consistent pressure up front. Panther Head Coach Lee doty has coached probably longer than Landers is old and that type of experience will always play a factor in a rival game like this especially if it's close late. After previous coach "Tank" Washington resigned from his position earlier this year, I thought the bulldog's program had taken a step backwards, but since hiring Landers the bulldogs look better than advertised. Intensity and confidence is now oozing at Carroll, but it's still early and building a powerhouse doesn't just happen overnight. My gut is telling me that Carroll will find a way to win but after an embarrassing loss last week, I think the panthers come in with tunnel-vision and get back in the win column. 'Dogs lead for three, but a late Barr TD wins it for Sterlington.

Sterlington 28 Carroll 18

Player Of the Game: Mason Lawhon: 9/12 175 Yards 2 TDs – 12 Carries 80 Yards, 1td

AREA SCORES:

TOP TEN

#1 OCS 61 Tensas 6

Lafayette Christian 24 #2 Ruston 23

#3 Neville 30 North Caddo 12

Scotlandville 20 #4 West Monroe 14

#6 Union Parish 49 Bastrop 13

#7 Franklin Parish 27 Caldwell 6

#8 West Ouachita 28 Grant 20

#9 Oak Grove 50 Rayville 20

#10 Richwood 31 North Webster 20

5A

Brother Martin 28 Ouachita 20

3A

Calvary Baptist 31 Wossman 20

2A

Mangham 36 General Trass 27

D'arbonne Woods 24 Montgomery 8

Ferriday 27 Madison Parish 16

Jonesboro-Hodge 14 Lincoln Prep 13

Vidalia 26 Buckeye 13

1A

St Fred 23 Delhi Charter 18

Cedar Creek 21 Delhi 20

River Oaks 26 Sicily Island 6

MR PICKEM'S TOP 10

1. OCS Eagles

2. Ruston Bearcats

3. Neville Tigers

4. West Monroe Rebs

5. Carroll Bulldogs

6. Union Parish Farmers

7. Franklin Parish Patriots

8. West Ouachita Chiefs

9. Oak Grove Tigers

10. Richwood Rams

Just Missed : Ouachita, Wossman, Mangham, St Fred, General Trass, Delhi Charter

MR PICKEM'S GOAT OF THE WEEK

Araryea Greeley

15 Carries, 129 Yards,1 TD

2 Punt Return TD

(80 Yards – 47 Yards)