Protime Predictions – Five One Point Losses

Tagged under: News, pfn, Protime Predictions

Phil Myers | October 12, 2023

Last week Protime lost eight games, which happens, but five of them were by one point.  That has never happened to the Proud Prognosticator before, never.  Protime spent the whole week contemplating his error and the good fortune of those five teams he picked against.  Time and time again the final scene from Rocky III kept popping up and haunting Protime.  It’s the scene where Rocky owes Apollo Creed a favor and Apollo says, “Now when you beat me, you beat me by one, ONE second.  Now do you know what something like that does to a man of my intelligence?”

Protime can’t shake the devastation his psyche took losing five games by one, ONE point.  A man of Protime’s intellect finds that hard to take.  He re-shined his flipping coin and had his crystal ball professional cleaned hoping maybe there was something wrong with his predicting equipment.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Protime tried to take his mind off of football by having Protime paint the bathroom, put up new curtains, mow the grass, and catch a couple pesky chipmunks.  She also made his favorite dessert, soupette salad.  That did help somewhat.

Protime went 18-8 last week and is now 141-35-1 for the year for a .799 correct picking percentage.  The Dejected Discerner drummed up enough desire to dissect this week’s contests.  So, here they are.

Clearfield 6-1 @ Richland 7-0 – Clearfield is in the midst of a gauntlet that featured three undefeated teams and a one loss opponent.  Thanks to the Bison, Penns Valley now has two losses and BEA suffered their first loss of the year.  Up next is PFN’s #3 ranked team in AA, the Richland Rams.  (Clearfield is Honorable Mention in AAA).  The Bison have 4 skilled skill position players in QB Will Domico, WR Carter Freeland, and RBs Carter Chamberlain and Brady Collins.  Domico has thrown for 1,230 yards and 11 TDs.  He has rushed for 7 more scores.  Freeland has snared 29 passes for 661 yards and a half dozen touchdowns.  Chamberlain has scored 7 times.  For the Rams, they are led by speedster Evan McCracken.  He has 722 yards on the ground so far and has tallied 16 touchdowns.  Freshman QB Grayson Mahla has 1,189 yards passing with 10 TD tosses and didn’t play last week.  Freshman Dom Shank filled in and had a good game.  Austin Yarnick has hauled in 33 passes to date.  This is Protime’s game of the week and he consulted the crystal ball for this slobber knocker.  Richland 28 Clearfield 26.

Manheim Central 6-1 @ Conestoga Valley 6-1 – Give credit to Conestoga Valley’s players and coaching staff as they have really stepped up their game this year.  In their defense the Buckskins also play an awfully tough schedule year in and year out.  Will Cheek has fired the football for 854 yards and 9 TDs and running back Jayden Johnson has rambled for 627 yards and 10 touchdowns for the home team.  The visitors from Manheim have a great program and seem to be in the running every year for the D-3 title.  QB Zac Hahn has pitched the pigskin for 1,646 yards and an amazing 25 TDs.  Plus, he’s only thrown one interception.  Aaron Enterline leads the receivers with 42 grabs for 900 yards and 16 touchdowns.  It’ll be the Barons of Manheim defeating the Buckskins 42-34.

Windber 6-1 @ Berlin Brothersvalley 6-1 – Big one in District 5 this week as the Ramblers journey to Berlin for this humdinger of a game.  QB Tanner Barkley has completed 72% of his passes for Windber, throwing for 973 yards and 11 scores.  Luke Hostetler leads all Rambler rushers with 844 yards and 13 TDs.  WR Evan Brady has come down with 42 passes and scored 9 touchdowns.  The Mountaineers have a good one in Pace Prosser at quarterback.  He’s thrown for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns.  He also averages 7.6 yards a carry when he decides to run the ball.  RB Cooper Huston has scored 6 TDs for Berlin.  Protime flipped his coin for this contest and Berlin is to come out the victor 26-20.

North Schuylkill 6-1 @ Palmerton 7-0 – These two D-11 squads are both in PFN’s AAA Honorable Mention.  This game will definitely be a duel between two very productive quarterbacks.  North Schuylkill’s Spartans have Caden Mengel calling the signals.  He has 1,057 yards passing with 9 TDs and spreads the ball around to many various receivers.  Mengel leads the Sparties in rushing also with 535 yards and 6 TDs.  Palmerton’s Blue Bombers have Matt Machalik quarterbacking which in itself a big advantage in most games.  Machalik has personally accounted for 2,254 yards and 32 touchdowns in 7 games.  He has 1,357 yards running with the pigskin, scoring 22 times.  The Blue Bomber’s top receiver is Ty Sander with 25 catches.  Although Palmerton averages 10 points a game more than North Schuylkill, the Spartans give up an average of 10 points less than the Bombers.  Protime is thinking a slight upset here.  North Schuylkill 42 Palmerton 41.

Armstrong 5-2 @ Mars 5-2 – Huge game in D-7 land.  Both teams have potent offenses, so there may be a lot of scoring as well.  The visiting River Hawks have a pair of quarterbacks that have combined for phenomenal numbers.  Colt Sprankle and Jayden Oliver have tossed the agate for 1,677 yards and 20 TDs.  Armstrong also has a pair of wide outs that have combined for 63 catches, 1,152 yards receiving, and 13 TDs.  Those two are Kyan Kline and Ian Olsen.  The Fightin’ Planets counter with QB Luke Goodworth and his 1,380 yards throwing the ball and 15 touchdowns.  He has only had one ball intercepted all year.  RB Evan Wright has traversed the field for 932 yards and 18 scores, while WR Gabe Hein has pulled down 43 passes for 774 yards and 8 TDs.  Protime had to gaze deeply into the ole crystal ball for this game too.  Mars 35 Armstrong 31.

The Others:

Souderton 21 Council Rock South 14 – The Indians maintain their perfect record in beating the Golden Hawks.

Farrell 30 Sharon 22 – The Steelers get a real test, but in the end, they prevail over the Tigers of Sharon.

State College 24 Harrisburg 21 – A late field goal propels the Little Lions to the win over the Cougars.

McKeesport 35 Gateway 28 – McKeesport does not give up many points, but Gateway’s QB Brad Birch is slinging the ball pretty well these days.  Protime gives the nod to the Tigers to fend off the Gators.

Southern Columbia 31 Mount Carmel 21 – This contest will be closer than many think.  But Coach Roth and his SoCol Tigers are a bit too tough for the Red Tornadoes to handle.

Redbank Valley 34 Port Allegany 27 – Both squads are 6-1.  Port is the defending District 9 Class A champs.  Protime feels the RBV Bulldogs will pull this one out and beat the PA Gators.

Delaware Valley 21 Valley View 12 – Valley View loses their first game of the year.  But DelVal is a bigger school.  Warriors topple the Cougars, but its close.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic 28 Penn Hills 21 – Penn Hills (6-1) may try what was successful by Pine Richland and the Indians have the QB to do it, but the PCC Vikings (6-1) are a solid team and will not be upset two weeks in a row.  Although the Indians will make a game of it.

Northwestern Lehigh 38 Bangor 24 – The Tigers bop the Slaters, upping NW Lehigh’s record to 8-0.

Gettysburg 20 Greencastle-Antrim 14 – The Warriors down the Blue Devils by six.

Northern Cambria 27 Penns Manor 19 – Fresh off a huge win over River Valley, the Colts continue their winning ways in beating the Comets.

Pope John Paul II 42 Pottstown 28 – The Golden Panthers remain unblemished with their victory over the Trojans.

Central Clarion 35 DuBois 20 – In a bit of a surprise, the DuBois Beavers keep it close against the Wildcats who average over 60 points a game.

Dunmore 32 Western Wayne 28 – Both teams are 5-2 for the year.  The Bucks play a little better on this night and defeat the Wildcats.

North East 22 Harbor Creek 13 – The Grape Pickers are having a good season and are juiced.  The Huskies are the next victim.

Parkland 31 Bethlehem Catholic 14 – Another team stays unbeaten as the Trojans ground the Golden Hawks.

Delone Catholic 13 Bermudian Springs 8 – This game is a toss-up and therefore Protime flipped a coin.  The Squires eke out the win over the Eagles in a low scoring but entertaining game.

East Allegheny 28 Deer Lakes 21 – Another pair of teams that are 5-2 face off and angle for playoff position.  The Wildcats knock off the Lancers in a good one.

Neumann-Goretti 27 Conwell-Egan 23 – This District 12 show down finds the Saints four better than the Eagles.

Lower Merion 14 Haverford 7 – Haverford could win this contest as they are better than their record.  They hope to ford into the win column, but Lower Merion has an ace up their sleeve.

Shikellamy 16 Bloomsburg 14 – The Braves spear the Panthers in another low scoring but entertaining game.

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