Protime Predictions – It was a Thanksgiving Tradition
Tagged under: News, pfn, Protime Predictions
Phil Myers | November 28, 2024
The memories of childhood endeavors always crop up this time of year. Protime and Brother Protime used to wake up earlier than normal on Thanksgiving because the day was fraught full of activities. Breakfast was always important so two bowls of Fruit Loops or Corn Pops was a necessity. Then it was TV time which mainly included a few cartoons to get things rolling. Later, it was time for the Macy’s Parade where Santa made his expected appearance at the end. Now it was officially Christmas Season and that meant the Sears Catalog would soon be arriving so Protime could spend hours looking at the toys.
A peanut butter sandwich for protein was lunch along with some milk and a candy bar. Then it was getting dressed for the big Thanksgiving Day game between Protime and Brother Protime. The other Brother Protime was usually playing the piano which he still does to this day. The tackle football game was played whether the weather was sunny, rainy, or cold and snowy. The game was usually decided by one of Protime’s miracle passes that could not be covered. (Ask him about that sometime.) The contest lasted all afternoon and when the dust or mud or snow settled, it more times than not settled upon the participants which did not go over well with Mother Protime. Then it was time for the turkey dinner and football on TV. Ah, what memories.
The memories of Protime picking games goes back to those days too. He has been predicting NFL, college, and high school games for 55 years. It is just down to high school in recent years. Protime went 18-6 last week and is 291-81 (.782) for the 2024 season. Now on with the Pigskin Prognosticator’s Picks for the state semifinals.
Class 6A
St. Joes Prep (9-2) vs. Downingtown West (13-1) – Protime thinks West is a lot better than people give them credit for, but the Whippets are still not going to beat such a talented and well-coached team as the St. Joes Prep Hawks. Final score – St. Joes 34 Downingtown West 12.
Harrisburg (11-2) vs. Pittsburgh Central Catholic (11-2) – This should be a pretty darn good game. Lots of college talent will be on the field. It’ll come down to who makes the less mistakes and who has more discipline. Look for the Vikings of PCC to win a close one over the Cougars of Harrisburg High by the score of 24-21.
Class 5A
Roman Catholic (10-4) vs. West Chester Rustin (13-1) – Two good teams set to duke it out in the eastern half of the 5A bracket. The Rustin Golden Knights’ only loss is to 6A semifinalist Downingtown West. Roman’s losses were to the two best teams in PA (St. Joes and LaSalle), 4A semifinalist Bonner-Prendie, and nationally ranked in top 25, DeMatha from Maryland. Look for whomever can play the better defense to win. In this case Protime thinks the Roman Cahillites have the edge playing such a tough schedule. Roman 28 Rustin 21.
Pine-Richland (11-1) vs. Bishop McDevitt (12-2) – Here’s a game many want to see featuring two of the best programs and coaches in Pennsylvania. Coach Jon LeDonne of the P-R Rams have contended with super passing teams the past two weeks, but McDevitt’s Crusaders under Jeff Weachter’s guidance has the best QB they will face. Look for Pine-Richland’s running game to be the difference. It’s going to be Pine-Richland 27 Bishop McDevitt 21.
Class 4A
Southern Lehigh (12-2) vs. Bonner-Prendie (10-2) – The Southern Lehigh Spartans lost one of their games to 3A contender Northwestern Lehigh, while Prendie’s two losses were to St. Joes and LaSalle. Bonner beat 5A contender Roman Catholic. Protime just feels the Friars are too much for the Spartans to handle for 48 minutes. Bonner-Prendie 37 Southern Lehigh 20.
Lampeter-Strasburg (13-0) vs. Thomas Jefferson (14-0) – Here’s the first of three games were both teams are undefeated. Protime thinks this will be a better game than some think. The L-S Pioneers will have to find a way to score on a very strong defense and will have to find a way to win some battles at the line of scrimmage. If they do those two things they’ll have a shot. But TJ is a different animal coached by the legendary Bill Cherpak whose great line play is a staple. In the end, Protime sees the Jaguars of TJ coming out on top 31-21.
Class 3A
Danville (13-0) vs. Northwestern Lehigh (14-0) – This is the second of three contests where both squads are unblemished. The Tigers of NW Lehigh are the 2023 state runners-up and may be better this year. The Danville Ironmen are looking for their first state finals appearance. This should be a great battle. The questions are can the Tigers slow down the Ironmen’s passing attack and scrambling QB, and can the Ironmen slow down the NW Tiger offense? Protime is going with the former and therefore NW Lehigh wins 35-28.
Avonworth (11-3) vs. Penn Cambria (14-0) – The Antelopes seem to be peaking at the right time as they were only the #5 seed in the D7 playoffs. They beat the number four, number one, and number two seeds to get here. Penn Cambria just seems to play better each week too. Protime likes the Panthers to prevail over the Antelopes by a score of 30-28.
Class 2A
Troy (14-0) vs. Riverside (D2) (13-1) – Troy’s Trojans are on a mission and only Riverside’s Vikings stand in their way. Taylor Riverside has a well-balanced offense and can score a lot of points. Troy likes to run, but can pass efficiently which makes the Trojan offense even more dangerous and they can score at will sometimes. Protime can’t help but think Troy gets the better of it and is victorious. Troy 42 Riverside 26.
Central Clarion (13-0) vs. South Park (12-1) – This is an interesting match-up. On paper, it looks like Central Clarion should have no trouble and that may be, but Protime has looked deeper and finds South Park should not be underestimated. This may come down to a battle of wills and defenses. But one can’t ignore the value of CC’s quarterback. Protime feels he will be the difference over the long haul of the game. Central Clarion Wildcats 24 South Park Eagles 21.
Class 1A
Bishop Guilfoyle (13-1) vs. Muncy (12-2) – Did anyone expect BG to lay 56 points on Westinghouse? Did anyone see Muncy laying 47 on Lackawanna Trail? Talk about some powerful offenses going at it. The Marauders’ only loss was to 3A contender and unbeaten Penn Cambria by a failed two-point conversion. Protime thinks BG’s tougher schedule and defense will allow them to pull away from Muncy’s Indians to the tune of 38-21.
Fort Cherry (14-0) vs. Port Allegany (13-0) – Here’s the third game featuring undefeated teams. It’s Fort versus Port!! Can the Gators find a way to hem in the Fort’s quarterback? Can the Rangers stop Port’s record setting running back? Should be a fun one. Protime will be there. His prediction is based on a coin flip. Fort 28 Port 24.
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