Best Bets: Week 7

We have made it to week 7 and this week is all about movement. The playoffs are right around the corner and this is a week where movement in the right or wrong direction could be all the difference for many squads. If a team can get that big win it could set them up well as we enter the final weeks of the season. If they lose, they’ll have to scratch and claw that much more to get to where they want to be come week 11. It’s a momentous week and we expect great games that show just that.

Last week Elder, Lakota West, Moeller, and Taft did their work and came away with the passing grade in the form of a win. This week some key battles ensue. Middletown looks to bounce back from their first loss when they play host to Lakota East. Mason and Fairfield will look to get back to winning when they collide on Route 4. Anderson takes their show over to rival Turpin and Williamsburg visits Roger Bacon.

Many questions still loom. Can Lakota East take a big step toward a playoff berth? Could Mason be a dark horse in region 4? All the answers will arrive in a few short days. Here are the Best Bets for week 7

#14 Lakota East at #16 Middletown

East is looking like a lock for a playoff berth and a win this week will likely do that. The Thunderhawks are 4-2 and have played well this season. East runs things through senior tailback Ryder Hooks who is one of the most electric players in the area regardless of position. Hooks is the GMC’s leading rusher with 866 yards and six touchdowns. He is the guy that opposing defenses game-plan for and want to stop. The Thunderhawks have also gotten stellar play from their quarterback Nike Knutson, who as a sophomore leads the GMC in passing yards with 1,372 yards and 12 TD. Patrick MacFarlane, Christopher Bouyer, Carter Jones, and Hooks are all capable targets in the passing game. Dawson Reip has led the defense with 57 tackles on the season.

Middletown suffered their first defeat last week to Lakota West but the Middies showed that they belonged on the same field. Middletown owns a tough and athletic defense that has performed well this season. Linebacker CJ Bryant leads the team and is at the top of the GMC with 52 stops. JD Singletary has 5.5 sacks good for second in the league and Virgil Coleman has 4 INT. Offensively quarterback JoJo Ward has been a dual threat capable of beating you big with his arm or his legs. He has 722 yards passing and 244 yards rushing. Demetrian James leads the team with 376 yards in the ground and Ace Cooper is the top receiving target.

This should be a great game in a great atmosphere. Bet on Middletown to get things done at home.

#17 Mason at #18 Fairfield

Mason has been led by QB De’Angelo Birch who has returned to Mason this season and been great for the Comets. Birch has been both a solid runner and passer for Mason and has them in position to be a playoff team that no one will want to run into. He ranks fourth in the GMC in rushing and eighth in passing. The Mason defense has been its usual strong self as they don’t make scoring easy. Alex Brown leads the Comets with 67 tackles good for second in the league and Emerson Beyke ranks third in interceptions with two. AJ Kaylor has four sacks.

Fairfield has been a surprise team with maybe the most impressive win of the season under their belts. The Indians don’t truly have a start player but collectively have played a great brand of football that has kept them in games and allowed them to pull off some great wins. Corrious Booker and Mason Wheeler have been solid running options as they both have over 250 yards rushing on the season and a combined five touchdowns. QB Dominic Back has thrown for 486 yards on the season. Gabe Ross leads the defense. He has 52 tackles ranking him sixth in the league.

Birch has been there before. Bet on Mason to get a road win.

#3 Anderson at Turpin

Anderson has been a juggernaut. Quarterback Owen Scalf leads a potent offensive attack with 2,008 yards and 19 touchdowns. Tailback Jordan Davis and wideout Tyson Weaver are both big time playmakers with big play capability.  Brady Kuhn leads a lockdown defensive unit with 52 tackles as the Raptors are very stingy when it comes to protecting their end zone.

Turpin has a balanced attack where they can hurt you running the ball or by passing. Luke Mileham as thrown for 1,199 yards and seven touchdowns. He has also rushed for 374 yards and another seven scores. Holden Gerth has rushed for 368 yards and Evan Overholser leads the team with 433 yards receiving. Brody Nickerson (65), Brady Gillespie (53), and Ethan Hovecamp (53) are three of the top five tacklers in the ECC.

Anderson boasts a ton of firepower. Bet on the Raptors to continue to dominate.

Williamsburg at Roger Bacon