FOOTBALL PICKS: Sectional opener week

By MIKE HUTSELL

The following predictions were written with a tiny flashlight in a poorly lit attic, as I attempt to quarantine myself from the onset of the flu epidemic that has invaded my extended family.

INDIAN CREEK-CHARLESTOWN

Charlestown has had a — um, well, huh, (sigh) — interesting week, you can say. The best news for the team is the fact that when kick off arrives, the focus can be what happens at Dutch Reis Field.

I’m not getting into all the extracurricular, off-field stuff. My focus is what the Pirates can do on field against an unbeaten Braves team.

The fear, though, is that it might be a struggle for Charlestown.

If Indian Creek has proven anything this season, it’s that they know how to put points on the board. The Braves have averaged 36 points per night and have reached 50 or more three times.

Charlestown’s strength is its defense — there’s no question about that. But that unit will have to put in a true yeoman’s effort to offset the fact that offense is entering the game most likely with a third-string quarterback making his first varsity start.

Tough to imagine a Charlestown win here.

Indian Creek 28, Charlestown 13

NEW ALBANY-EVANSVILLE NORTH

A true pat on the back for the New Albany Bulldogs for last week’s win, which I would have been able to predict unless you had told me that Floyd Central’s team bus had been infested with H1N1 for the trip over.

Now the Dogs can focus on the next step, a winning streak.

If there’s a matchup that favors New Albany among its potential sectional foes, perhaps the Huskies are it.

The Huskies aren’t exactly playing like world beaters — of their three wins on the season, none have come against Class 5A opponents — and New Albany finished the season playing its strongest football. There was an overtime loss to Seymour that preceded the win over Floyd last weekend.

Does New Albany win this week? You know what — I think they actually will.

New Albany 19, Evansville North 17

JEFFERSONVILLE-CASTLE

The last meeting between these two sides ended up a classic as the Knights earned a 49-39 win over the Devils in the Class 5A sectional final a year ago.

There’s no reason to think this couldn’t be another entertaining affair. But also remember that Jeff isn’t exactly rolling into postseason play.

Despite a 5-4 finish to the season, Jeff has dropped back-to-back games, including a head-scratching 12-6 defeat against Jennings County last Friday.

Castle is 6-3, but the consensus among many people around the state is that the Evansville-area programs are not playing as high a level as they have over the past few seasons. The one common opponent these two teams have is New Albany, who the Knights struggled to top at home and the Devils rolled over just before the start of this current two-game skid.

I don’t know what to make of Jeff. I could pick a tie and feel as confident about that outcome as any other prediction. Since I’m paid handsomely to make my bold predictions, I’ll go with Castle.

Castle 27, Jeffersonville 19

FLOYD CENTRAL-JENNINGS COUNTY

Let’s keep it simple. Easy to foresee the Highlanders bouncing back big. Also easy to see the Panthers perhaps having a bit of a letdown after a shocking win over Jeff a week ago.

On a sidenote, I had one of those ‘I saw him, but he didn’t see me’ moments this week involving Floyd Central coach Brian Glesing.

The guy looked possessed. Looked like he had slept in his office all week since the New Albany loss. May or may not have been carrying some sort of pentagon-level top-secret game plan in his briefcase en route to his car.

I see no way that the Highlanders aren’t ready for this one.

Floyd Central 28, Jennings County 16

PROVIDENCE-TRITON CENTRAL

This actually is the game of the week in my humble opinion. The Tigers come in at 6-3 overall, while the Pioneers are 5-4.

I’m not going to hide behind my “Providence always loses the week after it wins” theory this week. I’m going to do some real, hardcore analysis here and make this one a lock.

The Pioneers are going to win this one. I think they win big.

If a 2A team in the state has played a better schedule than Providence, please show me. Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings show the Pioneers as a top 20 team in Class 2A, and five points better than the Tigers head-to-head.

Providence can play tough defense, we know that. It also can play a rugged, smashmouth running game or they can even throw the ball a little bit as well.

I like Providence here, a lot.

Providence 28, Triton Central 14

PAOLI-CLARKSVILLE

If there was a team that needed good news on sectional draw day, it was Clarksville, which could have at least gotten a break from the IHSAA in what has been a tough season.

Instead, the pingpong balls coughed up Paoli for Clarksville’s first-round matchup.

Need a resume on the Rams?

Well, they didn’t lose in nine games this season. They surrendered an average of 3.8 points per game. Six of their nine wins came via shutout. They enter this week coming off a win over Class A heavyweight Perry Central (the Commodores only loss this year, BTW).

Paoli has been so good this year that New York Yankee chairman Hank Steinbrenner contacted the school principal and offered him an eight-year deal worth $180 million.

If the Paoli season was a punch line, it would have been so good that Dane Cook would have stolen it and played it off as one of his own jokes.

Needles to say, the pick is the Rams.

Paoli 34, Clarksville 8

Contact Mike Hutsell at mike.hutsell@newsandtribune.com.