2-1 Maple River @ 1-2 Hatton/Northwood (Region 2)
I know, Anything can happen in high school sports, but MayPort CG looks to be at the top looking down on Region 2 while Griggs County is on the other end of that spectrum after starting 0-3 and not playing very competitively to this point. That means there are very likely three teams in this region vying for two playoff spots. Maple River and Hatton/Northwood are two of those teams along with Enderlin. The winner of this matchup on Friday night will have a huge advantage when it comes to qualifying for the playoffs and maybe even more importantly, if the winner of this game goes on to beat Enderlin later in the year, they could be in line for a home playoff game. My pick- Maple River goes on the road and gets a win 32-18. Actual score- Maple River 34-12
3-0 Nelson County @ 3-0 Cavalier (Region 3)
These two teams have put themselves squarely at the top of the Region 3 title hunt for 2022. Nelson County was receiving votes in last week's poll and all they did was go knock off the #5 team in the state. Cavalier is ranked #3 and showed why by traveling to New Rockford and shut out the Rockets. Both teams were undefeated going into last year's playoffs and both were seeded in the top 5. It's a new year and only one of them can win this region. Cavalier's defense has only given up 6 points this year and Cavalier is a very difficult place to get a win on the road so for that reason, I am taking Cavalier to win 30-14. Actual Score- Cavalier 30-20
1-2 New Rockford-Sheyenne @ 2-1 Four Winds (region 4)
Region 4 is one of the most competitive regions in the state. Benson County is struggling, but the other four teams are all very solid and could finish anywhere between 1-4 in that region this season. NRS and Four Winds are both quality teams who have playoff aspirations. These two teams couldn't look any different. NRS will run the ball all night and are happy to get 3-4 yards a crack while four winds likes to air things out to their big play wide receivers and has the quick strike ability to put up points in bunches! They've scored 50+ in two of their first 3 games. While a loss in this game certainly doesn't eliminate anyone from the playoffs, a win would go a long way towards helping their team get in. Me pick is the Indians at home by a score of 38-32. Actual Score- New Rockford 42-14
3-0 New Salem/Almont @ 3-0 South Border (Region 5)
Another battle of unbeaten as both teams bring a 3-0 mark into this contest. New Salem/Almont has been dubbed a title contender since the pre-season. South Border had a great run last year and is looking to take the next step. This should be a very physical game. The winner will be in the drivers seat to win a region that might be one of the deepest from top to bottom in the entire state. South Border did open some eyes with a week 1 win over Grant County/Flasher. While that win may have caught a few by surprise, I don't think NSA will be caught off guard. I'll take the Holsteins to win a nail biter. 24-20 Actual Score- New Salem 36-28
1-2 Grant County/Flasher @ 1-2 Hettinger/Scranton (Region 6)
Here are two teams who have gotten off to a sluggish start, but it's not how you start, it's how you finish and both of these teams still very much have hopes of winning a region championship, securing a first round bye, and getting a 2nd round home game in their sights. I felt that these were among the top teams in the region coming into the season and while that still may be the case, I think there's more parity in the region than I had originally thought. This is a big game and the winner takes a huge step forward toward the playoffs. I think GC/F gets it done on the road by grinding out a win on the ground behind their big linemen. GC/F wins 38-18 Actual Score Grant County/Flasher 28-12
3-0 Divide County @ 1-1 Surrey (Region
I'm not sure if anyone in Region 8 can hang with the Maroons this year, but if anyone can it just might be Surrey. Both teams had a week off last week with Surrey having a bye week and DC receiving a forfeit from Parshall. Both teams should be well prepared for this matchup. I do think Divide County will be favored in this matchup and I'll take them to win 46-20 Actual Score- Divide County 38-6
Record of picks for this week- 5-1, Season record of picks to date- 19-3