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Slick John Picanos

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  1. Slick John Picanos here reporting from the lush confines of a stretch limosine. While I don't have the time to give a detailed prediction of each team and how they'll finish I will take the time to give what I think is the "most anticipated" aspect for each team leading into the season. NorthWood- Besides being the only school with two captial letters in their name, can Nate Andrews come up with a new helmet design this year?! It would seem they are running out of their traditional options of black, red, white but can I suggest a chrome design?! Also- is Nate Andrews in better shape than his players? Does he make an appearance on scout teams??? Warsaw- Bart Curtis and his fast food connoisseur-ism should be in full force down in Kosciusko County. First, I'll set the over/under at 9.5 passes completed on the season for the Tigers. What can we anticipate, though? Well- opposite of their rivals at NorthWood, the Tigers' uniforms have become more basic in the world of alternate uniforms. In fact, I don't believe they even have any orange on their road jerseys! Can we at least get a tiger paw back on the helmet, or at least the W?! The question remains- can Bart Curtis make their jerseys even more bland?! On a more serious note- can we please get a Top 5 Fast Food restaurant ranking from Coach Curtis- what a treat that would be!!! Mishawaka- The only St. Joseph County representative is home to possibly the most idyllic high school football setting in northern Indiana. However, it comes with its' challenges! How many games does the grass at Steele Stadium hold up? Can it make it even to September? With only 1 August home game, it has a chance! I must give the Cavemen credit, though, they usually use the sand/mud/dirt/clay/tufts of grass combination to their advantage. Goshen- Well what in God's Green Gables bet did Tom Wogomon lose to take on this Red Hawk endeavor?! Either way- this anticipation is obvious- can things turn around for the once proud Artists Formerly Known as the Redskins?? Northridge- After just becoming the latest NLC team to make a state championship game (only Warsaw has not) expectations are high in the Middlebury bubble! Are they too high?! Can the Raiders live up to their sense of entitlement?! I have also noticed some new construction onto the high school- I guess people can get excited about that as well... Concord- The defending champs are getting very little respect from NLCTiger07! Can I sense some hurt feelings stemming from last October? The rotating schedule will pit the Tigers and Minutemen in September for what I anticipate is the first time ever after being the regular season finale since at least 1994. Back on topic: The Minutemen have some holes to fill! Probably as many as any team in the conference. The early season schedule will be extremely telling as to where this team is headed. I think we will know after the first 4 games whether they are the real deal or if the focus of the season will be on improvement and growth leading up to the playoffs. Wawasee- In what can only be seen as a "shot across the bow" to the RedHawks, the Warriors from the lake have inserted a Native American Spear into their helmet logo (see below). For those uninformed, the Goshen helmet included a spear for several years. Culture is trying to be changed on their side of Kosciusko County and you have to admire the effort! The Warriors do indeed have a heck of a concourse in their stadium on the home side- hopefully that isn't the only product of this year's Warrior team that people talk about when leaving games. Plymouth- LAJB- "Life After John Barron"- Not really much else to be said here. The Rockies have fallen on some tough times. New coaches are usually able to bring some new energy and we will see if the pride of Marshall County and US 30 can pull the right strings to have a successful season! Off we go into Week 1- Stay healthy, eat junk food, hate your rivals, and enjoy football once again!
  2. I'll be there- Look for the Limo and the Ladies.
  3. Concord 2-3 @ Warsaw 5-1 (-13.5): A lot to play for here for Warsaw. It will be interesting to see if Concord can come back from their performance last week. Not sure Concord has the horses on defense to keep up with Warsaw's offense. Goshen 0-3 (-6) @ Wawasee 0-6: A positve result comes out of this for one of the teams. I personally think that Goshen is playing a little better since coming back from quarantine back in September- last weeks result not withstanding. Wawasee's facility is good enough for a point to keep them from losing by a full 7 points. That- and the weather is too cold for the lake which may bring some fans in!!! Mishawaka 4-1 (-3.5) @ Northridge 5-1: Northridge struggled just enough against Warsaw's offense to make me worry about the boys from Middlebury in this title game. Should be high scoring if Northridge is as two dimensional on offense as last week. COVID 0-1 @ John Barron 1-0: Way to go Coach Barron- glad you are back on your feet!
  4. 3-1 with a Wawasee back-door cover. Time to parlay that success!!!
  5. Incredibly enough- there are still 5 teams that can finish with 2 losses and be crowned a co-champion- and correct me if I'm wrong- it could finish as a 5-way tie! I'll let the powers above decide how the role uneven numbers of games played will decide the champion, but we have an old-fashioned Ric Flair Hotel Room Roundabout on our hands! Of course- if Warsaw beats NorthWood all the women get sent home early and we are left partying with Bart Curtis. This isn't to say that I would be agaisnt a Bart party, however, I'd rather have a room full of women to choose from than sitting and hearing about the intricacies of the flexbone offense. Odds included this week (for entertainment purposes only, of course) Concord 2-2 @ Northridge 4-1 (-1): Northridge the favorite here, but not by much. Extremely similar scores in games vs. like opponents. Concord stays alive in the conference race if they can win. I would set the over/under at about 23.5 in a VERY physical game. Chaos Theory says take the Minutemen. Harrison (-17.5) @ Goshen 0-3: Here's what I know about Harrison. They have yet to go on a winning or losing streak this year as they have alternated wins and losses each week. This sets them up to be due for a loss! The Redhawks seem to be playing better since their return- they are the only team not coached by Bart Curtis (maybe his party would be fun) to score a touchdown on the Northridge Raiders. AND!!!! Harison's nickname is the Raiders!!! Can fate come together for the 'Hawks? Seems doubtful- but the drive up SR 25/US 31/US 20 can lull the best of us to sleep...Goshen back-door covers late. Warsaw 5-0 (-3) @ NorthWood 2-2: NorthWood is seing the flexbone for the second consecutive week. This should be able to be used as an advantage. However, NorthWood has yet to prove they can score enough to be able to win this game. I'm going to subscribe to the chaos theory, though, and with that letting me believe that NorthWood can cover the spread. Something tells me, though, that NorthWood loses something like 28-24 because they miss four two point conversions. Wawasee 0-5 @ Mishawaka 3-1 (-35.5): This seems like it will be difficult for Wawasee to be competitive. August 28 vs West Noble was a looooooong time ago. Wawsee also in a trap game here because they have a game they can win next week. Mishawaka covers.
  6. I'm sure you all have been anxiously waiting for Slick John's return with a similar anticipation of a COVID vaccine being developed....well...the good news is, Slick John seems to be more reliable than our government and I'm also going to give you a much more honest opinion about things than any of them will. So let's rip these mid-season evaluations like Ric Fliar ripping some of the Devil's Dandruff off the back-side of a Charlotte stripper back the the late 80's!!! 1. Warsaw- 3-0: Their wins over Mishawaka and Northridge are debatably the best pair of wins of the season so far in the NLC. A couple easy tune-ups to get ready for the last two weeks vs. NorthWood and Concord that will play a major role in this year's champion. Slick John believes that the difference in the season will be if/when Warsaw's offense has an off night, will their defense be able to stop anybody? 2. NorthWood- 2-0: A missed game against Goshen keeps them from a 3-0 record. They survived Concord without their QB which could be a very underrated victory come the end of the season. So far, NorthWood's defense has been the class of the conference. It will be interesting to see their performances vs. Mishawaka and Warsaw. 3. Concord- 2-1: One tough loss and two easy wins for the Minutemen. The Mishawaka game is going to be a telling result. Their defense so far has shut out a poor Goshen team, gave up 7 to Wawasee and another 14 to NorthWood's backup QB. Their defensive point total could be the most overrated statistic in the conference up to this point. We will find out tomorrow. 4. Northridge- 2-1: Just like I stated above about Concord, Northridge's defense showed some vulerability against Warsaw after easily handling Wawasee and Plymouth. Still so much to find out about the Raiders 5. Mishawaka- 1-1: After a 1-3 overall start, Mishawaka, all of a sudden has an opportunity to get themselves back in the NLC title chase with a win over Concord Friday. Their offense has been beyond impressive point scoring wise, but their defense leaves quite a lot to be desired. Should be fun Friday vs. Concord. 6. Goshen- 0-1: Goshen has beaten Clay and lost to Concord in a season as plagued by COVID as it has been by poor football. I can't imagine a trip down SR 15 is going to be kind to the boys from Goshen. I've heard Rick Mirer owns a vineyard. Does he give Goshen patrons discounts on his wine? They may need it. 7. Wawasee- 0-3: It can be argued that Wawasee has had the toughest conference schedule so far. Which also can't be too comforting with Warsaw and Mishawaka still left. There is a chance for two wins out of the last four, though. This week brings us to the pillow fight of the week at (gasp!) Plymouth! I have to be honest- I don't know the route from Wawasee to Plymouth, nor do I care to. I would suggest anybody from Wawasee not look it up, either and head to the closest liquor license carrying establishment to Syracuse. 8. Plymouth- 0-3: Just like I'm still trying to figure out why Plymouth didn't set their scoreboard cocked to the endline in their renovated stadium (see for yourself), John Barron is trying to figure out just what in the world is occurring in Rockie Land. They showed some late life against Mishawaka last week--could that be the momentum it takes to take down a typical Wawasee team?
  7. Slick John reporting after a week hiatus. Let's just say it had something to do with a late night in Vegas, search warrents, a kicked in window, a missing shoe, and a bloody sock. Northridge (-7) @ Memorial- Difficult one to pick here as both teams are probably playing their last winnable game of the season. This is potentially the last game at Crimson Charger Stadium as well (at least as far as I know). Plymouth (-14) @ NorthWood- Plymouth will be on grass for only the 2nd time this season. I'm not sure that plays a huge role, but it is something to note. NorthWood had a disappointing performance last week after an extremely hopeful first half. NorthWood has more fans cheering for them this week than normal in the form of Minutemen and Tigers. New Prarie eventually awaits Plymouth and East Noble evenually awaits NorthWood in their respective sectionals. Warsaw @ Concord (-1.5)- Great game shaping up in Dunlap. Winner has a chance at a share of the title. Warsaw has the ability to control the ball enough to keep Concord's offense off the field. Turnovers and special teams play a role, but I'm not sure in favor of which team. Wawasee @ Goshen (PK)- Sagarin has Wawasee as 4-5 point favorites, but I just can't count out the Pride of the Redhawk and their desire to win the Traveling Chief Trophy. Bonus Odds! Odds to win at least a share of NLC Varsity Football Championship 2019 Plymouth (6-0) (OFF)- Clinched!!! Congrats to John Barron and the Plymouth Rockies Concord (5-1) (9:5)- Statistically the best defense (at least in points allowed) in the conference will face BartBall for a chance at a share of the title. Warsaw (5-1)(9:5)- Did they anger the Panthers enough last week to motivate them to be competitive against the Rockies? NorthWood (4-2)(OFF)- Eliminated, but still play a huge role in potential multiple champions. Northridge (2-4)(OFF)- Squaring off with Memorial in a game for 5th/6th. Memorial (2-4)(OFF)- .....One last ride.... Wawasee/Goshen (0-6) (OFF)- Squaring off in a game that will be so bad its' good.
  8. Slick John reporting for duty on the first weekend in October, and an exciting first week it is. Mobile sports betting opened yesterday in the state of Indiana, so I once again might as well contribute, as best I can, to the degeneration of our society and bank accounts. Concord @ Plymouth (-4)- In a battle of the shortest coaches in the confernce, this could be a high scoring game, if both offenses get going. However, I think that Plymouth will have to drive the ball longer and not rely so much on big plays. That being said, John Barron is a River Boat Gambler, and will fake punts, run trick plays and go for it on fourth down from his own 27. I think Plymouth will have to convert some of those types of plays to be victorious tonight. Concord's offense can throw the ball pretty well too, and if they can extend some drives and keep Plymouth off the field longer than they are used to, it could be the difference in the game. The winner of this game is obviously in the driver's seat the rest of the way, but far from having clinched an out-right title. Goshen @ Northridge (-20.5)- Low scoring affair in Middlebury. Goshen did, however, reach double digits last week....so there's that. NorthWood (-22.5) @ Memorial- The Panthers are facing a potential let-down game with Warsaw and Plymouth on the docket in the next two weeks. This could allow Elkhart Memorial to stay close! Psh- who are we kidding? Nate Andrews doesn't take weeks off!!! Wawasee @ Warsaw (-41.5)- What is the definition of insanity? A loyal Wawasee football fan. Bonus Odds! Odds to win at least share of NLC Varsity Football Championship 2019 Plymouth (4-0) (8:5)- Being at home this week is an advantage, but they have lost 3 of 4 to Concord. Still have Goshen and NorthWood on the schedule. Concord (4-0) (2:1)- Concord hasn't seen a passing attack like Plymouth's yet this season. Still has Northridge and Warsaw on the schedule. NorthWood (3-1)(3:1)- Cheering for Plymouth this week. Matchups with Warsaw and Plymouth coming up in the next two weeks. Scores have been a little more impressive than Warsaw's in recent weeks. Warsaw (3-1)(4:1)- Cheering for Concord this week. NorthWood and Concord remain. . Northridge (1-3)(OFF)- Mathematically eliminated. Will have to play well and get a decent sectional draw to finish with a winning record. Memorial (1-3)(OFF)- Mathematically eliminated. The Eastern Equine Encephalitis got the best of these Crimson Chargers. As for the ailment that Elkhart Memorial suffers from; there may not be a vaccine for that, either. Wawasee/Goshen (0-4) (OFF)- It's over, Johnny.
  9. Slick John here to set some lines for the forecasted rainy weather, which usually becomes an equalizer between teams. Interesting set-up to the regular conference slate as Concord and Memorial have out of conference match ups to end the month of September. With that being said, it also allows for Plymouth to catch and tie Concord for the lead in the conference and a monster match up next week down at the Rock Pile. CMA (-4) @ Elkhart Memorial: A wet field may neutralize some of the advantages one would think Memorial would have. Their record, though, makes them underdogs. CMA's resume' is all over the place as far as quality of opponents and results. This is the type of game you bet on at the end of the night after you've had too many pops, and are bored. Jimtown @ Concord (-14): Another wet field that could help the visitors. Concord's passing game will be tested if there are weather elements to deal with. Jimtown's unique offense could give Concord some problems also in this rivalry game. There is also this: I can appreciate the emotion from teachers in buildings!!! Good thing for the Jimmies, none of the people in the picture are part of the team (I don't think). NorthWood (-2) @ Northridge: Another potential muddy track for two teams that throw the ball about as well as Nate Andrews stays calm. Interestingly enough, the loser of this game will likely finish in the bottom half of the conference (or at least a tie for 4th and 5th). Plymouth (-28) @ Wawasee: Using my imagination, I will predict some surprise onside kicks....and several Plymouth Touchdowns. Warsaw (-28) @ Goshen: Warsaw maybe a little sloppy due to weather and a long bus ride, I just don't think Goshen can score. Bonus Odds! Odds to win at least share of NLC Varsity Football Championship Plymouth (3-0) (8:5)- The pride of Marshall County heads north for a sneaky tough matchup. Concord (4-0) (2:1)- current league leader (by 1/2 game). Jimtown will give them a better game than expected, but it will not have any bearing on the conference title. Warsaw (2-1)(5:1)- Solid win vs. Northridge last week lets them cheer for Concord next week in hopes of controlling their own destiny in week 9. NorthWood (2-1)(5:1)- Unlike Warsaw, they need Plymouth to win next week for a shot at their destiny in their week 8 matchup vs. Warsaw and week 9 vs. Plymouth. Northridge (1-2)(15:1)- Had another chance last week, and were unable to get the job done. Memorial (1-3)(100:1)- Another pretty solid showing last week from what I am told. Wawasee/Goshen (0-3) (600:1)- COMBO PICK!!!! Both still mathematically alive (for one more week)
  10. Concord (-40) @ Goshen : Alabama vs. [insert Sun Belt opponent here] type spread here. Two teams that don't like each other, but the Minutemen have been able to shift their focus to bigger and better goals. 1999 state runners-up reunion provides a potential spark. Lucky for both Concord and Goshen- Otis Shannon will not be in attendance. Wawasee @ NorthWood (-43)- Ugly. Nate Andrews might have to sacrifice a live chicken to get his boys up for this one, but NorthWood could sleep walk through this and still have time to polish two sets of helmets. Plymouth (-14) @ Memorial : Spread is based on previous results, I would take the Chargers to cover. Their athleticism is better on the perimeter than what Plymouth has seen. Combine that with a long bus trip and some over-confidence and Plymouth could find themselves in a battle in the 2nd half. Northridge @ Warsaw (-7.5) : Tigers have to be favored in this one, but Northridge could bring some physicality between the tackles that could give Warsaw some problems. Bonus Odds! Odds to win at least share of NLC Varsity Football Championship Plymouth (2-0) (9:5)- The pride of Marshall County heads north for a sneaky tough matchup. Concord (3-0) (5:2)- current league leader (by 1/2 game). Toughest games ahead (not including this week) Warsaw (1-1)(5:1)- Could it be there were some weaknesses exposed last week and some over-hype? Jury is still out on how good of a win Michigan City was. Northridge (1-1)(5:1)- Has to be somewhat of a disappointing result last week. Great chance to rebound vs. Warsaw. NorthWood (1-1)(5:1)- Something tells me this team will play a role in deciding the champion. Memorial (1-2)(15:1)- Had their chance last week, and almost came through. Wawasee/Goshen (0-2) (400:1)- COMBO PICK!!!! Both still mathematically alive! Rumor Mill Not to be one to gossip too much, (actually, I am- what else are these sites for) but I have heard rumblings of the Mangy Lion being in the incorrect school right now. Rumors have it that Elkhart Central used an ineligible player in that game (and the following 3). By IHSAA rule, that would be forfieture of said contests. Any other insight on this???
  11. Slick John here reporting on a Friday the 13th with a Full Moon, no less!!! Also- a reminder from your local handicapper----don't bet with your heart! Concord (-21) @ Wawasee: Could this be a trap game for Concord? Long bus ride coming off a solid win last week could lead to some "flatness" from the Minutemen. Goshen @ Northwood (-21): Depending on how well the Redhawks defense can play, they could keep this close for awhile (similar to Central game), or at least somewhat low scoring. It might only take 8 points to beat them though, with the way their offense is playing. Northridge @ Plymouth (-6): There was no hangover from the Blueberry Festival last week by the Rockies. However, those blueberries have had an extra week to ferment after a big win in a rivalry game. We will see if the Rockies can keep the momentum going. I have to beleive Northridge will be just as, if not more physical. Warsaw (-14.5) @ Memorial: The longest distance to travel between two schools in the league (unofficial). Extremely interesting game when keeping in mind what happened last week. Memorial had a solid outing and they can ride confidence as well as any team, historically. Warsaw will identify whether they were "crowned" too early by some of the patrons on this site. If Bart Ball stalls early, I can see Memorial keeping in this one longer than expected. Bonus Odds! Odds to win at least share of NLC Varsity Football Championship Plymouth (2:1)- Great win last week. Considering who they have played, they are in the driver's seat thus far. Concord (3:1)- current league leader (by 1/2 game). Toughest games ahead. Northridge (3:1)- Three solid wins. Biggest game of season so far tonight. Warsaw (7:2)- No longer control their own destiny. NorthWood (5:1)- Lost against a good team. Nappanee isn't dead yet....but a lot of citezens are probably wishing the Wakarusa Dime Store sold more than candy. Memorial (10:1)- Things looked better last week Wawasee/Goshen (300:1)- COMBO PICK!!!! Both still mathematically alive!
  12. Slick John here providing some spreads for entertainment purposes only. Memorial(-13.5) @ Goshen: If Memorial's staff can keep their players engaged, 2 of their toughest 3 games may already be behind them. 6-3 for Memorial is not out of the realm of possibility. Goshen hung tougher than I expected last week vs. Central. Wawasee @ Northridge (-21.5) : Northridge has put up some impressive point totals the last couple weeks regardless of playing teams with a combined record 0-4. Wawasee has not played such opponents. The battle of SR 13 will be decided before the sun goes down in Middlebury. NorthWood @ Concord (-1.5) : Maybe on their way past the dump, NorthWood will throw those red jerseys away. Concord is not as talented as Chatard, and a good weed of practice for NorthWood gives them an edge. Concord gets a point for being at home, where NorthWood hasn't won since 1997. #1 song on September 5 1997: Notorious BIG feat. Puff Daddy and Mase- Mo' Money Mo' Problems....Mo' Jersey's/Mo' Helmets Mo' Problems??? Plymouth @ Warsaw (-9.5) : Impressive win for Warsaw last week. I am not too familiar with Michigan City besides their recent performances in the 5A tournament, so the strength of that win will identify it self in later weeks, but right now it has got to be the most impressive win for anyone in the league. I think this game is definitely the highest scoring of the night- if not season in league play. Bonus Odds! Odds to win at least share of NLC Varsity Football Championship Warsaw (3:2)- explanation above. Concord (3:1)- current league leader. More to find out tonight NorthWood (3:1)- Only loss is agaisnt a state contender Northridge (3:1)- Two solid wins Plymouth (3:1)- if they win tonight, odds will change drastically Memorial (12:1)- uphill battle at this point, starting off at last place in the league for the 15th consecutive (but final!!!) season Wawasee/Goshen (250:1)- combo pick!!! If you pick one of these, you get two for the price of one!!!
  13. As a man with "slick" in his name, I'm going to attempt to set some handicaps for this week's games, along with some comments. Memorial @ Concord (-3.5): Probably the closest this game has been on paper in years. Home field helps the Minutemen. Warsaw @ Michigan City (-13.5): Not sure Warsaw is quite "there" yet. If this game was in October, I would be able to expect more from the Warsaw offense. Wawasee @ West Noble (-3): The pride of US 33 is dubbed the "City of Murals" according to wikipedia. I guess that's enough to be favored against Wawasee. Elkhart Central (-42.5) @ Goshen: Foreman field will be a ghost town by mid-2nd quarter- Goshen Brewing is open until 11, I believe.... Kokomo @ Plymouth (-8.5): Taking Plymouth due to home field- and I think East Noble is supposed to be good also. Chatard (-20.5) @ NorthWood: Work hard, play hard, Chatard. Will the long bus ride north give the Panthers a chance? What will NorthWood's 51st anniversary uniforms look like? St. Joe @ Northridge (PK): NLC season will be able to be predicted much more clearly after this.
  14. Good luck to all!! Stay healthy and beat up on the inferior conferences!
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