As far as season-opening football weekends go, this lineup cannot get much better.
North Penn will host defending PIAA Class AAAA state champion Bethlehem Liberty. A pair of Inquirer preseason top-10 squads, No. 5 Downingtown West and No. 8 Penncrest, square off. St. Joseph's Prep will be in Wheeling, W.Va., to tussle with WPIAL power McKeesport. And there are three games, all between Catholic League members, at the Jersey Shore.
As always, we're out to better the previous year's forecasting performance. In 2008, we posted a record of 115-43 (.728 winning percentage). That mark was down a bit from 2007 (112-35, .762).
We'll begin at the Shore, where Archbishop Wood will meet Cardinal O'Hara in Ocean City at 11 a.m. tomorrow. An hour later, Roman Catholic and West Catholic will renew their rivalry at Wildwood's Maxwell Field. That game will be followed, about 4 p.m., by a meeting between Neumann-Goretti and Cardinal Dougherty.
Archbishop Wood vs. Cardinal O'Hara. At Ocean City High's field, just off the boardwalk, spectators will get a peek at what the O'Hara Lions hope is a healthy and just-as-explosive Corey Brown. The fleet-footed tailback and cornerback, a Division I recruit, missed half of last season with a knee injury. The Vikings, with Jerry Rahill at quarterback, are rebuilding after reaching the Class AAA state final.
Pick: O'Hara, 28-12.
Roman Catholic vs. West Catholic. The Cahillites are fueled by the Regan brothers, Kevin and Dennis. The Burrs, now minus Curtis Drake and company, will again be a Class AA force. Look for a mini-upset here.
Pick: Roman, 19-14.
Neumann-Goretti vs. Cardinal Dougherty. The Saints' new boss is Rich "Moose" Carfagno. The Cardinals, 0-9 last year, have nowhere to go but up.
Pick: Neumann-Goretti, 20-7.
Liberty at North Penn, 7:30 tonight. Dual-threat QB Anthony Gonzalez and Stanford-bound wideout Jarrod West are the offensive spark plugs for Tim Moncman's Hurricanes. The Knights have to get the most out of an untested but speedy running back corps.
Pick: Liberty: 21-13.
Ridley at Coatesville, 7 tonight. Dennis Decker, once a prolific passer in Ridley Park, takes over as the Green Raiders' coach. The Red Raiders likewise have a new boss, Matt Ortega. Decker gets Win No. 1.
Pick: Ridley, 16-6.
Upper Moreland at Strath Haven, 7. A pair of Class AAA powers clash in Wallingford. Chris Smallwood, who rushed for nearly 1,900 yards and 25 TDs last season, is the difference.
Pick: Upper Moreland, 27-6.
Other games to watch:
Council Rock North vs. Father Judge, at Lincoln, 3:15 today. Pick: Judge, 21-20.
Northeast at Norristown, 7 tonight. Pick: Norristown, 20-7.
Lansdale Catholic at Downingtown East, 7 tonight. Pick: East, 33-13.
Parkland vs. George Washington, at Northeast, 7 tonight. Pick: Parkland, 27-12.
St. Joseph's Prep vs. McKeesport, in Wheeling, W.Va., 12:30 tomorrow. Pick: Prep, 24-14.