Pick 6: Split on Central Valley

The end is in sight, and depending on what local teams do this week, this could be the final installment of Pick 6.

I’ve held off Sam Adams since taking a six-game lead into October.

Adams has all but given his concession speech. So allow me to extend a thank you for Sam participating for a third year in Pick 6 – even if he’s lost the overall battle two out of the three seasons.

The scoreboard reads: Lee 43-17 (.717) and Adams 37-23 (.617).

Rigby at Sandpoint, Saturday, 1

Lee: More than anything, I give the Bulldogs a shot here because they’re playing at home. And Rigby hasn’t had a road trip like the one they’re about to take. One more win and Sandpoint will play in the Kibbie Dome for the state championship. Sandpoint impressed me with a win over a good Kuna team last week. How about Wyatt McCormick-Cox catching four balls for touchdowns – the first four scores of the game? If you have him on your fantasy team you did well. The Bulldogs will have a tougher time this week but will prevail. Sandpoint, 27-20.

Adams: Talk about finishing strong. After dropping three in a row early in the season, the Bulldogs have rallied to win five of their last six games, including a convincing playoff win against Kuna last week. The Davan Norris – Wyatt McCormick-Cox tandem combined for four connections for touchdowns in the opening round, and Sandpoint may need even more of that in a game that I see as a shootout. Sandpoint, 42-35.

Selkirk at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Friday, 7

Lee: Dallas Isaak can hurt you running and passing. He was in the middle of ACH’s two lopsided wins over Republic, which handled Selkirk during league 52-14. ACH will roll over the Rangers. ACH, 52-14.

Adams: Based on common opponents, this seems like a no-brainer. The fact that ACH gets to play at home this week only makes the pick easier. ACH hasn’t lost since its season opener, and that current nine-game win streak should now extend even farther into the postseason. ACH, 56-35.

Mabton at Lind-Ritzville/Sprague, Friday, 6

Lee: Jacob Saetre does it all for the Broncos. But he’s had lots of help, too. Mabton isn’t a bad team but the Broncos will advance to the quarterfinals with no difficulty. LRS, 36-12.

Adams: Arguably the best 2B team in the state has plenty of offensive weapons (Bryce Esser, Mason Brausen, Jacob Saetre) to go with a blue-collar defense that is allowing a touchdown or less in six games this season. Make it seven this Friday. LRS, 42-8.

Lakeside at Zillah, Saturday, 1

Lee: The Eagles traveled for a nonleague game last week to Cashmere and it was critical for Lakeside in two ways. First, the Eagles played a playoff team. Second, they lost a close one on the road. Now the Eagles must play better run defense. They gave up a ton of yards on the ground last week. Zillah’s Leopards will have a tough time defending Cameron Gay. In a minor upset … Lakeside, 32-14.

Adams: Lakeside has stumbled a bit going into the playoffs, trying to kick a two-game losing streak. This is the wrong time to try and get back on track. Zillah is a legitimate 1A state championship contender, and the Eagles could have a rough go of it on the road to start the postseason. Zillah, 35-31.

Central Valley vs. Richland, Friday, Lampson Stadium (Kennewick), 7

Lee: This is one of the most eye-catching statistics I’ve seen in a while. The Bears have picked off 25 passes this season, 15 in the last three weeks. Ben Craig leads with seven. The Bombers must throw into the teeth of CV’s defense. I watched Richland last week and CV has a wonderful chance to win. Richland’s defense is salty, too, so this will be a slugfest. Another upset pick here (P.S. There’s no room for Adams on the CV bandwagon, either. I knew he wasn’t going to pick the Bears.) CV, 17-14.

Adams: Despite giving up nearly 300 rushing yards to Andrew Vargas, the Bears still found a way to keep Chiawana out of the end zone on multiple occasions in a 24-13 win last week. But that victory came from the comfort of their own field. Now the Bears have to hit the road against a Richland team that crushed both Lewis and Clark and Shadle Park, and very nearly handed Gonzaga Prep its first and only loss. This game comes down to home field. I’m just not sure CV can pull this one out on the road. Richland, 28-17.

Battle Ground at Gonzaga Prep, Saturday, 2

Lee: Battle Ground is in the state playoffs for the first time since 1979. Good news for the Tigers. Now the bad news – they have to travel from southwest Washington to the northeast corner. But that’s not the most difficult thing BG faces. The Tigers take on a team that keeps improving week to week. Defensive end Evan Weaver will live in BG’s backfield. And the Tigers won’t be able to slow down the G-Prep offense. G-Prep, 36-13.

Adams: The knock on G-Prep has always been its inability to throw the football. At some point, no matter how good you are at running the ball, you’re going to have to put the ball in the air. Luckily for coach Dave McKenna, he’s found a trusty QB in Liam Bell, who is a master of the zone-read, while deftly throwing over the top of overzealous defenses. This one will be closer than last week’s play-in versus Walla Walla, but not by much. G-Prep, 35-14.