Predict your team

[beach bum]

Ok, it is exactly 4 weeks until season starts. Some people will even play earlier in kickoff games in the Hooten's Kickoff Classic. Lay it all out here. What do you think your team will do game by game through the season and give a playoff prediction as well for your team.

[beach bum]

PRAIRIE GROVE TIGERS

Farmington- very close win (it is a rivalry game so we know one team will win by a narrow margin like usual in this one)
@Vian, OK- semi comfortable win (Vian is very, very good in Oklahoma but smaller than Prairie Grove)
West Fork- mercy rule win (Prairie Grove keeps the dominance running of the last five years against West Fork)
Huntsville-comfortable win (Huntsville coaches know PG well so they will work for the win a little)
@Gravette- semi comfortable win (great coaches and program at Gravette will make PG work for this one too)
@ Shiloh- close win (Prairie Grove wins a high scoring affair)
Pea Ridge- very close loss (Pea Ridge will ruin the only roadblock in PG's way to a perfect regular season)
@Gentry-  mercy rule win (Gentry doesn't have the athletes to match PG)
Berryville- mercy rule win (this game speaks for itself)
@Lincoln- comfortable win (Lincoln makes PG work for this a little more than expected, but they pull away late)


..... Finally, I am predicting a three way tie for the 1-4A crown for Prairie Grove, Shiloh, Pea Ridge. If Prairie Grove slides into the 1 seed or 3 seed out of that tie I have them all the way to the semifinals and finishing 12-2. If they get the 2 seed out of that scenario or simply get the 2 seed at 6-1 in conference they get the honor of playing the winner of the 7-4A in the 2nd round in which I predict a 2nd round exit and a 10-2 final record. Either way that makes for a very good season. Some may say I am being a homer, but I predicted Prairie Grove only winning 7 games last year and we see how that turned out for me. Prairie Grove returns enough from all the talent they lost to still be a top 10 team in 4A.

[x14113]

I'm almost hesitant to try to guess how my Hillbillies will fare this season, but I'll still give it the ol' college try.

@ Gravette: W (The last time these current seniors faced each other, Ozark had its way all night.  I'm expecting a much closer contest this time around, however, with the outcome likely determined in the trenches. With a potential shift looming in 2018, this could also be a future 4A-1 preview.

Clarksville: W (How far will the Panthers' step back be after losing their coach and especially their QB? Also, revenge will be in the air over how last year's contest played out.)

@ Charleston: L (Our best chance to beat these Tigers passed us by last season. I don't see another for at least the next two. I personally view this match as this season's toughest.)

Waldron: W (It'll be interesting to see how much progress has been made at the Bulldogs' varsity level. I don't think it will be enough, though.

@ Booneville: W (A close contest either way. Desire to maintain momentum (4-2 over the last five years) will clash with the thirst for revenge over last season's goose egg.)

Subiaco: W (Homecoming may prove a distraction, but the the Trojans need to keep working on program development if they are to even sniff 2010's highs.)

@ West Fork: W (Much has been said of what happened the last time these Tigers moved up, but they're still in an uphill climb after what they've lost since last season. To say nothing of potential revenge...)

Pottsville: L (The Apaches have made us resemble the Keystone Kops in the last two matches.  I would hope we play a bit better this time, but this is my pick for the conference champ we're talking about...)

@ Dardanelle: W (OTOH, I'm still not drinking the Sand Lizard Kool-Aid for this season. Their record should at least be decent come this matchup, but for now, I consider even Booneville a tougher game.)

Dover: W (We had the Pirates in a corner the last two seasons yet tripped ourselves up both times. At this point we should finally get ourselves over the hump.

That would leave us 8-2, with a conference runner-up finish.

While running the conference table at 9-1 isn't out of the question, neither is missing the playoffs entirely at 2-8.

Regardless, this is a very important season in Jeremie Burns' tenure at Ozark. Nearly if not everyone on this team is no stranger to success; if the Hillbillies are to once again become one of the better programs in Class 4A, this is the time to do it. Otherwise, you might as well start calling OHS a basketball school at this point.

[Gray lizard]

Way to early to give a game by game.  I will need to see a couple non conference games before commit to much.
X14113 good to have faith in your Hillbillies, but I see a loss @ Gravette, @Dardanelle, and Dover.

[x14113]

X14113 good to have faith in your Hillbillies, but I see a loss @ Gravette, @Dardanelle, and Dover.

But not Booneville? How kind of you! 

Seriously, though, my above prediction is indeed rather optimistic, if only because it's what I think the Hillbillies should at least aim for.

Then again, we're still wrestling with the awful truth about the 4A-4: no one really knows what to expect this year.

(I'm still not buying Dardy at the top, though. Prove it to me on the field!)