It's getting near "Crunch time"!

Heading into Week No. 7 of the high school football season it's that time of the year when teams who still have a shot at the post-season playoffs give it their best shot week in and week out as we head down the homestretch.The middle of the pack in our Grid Picks race is getting pretty crowded so it's definitely time to make a move.Most of the games on our list have playoffs implications in some way so lets not waste any time and get to it:MAHANOY AREA VS. JIM THORPE - The Olympians are finding a way to put points on the board, but they are also giving up a lot. The Golden Bears need this one to stay in the Class A District race ...Mahanoy Area, 35-21.MINERSVILLE AT MARIAN - Colts showed they can make some noise and with the Battlin' Miners visiting Hometown tonight, look for them to carry over what they started last week ... Marian, 21-7.SHENANDOAH VALLEY AT PANTHER VALLEY - Panthers never got untracked last week and have a Blue Devils squad coming into PV tonight that likes to throw ... Shenandoah Valley, 28-7.TAMAQUA AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - Blue Raiders almost pulled the upset of the season last week against North Schuylkill. This week they show the Hurricanes they are for real ... Tamaqua, 21-7.NORTHWESTERN AT NORTHERN LEHIGH - Bulldogs played Pen Argyl tough on Saturday and suffered their first loss, while the Tigers were handled by Palmerton. Bulldogs return to winning ways ... Northern Lehigh, 35-7.BANGOR AT PALMERTON - Blue Bombers opened some eyes last week and I didn't pick them. This week they get unbeaten Bangor and if there was ever a statement game, this is it. Only thing that worries me is that they play better on the road than at home ... Palmerton, 14-13.STROUDSBURG AT LEHIGHTON - Took a shot with the Indians last week and lost. This week a tough Mountaineer team comes to town ... Stroudsburg, 21-14.EAST STROUDSBURG NORTH AT PLEASANT VALLEY - If the Bears want to shake up the MVC Standings, tonight is their chance since the Timberwolves are on top of the standings. Not so ... ES North, 18-14.EAST STROUDSBURG SOUTH AT POCONO MOUNTAIN EAST - Cavaliers got a big shot in the arm with a win over Lehighton last week, but the Cardinals also took care of Pleasant Valley. In years past, I'd go with the Cavs, but this year .... Pocono Mountain East, 21-7.NOTRE DAME AT SAUCON VALLEY - Crusaders have played a few opponents tough this season and if this was a home game, I'd go with them. It's not ... Saucon Valley, 14-7.PEN ARGYL AT CATASAUQUA - Word out of the Roughies camp is that they are pretty banged up. Not the week you want to face the Green Knights ... Pen Argyl, 35-0.NORTH SCHUYLKILL AT MOUNT CARMEL - Were the Spartans looking ahead to the Red Tornadoes when they played Tamaqua last week? I don't think so ... Mount Carmel, 21-14.EMMAUS AT EASTON - Here's another game that I am going to pick the home team ... Easton, 21-20.FREEDOM AT NAZARETH - The Blue Eagles show signs of being the "cream of the crop" in the Lehigh Valley this year ... Nazareth, 35-14.PARKLAND AT CENTRAL CATHOLIC - Who would have thought the Vikings would be 2-4 at this point of the season? Not I ... Central Catholic, 21-14.