Only three games separate five staffers going into Week 6 in the race for the 2020 Grid Picks Cup.

Bob “Photo” Ford returns to share the king’s throne with “Hot” Rod Heckman after the award-winning cameraman posted a week-best 13-2 mark. Heckman kept pace with a 12-3 record. “Yours Truly,” despite four losses, is just two games back of the leaders. Justin “The Voice” Carlucci fell off the throne to three games behind after going 9-6. Pat “The Mat” Matsinko held steady and he too is just three games off the pace.

With the end of the regular season coming at Halloween, those still in the chase for the Cup will have to risk picking against the leaders to storm the castle and take over the throne.

Wait until next year

Looks like “Bad” Brad Hurley, a preseason Cup favorite, will have to trade in his crystal ball for a deck of tarot cards and hope he fares better next season. At six games back, he’d pretty much have to go undefeated from here out to get back to the headlines.

Emmett “Bossman” McCall appears to also be playing out the string. He has only to look back now and try to stay ahead of Chuck “Lost his Luck” Hixson and Andy “Champ turned Chump” Steinmetz. Pity the Pundit Pit man, Sam “the Sham” Matta. With another seven- loss week, Matta looms in the darkness and is three games behind Steinmetz.

Nine is fine

For the first time this season, all nine local teams are on the docket as Pleasant Valley makes its long awaited season debut when it hosts Pocono Mountain West.

Tamaqua plays Jim Thorpe in what has resulted in a recent history of physical battles and thrilling last-second wins for both teams. JT’s rout of Lehighton last week, and the Raiders’ two-game losing streak has everyone picking the Olympians to win this rivalry battle.

Tri-Valley to beat Marian, and Pine Grove to defeat Panther Valley, are also across-the-board selections. Northwestern quarterback Justin Holmes could add to his 11 touchdown passes because all our staffers are picking the Tigers to beat Salisbury. Despite a 1-2 record, Northern Lehigh should add to its 78-point scoring total as the Bulldogs are the pick to beat Pen Argyl.

Pleasant Valley has struggled in recent years, and the added disadvantage of not playing a game until the middle of October puts them as a decided underdog against PMW. Regardless of the outcome, it’s great to have Bears football back again.

Keys to the kingdom

The top five on the board have placed their picks on four key games that will decide who gets to sit on the king’s throne going into Week 7. Matsinko can pick up two games on the leaders if Wyatt Engle, the son of Times News sports writer T J Engle, successfully picks his winners this week. The “Pigskin Kid” has been summoned to try and help Pat “The Mat” win the crown.

The Wilson-Bangor matchup will rattle the leader board. Heckman and Yours Truly like Wilson. Ford, Matsinko, and Carlucci think the Slaters will win in what could be a high scoring shootout.

Nazareth meets Freedom in a clash of the Titans. Both are unbeaten, and this is the out of area Game of the Week. Carlucci gains a game if Nazareth prevails.

Yours Truly is cheering out loud for the Stroud! If Stroudsburg knocks off East Stroudsburg South in the 76th annual battle for the Little Brown Jug, I can jump a game on the leaders. Last year, South took the Jug after the Mountaineers had owned it for eight years prior. I’m swimming upstream with this pick, as all the leaders are taking ESS.

Crunchtime

With the regular season winding down, all the chips are on the table for who will win the Cup this year. Based upon his past records, Heckman is always an “in it to win it” favorite along with “Mustang” Ford, who galloped ahead of the pack to win the Cup in 2018.

Carlucci, Matsinko, and Yours Truly are upset specials to win it all. Hurley leads the back of the pack, but McCall can catch him if East Stroudsburg South and Allentown Central win this week.

We’re approaching the final turn of the race for the Cup, and then down the stretch we will come.

Will it be a “Photo” finish? Will “Hot” Rod fuel his fire at the wire? Or will someone ride a dark horse into the light of the winner’s circle?