It’s official. Rod Heckman is the 2020 Grid Picks Cup champion.

With a perfect final week record of 10-0, Heckman defeated Bob Ford, who was also had a perfect score, by the slim margin of one game. Justin Carlucci’s valiant efforts to overtake Heckman and Ford fell short with two losses for the last week and he finished three games out in third place.

The run for the gold

Hot Rod’s engines were firing on all cylinders for his quest for the trophy. In the final five weeks of the season, he posted a brilliant record of 55-12. He had lost a three-game lead on Ford in mid-October, but battled back the following week to go up by one. Tied with Ford on the first of November, he gained a game the next week and held on to earn his seat on the king’s throne until next year.

“It feels good to win the Cup,” said Heckman, who has won the Grid Picks race at least a half dozen times in his 30-plus year career at the Times News. “After finishing second the past four years, it was nice to get over the hump and finish on top … you would figure with the law of averages, there should be some favorable years. I also remember finishing near the bottom.

“I’m happy with the finish, but I’m probably happier that I did well in the games involving our area teams.” Heckman lost only 6 local game picks all year. Carlucci lost seven local games and Ford dropped nine.

“There’s no real secret how I pick the games,” said Heckman. “I do check out scores and common opponents, but outside of that, it’s just going with who you think will win.”

Big hops; big drops

Chuck “Good luck” Hixson climbed out of the Pundit Pit and a surging late season run jumped him all the way into to the top five.

Pat ‘The Mat” Matsinko is breathing a sigh of relief that wrestling season will soon be upon us. In contention for much of the race, he fell all the way to next to last place and should buy Sam Matta a nice holiday gift because “The Once Sam the Man and Now Sam the Sham”, Matta never saw the light of day from the Pundit Pit.

Yours Truly is beating his chest today for my fourth- place finish, by far the best I’ve ever done in the race for the Cup. Next year, I hope to be running up front with the big boys once again.

A usual Cup contender, Bad Brad Hurley needs a new horse to ride next season to regain his credibility. Last year’s champ, Handy Andy Steinmetz should fire his team of prognosticators and check the free agent market for some new Team Stein pundit players.

What can be said about Emmett “Bossman” McCall? Each year he seems to be stuck near the back of the pack and his stable of us ponies run right by him. He still gets an honorable mention from me. There are no better sports editors on the face of the planet. Expect a comeback year for the Boss riding a new “Hoss” next season!

The Covid Cup?

Perhaps we should have renamed the trophy this season as the virus hovered over all of the football programs all season long. Games were postponed or cancelled outright and many teams didn’t play a full schedule. While Jim Thorpe got in nine games, Pleasant Valley played just five and didn’t kick off its season until Oct. 16.

These were strange times this year. When no fans were allowed at the start of Panther Valley’s season, the Panthers’ band played their halftime show literally in front of one person in the stands. That was Yours Truly, who sat on the bleachers because news media was not allowed in the press box.

Many games were played without cheerleaders, marching bands and concession sales. Teams had to conduct all pre-game activities on grounds around the football fields as all locker rooms were restricted areas. Then, as the season moved along, back came the fans, the bands, and the cheerleaders. High School football is not just about what happens between the goal lines. The cheers from the sidelines, the applause of the fans and the beat of the drums all add to flavor of the recipe for football games in the fall. And let’s not forget the smell of hamburgers cooking on the grills!

Despite the virus wrecking havoc on the schedules nearly every week, our student-athletes got to play football and win or lose, that was the accomplishment that mattered most. For all the players, especially the seniors, we salute them. They gave us the privilege of picking the winners of their games every week.

Because games were played, Rod Heckman holds his trophy up high and takes his victory lap around the Times News building in Lehighton. Enjoy the ride, Rod. Next year, we’ll be training our minds harder by scouting and researching more hours and we’re going to do our best to storm the castle and claim your throne.

For now, let the victor enjoy his spoils. We congratulate Rod Heckman, the 2020 Grid Picks Cup champion!