It’s still early in the high school football season, but it’s already getting late for a number of our pickers in the race for the Bob Ford Memorial Cup.

After Week 4, Rod Heckman and yours truly came out with the best records at 13-2 to remain tied for first place. Brad Hurley went 12-3 and is holding steady, four games back.

The rest of the pack is paddling against rough seas, hoping their ship doesn’t sink before they can reach shore and fight their way back into contention.

Heading in the wrong direction

Justin Carlucci, who made a big jump forward in Week 3, has fallen eight games off the pace. Pat Matsinko, a preseason favorite to win it all, had a disastrous 7-8 record and is now nine games behind.

The rest of the pack is having trouble seeing the leaders from where they stand.

Jeff Moeller and Sam Matta, despite respectable Week 4 marks, are 10 games out. Mike Haines has fallen 11 back. TJ Engle is 12 behind, and Emmett McCall has dropped farther into the Pundit Pit, 14 games out of first.

“I told Emmett, we need a ‘get right’ week,” said Matsinko. “This might be a fight to see who can finish with a .500 record,” he added with a laugh.

All in

Matsinko is trying to make his move this week. He’s picked Lehighton — which blanked Palmerton 35-0 last week — to defeat reigning state champion Northwestern, a team riding a 20-game winning streak over the past two seasons. He also likes Pleasant Valley over East Stroudsburg South, and Pocono Mountain East to take down Stroudsburg.

Those three picks go against Heckman and yours truly, who matched selections on all 15 games.

Five games are unanimous and won’t affect the standings. The back-of-the-pack pickers are hoping for a few upsets — exactly what they need to move their faces a little farther left on this page.

Out of Area Game of the Week

Up until now, I’ve chosen out-of-area matchups between undefeated powerhouse programs. Not this time.

This week’s pick is a “somebody has to win” game between two 0-4 teams. The Shenandoah Valley Blue Devils take on the Pine Grove Cardinals tonight — two programs that have combined for just five wins in their last 24 games, spanning nearly 2 1/2 seasons.

Still, the game will be played with the intensity of an unbeaten showdown.

The Blue Devils are led by sophomore quarterback Ethan Bench, who completed nine passes for 75 yards last week against unbeaten Marian. Junior running back Mike Elchisak added 70 rushing yards, while sophomore receiver Gene Sinkus caught three passes for 18.

The Devils’ defense has been porous, giving up an average of 44 points per game, and must tighten up to keep Pine Grove out of the end zone.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have struggled to put points on the board. Last week, they fell to previously winless Panther Valley and managed just 105 yards of offense. Sophomore quarterback Wyatt Snyder was 2-for-11 for 20 yards, while junior Logan Troup led the rushing attack with 53 yards on 18 carries.

Pine Grove’s defense has allowed an average of just two touchdowns per game, and I see that unit holding Shenandoah’s low-scoring offense in check to secure win No. 1.

Front and back

It’s starting to look like two races in one as we move toward Week 6. The front five are within nine games of each other. The back five trail by 10-14 games.

Matta and Moeller lead the second group. Haines and Engle are trying to stay alive. McCall has no more room to fall.

As we enter the second half of the season, who will stay on top? Who will bring up the rear? The Cup awaits its champion’s name, but with plenty of football still to play, let’s just sit back and enjoy the ride!