With just two weeks to go in the Bob Ford Memorial Grid Picks Cup race, Rod Heckman has a clear view of the finish line. His lead over Yours Truly has grown to three games, and he’s now five ahead of Brad Hurley, who sits in third place.

With any chance to catch Heckman, I’m forced to pick a good number of upsets over the next two weeks. That strategy could work to my benefit — since many playoff games are a coin toss when it comes to who wins — or leave me so far behind that Heckman can take a Sunday stroll to the title next week.

Hooray for TJ!

The best record from Week 10 belongs to TJ Engle, who posted a stellar 13-2 mark to move into a tie with Sam Matta for sixth place.

It was a wild week. Only Pat Matsinko and Jeff Moeller picked Pleasant Valley’s victory over Stroudsburg. Mike Haines and Engle both hit on Bethlehem Catholic’s win over Northampton, while Heckman, Emmett McCall, and Moeller correctly called Dieruff’s win over William Allen.

Let the fun begin

Nine local football teams are competing for district championships.

Marian is our majority pick to defeat Tri-Valley in a rematch of their August game, which the Colts won by a field goal. Northern Lehigh can avenge its earlier loss to Palisades, and seven of our pickers predict the Bulldogs will do so. Northwestern is tabbed to beat Palmerton as the Tigers continue their bid to defend their state title.

Tamaqua is a slight favorite against Saucon Valley. North Schuylkill is a heavy favorite to down Panther Valley. Lehighton’s matchup with Blue Mountain is considered a toss-up after the Eagles won their early October meeting. Jim Thorpe is an underdog at Allentown Central Catholic, while Pleasant Valley gets another shot at Pocono Mountain East after losing to the Cardinals two weeks ago.

Out-of-Area Game of the Week

With several intriguing options, I’m going with Dallas at Valley View. The 5-5 Mountaineers face the 6-4 Cougars in what should be a tight one.

Sophomore quarterback Talan Gesky needs 44 yards to reach the 1,000-yard passing mark this season for Dallas, and he’ll look to add to his 11 touchdowns. He’s also a ground threat, averaging nearly 5 yards per carry.

The Cougars are also led by a sophomore quarterback — Caleb Brown — who needs 90 yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark. His favorite target, senior wideout Gabe Davis, has 25 catches for 467 yards and six touchdowns this season.

This game could go either way, but I like Valley View to edge Dallas in a close one.

All or nothing

One thing is certain: once the Week 11 results are final, Heckman could have an insurmountable lead. He and I differ on eight predictions as I push all my chips to the middle of the table in a high-risk bid to catch or pass him.

Of course, we could split those games, which leaves three possible scenarios heading into the final week — tie Heckman or take the lead, fall out of the race, or stay close for another shot at the Cup in Week 12.

Hurley is barely hanging on, but still has a chance to move into second place and take a run at Heckman in the finale. Justin Carlucci has an outside shot at cracking the top three — he and Hurley differ on four games, and winning those could help JC cut into Hurley’s five-game edge. Matsinko and Hurley disagree on seven of the 15 picks, so Matsinko could shake things up as well.

At the back of the pack, McCall needs a big week to catch Haines and climb out of the Pundit Pit. They disagree on five games that could make or break McCall’s chance to escape the Depths of Despair.

There could be an earthquake at the top of the standings, but for now, Heckman sits safely on the king’s throne. The final burst to the finish line is a week away.

Will Heckman keep Hurley and Yours Truly at bay — or will he leave us choking on his dust?

The high school football playoffs are here. The race for the Cup is nearly over. The trophy is with me for now, but will it stay that way for another year?