It’s a good thing I don’t bet money in casinos.

I finished Week 11 with a disastrous 9-6 record, dropping a full seven games behind Rod Heckman and virtually allowing him to sit back on the king’s throne and prepare to lift the trophy following Week 12 — our final week of picks this season.

Brad Hurley is eight games behind Heckman, but with a big finish this week, he could pass me and stake claim to second place. What was once a three-man race has now become a two-man battle to see who stands behind Heckman, with just 15 games left to pick.

The push from the pack

Justin Carlucci sits in fourth place, one game ahead of Sam Matta and four above Pat Matsinko. Matta posted an excellent 12-3 mark in Week 11, and with another strong showing, he could move past Carlucci.

Matsinko seems locked into sixth if he can avoid a collapse. Finishing in the top five is the goal, and now he’s pushing his chips to the middle of the table, betting on upset wins from Northern Lehigh and Tamaqua in hopes of jumping past Carlucci and Matta.

The final four

After an outstanding 13-2 Week 10, T.J. Engle followed with a 6-9 mark, so he appears locked into seventh if he can pick nine or more winners this week.

Mike Haines and Jeff Moeller might swap spots, with Moeller just one game out of eighth place. It’s inevitable that Emmett McCall will reside in the Pundit Pit at least until next August.

There might be some truth to the rumor that he’s campaigning to change the sport from football to predicting high school tennis match winners — which might better suit his expertise. I’m sure that comment will earn me a text this week from our beloved and retired sports editor.

And then there were three

A trio of local teams remain in the hunt for District 11 titles.

After Northern Lehigh’s dramatic overtime two-point conversion win over Palisades last week, Coach Tout’s Bulldogs get undefeated, top-seeded Schuylkill Haven tonight. One thing is for certain — the ’Dawgs will be prepared and ready to leave everything on the field in their quest to upend the Hurricanes.

Tamaqua knocked out Saucon Valley and now gets unbeaten, top-seeded Notre Dame-Green Pond. Despite their sub-.500 record, never count out Sam Bonner’s Raiders. With an upset win tonight, that game will be front-page sports news tomorrow.

Reigning state champion Northwestern keeps rolling. The Tigers have now won 27 straight games, and own an incredible 42-1 record over the past three seasons. Josh Snyder’s program is 53-4 since 2022. Tonight, they face North Schuylkill — a team the Tigers defeated 49-18 in late September. Since that loss, the Spartans have reeled off five straight wins, and would like nothing better than to avenge the earlier defeat.

Our pick here is unanimous: the Tigers roar on.

Out-of-Area Game of the Week

For the final week of picks, I’m going with the 10-1 Troy Trojans against the 10-1 Warrior Run Defenders.

Troy is led by quarterback Mason Smith, who has completed more than 70% of his passes for 949 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Smith spreads the ball to six different receivers, and when defenses drop into coverage, he hands it to Brendan Gilliland, who has rushed for 908 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.

The Defenders rely on the arm of James Keifer, the hands of Cohen Zechman, and the legs of Denyn Beachel. Keifer has thrown for an impressive 1,834 career yards, and added 23 touchdowns to Warrior Run’s totals. One of his favorite targets, Zechman, has hauled in 54 passes for 920 yards and 12 touchdowns this year. Warrior Run complements its passing game with Beachel’s 1,233 rushing yards and 12 trips to the end zone.

This is a true pick-’em game, but my crystal ball likes Troy — perhaps on a late touchdown pass from Smith — in what could end up being a basketball-type score when all is said and done.

Down the stretch we come!

With Heckman leaving the rest of us choking in his dust, Week 12 could still have a significant effect on the final standings.

Hurley and Yours Truly differ on five picks, so one of us should move up while the other drops down. Hurley’s upset special is Nazareth over undefeated Parkland, while my underdog pick is Liberty to defeat unbeaten Easton.

Among the middle pickers — Carlucci, Matta and Matsinko — there’s agreement on only eight of the 15 games, so expect some movement there. Moeller can pass Haines if at least two or more of his eight different picks come through.

As Heckman prepares to wear the crown and be the talk of the town, the rest of us will do our best to secure a respectable finish. The line is in sight, and by next Friday night, we’ll know who ends up where.