TJ Engle is the yo-yo in the Bob Ford Memorial Grid Picks race.

After Week One, he was tied for first place. He slipped to second after Week Two. An 8-7 record in Week Three dropped him to seventh in the standings. Over the past two weeks, Engle has posted a 27-3 record, lifting him into a tie for second with Brad Hurley, just one game behind Rod Heckman, who sits on the king’s throne for the second week in a row.

“For the past few years, choosing my picks has been a team effort,” said Engle. “My son Wyatt helped initially, and a few years ago, my longtime friend TD Smith joined us.

“We all turn in our picks and then we follow the majority, whether the vote is unanimous or two to one. That approach has fueled our recent success.”

Engle was asked if he was trying to win the trophy, or just playing the grid picks race for fun.

“Of course, we want to win the Bob Ford Memorial Trophy. For the longest time, I participated mainly for the fun of it. But after our dear friend Mr. Ford passed, and the Times News named the trophy in his honor, it became much more meaningful to my son, my parents, who still to this day tally the picks every Friday night for me. So, fingers crossed, I hope to make him proud by adding my name to the list of winners.”

Just win, baby!

As the gridiron schedule hits the halfway mark in the regular season, all nine Times News-area football teams, with a combined record of 30-15, are in position to have winning seasons.

Northwestern and Palmerton remain unbeaten. If the Tigers get past Jim Thorpe, Lehighton and Wilson, they will likely play undefeated Southern Lehigh in a matchup that has not gone the Spartans’ way the past three years.

After this week, Palmerton has a difficult schedule against Notre Dame, Northern Lehigh, Lehighton and Jim Thorpe.

Six of the schools in our area have winning records. The other three entered the week under .500 by just one game.

Now or never

After Engle, four pickers — Carlucci, Matsinko, Moeller and Yours Truly — are packed into fourth place, but sit a full six games behind the leader.

Fourth place is a decent place to be, but a six-game deficit puts us in a pivotal position heading into Week Six. With the race moving into the second half of the high school football regular season, we need to string together strong, double-digit win weeks to remain in contention.

It begins now, as the four of us are only two games out of the dreaded Pundit Pit. Speaking of the Dungeon of Despair, a new resident has fallen into the black hole this week. Mike Haines replaces Emmett McCall, who can finally see some light.

As close as the race is among the top three, the next seven are closer to falling into the Pit than we are to competing for the lead.

Out of Area Game of the Week

For Week Six, the game is Lakeland at Riverside, with both teams at 5-0.

Lakeland quarterback Jackson Pochas has completed an impressive 44 of 58 passes (76%) for 609 yards. He has passed and run for 11 touchdowns so far this season. Wide receiver Luke McFarland is a favorite target with 13 catches for 224 yards and three scores.

Riverside QB Brayden Rose leads a talented backfield that includes Carmelo Barnett, who is averaging 11 yards per carry.

The Chiefs average 40 points per game, while the Blue Devils put up 35. Neither team has been tested by an opponent with a winning record, making it difficult to gauge how they match up.

For nothing more than a hunch, my pick is the Lake over the River; somebody with water in their name will win!

Will Hurley and Haines make gains?

Week Six offers a few more opportunities for the pickers closest to Heckman to make a move.

Hurley can tie for first if Schuylkill Haven defeats Williams Valley. Engle can also tie Heckman if Riverside beats Lakeland. Of course, both could fall farther behind if their picks lose.

Mike Haines is rolling the dice from the Pundit Pit. He has four picks that could lift him out, or drop him deeper into the Depths of Darkness.

It’s hard to label any high school football team an underdog, but several selections go against the staff consensus this week. Marian and Minersville were each picked by only Haines, while Mount Carmel was selected only by Carlucci. Schuylkill Haven, Emmaus, Delaware Valley and Riverside each received two picks.

The race is still early, but it’s getting late. The goal is to stay in contention until the postseason playoffs, when picking winners becomes more difficult and can change the order in the standings within the final two weeks.

Week Six picks are on the table. Next Friday might just determine who’s out of the race, and who might be able to win it all.