It’s Championship Week at the 21st Annual TriCitiesSports.com Pickin’ Panel.
Can longtime leader Todd Freeman of ESPN Tri-Cities hold and win his first-ever Jim Moore Cup or will WCYB’s Casey Goetz do the same and earn his first Cup.
Or perhaps, will ten-time overall winner Parker Wilmoth slide through and overtake both for another Cup. The window will be open for Wilmoth, albeit a narrow one. Trailing both Freeman and Goetz by two games, the three differ on three games each and four combined, meaning Wilmoth would have to sweep all four for the title, something he did several years ago in overtaking Goetz.
Speaking of Goetz, results from two weeks ago in which both Casey & Kelly Goetz won with 15-5 marks resulted in a collusion investigation. However, while the marks were confirmed as identical, the winners selected weren’t all the same. So if the games don’t fit, you must acquit.
Casey Goetz, however, fired back, launching a recount call in last week’s results which had Freeman finishing at 16-4.
“If a certain someone thinks he deserves a recount, then he must be scared,” responded Freeman.
“They try to beat me with all these Southwest Virginia games and could not do it! Now they are trying to take wins away from me!”
However, after six days of waiting the Arizona Election Commission, indeed overturn Freeman’s results, thus leaving him at 15-5 for the week leaving the two tied going into championship week.
“I have seen this story before andit was not on someone’s better half’s News Broadcast #whyIwatchWJHL,” wrote Freeman in his response to the findings.
Ah…the drama is real.
This week, there no unanimous picks for the TSSAA Division I State Champinships games although Alcoa is a heavy 13-1 selection over Westview in Class 3A, South Pittsburg a 12-2 nod over MASE in Class 1A and Marion County an 11-3 pick over Milan in Class 2A.
In Class 6A, it’s Oakland 10-4 over Houston in Class 4A Macon County 10-4 over Melrose. The tightest favorite is Page, 9-5 over Sevier County in Class 5A.
Additionally, it’s Rye cove a near-unanimous 13-1 favorite over Grayson County in a VHSL Class A semifinal and Oregon an unanimous selection over Penn State in the Big 10 title game and Texas a close 8-6 nod over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
Here are this week’s selections:
TODD FREEMAN – Freeman Productions, ESPN Tri-Cities (15-5, 206-64)
High School Games
Oakland 28, Houston 20
Sevier County 35, Page 28
Macon County 30, Melrose 20
Alcoa 28, Westview 18
Marion County 42, Milan 36
South Pittsburg 28, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE) 14
Rye Cove 17, Grayson County 7
College Games
Boise State 28, UNLV 20
Tulane 20, Army 12
Arizona State 22, Iowa State 18
Georgia 24, Texas 21
Oregon 42, Penn State 14
Clemson 24, SMU 12
Louisiana 27, Marshall 24
Ohio 10, Miami, OH 7
CASEY GOETZ – News Director, WCYB (16-4, 206-64)
Houston 27, Oakland 21 -- A rematch of last year’s 6A state title game. Houston won last year and I think they win it again
Page 31, Sevier County 17 -- Page lost in the 5A state title game a season ago. They beat Sevier County in a battle of unbeatens.
Macon County 35, Melrose 24 -- Macon County beat Anderson County. That’s good enough for me
Alcoa 42, Westview 14 -- The least competitive game of the bunch
Marion County 24, Milan 20 -- Flipped a coin here
South Pittsburg 33, MASE 22 -- Even without the “H” on the end I’ll take the team that sounds like my hometown
Rye Cove 32, Grayson County 18 … Grayson County started the year 0-2 but has only lost once since then. Rye Cove escaped last week against Eastside to remain undefeated. I think the Eagles soar into the state title game.
Boise State 28, UNLV 27
Tulane 24, Army 17
Iowa State 31, Arizona State 24
Georgia 27, Texas 20
Oregon 30, Penn State 28
SMU 31, Clemson 26
Louisiana 28, Marshall 23
Miami, Ohio 34, Ohio 23
PARKER WILMOTH – Defending and 10-Time Champion (16-4, 204-66)
Oakland 24, Houston 21 -- Patriots reclaim the state title after a loss to Houston last year.
Page 28, Sevier County 24 -- Page defense only allowed 31 points in 14 games. Smoky Bears will test them with the passing attack behind Cooper Newman.
Macon County 31, Melrose 24 -- Macon County took down the Mavericks who were favored to win the title.
Alcoa 35, Westview 34 -- Freshman QB Simpson of Westview will give the Tornadoes their toughest test in years. Alcoa has been here before, and they are going for 10 in a row.
Marion County 42, Milan 28
South Pittsburg 28, MASE 27
Rye Cove 38, Grayson County 26 -- I will take the home team here.
Boise State 27, UNLV 21 -- Jeanty will go for another 200, and the Rebels have battled this year after their starting QB hit the road in search of a bigger NIL package.
Tulane 35, Army 21 -- Green Wave can throw the ball and they will use that to stay one step ahead.
Arizona State 34, Iowa State 31 -- What a turnaround for the Sun Devils. Picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 and are playing for a CFP berth.
Georgia 28, Texas 24 -- IF Beck can limit his turnovers in this game the Georgia should win. But I really need them to lose BIG so the Vols can get a home playoff game. Either way if Texas wants to win this game the Longhorns have to pressure Beck all game and force him to make mistakes.
Oregon 42, Penn State 21 -- Really not that impressed with Penn State this year.
SMU 37, Clemson 28 -- Brian Necessary says the mustangs score a lot and they're better! SMU can also legally pay players now and their activity in the portal is part of their massive surge.
Louisiana 28, Marshall 27 -- Cajuns tame the Herd
Miami OH 20, Ohio 18 -- The Battle to be crowned the best team in Ohio.
CLAY RAMSEY – WEMB Voice of the Unicoi County Blue Devils (16-4, 203-67
Oakland 37, Houston 34 -- A rematch of the 2023 State Title match in 6A, I'm going to go with the newly-minted Tennessee signee Daune Morris and the Oakland Patriots to collect their fifth state title since 2018.
Page 16, Sevier County 14 -- I want to take the final remaining East Tennessee school, I really do, but this Page team has allowed just 31 points all season, and has never allowed more than 7 in a game this season. That's thanks in large part due to a defense led by Tennessee signee Brenden Anes, Wake Forest signee William Wiebush and Louisville signee Eric Hazzard. I'll take another Patriot team for a state title.
Melrose 27, Macon County 21 -- The battle of the cats comes down to whether Macon County is able to stop Texas A&M signee Jamarion Morrow or not. Given that Melrose slugged out Pearl-Cohn, and shut down their offense, my guess is they don't. It will be a Golden night for the Golden Wildcats.
Alcoa 34, Westview 14 -- Westview has had an incredibly impressive season, but "impressive" isn't even proper wordage to describe winning 10 state titles in a row, which is exactly what Alcoa will do.
Marion County 35, Milan 24 -- The 2A State Championship gives us two teams that have rediscovered magic previously seen in the 90s. Only one can come out on top though. It just feels to me that Marion County has caught fire at the right time, whereas Milan has played numerous one score games to get here.
South Pittsburg 41, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE) 25 -- A matter of one team who has been here before, and one who has not.
Rye Cove 42, Grayson County 24 -- Eagles got the test they needed from Eastside. Grayson County is in for a rough one.
Boise State 56, UNLV 42 -- If you love offense, you'll love this game. Jeanty and Co. jump the final hurdle to land in the CFP.
Tulane 24, Army 19 -- Tough environment for the Green Wave to go into at Michie Stadium, but we've seen Tulane rise to the occasion when it matters most.
Arizona State 35, Iowa State 24 -- I can't pick against the Sun Devils given how they've closed the season. They were one of the most impressive teams from Rivalry Weekend after a drubbing of Arizona. Give it up for Kenny Dillingham and his guys en route to the school's first ever CFP berth.
Texas 45, Georgia 42 -- A rematch of a regular season matchup, this one goes the way of the Longhorns and allows Texas to lock in either the Cotton Bowl or the Sugar Bowl.
Oregon 27, Penn State 20 -- An easier path in the playoffs is possible for Oregon if they were to lose this game, but you don't play to lose the game. The Ducks would also get first dibs on NY6 games and would lock in the Rose Bowl.
Clemson 33, SMU 26 -- I can't go all favorites, so I'll sit back and watch Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, and yes, Alabama all find a way into the CFP. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Louisiana 31, Marshall 28 -- Marshall has been more tested this year, but I've got to take the home team in this one.
Ohio 26, Miami, OH 18 -- Miami (OH) is aiming to become the first MAC team to win back to back conference championships since Northern Illinois did so in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The MAC will have a new champion as the Bobcats get the win under Tim Albin.
TRAVIS LEMING – Owner, Rocky Top Storage (15-5, 201-69)
Oakland 31, Houston 28
Page 24, Sevier County 21
Macon County 35, Melrose 14
Alcoa 28, Westview 17
Marion County 38, Milan 28
South Pittsburgh 35, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE) 28
Rye Cove 28, Grayson County 21
College Games
UNLV 28, Boise State 27
Tulane 17, Army 10
Arizona State 28, Iowa State 24
Texas 21, Georgia 20
Oregon 31, Penn State 30
SMU 24, Clemson 14
Marshall 14, Louisiana 13
Miami, OH 27, Ohio 14
COLE JOHNSON - Sports Report, WCYB (15-5, 200-70)
Oakland 30, Houston 22
Page 31, Sevier County 28
Macon County 27, Melrose 23
Marion County 21, Milan 19
South Pittsburg 33, MASE 27
Grayson County 27, Rye Cove 20
Boise State 35, UNLV 28
Army 20, Tulane 17
Arizona State 24, Iowa State 20
Texas 27, Georgia 21
Oregon 31, Penn State 17
SMU 34, Clemson 20
Marshall 29, Louisiana 26
Ohio 28, Miami (OH) 27
MIKE COX – Voice of Sullivan East Patriots @ 96.3 The Possum (16-4, 199-71
Oakland 24, Houston 13 -- Gotta go with Patriots at least once. Besides, Oakland won a game IN TEXAS this year. That's all I need to know. Go Pats!
Sevier County 27, Page 24 -- My East Tennessee preferences are strong enough to override the Patriot name this time. I'll pick the Smoky Bears for their first title this millennium.
Melrose 24, Macon County 10 -- My first sportscasting inspired pick...this one recognizing Barry Melrose, ESPN hockey analyst for ages who is battling Parkinson's now. He apparently wore numbers 4 and 6, so the two scores combine those. Godspeed, Barry!
Alcoa 31, Westview 17 -- I have no doubt that the Tornadoes will twirl through Westview on the way to their tenth straight title on the way out of 3A. Now that they'll be 4A soon, hope that means others desire a move up soon also!
Milan 21, Marion County 17 -- This pick is inspired by the Best of the Big Orange greatest plays video highlight of Jeff Smith..."from Miiiiilan, Tennessee!" Almost anything that inspires a John Ward quote gets my vote.
South Pittsburg 30, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering 28 -- The System seems to have a mind of its own sometimes, as you'd think the meteorologist on the panel would pick a science school. Suppose it's another proximity pick this time.
Rye Cove 18, Grayson County 10 -- Had to adjust The System's algorithms to figure this one out.
Boise State 34, UNLV 24 -- Anyone else think the blue field and blue jerseys are enough to camouflage the players? Every time I see a game at Boise State I think about that. Whether it's good enough to get them the win or not, I'm taking them.
Army 24, Tulane 12 -- Black Knights will do what they've been doing all season long. Hold onto the ball and score. Then win. Hope that doesn't happen next week!
Iowa State 28, Arizona state 24 -- The alma mater of Dave Dierks gets the win...because my brain offered that up as a better reason than anything The System could provide. I need to redo the script on that thing this winter.
Texas 32, Georgia 28 -- I'd rather pick any shade of orange than those other Bulldogs. Hook 'em.
Oregon 27, Penn State 24 -- I'd rather see Penn State win, but I feel like they're not going to have enough to tame the high flying Ducks.
SMU 31, Clemson 30 -- Texas teams taking over football east of the Mississippi? Sadly, yes. At least it'll be a good game.
Marshall 23, Louisiana 16 -- The System chooses the proximity pick for the Fun Belt champ.
Ohio 46, Miami, OH 10 -- Miami knocked App State's field hockey team out of the MAC tournament because they somehow get to host every year. So I want no part of them winning the football title.
BRIAN OWENS – Local Sports Enthusiast (15-5, 197-63)
Oakland 28, Houston 27 – Patriots will stand atop the mountain once again of the state’s biggest classification.
Page 31, Sevier County 14 – Region 1’s only participant to make it to Chattanooga sadly won’t bring a gold ball back to eastern Tennessee.
Macon County 31, Melrose 14 – Macon County beat Anderson County which beat Greeneville. Seems logical.
Alcoa 41, Westview 28 – Tornadoes win a 10th straight gold ball in their swansong to 3A.
Marion County 26, Milan 24 – No clue on this one, just guessing.
MASE 27, South Pittsburg 24 – Seen a YouTube video of South Pittsburg’s stadium once. Looks like a fine stadium for a small school.
Rye Cove 36, Grayson County 35 – All of Southwest Virginia will be behind the Eagles on Saturday in this one. Grayson County gets a lot of heat from folks in the area for having an enrollment which should put them in 2A, but alas they play in 1A. The Cove is probably not favored to win this one, but with all of SWVA behind them and playing in the nest, why not go with the underdog here.
UNLV 31, Boise State 27 – Let’s pick the upset on the smurf turf and Boise getting knocked out of the CFP.
Army 16, Tulane 14 – Why not win a conference title going into the Army-Navy game?
Arizona State 38, Iowa State 31
Texas 28, Georgia 17 – Why couldn’t Georgia Tech have won in Athens last week? Texas getting revenge here would’ve knocked the Dogs out.
Oregon 38, Penn State 17 – The Ducks are probably glad that Michigan kept the Buckeyes out of this game. Oregon will have an easier time with this matchup than a rematch with Ohio State.
SMU 42, Clemson 38 – It seems like SMU is getting no respect at all in the national landscape. Yet here they are in their first season in the league without a league blemish and playing for the ACC championship. Question here is, if Clemson wins does that knock SMU out? I think the Mustangs win and avoid erupting chaos in the CFP committee board room.
Marshall 28, Louisiana 24 – Watched Marshall against JMU last week. Very impressive. Also, how can you not like the name Thundering Herd?
Miami (OH) 17, Ohio 14 – I bet everyone after week 2 had Northern Illinois already penciled into this game after the Huskies won in South Bend. Well, the Huskies fell off the face of the earth after that. This game needs to be played outdoors in the elements, not inside of the cozy confines of Ford Field in Detroit. Let’s go with the fighting Roethlisbergers to get the win.
WADE LITTLETON – TriCitiesSports.com (15-5, 195-75)
Houston 36, Oakland 35 -- I'll take the defending champs in this championship rematch in which Houston won in a rainstorm.
Sevier County 35, Page 21 -- Seeing that the Smoky Bears are one of the only East Tennessee teams remaining, I'd like to see them win the 5A title.
Macon County 38, Melrose 14 -- Macon is in its first 4A state title game. They will win their first state title on the legs of twins Zach and Gabe Borders. Melrose is also coached by twins Gerald and Jarrett Morrow, who led Melrose to its last state title 20-plus years ago.
Alcoa 38, Westview 14 -- Yes, folks, Alcoa is THAT good. Tornadoes will take home their 10th straight State title before coming to 4A next year.
Marion County 24, Milan 21 -- I'm picking Marion County for my friend, Kevin Redding, who went to school there years before coming to Rogersville as his late Dad was a United Methodist minister.
South Pittsburg 42, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering 14 -- The Pirates have won seven state Class A titles. MASE is in only its eighth season of varsity football. State titles don't lie, nor does SP's pedigree.
Rye Cove 28, Grayson County 21 -- Both of these teams are 13-0 each, but only one of these teams will play for the state title next week. The Cove is the home team, therefore, they will win this game.
Boise State 35, Runnin' Rebels 34 -- This will be an entertaining game, but Boise doesn't lose on the blue turf. UNLV will go for two at the last, but the Broncos will stop them.
Army 29, Tulane 28 -- Michie Stadium will be rocking Friday night as Army has a chance for the first time in its storied history to win a AAC conference championship. I don't know if it will be enough for Army to get into the CFP, but should be enough to get them into a decent bowl.
Arizona State 38, Iowa State 35 -- A late field goal allows the Sun Devils to win their first conference championship in years. Whether that will be enough to get into the CFP, I don't know.
Texas 31, Georgia 28 -- In one of the many possible rematches this season, Georgia won the game that counted at the time in Austin. This time, the Longhorns will hook the Dawgs on their own turf. I'm for whoever will help Tennessee get into the CFP...
Oregon 28, Penn State 21 -- What kind of Mickey Mouse organization would call its team "The Ducks?" A successful one. They don't call Oregon "Nike U" for nothing. Ducks are the favorite for the Natty...
SMU 21, Clemson 14 -- This is the Mustangs' biggest game since the "Pony Express" took the field in the 80s before SMU got the Death Penalty. These Mustangs are doing pretty well for themselves and are playing in a "Real" conference. Clemson will give SMU fits before the Mustangs win this game.
Louisiana 35, Marshall 28 -- The Ragin' Cajuns will play host to The Herd Friday night. Home field is worth 7 points, which will be enough for Louisiana to win the Sun Belt.
Ohio 14, Miami, OH 13 -- Miami won the earlier game 30-20, but it's tough for a team to beat another team two times in the same year. I'm going for the upset special here, picking the Bobcats.
STEVE WILMOTH – ESPN Tri-Cities, TriCitiesSports.com (15-5, 195-75)
Houston 24, Oakland 20 – rematch of last year’s title game won comfortably by the Mustangs. Oakland’s only loss of the came to Ravenwood which lost by three last week to Houston.
Page 28, Sevier County 7 – Sevier County has been tested and then some in each of the last three rounds of the playoffs while Page has won its four playoff games by a combined 107-18. The Patriot defense hasn’t allowed my than seven points in a game all season, shut out its first six opponents held opponents scoreless in eight games.
Melrose 24, Macon County 21 – The Golden Wildcats shocked Pearl-Cohn last week while the Tigers did the same to Anderson County leaving this unexpected Class 4A match-up. Stick with my westward them, we’ll go with Melrose.
Westview 28, Alcoa 27 – In an upset heard round the state, the high-scoring Chargers (786 points on the season, 56 pts/game) end Alcoa’s nine-year run of state titles by freshman quarterback Graham Simpson. Simpson, younger brother of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has thrown 56 touchdown passes on the season, third most in TSSAA history, and earlier in the season threw for a state-record 620 yards and eight scores against Covington.
Milan 24, Marion County 22 – The Bulldogs have won their last three playoff games by a combined 15 points while rolled York Institute by 42 last week. Still the strength of the state seems to lie west, so we’ll take Milan.
Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE) 28, South Pittsburg 21 – MASE took out top-ranked an unbeaten McKenzie last week and will deny the Pirates a second straight title.
Rye Cove 36, Grayson County 28 – not sure why this game has to be played on a Saturday afternoon as a Friday night environment in the Cove would be more of a home field advantage. But I’ll still take the Eagles to advance to the state title game.
UNLV 31, Boise State 30
Army 24, Tulane 23
Iowa State 27, Arizona State 23
Georgia 20, Texas 17 – doesn’t help my Volunteers
Oregon 35, Penn State 17 – could help my Volunteers, my guess is the Nittany Lions would drop in just above, even though Tennessee’s resume would be better.
Clemson 27, SMU 22
Marshall 24, Louisiana 19
Ohio 31, Miami, OH 29
LAUREN BRADFORD – Sports Reporter, WCYB (12-8, 194-76)
Oakland over Houston
Sevier County over Page
Macon County over Melrose
Alcoa over Westview
Marion County over Milan
South Pittsburg over Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE)
Rye Cove 34, Grayson County 20
College Games
Boise State 35, UNLV 27
Army 35, Tulane 24
Arizona State 35, Iowa State 24
Georgia 36, Texas 27
Oregon 36, Penn State 17
Clemson 52, SMU 7 - obviously not realistic, but a girl can dream
Marshall 35, Louisiana 28
Miami, OH 38, Ohio 21
KELLY GOETZ – Morning News Anchor, WJHL (15-5, 194-76)
I don't know who half of these teams are, I only care about Rye Cove. Rye Cove by 90!!
Houston over Oakland
Sevier County over Page
Macon County over Melrose
Alcoa over Westview
Milan over Marion County
South Pittsburgh over MASE
Rye Cove over Grayson County
Boise State over UNLV
Tulane over Army
Arizona state over Iowa State
Texas over Georgia
Oregon over Penn State
SMU over Clemson
Marshall over Louisiana
Ohio over Miami, OH
HEATHER WILLIAMS – Sports Director, WCYB (13-7, 193-77)
Oakland 27, Houston 16
Page 14, Sevier County 13
Macon County 24, Melrose 21
Alcoa 49, Westview 0
Marion County 17, Milan 7
South Pittsburg 28, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE) 14
Rye Cove 35, Grayson County 10
Boise State 24, UNLV 7
Army 14, Tulane 0
Arizona state 28, Iowa State 10
Texas 21, Georgia 20
Oregon 35, Penn State 10
Clemson 21, SMU 20
Louisiana 35, Marshall 21
Ohio 14, Miami, OH 7
BRYAN MOORE – 104.9 FM Nash Icon Voice of the Wolves, TriCitiesSports.com (15-5, 187-83)
Oakland 35, Houston 28 -- This should be a great matchup. Flip a coin. I did and it came up with the Patriots winning.
Page 37, Sevier County 28 -- Another group of Patriots will walk away with the 5A title over the Smoky Bears.
Macon County 23, Melrose 21 -- The Tigers will squeak out the win over the Golden Wildcats.
Alcoa 44, Westview 20 -- Make it 10 consecutive state championships in for the Tornado.
Marion County 35, Milan 17 -- Marion will roll over Milan.
South Pittsburg 30, Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering (MASE) 21 -- South Pittsburgh is used to playing on the big stage and has won state championships. The Pirates will go back-to-back with the victory.
Rye Cove 34, Grayson County 28 -- Clinchport is going to be rocking and rolling as the War Eagles move on.
Boise State 28, UNLV 21 -- The Broncos’ running back, Ashton Jeanty, is approaching 3,000 rushing yards in a season. He will carry Boise to victory.
Tulane 35, Army 17 -- Army has enjoyed a terrific season but the Green Wave will roll over the Cadets.
Arizona State 37, Iowa State 28 -- The Sun Devils are sneaky good and will quiet the Cyclones.
Georgia 29, Texas 17 -- The Bulldogs got rejuvenated after their 8-overtime triumph over Georgia Tech. UGA will take care of the Longhorns.
Oregon 42, Penn State 17 -- The Ducks are contenders and the Nittany Lions are pretenders.
SMU 37, Clemson 21 -- If the Tigers couldn’t beat South Carolina, then why would one think they will beat the Mustangs.
Marshall 43, Louisiana 20 -- I let my wife pick this one. (That’s what you do when you’re in last place). She likes the Thundering Herd.
Ohio 37, Miami, OH 10 -- The Bobcats will turn the tables on the Redhawks.
