Week 3 Picks: Pickers hope to rebound from tough Week 2 with easier picks

Jake Furr and James Simpson II, Mansfield News Journal
·5 min read
Clear Fork's Logan Anderson tries to gain extra yardage last week at Granville.
Clear Fork's Logan Anderson tries to gain extra yardage last week at Granville.

Week 2 did its damage on the News Journal High School football pickers, and rightfully so because those were some tough matchups.

Jake Furr went 7-1, getting handed his first loss, and is sitting at 13-1 for the season while James Simpson II went 5-3 last week and is 10-4 for the season.

Let's see what Week 3 has in store for the pickers.

Lexington (0-2) at Clear Fork (1-1)

Jake Furr: Clear Fork at home is always a safe pick. The Colts were impressive even in defeat last week when they held their own against Division III state power Granville. I like Clear Fork at home against a banged-up Lexington squad looking to get healthy before entering Ohio Cardinal Conference play. This game last year was an absolute thriller, so expect another good one with these two rivals. Pick: Clear Fork.

James Simpson II: Lexington is struggling right now and Clear Fork looks like the team most likely to bounce back between the two. Being home doesn't hurt either. Pick: Clear Fork.

Highland (1-1) at Crestview (2-0)

JF: This will be a nice test for the Cougars going against a running back in Dane Neuman who is averaging nearly 250 rushing yards a game, but the Crestview defense is something else after shutting out East Knox last week. Cougars at home against a Division V team, this is a no-brainer. As I said last week, I predicted the Cougars to go 10-0, and I will not back off of that. Pick: Crestview.

JSII: Crestview is on a roll right now. They've overwhelmed their opposition on both sides of the ball through two games. I expect that to continue in Week 3 versus Highland. Pick: Crestview.

Lucas (1-1) at Wynford (0-2)

JF: The Cubs played in back-to-back one-point games to start the season and are an extra point away from being 2-0. I don't see them having a whole lot of problems with Wynford on the road this week. The Royals are playing well defensively, but offensively they are averaging six points a game. Going with the Cubbies here. Pick: Lucas.

JSII: Lucas has been in two close battles to start off the season and I think they might be due for a breakout performance this week. Pick: Lucas.

Ontario (2-0) at Madison (0-2)

JF: Oh, boy. This one is going to be one of the best games of the week with a resurrected Madison program and an Ontario team off to the first 2-0 start since 2013. I like both of these teams so far and this will feature two of Richland County's best young quarterbacks, Cameron Kuhn and Bodpegn Miller. Madison coach Scott Valentine used to coach at Ontario so this will be an emotional game, but I am going to go with Ontario to win this one and start the year 3-0 for the first time since 2011. Pick: Ontario.

JSII: Ontario showed a lot of resolve last week, going down 13-0 early and coming back to win against a quality St. Paul team. Defensively the Warriors look really impressive as well. Madison quarterback Cameron Kuhn could cause some issues but I think Ontario keeps him at bay just enough to pull out the road victory. Pick: Ontario.

Mansfield Senior's Ricky Mills hopes to prove the doubters wrong on Friday night against Massillon.
Mansfield Senior's Ricky Mills hopes to prove the doubters wrong on Friday night against Massillon.

Massillon Washington (1-1) at Mansfield Senior (2-0)

JF: I told Tygers senior Ricky Mills I was going to give him and the rest of his teammates some motivation this week and here it is. In the history of this rivalry that dates back to 1909, the Tygers have only beaten the Tigers four times in 52 games. Mansfield Senior is 4-43-5 all-time against Massillon for a .125 win percentage. The last win for the Tygers? A 21-0 victory in 1998. In an effort to fire up the hometown team, I am going with Massillon to win this and I will proudly sport that L on my record. Pick: Massillon.

JSII: Mansfield Senior has looked as devastating as any team in Richland County so far — other than maybe Crestview — and although Massillon will prove to be a difficult opponent I'm going with the Tygers in this one. Pick: Mansfield Senior.

Plymouth (1-1) at Wellington (0-2)

JF: I don't know what to make of the Big Red after allowing 77 points to Willard last week in a record-setting game for the Crimson Flashes. I certainly didn't see that coming. But Wellington doesn't score a whole lot, averaging just eight points through two weeks. So, I am sticking with the Big Red to win this one and get back on track. Pick: Plymouth.

JSII: Big Red bounce back this week. The ground game will carry them to victory. Pick: Plymouth.

Bellevue (1-1) at Shelby (2-0)

JF: This will be without a doubt the toughest game on Shelby's schedule and a true measuring stick kind of game. Bellevue is a rough and physical football team. Shelby is opening a new stadium and will want to christen it with a win. I like the way the Whippets played in Week 2 offensively and I think this could be extremely close, but I have to go with Bellevue to win it. Pick: Bellevue.

JSII: Shelby exploded for 53 points last week against Lexington. The offense is in a nice rhythm right now. It will continue Friday versus Bellevue. Pick: Shelby.

Jake Furr and James Simpson II are the sports reporters for the Mansfield News Journal. You can follow all of their high school football coverage on Twitter at @JakeFurr11 and @JamesSimpsonII.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Week 3 Picks: Who will the NJ Pickers choose this week?