FOOTBALL PICKS: Simeon Pincus’ Week 1 Mid-State 37 predictions

My first full year as the Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com’s Mid-State 37 football beatwriter is in the books, and as I begin my sophomore campaign and reflect on my rookie season, my biggest regret came early.

I’m proud of the 135-42 record I posted picking games last season — a solid 76 percent clip that included a 17-1 week and a 6-0 Thanksgiving. But what still haunts me is my 10-7 performance out of the gate, a slate that came as a result of inexperience and underestimation — mistakes I don’t plan to repeat again.

Here are my picks for Week 1:

FRIDAY, SEPT. 8

Cranford at Somerville, 7 p.m. - Somerville ran the Mid-State 37 version of the greatest show on turf last season, an up-tempo, no-huddle offense fueled by speed and feeding off confusion, averaging 46.7 points per game and outscoring opponents by an average of 30 points per contest. Last year’s 41-17,  opening-night victory at Cranford, a team coming off a perfect season and sectional championship, one that would only suffer one more regular-season loss in 2016, certainly announced the Pioneers presence with authority. Now, after heavy graduation losses at the Ville, leaving very little of last year’s offense intact, the Pioneers are once against faced with a strong Cougars club to christen their season, and their performance Friday night is probably going to be a pretty good indication of what’s to come at Somerville. The system is still in place and probably in even better shape in year 2, and there’s still plenty of speed among the incoming talent to go with returning receiver Duke McDuffie and a promising first-year starting quarterback in Ryan Kovacs. I’ll be at Brooks Field for this one, and I’m not letting the Pioneers surprise me again.

PINCUS’ PICK: Somerville 34-23

READ: The 2017 Courier News Mid-State 37 football preview

Bridgewater-Raritan at Hunterdon Central, 7 p.m. – Never an easy Friday night in the Mid-State 37 Delaware Division, as these teams get together after BR won last year’s meeting 21-10. The Panthers obviously have a lot at stake after two straight undefeated regular seasons, while Central is looking to return to glory under a new head coach. Both teams are hoping to make a statement to open the year, as is Harry Frezza, who will be covering this one for us. Follow him @TheFrez56 for game updates — not for marital advice.

PINCUS’ PICK: Bridgewater-Raritan 16-10

CHECK IT OUT: Our preseason Top 10 Mid-State 37 football rankings

Bound Brook (1-0) at Manville, 7 p.m. – It’s been a while since these teams faced each with both programs on the upswing. In fact, considering last season’s was only the second playoff berth in Manville’s history, this is only the second time the Mustangs and Crusaders have squared off with each coming off of a playoff season. Bound Brook, which opened its season with a victory last weekend, scored a 27-19 victory in 2007, and has won the last seven meetings between these clubs, including 35-12 last year to increase its lead in the all-time series to 38-19-2. I think the loser of this game should have to do Frezza’s laundry for a year.

PINCUS’ PICK: Bound Brook 28-22

Bernards (0-1) at Roselle, 6 p.m. – This game went to Roselle last season, 61-54. No. That’s not a typo. SIXTY-ONE TO FIFTY-FOUR. That’s 115 points, for the arithmetically challenged among you. Bernards doesn’t quite have the firepower it did last year, but I’m told the Panthers do. That doesn’t bode well for the Mountaineers, who are already 0-1 after falling to Shabazz last week.

PINCUS’ PICK: Roselle 47-29

Belvidere at Dayton, 7 p.m. – Belvidere went 8-2 last year. Dayton went 3-7 with two forfeits. The County Seaters beat the Bulldogs 47-0 in last year’s meeting. See how easy my job is?

PINCUS’ PICK: Belvidere 41-6

Elizabeth at Hillsborough, 7 p.m. – Hillsborough began last year by blanking Elizabeth 27-0, a fantastic opening-night victory that sparked the Raiders to a 3-1 start. Boro finished 6-4, making the playoffs, but after a first-round exit stoking the hunger, and with a ton of experienced talent back, the Raiders have their eyes on bigger and better things in 2017. A repeat performance against the Minutemen would be a huge first step.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Hillsborough 28-20

Franklin at Phillipsburg, 7 p.m. – Franklin looking to get the ship righted as a new head coach seeks to pull the program out from the abyss after four straight campaigns of two wins or fewer. Opening the season by traveling to Phillipsburg is a tall order for a rebuilding program.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Phillipsburg 28-14

New Providence at A.L. Johnson, 7 p.m. – The Chet Parlavecchio Jr. era begins at New Providence, as the rookie head coach leads his club into Clark, a difficult task for a team coming off a 1-9 finish, its worst in program history. ALJ won this meeting 38-0 last year, so a good first step for the Pioneers will be closing that gap.

PINCUS’ PICKS: A.L. Johnson 28-10

North Plainfield at Delaware Valley, 7 p.m. – This is one of those ‘"thermometer games," one that’s going to take the temperature of both these teams and give us a pretty good idea of where they could be headed this season. North Plainfield pulled off a surprise victory over the Terriers to open last season, winning 28-7, but it was all down hill from there as the Canucks dropped their next seven games. Del Val, meanwhile, shook off what would become an 0-2 and 1-3 start to climb back into the playoff hunt with a three-game mid-season winning streak, but just missed a postseason berth with a tough late-season loss at Governor Livingston. So here these teams are again, North Plainfield looking to sustain a good start with a new head coach, while the Terriers seek to start on the right foot. Graduation hit both teams pretty hard, but Del Val looks to be in better shape and should be able to claim a home victory – but I’ve been wrong before.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Delaware Valley 20-13

Rahway at Hillside, 7 p.m. – This was a good one last year, a 26-19 Rahway victory, and with both teams reportedly improved, should be another good one.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Rahway 28-22

Ridge at Montgomery, 7 p.m. – Ridge lost a ton of talent to graduation, and while the Red Devils look like they’ve simply reloaded – getting quarterback Brandon Radice back from an injury that kept him out all of last year certainly helps – the new cast has yet to be battle tested. Montgomery was in the mix for a playoff spot until the final moments last year, just missing, and with numbers up for the Cougars, they certainly pose a nice challenge for Ridge out of the gate, just as the Red Devils give Montgomery a nice measuring stick to start its year. This was a 10-point game last year – a 31-21 Ridge victory – so we could be in for an even tighter contest this time around.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Ridge 28-21

Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Warren Hills, 7 p.m. – After a 22-10 Warren Hills victory over the Raiders to start last season, both clubs hit the skids, as the Blue Streaks dropped their next seven games and Scotch Plains-Fanwood went onto a winless regular season, finally getting in the win column by topping Millburn in a consolation game. SPF has some offensive weapons in quarterback Cooper Heisey and a dangerous group of receivers, but I’ll give the home team the edge here.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Warren Hills 16-14

South Hunterdon (0-1) at Roselle Park (1-0), 7 p.m. – These teams both played their respective season openers last week. Things went well for Roselle Park. Not so much for the Eagles.

PINCUS’ PICK: Roselle Park 27-14

Union at Watchung Hills, 7 p.m. – Union barely snuck into the playoffs last year before pulling off a huge upset by knocking off Ridge in double OT in the first round, so you know the Farmers are looking to come out sharp and carry their strong finish over. Watchung Hills suffered through a disappointing 2-8 campaign, so you know the Warriors are going to be looking to come out rolling and help put last year behind them. One of these teams will find what they’re looking for Friday night.

PINCUS’ PICKS: Union 34-20

SATURDAY, SEPT. 9

North Hunterdon at Summit, 2 p.m. – I believe this might be my first-ever trip to Summit that doesn’t involve Overlook Hospital. North is poised for what could be a big year, with a lot back, including three-year starting quarterback Matt Busher. Of course, most teams think highly of itself on opening day, only to have reality set in, so if the Lions want to be for real, an opening-day test on the road at the team defending the championship they’ve got their eye on is about as good a test as there is. The defending Raritan Division champion Hilltoppers won the meeting between these teams 24-13 last year, and have gone 79-11 since 2009, including three perfect seasons. And while this is obviously a tall order for North Hunterdon, I certainly won’t end up in Overlook’s cardiac unit in a state of shock if the Lions do pull this one out.

PINCUS’ PICK: Summit 27-23

Immaculata at Plainfield, 1 p.m. – The Spartans are hoping to take a step forward after needing a late-season scramble to sneak into the playoffs last year and a strong opening week would be a good boost. Immaculata beat Plainfield 35-7 in last season’s opener and should be in the same neighborhood again.

PINCUS’ PICK: Immaculata 34-14

Voorhees at Governor Livingston @Kean University, 2 p.m. – I haven’t seen a lot of winning football by local teams at Kean University over the years. During my time there as a student and sports editor of a couple of campus publications, the Cougars compiled an ugly 5-34 record and I was present for only one victory in five seasons. Saturday, our friends from Hunterdon County come calling, as the Union County representative, Governor Livingston, plays host to Voorhees in a game moved to Kean because G.L.’s field is still being redone. The Highlanders scored a tight 21-13 triumph in these teams’ meeting last year, but GL is trying to find its way after heavy graduation losses, and the Vikings return a lot of talent. And while the Highlanders will be helped by the fact I will not be trekking to Cougar Stadium for this one, it doesn’t take a brilliant mind to expect it to go poorly for the locals.

PINCUS’ PICK: Voorhees 22-14

Linden at Westfield, 1 p.m. – Westfield begins its third season since it last lost a game, a streak of 25 straight outings. Last team to beat the Blue Devils? Linden! Don’t expect the streak to end Saturday.

PINCUS’ PICK: Westfield 27-19

Simeon Pincus can be reached at SPincus@GannettNJ.com. Follow him on Twitter @SimeonPincus and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SimeonPincusCN