Alright, here we go. Week 0 is finally here, and I’m going to give my picks for the opening weekend. I’m not going to pretend I know everything about every team yet, but that’s kind of the point of this. These are my picks going into the weekend, and we’ll see how they hold up.

St. Joseph by the Sea over Holy Cross — I’m taking Sea because I like what their offense can do in this matchup. Joe Moran is one of the better running backs in the league, and I expect them to lean on him early and often. If Sea can establish the run and let their offense stay ahead of the chains, I think they’ll be able to control the game and come away with the win.

Chaminade over Kellenberg — I’m going with Chaminade, but I definitely considered taking Kellenberg for the upset. Kellenberg is one of those teams that could surprise people this year, and they’re a very capable AA-1 team. But if Chaminade wants to be taken seriously as a contender in the AAA, this is a game they need to win. Kellenberg is good enough to make this interesting, but I’m expecting Chaminade to come out and handle business.

Stepinac over Fordham Prep — I think Stepinac handles this one pretty easily because their offense should be able to move the ball consistently. Fordham has a new coach and a lot to prove, while Stepinac has the playmakers and experience to put points on the board. I expect Stepinac to control the tempo and create separation early.

Monsignor Farrell over Holy Spirit — I’m taking Farrell because I think their offense comes out of the gate with a lot of energy. The Moye twins, Braxton and Bryce, give Farrell two explosive playmakers, but they impact the game in different ways. Braxton is a quarterback who can make plays with the ball in his hands and keep the offense on schedule, while Bryce is a wide receiver who is a big target and can create explosive plays downfield. That combination gives Farrell a lot to work with, especially if they can get Bryce matched up in space and let Braxton take advantage of those opportunities. If Farrell can get both of them involved early and keep the offense moving, I think they’ll have enough firepower to win this one.

St. Peter’s over Curtis — I’m going with St. Peter’s here because I think they’ll be ready for the moment. There’s some history between these teams, and I expect St. Peter’s to play with a lot of urgency. The key player I’ll be watching is quarterback Anthony D’Acunto, who gives St. Peter’s the ability to attack through the air and keep Curtis’ defense under pressure. Curtis has enough athleticism to make this competitive, but if D’Acunto protects the football, makes good decisions, and keeps St. Peter’s offense on schedule, I think they’ll have enough to come away with the win.

St. Francis Prep over Mount St. Michael — I think this could actually be a really good game, but I’m taking Prep because I trust their offense a little more. Mount is going to make them work for it, but Prep should be able to create enough big plays and sustain enough drives to pull this one out.

Xaverian over St. John’s — Honestly, this one is probably the hardest pick for me. I don’t know enough about St. John’s offense right now to make a strong argument either way, so I’m going with Xaverian. I’m expecting them to be the more consistent team offensively, but we’ll see what I learn after this one.

Game of the Week: STP at Curtis

For the second straight year, STP and Curtis meet in a non-league matchup. Curtis has controlled the trenches in each of the last two meetings, but Peters is eager to prove they’re a legitimate contender for the AA-1 title. I expect this one to be much closer. In the end, it could come down to which QB can consistently get the ball into the hands of his playmakers and make the most of their opportunities.

That’s my Week 0. I feel pretty good about most of these picks, but there are definitely a couple that could come back to haunt me. The Chaminade-Kellenberg game feels like the one that could get interesting, and I’m still trying to figure out what to expect from St. John’s. Either way, that’s what makes Week 0 fun. Now let’s see how badly I get these wrong.