I have been with the Standard Democrat sports department since 2007. I took over as sports editor in May of 2011 and have been slightly crazy about sports since I can remember. I attended Southeast Missouri State University and Scott County Central High School. I co-created our sports web show "The Last Word" and my two children, Elijah and CJ. I was married to my wife, Angie, in May of 2014. I love to golf, I am an avid NBA2K gamer and root for the Fighting Irish on Saturdays.

2013 Media Football Pick 'Em -- Week 5

Posted Thursday, September 26, 2013, at 1:03 AM

I thought I would be bold this week.

I thought...

So, here I am trailing by one win and I felt like I needed to take a leap and choose a bit outside of the box to gain some ground. I was ready and willing. I had my upset pick in hand and actually publicized it during the taping of our web show, The Last Word.

And then, I chickened out.

My upset pick was East Prairie over Malden. I tried conjuring up ways to trick myself into thinking the young Eagles could overtake a strong Malden team. Things like, "Well, they're at home. They have some weapons that can get outside. Oh, and don't forget they nearly beat Perryville and Scott City."

I talked myself out of it in a big way. Now, I'm not saying East Prairie couldn't pull off the win. They're perfectly capable. But, Malden wins this one, 35-14. I'm waiting to pull the trigger on my personal 'monumental upset pick' at a later date.

I did, however, take Hayti over Portageville which ended up being somewhat of an upset with our panel. There were seven Jackson picks over Cape Central in that big rivalry game and we also had 8 of 9 take Sikeston over Poplar Bluff in what is a push game in my mind. We'll just have to see how Friday unfolds. And if East Prairie decides to throw a win in my face, good for them. If they pull off that feat, they'll more than likely end up typed under my name a bit more the rest of the season.

Again, the tab that runs in our Thursday paper is above. If you need help seeing, just give me a shout in the comment section. Or pick up a paper Thursday afternoon. Let me know how you think our picks stack up or post your picks down below to see how you compare.

Make sure to check back later for the newest episode of the aforementioned Last Word episode. *Just disregard me picking East Prairie...*