Well, Kosciusko County, we once again find ourselves facing the wrath of Friday the 13th. Back in September we waded through the superstition and possibility of untimely death during this cursed day and made it out alive.

Today we will have our superstitions at the forefront of our thoughts as we go about our daily routine. I, of course, am already breaking my normal routine by posting this on a Friday as opposed to the usual Thursday. I thought it made it a little more authentic if I posted the Friday-themed article on a Friday this time around. I was so-so on my picks on the last freaky Friday. Despite that, I am going back to taking a big risk and will once again provide you readers with an astounding 13 picks!
(Management has still not approved a budget for thunder or lightning sound effects, so I’ve provided this link.)

Again I recommend for everyone to get out to a game tonight and watch your favorite local team and then come back and watch one of your favorite scary movies. It is the best night of the year to watch a scary movie (even if it is a cheesy 80’s flick) so take advantage of it!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out our new Facebook page for all of the latest local sports updates!

Last Week: 8-2
Overall: 109-50

Boys High School Basketball 12/14

Lakeland Christian Academy (0-4) at South Bend Trinity (2-3), 3:30 p.m.
The Scoop: The Cougars are having a rough season so far. LCA has lost by an average of 29 points per game to start the season and has only eclipsed the 50-point mark once. I will not act like I know much about South Bend Trinity, but the Titans have managed to win two games and had respectable showings in two of their three losses. The only measuring stick I really have for this game is the one common opponent that the two schools share, Benton HomeSchool (It’s in Milford, I guess). The Titans pulled out a 69-66 win while LCA dropped a 53-63 decision to the Bucks. This game definitely could be LCA’s first victory but I’m giving the edge to Trinity.
The Pick: Trinity 56, LCA 49.

Mishawaka Marian (0-3) at Triton (3-1), 7:30 p.m.
The Scoop: If you are in Bourbon, you should be at this game. It may not look like much on paper but Marian is better than it appears. The Knights have yet to find the win column (they do play tonight, so this could change) but have lost two of their games by a combined three points. However, Marian is only averaging 54.3 points per game. Triton is currently averaging 64.5 per game and 72.3 in victories. This game should belong to Triton as long as the Trojans do not overlook Marian.
The Pick: Triton 70, Marian 57.

John Glenn (1-3) at Tippecanoe Valley (3-1), 7:45 p.m.
The Scoop: Though Valley is off to a nice start, I really feel the Vikings are staring at one of those “must-win” scenarios this weekend. The Vikings offense has not looked good this season and the production has only become worse over their past two game, that message coming from head coach Bill Patrick after his team lost to Culver Academy on Tuesday night. Patrick also noted that Glenn is a better all-around team that Culver was. I really do not know if that is true, but I will take the 45-year head coaching veteran’s word for it. Valley has struggle scoring, but so does Glenn. Valley also plays a little more defense than its opponent, giving up just 39 point per game to Glenn’s 51.
Anything could happen if either team gets a hot hand, but I will stick with Valley on this one.
The Pick: Valley 67, Glenn 45.

Wawasee (0-5) at Whitko (1-3), 7:45 p.m.
The Scoop: Wawasee needs this win. Yes, every team needs every win and blah blah blah. But Wawasee needs this win, this weekend more than most teams need a win this weekend. The Warriors have yet to put together a complete game and have been painstakingly close to winning three of their five games. Whitko has won just one game, but Wawasee would much rather have that than nothing. The ball is in Whitko’s court this weekend, literally and figuratively. The Wildcats have only been in one close game this year, but they managed to win that game, Wawasee has been in three close games this season but has yet to finish off the job. I like the Warriors in this game, but only because they need it more, therefore I think they will want it more.
The Pick: Wawasee 46, Whitko 40.

Girls High School Basketball 12/13-12/14

Triton (4-3) at Bremen (2-5), 12/13 7:30 p.m.
The Scoop: There is something in the water in Bourbon. Triton has two successful hoops teams this year. The boys I talked about above and now it is time to shed some light on the girls team. This team has four solid wins and lost three games by a combined 12 points. While “almost” gets you nothing on the court, it still shows that this team is on the right path and stays in games. Bremen has not beaten Triton in four years and the Lions are struggling again this season. I like the team that coach Adam Heckaman has this year and tonight’s game should be one of the team’s many wins this year.
The Pick: Triton 58, Bremen 42.

Wawasee (1-5) at Goshen (6-1), 12/13 7:30 p.m.
The Scoop: This is a little different this year. Wawasee and Goshen have been battling on a relatively level playing field the past few seasons. But this year the Lady Redskins look to be a level up thanks to a lot of upperclassmen support while Wawasee has taken a step down with a lot of inexperience on its roster. This will be a good game for the young Lady Warriors to get their feet wet in the Northern Lakes Conference, it just might be a long ride home.
The Pick: Goshen 57, Wawasee 30.

Manchester (0-6) at Whitko (4-3), 12/13 7:45 p.mThe Scoop: This will be a pretty quick summary. Manchester has not played well all season, as its record would imply. Whitko has had its hiccups but has been a pleasant surprise this year and has improved leaps and bounds since last season. The Wildcats lost by four in North Manchester last season and will avenge that loss and move to 2-0 in the Three Rivers Conference tonight.
The Pick: Whitko 51, Manchester 43.

Warsaw (2-4) at Plymouth (6-1), 12/14 7:30 p.m.
The Scoop: This is a weird game. Warsaw has been a very inconsistent team so far in 2013. Signs would point to this being an 0-1 start in the NLC season with Plymouth being so good. But while the Pilgrims have won six games, none of those games have been overly impressive. I really, really want to go with the Tigers in this game. I have a gut feeling about them being able to get this win and I should probably go with it, but I just can’t. Plymouth is not as good as its record, in my opinion, but the Pilgrims still look to be a level up from Warsaw.
The Pick: Plymouth 58, Warsaw 46.

College Football 12/14

Navy (7-4) at Army (3-8), 3 p.m.
The Scoop: The Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy is up for grabs on Saturday in one of college football’s most celebrated rivalries. Navy has had very good recent success in this rivalry as Army has failed to post a victory in the series since 2001. However, the gap has been closing in recent years as Army always gets right on the door step of a win, then always seems to mess it up in the end. This is the only NCAA football game on this weekend and should grab your attention simply because it is two of our nation’s service academies battling for bragging rights. Call me a sucker for the underdog this weekend, I don’t care.
The Pick: Army 19, Navy 14.

College Basketball: The Crossroads Classic, Indianapolis 12/14

Indiana (8-2) vs. Notre Dame (7-2), 3:15
The Scoop: Bragging rights all over the state are up for grabs on Saturday in the Circle City. The Crossroads Classic tips off and has two really great match ups. The first being this unofficial rivalry between IU and Notre Dame. The Hoosiers and Irish have both only suffered two losses this season but the quality of those losses differs greatly. IU dropped a game to Connecticut in Madison Square Garden and to Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, both respectable losses. Notre Dame, however, has lost twice at home this year, to Indiana State and North Dakota State. Both of those teams are actually respectable mid-major programs, but neither should have beaten ND at all, let alone in South Bend. An in-state game on a neutral court provides a lot of possibilities, but until ND wows me on the court this year, I see no reason to pick them in this type of game.
The Pick: Indiana 84, Notre Dame 73.

Purdue (8-2) vs. Butler (7-2), 6 p.m.
The Scoop: The prime time game this year in Indy should be another great game. Purdue and Butler played a close game two years ago in this classic and I expect no different this year. Both team should be in the Big Dance this year and this game will have the feel of a tournament game. Purdue has really done well this year and was close to pulling off a huge upset over Oklahoma State a few weeks back. While Butler nearly did the exact same thing, Purdue has looked better against its opponents so far this year.
The Pick: Purdue 78, Butler 70.

NFL Week 15

Chicago (7-6) at Cleveland (4-9), 1 p.m.
The Scoop: The Bears are back in the division race and have a winnable game coming up this weekend against the Browns. While this should seem like an easy win for the Monsters of the Midway, Cleveland has some gas left in the tank and would love to derail the Bears sudden rebirth. Cleveland has a good defense, the Browns have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this year and their secondary has one of the game’s best young corners in Joe Haden. The Bears are starting Jay Cutler this week, who has been injured the past few weeks. This is a mistake. Josh McCown has been playing lights-out football in place of Cutler and the Bears should stick with what is working best right now. McCown gives the Bears the best chance to win right now, why screw with what works? I do not like the move because I do not know what kind of shape Cutler is in. This feels weird, but I am going with the Browns.
The Pick: Browns 17, Bears 13.

Houston (2-11) at Indianapolis (8-5), 1 p.m.
The Scoop: Well, another week went by and the Colts still looked lost and ugly. This team still has one more big game in it, I just do not know when that game will come. I can almost guarantee that it will not be this weekend. The Texans are hapless and sad and need a reason to smile, this game could be it. The Texans have NEVER won in Indianapolis, if anything could make this season better, it would be ending that horrible streak in the Circle City. The Colts need to be on upset alert this weekend. I think this will be very close, but Andrew Luck will rebound from a bad game in Cincinnati and get this win.
The Pick: Colts 31, Texans 27.