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Check out our lohud experts' high school football predictions for Week 6

eugene rapay and mike dougherty, rockland/westchester journal news
·8 min read

Here are some of the top games to watch, along with picks for every Week 6 game:

Last week's prediction results

Mike: 25-7 (146-36 overall)

Eugene: 24-8 (140-42 overall)

Carmel defeats Mamaroneck 17-6 in football action at Carmel High School on Saturday, October 7, 2023.
Carmel defeats Mamaroneck 17-6 in football action at Carmel High School on Saturday, October 7, 2023.

John Jay-East Fishkill (5-1) at Mamaroneck (3-2)

Friday, 6 p.m.

After a tight battle in the rain at Carmel, it doesn't get any easier for Mamaroneck. The Tigers are entering must-win territory for their last two regular season games.

John Jay-East Fishkill and Carmel have comfortably pulled away from the rest of the pack to secure two of the four available playoff spots awarded to their league. Meanwhile, Mamaroneck, North Rockland and Ossining are in a tight race for the last two playoff spots, and if the Yonkers Force can manage to win out the rest of the way, they can make things interesting.

Mamaroneck gave Carmel some fits and even took a narrow halftime lead before the Rams pulled away in the second half. The Tigers will look to try and put together a full four-quarter effort, but the Patriots will pose another tough challenge. Outside of a loss to Carmel, the Patriots have won every game by 16 or more points.

Mike's pick: John Jay-East Fishkill over Mamaroneck

Eugene's pick: John Jay-East Fishkill over Mamaroneck

Rye quarterback A.J. Miller looks for some running room in front of Joe Crupi from Harrison during the Rye vs. Harrison football game at Harrison High School, Sept. 2, 2023. Harrison beat Rye, 21-14. (Mark Vergari/The Journal News)
Rye quarterback A.J. Miller looks for some running room in front of Joe Crupi from Harrison during the Rye vs. Harrison football game at Harrison High School, Sept. 2, 2023. Harrison beat Rye, 21-14. (Mark Vergari/The Journal News)

Ardsley (5-0) at Rye (4-2)

Friday, 7 p.m.

These are two well-coached teams with high aspirations and plenty of athletes on both sides of the ball.

Ardsley has answered every question so far and dispatched every opponent that came its way. However, Rye will be its toughest test yet.

The Panthers have limited their opponents to just one touchdown in each of their last three games, and they'll need to channel a similar effort defensively on Friday night.

Rye was hit hard by injuries earlier in the season, but appears to be working towards a return to full strength. The Garnets got a few key playmakers back and it showed in last week's 42-14 rout on the road at Byram Hills. Rye has the size and depth to attack from all angles on both sides of the ball, but can Ardsley's fearlessness and persistence pay off once again?

Mike's pick: Rye over Ardsley

Eugene's pick: Ardsley over Rye

Westlake players celebrate with the gold ball after defeating Dobbs Ferry in the Section 1 Class C championship game at Mahopac High School Nov. 12, 2022.
Westlake players celebrate with the gold ball after defeating Dobbs Ferry in the Section 1 Class C championship game at Mahopac High School Nov. 12, 2022.

Dobbs Ferry (3-1) at Westlake (3-0)

Friday, 7 p.m.

This is a rematch of last year's Section 1 Class C finals.

Last year, Dobbs Ferry held off Westlake late to win, 15-13, midway through the regular season. They met again in the title game and the Wildcats ran wild on the Eagles and won, 46-14, to capture the sectional crown in their return to Class C.

Westlake has plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball, and will look to mix it up offensively. Meanwhile, the Eagles enjoy a disciplined run-heavy attack with a stalwart defensive effort. Dobbs Ferry has had costly turnovers in each of its last few games, leading to a couple of Valhalla touchdowns in a 27-26 loss and forcing the Eagles to battle back from an early 12-point hole to win at Haldane, 24-20.

Dobbs Ferry can't afford to make those same mistakes, because Westlake will capitalize. There's been plenty of parity and close battles among the top teams in Class C and D, so while this may be a hard matchup to predict, you can definitely expect plenty of intensity.

Mike's pick: Westlake over Dobbs Ferry

Eugene's pick: Dobbs Ferry over Westlake

Game action during the Iona Prep vs. Cardinal Hayes football game at Iona Prep in New Rochelle, Oct. 16, 2021. Iona Prep beat Cardinal Hayes, 35-21.
Game action during the Iona Prep vs. Cardinal Hayes football game at Iona Prep in New Rochelle, Oct. 16, 2021. Iona Prep beat Cardinal Hayes, 35-21.

Cardinal Hayes (5-1) at Iona Prep (3-3)

Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

The Gaels have played a pretty tough schedule, and they'll need to quickly prepare for another heavyweight matchup after falling short to rival Stepinac, 13-12, last week.

It's not the same Cardinal Hayes team that Iona Prep blanked last year, 27-0, and went on to finish 2-8. The Cardinals boast a high-powered offense that has scored at least five touchdowns in every game this season. They recently beat Stepinac, 33-28, on Oct. 1 in a back-and-forth affair. The Cardinals' lone loss was a 52-51 result against reigning CHSFL champion St. Anthony's.

If Iona Prep can minimize turnovers and bring a similar defensive intensity as it did against Stepinac last week, the Gaels will be able to put themselves in a position to pull off the upset. Don't let the records fool you, Iona Prep may just be .500, but this matchup is still between two of the top four teams in the CHSFL.

Mike's pick: Cardinal Hayes over Iona Prep

Eugene's pick: Cardinal Hayes over Iona Prep

Byram Hills has beaten Pearl River in every season since dropping down to Class B.
Byram Hills has beaten Pearl River in every season since dropping down to Class B.

Byram Hills (2-3) at Pearl River (4-1)

Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Byram Hills has had an up-and-down season so far. The Bobcats are tough to gauge as they've enjoyed lopsided wins over some of the teams below them in the standings but they've been beaten up by the top three teams in the class − Pleasantville, Rye and Ardsley. They haven't had any close results yet, but Saturday may change that.

Pearl River is off to its best start in recent years. The Pirates suffered a 23-13 loss to Pleasantville, and responded with three straight blowout wins over Hastings, Sleepy Hollow and Putnam Valley.

Pearl River hasn't beaten Byram Hills since 2016, and the Bobcats have won every matchup by at least three touchdowns since then. Will this be Pearl River's year, or will Byram Hills' streak continue?

Mike's pick: Pearl River over Byram Hills

Eugene's pick: Pearl River over Byram Hills

Clarkstown South's John Olivieri carries the ball during a game with Harrison at Clarkstown South Sept. 22, 2023. Harrison won 7-0.
Clarkstown South's John Olivieri carries the ball during a game with Harrison at Clarkstown South Sept. 22, 2023. Harrison won 7-0.

Clarkstown South (2-3) at Eastchester (4-2)

Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

This is an important game for league standings and playoff positioning in Class A. Barring any letdowns by Harrison the remainder of the way, it appears the Huskies should be able to lock down the top playoff spot in their league, while Eastchester and Clarkstown South will battle for the No. 2 league spot.

Both the Vikings and Eagles have recently played Harrison, with both teams losing 7-0, so Saturday's game should be close.

Both teams have standout quarterbacks under center, with pinpoint passer Colin Holder taking the reins after his brother, Michael, enjoyed a school-record-breaking season. Meanwhile, Eastchester has dual-threat quarterback Aidan Schultz leading the way. Will one of them be able to make big game-changing plays, or will this be a matchup that ultimately comes down to another gutsy defensive performance?

Mike's pick: Eastchester over Clarkstown South

Eugene's pick: Eastchester over Clarkstown South

Quick picks

FRIDAY

Carmel (4-1) at Yonkers Force (3-2), 3:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Carmel

Eugene's pick: Carmel

Suffern (4-1) at Scarsdale (3-2), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Scarsdale

Eugene's pick: Suffern

Mount Vernon (2-3) at Ossining (2-4), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Ossining

Eugene's pick: Ossining

White Plains (0-5) at North Rockland (4-2), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: North Rockland

Eugene's pick: North Rockland

Mahopac (4-2) at Fox Lane (2-3), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Mahopac

Eugene's pick: Mahopac

Sleepy Hollow (2-4) at Pleasantville (5-0), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Pleasantville

Eugene's pick: Pleasantville

Nyack (3-2) at Lakeland (3-3), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Nyack

Eugene's pick: Nyack

Nanuet (3-2) at Hen Hud (1-4), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Nanuet

Eugene's pick: Nanuet

Croton-Harmon (2-3) at Putnam Valley (3-2), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Putnam Valley

Eugene's pick: Putnam Valley

Poughkeepsie (1-5) at Panas (0-5), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Panas

Eugene's pick: Panas

Yonkers Brave (0-7) at Arlington (6-0), 6:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Arlington

Eugene's pick: Arlington

Harrison (4-2) at Horace Greeley (2-5), 6:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Harrison

Eugene's pick: Harrison

Port Chester (2-3) at Tappan Zee (4-1), 6:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Tappan Zee

Eugene's pick: Tappan Zee

Haldane (5-1) at Valhalla (3-2), 7 p.m.

Mike's pick: Haldane

Eugene's pick: Haldane

Somers (5-1) at John Jay-Cross River (2-3), 7 p.m.

Mike's pick: Somers

Eugene's pick: Somers

Yorktown (7-0) at Brewster (2-3), 7 p.m.

Mike's pick: Yorktown

Eugene's pick: Yorktown

Clarkstown North (1-4) at Pelham (0-5), 7 p.m.

Mike's pick: Pelham

Eugene's pick: Clarkstown North

Irvington (0-5) at Albertus Magnus (2-4), 7:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Albertus Magnus

Eugene's pick: Albertus Magnus

SATURDAY

Harvey (1-1) at Forman (Conn.) (0-1), 1 p.m.

Mike's pick: Harvey

Eugene's pick: Harvey

Ketcham (1-4) at New Rochelle (2-4), 1:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: New Rochelle

Eugene's pick: New Rochelle

Kellenberg (3-3) at Stepinac (4-2), 1:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Stepinac

Eugene's pick: Stepinac

Bronxville (1-3) at Woodlands (0-4), 2:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Bronxville

Eugene's pick: Bronxville

Edgemont (1-3) at Rye Neck (5-1), 2:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Rye Neck

Eugene's pick: Rye Neck

Hackley (3-2) at Riverdale Country (3-2), 2:30 p.m.

Mike's pick: Hackley

Eugene's pick: Hackley

Hopkins (Conn.) (1-4) at Rye Country Day (3-2), 4 p.m.

Mike's pick: Rye Country Day

Eugene's pick: Rye Country Day

Ramapo (1-4) at Peekskill (3-2), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Peekskill

Eugene's pick: Peekskill

Hastings (1-4) at Briarcliff/Hamilton (1-2), 6 p.m.

Mike's pick: Briarcliff/Hamilton

Eugene's pick: Hastings

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: lohud high school football: Week 6 predictions