Rick's Picks: Week 9

Last year's Battle of the Brandywine was a thriller, with Downingtown West escaping bitter rival Downingtown East by 29-28 in the final minutes.

The Cougars and Whippets will renew their heated series, deadlocked at 5-5, at 7 p.m. Friday at Kottmeyer Stadium.

East, ranked No. 25 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, is 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Ches-Mont League National Conference. No. 15 West is 6-2 and 3-1.

The Cougars trail first-place Coatesville (8-0, 4-0) by two games, and their focus is on nailing down one of 16 spots in the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA tournament. Mike Matta's squad, with a 107.5 average, is tied for 11th place with North Penn.

"We have to win," said Matta, whose team looks to rebound from Saturday's 17-10 upset loss to Bishop Shanahan. "We're treating it like a playoff game."

Should it beat East for the second consecutive year, West would have a chance to share top conference honors by earning a Week 10 win over Coatesville. The Red Raiders, who will visit West Chester East (3-5, 1-4) on Friday, are in position for their first outright title since 2004.

The Cougars offense is spurred by quarterback Andrew Hudson, halfback Jack Kincade, fullback Keith Connor, tight end Cary Angeline, and wide receiver Danny Chisena.

"We were in the red zone five times against Shanahan and only came away with 10 points," Matta said. "We have to be more efficient in that area."

For West, which is guided by coach Mike Milano, Tyler McNulty has passed for 1,531 yards and 15 TDs.

Matta said McNulty, who threw for more than 400 yards and five TDs in last week's 62-7 blitzing of West Chester East, is "a very confident young fellow. He's a good decision maker."

Pick: East's defense, featuring end Caleb Fell and tackle Thad Stevenson-Panchisin, brings McNulty back to earth, and the Cougars eke out a 27-23 win.

Last week: 8-2. Overall: 58-23 (.716).

No. 14 Great Valley (7-1, 3-1 Ches-Mont American) at No. 19 Unionville (5-3, 3-1), 7. The visiting Patriots have a terrific playmaker in all-purpose Nasir Adderley, grandson of NFL Hall of Famer Herb Adderley. Pick: Great Valley, 36-20.

Haverford High (6-2, 5-1 Central) at No. 20 Garnet Valley (6-2, 6-1), 7. This one has huge implications on the District 1 Class AAAA power-point standings. Pick: Garnet Valley, 21-12.

No. 9 North Penn (5-3, 4-1 Suburban One National) at Neshaminy (4-4, 3-2), 7. As they have done in recent seasons, the visiting Knights have saved their best for the stretch run. Pick: North Penn, 38-21.

Perkiomen Valley (7-1, 7-0 PAC-10) at Pottsgrove (6-2, 6-1), 7. The visiting Vikings have a solid pass-catch duo: Stephen Sturm and Taiyir Wilson. Pick: Perkiomen Valley, 26-20.

No. 18 Springside Chestnut Hill (6-1, 1-1 Inter-Ac) at Episcopal Academy (5-3, 1-1), 7. Paul Dooley and the visiting Blue Devils gain payback for last year's 28-20 defeat. Pick: SCH, 23-21.

No. 1 St. Joseph's Prep (4-3, 2-0 Catholic AAAA) vs. No. 17 Roman Catholic (4-4, 1-1), at Garthwaite Field, 7. Roman has been slowed by a shoulder injury to QB Phil DiWilliams. Pick: Prep, 34-7.

No. 21 Quakertown (8-0, 5-0 Suburban One Continental) at Council Rock North (6-2, 4-1), 1:30. The unbeaten Panthers get a chance to quiet the skeptics when they play Brandon McIlwain and company. Pick: C.R. North, 28-23.

No. 2 La Salle (6-1, 1-1 Catholic AAAA) vs. No. 22 Father Judge (4-4, 0-2), at Northeast, 7. The Crusaders need a big effort from tailback Yeedee Thaenrat to pull off the upset. Pick: La Salle, 33-14.