The Birdie is flying high again.
The A-K Valley's high school football legend went 6-1 last week, giving him a 14-2 record the past two weeks.
“Talk about game of the week, tee-hee,” he said. “Get it, game? A bird is game, yadda, yadda, yadda.”
He's here, well, all week.
“I am hitting my playoff form just in time, peaking at the right time, as the coaches say,” Birdie said.
After a long Monday night in Green Tree at the playoff pairings meeting where he spent much of his time on a bar stool sipping pina colodas and popping peanuts, the Birdie has a bittersweet feeling about how the brackets unfolded.
“I like that the WIPs decided to match up conference teams. Familiarity will make these games fun,” he said. “These eight-team brackets look chintzy, but that's what you get with six classes. But I am willing to give it a chance. You win Friday in 6A-3A, you're in the final four.”
The Birdie said he is not responsible for the pairings getting out early Monday, but he was glad to whisper some matchups to coaches before the meeting.
“I did nothing wrong,” he said. “I had nothing to do with Wip-i-leaks.”
While he did not win the election for WPIAL president and had the police called on him for putting campaign signs in strangers' yards, he is ready for the playoffs. But he expects only one of the two teams from the Valley News Dispatch coverage area to win Friday night.
And he doesn't think either will get any further than the quarterfinals.
“The local playoff contingent will have a short stay in the first stage of the six-classification era,” Birdie said. “Short and sweet, like me.
“I'm the Birdie and I approve this message.”
Apollo-Ridge (7-3) at Keystone Oaks (8-1)
It's like the top two college teams from a conference meeting in the BCS playoffs. But who saw this one coming? Too much athleticism all over the field will dull the Vikings, who will play the Golden Eagles much closer this time.
Keystone Oaks, 38-28
Springdale (5-5) at Carmichaels (7-2)
Like Apollo-Ridge, Springdale will get a conference rematch — when it gets to the second round against Jeannette. The Dynamos come from a much stronger section and will prove it against the Mikes, who hail from the frail Tri-County South.
Springdale, 20-13
