Prediction

Craig County (2-3) at Parry McCluer (4-2) WHEN: 7 p.m. on Friday WHERE: Bobby Williams Field in Buena Vista LAST YEAR: Evan C ook busted off an 83-yard touchdown run on PM’s second play from scrimmage, and the Fighting Blues never looked back in a 41-7 home win. Cook had a monster night, totaling 147 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 10 carries, while John Snider added 83 yards on 15 totes. The Rockets’ lone touchdown came with just six seconds remaining in the game.

THE SCOOP: The Blues will be looking to cleanse the sour taste from their mouths after a woeful second half in their Pioneer District opener down at Narrows. Leading 14-13 at the break, PM saw the Green Wave dominate after the interval, turning that 1-point deficit into a 56-21 win. Despite the loss, though, there are plenty of reasons for optimism in the Blues’ camp, especially with a string of winnable district games in front of them.

Craig County didn’t fare too much better in its first Pioneer contest, falling 44-24 at home to a 1-4 Eastern Montgomery team. Though the Rockets are 2-0 on the road this year – they beat Bland County 32-6 and downed Twin Valley 34-14 – the results against the lone common opponent on the two squads’ schedules bode well for PM: the Blues routed Mountain View 45-16, while Craig fell 38-14 to the Generals two weeks ago.

THE NEWS-GAZETTE’S PICK: More than anything, PM will be happy to take the field in Buena Vista for the first time since Sept. 1 – a streak of four away games that has involved nearly 700 miles on the bus. The Blues will make the most of a chance to play in front of the home crowd, bouncing back with a 40-12 win to even up their Pioneer record.