Blue Water Area football: Non-conference matchups highlight Week 8 picks

How do you know the regular season is coming to an end? That's easy. Just look at all the non-conference games on the schedule.

Fortunately, my weekly picks are not ending anytime soon. You're stuck with these through at least the first round of the playoffs.

Speaking of those picks, I went 3-1 in Week 7 and improved to 26-6 overall. And let the record show that I was finally on the right end of a BWAC upset. Thank you, Armada.

Here are the teams I like for the games in Week 8.

Cardinal Mooney (6-1) at Whitmore Lake (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday

The Cardinals have won five in a row by an average of 25.8 points per game. However, the Trojans have won their last six by an average of 29.7. Something will have to give.

Regardless of the outcome, Cardinal Mooney has already clinched a spot in the Catholic League Prep Bowl — its first since 2001 — against Madison Heights Bishop Foley. But at 6-1, Whitmore Lake is its toughest test yet.

In addition to records, the Cardinals and Trojans have something else in common. They each beat Sterling Heights Parkway Christian earlier this season. Mooney rolled the Eagles, 42-13, on Aug. 26, while Whitmore Lake pulled out a 24-15 victory on Sept. 30.

Those results have little, if any, bearing on Friday's game. But it's hard to compare non-conference opponents outside of statistics. Quite honestly, the matchup comes down to this — which team has Brendan Haisenleder? I'll go with the side that features a 1,000-yard rusher.

The pick: Cardinal Mooney

Croswell-Lexington (6-1) at North Branch (6-1), 7 p.m. Friday

Like many of you, I've had this game circled on my calendar all season. The reality for both teams is simple — win Friday and clinch at least a share of the BWAC championship. A loss guarantees a second-place finish.

The Pioneers are coming off a 39-7 victory over Imlay City last week. Quarterback Gavin Espinoza finished 5-of-8 passing for 74 yards and three touchdowns. That brings his season totals to 69-of-141 passing for 1,066 yards and 16 touchdowns against three interceptions. Espinoza also has a quarterback rating of 103.3.

Wide receiver Trevor Soule has been Espinoza's favorite target. Soule has 23 receptions for 412 yards and eight touchdowns. He's also one of nine Cros-Lex players with at least one receiving score. The Pioneers are averaging 37.7 points per game.

While the Broncos are fresh off their first loss, they still boast an offense with a scoring average of 52.1. And North Branch has home-field advantage in a matchup that could go either way.

The pick: Croswell-Lexington

Marine City (6-1) at Center Line (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday

With the Mariners finishing 5-0 in MAC Silver play, they'll face another team that went unbeaten in its own conference. Center Line posted a 5-0 record in the MAC Bronze after an 0-2 start to the year. But it's safe to say the Panthers haven't seen anyone quite like Marine City.

One of Center Line's losses was to Madison Heights Lamphere, 8-6, on Sept. 1. By comparison, the Mariners easily took care of the Rams, 37-14, on Sept. 30.

Marine City's high-powered offense is averaging 43 points per game while its defense is allowing 18.3. Quarterback Jeffery Heaslip is 47-of-82 passing for 728 yards and eight touchdowns against one interception this season. He's established a rhythm with wideout Parker Atkinson, who has 18 receptions for 386 yards and five touchdowns.

And those are just two of many playmakers for the Mariners. Paul Muscat is at 437 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Anthony Ruffino has also been dominant on the ground with 356 yards and five scores. The last time Marine City failed to score more than 30 points was in Week 1.

The pick: Marine City

Marysville (4-3) at Warren Lincoln (3-4), 7 p.m. Friday

For the first time in over a year, the Vikings have won back-to-backs games. They've outscored their opponents 43-6 in the past two weeks. Marysville's 20-0 triumph over St. Clair last Friday was also its first shutout victory since Sept. 13, 2019.

Running back Carter Saccucci has totaled 285 yards and three touchdowns over the two-game stretch. But, in reality, it's been the Vikings' defense that has set the tone.

Linebacker Owen Rann has two sacks during the winning streak. Six other Marysville defenders have recorded one in Conner Fraley, Derek Gurne, Hunter Grimm, Colin Sabo, Tyler Simpson and Bryce Smith. The Vikings also have three fumble recoveries and two interceptions over the same period.

If Marysville's defense can keep this up, that should be enough for its offense to finish the job on the road.

The pick: Marysville

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.