The Forsberg 14

Before we offer up our predictions on Tuesday's Eastern Mass. playoff slate, a reminder that we'll be live from Lowell this evening providing updates from the two games at Cawley Stadium (Gloucester vs. Masco and BC High vs. Everett). We'll also be collecting and passing along video highlights.

On to this week's picks:

Division 1

Everett vs. BC High at Lowell, 7 p.m.

We're confident that BC High boasts the parts to match up with the Tide. But Everett has that little something extra. They have it. Whether that's some sort of confidence or desire or mojo (maybe a little bit of all three), Everett is simply a step ahead of the pack. Much like the Patriots, we think the Tide are capable of being taken to the wire by a well-coached team that performs at a high level. Make one mistake, though, and Everett will make you pay. You probably won't survive two mistakes. So therein lies the key for BC High. Offensively, the Eagles need to play ball control and pound away with that vaunted rushing attack that has made them so successful. Defensively, they need to provide a resistance that the Tide has rarely encountered over the past two seasons.

We see BC High sticking close early. But they can't let Isaac Johnson out of their sight for a second. Hopefully Johnson's breakout performance against the Eagles as a sophomore returnman is still fresh in their mind.

The pick: Everett 28, BC High 14

Dartmouth at Brockton, 7 p.m.

Did Dartmouth miss its chance last fall? That's the question we're left wondering heading into tonight's matchup. The Boxers seem to have made a big leap forward this year; morphing from a young squad that lacked strong senior leadership, to an experienced squad with a common goal. Dartmouth, meanwhile, has morphed itself, too -- particularly on offense, where the Indians shifted to a spread option attack designed to showcase the speed and athleticism of quarterback Sean Sylvia and running back Jordan Todman. But is it enough to get over the proverbial hump? Maybe.

While Dartmouth is far from a one-man team, we think this one ultimately comes down to how one man -- Todman -- plays tonight. Like last year, he's going to get his yards and the Dartmouth offense has enough weapons to keep the Brockton offense honest if the game remains close. In the end, Brockton's depth and big-game experience might be too much to overcome unless Todman really puts this team on his back.

The pick: Brockton 22, Dartmouth 21

Division 1A

Chelmsford at Wayland, 7 p.m.

Heads will be shaking tonight in Acton and Boxborough when these two teams take the field. Both lost to Acton-Boxboro during the regular season, yet it's the Colonials who have already turned in their equipment for the season. But that's in the past. Chelmsford enters with a nine-game winning streak after falling to A-B in Week 2, while Wayland has prevailed in each of its last eight games since a Week 3 loss to A-B.

We really like this matchup. In fact, we think the winner of this one is the favorite to win the Division 1A Super Bowl. We give Chelmsford a slight edge on offense -- based largely on Tim Rich's experience at QB -- while Wayland boasts a small advantage on defense -- thanks in large part to senior linebacker and Dual County League defensive Player of the Year Joe Cerrone. So this one will likely come down to special teams and field position.

We've been on the Wayland bandwagon since it started filling up last season. And we think home-field advantage tonight could play a role in giving the Warrirors an early spark. But Chelmsford is the total package. The Lions dominated a rock solid Merrimack Valley Conference and that rigid schedule pays dividends tonight.

The pick: Chelmsford 17, Wayland 14

Weymouth vs. Marshfield at Brockton, 4 p.m.

Go ahead and call it a rematch, but that's hardly the case. In fact, you could make the argument that the teams have just about flip-flopped roles from a year ago. Last year it was Weymouth, an underclassmen-fueled squad that might have been a bit of a surprise to land in the playoffs, while Marshfield was the veteran-heavy squad that spent much of the year near the top of the polls. This time around, it's veteran-laden Weymouth that most expected to be in this game, while Marshfield needed a bit of help -- both from league rivals and its talented underclassmen -- to get back to the postseason.

If Weymouth's Royce Terrell is healthy, the edge goes to the Wildcats. Regardless, this one probably comes down to the lines. Which side will push the other around? We think Weymouth earns redemptions.

The pick: Weymouth 14, Marshfield 7

Division 2

Bishop Feehan vs. Mansfield at Acton-Boxboro, 4 p.m.

A total uphill battle for Bishop Feehan. Not only is Mansfield one of the state's best teams, but the Hornets already boast a win over Feehan and it came in convincing fashion in a 29-7 triumph on Oct. 5.

The one thing that gives us even the slightest bit of pause: Mansfield has lacked a certain "wow factor" this fall. Sure, the Hornets have been locked in at No. 2 on our poll for the final 10 weeks of the regular season, but there were certainly times when our pollsters wondered if BC High deserved that spot more.

The bottom line is this: Mansfield is undefeated in Massachusetts. And while a four-point win over King Philip and a seven-point triumph over North Attleboro did little to wow us, the 31-7 spanking the Hornets furnished for rival Foxboro on Thanksgiving Day leads us to believe that Mansfield might finally be ready to flip the switch.

The pick: Mansfield 28, Bishop Feehan 7

Melrose vs. Walpole at Acton-Boxboro, 7 p.m.

Melrose is a phenomenal story, but let's be honest, the Raiders hardly strike fear into an opponent. Take away its win over 9-2 Woburn, and Melrose didn't beat a team with a record better than 6-5. In fact, the Raiders fell to 5-5 Arlington and 6-5 Lexington during the regular season.

But none of that will matter with a win tonight. We're just not sure we see it happening. Walpole seems too explosive. Sophomore standout Ryan Izzo scored at least one touchdown in every games this fall, save for the Rebels' 14-7 win over Weymouth on Turkey Day. We see him getting back on the scoring ledger this week in a big way and propelling Walpole to a Super Bowl berth.

The pick: Walpole 28, Melrose 10

Division 2A

Seekonk vs. Hingham at Greater New Bedford Voke, 7 p.m.

No team was stingier this fall than Seekonk, allowing a mere 4.6 points per game. Take away a 31-18 win over Fairhaven and Seekonk didn't allow another team double digits in points this fall. In those nine games, the Warriors gave up a mere 3 points per game. That's downright Scrooge-like.

But can the Warriors slow down Hingham's Chris Constantine? We're thinking if the Division 1A Lincoln-Sudbury Warriors struggled to stop him, Seekonk will likewise be challenged. And games like that one against an upper division foe will suit Hingham well in the postseason.

The pick: Hingham 21, Seekonk 10

Masconomet vs. Gloucester at Lowell, 4 p.m.

Those that have seen Masconomet insist the Chieftains have the talent to compete with Gloucester. They say the Pentucket loss was a rare letdown and that the 42-14 thumping Masco placed on rival North Andover to secure the Cape Ann Large title on Turkey Day is more indicative of how talented this team is.

Gloucester, despite its 11-0 record, did show signs of being beatable as Barnstable, Swampscott, and Lynn Classicall all stuck within a score of the Fishermen. But we really like this Gloucester squad. Its depth at running back should ultimately prove too much for Masco to contain.

The pick: Gloucester 21, Masco 14

Division 3

Arlington Catholic vs. Swampscott at Arlington, 7 p.m.

We have to admit that we didn't pay too much mind to Arlington Catholic after a 1-4 start. But playing quality competition over the first five weeks of the season clearly went a long way for the Cougars.

The one thing that should give AC fans pause is the average 19.5 points per game the Cougars surrendered this fall, including allowing 21 points or more in six of its 11 games, We really liked how Swampscott's offense moved the ball when we saw the Big Blue against Gloucester and we think if the defense can contain AC running back Derek Harmon, there's no reason Swampscott shouldn't win this game.

The pick: Swampscott 28, Arlington Catholic 14

Abington vs. Medfield at Stonehill, 7:45 p.m.

The mere fact that Medfield made it this far is admirable, but their postseason experience from last year makes the Warriors a very dangerous team in the playoffs. Sure, Medfield needed Holliston to falter a bit to earn this return trip, but the Warriors are battle-tested coming out of the Tri-Valley League and we really like the quality of ball this team has played over the final weeks of the regular season.

But this seems like Abington's year. The Green Wave slipped up late in the year to Cohasset, which leaves us wondering just how good they are. But Abington slammed fellow Division 3 playoff representative Arlington Catholic, 34-7, in Week 3, and scored a number of quality wins during the season, including season-opening triumphs over Patriot League foes Hanover and Rockland.

The pick: Abington 21, Medfield 14

Division 3A

Greaster Lawrence vs. Amesbury at Arlington, 4 p.m.

Greater Lawrence's Nate Adames scored 182 points in 11 games this fall. The Amesbury football team scored 183 points total in 10 games this fall. Seems like a pretty open-and-shut case, then. Right? We're not so certain.

Both teams lost by a touchdown to Lawrence. We give a slight edge to Amesbury in strength of schedule category, and the Indians seem to have saved some of their best ball for late in the year. The concern here is that Amesbury got outscored this fall -- giving up 201 points overall. They're the only playoff team to give up more points than they forced.

The pick: Greater Lawrence 24, Amesbury 10

East Boston vs. Blue Hills at Stonehill, 4 p.m.

A great running back battle is brewing between Eastie's Tyrone Figueroa and Blue HIlls's Jerry Nelson. We see a lot of similarities in these teams, but the Jets seemed to finish stronger than the Warriors.

And if we're comparing common opponents, it's hard to ignore that East Boston throttled South Shore, while Blue Hills lost to that same school in recent weeks.

The pick: East Boston 21, Blue Hills 14

Division 4

Brighton vs. Manchester Essex at Wayland, 4 p.m.

Division 4 is actually one of the more intriguing brackets to us, and it's likely due to to the parity that exists between the four league champs. Brighton and Pope John might be on opposite sides of the bracket, but who can forget the Bengals' 60-58 thriller in triple overtime earlier this season? Heck, Pope John played a similar nail-biter (sans overtime) with Manchester Essex in Week 1. And then there's West Bridgewater the defending Super Bowl champions.

Any of these four teams could emerge as champs and we wouldn't be surprised.

In this particular matchup, we're torn. We've been mighty impressed with Brighton's domination this season -- outscoring opponents by an average of nearly three touchdowns per game -- but then Manchester went out and thwacked rival Georgetown on Turkey Day. Both teams are playing quality ball and this one seems destined to be determined in the fourth quarter.

The pick: Brighton 30, Manchester 29

West Bridgewater vs. Pope John at Greater New Bedford, 4 p.m.

Two losses by a total of three points. Averaging over 40 points per game. Yep, it's been a mighty impressive season for Pope John and -- while West Bridgewater has the experience from last year -- we really like PJ in this matchup.

Besides, it's pretty much a rule that -- when in doubt -- bet on the football team from Everett.

The pick: Pope John 27, West Bridgewater 20

Enjoy the games.

Last week: 31-9 (.775)
Year to date: 104-38 (.732)