By Andrew Johnson
LocalSportsJournal.com

It’s homecoming week at my alma mater, Grand Valley State University, so I suppose it’s only fitting that I also returned to my home as a weekly LSJ Gridiron Picks champion.

Admittedly I haven’t had a great season. In fact this was my first finish at the top of the pack this year. But I returned in style, picking every single winner last week and posting a shiny 16-0 record.

Beyond football, last week wasn’t the only time I’ve been perfect this year, because I got engaged before the fall football season. (You’re welcome honey!)

My 16-0 record last week is quite impressive in football terms. That type of perfection doesn’t happen very often. You have to go all the way back to 1972 to find a perfect NFL team. That was the year the Miami Dolphins went 16-0 and won the Super Bowl, back in the days when the league had a shorter regular season.

Those bums at Ferris State had a chance last season to go 16-0, but fell in the national championship game. Just like every other Bulldog from Big Rapids, they fell short.

It feels good to put my fat face back in this space as a weekly champion, especially on a week when my fellow co-workers who are Michigan fans are probably still crying over their Penn State loss.

I’ll admit I’ve had some rough weeks of football picks so far this season. But like the long-suffering fans who fill up Ford Field on a weekly basis, I kept the faith, and for me it paid off. For Lions fans, well …

I think I have the right picks to win again in Week 9, the final week of the regular season.

I’m expecting the Big Reds to take care of business and wrap up a perfect regular season against Reeths-Puffer. I will be in the press box at Fruitport on Friday, and expect Mona Shores to take out a little anger on the Trojans after its rough outing against Muskegon last week.

I look for Oakridge to knock off Traverse City St. Francis in an interesting matchup of two longtime state powers. And you heard it here first – I am picking North Muskegon to upset Orchard View and end the Cardinals’ bid for a perfect regular season. The majority of my colleagues disagree – see below.

WEEK 8 RESULTS – Johnson 16-0; Hart 15-1; Thompson 14-2; Tomczak 14-2; Goorman 14-2; Genson 14-2; Boatman 14-2; Gunn 11-5.

OVERALL STANDINGS – Tomczak 98-21; Hart 98-21; Thompson 97-22; Boatman 94-25; Genson 94-25; Johnson 91-28; Goorman 90-29; Gunn 88-31.