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By Sonny Jones

Slowly, maybe not so surely, the season percentage is moving toward the desired 80% mark as Week 9 kicks off for the football predictions.

Both Bladen County high school teams host games Friday. Could we see a Bladen sweep?

Week record: 17-3 (85%)
Season record: 103-37 (74%)
Prep record: 6-0 last week (42-17 season, 72%)
College record: 8-3 last week (54-16 season, 77%)
Pro record: 3-0 last week (7-4 season, 64%)

FAIRMONT at EAST BLADEN: The Eagles need a win to stay in the projected playoff bracket and should get it in their homecoming game. Masion Brooks should run wild and the defense could post its second straight shutout. East Bladen 28, Fairmont 6.

RED SPRINGS at WEST BLADEN: The Knights celebrate homecoming with their second win of the season against a winless Red Devils team. Don’t look for many points. West Bladen 16, Red Springs 6.

ST. PAULS at CLINTON: It’s the showdown in the Southeastern Athletic Conference. Last season, KeMarion Baldwin ran for more than 400 yards and 6 touchdowns in St. Pauls’ 58-32 win. He won’t put up those numbers again, but he’ll find the end zone enough. St. Pauls 41, Clinton 36.

HIGH SCHOOL
Heide Trask 34, South Columbus 16
Whiteville 42, West Columbus 26
Pender 32, East Columbus 13

COLLEGE
North Carolina 39, Duke 31
N.C. State 21, Syracuse 17
East Carolina 30, Memphis 27
UAB 41, Charlotte 19
Campbell 35, Robert Morris 10
Rhode Island 28, Elon 25
Furman 24, Western Carolina 13
Methodist 30, N.C. Wesleyan 22
Fayetteville State 27, Livingstone 6

PRO
LA Rams 26, Carolina 14
Philadelphia 24, Dallas 22
LA Chargers 20, Denver 13

FRIDAY’S PICK TO CLICK

Shane Bieber pitches 7 solid innings and Jose Ramirez drives in a pair of runs as Cleveland evens the ALDS against the New York Yankees.

WEDNESDAY’S PICK: Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns will have 2 points, including one on the power play, in the opener against Columbus. RESULTS: Burns didn’t have a goal nor an assist, but his physical play in the second period brought life to a lethargic Carolina team in a 4-1 win.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

• 1979 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL goal in a 4-4 tie with the Vancouver Canucks.

WHAT TO WATCH TODAY

• DP WORLD TOUR: Andalucia Masters, 8 a.m., GOLF

• MLB PLAYOFFS: Cleveland at NY Yankees, 1 p.m., TBS

• PGA CHAMPIONS: SAS Championship, 2 p.m., GOLF

• MLB PLAYOFFS: Atlanta at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., FS1

• MEN’S SOCCER: Notre Dame at Duke, 6 p.m., ACCN

• NHL: Tampa Bay at Columbus, 7 p.m., NHLN

• FOOTBALL: Brown at Princeton, 7 p.m., ESPNU

• FOOTBALL: Navy at SMU, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

• FOOTBALL: Texas-San Antonio at Florida International, 8 p.m., CBSSN