Sometimes you just have to make the best out of difficult situation. On Wednesday, Alpena’s freshman football team competed well against Benzie Central, but couldn’t match Benzie on the scoreboard.

That’s when Romeo Bourdage shared some words of wisdom he remembered from growing up, describing Benzie’s propensity for getting the ball like being a chicken on a June bug.

The All-Knowing-One cannot figure out what that would look like. The only theory he came up with was that the chicken just squashed the bug.

Sayings like this stick with you a lifetime, no different than the lessons players learn during weeks of football practice.

After a not so stellar Week 1, Swami is looking to bounce back with his picks in Week 2.

Alpena (1-0) at Sault Ste. Marie (1-0)–Friday–The Wildcats made it look easy beating the Eskymos 30-21 in the opener. The combined running attack of Logan Guthrie and Jordan Schultz accounted for four touchdowns and quarterback Anakin Sims did a yeoman’s job in his first varsity start.

A six-yard rushing touchdown from Tate Kay to cap a 69-yard drive was all the scoring Sault needed last week to beat Cheboygan.

Kay did it all for Sault last week, kicking, punting, running and playing defense; yet the Blue Devils struggled on offense. If the Wildcats want to win, they’ll need to put the brakes on Kay. The same goes for the Blue Devils: stopping Alpena’s running game, with it’s multiple backs, will be a challenge.

Neither team throws it much, but the Blue Devils for sure will not be throwing in the direction of Eli Winter, who had two interceptions against Escanaba.

Swami Sez: Alpena 27, Sault Ste. Marie 13.

Tawas (1-0) at Rogers City (1-0)–Thursday–Could this be the resurgence of two teams that have been down for years? The way Tawas quarterback Dillon Mochty came back after being kept off the playing field last season left little doubt that the Braves are coming back.

The Hurons claimed their first opening night win in four years, despite a rally from Whittemore-Prescott and first-year coach Jesse Fenstermaker said it was a confidence booster for everyone on the team. The Hurons may just be a tough team to play this season, regardless of the opponent.

The All-Knowing-One thinks the passing game of the Braves could cause havoc on the Hurons more then the wide open offense of Whittemore-Prescott, especially after Mochty threw for 231 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Alcona.

This could become a high scoring game. If the Braves offense gets started early, the pressure is on the Hurons to stop them. But it could be the opposite if the Hurons get going offensively too.

Swami Sez: Tawas 24, Rogers City 20.

Atlanta (0-1) at Hillman (1-0)–Friday–This traditional rivalry enters a new era as both teams are playing eight-player football now. Hillman has dominated the rivalry for years, but this year should see both teams on a level playing field.

Talk about your comeback kids as the Tigers showed they were a good match for Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. Hillman erased a 19-point deficit and was helped by a pair of touchdown passes from Kory Henigan. Hillman made good use of a Sacred Heart turnover in the fourth quarter to take a lead it didn’t relinquish.

Atlanta put up a good fight against Charlton Heston 38-20, but came up short despite a three-touchdown effort from Aaron Cuzzort.

This could be an old knock down, drag out between two traditional North Star League rivals. The All-Knowing-One feels the Huskies are on the rise and the Tigers are continuing towards their goals. The switch to eight-player football makes this game a little different, but the Tigers still have the upper hand in this one.

Swami Sez: Hillman 45, Atlanta 21.

Pellston (0-1) at Posen (1-0)–Friday–Posen made it look easy against Big Rapids Crossroads Academy last week, while Pellston fell short in a comeback against Bellaire.

Down 24-0 at half, Pellston started its comeback with the opening possession of the second half, when Alex Dreffs cleared the pylons. Dreffs followed with another touchdown, rumbling 42 yards to bring them even closer. Lakota Worthington cut the deficit down more with a 45 yard punt return. That was as close as the Hornets got in a 32-20 loss.

Everything fell into place for the Vikings in an easy 69-0 win. The Vikings came out with fire in their eyes. Posen needed just five plays to score as Mark Wisniewski gave the Vikings the lead. Wisniewski finished the night with 105 yards on only 11 carries and three scores. Chase Dubie was not far behind adding a pair of touchdowns to go with his 112 yards. Tyler Hincka and AJ Brunet finished off the scoring with a touchdown each.

Swami envisions Posen using the entire field to its advantage, especially with its running game. With that in mind, the All-Knowing-One has to say the Hornets better have some sting to them if they expect to put a bite in the Vikings.

Swami Sez: Posen 52, Pellston 17.