Prediction game is tight, but the week presents a shot at separation

Staff writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen, in their annual competition of predicting winners of high school football games, did nothing to separate themselves in Week 7, and that makes matters exciting for Week 8. Jim is 15-9 and David 14-10, and they don't agree on a thing about the last games of the regular season.

Their Week 8 picks and analysis:

Class 6A: No. 4 Eden Prairie Eagles (5-2) at No. 3 Stillwater Ponies (7-0), 7 p.m.

Jim says: Last seasonStillwater was undefeated going into its season finale at Eden Prairie, seeking validation of its perfection. The Ponies played the Eagles to a standoff, losing on a touchdown with 48 seconds left. Similar circumstances, but Stillwater is no longer the upstart. The Ponies remember. The pick: Stillwater 35, Eden Prairie 24

David says: Yes, Stillwater proved the worth of the top teams from the weaker Maroon District. And yes, the Ponies QB and receiver corps are second to none. And yes, the defense returns three starters who missed two games for disciplinary reasons. But Eden Prairie needs this victory and should be inspired. The Eagles better be, anyway. The pick: Eden Prairie 28, Stillwater 21

Class 5A: No. 3 Elk River Elks (7-0) at No. 4 St. Francis Saints (7-0), 7 p.m.

Jim says: Expect an offensive show. St. Francis has played, and beaten, its toughest foes — Coon Rapids, Andover and Sauk Rapids — at home. Relentless Elk River represents the Saints' biggest chore to date. The ball will be going up and down the field all night, and the game will be decided by who gets the most stops. The pick: Elk River 44, St. Francis 32

David says: Let's start with the bottom line: Can St. Francis make Elk River's power-T offense go backward? Doing so is the best way to diffuse a potentially explosive rushing offense. The formula is easy to understand, hard to execute. The Elks do their thing well. If St. Francis QB Jaxon Skogquist and the Saints' stable of running backs can do their thing, I sense a minor upset. The pick: St. Francis 38, Elk River 28

Class 6A: Blaine Bengals (3-4) at Osseo Orioles (3-4), 7 p.m.

Jim says: It's been a tough couple of weeks for the Bengals, who have been outscored 76-7 in losses to Centennial and Wayzata. They need to figure out how to plug a defense that has recently sprung leaks. Osseo may be better than believed. The Orioles' four losses are against teams with a combined record of 25-3. The winner goes into the playoffs on a high note. The pick: Osseo 27, Blaine 21

David says: Osseo struggled last week, shut out in a loss at White Bear Lake. And Blaine opened its season with a victory against the Bears. What does that mean? Who knows? But when playmakers such as RB Michael Douglas and WR Tyler Terry are going well, they give the Bengals offense an edge. The pick: Blaine 24, Osseo 17