I took a big hit during the final week of the regular season. It was a good time to gamble a bit and all of the gambles I took fell by the wayside.

The good news is, we have three more weeks left starting tonight and even though I might not be able to catch the top of the heap, hopefully I just won't finish in last place.Three local teams (Northern Lehigh, Jim Thorpe and Pleasant Valley) have kept their seasons alive and hopefully two of them will still be around when I write this column next week.So get your playoff game face on and here goes:JIM THORPE AT NORTHERN LEHIGH - We said earlier in the season that the Olympians might be the second best team in the Anthracite Football League this year behind North Schuylkill. It's going to be tough to go against those Bulldogs, however, until someone beats them ... Northern Lehigh, 35-12.EAST STROUDSBURG SOUTH AT PLEASANT VALLEY - Biggest game of young Jim Terwilliger's coaching career at Pleasant Valley. Looking for a game that's going down to wire, we figure the consensus will probably go with the Bears so I like ... East Stroudsburg South, 22-21.DELAWARE VALLEY AT EASTON - Have shared some great thoughts with Red Rovers coach Steve Shiffert at the NIKE Football Coaches Clinic over the years and get the feeling when it's playoff time, his teams are always ready ... Easton, 28-7.WYOMING VALLEY WEST AT WHITEHALL - Pleasant Valley beat WVW earlier in the season and with the Zephyrs having home field advantage, I like ... Whitehall, 21-7.WILLIAMSPORT AT NAZARETH - The only Millionaires on the field here tonight will be former Lehighton head coaches Dave Parsons and Bill Brong ... Nazareth, 35-7.BLUE MOUNTAIN AT ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC - Vikings get to start their quest for a state title against the Eagles, who might be a little leaner that them this year ... Central Catholic, 21-0.SOUTHERN LEHIGH AT POTTSVILLE - Crimson Tide will have a tough time adjusting to the Spartans offense, but in the end, this one goes to the Coal Region ... Pottsville, 28-21.NORTH SCHUYLKILL AT PEN ARGYL - Spartans eliminated the Green Knights last year and they do it again ... North Schuylkill, 38-7.SHENANDOAH VALLEY AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - In the past, the Hurricanes have been quite the playoff team. I think this week, they do it again ... Schuylkill Haven, 28-21.PIUS X AT WILLIAMS VALLEY - Long bus ride will be tough on the Royals, so will the Vikings ... Williams Valley, 21-6.PARKLAND AT LIBERTY - Another tossup here, but I'm going to go with the Hurricanes with a last second triumph ... Liberty, 28-27.EMMAUS AT POCONO MOUNTAIN WEST - The Panthers get a warm welcome to LBC competition ... Emmaus, 28-7.BERWICK AT BANGOR - Scott LaValva's injury has the Slaters all screwed up. Just the thought of Berwick football is good enough for me ... Berwick, 27-21.CATASAUQUA AT PINE GROVE - Roughies put their nose to the grindstone at the end of the season to become a playoff team. They can keep rolling here ... Catasauqua, 21-14.TRI-VALLEY AT MAHANOY AREA - Who expected the Golden Bears to make the playoffs this season. Not me? Lets stay on their bandwagon ... Mahanoy Area, 21-18.