PIGSKIN PROPHECIES

Clear a path, Philistines, the Prophetic One is on a roll. The last two weeks, I’ve drilled my size-11 Aladdin shoe into the backsides of two “journalists” to take the season point lead. Suddenly, that 77-year-old housewife I went against in Week Two doesn’t look so bad. Carrying the tattered banner of the Fourth Estate this week is John Ortega, resident expert in cross-country and track. I like to call him Mr. O, which, coincidently, is the number of games he’s going to win against me.

THE PROPHET

Season totals for The Prohet: 51 of 74 (69%), 88 points

JOHN ORTEGA

Season totals for the guests: 52 of 74 (70%), 84 points

GAME OF THE WEEK (5 points)

Hart vs. Saugus at College of the Canyons

THE PROPHET SAYS: A team of pee-wee players could put on Hart uniforms and send the rest of the Foothill League into cardiac arrest. That’s what happens when you win 38 consecutive league games. The mystique lives. Saugus doesn’t. Hart, 38-21.

OTHER TOP GAMES (each 3 points)

Westlake at Newbury Park

THE PROPHET SAYS: Newbury Park has been a thorn in Westlake’s side for so long, you get the feeling it could beat the Warriors with inferior talent. But not this time. If Westlake can avoid mugging for the TV cameras, it mugs the Panthers. Westlake, 35-17.

Sylmar at Monroe

THE PROPHET SAYS: Monroe is 5-0. And you thought the St. Louis Rams were the miracle team this season. But all good fairy tales come to an end. Sylmar turns the Vikings back into pumpkins. Sylmar, 27-20.

San Fernando at Kennedy

THE PROPHET SAYS: Kennedy and its 20-man coaching staff lost for the second consecutive week. Meanwhile, San Fernando beat Taft (1-4) and acted like it won the Super Bowl. The Tigers are ripe to be bagged, but I promised Kennedy grad Ortega I’d pick the cupcake eaters. San Fernando, 14-10.

THE REST (1 point each)

* Cleveland at Granada Hills: The Prophet: It’s been a rough week for Cleveland teams. The NFL’s Browns lose in the last minute. Baseball’s Indians get ousted from the playoffs. And now the Cavaliers catch a hot Highlander team at the wrong time. Granada Hills, 28-14. Ortega: Granada Hills, 21-19.

* Taft at El Camino Real: The Prophet: Taft keeps making me look bad. I pick the Toreadors to win, they lose. I pick them to lose, they win. My luck’s bound to change, but Taft’s isn’t. El Camino Real, 21-20. Ortega: Taft, 24-23.

* Palmdale at Highland: The Prophet: Call it a Golden guess. I’m picking Palmdale because Ortega picked Highland. That’s the only reason. Honest. Palmdale, 20-14. Ortega: Highland, 17-13.

* Valencia at Burroughs: The Prophet: Manuel White and the Vikings begin their campaign to end Hart’s reign of terror in the Foothill League. Valencia, 31-21. Ortega: Valencia, 37-17.

* Moorpark at Royal: The Prophet: The Musketeers extend their winning streak to four games with a Royal whipping. Moorpark, 28-10. Ortega: Moorpark, 20-14.

* Camarillo at Hueneme: The Prophet: Camarillo can put points on the board, but unfortunately its defense allows opponents to do the same. Hueneme, 35-28. Ortega: Hueneme, 41-24.

* Ventura at San Marcos: The Prophet: Santa Barbara is such a beautiful place, but it’s going to look like hell to Ventura when it loses for the first time. San Marcos, 24-21. Ortega: San Marcos, 17-16.

* Alemany vs. Servite at Cal State Fullerton: The Prophet: The Indians finally avenge that semifinal loss to Servite in 1982. Friars get tucked. Alemany, 35-14. Ortega: Alemany, 31-20.

* Oxnard vs. Buena at Ventura High: The Prophet: Oxnard threw a fright into Ventura last week but Buena doesn’t scare so easy. Buena, 28-14. Ortega: Buena, 23-16.

* Kilpatrick vs. L.A. Baptist at Alemany High: The Prophet: Jermaine Marshall left. Jermaine Marshall right. Jermaine Marshall in the end zone, all through the night. Kilpatrick, 35-21. Ortega: L.A. Baptist, 35-34.

* Oak Park vs. St. Bonaventure at Ventura High: The Prophet: That’s quite a team they have at St. Bonny Lies Over the Ocean. In fact, the Seraphs (5-0) are feeling so good, their coach sent us some of those adorable, miniature St. Bonny helmets the other day. I’m putting mine to good use . . . as a spittoon! St. Bonaventure, 32-14. Ortega: St. Bonaventure, 33-14.