It's that time of year once again. Just days after frantic
football fans everywhere glued themselves to the nearest
television set for the opening of the NFL season (sending New
England Patriots fans into serious mourning mode just hours
later), the excitement is being felt much closer to home.
Gridiron glamour of the high-school variety kicks off at
Confederation Secondary and the James Jerome Complex today as
the 2008 SDSSAA football campaign is launched. And while some
may shy away from pre-season predictions, that is certainly not
the case in this corner.
In fact, while attending a host of practice sessions over the
past two weeks at local secondary schools, I was pleasantly
surprised by the number of young athletes enquiring whether the
famed "Pascal Prognostications" would appear again this year. I
was even more pleased to note that they all seem to approach my
gladiator guesswork with the fun in which the article is
intended.
That being the case, and without any further ado, here are your
final standings for SDSSA Football 2008:
St. Benedict Bears (6-0)
If not for a late summer "somewhere on the body" injury to star
running back Joey Martellacci, I would have absolutely no
reservations about this selection. In spite of this, the two
time defending league champions remain the team to beat.
I am not expecting Martellacci to miss more than a game or two
and the fact remains that he will be running behind one of the
league's best offensive lines. The Bears return veterans across
the linebacking corps, defensive end Brock Lamarre is sure to
be a force to be reckoned with and one-time QB turned safety
Taylor Roberts certainly anchors the secondary.
The big question in the land of the Bears is how quickly the
likes of incoming pivot Connor Mackay and receiving siblings
Jay and Brian Hennessy will make St. Ben fans forget the
departed trio of David Cocchiarella, Jordan Hynes and Dylan
Green.
Lo-Ellen Park Knights (4-2)
Behind the Bears, there is going to be a log jam.  Based
on my game by game analysis, I foresee four teams sliding in at
4-2, meaning the league may well have to resort to a
tie-breaking formula that sees games against common opponents
used to determine the second playoff bye position.
No lack of star power in this group as offensive all-stars
Brett Walter (QB) and Josh Haslam (TE) return to lead a
potentially lethal attack. Mark Randa and Blake Swann should
get the chance to shine with the league's best natural passer
at quarterback, with Corey Rysdale and Wes Kowbasniuk leading a
somewhat undersized but very quick defensive unit.
Lockerby Vikings (4-2)
Plenty of size, lots of depth and no lack of skilled athletes
helps to make Lockerby Composite a contender year in and year
out. There is plenty of turnover in the Vikings backfield as
Tom Mantala starts at QB and Justin Arnold moves from slotback
to running back.
Yet the trademark of the Lockerby pride remains the defense
that will rank among the league's best, even stronger if
linebacker Jordan Assinewe returns from an injury sustained
while playing with the Sudbury Gladiators.
Notre-Dame Alouettes (4-2)
2007 league MVP Eric Roque returns for a fifth year, providing
the Als with the league's most electrifying talent and Mitch
Huneault returns for a second year as starting signal caller.
With Paul Gauthier at the helm, CND will show improvement
throughout the year and always seems to find plenty of bodies
to remain more than competitive.
Confederation Chargers (4-2)
Brandon Dougan's troops benefit from arguably the best schedule
of any of the top five teams, missing both Lockerby and
Notre-Dame. But no mistake, the Chargers have the talent to
make some noise.
The team's defensive front seven, lead by Kyle Daoust and Chris
Ristimaki, will cause problems for most teams who plan to live
or die with the run. Quarterback Travis Campbell returns for a
second year as starter but will miss not having the weapons he
possessed one year ago at his disposal. 
St Charles Cardinals (3-3)
The Cards could easily prove to be the year's wildcard,
returning a solid group of players that includes QB Chris Duke,
wide receiver Blair Roberts and defensive stalwart Jacob
Lynott
Lasalle Lancers (1-5)
Gone are the Lancer glory days when the team could field a top
end contender almost year after year. Worse still, Lasalle has
the unenvious task of a schedule that includes each one of the
teams I have pegged in a deadlock for second place.
Chelmsford Flyers (1-5)
If you're a fan of Chelmsford football, circle the date on the
calendar - Oct. 9. Not only do the Flyers play host to the
Thursday Night Lights encounter, the opposition is the
still-burgeoning program at Lively Secondary.
I'm going out on a limb and giving the homeside a slight edge
in this one.
Lively Hawks (0-6)
By virtue of the above, the Hawks might well be doomed to a
second straight winless season. Still, athletic quarterback
Jeff Stub, running back Justin Mantha and a handful of
returning vets should provide some memorable moments along the
way.
Randy Pascal is the voice of Persona 10 Sports and the founder of SudburySports.com.
