After an electric Week 6, Week 7 is now upon us. The weather will likely pose a challenge, but we still have a great slate lined up.

South Walton and Walton meet on Friday, and Niceville hosts Godby in its homecoming game, a matchup with major implications for both teams.

Schedule

All games kick off at 7 p.m. CT unless noted.

Thursday, Oct. 1

• Choctaw at Escambia (district)
• Freeport at Rutherford

Friday, Oct. 2

• Godby at Niceville
• South Walton at Walton
• Fort Walton Beach at Navarre, 7:30 p.m. CT
• Crestview at Mitchell, 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT)
• Destin at Northview
• FAMU DRS at Baker
• Rocky Bayou at Bozeman

Predictions

I went 9-0 last week and am 36-14 overall. Here are my picks for Week 7.

Choctaw 49, Escambia 0

Choctaw is simply the better team here. Every game Escambia has played has ended within one score, but it hasn’t faced anybody close to the Indians’ caliber. The results will reflect that as Choctaw picks up its second district win.

Freeport 28, Rutherford 10

The Bulldogs are the better team and are eager to bounce back after facing Walton. No need to overthink this one.

Niceville 45, Godby 42

This game could truly go either way. Godby would be favored under normal circumstances, but this is Niceville’s homecoming game, and the Eagles will likely need this win for an at-large bid.

The forecast is also calling for rain, which could spell doom for Godby’s efforts to get Clemson commit Jamarin Simmons involved. As a result, it could turn into a duel between Niceville’s Jakobe Gilyard and Godby’s Kamren McMillan, a South Alabama commit.

This one will come down to the wire, but with the sense of urgency higher for Niceville, the Eagles win.

Walton 24, South Walton 21

This feels like another game that could go either way. With the game at Yates Memorial Stadium, I think Walton makes a few more plays in the end to pull this one out.

Fort Walton Beach 42, Navarre 28

The Vikings have the better team, though Navarre’s offense could give them trouble. I still think Fort Walton Beach wins by multiple scores and gets back above .500 as it continues to pursue a Class 4A playoff spot.

Mitchell 24, Crestview 14

The long drive to the Tampa area, combined with the way Crestview is playing, doesn’t instill confidence in me. The Mustangs make a few more plays in the end and get the win.

Destin 31, Northview 28

This feels like another tossup, but I think the firepower Destin has offensively gives it the edge.

Baker 42, FAMU DRS 0

Baker is the better team by far. Expect the Gators to pick up their third straight blowout.

Bozeman 24, Rocky Bayou 21

This is another game that could go either way, but with the game at Bozeman, the home team gets the win.

Current playoff picture

Open Division

1. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale)
2. Columbus (Miami)
3. West Boca Raton
4. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood)
5. Cardinal Newman (West Palm Beach)
6. Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota)
7. Central (Miami)
8. Armwood (Seffner)

Choctaw is the local team most likely to be affected by the Open Division.

Class 5A, Region 1

• No. 1 Mandarin vs. No. 8 Oakleaf
• No. 2 Buchholz vs. No. 7 Pace
• No. 3 Fletcher vs. No. 6 Nease
• No. 4 Evans vs. No. 5 Bartram Trail

Niceville sits at No. 10 in the region, 9.43 points out of the final playoff spot. Crestview sits at No. 15 and has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Class 4A, Region 1

• No. 1 Columbia vs. No. 8 Lincoln
• No. 2 Mosley vs. No. 7 Rickards
• No. 3 St. Augustine vs. No. 6 Booker T. Washington
• No. 4 Choctaw vs. No. 5 Ed White

Fort Walton Beach sits at No. 17 in the region, 10 points out of the final playoff spot.

Class 3A, Region 1

• No. 1 Raines vs. No. 8 Menendez
• No. 2 Godby vs. No. 7 Pine Forest
• No. 3 Bishop Kenny vs. No. 6 Wakulla
• No. 4 Baker County vs. No. 5 South Walton

Class 2A, Region 1

• No. 1 Bolles vs. No. 8 Rutherford
• No. 2 Pensacola Catholic vs. No. 7 Baldwin
• No. 3 Walton vs. No. 6 Gadsden County
• No. 4 Florida High vs. No. 5 Andrew Jackson

Destin sits at No. 9 in the region, 1.29 points out of the final playoff spot. Freeport sits at No. 10, 1.98 points out.

Class 1A, Region 1

• No. 1 Madison County vs. No. 8 Northview
• No. 2 Blountstown vs. No. 7 Taylor County
• No. 3 Maclay vs. No. 6 Baker
• No. 4 Fort White vs. No. 5 Holmes County