The name sound familiar. In fact, the name said is exactly the same as one of Bridgeport’s assistant football coaches and one of those chosen during the “40 for 40” series of the top 40 football players over the last 40 years. However, it’s not the same person.

 

Jayson Nicewarner, not assistant BHS football Coach Jason Nicewarner, may not be an immediate family member, but showed this week that he’s a winner with the same championship DNA nonetheless. Nicewarner walks away with the win in Week 13 of the Carder Motors Playoff Payoff football pick’em competition. And despite it being week 13, Nicewarner also proved to be lucky as well.

 

He was one of three individuals to finish the week at 21-7. Brian Martin and Gilbert Kelley also were just as successful in a week filled with upsets, but it was Nicewarner that was the winner thanks to a blind draw of the Bridgeport Parks and Recreation staff.

 

Thanks to the solid prognostication skills and a little bit of luck, Nicewarner takes home the weekly prize, which is a gift certificate from Mountaineer World that is situated just off Interstate 79 and below the Meadowbrook Mall as part of the Shops of Benny’s Place. Nicewarner needs to emailing hannah@connect-bridgeport.com to claim the prize. Hannah Cantrell Edwards will then get in touch with Nicewarner no later than Monday of next week, but likely prior to that.

 

That trio was followed by an eight-way tie for the No. 4 position. The group of Tom Surock, Joe Spatafore, Matt Sickles, Doug Comer, Steve Davis, Chris Skidmore, Michael Ferrari and Ryan Riley all went 20-8. An even larger group was dead even at No. 12 as 12 individuals – David Francis, Andrew Banko, Jason Dodd, Bridget Furbee, Louis Aragona, Mark Trippett, Lenora Montgomery, Russ Colley, Dan McNamee, Chad Morris, Jeff Muller and Jarrod Hall were all even at 19-9.

 

Rounding out the top 25 was the biggest tie of all as 20 individuals were knotted up at the No. 24 position. The group of Aaron Mann, Michael Andrew, Chris Bowman, Janet Hathaway, James Hayes II, Zachary Markley, Kim Wilson, Jeff Miller, James Snider, Tony Masto, Jimmy Stutler, Dustin Vincent, John Minnocci, David Gillot, Amy Cleghorn, Scott Strosnider, Mike Nicewarner, Jamie Guy, Jerry Joliff and Mike Alastanos.

 

Nothing changed atop the leader board, but there was plenty of shuffling just below. For the second straight week, Jamie Guy is at the top of the overall standings and have a solid five-game cushion thanks to a 313-87 (78.25 percent) mark. He is ahead of second place combatants Kevin Carbacio, the defending champion, and Scott Price, who led several weeks this year, with 308-92 (77 percent) records.

 

Four individuals are even at No. 4 as Jason Hartman, Jeff Muller, Robert Marra and Aaron Mann come in at 307-93 (76.75 percent). Three others are tied for No. 8 as Patsy Sabatelli, Andrew Banko and Michael Mann stand at 305-95 (76.25 percent). Louis Aragona is flying solo in the No. 11 spot with a 304-96 (76 percent) mark, while Janet Hathaway is No. 12 at 303-97 (75.75 percent). Two-time champion and last year’s runner-up Hugh Gainer is still in the mix at 302-98 (75.5 percent) for the No. 12 spot.

 

Another tie comes in at No. 14 where Adam Holbert and Doug Comer are even at 301-99 thanks to a 301-99 (75.25 percent) record. Three folks are even at No. 16 where Jeff Wright, David Gillot and A.J. DeFazio are 300-100 (75 percent). Three more individuals are tied at No. 19 as Kelly Ayoob, Jimmy Stutler, and Michael Andrew have records of 299-101 (74.75 percent).

 

Brian Martin is all alone at No. 22 with a 298-102 (74.5 percent) record. Dan McNamee, Gilbert Kelley, Doug Marquette, Michael Ferrari and Danny Knight round out the top 25 with 297-103 (74.25 percent) efforts.

 

Those individuals are the frontrunners for the overall prizes for the top three finishers. This year's overall winner will have the choice of an overnight golf package at the Lakeview Resort in Monongalia County. Along with the overnight stay, this prize also includes two rounds of golf with a cart, dinner and breakfast. Other prizes include an assortment of area gift cards, which currently include gift certificates to Mia Margherita and Meagher’s Irish Pub, both located at Charles Pointe. Once again, there will be a $500 gift card from the Meadowbrook Mall up for grabs

 

Even if you haven’t participated, you can still compete for weekly prizes. So how do you get involved? If you are registered on Connect-Bridgeport.com, you can pick immediately just by signing in. If you are not registered go to the top of the page at www.connect-bridgeport.com and click on the "Sign Up" icon on the top right hand side of the home page. Once registered, you are free to pick.

 

Each week, a story will detail the weekly winners as well as the overall leaders for the prizes. This year, the weekly winner will receive a gift card to either Mountaineer World or Mountaineer Grille (depending on the week). In the event of a tie, the winner will be chosen by a blind draw by a staff member working at the Benedum Civic Center.

 

Individuals can make their picks for Friday’s games and can change them until 6 p.m. Friday. Games that are listed on Saturday and Sunday can be entered and changed as many times as necessary until 11 a.m. each day of the picks.

 

Unfortunately, there are occasional schedule changes - usually on the prep football side - that staff does not catch; usually games moved to Thursday. There are also occasional mistakes with the proper teams playing each other. As has been the case in the past, each person will either be given a win for those games when there are schedule changes we miss or a mistake on our end, they will simply not be counted for the weekly and final standings. All decisions, once determined by staff involved as relating to a unique circumstance that may arise, are final.