It’s not the first time Kelly Ayoob has won the Carder Motors Playoff Payoff Football Pick’em contest. It is, however, the first time she’s won the top honors in 2018.

 

Thanks to returning to the winner’s circle, Ayoob will get to choose between a $25 gift certificate from Buffalo Wild Wings and a small cheesecake from Almost Heaven Desserts. Ayoob, who finished 17-3, needs to contact Hannah Edwards at hannah@connect-bridgeport.com with her choice and contact information.

 

Ayoob’s Week 17 win is the final win of the 2018 “regular season” portion of the contest.

 

Eric Allen was one of three individuals that finished tied for second on the week at 16-4 and the individual who proved the luckiest by way of a blind draw to win the tiebreaker. Allen will also need to contact Edwards with his contact information.

 

Tied with Allen were Kevin Carbacio and Stacy Greely. Six individuals were then even at No. 5 on the week as the group of Clayce Spurlock, David Gillot, Amber Gaines, Aaron Mann, Adam Holbert, and Michael Andrew all finished the week 15-5.

 

The rest of the top 25 consisted of a 15-way tie for No. 11. Patrick Coberly, Sue Teter, Nancy Romano, Mike Nicewarner, Don Cumming, Steven Hastings, Bill Montgomery, Louis Aragona, Jeff Toquinto, Bill Tichenor, Aaron Williams, Scott Price, Chris Cleghorn, John Satterfield and Aaron Glines all had the same 14-6 mark.

 

If the prize winners were chosen today, Kevin Carbacio would be the first-ever three-time champion. Carbacio has a seemingly safe advantage as he stands alone at 355-98. In second place is Michael Andrew with a 343-110 mark, while there’s a three-way tie for the third spot.

 

Hugh Gainer, a two-time champion, is tied with Kelly Ayoob and Jason Hartman, another champion. All three stand at 340-113 on the year.

 

That doesn’t mean that those individuals will lock down the top prize. As has been the case multiple times in the past, the regular season winners aren’t necessarily the final winners.

 

What makes the Carder Motors Playoff Payoff unique is that the worst two weeks of the hundreds of individuals participating this year will be eliminated. Each person’s final wins and losses totals will represent their highest winning percentage based on the elimination of the two worst weeks and the individuals with the highest winning percentage will be named the winners.

 

In the event of a tie, a blind draw will be held to determine a winner for each position. To date, a tie has not happened.

 

Along with those individuals, here is the rest of the overall top 25 and the individuals with the best chance of moving up into the territory to claim a prize.

 

In sixth place is Jeff Muller at 339-114, while Louis Aragona comes in at No. 7 with a record of 338-115. Adam Holbert holds down the No. 8 spot at 336-117 and Vernon Louk comes in at No. 9 with a mark of 335-118. Rounding out the top 10 is a three-way involving Frank Cherubino, Frank Blake and Bill Montgomery – all of who are 334-119.

 

Clayce Spurlock comes in at No. 13 at 331-122 and Mark Trippett is next at No. 14 at 330-123. Matt Ash and Curt Burner are knotted up at 329-124 in the No. 15 slot. Lenora Montgomery and Chris Oliverio follow at No. 17 with the same 328-125 mark and Aaron Mann and David Wagner are even at No. 19 thanks to a showing of 327-126.

 

Rounding out the top 25 is the biggest logjam. The group of Jeff Toquinto, Michael Mann, David Gillot, John Oldaker and Mike Alastanos all finish the regular season at 326-127.

 

Someone likely from that group, but definitely from the hundreds registered will walk away the winner of some serious prizes. The prize packages will be formally announced in the final story. However, one of the top prizes include a $500 gift certificate from the Meadowbrook Mall. The top three pickers will be awarded prizes at the end of the contest. The overall winner has their choice of the three prizes, while the second place winner will have their choice then of the final two remaining prizes.

 

The winners will be announced Jan. 6 at 9 a.m.

                                                                                  

Connect-Bridgeport would like to thank its sponsor, Carder Motors, as well as Buffalo Wild Wings and Almost Heaven Desserts for their weekly prizes.