By Tyler Park ’14, Sports Editor

This is an exciting time of year for a sports fan.  With football in full swing, baseball moving into the playoffs, and other sports just around the corner, sports fans at Newark Academy are engaged in rampant discussion about which teams are bound for championships.  So, we at The Minuteman have decided to give some insight on which teams are bound for glory.  Here are some of our sports writers’ predictions for the fall sports season.

Super Bowl Predictions:

Tyler Park: Denver Broncos over Seattle Seahawks

Cory Tell: Denver Broncos over Seattle Seahawks

Zach Persing:  Denver Broncos over Seattle Seahawks

Alex Tarowsky: Denver Broncos over Seattle Seahawks

Danny Cohen: Denver Broncos over Seattle Seahawks

We are in unanimous agreement here.  The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks have looked dominant in the beginning of the season, led by dynamic Quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson.  “The Broncos have the best offense, but the Seahawks have the best defense,” said Cory Tell ’14, sports editor.  The general consensus seems to be that Denver is just a little bit better.  “The Broncos have been unstoppable,” said Alex Tarowsky ’14, staff writer.  It is indeed hard to bet against Peyton Manning, who seems poised to rewrite the NFL record book with the help of wide receivers Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker.  “His offensive weapons have never been better,” said Danny Cohen ’15, staff writer.

World Series Predictions:

Tyler Park: Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics

Cory Tell: Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Dodgers

Zach Persing: Atlanta Braves over Tampa Bay Rays

Alex Tarowsky: Detroit Tigers over Los Angeles Dodgers

Danny Cohen: Detroit Tigers over Los Angeles Dodgers

Because of the unpredictable nature of baseball, our predictions here were much more varied.  However, one common denominator seems to be that our writers favor teams with good pitching staffs.  “It’s hard to beat the Tigers when Cy Young frontrunner Max Scherzer and former MVP Justin Verlander can each pitch twice in a seven game series,” said Alex. Danny also notes Detroit’s strong hitters, including Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.“The Dodgers have the best 1-2 pitching combination in all of baseball with Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke and the postseason is all about pitching,” said Cory.  With four different predicted World Series winners, it seems that we are headed for a postseason full of drama.

BCS National Championship Predictions:

Tyler Park: Oregon Ducks over Alabama Crimson Tide

Cory Tell: Oregon Ducks over Louisiana State Tigers

Zach Persing: Oregon Ducks over Alabama Crimson Tide

Alex Tarowsky: Alabama Crimson Tide over Ohio State Buckeyes

Danny Cohen: Alabama Crimson Tide over Clemson Tigers

There seem to be two favorites in college football this year: Alabama and Oregon.  In general, though, our writers favored Oregon, citing the Ducks’ fast-paced offense.  “Alabama will lack the speed to keep up with the fast-moving Ducks offense, “ said Zach Persing ’15, staff writer.  Two-time defending champion Alabama, however, certainly cannot be dismissed.  “Quarterback A.J. McCarron can help the Tide win games this year,” said Alex.  With the BCS system, however, one loss can derail a team’s championship hopes, making it very possible for teams such as LSU, Clemson, or Ohio State to sneak into the Championship game.

NBA Championship Predictions:

Tyler Park: Miami Heat over San Antonio Spurs

Cory Tell: Miami Heat over Los Angeles Clippers

Zach Persing: Oklahoma City Thunder over Miami Heat

Alex Tarowsky: Oklahoma City Thunder over Brooklyn Nets

Danny Cohen: Miami Heat over Oklahoma city Thunder

With some very early NBA predictions, we had three writers choose the Miami Heat, and two chose the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Heat, led by LeBron James, will always be an incredibly difficult team to defeat.  However, Alex and Zach believe that King James’s reign will end this year.  “LeBron can only carry a team for so long, and Dwyane Wade is not aging gracefully,” said Alex.  “Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will finally have a ring to call their own,” said Zach.  It certainly doesn’t seem that the Heat are guaranteed to three-peat, which should make for an incredibly entertaining NBA season.

Over the next few months, champions will be crowned, legacies will be changed, and new heroes will be discovered.  We will see how accurate our predictions are, but one thing is clear: Newark Academy sports fans are in for some incredible drama and excitement.