Occasionally, fans will tease us when all seven members of our Way We See 'Em panel for high school football pick a team to lose and it wins the game.

Those opportunities were fewer and farther between than ever this year. There must be something in the prognostication pool water lately. Check out the Way We See 'Em champions and their records from the past five years:

2011: Theresa Neuhoff Audia, 205-37 (.847)
2010: Masked Marvel, 204-37 (.846)
2009: Howard Primer, 191-42 (.820)
2008: Masked Marvel, 191-42 (.820)
2007: John Kampf, 185-54 (.774)

The worst record on this year's panel - 189-53 by Mark Podolski - had a winning percentage of 78.1. That would have been the best record in 2007.

Furthermore, Audia had an undefeated week this year, the first time anyone on staff can remember.

Are high school football games suddenly more predictable? An area-record 11 teams made the playoffs this season. If anything, those extra postseason games should be more difficult to pick, not easier.

- Howard Primer