The weekly contest has entered its final week. Due to the Providence Journal office being closed for Thanksgiving, contestants must submit their picks by placing them in the drop box in front of the office by 5 pm on Friday, November 24, 2023. Keep in mind that there is no different deadline due to the holiday. The picks are due still on Friday.
For the second week in a row, Zach Payne has won the weekly contest, adding to his lead in the overall standings. Payne had 19 correctly picked games this week, after winning last week’s contest with 17 correctly picked games.
Things have shifted dramatically in the overall standings. Last week Andrae McMerchant had a one-game lead, after leading the annual contest most of the season, but Payne’s two-week winning streak now has him in command of the contest.
Payne has a total score of 177, while McMerchant and Crissi Newton both have 172. Before automatically crowning Payne with the championship, it should be noted that there have been situations like this in the past when one contestant goes into the final week with a seemingly large lead and has a really bad week and another contestant has a strong final week and a five or six game lead evaporates instantly.
Weekly Scores
19 - Zach Payne 18 - Van Hicks, Crissi Newton 17 - Aaron Candler, Henry Collins, Mattie Dixon, Andrae McMerchant, Felton Millikin, David Norris, Flora Watson, John Young 16 - Lee Fairchild, Woodrow Thomas, Tystin White 15 - Phillip Goins, Gracie Jackson, Glenn Jones, Ron Mandeville 14 - Arthur Brown, Tommy Brown, Margie Thompson 13 - Gregory Campbell, Mark Fortenberry, Pearlie McMerchant 11 - Wanda Allen, Ernest Raymond
Overall Scores
177 - Zach Payne 172 - Crissi Newton, Andrae McMerchant 171 - Lee Fairchild 170 - Aaron Candler 169 - Flora Watson 167 - Margie Thompson, John Young 164 - Tommy Brown, Josh Payne 163 - Tystin White 162 - Gregory Campbell, Henry Collins 160 - Arthur Brown, Ron Mandeville 158 - Glenn Jones, Felton Millikin 156 - Van Hicks, Jr. 154 - Gracie Jackson 150 - Mark Fortenberry 148 - Mattie Dixon 147 - David Norris, Woodrow Thomas 134 - Jason Condrey 132 - Phillip Goins 128 - Jim Lensing 120 - Wanda Allen 109 - Ernest Raymond 087 - Miton Andrews, Gerald Bowers 016 - Jase Thornton 010 - Samantha Grover
