Ark Valley News - Picker loses weekly battles, but wins war

Mke Haden holds a check he received for winning The Ark Valley News football picks contest.

Picker loses weekly battles, but wins war
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: November 17, 2016

Mike Haden failed to win a weekly prize, but he captured the big one.

Haden won the 2016 Ark Valley News football picks contest, edging the next-closest finisher by two points.

In the final week, Haden and Cameron McDaniel were tied for the overall lead. However, Haden had 13 correct picks and McDaniel 11 to seal the victory.

"I was really surprised," Haden said of winning. "There were so many upsets last week that I thought no way I did this."

Haden will receive four tickets to the Dec. 18 Kansas City Chiefs football game with the Tennessee Titans at Arrowhead Stadium, $100 in spending cash and one night's lodging.

Haden said he plans to take his family to the game — wife Sara; son Andrew, a sophomore at Wichita State University; and daughter Amber, a freshman at Valley Center High School.

Haden didn't pay much attention to his overall score until the final week of the contest. At a Friday night football game last week, a fellow picker told him he had a chance.

"Bobby Massey told me, ‘Dude, you could win this thing,'" Haden recalled.

Haden, who averaged 14 correct picks per week, did not win any weekly prizes. His high score was 16 in Weeks 1, 8 and 9. His low was 11 in Week 3.

McDaniel, meanwhile, won Week 3 and held the overall lead for several weeks.

Haden said he employs some strategy picking the games, but mostly it's luck.

"I look at the games we have to pick and then find articles about them," he said. "I read about what people are saying, what sports writers are saying about the game. … I don't watch a lot of football. I really don't have much time."

This is the seventh year Haden has participated in the annual contest.

Billy Wilson broke a two-way tie to win Week 10 of the contest. Wilson and Tyler Truman each had 14 correct picks. Wilson's tiebreaker guess of 47 was closer to the combined final score of the Kansas City Chiefs' 20-17 win over the Carolina Panthers. Truman guessed 52.

Bill Lehr broke a four-way tie to place third. Lehr and three others had 13 correct picks. Lehr's tiebreaker guess was 41. Heath Royal had 13 and a tiebreaker guess of 42. Craig Rindt had 13 and a tiebreaker guess of 42. Brian Carroll had 13 and a tiebreaker guess of 49.

Wilson will receive $20 in football bucks, Truman $10 and Lehr $5. This week's prizes can be picked up at Kellet Insurance, 200 E. Main.

The football bucks can be used at Leeker's Family Foods, Valley Liquor & Smoke Shop, Tequila's Mexican Grill and Valley Point Golf Course.

Sponsors of the contest are Boyd Accounting Inc., DZ Automotive & Truck Repair, Tom Troilo DDS, PA, Johnson Automotive, Valley Center Recreation Commission, Halstead Bank, Tequila's Mexican Grill, Valley Liquor & Smoke Shop, Valley Offset Printing, State Farm Insurance, Casado McKay Companies, Baker Funeral Home, Bob Kellet Agency, Leeker's Family Foods and Bryan's Heating & Air.