October brings a few delightful things to Palm Beach County: cooler weather, the return of the snowbirds, and, for some teams, a head start in the race to the playoffs.

Start with a spandex-tight District 10-8A, where all four teams play district games this week. No. 6 Park Vista's defense is the highest-rated in the area and its offense is scoring more than 30 points per game. Palm Beach Central was dropped from the top 10 amid concerns about its defense, which is second-to-last in the area in yards allowed. The Broncos could be back in the rankings with a Game of the Week win over the Cobras. The other 10-8A matchup, Boca Raton at John I. Leonard, promises to be close and entertaining.

With bye weeks, Jupiter and Palm Beach Gardens get to scout their District 9-8A opponents. Seminole Ridge travels to Pahokee, while Wellington heads to Cardinal Newman. Guessing the Warriors and Gators will make the shorter drive to Newman and return with detailed notes on the Wolverines.

We'll learn a lot this week about the always-interesting District 13-7A. No. 3 Dwyer and No. 5 Atlantic are the early favorites, but Lake Worth and Royal Palm Beach are tough outs. For in-district games this week, bet on Atlantic flying high over West Boca, Royal Palm runnin' wild on Spanish River and Lake Worth taking the crosstown fight to Santaluces. Dwyer gets the week off to watch all the action.

No one gets a break in District 14-6A. All six teams are playing this week, and the visitors have brutal commutes: Palm Beach Lakes travels 40 minutes to South Fork, Forest Hill heads an hour and a half to Okeechobee and Sebastian River will drive almost two hours to get to Olympic Heights. The games should be close, anyway.

One that won't be: No. 1 Glades Central at Suncoast. If Jessie Hester's alma mater Glades Central beats his new club, District 14-5A will become clearer. This is the first of four very winnable district games for Glades Central, which should mean a guaranteed playoff spot. Boynton Beach has two district wins already and should grab a third against Fort Pierce Westwood. Jensen Beach has the next two weeks off.

The top dog in District 7-3A, American Heritage, hosts Pope John Paul in one of two district games. That game likely won't be close, but the other, King's Academy at Cavalry Christian, should be. In the District 7-2A games - Coral Springs Christian at Glades Day and Jupiter Christian at Zion Lutheran - expect the Gators and Eagles to win big.

Up on the Treasure Coast, Vero Beach gets a week off to watch Centennial and Treasure Coast vie for a leg up in District 8-8A. In 12-7A, surprising Port St. Lucie heads to Martin County in what should be a close game, and No. 4 Fort Pierce Central looks to rebound from its loss to Vero by hosting district rival Viera.

GAME OF THE WEEK

Matt Porter: Palm Beach Central's defense has given up a lot of yards on little errors - misalignments, blown assignments, poor tackling. Park Vista quarterback Qwad Martin can take advantage of all three. Expect the Cobras to run the ball effectively. Palm Beach Central's running game gets a boost with junior Lloyd Howard, returning after a six-game suspension. He'll help the Broncos move the chains, but not too much - Park Vista's defense has allowed the fewest points of any team (less than a touchdown per game average). Park Vista, 28-17.

Jeff Greer: It's hard to ignore the impressive numbers Park Vista has posted, especially on defense. But I'm going to. Palm Beach Central has been my darkhorse team all along, and it's time for me to stick to my guns. Central's offense has been great in the first five games, and Vista hasn't seen an offense like it yet. Palm Beach Central, 31-27.

THURSDAY'S GAMES

All games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Matt's picks

Port St. Lucie (3-1) at Martin County (2-2): Port St. Lucie hasn't made the playoffs since 1990, but junior quarterback D.J. Juste (1,099 all-purpose yards in 4 games) has the Jaguars in position to end that streak. Martin County has performed a bit below expectation, but is tough at home. Port St. Lucie, 24-20.

Boca Raton (1-3) at John I Leonard (3-2): John I. Leonard is balanced and its offense is tough to stop, while Boca has struggled moving the ball in its last two games. Boca needs to play with the same fire it had last week against Glades Central. John I. Leonard, 28-21.

Spanish River (3-2) at Royal Palm Beach (3-1): Tough stretch for the Spanish River, with Dwyer, Atlantic and now the Wildcats. Everyone who faces Royal Palm's Tremane McCullough says he's the real deal. Expect Spanish River to add to the chorus. Royal Palm, 35-14.

Sebastian River (1-3) at Olympic Heights (1-4): The Sharks have improved every week, while Olympic Heights suffered a setback with the loss of quarterback Matt Kelly (broken collarbone). Sebastian River, 30-10.

North Broward Prep (3-1) at Inlet Grove (1-3): The Hurricanes gained some momentum with a near-win last week, but North Broward Prep is far too strong. North Broward Prep, 38-7.

Florida Christian (1-1) at St. Andrew's (2-3): Possibly due to injuries, Miami-based Florida Christian forfeited last week's game against powerful University. St. Andrew's is closer in competition, but doesn't have the horses to beat the Patriots. Florida Christian, 32-21.

Jeff's picks

Sheridan Hills Christian (0-1-1) at Boca Raton Christian (0-4), 4 p.m.: Boca Christian has a great shot at a win here, even with its on-going offensive struggles. Sheridan Hills Christian hasn't played in a month. Sheridans Hills Christian, 16-6.

Palm Beach Lakes (0-5) at South Fork (2-2): Nothing about this matchup indicates there could be an upset. Lakes has given up the most rushing yards among big schools in the area, and South Fork ranks in the top four in team rushing. South Fork, 42-6.

West Boca Raton (1-4) at Atlantic (4-1): West Boca has run the ball very well this year, but the points haven't come easily for the Bulls. They'll need to reverse the red-zone woes to match Atlantic, which has the highest-scoring offense in the area. Atlantic, 38-14.

Glades Central (4-0) at Suncoast (2-3): The Jessie Hester reunion will be fun ... and then the teams will take the field. Expect Glades Central to show no mercy against its old coach. The Raiders have too much athleticism for this game to be close. Glades Central, 38-6.

Wellington (1-3) at Cardinal Newman (4-0): Bigger schools always have a numbers advantage, but Cardinal Newman will have a talent advantage when these teams meet. This game could be one of the best in the area this week. Cardinal Newman, 24-20.

Pope John Paul II (1-4) at American Heritage (3-1): Pope has lost its last two games by one point each, but this game will not be that close. Heritage's ball carriers should have all kinds of space. American Heritage, 49-6.

FRIDAY'S GAMES

Matt's picks

Summit Christian (0-3) at Northwest Christian (2-1): Saints head to Miami and run into a team that has won its last two games by a 60-13 combined score. Northwest Christian, 30-12.

Palmer Trinity (3-1) at Berean Christian (0-4): Tough year for the Bulldogs, who have been outscored 203-21 so far. It won't get easier this week. Palmer, 40-7.

John Carroll (2-3) at Holy Trinity (3-1): The Rams have been up-and-down offensively, while Holy Trinity has shown it can move the ball consistently. Holy Trinity, 27-18.

Treasure Coast (2-2) at Centennial (2-2): Vero will probably end Treasure Coast's run of two district titles, but the Titans can put a lock on a playoff spot by beating Centennial. Should be a good one. Treasure Coast, 24-20.

Santaluces (1-3) at Lake Worth (2-2): Lake Worth needs a win to stay in the hunt, while Santlauces would love to put a dent in their neighbor's district schedule. Trojans have too much offense for Chiefs to handle. Lake Worth, 31-10.

Fort Pierce Westwood (0-4) at Boynton Beach (3-2): Boynton should improve to 3-0 in the district with a win over struggling Westwood. Boynton Beach, 28-10.

Jupiter Christian (4-1) at Zion Lutheran (1-4): Should be another easy win for the Eagles, who need to stay sharp before an all-the-marbles district game against Village Academy Oct. 28. Jupiter Christian, 41-10.

Jeff's picks

King's Academy (1-3) at Calvary Christian (4-0), 4 p.m.: King's is in a dangerous position in district play, and the Lions must win. They'll need a huge effort from running back Brian Grove, and they can't turn the ball over. King's Academy, 21-17.

Forest Hill (1-3) at Okeechobee (0-4): Forest Hill has to go 70 miles northwest for its second district game, and this is one of the Falcons' best chances for a district win. Both teams should be able to score, but always take the home team in a toss-up. Okeechobee, 23-16.

Coral Springs Christian (2-3) at Glades Day (2-2): A week off does Kelvin Taylor's body good, and the junior running back should only see the field early on. Glades Day should cruise. Glades Day, 42-14.

Viera (3-1) at Fort Pierce Central (3-1): A tough road loss to Vero knocked Central off its hot start, but don't overreact: Vero is one of the top schools in Class 8A. Central should rebound with an important district win. Fort Pierce Central, 31-14.

Clewiston (3-2) at Avon Park (2-2): Clewiston is off to a nice start, with a chance to plant its flag in the district-title race with a win on the road at Avon Park. The Tigers have scored with the best of 'em the past two weeks, and should move the ball here. Clewiston, 31-20.

Seminole Ridge (2-2) at Pahokee (1-4), 7:30 p.m.: This is a mismatch on paper, with Seminole Ridge bigger and more disciplined. Pahokee has been frisky in some of its losses this year, but Seminole Ridge isn't likely to make many mistakes. Seminole Ridge, 27-6.

Last week: Matt 12-0, Jeff 9-2

Season: Jeff 49-14, Matt 48-15