Szyperski three-peats

Press carrier and long time area wrestling coach Joe Szyperski has won an unprecedented third straight Soothsayer championship.

He is the first Soothsayer in the 20-year history of prep gridiron soothsaying to three-peat.

Szyperski went 11-3 in his final week, one better than his Gladieux Home Center co-worker, Ron Gladieux, to break a tie and won by one game. 

Szyperski finished at 103-28 (78.6 percent), followed by Gladieux (102-29), Press contributing sportswriter Yaneek Smith (94-37), Toledo Sports Network producer Mike Jameson (93-38), TSN broadcaster Mik Gonzales (89-42), Oregon businessman Alan Miller (88-43), Genoa Banking Company President Marty Sutter (87-44) and Bench's Greenhouse’s Jill Bench (86-45).

Last year in a shortened six-week season, Szyperski defended his soothsayer championship, finishing 50-12 (80.6 percent) in choosing the winners of high school and professional football games.

He was under one percent behind the all-time record for correct picks. Two years ago in picking the winners of 148 high school, college, and professional football games, Ron Gladieux and Szyperski both finished 119-29, which at 80.4 percent was also slightly under the all-time record. Press soothsayers have been choosing winners, and losers, since 2001.

Szyperski, a cancer survivor, has been a Press distribution carrier for over 46 years, dating back to his youth. He still walks the same Oregon neighborhoods he grew up in delivering The Press each week.