It's hard to believe the last Friday night football game of the season is only a week away. After that, each team will have a bye week prior to its respective Thanksgiving Day matchup.

As we look ahead to Thanksgiving, it appears as if each of the local teams will be playing solely for the sake of pride. Newburyport and Amesbury will likely not have postseason implications for the first time in three years, since Cape Ann League Small front-runner Lynnfield is undefeated (3-0) in the league and has already beaten both Amesbury and Newburyport. The Pioneers' last three opponents are Ipswich, Hamilton-Wenham and North Reading ¬­— teams with a combined record of 3-15.

The Pentucket-Triton matchup will also not likely have playoff implications, as the two teams have already combined for three CAL Large losses this season. Still, the Vikings will be looking to collect their first Thanksgiving Day win since 2006, and they may even be the favorites this year.

Finally, Georgetown and Manchester Essex no longer share a conference allegiance, so although their Thanksgiving Day rivalry remains, they no longer battle for a Commonwealth Conference Small crown. Georgetown (1-6) could make its season with a victory over the defending Division 4 Super Bowl champion Manchester Essex Hornets.

On to the picks.

Tonight's game

Newburyport at Triton, 7

The Clipper defense has been struggling in the last four weeks, allowing an average of 24.5 points per game. On the other hand, the offense has been steady, with Ryan O'Connor at quarterback, averaging 16.7 points over the last three games. Newburyport defensive standouts Shea Quill, Derek Freeman and Nick Welch will have to key on Triton running back Brendan O'Neil to ensure that the Newburyport offense has a chance to win in the fourth quarter. If O'Neil goes over 100 rushing yards, I like Triton. If not, I'll take Newburyport.

The pick: Triton 16, Newburyport 14

Tomorrow's games

Amesbury at Hamilton-Wenham, 2

That was a scary game for Amesbury last week, when Ipswich nearly posted its first win since 2006 against the Indians. The Indians won, 23-17, in overtime. I guess the Tigers have to win eventually, but I'm sure the Indians didn't want the victory to come at their expense. Hamilton-Wenham edged Georgetown, 3-0, last week, which happened to be the same score of the Amesbury-Georgetown game — an Amesbury win — two weeks earlier. So this should be another tight one for the Indians.

The pick: Amesbury 7, Hamilton-Wenham 6

Georgetown at North Reading, 2:30

North Reading has lost seven in a row after beating Ipswich, 26-0, on opening day. North Reading also hasn't scored more than 16 points in a single game since then. On the other hand, Georgetown is also struggling with its offense. The Royals have been shut out in three of their six losses, and they're only averaging 8.9 points per game. The theme of the weekend will be close, low-scoring games.

The pick: Georgetown 9, North Reading 3

Masconomet at Pentucket, 2

The Chieftains are three-time defending CAL Large champs, and they have a three-year starter at quarterback in Chris Splinter. They're going to be a tough team to beat in the playoffs — let alone this weekend. But give Pentucket credit for plodding along toward that seven-win plateau. With two wins in their last three, the Sachems (5-3) could win seven or more games for the third straight season. No other River Rival team has more than one seven-win season in that span.

The pick: Masco 34, Pentucket 14