The 38th NEWS Football Forecast came down to the very last game of the final week and newcomer Ernie Clark claimed the staff title by correctly picking Pittsburgh to beat Virginia Tech, a choice only he got right.

Thus, Clark edged Pete Warner by one game and capped a record-setting Forecast season. Clark posted a 169-31 slate (.845), the best prognosticating since the feature was introduced in 1966.

The effort eclipsed the previous mark of 166-34 (.830) by former staffer Mike Dowd in 1986. Warner, thwarted in his bid to win an unprecedented seventh staff crown, wound up 168-32, the second-best season ever by a staffer.

Clark and Warner also posted back-to-back 20-0 weeks, the first time that feat was accomplished.

Andrew Neff and Larry Mahoney tied for third place at 159-41 (.795), followed by John Holyoke (156-44), Joe McLaughlin (155-45), Dave Barber (155-45), and Jessica Bloch (153-47).

The 2003 season also proved the best overall for the staff as a whole as Bloch’s eighth-place finish was eight games better than the previous best effort by the last-place finisher.

It was an equally impressive season for NEWS guests, whose combined 163-37 effort (.815) was better than six of the eight sports staff members. Tom Nason of Sebec put his name in the record books in Week 9, becoming the first guest to log a perfect 20-0 record.

There were other nifty guest efforts, including Robbie Findlay of Bucksport (18-2), Bill Libby of Orono (17-3), Jim Goodness of Stillwater (17-3), Jeff Yerxa of Bangor (16-4), and Andy Conway of Dexter (16-4).

The remaining guests were Steve Bearor of Hampden (15-5), Phil Pushard of Brewer (15-5), Andy Galeati of Old Town (15-5), and Brian Gallant of Bangor (14-6).