The students of local preschool Hogg’s Hollow followed a relatively recent but uncannily accurate annual tradition of picking the winner of the Super Bowl – including the point spread!

“After two years of hitting the nail on the head, we felt it was time to go public with our prognostication this year,” said Hogg’s Hollow program director and founder Rose Hogg.

What started as a lark two years ago has become a thrilling spectacle sure to draw the interest of Las Vegas bookies. Here’s how this miraculous feat of precognition was accomplished.

On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Hogg’s Hollow staff hid 48 mini footballs in nearby Mayor’s Discovery Park – 24 representing the NFC champion Rams, and 24 representing the AFC champion Patriots. The children, aged 2-5, were given five minutes to find as many footballs as they could. When the dust had cleared (literally) and the count was tallied, the Rams were the victor: 21 footballs to 14. The seven-ball difference is how the point spread was determined.

The Super Bowl picking was more than just fun and games, however. The occasion helped reinforce mathematics as the students were in charge of counting (and re-counting) the footballs. They also learned that an NFL game has four quarters, which is why 24 footballs were used – six for each quarter.

Best of all, the event got the young’uns outside in the fresh air, running and laughing as they searched high and low for the elusive footballs.

“We’re big believers in daily outdoor exercise,” said Hogg. “Every day we make use of the quarter-mile track and yard attached to our school. Well, almost every day. After all the recent rain, it was great for the kids to get out in the sunshine again!”

Hogg’s Hollow was founded in La Cañada in 1975. It’s been successfully caring for local children so long that some of the current students are second and even third-generation alumni.