How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Good.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“Not really.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Good.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“Execution and consistency.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Playing together.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes and I don’t know.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“None.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“None.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Not yet.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“None.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Ohio State.”

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything has been going great for us. We all work extremely hard at practice and as a team we look good. We are all excited to play and win games.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I am never pleased with my work. There is always something to get better at and keep progressing forward.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Our team has a lot of people coming back from last year so we have a lot of chemistry. We have come together well but we still have some things to work on.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“I believe that everyone has their own things they need to work on. When we all play together, we communicate and play hard.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Our keys to win are the fundamentals and mentality. We all need to be in the right state of mind and do our jobs.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I want to go to college to play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
"N/A."

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
"N/A."

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I do not have any plans.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up is Ohio State.”

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything is going very well. We are looking like we are all coming together. We have put a lot of time in the off season to get to this point in the season.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I think I performed well but have much to improve on.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“I think our team played great but can improve on things that will push us to the playoffs.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“I feel that we as a team can improve on me hitting the hole much faster and making better reads with the line opening gaps that I can get through. With passing I feel that our route running can improve and myself and the line giving the quarterback much more time with blocking and picking up blitzes.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“There are many keys to us moving forward like everyone communicating better.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play college football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I do not have any currently.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“There are no colleges recruiting me currently.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not gone on any visits.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“No, I have not gone on any game day trips.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was and still is Michigan.”

Find out what colleges are recruiting Braylan Lovelace, Brock Polinsky, Isaiah Brown, Ayden Hudock, and J.J. Gabel now!


......................................................................................................

Q&A with Leechburg running back Braylan Lovelace​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play college football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I do not have any currently.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“There are no colleges recruiting me currently.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not gone on any visits.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“No, I have not gone on any game day trips.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was and still is Michigan.”


......................................................................................................

Q&A with Minersville safety Brock Polinsky​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I want to go to college to play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
"N/A."

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
"N/A."

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I do not have any plans.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up is Ohio State.”


......................................................................................................

Q&A with Armstrong wide receiver Isaiah Brown​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes and I don’t know.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“None.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“None.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Not yet.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“None.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Ohio State.”


......................................................................................................

Q&A with Franklin Regional running back Ayden Hudock​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes I’d love to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“None so far but I’ve only played 2 games this year and I’m only a sophomore so I’m not in a hurry to get recruited. I just want to win football games with my team.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“None so I’d love to get my name out there while our season is still young.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Nope.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“Nope, just when we step on the bus it’s a business trip and we have to get to work.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I like LSU but Pitt has also been on my mind just because I’ve gone to a 7on7 there.”


......................................................................................................

Q&A with Hughesville linebacker J.J. Gabel​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do indeed want to play sports in college, and Football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I haven’t had any major interest but I’ve been in touch with multiple colleges through my junior season and summer going into my senior season.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I have gotten quite a bit of Love from Bryant, Columbia, and Lehigh.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I’m just going with the flow at the moment but will probably go to quite a few this season.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did the Florida Gators.”


......................................................................................................

Find out what some of the top players in the state are saying about the football season now!

Leechburg running back Braylan Lovelace
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything is going very well. We are looking like we are all coming together. We have put a lot of time in the off season to get to this point in the season.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I think I performed well but have much to improve on.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“I think our team played great but can improve on things that will push us to the playoffs.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“I feel that we as a team can improve on me hitting the hole much faster and making better reads with the line opening gaps that I can get through. With passing I feel that our route running can improve and myself and the line giving the quarterback much more time with blocking and picking up blitzes.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“There are many keys to us moving forward like everyone communicating better.”

......................................................................................................
Minersville safety Brock Polinsky
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything has been going great for us. We all work extremely hard at practice and as a team we look good. We are all excited to play and win games.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I am never pleased with my work. There is always something to get better at and keep progressing forward.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Our team has a lot of people coming back from last year so we have a lot of chemistry. We have come together well but we still have some things to work on.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“I believe that everyone has their own things they need to work on. When we all play together, we communicate and play hard.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Our keys to win are the fundamentals and mentality. We all need to be in the right state of mind and do our jobs.”

......................................................................................................
Armstrong wide receiver Isaiah Brown
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Good.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“Not really.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Good.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“Execution and consistency.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Playing together.”

......................................................................................................
Franklin Regional running back Ayden Hudock
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Pretty good I’m really happy with the way we are looking this year.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“So far yes still some things to work on to get to where I want to be though.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Good so far we lost to Kiski but it was all just little mistakes that we can fix.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“I think we could become a really good team if we started trusting each other more and not getting so frustrated when something doesn’t go right.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Like I said, just trusting each other becomes more of a team, everyone knowing what they are doing in the play and relaxing and not freaking out.”

......................................................................................................
Hughesville linebacker J.J. Gabel
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything is going well. I am hoping to continue to stay healthy and continue to perform to the best of my ability.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I am pleased, I have goals I have set and am on the right track right now to achieve them.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“I feel my team has played good, just a couple minor mistakes to fix, we are playing a lot more like a family just trusting each other and trusting the coaches, once the minor mistakes are fixed this team will have a bright future.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“As I said in the previous question just fixing minor mistakes, in both weeks we’ve left too many points on the board through not scoring in redzone, just have to communicate better on defense and offense just gotta put points on the board.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Just to remain calm and focused, don’t listen to the outside noise as the team and coaches is all that matters, continue getting better week by week, and the Wins will come.”

......................................................................................................

No Deonte Crawford for Freedom.

Freedoms backup running back goes 45 yards on the opening play into Easton territory.

Just a good workman-like win for the Bucks. They were clearly the better team and this one could have been (or maybe should have been) 28 or 35-0. Failed to finish some drives but controlled the entire game. Took the opening drive right down the field, and by the end of the first half, Abington was hurting defensively with the whole team visibly gassed. Boehm broke out finally with 147 on 15 carries including an incredible run to set up the final score right before the end of the half. Ganz Cooper had his best game of the year by far, seemed to make good decisions in the passing game, although missed a wide open McFadden in the end zone on a fourth down play, ball underthrown that Connor almost was able to come back and make a sliding catch on. McFadden did have two important catches to prolong drives. Bucks need that passing game to continue to advance if they are going to compete with the big boys in the conference later in the year. Ganz threw a really nice ball on a roll out that Cherubini caught over his shoulder in the end zone for the second score.

Defensively, they gave up just over 200 yards, everyone seemed to be flying to the ball, especially out of the secondary. Getting Trot Lare back was huge, he made some nice plays and Goldrick had a couple of big hits on the QB from the LB spot. Mancini was also very active at LB, while adding 70 on the ground. They limited Abington to 59 yards on the ground, and Abington's 144 through the air was mainly on hitches and bubble screens. Completed one up the seam to the big TE #8, with a West defender (I think it was safety Cooper Taylor) draped all over him. West did a very good job all night at limiting big plays. (144 passing yards came on 18 completions, for only 8 yards/completion)

Overall a step forward for West, although not a huge one. Abington is not the team they have been the past two years, but the Bucks took care of business going into a two week stretch where they have CR South and Pennsbury.

Game of the night in the Lehigh Valley. Will post more details as I see them.

East Penn Conference

1. Whitehall Zephyrs: 2-0

Whitehall took Bethlehem Catholic to task last week, scoring on their first seven possessions before calling off the dogs in a 49-14 win. Quinn Wentling has been excellent, and had nearly 300 yards of total offense and four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) last week. Whitehall has a really strong slate of skill players and after not winning an EPC South game in two years, looks like they’re back to their contention form under third year head coach and former Penn State quarterback Matt Senneca. The Zephyrs host Liberty tonight in one of the biggest events in the Lehigh Valley – the retirement of Saquon Barkley’s jersey, which will have the New York Giants star in the house, along with four time Super Bowl champ and fellow Zephyr Hall of Famer Dan Koppen.



2. Emmaus Green Hornets: 2-0

Emmaus makes the leap after beating previous #1 Freedom last week in a 13-6 slugfest. For all of the accolades Harold Fairclough’s offenses got at Allentown Central Catholic, he’s a defense guy first and always has his units ready to play on that side of the ball. It helps having Jared Groller, the most complete linebacker in the conference. They’ve also gotten solid play out of sophomore QB Josiah Williams and RB Tyliek Jarvis to power a young offense. Williams was excellent against Freedom, going 16-24 for 176 yards, and Jarvis sealed things last week with a 64 yard TD to break open a 7-6 game, and the junior finished with 164 yards. I mocked some of the statewide polls that had Emmaus in the preseason top 10, but they clearly knew more about Lehigh Valley football than I did.



3. Parkland Trojans: 1-0

Parkland spoiled the first EPC South game in Cottingham with a 24-21 win over Easton (covered at length in my thread about the game). Parkland overcame a 21-7 deficit after the first play of the second half, getting both big plays (a 74 yard TD pass to tie it and a 49 yard punt return to set up the winning field goal) and sustained drives (an 86 yard TD drive flipped momentum). Most importantly, they played hellacious defense after halftime, giving up just 23 yards of offense after Easton’s touchdown on the first snap of the half. Sophomore Trey Tremba caught five passes for 60 yards and had the electric punt return that put the Trojans in position to win the football game, and his older brother Ty threw for 194 yards and two scores. Parkland cracked the state top 10 this week, and despite not having a super gamebreaker, looks to be right back in the mix.



4. Freedom Patriots: 1-1

Freedom topples here after a tough loss to Emmaus. The Patriots rushing attack got bottled up by Emmaus, with Deonte Crawford finishing with under 100 yards for one of the few times in his short career. Freedom did a good job of playing bend-don’t-break defense, but didn’t get some of the explosive plays (sacks/turnovers) we’re used to seeing from Jason Roeder’s defense. They host Easton tonight, who they beat twice last year including a 37-7 thumping in the playoffs, and they’ll look to rebound and certainly are a contender to make the 6A title game.



5. Nazareth Blue Eagles: 2-0

Nazareth hasn’t really been tested so far, as they are the only South team to play both of their crossover games. But, they’ve outscored the opposition 100-6, as as the two-time defending D11 6A champions, deserve some credit. They get Parkland tonight in a game that will tell us a lot more about them. New QB Sonny Sasso has throw for 250 yards and three touchdowns and Tyler Rohn has been productive in limited carries due to the lack of competitiven games, but they’ll both shoulder a big load tonight.



6. Allentown Central Catholic Vikings

The Vikings used four interceptions, including three from sophomore Catasauqua transfer Nasir McLean, to hold off Liberty 14-7 last week. ACC is super young, save for three star defensive tackle Levon Johnson, but the returning 4A champs are off to a great start under third year head coach Tim McGorry. They play Saturday against Emmaus in one of the premier games in the Valley this weekend, that again will be a measuring stick for both programs ranked in the top ten statewide in their respective classifications.



7. Northampton Konkrete Kids: 2-0

Obviously a shocking week in Northampton with the death of offensive coordinator Mike Gurdineer, but they are apparently playing still against Stroudsburg. The Konkrete Kids are the best team in the EPC North, and should be 8-0 going into a week nine tussle with Whitehall. Sophomore quarterback Cooper King looks like he might be a force going forward.



8. Liberty Hurricanes: 1-1

Liberty gets the nod at eight on the strength of their win over East Strodsburg South and a tough loss to Central Catholic. Liberty clearly wants to throw the ball with the new regime, and Tommy Mason has shown flashes of brilliance, but the inconsistency that comes with being a first year starter. But just from an executive and production standpoint, this looks like a much different Liberty team than we’ve seen in the past few years.



9. Easton Red Rovers: 1-1

Well, Marcus Williams is really good. After his 6 carry, 6 touchdown, 176 yard performance in the opener, he rushed for a career high 223 yards and two touchdowns against Parkland. He started the game with 12 carries for 185 yards, then had 13 carries for 28 yards for most of the second half. Part of it is Easton needs to have a more competent passing game to get guys out of the box, but the offensive line clearly started to tire against an agile Parkland front. Things don’t get easier tonight with their first road game at Freedom.



10. East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers: 1-1

Bethlehem Catholic falls out of the rankings with an 0-2 start, so we welcome our second North team, the East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers, to the party. Last season’s iteration would have likely been our wire-to-wire #1 as they were one of the best 5A teams in the state, but suffered heavy graduation losses. They should be right there with Northampton in the North and are Whitehall’s biggest challenge in 5A.



Small School (Colonial League/Schuylkill League)

1. North Schuylkill Spartans

The state’s top ranked 3A team hasn’t put together a complete game yet, but has out talented the competition so far. As they get things together, look out.



2. Notre Dame (GP) Crusaders

One hundred points in two weeks is pretty par for the course for a Phil Stambaugh crew. Colin Quintano has nine touchdowns and twelve incompletions, and nearly 700 yards passing through the first two weeks. Ten different receivers have catches. The one thing to watch is no player has more than 42 rushing yards (Quinatno) and only one running back is over 25. They’ve got Salisbury tonight.



3. Northwestern Lehigh Tigers: 2-0

The Justin Holmes show is in full effect. The senior quarterback has 150 yards passing and 286 yards rushing through to weeks, and has accounted for seven total touchdowns. The 6’4 215 pounder is as good an athlete as there is in the Colonial League, and Josh Snyder certainly runs a solid program and has a good team around him.



4. Wilson Warriors: 2-0

Speed kills. The Warriors have outscored their opponents 94-17 in the first two weeks and there are shades of the mid 2000s under Chris Labatch (a linebacker and captain on their 2007 state champs). Cayden Stem is 13-16 for 514 yards and 8 touchdowns, and it is big play city. State finalist in the 100 Damon Simpson is averaging 57 yards a catch and has scored on three of his four reeptions. His brother Damon is averaging 10 yards per carry and 45 yards per catch, with five touchdowns on 14 touches. Zakai Hendricks and Zac Gillen (the other two members of the state finalist 4x100 relay team) are averaging over 30 yards per catch and have four touchdowns between them. They travel to Lehighton this evening.



5. Northern Lehigh Bulldogs: 1-1

The 2A favorites stay ranked after losing a barnburner to #3 Northwestern Lehigh, losing 34-33. Matt Frame has 252 yards and four touchdowns in the first two weeks and is amongst the best running backs in 2A. They’ll be a tough draw in the Colonial League regardless of class, and will be a load once playoff time comes.

Another week, another mercy rule shutout loss for the Falcons. Pennsbury has now lost 8 straight football games (perhaps the first time that has ever been said). The Falcons more than doubled their total offensive output from 83 yards last week to 172 yards Friday night, but also lost 4 fumbles. Defensively, PHS allowed 368 rushing yards to Pennridge (per PAPrepLive), and the punt team gave up a second blocked punt in two weeks.

Some observations on the situation at PHS:
* Coach McShane has noted that the Falcons are young (again), but the most striking thing I noticed from the bleachers about the team is their SIZE, or more specifically, the lack thereof. The O and D lines look like JV or even Freshman units. One parent mentioned that one OT tips the scales at 145 lbs.
* PHS finished this game at 51 carries for 147 yards, but was at 42 for 94 before their final mercy-time drive.
* After 2 games, 53 of 58 rushing attempts by RBs have been by 3 sophomores.
* The option pitch is not yet a viable part of the new flex-bone offense. For the second week in a row, I noted exactly ONE option pitch (which was, in fact, an overhand throw).
* The passing game was a Galen Snyder-like 2-3 for 25 yards (2 game totals: 3-6 for 34). I thought for a brief moment that it was 2013 when I heard a fan yell, "Throw the ball!"
* For the record, no one on the active roster had thrown or caught a varsity pass before this year.
* Speaking of throwing, last year's JR starting QB did not come out for football this year. Per some parents in the stands, some number of starting lineman-types also decided not to play.
* Believe it or not, last year's leading rusher (and only player with a varsity carry coming into the season) is serving a multi-game academic probation.
* Adding injury to insult, two starting defensive players went down on back to back plays in the third quarter. At least one looked serious.
* An 0-10 season is a very real possibility. IF Snyder indicates that he wants to coach again, smart money says the AD entertains the idea (heard it here first LOL).
* With North Penn up next at Falcon Field, I hope Coach Beck is feeling extraordinarily merciful next Friday.

I know a lot of eye rolling at the various COVID cancellations and whatnot going around, but a pretty sobering story from the East Penn Conference tonight.

District-3 Top 20: (Week #3 Sep 10-11 games 2021)
(All are 6A unless marked otherwise, last week’s rank in parenthesis)

1 Governor Mifflin 5A 2-0 (1)
Nicholas Singleton had another strong game rushing for 138 yards on 14 carries, scoring on runs of 8, 33 and 37 yards. The three scores saw him set the all-time Berks County touchdown record at 80. The bigger news may be they had absolutely no difficulty beating a good Wilson football team. No difficulty….!....with a team that (in my view) is better than last year’s group which lost in the 5A final to Pine Richland 48-44. In what was expected to be a competitive game, Governor Mifflin quickly put those thoughts to rest surging to a 14-0 lead midway through the first period. By the third quarter it was a mercy ruled 35-0. GM throws multiple weapons at you starting with the rotation at quarterback of Eden Johnson (5-11, 195, sr, 8-74ry, 35yd Td) and Delsin McNeil (5-10, 175, sr, 2yd score), then FB Trey Rock (6-1, 210, sr, 7yd score) and of course Singleton who took his season total to 418 yards and eight touchdowns. With a final score of 42-14, you know the O-Line dominated a good Wilson D-Line. This was a concern entering the season. Wilson was held to 90 rush yards and had three turnovers. Cocalico (1-1) is next. And unless they discover the forward pass real quick to go along with their flex bone, they’re in big trouble here, regardless of 18 returning starters.
2 Central York 2-0 (2)
Central York’s defense rose to the occasion, protecting a narrow 7-3 lead by turning Cumberland Valley away on a fourth and goal at the 1-yard line with 10:23 left in the game. That’s a tight stadium with a full house of screaming fans right on you (have track, but steep stands funnels noise) urging their Eagles on with roles now reversed to make a stand and take over with great field position. Didn’t happen. Quarterback Beau Pribula dropped back with good protection finding his favorite receiver Hines Parker wide open forty yards down field, aided by a defender literally tripping over himself to go 99 untouched yards for the score. A final touchdown at the 2:30 mark iced it for a solid but unspectacular 21-3 road win at Cumberland Valley. CV locked down Pribula’s receivers most of the game, allowing eight completions on fourteen tries for 164 yards with two scores and two picks. So he went to his legs, rushing for 102 yards on twelve carries. Congrats to Coach Gerry Yonchiuk who seems to have replaced 19 graduated seniors with another strong group. Helps have Pribula! Always competitive Hempfield (1-1) is next, coming off a narrow 14-0 loss at Manheim Central in Central’s home opener. Now it’s CY’s home opener where they’ll be another large and loud crowd rooting on their Silver Medalist Panthers.
3 Bishop McDevitt 4A 1-1 (4)
Twenty-one unanswered points in the first quarter buried Middletown and set the tone for McDevitt to roll to a 55-7 win. There’s not much to say when a team is as outgunned as Middletown was. But there had to be a lot of pent up energy on McDevitt’s side knowing they were coming off a shutout the previous week to LaSalle of the Philadelphia Catholic League. The Crusaders are rarely handled like that especially as they’ve averaged 36ppg since 2011. The last time they were shutout was 2017 by Harrisburg (11-1) 35-0, and again in 2011 by Cumberland Valley (11-2) 3-0 and Archbishop Wood (14-1) in the 3A title game 52-0. Staying on Memory Lane, that was the year Wood suffered their only loss of the season on what many felt was a controversial field goal, losing to Pittsburgh Central Catholic (11-1) 20-17 in the opener at Gateway. Both came in ranked # 1, Central Catholic in 4A, Wood in 3A. Next up for McDevitt is what should be one of the top games in the state when they travel to Severance Field to play Harrisburg High (2-0). The two are old city rivals but haven’t played since 2017. McDevitt is more but Harrisburg is playing with such fervor.
4 Central Dauphin 1-1 (5)
Down 14-7 to Berks Catholic in the second quarter, Central Dauphin went with a bit of trickery on a fake punt recovered near mid-field followed by Qb Max Mosey rambling 55 yards for the tying touchdown on the ensuing play to tie it. Then with just under a minute left in the first half, he put the Rams up for good with a 5-yard run, taking a lead they never relinquished. BC’s taking a 14-7 lead lit a fuse, with the Rams outscoring them 34-8 for a convincing 41-22 win. Stats show Qb Max Mosey completed 7 of 17 passes for 128 yards with touchdown throws of 37 and 38 yards. He rushed for 84 with the scores mentioned above. Running back Tyrell English rushed for 106 yards and a 55-yard touchdown. The offense was balanced, rushing for 206 yards and passing for 128. BC brought it, they just didn’t bring enough, catching CD coming off a loss. They’re home again this week against Manheim Township (1-1) who is coming off an 41-38 upset at Dallastown. One of these teams is going to be a precarious 1-2 when this one is over.
5 Manheim Central 5A 2-0 (7)
Manheim Central had trouble throughout the game getting the offense going. But the defense shined, shutting down Hempfield 14-0. They came up with stops all night particularly on fourth downs where they nailed the Knights at least three times. Add on nine quarterback sacks and a ton of hurries that held Qb Cam Harbaugh to 159 yards and 14 completions in 36 attempts. Hempfield couldn’t get anything going on the ground, gaining 68 yards. But you have to give Hempfield some credit holding a big Dallastown offense to 21 points the week before, the same Dtown that put 41 on Manheim Township last week. One of Central’s scores was a first quarter 55 yard pick six. Quarterback Judd Novak is off to a good start this season throwing for 136 yards and rushed for 40 after throwing for 306 yards the week before against Cumberland Valley. Disappointing Susquehanna Township (0-2) is next for the Baron’s first road game of the season. They’ve been uncompetitive, losing 44-6 to an underrated Kennett team from Chester County and last week to Milton Hershey (1-1) 52-14,
6 Harrisburg 2-0 (8)
Look out for these guys as they will get nothing but better so long as they stay healthy. The roster/turnout is low and stayed that way for a number of reasons and could have a negative impact as the season progresses. The positive side is this makes for a tight “us against the world” mentality as few were expecting anything from them this year. A glimpse of what they can do was shown against Pine Richland followed by a good performance against Hazleton, winning 31-21. This one was decided early with Harrisburg up 13-0 at the half and 31-0 into the fourth quarter. Through three quarters, Hazleton was held to 11 yards of offense, ending the game with 122. Their highlight was Jim Beltre’s 25-yard scoop and score in the fourth quarter. Harrisburg’s was a 26 yards pick six by Terrell Reynolds giving the Cougars a 25-0 third quarter lead. Freshman quarterback Shawn Lee continues to mature with touchdown passes to Ryan Epps of 6 yards and a 11 yarder to Kyle Williams. Justin Cook adding a 5-yard jet sweep. Next up for Harrisburg is their toughest challenge of the season in their home opener against Bishop McDevitt (1-1).
7 Wilson 1-1 (3)
Wilson looked like they would again be a serious contender for district honors two weeks ago after defeating Central Dauphin 27-21. They may still challenge. But the buzz saw they ran into last week, getting mercy ruled 42-14 for the second straight year by Governor Mifflin may have lasting effects. Consecutive weeks of hard encounters with two of the district’s power teams can leave a mark. After last year’s 48-7 loss to GM, they went on a six game tear, starting with a 31-28 road win against Manheim Township. If they bounce back this week it will be against another worthy opponent in Exeter’s high flying Eagles. They are not Governor Mifflin but the Bulldogs will need much more than the 90 yards rushing they got against Mifflin. And quarterback Brad Hoffman will need to improve from a rough outing in Shillington, completing 9 of 28 passes for 104 yards and two interceptions. Jadyn Jones had 74 yards on 17 carries which was a good outing against GM’s defense. He’ll need to duplicate that against Exeter who put up 28 in a losing 35-28 effort against Central York two weeks ago. And, they’re coming off a 56-8 road win at Boyertown showing their offense is firing.
8 Exeter Township 5A 1-1 (11)
First year starting quarterback Colin Payne continued his torrid pace last week against Boyertown in limited duty (35 second quarter points!) completing 6 of 8 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-8 win. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns the previous week in a 35-28 loss (28 all in 4th) to powerful Central York. Exeter is not a one man show with Cabraun Woody rushing for 114 yards and two touchdowns and Messiah Robinson getting a score on 98 rush yards. The hard yards go to senior FB/LBs Tyler Yocum (6-0, 220) and JR Strauss (6-3, 215). It was a big night for the Eagle offense rolling out 498 total yards of offense, 272 rushing. Wilson is next, smarting from a 42-14 shellacking by Governor Mifflin. Knowing Exeter, Wilson, Berks Catholic and Governor Mifflin all play in Reading or its immediate environs, speaks to the high quality of football played in the area.
9 Manheim Township 1-1 (6)
Manheim Township lost their road opener in a wild one when Dallastown scored 2 fourth quarter touchdowns, aided by 2 recovered fumbles. The first came a few plays after the recovery when Caleb Fox sprinted 45 yards to the end zone. The second occurred on the ensuing kick that bounced off a Township player into the hands of Dallastown where eight plays later Qb Dylan Lease ran in from the 5-yard line, giving them a two touchdown lead. Township’s fell short, allowing the Wildcats to hang on for a 41-38 upset. How painful is it gaining 422 total yards in offense and losing? Anthony Ivey had another outstanding game catching 9 passes for 170 yards and a score as Hayden Johnson completed 18 of 28 passes for 282 yards. Township needs to get it together asap in the midst of a four game road trip with Central Dauphin (1-1) up next followed by Spring Ford (2-0), Cocalico (1-1) and surprising Cedar Crest (2-0).
10 Steelton Highspire 1A 2-0 (11)
Steel High had a great time in their opener on Cottage Hill in Steelton blasting Belmont Charter School 61-6 and winning the school’s 800th game! Although they’ve had zero competition these first two game, beating Morrisville 77-0 two weeks ago, the routs allowed backups playing time that’s always important at a Single-A. The Rollers built a 34-0 first quarter lead with reserves shortly flooding the field. Qb Alex Erby completed 9 of 15 passes for 202 yards and 4 touchdowns. A highlight was Durrell Cesser’s 86-yards pick-6. Everyone got in on the fun; Ja’Khai Noss rushing for 70 yards and a score, Jaieon Perry catching touchdowns of 52 and 20 yards and Tyrone Moore catching 4 for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Belmont was held to 127 total yards. Newport (1-1) is next in their first road game coming off a 49-0 blasting by West Perry (1-1) of the Mid Penn-Colonial.
11 Berks Catholic 4A 1-1 (9)
Quad-A Berks Catholic took some swings at Central Dauphin last week connecting on a few in a sustained struggle where they went toe to toe for three quarters, down 21-14. They ran well gaining 188 yards on 44 carries with quarterback Mitchel Gatz completing 7 of 12 passes for 96 yards. Josiah Jordan did damage gaining 50 yards on 7 carries and 74 yards on 5 receptions. Their primary weapon Christian Cacchione gained 80 yards on 22 carries, scoring on a 28-yard pass. It was a strong effort that fell short with the more powerful Rams outscoring them 20-8 in the final quarter to secure a 41-22 win. BC travels to Boothwyn in Delaware County Friday to play Chichester (1-0) who defeated Truman last week 15-9.
12 York (William Penn) 1-1 (13)
Back in the old country people called this the War of the Roses with York, the White Rose City doing battle with Lancaster, the Red Rose City. Some still do. Fortunately, the game was nowhere near as bloody as England’s civil wars with York prevailing in this one over Lancaster High, or JP McCaskey, 54-7. After York’s season opening 55-6 loss to Governor Mifflin, this was just the tonic to regain lost confidence. Mifflin might be that good but York is better than a 49-point loss suggests. Against JPM, they had 430 total yards with quarterback Sam Stoner getting 392 of those yards on 5 touchdown passes. The defense held JPM to 110 yards. York gets a chance to show they can go with the big boys Friday night when they travel to Coatesville (2-0) to play the undefeated Red Raiders, a favorite to win the 6A title in District-1. They took a step in that direction last week beating a strong Perkiomen Valley team 35-27. Quarterback Harrison Susi passing for 146 yards and running for 115 vs Perk Val will be a challenge for the Bearcats.
13 Central Dauphin East 1-1 (14)
Central Dauphin East demonstrated they can compete at the highest levels in the district. They did this by losing narrowly at Manheim Township 24-21 on a field goal in the last 1:28 of the game, and by defeating Warwick last week 28-21, coming back from a 21-7 deficit. Once again they presented a balanced attack, rushing for 175 yards and passing for 124 with a defense that held Warwick’s ground game to 60 yards. The defense also scored when linebacker Thaddeus Krebs had a 76 yard pick 6. Qb Tony Powell then galloped 49 yards for another score to keep pace with the visitors who scored three times in the second quarter. Powell completed two of six passes for 60 yards (52 rushing) before leaving with an ankle. In came Terrence Jackson-Copney (6-0, 175) to complete three of six passes for 62 yards and a 6-yard Td to Mehki Flowers in the fourth quarter. He also scored a 1-yard touchdown two minutes later, finishing with 49 rushing. Running back Marcel McDaniels (5-8, 160, jr) got 78 yards rushing, some of it straight ahead. He combined with Tymere Thornton (6-5, 215, sr, 2/78py), Mehki Flowers (1/16ry. 3/45py) and Powell as a throwing and running threat to give them a legitimate arsenal of weapons. And with Jackson-Copney coming off the bench to spell Powell, they’re in good shape. Powell’s ankle was not perceived to be serious. Undefeated Cedar Cliff (2-0) is next as their challenging schedule continues. The Colts resemble Warwick with a effective passing attack.
14 Warwick 5A 1-1 (12)
Warwick came to Harrisburg focused but maybe a little surprised at how much of a battle they got from CD East, failing to hold 14-7 and 21-14 leads. East High did not wear down. In fact, they came out with better adjustments defensively to outplay Warwick in the second half, holding them to a single touchdown. They did this despite quarterback Tony Powell going down with an injury in the second quarter. East won 28-21 but it was anyone’s game. Quarterback Jack Reed was on for Warwick in his second start of the year (two starts last year) completing 15 of 27 passes for 280 yards, throwing touchdowns of 84 and 29 yards. But he wasn’t enough as East held the running game to 60 yards. Christian Royer’s was it with 58 yards on 24 carries and a 2-yard score. Ryan Fink lead all receivers with 108 yards and an 84-yard Td reception, followed by Cooper Eckert catching two for 44 yards. He had 228 yards in receptions the week before. The Warriors are at upstart Ephrata (2-0) this week with their fine running back Andre Weidman who had 136 yards rushing with 3 touchdowns and a 86 yards kick-off return for a score last week.
15 Cedar Cliff 5A 2-0 (19)
There are a lot of good first year starting quarterbacks in the district this year with Ethan Dorrell being one of them. He led Cedar Cliff completing 18 of 29 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns while getting loose for a 39-yard score as the Colts edged Cocalico 33-27. It was a back and forth game especially with Cedar Cliff having three touchdowns called back for penalties. But a 4-yard toss to KC Robinson with just under a minute in the game iced it for the Colts in front of a loud crowd at West Shore Stadium. Wide out Trenton Smith was the recipient of 9 Dorrell throws for 132 yards and a touchdown. Cocalico’s Anthony Bourassa showed why he is one of the top backs in the area gaining 184 yards on 27 carries with 4 scores. The Colts get another severe test Friday traveling across the river to play Central Dauphin East who just defeated Warwick 28-21, a team very similar to the Cedar Cliff.
16 Wyomissing 3A 2-0 (HM)
Finally awoke to the reality that Wyomissing has another special team after seeing them throttle Boone in the opener 41-14 and again last week where they dominated previously ranked Pottsville 42-14. Everyone in the district knows they’re going to be good, going 168-37 since their last losing season in 2004. Figuring out how good is always the trick. Coach Bob Wolfrum once again has a team he feels good about if an interview seen last week means anything. Clearly Pottsville being down 35-0 at the half was overrated….at home! Wyo pounded out 264 yards on the ground as FB Tommy Grabowski led the way with 17 carries and 2 scores for 110 yards. Drew Eisenhower had 72 yards and a score while Amory Thompson had 32 yards on 8 carries and a touchdown. Boyertown (1-1) is next coming off a 56-8 loss to Exeter. Then the Spartans get into league play against surprising Hamburg (2-0, 3A) and Fleetwood (1-1, 5A) before the Southern Columbia game.
17 Hempfield 1-1 (15)
Hempfield fought the good fight but came up short in Manheim losing to the Barons 14-0. It was a defensive struggle with Central getting one of their scores on a 55 yard pick 6. Meanwhile, the Black Knights were one dimension with the run game held to 68 yards. But they went for it often on fourth down, being stopped on at least three attempts. Got to like that spirit! For the most part, quarterback Cam Harbaugh was held in check, completing 14 of 36 passes for 159 yards. It was a strong defensive effort by the Barons following the equally strong performance against Cumberland Valley the week before, winning 35-7. Hempfield faces another difficult game this week traveling to York to play undefeated and 2nd ranked Central York. It should be an exciting quarterback duel, matching Hempfield’s Cam Harbaugh against Central’s Beau Pribula. A full on air assault! Both can sling it. Hempfield is in a tough four game stretch (3 of 4 away) having played Manheim Central with Central York, Exeter and Warwick up next. There are going to be some scary 3 and 4 loss teams in the playoffs this year!
18 Cocalico 4A 1-1 (17)
Got to hand it to Cocalico scheduling strong teams in their non-league slate including a 36-21 win against Conrad Weiser in the opener, Cedar Cliff last week where they lost in the final seconds and Governor Mifflin this week. There were bright spots in the Cedar Cliff loss, proving they could go toe-to-toe with a 5A Mid Penn playoff team. Running back Anthony Bourassa wasn’t impressed, rushing for 184 yards and three touchdowns, bringing his season total to 392 rush yards. It was a weird game with no rhythm, and over 200 yards in penalties; three Cedar Cliff touchdowns called back because of them. The deciding factor was Cocalico’s inability to cope with Ethan Dorrell’s passing. He completed 18 of 29 passes, 62%, for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns, and ran for a 39-yard score. Governor Mifflin is next, coming in like a freight train after routing two of the better teams in the district; York 55-6 and Wilson 42-14. It’s in Denver where Cocalico will at least have the home crowd and a bunch of seniors looking to make a statement.
19 ELCO 4A 1-0 (16)
ELCO got a season opening win but dropped in the ratings following a lackluster 21-6 performance at Schuylkill Valley who fell to 0-2. Quarterback Cole Thomas rushed for 125 yards on 17 carries for the Raiders with touchdowns of 4 and 5 yards. Elliott Kreider had the other on a 4 yard run as ELCO rolled out 238 rush yards on 42 attempts. Credit SV for hanging in, down 7-6 entering the fourth quarter where two ELCO scores sealed it. The Panthers have been struggling of late, going 21-61 since 2014. ELCO moves on for what should be a stiffer challenge this week in Robesonia, just west of Reading to play Conrad Weiser (1-1). Because Weiser is also a 4A it’s a game of heightened importance.
TIE
Conrad Weiser 4A 1-1 (18)
Weiser turned things around after the season opening 36-21 loss to Cocalico by dismantling winless Muhlenberg 38-7. An adjustment in the ratings two games in dropped them down a rung to 19. But as long as quarterback Logan Klitsch stays healthy they’re a threat. He’s a good one, completing 60% of his passes for 494 yards with 102 rush yards thus far. At 6-3 200, he’s a hard tackle. He was special last year as 1st team All Berks County with 83 completions on 140 throws for 1336 yards, with a Td-Pick ratio of 15/3. He also rushed for 428 yards with 10 more touchdowns. Anything approaching those numbers this year should keep the Scouts in most games. They’ll need a strong performance this week in the home opener against ELCO who will look to run it down their throat with their veer.
20 Dallastown 6A 1-1 (HM)
It looks like Dallastown is back after disappearing the last two years going 2-8 in 2019 and 1-5 last year. We were spoiled by the Wildcats’ 48-18 record the previous six years, having one of the most explosive running backs in the area in Nyzair Smith. He led them in 2017 rushing for 2087 yards following by 1985 yards his senior year. This year’s team has nothing like that but they have talented players, enough to be competitive at Hempfield in the opener losing 28-21 and to defeat Manheim Township last week 41-38. They’re back! Coleton Mahorney and Caleb Fox are the backs accounting for most of the 264 rush yards against Township last week. Dylan Lease and Owen Strouse have rotated at quarterback throwing for 190 yards last week. Kenny Johnson (6-2,190, jr) hauled in 7 passes for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns, one for 80 yards. By games end they outgained the Blue Streaks 454 to 422 yards. A word about receiver Kenny Johnson. He’s a special talent who transferred in from Suburban after accruing 640 yards in receptions last year, second in the York-Adams. Coach said he will transform them from a run centric team to a more balanced one. Winless Hershey (0-2) who has yet to score a point is next before the York Adams-1 opener against another surprise in undefeated South Western of Hanover. Like Dtown, South Western has some exciting players.

Honorable Mention

Mid Penn
Carlisle 2-0 home to Cedar Crest 2-0
Qb Louis Shank (opened on 2nd team) went 8/12/182 with 4 Tds with a D allowing 14 total points through 2 games. Former Qb Ezeekai Thomas ran for 104 yards with 21 receiving and a touchdown in a 49-0 rout of Hershey.
East Pennsboro 4A 1-1 at Milton Hershey 4A 1-1
Running back Sy Burgos missed last week (coach said he was not available?) in loss to New Oxford after rushing for 368 yards in opener. They’ll need him at MH who features well under valued Dion Bryant who rushed for 368 yards last week.
Shippensburg 5A 2-0 home to 5A Dover 1-1
“Ship” is 106-47 from 2007-2020 with Minnesota commit DE Anthony Smith terrorizing opposition at 6-7 265. Ran for 3 Tds last week!
Boiling Springs 3A 2-0 at James Buchanan 4A 1-1
Scored 106 allowed 8 through two. Might score that much this week vs JB!

Lancaster-Lebanon
Octorara 4A 2-0 home to Pottstown 4A 0-2
Braves stormed York Tech 48-0 via 392 total yards.
Ephrata 5A 2-0 home to Warwick 5A 1-1
Andre Weidman is the real deal rushing for 149 in opener vs Muhlenberg and 135 against Palmyra last week. Careful Warwick.
Cedar Crest 2-0 at Carlisle 2-0
Jay Huber is red hot completing 22 of 35 (63%) for 408 yards with two mercy ruled wins but Carlisle will be their stiffest test to date.

York-Adams
New Oxford 5A 2-0 home to South Western 5A 2-0
Low octane at 28 points in two games but they’re shutouts, 7-0 Bermudian Springs, 21-0 East Pennsboro.
South Western 5A 2-0 at New Oxford 5A 2-0
First road but averaging 41ppg allowing 10. QB Shilo Bivins (6-4, 185) is special, throwing for 330yds at 69%. Game #2 saw backs Cohen Bull with 110 and FB Owen Reed at 115yds.
Spring Grove 5A 2-0 at Northern 4A 2-0
Zyree Brooks rushed for 130yds game #1 and 178 game #2 with twin brother Tyree rushing for 98yds in the opener. Dangerous spot in Northern’s home opener.

Dropped out
Cumberland Valley 0-2 (20)
Red Lion 5A 0-2 (HM)
Penn Manor 1-1 (HM)

Alright, week 3 is on the horizon. What game or games will you be heading to this weekend,

MDW will be traveling down the PA turnpike to Falcon Field for NP and Pennsbury.

District 3 Report: 5A through week 2.

I’ll keep this short since there are only a few points to make particularly with Governor Mifflin. Will say these early games are hard to judge with penalties, minor injuries, cramps, etc and plain old mistakes that will be ironed out in a few games

1 Governor Mifflin 2-0….Berks Inter County Conference-Section 1
# 1 Governor Mifflin is not the team they were last year. They still deliver blows with the Mid Line featuring Nicholas Singleton (6-1, 215, sr, 33/426ry) but they now use quarterbacks Eden Johnson (5-11, 195, sr, 18/141ry) and Delsin McNeil (5-11, 175, jr, 1/1/23py, 6/28ry). Like last year the fullback is integral in their scheme; Trey Rock (6-1, 215, sr, 14/76ry). Stats are current.
#2 They are spreading it around more and throwing less. Connor Maryniak was a superb all-around athlete who threw 39 passes last year in nine games. They’ve thrown once this year through two games.
#3 Eden Johnson is a strong runner, a featured back in the offense (see stats). In fact, he’s underrated as a powerful, quick runner, playing defense almost exclusively last year. He would be the featured back on many teams.
#4 They are largely a senior team. More mature physically and mentally.

So there’s the Mid Line with three options; Singleton, Rock and Johnson and that’s new, having a quarterback that is a legitimate and effective running threat.
Obviously everyone keys on Singleton forgetting or not realizing beyond their league what powerful runners Rock and Johnson are. And that’s the difference. Singleton is listed from 210 to 215. I think he’s at least 215, maybe 218-220. He’s big, strong, fast, durable, good mental and physical toughness, playing on special teams. He’ll run through tackles, probably needs to rein that in since he can cut well; stays low, good footwork-rotation (ball). Like most big men he doesn’t seem as fast as he is until you see him separate.
2 Manheim Central 2-0….Lancaster Lebanon League, Section 2
Central is not Mifflin, in terms of physical maturity. But they are veteran with most of last year’s team back, 8 on each side plus a number of backups. Qb Judd Novak was good, especially the last 2/3 of the season knowing he was recovering from off season arm surg, not in game/arm shape til maybe mid-season. He went 61%, 1114 16/3 ratio the last 6 games of the year. To date he’s 68% for 442 yards. Importantly for him and being a young team, they had no preseason routine last year. Had issues the last few with no proven Rb but have all back from last year, plus really good receivers; great hands, depth. Qb Novak is a wisp at 6-0, 165, but is accurate, shifty quick and smart, point guard on basketball team. O-line all back, D needs inside people but return a tackle and end, all the secondary and two linebackers. They look legitimate but haven’t been well tested whereas Mifflin played York and Wilson. Had a tough one last week getting past Hempfield 14-0 after blitzing Cumberland Valley 35-7 in opener. They should skate this week in Harrisburg vs Susquehanna Twp (0-2). Then get severe tests the following three weeks at Perkiomen Valley (1-1 6A) who just lost at Coatesville 35-28. I had PV in D-1 Preseason Top 10 and feel it’s a game Barons can lose. Then at Wilson (1-1) who may be able to rest starters vs MLK then Warwick (1-1, 5A) who will be coming off the Hempfield game. Remember, they’re playing with a chip on their shoulder coming off their first losing season since 1971. That’ll light a fire for a program of Manheim’s tradition. Not like they need it.
3 Exeter Township 1-1….Berks Inter County-Section 1
Saw their loss to Central York (1st game) where they had a Td called back (holding) and a meltdown of errors on another dive at 12 or 13-yard line, up 450-402 total O. Difference being Beau Pribula (17/24/338-4/1 ratio) and 5 red zone failures. But Collin Payne (-3, 180-185?) and a good running back in Eric Nagle (782 last year) kept them right there. Payne was 16 of 23 for 294 yards and 3 Tds and throws a good ball. Everyone on the team can catch (FB/LB J.R. Strauss 8 for 160 vs CY) and all return. Broke in new backs last week vs Boyertown; Cabraun Woody 114ry, Messiah Robinson 98ry. Payne again strong 6/8/226-2 Tds in limited roll in 56-8 rout. 450 tot yds vs Central York, 498 vs Boyertown. Big offense with a lot of good skill and speed. Defense is veteran with 8 back. Central York was the exception (I think?) for judging knowing they have Pribula. We’ll know more about the defense after Wilson Friday.
4 Cedar Cliff 2-0….Mid Penn Conference-Keystone Division
Here’s another team with solid quarterbacking and an offense that’s substantial averaging 45ppg. Problem is they’re allowing 31 a game beating Red Lion 56-35 and Cocalico 33-27. Qb Ethan Dorrell is a dual threat completing 70% for 494 yards (3 Tds) with 133 rush yards. Wide out Trenton Smith has been difficult to cover, getting 7/172 vs RL and 9/132 against Cocalico. Jontae Morris is another weapon with 242 yards rushing. They are only a few games from running the table before McDevitt Oct 8th with Central Dauphin East being in the way Friday. So, they appear to be the real deal offensively with a suspect defense. That could be exploited this weekend if Qb Joe Powell is healthy for East after leaving the Warwick game in 2nd qtr last week.
5 Warwick 1-1….Lancaster Lebanon League-Section 2
Here’s another team with a good first year starting quarterback in Jack Reed who came out smoking hot in a 45-22 win against Lampeter Strasburg in opener going 15/23/332-3/0 ratio, then 15/27/280-3/1 last week in a 28-21 road loss at CD East where he limped off the field? They don’t look to have a high end running back. But they spread out throws with Cooper Eckert getting 228 yards against Lamp Stras and Ryan Fink catching 3/108 yards, Eckert 4/44 vs East plus three others. They’re well coached and play hard. The schedule should allow for a good run, but there are pitfalls. Hempfield (1-1) Sep 24th is home and will be a big game (seeding) since both are likely to have 3-4 losses....followed by Manheim Central away, then 4A Cocalico (1-1) Oct 22nd who will be playing for their playoff lives having faced Cedar Cliff last week in a losing effort, Mifflin this week, Township Sep 24th, ending with Warwick and Manheim Central. Back to Warwick who can’t overlook upstart Ephrata (2-0, 5A) Friday who has enough to stress them, even upset.



**** This group from 6 to 10 (to fill out a Top 10) could pull an upset or two but probably little more. But they could make for some exciting district playoff games.

6 Spring Grove 2-0….York-Adams-Division 1
No one is calling them Central Dauphin but they’re good enough to get your attention with a competent senior quarterback in Andrew Osmun and two good running backs in the Brooks twins; Zyree and Tyree. Nine return to the offense including entire O-Line and eight to the defense. They have a road win against Waynesboro in the opener 25-20 and a home opener against West York 38-6. If they beat Northern (2-0, 4A) Friday that will be a mini statement game for them going 20-46 since 2014. Then comes division games against York Sep 24, Central York Oct 8 and Dallastown Oct 15 where they’ll get a chance to prove it against the YA’s best.

7 Shippensburg 2-0….Mid-Penn Conference-Colonial Division
Shippensburg is a well-kept secret in south central PA going 106-47 (69%) from 2007-2020. This year they had to replace a three-year starter in Eric Manning who threw for 2835 yards. Tucker Chamberlin takes over with three experienced backs but a rebuilt line. A decent cores returns on defense led by DE Anthony Smith (6-7, 275, 43 tackles, 14TFL, 9 sacks, sr) who committed to Minnesota. Off to a strong start beating Hershey 7-0 and Big Spring 34-14 with Dover in next where they will name it.

8 South Western 2-0….York-Adams-Division 1
Return a talented quarterback in Shilo Bivins (6-4, 185), three linemen and six on defense. They’re in year two of the Spread transitioning from Wing-T. Coach says have the athletes to run it. Bivins is one of them throwing for 216 yards, rushing for 56 in the opener beating Milton Hershey 47-12. Game #2 saw backs Cohen Bull with 110 and FB Owen Reed at 115yds involved, Bivins throwing for 114 beating undermanned Suburban 34-7. Trip to New Oxford will tell the tale for one of these 5As.

9 Ephrata 2-0….Lancaster Lebanon-Section 3
Most are back, 7 offense, 8 defense with Andre Weidman (5-11, 205, jr), a solid back rushing for 149 in opener vs Muhlenberg, a 41-20 win and 135 against Palmyra, a 28-7 win last week. Team has fair size and makes up in speed what they lack in bulk. Have a few good athletes to keep most teams honest. Play Warwick this week who is head and shoulders above anything they’ve faced.

10 New Oxford 2-0….York Adams-Division 2
Almost a full rebuild of the offense graduating quarterback Connor Beans (6-0, 180, sr,1268, 57%) and wide out Connor Herring (5-9, 135, 34/506py, jr). Four return to the O-Line giving them potential. Doing something right winning first two games vs Bermudian Springs 7-0 and at East Pennsboro 21-0, tho EP was without star back Sy Burgos (368yds opening game). Seem to have come into this season pumped after going 7-1 last year with a confidence building 14-12 loss to Warwick in semifinal last year, a team that was supposed to throttle them….forgetting they didn’t get a practice in that week per covid.

Harrisburg, Manheim Township football set for Saturday showdown after COVID-19 forces scheduling shuffle​

Updated: 5:44 p.m. | Published: 2:09 p.m.

Harrisburg coach Calvin Everett and his Cougars will take on Manheim Township Saturday.

By Brian Linder | blinder@pennlive.com
Harrisburg found out Wednesday it needed a football opponent for Saturday.

Manheim Township found out the same less than 24 hours later.

Since they are both 6A schools separated by just about 40 miles, this one just made too much sense. And, in the middle of a pandemic, when schedules can be chewed up and spit out in the blink of an eye, you can’t afford to pass up opportunities like that.



So, Harrisburg, which lost its Saturday home rivalry game with Bishop McDevitt when the Crusaders canceled the contest due to COVID-19 concerns, will head to Manheim Township, which lost its Saturday game against Central Dauphin, too, due to COVID-19 issues within the Rams’ program, for a Saturday showdown. The game will be played at noon.

“I feel really good about Manheim because they have a really good program,” Harrisburg head coach Calvin Everett said. “(Manheim Township coach Mark) Evans does a good job of getting his kids ready to play. They are in the playoffs year-in and year-out, so we are glad to get this game going.”

Everett called the game “perfect,” because, he said, Harrisburg and Township will also play the next two years.

The Cougars enter the game at 2-0 with wins over defending 5A champ Pine-Richland and Hazleton. Manheim Township, which features Penn State commit Anthony Ivey at receiver, is 1-1 with a win over CD East and last week’s 41-38 loss to Dallastown.

I completely get it that no one wants to discuss or even think about COVID, but I noticed that several games in the state scheduled for this weekend have been cancelled or postponed because of COVID. And school for many is just starting this week. So how detailed are plans to take into account cancelled games when it comes to playoff scheduling? And is there a common policy for requiring players, coaches, and other staff to be vaccinated? Are all the schools using the same criteria in deciding whether to cancel games? Maybe all of you know the answers but I'm not in PA and so far haven't been able to find out much.

I noticed that Maurice (Resse) Clark, who was expected to be SJP's top receiver this year, is not on this year's roster. I assume he transferred and is playing elsewhere. Anyone know where he is?

Pennsylvania high school football Week 2 rankings​

Published: 5:35 a.m.

Governor Mifflin's Nicholas Singleton takes off on a touchdown against Mechanicsburg in their high school football game at Governor Mifflin. November 06, 2020. Singleton added another Berks County record to his resume Friday in a lopsided win over Wilson. File photo. Sean Simmers |ssimmers@pennlive.com
Facebook Share
Twitter Share
By Eric F. Epler | eepler@pennlive.com
All six of PennLive’s top-ranked football teams earned impressive wins in the second official week of action. Some surprises did happen throughout the Top 10 rankings, however. Teams are listed with district, record through Sept. 6, and previous ranking.

Sign up for PennLive’s high school sports newsletter

PhillyVoice high school football Top 10: St. Joe’s Prep is the area’s No. 1 team​

But the gap is closing...​

BY JOSEPH SANTOLIQUITO
PhillyVoice Contributor
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL high school football top 10
from
JOE SANTOLIQUITO/FOR PHILLYVOICE
St. Joe's Prep players and coaches celebrate their third consecutive state title.
The gap is still there. It’s just not Grand Canyon-wide as it has been the last four years. As high school football begins in the area these last few weeks, the standard remains the same. St. Joseph’s Prep, nationally ranked again and the defending three-time PIAA 6A state champions, are the standard once more in the Delaware Valley area.

Gone are Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Clemson) and Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord (both at Ohio State) and coming to national TV real soon on Saturdays on their way to Sundays, though returning is a group of juniors and seniors that have championship-winning experience and FBS Power 5 talent.


Returning are senior defensive back Keenan Nelson, bound for South Carolina, junior middle linebacker Josiah Trotter, who has narrowed his college choices down to four, offensive lineman Brad Harris, Temple-bound receiver Reese Clark and sophomore defensive back Omillio Agard, who has already received offers from LSU, Miami, Penn State and Florida State.

“Our seniors are doing a good job of leading, and our coaching staff did a great job of adjusting to develop our young guys,” Hawks’ coach Tom Roken said. “I would say most of our veterans are back on defense, with the mix of some young guys. Most of our experience is back on the offensive line, with a pair of senior running backs in Josh Barlow and Blaine Bunch.”


The Hawks open their season against St. Mary's Ryken (MD) Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. in the first game of the Rumble on the Raritan Showcase at Smalls Athletic Field in York, Pa.

Teams that will be challenging Prep for the top spot are Imhotep Charter, which features a pair of national-level defensive ends, 6-foot-5, 230-pound Enai White, considered the nation’s No. 1 edge rusher who is considering Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Texas A&M, and Penn State-bound Keon Wylie. The Panthers opened the season with an impressive 12-6 over Pittsburgh Central Catholic—at Pittsburgh.

The other challenge will come from Prep’s Catholic League Red Division traditional rival La Salle, which features Penn State-bound linebacker Abdul Carter and Rutgers-bound power back Sam Brown. Prep and La Salle will play on Saturday, Oct. 2, 3 p.m. at Penn’s legendary Franklin Field.

On the South Jersey side, Holy Spirit, St. Augustine Prep and Millville appear to be the teams to beat.

The PhillyVoice Area Top 10​

Week of Sept. 3, 2021
1. St. Joseph's Prep (0-0)
2. Imhotep Charter (1-0)
3. La Salle (1-0)
4. Archbishop Wood (1-0)
5. North Penn (1-0)
6. Holy Spirit (NJ) (0-1)
7. St. Augustine Prep (NJ) (0-1)
8. Garnet Valley (1-0)
9. Neumann-Gorretti (1-0)
10. Millville (NJ) (1-0)
Under consideration: Northeast (0-1), Salem (NJ) (1-0), Malvern Prep (0-0), Paulsboro (NJ) (1-0), St. Joseph Academy (NJ) (1-0), Ocean City (NJ) (1-0), Woodrow Wilson (NJ) (0-0), Academy Park (1-0), Downingtown East (1-0), Coatesville (1-0), Camden (NJ) (0-1) , Bonner-Prendergast (1-0).

The PhillyVoice Southeastern PA Top 10​

Week of Sept. 3, 2021
1. St. Joseph's Prep (0-0)
2. Imhotep Charter (1-0)
3. La Salle (1-0)
4. Archbishop Wood (1-0)
5. North Penn (1-0)
6. Garnet Valley (1-0)
7. Neumann-Gorretti (1-0)
8. Malvern Prep (0-0)
9. Downingtown East (1-0)
10. Northeast (0-1)
Under consideration: Academy Park (1-0), Chester (1-0), Spring-Ford (1-0), Coatesville (1-0), Germantown Academy (0-0), Quakertown (1-0), Upper Dublin (1-0), Bonner-Prendergast (1-0).

Game to watch​

St. Joe’s Prep (0-0) vs. St. Mary’s Ryken (MD) (0-1), 6:30 p.m. Saturday night at Smalls Athletic Field (York, PA)​

It will be interesting to see the Hawks this season for the first time. St. Mary’s Ryken is coming off a 14-10 loss to Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore) last weekend, which included a goal-line stand by the Knights. St. Mary’s Ryken has a formidable defensive front and held a 10-7 fourth quarter lead on a short fourth-down TD run. The Knights were beat on a 37-yard TD pass on a second-and-16 play with 2:30 remaining in the game. St. Joe’s Prep and the Rumble on the Raritan Showcase organizers did their homework. St. Mary’s Ryken is an actual high school that does exist.

Please check out the Pre-Snap Look podcast, which features the best in high school football from across the region, and EasternPAFootball.com, the only thing better is being at the game.

Red Rovers up 14-7 at halftime. After Parkland drove down the field and scored on their second drive, Easton responded with an 11 play, 94 yard TD drive. They also had a long drive stalled out by a holding penalty. Then, after a short Parkland punt before halftime, drove 40 yards for a score, including an awesome catch by Kyle Evancho on the sideline over a defender.

Marcus Williams is over 100 yards and halftime and Cole Transue is 6-6 throwing the ball - this might be his best game in his career so far. For Parkland, Ty Tremba had to be helped off on the last drive after getting sacked. Something to watch.

I'm going to find time somewhere this week for an update of 5A ball in Dist-3 as we appear to have three outstanding teams. One thing is certain, Governor Mifflin is better than last year and honestly looks unstoppable. Who knows, its HS FB but they look special. More later as can; working on the write ups.

Zephyrs taking Becahi behind the woodshed, good God.

I know preseason polls are meaningless, but Becahi being a top 5 team in 4A is laughable after two weeks. They might go 1-9

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“I’m really excited for our upcoming season. We have a lot of new and great coaches and a big group of hardworking and talented players. We’re ready to make our presence felt in the WPIAL.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’m pleased with my play in our scrimmage, but there’s several things I need to focus on to improve my game.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“We had a solid scrimmage and did very well in our 7 on 7s during the summer.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“We can definitely improve our understanding of our new defense. It’s more complicated than last year’s and the better understanding we have of it, the easier it will be to just go out there and play.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“One key to success for us is consistency. We have potential to be a really good team if we’re able to make our flashes happen more and more often. Another would be not being overwhelmed by this season. We have a lot of guys, including myself, who haven’t had the full varsity football experience. Nobody really had a full stadium, student section, or band last year, so hopefully we won’t be overwhelmed by that.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do hope to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’m under the recruiting radar right now, but I’m hopeful that that will change this season.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
"N/A."

Have you made any college trips yet?
"N/A."

Do you have plans for game day trips?
"N/A."

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“That would easily be Penn State. It’s in my blood. My 3 sisters, 2 of my cousins, and my uncle are students or alumni. My dad also got his Master’s degree there and teaches at a branch campus.”