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Class 6A Playoff Predictions - 11/25

PA Preps predicts the winners from the critical playoff games coming up this weekend now!

Our predictions are listed below in bold.

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Semifinals:

Downingtown West vs. Central Dauphin

Why: Offensive firepower. Downingtown West has scored at least 40-points in all four of their playoff games.

St. Joseph’s Prep vs. Central Catholic

Why: The defending state champions have been at a different level than other in-state programs and it will show up once again in this battle.

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Championship:

Downingtown West vs. St. Joseph’s Prep

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Add your picks in this thread now!

Class 5A Playoff Predictions - 11/25

PA Preps predicts the winners from the critical playoff games coming up this weekend now!

Our predictions are listed below in bold.

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Semifinals:

Cocalico vs. Cheltenham

Why: Leaning on a strong defensive attack is what has Cocalico playing in the semifinals. It allows them to live another week against a talented group from Cheltenham.

Gateway vs. Archbishop Wood

Why: Their ability to make the big plays late is something that could make this a postseason to remember at Gateway.

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Championship:

Cedar Cliff vs. Gateway

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Add your picks in this thread now!

Class 4A Playoff Predictions - 11/26

PA Preps predicts the winners from the critical playoff games coming up this weekend now!

Our predictions are listed below in bold.

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Semifinals:

Jersey Shore vs. Dallas

Why: The ability of Dallas to move the chains both in the running and passing game is why they are undefeated in 2019.

Thomas Jefferson vs. Lampeter-Strasburg

Why: The defensive pressure of Thomas Jefferson does not get enough credit and it has shown in a major way during the postseason.

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Championship:

Dallas vs. Thomas Jefferson

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Add your picks in this thread now!

Class 3A Playoff Predictions - 11/27

PA Preps predicts the winners from the critical playoff games coming up this weekend now!

Our predictions are listed below in bold.

Semifinals:

Wyoming Area vs. Tamaqua

Why: The pressure that Wyoming Area puts on foes with their offensive firepower is at another level in the Class 3A ranks.

Bald Eagle Area vs. Central Valley

Why: As long as they don't lose their momentum from a week off, Central Valley has been one of the hottest teams in the state and it continues here.

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Championship:

Wyoming Area vs. Central Valley

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Add your picks in this thread now!

Class 2A Playoff Predictions - 11/26

PA Preps predicts the winners from the critical playoff games coming up this weekend now!

Our predictions are listed below in bold.

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Semifinals:

Southern Columbia vs. Richland Twp

Why: The riches of Southern Columbia are just not fair at the Class 2A level.

Wilmington vs. Avonworth

Why: Holding their quarterfinal foe to just six points shows how athletic the Avonworth defense is as a whole.

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Championship:

Southern Columbia vs. Avonworth

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Add your picks in this thread now!

Class 1A Playoff Predictions - 11/27

PA Preps predicts the winners from the critical playoff games coming up this weekend now!

Our predictions are listed below in bold.

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Semifinals:

Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Lackawanna Trail

Why: The chip on the shoulder of Lackawanna Trail has continued to take their team to another level and it shows every time they take the field.

Farrell vs. Clairton

Why: Farrell has put up 88-points in their last two games and may be peaking at just the right time.

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Championship:

Lackawanna Trail vs. Farrell

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Add your picks in this thread now!

Congrats DT West

Milano called an excellent game, and his players executed it. Let's hope they head to Hershey in a few weeks.

CVille: What a run. Incredible. Ortega and Bryant are winners. Special football players. Might take a step back next year but they won't be down for long.

Congrats to both coaches, communities and programs-it's why we love living in Downingtown.

Q&A with Exeter Township quarterback Gavin McCusker

How did the high school football season go overall?
“It was great. My team went 9-4 and made it the farthest in districts than any other Exeter Team.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“My plan is to get back to the weight room and working with my QB coach.”

What are you trying to improve on the most as a player?
“I am trying to improve on my ability to slide up in the pocket, as well as gain weight and work on the little things.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think we will do even better.”

Who do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule next season?
“Wilson.”

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
N/A

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, Penn, Widener, and Kings.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“No, but hopefully there are more when I send my film out.”

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

Q&A with Northeast defensive tackle Amara Yobouet

How did the high school football season go overall?
“It went good.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“My plans now are to get better for next season.”

What are you trying to improve on the most as a player?
“I’m trying to improve to be the best defensive tackle in state.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel like my team will be number one in state.”

Who do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule next season?
“I feel like our toughest competition on our schedule for next season would be St. Joseph Prep.”

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“7 colleges.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, I had made some college trips.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, Penn State.”

Q&A with Abington defensive back Oreck Frazier

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Our season went very well. We went from a record of 4-6 the past two years to 8-3 with a League Championship and a playoff appearance.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Since our season is over, I’ve been on the court and in the weight room in preparation for the upcoming basketball season.”

What are you trying to improve on the most as a player?
“As a player, I plan to work on pretty much all aspects of the game since I’m never personally satisfied. However, if I had to pick one, it’d be using my size to take advantage of pressing a receiver.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think our team will be good next year. We have the entire O-line, D-line, and most receivers returning, but it’s not every day a team has one of the best dual quarter backs in the state (Tamir Berthau), so we will need to work hard with what we have.”

Who do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule next season?
“I think one of the toughest games next year will be either North Penn or one of the Central Bucks Schools.”

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Penn State, Michigan State, Temple, Boston College, Buffalo, Army, Nova, and others.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Temple was the first to offer me at the end of my sophomore year, so we have been in contact the longest.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have gone to local games such as Temple, Rutgers, and Nova, as well as the Penn State Whiteout. As far as official visits, I haven’t taken any yet.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I don’t have any trips planned in the near future, but they are sure to come.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was Princeton since I have more of an academic background. I didn’t play in a real football game until 8th grade, so my childhood wasn’t football oriented.”

Q&A with Laurel offensive guard Mitch Miles

How did the high school football season go overall?
“We finished 7-3. It was a little disappointing for us in not making the playoffs. We had a lot of serious injuries to our starters. At one point, we were missing 6 starters. We beat Sto-Rox, who was the conference champion, and lost to Clariton and they were both playing for the WPIAL championship.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I work out each day after school and before wrestling practice. I have a goal of making it to the state championships in wrestling this year. I made it to Regionals the last two years, and I'm trying to qualify for the state Track meet again this year.”

What are you trying to improve on the most as a player?
“Because we don't throw the ball a lot, I work in the offseason on my pass blocking with some former college coaches.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I am excited about next season. We have a lot of returning starters that have played since they were freshmen that will be juniors and seniors. We will be putting a lot of experience on the field.”

Who do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule next season?
“It is hard to say, because we may move up a division, and who knows what the conferences will look like. I see that Sto-Rox is also moving up and they have been a tough opponent that we beaten two years in a row now, but they are always really good.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, absolutely. I love football and wrestling, so I guess it will just come down to which one gives me the best opportunity to get a good education in a place where I am comfortable.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been talking to coaches from Pitt, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Duke, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“It is hard to say, as I talk to a lot of coaches, but at this point I would say Pitt.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“We have taken a lot of unofficial visits this fall to games at Pitt several times, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia Tech, Eastern Michigan, and Toledo.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I am going to Pitt again and Buffalo.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“No one in particular. I had lots that I liked, but not a single favorite.”

Q&A with Salisbury Township quarterback Quintin Stephens

How did the high school football season go overall?
“I thought the high school football season went well. We made it to our first championship game since 2006.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I play basketball so I’ll be busy with that until about the spring and then I will be getting back into workouts and heavier lifting sessions.”

What are you trying to improve on the most as a player?
“I would say that I could probably improve on my deep ball accuracy and I would like to get a little faster.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We are joining a new league next year, which is going to put us up against our sized schools and I expect to be a top team in the division with our whole offense of line returning and our receiver who led the league in receiving and myself who led the league in passing.”

Who do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule next season?
“We will be playing North Schuylkill and Tamaqua, who were both in the 3A district championship this year.”

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Columbia and the University of Penn have shown some interest so far.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have made some trips to the University of Notre Dame and Muhlenberg College.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I was thinking of traveling down to the University of Penn, Temple, and also Delaware.”

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

The Recruiting Zone (November 25th, 2019)

Find out what colleges are recruiting Quintin Stephens, Mitch Miles, Oreck Frazier, Amara Yobouet, and Gavin McCusker now!

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

Salisbury Township quarterback Quintin Stephens
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I would like to either play basketball or football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Columbia and the University of Penn have shown some interest so far.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have made some trips to the University of Notre Dame and Muhlenberg College.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I was thinking of traveling down to the University of Penn, Temple, and also Delaware.”

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

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

Laurel offensive guard Mitch Miles
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, absolutely. I love football and wrestling, so I guess it will just come down to which one gives me the best opportunity to get a good education in a place where I am comfortable.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been talking to coaches from Pitt, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Duke, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“It is hard to say, as I talk to a lot of coaches, but at this point I would say Pitt.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“We have taken a lot of unofficial visits this fall to games at Pitt several times, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia Tech, Eastern Michigan, and Toledo.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I am going to Pitt again and Buffalo.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“No one in particular. I had lots that I liked, but not a single favorite.”

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

Abington defensive back Oreck Frazier
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I plan on playing college football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Penn State, Michigan State, Temple, Boston College, Buffalo, Army, Nova, and others.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Temple was the first to offer me at the end of my sophomore year, so we have been in contact the longest.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have gone to local games such as Temple, Rutgers, and Nova, as well as the Penn State Whiteout. As far as official visits, I haven’t taken any yet.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“I don’t have any trips planned in the near future, but they are sure to come.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was Princeton since I have more of an academic background. I didn’t play in a real football game until 8th grade, so my childhood wasn’t football oriented.”

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

Northeast defensive tackle Amara Yobouet
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes I want to play in college. I don’t know yet which college I’m going to.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“7 colleges.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, I had made some college trips.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, Penn State.”

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

Exeter Township quarterback Gavin McCusker
Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I want to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
N/A

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, Penn, Widener, and Kings.”

Do you have plans for more trips soon?
“No, but hopefully there are more when I send my film out.”

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

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

Playoffs, Quarterfinals........by the numbers.

Coatesville 10-2, 197.87 vs Downingtown West 12-1, 199.67
Without question these are the two best teams in the district (nice being able to say that!) with Coatesville blowing through their playoff opponents, Souderton 49-18, Central Bucks West 41-24 and Garnet Valley 48-27 while Downingtown manhandling Pennsbury 63-35, before encountering resistance from North Penn 40-31 and Haverford 49-42. Some vindication for North Penn giving a good account of themselves amidst criticisms with props to Haverford lofting the oft maligned Central Leagues banner (with Garnet Valley) up a notch with their effort.
Tough call here with the numbers saying it’s dead even against quality teams used in the study. For Coatesville the teams were Harrisburg, Cumberland Valley, Rustin, D-West, D-East and playoff teams Souderton, CB-West and Garnet Valley; did not use Unionville. For Downingtown West, used Garnet Valley, CB-South, D-East, WC-East, Coatesville and playoff opponents Pennsbury, North Penn and Haverford; did not use Perkiomen Valley. Barring Harrisburg, no one held Coatesville’s offense within striking distance except the Downingtown schools; West in a 29-21 loss, East in a 28-24 win; very un-Coatesville like outputs. It’s a good day when you hold Coatesville under 30. Still hard seeing this as low scoring. Will be interesting seeing the adjustments made. Dink and dunk last time with Ortega hitting the underneath stuff where Bryant and Stewart tore up D-West….and on special teams with Bryant breaking a few. Coatesville limited Howard (50%, 250yds, 0/1 ratio) while holding Lewis in check. Probably fair to say or argue that Downingtown has more weapons (Howard, Lewis, Pelkisson, Hale, Rosano) while Coatesville’s dual threat Ortega, Dapree Bryant and Stewart are more explosive. Downingtown has the system and players to pound it out (if can, will they?) and own some clock. But do they have the personnel to impede Coatesville’s explosiveness? The game is at Kottmeyer Stadium.
Central Dauphin 11-1, 208.37……..bye week
This will change after input from State College and Coatesville’s (per Harrisburg game) to another value. I’m not inside the program but know those that are to say they do not want to be on the sidelines the way they’ve been playing. Players want to play!
St. Joseph’s Prep 9-2, 211.10 vs Nazareth 12-1, 175.98
Monster confidence builder last week beating Northeast 43-26 without Kyle McCord under center tho well replaced by wide-out Malik Cooper, completing 3 of 8 for 20 yards and 104 rushing on 14 carries. Kolbe Burrell and the O-Line were dominant, rushing for 214 yards. Of some concern was Northeast’s Charles Britt throwing for 288 yards and 2 scores, with Jon-Luke Parker rushing for 128, knowing Nazareth has a dynamic, elusive quarterback. End of the day SJP dominated, responding to a 14-0 deficit by outscoring Ne 43-12. In District-11, top seeded Nazareth poured it all out on the field last week avenging the only loss of the season beating Parkland (10-3) 22-21 in overtime. That’s a lot of expended emotion avenging your only loss of the season and winning a rare (4th) district title. Plus, it is always a big deal beating Parkland….always! And, it followed a hard fought 20-12 win over Easton the week before. Their primary weapon is third year starting quarterback Anthony Harris (6-3, 180, sr, ME, Lehigh). He’s one of the more elusive quarterbacks in the state with a great receiver in Nathan Stefanik, their all-time leading receiver with 194 receptions. They’re senior laden. Of note, Isaiah Rico for Parkland ran for 211 on Naz’s defense last week taking the number down a few pegs. Still surprised how low Naz and the entire EPC-South came out in the ratings. The game is in BASD.
State College 11-1, 185.77 vs Pitt Central Catholic 11-1, 180.61
State College edges Central Catholic per a superior schedule of Mid Penn Commonwealth teams, beating all except Central Dauphin. That’s good since playoff games against McDowell 42-21 and Delaware Valley 38-7 were unchallenging. Central Catholic’s only opponents of note were a loss to North Allegheny 11-10 and wins against Pine Richland 29-7 in the regular season and last week 10-7 in the WPIAL final. This one shapes up a little like Coatesville-Downingtown, pitting SC’s diverse offense that floods the field with weapons (36ppg) against Central Catholic’s defense that allows 9ppg with an all-star DL. Qb Dom Peitro is an issue with a Td/Pick ratio of 2 to 10 at 54% for 1010 yards. SC’s Brady Dorner is at 65% for 1708 yards with a 14/5 ratio, rushing for 440 yards. Edward Tillman has 1754 yards on 229 carries for Catholic. Dresyn Green is at 1144 yards, Isaiah Edwards at 516 with 650 in receptions and Lokey Howell at 305 rush yards and 530 in receptions for SC. The combination of more weapons, a defense allowing 13ppg in a very difficult conference sees them with the statistical advantage here….with a big but. They’ve had no success against the WPIAL rep 3 of the last 4 years, losing to Pine Richland last year 56-33 and the year before 49-21 and in 2015 against Central Catholic 19-3. Two of the three losses were against the eventual state champ, Pine Richland (16-0) in 2017 and Central Catholic (15-1, lost to NA 24-7) in 2015. But with a defense allowing 13ppg in a conference that rates out as the best in the state, this may just be the year they get past their historic nemesis. The game is at North Allegheny High in Wexford.

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Mid-State Rankings and Playoffs: Week 13 Nov 20, 2019:

All classes are 6A and District 3 teams unless otherwise shown; Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 9.
1 Central Dauphin (11-2)

Central Dauphin survived another Mid Penn slugfest, rallying from a 7-6 halftime deficit to defeat Harrisburg 27-20, winning their first District-3 title since 2011. Timmy Smith stood out on offensive, rushing for 126 yards and 3 scores while Max Mosey’s laser sharp passes kept the Cougars at bay, completing 13 of 15 passes for 179 yards. Five went to their standout D1 receiver-defensive back Nick Chimienti for 78 yards. The Ram’s staunch defense that is almost a given, held Harrisburg to 108 yards rushing at the expense of 180 passing yards from their standout junior quarterback John McNeil. CD’s offense has slowly rounded into a balanced attack, rushing for 152, passing for 179. Credit a typical CD line for some of that, featuring Blaise Heshler (OT, 6-4, 285), Chad Layton (OT, 6-2, 280), Bryce Thoman (OG, 6-5, 270), Cam Sansoni (OG, 6-2, 235), Nathan Mosey (C, 5-11, 220) and Jackson Talbott (TE, 6-3, 225). Unfortunately, the playoff format forces them to the sidelines this week with a bye, losing any momentum of their ten game winning streak awaiting the outcome of the Coatesville-Downingtown West game.
2 State College (11-1, D6)
State College dominated on the ground as well as on defense taking advantage of four Delaware Valley turnovers and a blocked punt turned into scores in their opening round rout of District-2 power Delaware Valley (11-2). On a team loaded with play makers, Lokey Howell was the guy this week, snagging a second quarter pick and a 40 yard Td reception from Brady Dorner the very next play. He ending the game with 3 receptions for 101 yards plus a 39 yard scoring run. DV was held to 108 total yards, 65 rushing and 4 first downs. State got it going from the very start, aided by DV’s turnovers, scoring three touchdowns in a two minute stretch of the second quarter after taking a 14-0 first quarter lead. From there, they cruised to a 38-7 opening-round win that would have been more minus their four turnovers. The win establishes the Class of 2020 as the winningest class in State High history with 33 wins the last three seasons. It also puts them in the 6A quarter final against Pittsburgh Central Catholic (11-1) who edged Pine-Richland (10-2) 10-7 for their ninth straight win. SC won their last four games since suffering their only loss of the season against Central Dauphin 34-13 at State College October 11th. Despite the ruggedness of the Mid Penn schedule, it was favorable, with the most difficult games played at State College. That’s not the case this week traveling to North Allegheny High in Wexford (above Pittsburgh) for their toughest road game of the year.
3 Harrisburg (9-4)
The Cougars had another strong year, highlighted by a season opening road win against Coatesville (10-2) 14-6 with subsequent wins against Cedar Cliff (10-2) 41-7, Cumberland Valley (5-6) 37-10, Central York (9-2) 47-14 and Wilson (10-2) 33-29 before seeing their two year run as conference champ come to an end at Central Dauphin last week. They return a good core for next season including quarterback John McNeil who will operate behind another powerful line that returns juniors Layne Brannon 6-4 305, Jamear Henderson 6-0 240, All Everything Nate Bruce 6-5 300, and sophomore Tyshawn Black 5-11 275. About 2020; Hopefully Coatesville and Harrisburg will play, but as of now, Coatesville has not renewed the contract.
4 Manheim Township (11-1)……..season over
5 Wilson (10-2)……..season over
6 Southern Columbia (13-0, 2A, D4
)
Southern won their 27th District-4 title defeating Mount Carmel 49-0. Once again they did all their scoring in the first half, winning their 45th straight game for their tenth shutout of the season and thirteenth mercy ruled game of the year. Undefeated Upper Dauphin Area (12-0, D3) is next, coming off a bye after defeating 3rd seeded Delone Catholic (8-4) 36-28. It’s difficult feeling Upper Dauphin can have much success against SCA knowing the Tigers already defeated decent 2A, 3A and 4A teams. This includes 2A Mount Carmel (10-3), twice, 48-0 and 49-0, 3A powers Montoursville (12-1) 35-0 and Wyoming Area (11-1) 42-0, 4A Jersey Shore (10-3) 56-14….and South Carolina private school power Hammond (11-2) 36-0. SCA is so unusually talented with a once in a lifetime class, their scores hide the fact they have played representative teams. The game with Upper Dauphin is at neutral site Selinsgrove Friday with the winner playing the winner of the Bishop McDevitt (7-6, D12, PCL-Blue)-Richland (12-0, D6) game. UDA has a special player in Macklin Ayers (6-3, 210, sr….PWO-Penn St) with 3069 total yards this year; 1143 passing at 70%, 1926 rushing. But they lack the speed, size and physicality of a team like Southern to compete offensively or defensively, knowing how the Tigers manhandled teams like Wyoming Area, Mount Carmel et al.
7 Cocalico (10-2, 5A, 1st seed)
The Eagles are playing solid football the last three games beating Lampeter Strabsurg (10-3) 41-13 then Governor Mifflin (8-4) 42-14, and now Warwick (10-3) 21-13 in the District-3 semifinal at home last week. After falling behind 13-7 at the half, Cocalico tightened the screws, holding Warwick scoreless thereon, while shutting down their ground game to 78 yards rushing. Warwick couldn’t stop Cocalico’s veer that pounded away with 44 carries totaling 212 yards. The stats were almost dead even with Cocalico at 298, Warwick at 308. The difference being Cocalico quarterback Noah Palm’s versatility, keeping Warwick guessing all night especially in the second half. By games end he completed 4 of 7 passes for 84 yards while rushing for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The win advances them to the district final for a rematch with Cedar Cliff, a team they beat eleven weeks ago at Cedar Cliff 43-15. This one is in Denver where the Colts will be looking for some pay back while Cocalico looks for a repeat performance.
8 Warwick (10-3, 5A)
Quarterback Joey McCracken had a decent outing completing 18 of 33 passes for 230 yards, mostly to Conor Adams who had 8 receptions for 102 yards that came up short in a losing effort at Cocalico 21-13 in the district semifinal. Although they came up short, this was a historic season and their highest win total ever. Look for them to field another powerful team next season with Joey McCracken back plus wide out Caleb Schmitz (6-3, 190, jr, 56/957), TE Thatcher Miller (6-3, 210, jr, 10/180) and Colton Miller (6-2, 205, jr) who rushed for 1315 yards. McCracken finished the year at 2914 yards with a 27/6 ratio and 62% completion rate. The Lancaster Lebanon League will realign in 2020 to 4 Sections, with Cocalico (5A), Conestoga Valley (5A), Elizabethtown (5A), Manheim Central (5A), Solanco (5A) and Warwick (5A) going to Section 2.
9 Manheim Central (9-3, 5A)……..season over
10 Cedar Cliff (10-2, 5A, 2nd seed)

Cedar Cliff picked the perfect time for one of their best defensive efforts of the year against one of the more balanced offences in the district when they shutout 11th seeded Exeter Township (9-4) 24-0, the first shutout of the year for both teams! Heck of an effort with Exeter at 34ppg and a pile of weapons. The Colts have a few too with Jaheim Morris rushing for 199 yards on 25 carries, doing most of his damage in the second half. Both teams have good young quarterbacks (2020 looking good, soph/jr Qbs everywhere!) with Cedar Cliff’s Gannon McMeans (6-0, 190, jr) completing 16 of 25 for 142 yards. This has been a strong rebuild for the Colts who were fortunate having senior Jaheim Morris’s 2430 yards rushing this year to build around! Most impressive was the defensive effort, holding Exeter to 174 total yards. Plus the O-line neutralizing DT Jaylin Miller (6-0, 250) who came in with 25 TFL and 6 Sacks, leaving with the same. They advance to the District-3 final Friday in Denver against Cocalico, a team that routed them 42-13 way back on August 29th.
11 Wyomissing (12-0, 3A, 1st seed)
Middletown rallied from a 10-0 deficit to take a 14-10 lead in the third quarter before Wyomissing was forced to rally with two scoring tosses to topple the three time defending District-3 Blue Raiders 24-21. It caught Middletown off guard when the Wing-T Spartans went to the air for 63 and 22 yard touchdowns. Like Middletown, this is a down-hill, in your face team that typically pounds you into submission behind a physical line with a blend of quick and powerful backs. They employed that early with FB Evan Niedrowski (6-2, 230, converted OL) gashing them for 114 yards on 18 carries, and Max Hurleman (5-11, 170) breaking out of the backfield for a 22 yard scoring toss finishing with 55 total yards. Qb Jordan Auman (5-10, 150!) completed 5 of 7 passes for 118 yards. This was a quite a struggle with Middletown topping Wyomissing 356 to 258 total yards, fighting the good fight until a 4th down pass fell incomplete at Wyo’s 20 yard line. Tamaqua (11-2, D-11) is next, coming off a strong win against Pope John Paul II (10-3, D1) 47-21. They have three common opponents with Wyo going 3-0 against North Schuylkill 31-14, Blue Mountain 35-14 and Pottsville 21-20 2ot and Tamaqua going 1-2 losing to North Schuylkill 27-18 and Pottsville 34-17, defeating Blue Mountain 49-14.
12 Berks Catholic (8-4, 4A, 3rd seed)
Berks Catholic traveled to Hershey to play 2nd seeded Milton Hershey, coming away with a lopsided 49-18 win. The Spartans self-destructed with 5 turnovers (3 fumbles, 2 picks) and couldn’t stop anything BC tried. And forget penetrating the Saint’s D-front that was impenetrable, holding them to 20 total rush yards. 20! Hard figuring Milton Hershey’s complete ineptness, even on defense allowing BC 370 yards rushing. Goes without saying the backfield that limped through the season injured is back at full strength for BC with Abdul MacFoy gaining 142 yards, Colby Newton 74, CJ Carwll 70 and Nolan Larkin 42 yards. That’s the backfield that had them ranked 8th in the Mid State Preseason Rankings. The quarterfinal is next at home against upstart Lampeter Strasburg, coming off their 30-27 win at Bishop McDevitt.
13 Lampeter Strasburg (10-3, 4A, 8th seed)
Lampeter Strasburg came back from a 20-0 half time deficit to defeat Bishop McDevitt 30-27 at the defending district champion’s home field. Impressive stuff with McDevitt holding 14 District-3 titles. What’s more impressive is knowing they didn’t cave after McDevitt scored on their first two possessions. Many would have tanked. And, their leading rusher Bryan McKim (1114 yards) was sidelined with an injury and didn’t play. Pretty sure he’s back. Another young quarterback in the district, junior Conor Nolt, ignited a 23 point third quarter giving LS their first lead. His ability to pass effectively caught McDevitt flatfooted, connecting with Alex Knapp on a 94 yard touchdown. Then he bolted 16 yards for a quick score before Beau Heyer had a 6 yard touchdown leaving the Crusaders reeling. Nolt’s 1 yard run iced it in the fourth. He finished with 218 yards (13 of 26, 2 Tds) and 37 rushing (1 Td). Their ability to hold McDevitt’s running back Marquese Williams to 83 yards on 18 carries and the team to 58 net yards rushing had much to do with their success. Hats off to the Pioneers for a tough road win and strong season after losing quarterback Sean McTaggart (6-1, 195, jr) the first game of the year with an ACL. Getting 10 wins minus his production of 2420 total yards and 24 touchdowns is quite an accomplishment. They’ll be some serious competition for the position next year! The District-3 title game is next in Reading against resurgent Berks Catholic.
14 Milton Hershey (10-2, 4A)
This was an unbelievable ending for a 10 win team getting completely outplayed at home in a 49-18 playoff loss. Wow! Go figure, an athletic team with a decent resume averaging 37ppg held to 139 total yards, shutdown on the ground to 20 rush yards. The defense was also a no-show, allowing 402 total yards, 370 rushing. Come on guys, it’s Berks Catholic; they’re going to run the ball +90 % of the time! Still a good year wresting the Mid Penn-Colonial title from three time defending Middletown.
15 Middletown (10-2, 3A)
Middletown rallied from 10 down but it wasn’t enough in the District-3 final, losing to a solid Wyomissing team 24-21. See Wyo above. The loss ends Middletown’s three year ownership of the district crown and streak of three straight 3A state finals appearances. The bright spot for the future is the return of sophomore quarterback Joe Powell (6-4, 195) who completed 6 of 15 for 162 yards with 2 interceptions and touchdowns of 46 and 81 yards. Powell is another in a long list of promising District-3 quarterbacks returning for 2020. Jose Lopez finished with 130 yards and a score on 20 carries. More info and year end stats on the Raiders next week.
16 Bishop McDevitt (8-4, 4A)
In the end, McDevitt couldn’t handle the Spread/Wing-T, blowing a 20-0 half time lead and losing at home to 8th seeded Lampeter Strasburg 30-27. McDevitt is one of the local bad asses and LS is not, at least in the eyes of some Mid Penn folks. Maybe that got in the way for the defending 4A district champ after scoring on their first two possessions to build a 3 touchdown lead at the half. See LS write up above. As always, there is much to look forward to at a school like McDevitt with so much youth making a positive impact this year. Junior quarterback Lek Powell (5-10, 180) threw for 258 yards with 3 touchdowns, taking his season total to 2023 yards with a ratio of 18/8 at 61%. Senior Julian Jordan had a strong finish snagging 6 passes for 110 yards and 2 Tds. Freshman running back Marquese Williams (5-10, 175) rushed for 83 yards against LS ending the season at 1016 yards. Wide outs Mario Easterly (53/760), Omari Hopkins (20/492), Kamil Foster (19/329) and Dedrick Tinker (28/252) return to set them up for big things next year.
17 Exeter Township (9-4, 5A)
Exeter’s exciting season came to a close at 2nd seeded Cedar Cliff in the District-3 semifinal, losing 24-0. The Colts threw some serious D at the Eagles, holding them to 174 total yards of offense. See Cedar Cliff above. For next season they bring back a lot of skill including quarterback Gavin McCusker (6-2, 185, jr) who threw for 2238 yards at 57% with a ratio of 24/8. Impressive stats for a first year starter. What they will miss is wide receiver Alex Javier who set school records at 48 receptions in a game, career receptions at 95 and receiving yards in a season at 957 yards.
18 Susquehanna Township (7-4, 4A)……..season over
19 Central York (9-2)……..season over
20 Chambersburg (6-5)……..season over


Honorable Mention:
Jersey Shore (10-3, 4A, D4)
vs Pottsville (11-2, D-11) at Danville
Richland (12-0, 2A, D6) vs Phl-Bishop McDevitt (7-6, D-12) at Chambersburg
Montoursville (12-1, 3A, D4) vs Wyoming Area (11-1, D-2) at Williamsport
Upper Dauphin (12-0, 2A) vs Southern Columbia at Selinsgrove
Governor Mifflin (8-4, 5A)….season over
Gettysburg (8-3, 4A)….season over
York Suburban (10-1, 4A)….season over
Lancaster Catholic (10-2, 3A)….season over
Mount Carmel (10-3, 2A, D4).…season over
Cedar Crest (7-4)….season over
Cumberland Valley (5-6)….season over
Shippensburg (11-1, 5A)….season over
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