Mid State Football Top 20….Capsules (11-20)
Here are some more odds and ends that may be of interest as well as a few stats, personnel info, etc from the ranking previously posted on Aug 5th
11 Williamsport 7-4 home to Central Mountain 1-9
With Central Mountain, Altoona, Berwick, Hazelton and Crestwood up first, look for a fast start for the Millionaires (like State College) knowing they have key parts of last year’s team back. This includes Joe Fagnano who completed 212 of 327 passes at 65% for 2468 yards last year. His top two receivers also return in super quick Marcus Simmons (5-8, 145, 72/790) and Colin Espisito (5-6, 135, 30/370). The line returns Ben Garverick (6-2 270 sr), Ethan Williamson (6-3 285 jr) and Tucker Kreisher (6-2 275 sr). Of note is the return of one of PA’s top backs in Treyson Potts (5-10, 185 Minnesota commit) who missed all of last year with an ACL after rushing for over 2000 yards as a sophomore. Should roll BIG here.
12 Central Dauphin East 6-5 home to #14 Manheim Township 12-2
East High is that other team in the MP-Commonwealth that is often overshadowed by SC, CD, CV, et al, with good reason! But, they can be a handful with their 5 year 38-23 won/loss in a tough league and a more seasoned group like this year’s team that returns their Qb, some backs and receivers and many from last year’s porous defense. Not sure if that’s good or bad but they did beat everyone they were supposed to last year, and pulled the upsets taking down Central Dauphin 35-31 while getting to 5-1 before the crash. They’re a lot like Emmaus, Central Bucks East and C.B. West, being a threat but not quite getting there, making them a spooky bunch that could catch Township here in a big rebuilding year. Panthers?
13 Governor Mifflin 12-2 at #16 Cedar Cliff 7-3
Like Manheim Township, Wilson and Central Dauphin, the Mustangs are in a major rebuild off last year’s 12-2 season where they lost to Manheim Central in the 5A district final 30-29 after shocking Harrisburg. That puts them in jeopardy in the opener for a rare game in Camp Hill playing Cedar Cliff. This will be big stuff at West Shore Stadium since the Colts have some people back from last year and look to be highly competitive coming off a 7-3 season. But, Mifflin is one of “the” programs with 14 consecutive winning seasons and a 7-year record of 67-19. The Mustangs are the real deal almost every year, which is where Cedar Cliff wants to be. A win here would begin that process.
14 Manheim Township 12-2 at #12 CD East 6-5
Wow, the mid state is loaded with season opening games between “name” teams. It just goes on and on and is great to see the top teams from the Lancaster-Lebanon, Mid Penn and Berks County Leagues mix it up, especially in openers. Bravo! This is a tough spot for Township playing a more veteran team at Landis Field where they’ll be a good turnout Saturday that should include staff and players from Central Dauphin perhaps Cumberland Valley who played Friday. So it will draw a crowd for a number of reasons. Plus everyone likes checking out last year’s district champ to see how they stack up this year. They’ll call it a one year thing knowing Wilson was “off” last year unless they win here. Panthers and Streaks!
15 Dallastown 8-3 home to Hempfield 8-4
Check out D-Town’s Wildcats who finished with a flurry going 5-1 but losing to Hempfield 31-28 in the 1st round. This came after they lost to the Black Knights in the opener in Dallastown 38-14 so they’ll be pumped. They return one of the top backs in central PA in Nyzair Smith (5-10, 180, sr) with 2097 rush yards last year. 6-3, 195 sr John Cook got time at Qb (10 games 10/19 155yds) so they should be diverse. Meanwhile Hempfield graduated one of the top dual threat Qb in Mark Himmelsback who passed for 1476 yards and threw for another 1510….and still only got 8 wins? The LL seems to often have the York-Adams’s number but D-town should be improved over last year and won’t have Himmelsbach to worry about. Wildcats….in an emotion packed opener!
16 Cedar Cliff 7-3 home to #13 Governor Mifflin 12-2
Some of the characteristics that apply to CD East apply to Cedar Cliff but to a slightly lesser degree in that they can field some talented teams that pull major upsets or come close but rarely advance in the post season. Playing in the MP-Keystone with McDevitt (72-14 last 6), Lower Dauphin (49-21, last 6) and Susquehanna Township (38-31 last 6) will prepare you for many opponents, ones looking like these Mustangs in Friday night. But it won’t be anything easy against one of the programs in the district. Mifflin is always in the postseason. And with a average winning margin of 40-13 last year, they played a lot of guys who will take the field with experience. Programs like Mifflin reload. So despite Cedar Cliff’s numbers returning and their being home, it will take a strong, errorless effort to beat Governor Mifflin. Mustangs and Colts!
17 Central York 6-4 home to West York 2-8
With 6-2, 190, senior Qb Cade Pribus (+1784 passing, +528 rushing, offers from Delaware, Army), returning and a pile of last year’s running backs, the Panthers should again be exciting on offense after scoring 31ppg last year. The D is thin but most of their conference competition had big grad losses as well including York High, Red Lion and D-town. West York’s program has plummeted from going 79-21 from 2007 to 2014 to 5-5, then back-to-back 2-8 seasons the last three years. Central won last year 28-13 so it’s a bit of a rivalry where they don’t want to slip up with Cumberland Valley and Hempfield next, before getting into the York-Adams race.
18 Exeter Township 7-4 home to #4 Berks Catholic 13-1
Exeter should be in big trouble here rebuilding after severe graduation losses including their Qb who was also their leading rusher, 2 other rushers and lead receivers. Coach Matt Bauer has turned the program around (See Aug 5th) but Berks Catholic could be one of the top teams in the state, definitely at the 4A classification along with Bishop McDevitt. They lost to them last year 48-7 with a better team than this year’s so it looks like a long night for Exeter. But congrats on upgrading the schedule the last few years playing Perk Val, Spring Ford, Unionville, Hempfield and Lower Dauphin.
19 Selinsgrove 8-3 at Lewisburg 4-7
The big loss is the graduation of record setting Qb Logan Leiby who completed 64% of passes for 3782 yards. His Td to Pick ratio was 42-15. The receiver corps was also gutted with 3112 of their 3782 yards graduating. RB Joe Kahn (6-0, 190, sr, 1114yds) and WR Joshua Nylund (5-10, 180, jr, 30/519) return with 5 to the defense. Because this one is at Lewisburg and the opener, it could be a game. The Green Dragons play in the Heartland-2 while Selinsgrove is in the Heartland-1. Last year saw Lewisburg play mostly sophomores, and juniors, with a few freshman sprinkled in, and they still won 4 games. And the Heartland and last year’s schedule wasn’t a bunch of cupcakes playing Southern Columbia (16-0, state champ), Mount Carmel (8-5) and Danville (9-3), Central Columbia (9-3) and Jersey City (7-4) before losing to historic power Loyalsock Township in the playoffs. They return their junior Qb Nicholas Shedleski (6-3, 200, 1154yds), Rb Max Moyers (5-9, 185, 1125), only a sophomore and almost the entire receiving corps. The line has some brutes, all seniors in Austin Weisser 6-6 275, Anthony Hibbert 5-11, 265, Brent Coulbourn 6-4, 270 and Justin Blount 6-1, 240 and others. The Dragons aren’t supposed to ever beat the Seals but you never know!
20 Red Lion 8-3 home to McCaskey 2-8
Even tho the Lions are greatly depleted from last year, an opening slate of J. P. McCaskey and Waynesboro at home, could get them off to a good start before heading to Chambersburg where the Trojans have gone 3-37 the last 4 years. And since taking over the helm in 2012, Coach Jesse Shay turned things around after going 1-9 and 4-6 for 4 straight winning (31-13) seasons. LB Elijah Workinger (6-2, 245, sr, 98 tackles) is the center piece to their defense and a good one, joined by fellow LBs Ben Hornberger (6-1, 180, sr), Quentin Lyons (6-3, 190, sr) and Kurt Keough (6-0, 175, sr). Jared Miller (6-0, 230, sr) returns up front. But they’ll sorely miss Qb Zach Throne’s 1350 passing yards (67%) and 1523 on the ground. With him they lost to York-Adams powers Central York 24-21 at home, Dallastown 40-27 at D-town and Wilson 42-7 in the postseason.
