Tulla’s post on the other thread had me post this one.

-The Marvin Harrison Jr. toe tap touchdown to beat PCC in the 2019 6A semis

-The Andy Elsing blocked punt against ECP in the 1999 4A final

-The Dave Camburn punt return against Bethlehem Catholic in the 1999 6A semis

-Eric Kasperowicz TD pass to Chris Feola on 4th and 28 to beat CB West in the 1993 4A finals

-Michael Bennett’a 37 yard field goal in the snow for LaSalle to beat Easton in the 2009 4A quarters

-Brandon Short stopping Arlen Harris at the goal line in the 1994 4A finals

-Anthony Gonzalez’s one handed OT interception to win the 2008 4A championship

-Mark Tate’s 29 yard TD with 31 seconds left to put ECP into the state final in a 1991 semis win over Connellsville

-Corey Potters 40 yard TD run on 3rd and 6 with 3:24 left to play to force overtime for CB West against Central Dauphin in the 1997 4A semis

-The Tim Dance kick return TD in regulation and the Justin Lustig toe drag catch on fourth down in overtime both to tie ECP’s 4A quarterfinal with Altoona in 2000.

-Dan Kopolovich’s fourth quarter throwback screen on 4th down from the 25 to Travis McBride in the 2005 4A semifinal to beat Bishop McDevitt 14-13 and send McKeesport on to win a state title

-All four of Dan Persa’s touchdowns in Liberty’s 45-38 4OT win over Pennsbury in the 2006 4A semis

-Taylor Everett picking up a punt while State College waited around to down it with no time on the clock and taking it 60 yards for a TD and give Upper St. Clair the lead in their 2006 4A quarterfinal win.

-Zayd Issah’s 23 yard hitch route and diving catch with under ten seconds left to set up Central Dauphin’s game winning field goal in the win over North Allegheny in the 2011 4A semi.

-Spike Johnson’s 40 yard TD pass with barely a minute left to beat Berwick in the 1990 3A final and propel Bethlehem Catholic to a state title.

-Brendan Nosovitch’s tight end screen for a touchdown with two minutes left to beat Bishop McDevitt 29-28 for the 2010 3A state title.

-Jon Ritchie carrying three Upper St Clair defenders the final 15 yards of a 44 yard TD to ice the 1992 state championship for Cumberland Valley

-Austin Scott’s 61 yard TD run of the opening play of the 2002 4A final against Woodland Hills where he outraced Ryan Mundy to the end zone


I’ll add as I find more, I don’t have the same fluency with smaller divisions, and feel free to do the same.

Biggezst upset in wpial history. Also remove PCC from greatest of all time territory. NA will win Wpials this year

Congrats to CAMoleskinner (Mr. Modesty who got a ride to Ga Tech) after the big win yesterday over the U 23-20.

Had some free time last night so decided to actually watch PCC (CMAC and NA) and NA games (PCC). Was very much surprised.

PCC is NOT as good as I expected. They can throw the ball, but mostly because they have guys running free with no one on them. Coverage busts. Also, OL is good but not great. Can run it ok, but again, not nearly as dominant as I thought. Defensively, they could not stop CMAC or NA running the ball. Up and down the field. The play a defense with 3 down lineman. Those kids are good, but just not enough in the box. NA and CMAC gashed them. But then they gave up easy scores and PCC dropped 8.

The NA game - watched until just before halftime. Could almost say NA dominated them - but turnovers absolutely crushed them. A scoop and almost score and a pick in the endzone. I don't think NA is better than PCC, but they aren't worse. Should be a toss up next time they play.

Also, if PCC does make it to the finals, they better figure something out, because I gotta think STJ will be able to run the ball very well, and has DB's that can at least get in the right coverage.

Okay so I just need to get this off my chest I’ve been thinking /about this for a real long time . 6 classes is the worst move in Pennsylvania history … like what was wrong with 4. 6 is way too many and it really sucks

WTF why is there 5 teams in wpial 6A… who are the brain dead dumbasses in charge here??? Why can’t we play north hills, pine Richland, woody high , Penn trafford etc etc

It doesnt help that the piaa board or whoever is not responding to my emails..;; way to listen to your die hard fans of high school football who want it to be better. Answer my damn calls - everything is getting worse becoase of you incompetent fools in charge

wpial needs to leave the piaa right now for the love of all things holy. Go back to 4 classifications and write this terrible wrong the way it was back in the good old days. I don’t want to keep playing canon Mac year after year no disrespect they just kinda suck

philadelphia people you must understand where I’m coming from. Piaa ripped apart the wpial maybe because of jealousy. I’m not sure if I can deal with this idiotic system anyonore

Would love to here you’re guys thoughts

The big ones I'm interested in are also rivalry games. We got Erie cathedral prep taking on McDowell and Pine Richland playing NA.

It seems like this central Catholic team is special. They are loaded with D1 guys and have a giant improvement in coaching. The passing is much more improved and seems more organic then forced this year. I now the seasons just started and there's a lot of football to be played and they still have lebo and NA to get past but it's hard not to look ahead. Obviously st joes prep is st joes prep and isn't like any other school in pa. This may be one of preps best teams yet but could PCC hang with them. What's everyone's thoughts?

New Halloween Concept Helmets

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Football this season has been good. It's my first year at La Salle and everyone has been so welcoming and supportive, from the coaching staff to the players. Our team is off to a decent start with a challenging schedule. I’m excited to start league play and see what we can do as a team.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“Overall I am pleased with my play this season. I spend a lot of time perfecting my craft, getting in extra workouts, and taking care of my body and to add to that I have a strong connection with our QB Gavin Sidwar. We play for Level 82 7 on 7 under Torrey Smith in the spring so we work a lot in season and in the off season to be the best version of ourselves in season and it's translating to the field.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“We have been great in moments and in other moments there has been room for improvement. Consistency is what we are striving for.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“Our continued growth as young leaders. I need to continue to grow as a vocal leader and our underclassmen who are contributing big week in and week out need to continue to grow as leaders.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Continue to be in sync offensively and defensively. Show up every day to play.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I plan to play football in college. I also run track a few months of the year but football is my main focus.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have had contact with a lot of schools but the main ones are JMU, Boston College, Maryland, Penn State, Pitt and Toledo.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I would say JMU has been the most consistent with contact.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I went to Pitt a few weeks ago with my parents, it was an awesome visit, the campus was beautiful, game day atmosphere was great and the coaching staff was very friendly.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I have a few more game day trips, I am trying to work around our schedule. Boston College, Toledo, JMU, Rutgers are all on the list if I can work it out with my game schedule.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Oregon was always my favorite college team growing up.”

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything has been very good. Everyone is healthy and playing well.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’ve been pleased with my performance this season, haven’t gotten a lot of action, but making the best of what I am working with.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“We have been playing very well, we are on a ROLL.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“One thing I think our team can improve on is having a complete week of good practices.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Our keys to being successful throughout the rest of the season are staying healthy and continuing to play our game.”

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’m being recruited by a handful of schools across every level. Some schools are Misericordia East, Stroudsburg, Lock, Haven, Saint Francis Muhlenberg, and some more.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I’d say the school that is recruiting me the hardest is East Stroudsburg.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I plan to hit a couple of schools for game day visits.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“See above.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up throughout my life is Oregon.”

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything with this season has been good, we’re having success on both sides of the ball and special teams.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’ve been playing pretty well, but there’s always been room for improvement but yes as of right now I’ve been pleased with how I’ve been playing.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“How I feel our team has played is great. We’re playing as a team and when things don’t go our way we overcome and adapt.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“We were shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties so I’d say less penalties.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“[The] key for our team being successful moving forward is having a great week of practice leading into the game.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do want to play a sport in college and that’s football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have a couple schools looking at me like North Park University, Defiance College, Alfred University, etc.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I really don’t know to be honest, I feel they’re pretty equal in recruiting me.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips yet.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I’ve been invited to a couple game day visits but I have to [go] if my family is on board to go with me.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did have a favorite college growing up and it was Penn State University and still is.”

Got word this morning that Bob Stem passed away yesterday. Coach Stem had been battling illness.

Bob Stem will go down as the greatest coach in Lehigh Valley football and one of the best the state has produced in the last 50 years. Stem went 285-96-5, including a 19 season run at Bethlehem Catholic where he went 173-53-1 with eight D11 titles, six conference championships, and PIAA championships in 1988 and 1990. Stem also won four New Jersey sectional championships as the head coach at Phillipsburg, his alma mater. He is the winningest coach in the history of both programs.

Stem was an All State offensive lineman at Phillipsburg, which earned him a scholarship to Syracuse, where he started three years at center and linebacker, blocked for Heisman winner Ernie Davis and was a two-way starter on the 1959 National Champions. He played briefly for the Boston Patriots before coming back to Phillipsburg to coach.

He took over at Bethlehem Catholic in 1983 after the War Hawks had fallen on hard times following Rich Mazza’s jump to the college ranks. Stem jump started Becahi into a regional, then state power - winning the inaugural D11 tournament in 1985, then blitzed their way to the first 2A state title in 1988, out scoring their opponents 380-97 despite not playing another 2A school until the state playoff. They waxed Mount Carmel 35-14 for the D11 title, then shut out West York in the semis and raced out to an 18-0 lead in a 26-11 state final win over Wilmington. Stem, to the end of his career, said the 1988 team was the best he ever coached.

Stem took Bethlehem Catholic back to the state playoff in 1989, falling in semis to Momtoursville. In 1990, Bethlehem Catholic moved up to the 3A classsiciation. After an 8-2 regular season, Becahi crushed Whitehall for a D11 3A title, setting up the first state playoff meeting between teams with a championship - Becahi and Berwick, with sensational quarterback Ron Powlus and legendary coach George Curry. In his greatest triumph, Stem’s defense, headline by Parade All American Justin Morabito, held Berwick without a touchdown, and Spike Johnson threw a 48 yard touchdown with 1:14 left in the game to beat the Dawgs 7-3. Becahi would rout Seton-LaSalle 43-7 for the state championship the following week. Running back Erik Marsh, the only starter on both state title teams, went on to a record setting career at Lafayette, then played for the New York Jets.

The early 1990s were both successful and frustrating for Stem. He had the blessing few coaches get - the #1 overall recruit in the class of 1995 and USA Today National Player of the Year in quarterback Dan Kendra III. But Becahi could not get past arch rival Allentown Central Catholic in a series dubbed “the Holy War” which saw ACC beat Becahi for D11 titles and carry the mantle in D11’s rivalry with Berwick.

Stem was not without controversy. As the board is familiar with, he faced constant accusations around recruiting and transfers, and liked to run up the score to make a point. Animus towards Stem led to the dissolution of the original East Penn Conference, with six schools leaving the league and refusing to play Bethlehem Catholic. Stem’s response was two-fold - the Hawks nationalized their schedule, adding St. Ignatius (Ohio), Archbishop Moeller (Ohio), Brooklyn Poly Prep, Mullen Prep (Colorado) and Glen Mills. More importantly, they declared up to 4A, where all the departing schools would now have to see the Hawks in the D11 playoffs.

These years, from 1997-2001, were some of the finest of Stem’s career as Becahi found themselves in the national rankings, and had a nearly four year winning streak over local opponents. They won three consecutive D11 titles from 1999-2001, often in dominant fashion (the 65-0 rout of Easton in 2000 is one of the more breathtaking performances we’ve seen around here). In playing up, Stem probably cost himself another state title or two, as it put his teams squarely in the crosshairs of Mike Pettine’s CB West dynasty. The Bucks and Hawks had wars - the 26-14 punt return game in 1999 goes down as one of the best playoff games in state history and still the highest attended - but three disappointing PIAA losses ended what may have been championship runs in 3A or 2A. But he proved his point that Bethlehem Catholic was a force to be reckoned with.

Headed into 2002, the East Penn Conference reformed - without Becahi, as even Allentown Central Catholic got the invite and accepted. Stem, in an act of selflessness, stepped down as Bethlehem Catholic’s head football coach to remove controversy from his program, and the Hawks joined the newly formed Lehigh Valley Conference. With his players and system, Becahi spent most of the year ranked first in the state in 4A, before a 14-11 D11 finals loss to eventual state champ Parkland

Stem came out of retirement for a second stint at Phillipsburg, where he won four sectional titles and turned the Stateliners into one of the best public school programs in New Jersey. His final game on the sidelines was a 3-0 win over lifetime arch rival Easton, ruining the season for the state playoff bound Rovers in the only overtime game in rivalry history. Overall, in his two stints at P’Burg in the late ‘70s and late 2000s, he was 112-43-4.

Stem coached a mountain of great players in his career. He sent multiple players to the NFL - Jim Molinaro having the longest career, and to a bevy of major college programs, including Florida State, Notre Dame, Stanford, Penn State, NC State, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, BYU, and countless FCS and lower level programs.

Despite his reputation as a fiery competitor, there are few coaches I’ve ever heard with such a deep love coming from his players. A long time elementary school teacher in Phillipsburg, he was a warm man at heart and really grew to be an ambassador of the game locally in his old age. He certainly brought in this current era of football - whether it be his early embrace of spread offense concepts in the late 1990s or the public/private debates that scream out today. He’s probably the most important figure in local football since the formation of the East Penn Conference in 1976. He’s a legend and he will be missed.

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“The season is off to an okay start for us. We’re sitting at 2-3 currently, dropping a few games to very strong opponents. We feel we have a great opportunity moving forward.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’m not upset with how I’ve played, however I definitely can improve my game as always. Just looking to compete, win, and soak in the moments of my senior year.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Our team started off strong then fell into a slump, it starts with me. I have to be better and get this team rolling. We have been working hard since January so any lack of success isn’t due to work ethic.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“We just need to come out with more energy day in and day out. We sometimes fall into slumps where we don’t have energy and it shows Friday nights. Once we get that back we can be successful.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Confidence, confidence, and confidence. When we play with confidence it’s a great thing for us. We obviously need to get back on track and get that confidence back.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I’m looking to play college football. It’s been my number 1 goal and dream.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Albright College offered me over the summer. Other than that I’ve been in contact with a couple PSAC Schools.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Albright is without a doubt recruiting me the hardest. They’ve been dropping personal letters off to my house weekly.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I’ve visited many schools this summer when attending camps, but I have been on true visits to Albright and Millersville.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“If I’m invited to any games I will attend, Millersville is the only game day visit I’ve been to yet.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up is absolutely Penn State. We are!”

How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“We've started off slow which has put us behind the 8-ball but I think this week against Dice is when we start a state run.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“So far this season has gone great for me. I think I have a real chance at being an All-State First Team RB and winning the City League Player of the Year.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“I think every week we are getting better and fine tuning the little things. We have one of the youngest O-lines in the city and they put up a great fight against Westinghouse’s defense. As a leader but also a teammate I couldn't be more proud.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“Just giving 110% effort and making the plays when they need to be made, especially on my part.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Not giving up and believing in ourselves, even if we are down a touchdown or two we got to keep our heads up and know we are still in this game till the last second.”

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Right now I hold four offers From Allegheny, Westminster, Lake Erie College, and Waynesburg.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Right now out of those four, Waynesburg is reaching out the most.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I've gone on one game day visit to Fairmont University in WV.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I plan on heading to Clarion University September 16th.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I actually didn’t want to go to college growing up, I thought I was going to do YouTube or some other type of video entertainment. I started wanting to go to college because of Tyreese Fearbry. I told him one day I was going to play against him in the NFL, and that's been one of my biggest motivations, that was 2 years ago and I plan on keeping my word.”

Find out what colleges are recruiting Julian JuJu Walker, Jack Riffle, Gary Verdinelli Jr., Peyton Rearick, and Julian McFadden now!


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

Q&A with Perry Traditional Academy running back Julian JuJu Walker​

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Right now I hold four offers From Allegheny, Westminster, Lake Erie College, and Waynesburg.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Right now out of those four, Waynesburg is reaching out the most.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I've gone on one game day visit to Fairmont University in WV.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I plan on heading to Clarion University September 16th.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I actually didn’t want to go to college growing up, I thought I was going to do YouTube or some other type of video entertainment. I started wanting to go to college because of Tyreese Fearbry. I told him one day I was going to play against him in the NFL, and that's been one of my biggest motivations, that was 2 years ago and I plan on keeping my word.”


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

Q&A with Fleetwood quarterback Jack Riffle​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I’m looking to play college football. It’s been my number 1 goal and dream.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Albright College offered me over the summer. Other than that I’ve been in contact with a couple PSAC Schools.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Albright is without a doubt recruiting me the hardest. They’ve been dropping personal letters off to my house weekly.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I’ve visited many schools this summer when attending camps, but I have been on true visits to Albright and Millersville.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“If I’m invited to any games I will attend, Millersville is the only game day visit I’ve been to yet.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up is absolutely Penn State. We are!”


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

Q&A with Milton outside linebacker Gary Verdinelli Jr.​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do want to play a sport in college and that’s football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have a couple schools looking at me like North Park University, Defiance College, Alfred University, etc.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I really don’t know to be honest, I feel they’re pretty equal in recruiting me.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips yet.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I’ve been invited to a couple game day visits but I have to [go] if my family is on board to go with me.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did have a favorite college growing up and it was Penn State University and still is.”


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

Q&A with Milton wide receiver Peyton Rearick​

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

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’m being recruited by a handful of schools across every level. Some schools are Misericordia East, Stroudsburg, Lock, Haven, Saint Francis Muhlenberg, and some more.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I’d say the school that is recruiting me the hardest is East Stroudsburg.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I plan to hit a couple of schools for game day visits.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“See above.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up throughout my life is Oregon.”


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

Q&A with La Salle College athlete Julian McFadden​

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I plan to play football in college. I also run track a few months of the year but football is my main focus.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have had contact with a lot of schools but the main ones are JMU, Boston College, Maryland, Penn State, Pitt and Toledo.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“I would say JMU has been the most consistent with contact.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I went to Pitt a few weeks ago with my parents, it was an awesome visit, the campus was beautiful, game day atmosphere was great and the coaching staff was very friendly.”

Do you have plans for game day trips?
“I have a few more game day trips, I am trying to work around our schedule. Boston College, Toledo, JMU, Rutgers are all on the list if I can work it out with my game schedule.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Oregon was always my favorite college team growing up.”


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

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


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


Q&A with Perry Traditional Academy running back Julian JuJu Walker
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“We've started off slow which has put us behind the 8-ball but I think this week against Dice is when we start a state run.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“So far this season has gone great for me. I think I have a real chance at being an All-State First Team RB and winning the City League Player of the Year.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“I think every week we are getting better and fine tuning the little things. We have one of the youngest O-lines in the city and they put up a great fight against Westinghouse’s defense. As a leader but also a teammate I couldn't be more proud.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“Just giving 110% effort and making the plays when they need to be made, especially on my part.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Not giving up and believing in ourselves, even if we are down a touchdown or two we got to keep our heads up and know we are still in this game till the last second.”

......................................................................................................
Q&A with Fleetwood quarterback Jack Riffle
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“The season is off to an okay start for us. We’re sitting at 2-3 currently, dropping a few games to very strong opponents. We feel we have a great opportunity moving forward.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’m not upset with how I’ve played, however I definitely can improve my game as always. Just looking to compete, win, and soak in the moments of my senior year.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“Our team started off strong then fell into a slump, it starts with me. I have to be better and get this team rolling. We have been working hard since January so any lack of success isn’t due to work ethic.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“We just need to come out with more energy day in and day out. We sometimes fall into slumps where we don’t have energy and it shows Friday nights. Once we get that back we can be successful.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Confidence, confidence, and confidence. When we play with confidence it’s a great thing for us. We obviously need to get back on track and get that confidence back.”



......................................................................................................
Q&A with Milton outside linebacker Gary Verdinelli Jr.
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything with this season has been good, we’re having success on both sides of the ball and special teams.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’ve been playing pretty well, but there’s always been room for improvement but yes as of right now I’ve been pleased with how I’ve been playing.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“How I feel our team has played is great. We’re playing as a team and when things don’t go our way we overcome and adapt.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“We were shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties so I’d say less penalties.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“[The] key for our team being successful moving forward is having a great week of practice leading into the game.”

......................................................................................................
Q&A with Milton wide receiver Peyton Rearick
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Everything has been very good. Everyone is healthy and playing well.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“I’ve been pleased with my performance this season, haven’t gotten a lot of action, but making the best of what I am working with.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“We have been playing very well, we are on a ROLL.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“One thing I think our team can improve on is having a complete week of good practices.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Our keys to being successful throughout the rest of the season are staying healthy and continuing to play our game.”

......................................................................................................
Q&A with La Salle College athlete Julian McFadden
How has everything with the football season been going so far?
“Football this season has been good. It's my first year at La Salle and everyone has been so welcoming and supportive, from the coaching staff to the players. Our team is off to a decent start with a challenging schedule. I’m excited to start league play and see what we can do as a team.”

Have you been pleased with how you have played this season?
“Overall I am pleased with my play this season. I spend a lot of time perfecting my craft, getting in extra workouts, and taking care of my body and to add to that I have a strong connection with our QB Gavin Sidwar. We play for Level 82 7 on 7 under Torrey Smith in the spring so we work a lot in season and in the off season to be the best version of ourselves in season and it's translating to the field.”

How do you feel your team has played?
“We have been great in moments and in other moments there has been room for improvement. Consistency is what we are striving for.”

What do you feel your team can improve on?
“Our continued growth as young leaders. I need to continue to grow as a vocal leader and our underclassmen who are contributing big week in and week out need to continue to grow as leaders.”

What are the keys for your team being successful going forward?
“Continue to be in sync offensively and defensively. Show up every day to play.”

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

2023 District 3: Top 20 (Week 6).
Week #6 Standings

There are still 12 undefeated teams in the district, 15 with one loss and 10 with two losses, making for a heck of a stretch run. At this point, only two undefeated teams look to face off, Steel High and West Perry in the MP-Capital finale. New Oxford gets out-of-state Fort Hill (5-0) of Cumberland, Md in a few weeks if they get past Mountain Ridge (5-0) from beautiful Frostburg, Md. These are schools just across the state line. The one loss and two loss teams, and even the three loss teams are fighting for division titles and/or seeds for the postseason. And with all the ties this week, I just may have to give up and make it a Top 25! Here’s what happened last week.

1 Bishop McDevitt 4A 6-0
Bishop McDevitt had another easy division win in the Mid Penn-Keystone beating Milton Hershey 55-14. To date, they’ve defeated three division opponents by an average score of 57-10. Last year saw them beat division foes by an average of 59-7. The year before it was 58-4, with the covid-shortened season at a 39-8 average score against five opponents. Time to move back to the Mid Penn-Commonwealth? About the game; quarterback Stone Saunders continued his torrid pace completing 14 of 19 passes for 186 yards and four touchdowns. He has thrown for 1402 yards this year with a 20 to 1 Td/Pick ratio. Rico Scott was the recipient of six throws for 64 yards and a score, and returned a kick-off 82 yards for another score. Junior safety Jaden Garnes had a 27-yard Pick-6 in the third quarter while freshman Jontai Quick impressed with 60 yards on four carries and a touchdown. Nazir Jones-Davis led all rushers with 94 yards and a touchdown. The game got out of hand by the half (34-7) where most of the starters sat at some point in the third quarter and by the fourth. The win is their 19th straight going back to last season where they lost the opener to 5A Silver Medal winner Imhotep Charter (10-2) 19-14. Hershey (4-1) is next with a decent team but not one that can keep up with McDevitt who beat them 70-0 last year.
2 Manheim Township 6A 6-0
Township jumped on overmatched McCaskey (1-5) early, getting a 44-0 lead at the half where like McDevitt, most of the starters sat early. The final was 44-6. Quarterback Hayden Johnson is having an extraordinary season, completing 9 of 10 passes for 119 yards and touchdowns of 21 and 29 yards. He has yet to throw an interception on 119 passes with a 76% completion rate for 1479 yards. His Td to interception ratio is 24-0. Declan Clancy provided punch on the ground with 96 yards on 11 carries, scoring on 5, 9, and 10 yard bursts. Asher Wolfe had a 30-yard Pick-6 in the first quarter with the defense having a big day holding the Red Tornado to 90-yards rushing and 95 up top. Township showed a balanced offense with 148 yards passing and 152 on the ground, most of it coming in the first half. They get a challenge this week with 5-1 Cedar Crest coming in. The Falcons don’t have the horses Township has. But if the team that beat Philly Northeast 24-0 and CD East 33-7 shows up, it’ll be one of the top games of the weekend.
3 Harrisburg 6A 5-1
When Harrisburg is on, no one in the state is going to beat them except St. Joseph’s Prep and maybe Pittsburgh Central Catholic and North Allegheny. They demonstrated as much last week against Altoona holding the Mountain Lions to 97 total yards of offense while piling up 447 yards themselves. Quarterback Shawn Lee had another great outing, completing 8 of 10 passes for 164 yards with touchdown throws of 14, 54 and 28 yards while rushing for 106 yards on seven carries. Just a junior! Defenses don’t know what to do with him. His top receiver Elias Coke (6-2, 190, FSU, BC, Io St), a sophomore, is also special with 96 yards in receptions and scores of 54 and 14 yards. Mekhi Newman is a great addition this year to the backfield at 5-9, 195, rushing for 74 yards on 9 carries with two touchdowns. Junior Kymir Williams helped get it all started in the first quarter with a 38-yard Pick-6 as the Cougars rolled all over Altoona 54-7. CD East (3-3) is next in a city game that can get dicey. They have a great back in Jared Porter (832ry, 226py) and a quarterback in Demoj Jalloh who threw for 242 yards last week against State College! Some of these 3-3 teams in the Mid Penn-Commonwealth are tough outs, like the WPIAL and SOL-National years ago where a 6-4 team was often as good as a 9-1 team.
4 Central York 6A 6-0
Central York dropped down a rung in the rankings with a less than typical performance at home last week against Dallastown (2-4), edging the Wildcats 23-13. In truth, Central shouldn’t be confused with last year’s 10-2 team that averaged 40ppg for the fourth straight year. But they’re still a force with another great back in Juelz Goff who was their offense here, rushing for 226 yards on 46 carries. His touchdown with 8:28 left in the game gave them a precarious 20-10 lead. Dallastown’s defense held everything down but Goff, holding the Panthers to field goals of 30, 34 and 30. Nothing from D-Town but the York Adams-1 is clearly in rebuild mode, top to bottom. YA-1 action continues Friday where they’ll likely get it right in a BIG way against Northeastern (0-6) who’s allowing 48ppg!
5 State College 6A 4-1
CD East threw everything at State College last week including the proverbial kitchen sink with junior Demaj Jollah throwing for 241 yards (19 of 33) and another junior Jared Porter rushing for 195 yards. But none of that mattered as the Lions where ferocious in the red zone where it counted, beating the Panthers 43-17. DT Justin Castro-Dixon (6-1, 345) is an immoveable (and unavoidable) force especially in the red zone. His opposite, OT Jake Hohenshelt (6-4, 270), opens things for D’Andre Sheffeyto to get 165 rush yards and protects for Ty Salazer to get loose for 125 yards in receptions. Another long range weapon, John Zipf, had field goals of 42, 36 and 33 yards. Junior quarterback Eddie Corkery threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns with the ground game netting 241 yards. The win keeps them perfect in division play where they move closer to a head-to-head with Harrisburg Oct 13th. Before that comes a road game at Carlisle who lost five straight since opening with a win. Three of those losses were to Governor Mifflin 28-21, York 42-40 and Chambersburg 3-0.
6 Steelton Highspire 1A 6-0
Steel High rolled out another huge offensive performance with 488 total yards against their next door neighbor Middletown, in an un-neighborly like 48-7 win. Quarterback Alex Erby was uncanny, completing 21 of 24 passes for 468 yards….!....with touchdowns of 42, 48, 43, 19, 79 and 85 yards. Evidently the game plan was to work on the passing game with a mere 13 rush attempts. Wide outs Rell Ceasar and Jaeion Perry who have been unstoppable to date carried the load pulling in eight passes for 257 yards for Ceasar and five for 158 for Perry. Like many opponents this year, Middletown had trouble with Steelton’s defensive front of DL’s Sean Bennett (5-11, 220), Andrew Erby (6-4, 285, PSU), Amari Williams (6-2, 225) and Eugene Green (6-1, 250). MLB Taevon Legrande (5-11, 225) added a 54-yard ‘Scoop and Score’ in the third quarter. Camp Hill (4-2) is next in a division game on the West Shore where the Rollers should extend their 18 game winning streak. But the Lions can be a problem with a good passing game and competitive losses to Big Spring 29-28 in overtime and Middletown 14-7 without quarterback Drew Branstetter who went down against Big Spring late.
7 Wyomissing 3A 6-0
Wyomissing displayed one of their best defensive performances of the year last week dismantling Donegal (2-4) 49-0 for their first shutout of the season. They allowed 45 yards of offense while piling up 450 of their own. 12 backs had carries, led by sophomore Chase Eisenhower’s 81 yards and senior Marvin Armistead’s 77. They don’t throw often but when they do they do it well with quarterback Logan Hyde completing three of five passes for 76 yards. He threw a 63-yard Td strike to Ryker Jones while #2-Qb freshman Teddy White threw a score to Jake Neff of 33 yards. Drew Forrey had a 28-yard Pick-6 in the first quarter that got it all started with a 21 point first quarter. This week sees them in Denver against the red hot Cocalico Eagles who are on a five game winning streak looking every bit as good as Wyomissing while outscoring their opponents 45 to 15. Look out Wyo!
8 Cocalico 5A 5-1
Cocalico build an insurmountable 28-0 first quarter lead that ballooned to 42-0 at the half on the way to a 56-7 rout of a solid ELCO (4-2) team. Like Wyo above, they unveiled one of their best defensive performances of the year holding the Raiders to 107 total yards. This comes on the heels of their shutting down Lampeter Strasburg (5-1) the week before 24-10, holding them to 70 rush yards. Aaryn Longenecker paced the attack with 158 yards on five carries and a 52-yard Pick-6. Nine others added 192 more yards rushing. ELCO keyed on Cocalico’s lead rusher Sam Steffey who leads the team with 611 yards and 11 touchdowns, holding him to 31 yards. But he still broke away for three touchdowns. Wyomissing is next, coming to Denver in a game that for all intents and purposes will decide the LL-4
9 Wilson 6A 4-2
Wilson battled tooth and nail, holding on to defeat arch rival Governor Mifflin in a back yard brawl 21-14. The difference was Wilson’s quarterback Tommy Hunsicker completing 6 of 11 passes for 134 yards with two touchdown tosses and rushing for 90 yards and a score on 13 carries. He’s developed into the quietest dual threat quarterback in the LL accounting for all their scores. Cornell Akings added 46 yards on six carries with Jackson Wagner and Madyx Gruber catching touchdown throws of 46 and 35 respectively. Apart from the Qb, it was an even match with Wilson at 296 yards and Mifflin at 247. Slumping Hempfield (2-4) is next in something of a revenge game with Hempfield knocking them out of the LL-1 race last year with a 17-14 win in West Lawn; their only conference loss.
10 Manheim Central 4A 5-1
Manheim Central seems to be getting it together, albeit against a weak schedule, shutting out Warwick (1-5) 49-0 two weeks ago and Muhlenberg (1-5) 42-0 last week for their third shutout of the year. The 48-28 loss to Cocalico three weeks ago seems like an anomaly coming as it did on the heels of a win against Smyrna-DE the week before. Bottom line, the offense is cooking now at 40ppg with quarterback Zac Hahn at 66% for 1408 yards with a ratio of 19/1. Receiver Aaron Enterline is one of the best, with 744 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 20.1 yards per catch average. Bode Sipel has 368 yards in receptions with three touchdowns. Brycen Arnold is near 7ypc with 857 yards and 11 touchdowns. They’ll get a chance to prove themselves after Lebanon (0-6) this week finishing the season with tough road trips to Conestoga Valley (5-1, 5A) and Exeter (6-0, 5A), games that’ll decide the LL-2 crown and much about seeding in the 4A and 5A classifications.
TIE
York (William Penn) 6A 4-1
York was idle last week, coming off a big road win at Red Lion the week before, 30-6. Dallastown (2-4) is next, a team they beat last year in a shootout at York 66-49!
11 Twin Valley 4A 6-0
Twin Valley escaped with a road win at Solanco (1-5) where the Golden Mules came out swinging. Should say, they came out flinging, throwing the ball more than they have the entire season (option attack) with Austin Jarabak completing 8 of 12 passes for 111 yards and three touchdowns. All totaled, they completed 9 of 15 passes that represents 38% of all passes thrown this year. Twin Valley was thrown way off balance, playing most of the game on their heels, actually down 20-14 in the third quarter. But they blocked the extra point and that was the difference in edging the stubborn Mules 29-28. You can believe opposing coaches are ringing up the coaching staff at Solanco after rushing for 329 yards and piling up 457 total yards to Twin Val’s 370. Heck of an effort by Solanco. Maybe it turns things around for them. We’ll see how T-Val recovers this week where they need a fast turnaround hosting undefeated Garden Spot Friday night.
TIE
Central Dauphin 6A 4-2
Central Dauphin snapped back from the State College loss two weeks ago despite a short week to beat Carlisle 50-16 on a brisk Thursday evening at Speed Ebersole Staduim. Talk about speed. Carlisle couldn’t keep up with Mateo Crummel (5-11, 140) who zipped past everyone for 49, 57, 46 and 48 yard scores thrown by quarterback Key’Ron Plummer. Mateo ended the night with six receptions for 210 yards while Plummer was a perfect seven of seven for 217 yards. All the while, Miles Copper (6-2, 190, sr) kept em honest with eight totes for 74 yards and a touchdown. They played a lot of youth early where sophomore linebacker Mason Wydra got an 87-yard ‘Scoop and Score’ in the second quarter. The 21-point outburst in the second quarter on the heels of a 22-point first quarter broke Carlisle’s will, giving the Rams a 43-3 lead at the half. No.2 quarterback Gavin Kirkpatrick got in to complete four of six passes for 32 yards while 13 running backs had carries. That was a big win, keeping them within striking distance of State College and Harrisburg. Cumberland Valley is next at CD.
12 West Perry 3A 6-0
West Perry unloaded on Boiling Springs for a school record by bursting the Bubbler’s bubble 72-28. 72 points. They came into the game averaging 38ppg, scoring 42 points in the first quarter! With the school mascot being the Mustang, they are aptly named. Quarterback Marcus Quaker lit things up passing for 166 yards and rushing for 120 with four touchdowns. Sophomore Evan Jutba rushed for 99 yards with a score with Ian Goodling having four receptions for 94 yards. All starters sat for the second half. It looks like they’re heading for a showdown with Steel High in the regular season finale to decide the Mid Penn Capital, having defeated Trinity (4-2) 19-16 three weeks ago. But before that they travel to tough as nails Big Spring (3-3) who may not be recovered from consecutive games against Camp Hill (4-2), a 29-28 win, Steel High (6-0) who swamped them 46-7 and Trinity (4-2) who edged them last week 28-22.
TIE
Cedar Crest 6A 5-1
Cedar Crest got their second shutout of the year last week beating Reading (1-5) 36-0. The first shutout was the opener against Philly Northeast 24-0. The Falcons rely on a modest offense that throws at 58% for 591 yards with a poor ratio of 6 to 6. They run well enough, spreading it out with Fernando Marquez (389), Alex Abreu (233) and Qb Jackson Custer (575py, 196ry). Most of all they rely on a stout defense that allows 10.6ppg to bring it all together. They played well enough two weeks ago to win against Wilson with a yardage advantage of 316 to 310 and first downs of 18-12. But they threw two interceptions and couldn’t match Bulldog Qb Tommy Hunsicker. They held Reading to 96 total yards last week and will need a similar effort on the road against Manheim Township. The Streaks are more this year than last year’s group that pummeled the Crest 42-14.
13 Exeter Township 5A 6-0
Exeter survived a trip to Warwick where they hung on for a 28-21 win. The victory keeps them undefeated in the LL-2 with Manheim Central (5-1) and Conestoga Valley. With competitive losses to Cedar Crest (6-0) 29-23 in overtime, Ephrata (5-1) 14-0, Conestoga Valley (5-1) 19-7 and last week to undefeated Exeter, Warwick may be the most underrated 1-5 team in the state, knowing they’re the only team to beat Cocalico (5-1) 17-14 in the opener. How’s that for an opening slate of six winning teams with a combined record of 27-3! Stats were close to even with Exeter at 350 yards and Warwick at 305. Ricky Martinez is maturing in his first year under center completing 8 of 14 passes for 134 yards with a Td toss of 21 yards to Genuine Stutzman. Martinez also rushed for 108 yards and an 82-yard touchdown run for their first score. Jayden Zandier was strong with 93 yards and a score on 18 carries. Muhlenberg (1-5) is next.
TIE
Garden Spot 5A 6-0
Nice win for Garden Spot defending the home turf against previously undefeated Ephrata who falls to 5-1. A wild second quarter had to have the fans-in an uproar seeing their team outscore Ephrata 28-7, largely behind quarterback Kye Harting’s touchdowns of 3, 12 and 6 yards and Reed Gruber’s 25-yard Pick-6. Harting completed 10 of 18 passes for 192 yards with 110 more rushing on 19 carries and a 3-yard touchdown. Jace Conrad and Trenten Hoober led all receivers with 93 and 76 yards with a touchdown each. Ephrata kept it interesting behind quarterback Sam McCracken’s 326 yards passing (20 of 52), with no run support, finishing with 93 yards. G-Spot was balanced with 198 passing and 227 rushing where Gabe Martin and Nathan Eberly added 50 and 42 yards to Harting’s totals. League action continues Friday taking on another undefeated team at Twin Valley in a key LL-Section 2 game.
14 Trinity 2A 4-2
Trinity had their hands full last week in another tough Mid Penn-Capital game getting past stubborn Big Spring (3-3) 28-22. Quarterback Caleb Wray had a big night completing 15 of 20 throws for 182 yards and throwing touchdowns of 6 and 27 yards. He also ran for a 4-yard touchdown. Both defenses shut down the other’s running game with Trinity at 48 yards on 24 carries, and the Bulldogs at 128 yards after 52 carries. Messiah Mickens led the Shamrocks with 23 yards on seven carries and 57-yards on three receptions. Seven receivers had catches. Division play continues Friday at Middletown (1-5) who is coming off a 48-7 loss to rival Steel High.
15 Ephrata 5A 5-1
Although it looks good on the stat sheet, quarterback Sam McCracken’s 326 passing yards weren’t enough, knowing he threw two interceptions and completed only 20 of 48 passes for a 43% completion rate. At least it’s not good enough playing an opponent like undefeated Garden Spot on the road. Throwing the ball 48 times tells the story clear enough, that they couldn’t move the ball on the ground where 29 attempts led to 93 yards. Ephrata battled, they just came up short at 42-22. They will likely turn that around Friday at Fleetwood (3-3) but need to watch out as the Tigers can score points.
16 Lampeter Strasburg 4A 5-1
The Pioneers took out their frustration on Octorara (2-4) 46-7 after losing a tough one the week before at Cocalico 24-10. A 40-0 halftime score says it all where a balanced offense ground out 249 yards rushing with Trent Wagner completing 8 of 10 passes for 130 yards and four touchdowns, keeping the young Braves off kilter all night. Running back Jonathan Mellinger has been a weapon for LS all year, rushing for 123 yards and 766 for the season. Caileb House added 73 yards rushing and a score on five carries with Cooper Hillen rushing for 45 yards. Damoj Gray and Dean Herr had two receptions and two touchdowns each. Struggling Berks Catholic (3-3) is next with a team finding difficulty finding the endzone. They average 16ppg and allow 25 against a tough schedule. In fact its been brutal, losing to powerful Loyalsock Township (4-2, 3A-D4 power) 25-21, Pope John Paul II (6-0, 4A-D1 power) 35-0 and Wyomissing (6-0) 35-7, who needs no words. And now LS.
17 Cedar Cliff 5A 5-1
Cedar Cliff used their big line to bull rush Mifflin County 48-6. The Colts showed early signs of a hangover, coming off a 48-9 home loss to Bishop McDevitt with a lackluster 7-0 first quarter lead. Thereon, it was lights out for the Huskies with the Colts scoring 35 points in the middle two quarters. Erik Shriver carried the load with 21 totes for 152 yards behind a line that averages 285 pounds! Colt’s quarterback Bennett Seacrest who keeps getting better and better, completed 7 of 9 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns. By games end, they racked up 235 yards rushing, holding the Huskies to 64 rushing and 134 above. This week has them in a critical Keystone Division game and 5A seeding war at the West Shore Stadium against Lower Dauphin (5-1), a team they edged last year 24-21.
18 New Oxford 5A 6-0
New Oxford didn’t play their best game with two turnovers and 231 total yards of offense against a feisty Susquehannock (2-4) team that held a 16-8 advantage in first downs. But the Colonials outscored them 14-0 for the win, clamping down defensively, holding the Warriors to 240 total yards and getting their first shutout of the year. Quarterback Idriz Ahmetovic had 126 of their total yards, completing 5 of 7 passes for 100-yards and rushing for 26. Clayton Nieves rushed for 78 yards on 13 carries. Like the Eagles last week against Washington, you’ve got to like it when you don’t play your best and still come out with the win. Got to credit Susquehannock for laying it out there. Looking ahead, it’s hard finding a loss on a schedule that is manageable with Kennard Dale (2-4), West York (0-6), Fort Hill (5-0, Md.) and Eastern York (4-1).
19 East Pennsboro 4A 6-0
East Pennsboro had a game similar to New Oxford and Susquehannock above where a lesser team stepped up to give them a day’s work. Fortunately, (in both cases), the winning team was at home where Pennsboro beat Mechanicsburg (2-4) 29-16. Special teams and defense made the difference with Ali Alami kicking field goals of 25 and 28 yards and Colin Benoist getting a 78-yard Pick-6 in the second quarter. Apart from that, it was a defensive struggle at 16 a piece with stats a dead heat; Mechanicsburg 256 (233p), East Pennsboro 264 (178p). Keith Oates completed 14 of 23 passes for 178 yards (1071 on year) with J.J. Gossard rushing for 69 yards on 19 carries. Mid Penn-Colonial action continues on the road against Northern (2-4) in Dillsburg. The Colonial is the ‘Black and Blue’ Division of the Mid Penn with all the teams being blue collar towns that get after each other. That means East Pennsboro needs full focus or Northern will knock their block off. Cole Bartram at 5-10, 180 pounds may be the hardest runner and hitter in the division with 721 yards and 62 tackles. 10, 6 and 1 point losses separate them from a 4-2 record.
20 Conestoga Valley 5A 5-1
Conestoga Valley makes their first appearance in the Top 20 after routing Lebanon 56-6 and a reappraisal of their schedule and outcomes that include a 27-26 loss to undefeated Garden Spot on a missed extra point. They have two shutouts with a defense allowing 10ppg. Nice. The offense is vanilla, with quarterback Liam Cheek throwing 72 times with 38 completions for 783 yards. His ratio is 8/3. The running game is often by committee, or last week by two committees where 16 backs had carries. Whatever, it’s working in the super competitive LL-2 with Manheim Central, Exeter and Governor Mifflin. Their schedule is largely back-loaded with Mifflin up next in Shillington followed by Manheim Central and Exeter at CV before ending with Muhlenberg in Reading.
OTHERS:
Hershey 5A 5-1 home vs McDevitt
Greencastle-Antrim 5A 5-1 at Susquehanna Township
Lower Dauphin 5A 5-1 at Cedar Cliff
Governor Mifflin 5A 3-3 home vs Conestoga Valley
Susquehanna Township 4A 4-2 home vs Greencastle
Lancaster Catholic 3A 6-0 home vs Annville-Cleona
Camp Hill 2A 4-2 home vs Steel High
Littlestown 3A 4-2 at York Tech

NA certainly owes P-R since it’s been 5 years (3 games) since their last win I believe. I thought they would get it last year but P-R surprised me. I thought NA was able to score last week a little easier and I doubt they’ll turn the football over as much. P-R can compete up front but not sure they have enough weapons. I’ll go

NA 35 P-R 17

I've done some research but what's the view in SE PA on Souderton? Paper tiger? Hard arguing 6-0 and it looks like they could go undefeated with that schedule.

2021 comes to mind for me, probably a little Wpial biased

6A: Mt. Lebanon defeats St. Joseph’s prep 35-17
5A: Penn-Trafford defeats Imhotep 17-14 (OT)
4A: Aliquippa defeats Bishop Mcdevitt 34-27
3A: Central Valley defeats Wyomissing 7-0
2A: Southern Columbia defeats Serra Catholic 62-25
1A Bishop Guilfoyle defeats Redbank Valley 21-14

From these scores, every game was relatively close except for the 2A game. Also, Redbank Valley was the first district 9 team to play in a PIAA Championship since 1992.

What other years come to mind?

From Wacky to Weird: The Untold Stories Behind U.S. Sports Team Names​

Bucks did you see the West NP game? I read it was the first time NP has been shut out since 2007. Were they playing a new QB? A buddy told me it was a converted WR. I said it a week or two ago, I think this is the worst NP team in over 25 years.

You've got to love the way these two performed over the weekend being SJP products.

D'Andre Swift runs like he's been reborn. He's a machine getting 130 yds on 10 carries and a catch for 8 yds. That guy runs with a purpose!

And Kyle McCord is finally the quarterback that can get Ohio St somewhere. He was a real leader this weekend beating Notre Dame 17-14 in the last minute, completing 16 of 31 for 240-yards. I think he makes them special.

2023 District 3: Top 20 (Week 5).

Week #5 Standings
There were a few tweaks to the rankings last week where a winning team dropped in the rankings following a mid-season check-up while a lower ranked team rose a notch or two. There are now more stats and schedule difficulty values that clarify with five games under their belt. At any rate, here we are at the mid-point of the season with many games taking on greater significance for seeding purposes. There are still 13 undefeated teams in the district. Here’s what happened last week.

1 Bishop McDevitt 4A 5-0
McDevitt rolled out the big guns against their primary challenger in the Mid Penn-Keystone last week to dismantle Cedar Cliff 48-7. It was over at the half, with the Crusaders up 42-0. Stone Saunders picked them apart completing 13 of 15 passes for 254 yards with touchdowns of 6, 18, 31, 44, and 47 yards. No one has been able to handle him or their fleet and deep receiver corps with Chase Regan snagging five passes for 126 yards with touchdowns of 31 and 44 yards. The multi-talented Rico Scott who lined up in the backfield, took the first snap of the contest 80 yards for six points, completing the game with 45 yards on four receptions and another touchdown. Nevan Hopkins had three catches for 70 yards, one, a 47-yard bomb for a score. Big Nick Slogik (TE/DE 6-5, 240, sr) had a reception for eight yards. Three others got in on the fun with five receptions for another 35 yards. 471 total yards later it was all over. The defense did their part, holding the Colts top back Erik Schriver to 24 yards on nine carries and the team to 155 total yards. Speedy DT Josiah Harding (5-10, 245, sr) had a 23 yard ‘scoop and score’ in the second quarter. Milton Hershey (2-3) is next, coming in off their ‘Coco Bean’ game loss to Hershey High 33-22.
2 Manheim Township 6A 5-0
Township stayed strong with another solid performance from both sides of the ball where the offense generated 411 total yards and the defense allowed 167 in a 48-7 rout of Hempfield. Quarterback Hayden Johnson is tearing apart opposing defenses, completing 74% of his passes (81/109) for 1360 yards on the season. He’s thrown 22 touchdowns without a pick. Against the Black Knights, he completed 14 of 17 for 278 yards with touchdowns of 55, 39, 15, 26 and 26 yards. Wow! Landon Kennel had nine receptions for 155 yards and four touchdowns with Lex Haberbosch in on just one reception but for 55 yards and a score. Running back Declan Clancy had 108 yards rushing and a touchdown as the Streaks evened the score from last year’s 17-14 home loss to Hempfield. Lebanon-Lancaster-Section 1 (LL-1) action continues Friday for the short bus ride down 510 to J.P. McCaskey High (1-4) who’s coming off a 48-14 pounding at Plymouth Whitemarsh last week.
3 Central York 6A 5-0
Quarterback Brooklyn Nace hit 14 of 17 passes for 142 yards with Juelze Goff rushing for 166 yards and three scores as Central York defeated South Western 29-7 at the Corral in Hanover. Goff’s 52-yard touchdown sprint in the fourth quarter iced it. Saxton Suchanic had one yard and two yard rushing scores. South Western was a stubborn opponent, but Central had their dependable defense that held the Mustangs to 28 yards rushing and 140 passing. Since giving up 35 in the season opener at Central Dauphin, Central York has become stingy, allowing 14 points with two shutouts. Dallastown is up next as York-Adams-1 action continues. D-town won their last two games after a 0-3 start.
4 Harrisburg 6A 4-1
Harrisburg started slow with Cumberland Valley putting up a good fight, trying to save the season and keep things at or above .500 after a 1-3 start. They hung in for a half before falling to a second half Cougar onslaught of 35 points and 517 total yards of offense in a 42-7 loss. Shawn Lee was on it, completing 7 of 14 passes for 338 yards and 85 rushing, He threw touchdowns of 26, 93, and 28 yards, mostly to Elias Coke who had seven catches for 194 yards. Quincy Brannon had one reception, a 70-yards scoring strike from Lee. Nehemiah Ewell had 43 yards on 13 carries. Harrisburg’s defense was outstanding, holding Cumberland Valley to 86 yards passing and 85 rushing. The Eagles fall to 1-4 while Harrisburg is home against Altoona (2-3) in only their second home game of the year!?
5 State College 6A 3-1
Central Dauphin had no answer for State College’s Eddie Corkery, their first year starting quarterback who sliced them up with 23 completions for 218 yards. That’s 79.3%. Ty Salazer got loose for 10 receptions for 113 of those yards with Michael Gaul catching four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. D’Antae Sheffey was held in check at 51 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns with all the damage done through the air and Central Dauphin turnovers. CD threw three interceptions; one, a 71 yard ‘Pick Six’ dagger in the third quarter, taking the score to 31-7. CD’s rush defense was super, holding State to 52 yards. But it came at a cost. The win keeps State College even with Harrisburg in the division race with CD East (3-2) paying a visit Friday.
6 Steelton Highspire 1A 5-0
The Rollers crossed the river for a game in Newville against Big Spring who is one of the better teams in the division. That didn’t matter much after the first quarter (6-0 Steelton) where they erupted for 40 points on the way to a 46-7 thrashing of the Bulldogs. Their stats were enormous as usual with Alex Erby completing 16 of 25 for 220 yards, throwing touchdowns of 14, 11 and 5 yards while rushing for one and six yard scores. Not a bad day. Well underrated Ronald Burnette had 152 yards rushing and a score on 25 carries with Durrell Ceasar, Cam Chisholm and Jaeion Perry accumulating 82, 89 and 34 yards respectively in receptions. Amari Williams had a 10 yard ‘Scoop and Score’ in the third quarter. The Roller D that can be sieve like held firm in this one, holding Big Spring to 74 yards rushing and 23 passing. Next up is their old rival and next door neighbor Middletown (1-4).
7 Wyomissing 3A 5-0
Wyomissing got a fight from ELCO who hung with them before losing 28-14. It was largely a running game with Wyomissing rushing for 351 yards and nine yards passing with ELCO at 169 yards and 32 yards passing. Clearly Wyo got the best it with the home field and more quality running backs. Drew Forrey rushed for 160 yards on 10 carries, scoring on 54, 24 and 50 yard runs while Chase Eisenhower rushed for 118 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. ELCO’s Jake Williams kept it close, powering through for 135 yards on 23 carries. ELCO (Eastern Lebanon County-in Myerstown) made them work for it. LL-4 action continues Friday with the Spartans home against Donegal (2-3) while ELCO drops to 4-1 with another monster game playing Cocalico (4-1) at home.
8 Cocalico 5A 4-1
Cocalico ran into a near mirror image of themselves last week hosting Lampeter Strasburg, another option oriented program. The difference between them is LS has some pass capability. Only problem was Cocalico wouldn’t let the Pioneers get anything going on the ground, holding them to 70 yards rushing on 20 attempts. Apart from a 35-yard field goal, all LS managed was a few pass completions netting 148 yards and six points. Cocalico’s defense was brutal, forcing them to go 21.8 yards to score a single point in a deceptive final score of 24-10 where Cocalico out-rushed them 358 yards to 70. Aaryn Longenecker led the way with 155 yards on but seven carries followed by Sam Steffey’s 110 yards on 21 carries. Quarterback Josh Myer rushed 16 times for 73 yards and was 0 for 1 in pass attempts. Cocalico has a tough road game at ELCO (4-1) Friday in another key LL-4 showdown.
9 Wilson 6A 3-2
Wilson bounced up two notches in the rankings after edging a good Cedar Crest team 21-13 on the road. Tommy Hunsicker was hot, completing 10 of 13 throws for 162 yards with a balanced offense showing 148 yards rushing. Cedar Crest matched that almost yard for yard with 316 total yards. And while CC benefitted in recovering two Wilson fumbles, they gave it right back in untimely penalties and two interceptions. Wilson is developing a new talent this year in sophomore Correll Akings (5-10, 170). He had a strong game rushing for 44 yards on seven carries and a score and catching four passes for 59 yards and another score. He along with Nick Fiorini (5-10, 195, sr) rushing for 71 yards give them a more varied offense combined with an already strong receiver corps. Old rival Governor Mifflin (3-2) is next, coming in shaky with road disasters at Spring Ford 49-19 and Exeter 31-10. But it’s ‘the’ rivalry game for both and key to their post season aspirations and bragging rights in Reading.
10 Manheim Central 4A 4-1
It took the Barons a quarter, but once they got rolling it was all over with a 35-0 explosion in the middle quarters to blow away struggling Warwick (1-4) 49-0. Quarterback Zac Hahn connected for 208 yards at 67%, completing 16 of 24 passes for touchdowns of 21, 17, 35 and 31 yards. All of them went to his top receiver Aaron Enterline who had six receptions for 112 yards. Brycen Arnold balanced them out with 144 yards on 20 carries and a score. The defense was on its game as well, holding Warwick to 24 yards rushing and 136 total. Xander Kolk recovered a fumble in the end-zone in the second quarter where Central took a 28-0 halftime lead. The next two games have them at Muhlenberg (1-4, 5A) in Reading and Lebanon High (0-5, 6A), before ending with good stuff at Conestoga Valley (5-1, 5A), improving stuff vs Governor Mifflin (3-2, 5A), and the game that will likely decide the LL-Section 2 in Reading against Exeter Township (5-0, 5A).
TIE
York (William Penn) 6A 4-1
You got to give York some credit for bouncing back following their season opening 50-20 loss at home to Harrisburg knowing they have a young team. Their promising sophomore running back Shavane Anderson got everyone’s attention last week rushing for 260 yards and a 28-yard touchdown dash, then cashing in on a 24-yard touchdown toss. Soph quarterback Najee Still completed four of five passes while throwing two touchdowns. And they held a solid Red Lion team to 241 total yards. It’s hard finding another loss on the schedule before the regular season finale against city rival Central York. They’re idle this week before resuming against Dallastown October 6th.
11 Twin Valley 4A 5-0
This one got out of hand early with Twin Valley taking Elizabethtown apart with a 28-0 first quarter, followed by a 14 point second quarter. Quarterback Evan Myers was a force, completing 13 of 17 passes for 96 yards, rushing for 78 yards and scoring touchdowns of 26, 34 and 3 yards. Evan Johnson and Drew Engle added 65 and 47 rush yards with eight players used in the passing attack. Stats of 96 pass yards and 213 rushing show efficiency in their 49-8 win. That’s 6.34 yards per point with no picks or fumbles returned. They held E-town to 112 total yards of offense and six first downs. LL-3 action continues Friday in Quarryville against Solanco (1-4), coming off a 11-1 season with a massive rebuild.
TIE
Central Dauphin 6A 3-2
Central Dauphin’s three game winning streak came to an end, losing at home to State College 31-13. As mentioned, they had no answer for first year starting quarterback Eddie Corkery who completed 23 of 29 passes for 218 yards. See State College. CD’s quarterback Key’Ron Plummer was checked most of the game, completing seven of 15 passes for 35 yards and rushing for 48 on 14 attempts. Miles Copper had a good outing with 98 yards on 11 carries. The ground game behind their big line wasn’t the issue, rushing for 204 yards. It was the passing game, both offense and defense with Plummer throwing three interceptions. One, a 71-yard Pick-6. And the pass defense had no clue. So give them good rushing grades for 204 yards and shutting down State’s special running back D’Andre Steffey to 51 yards and the team to 54 total. Carlisle is up next at 1-4 on a four game losing streak.
12 West Perry 3A 5-0
Make that five straight for the guys from Perry County after thumping 1-4 James Buchanan 47-13. The usual culprits made their moves with quarterback Marcus Quaker throwing for 313 yards and Ian Goodling catching six of them for 110 yards and three touchdowns. Bryce Smith had eight receptions for 78 yards with Brad Hockenberry showing his skills catching 60-yards worth of receptions while rushing for 50 more. Listless Boiling Springs (1-4) is up next after allowing 50, 55 and 48 points their last three games.
13 Cedar Crest 6A 4-1
Despite losing, Cedar Crest rose in the rankings with the mid-season reassessment of all teams. Their game with Wilson, a 21-13 loss, was a dead heat, even with turnovers that plagued both teams and kept it close. Quarterback Jackson Custer completed 13 of 22 passes for 138 yards (59%) and rushed for another 78 yards. The problem was two costly interceptions. Excepting that, Custer’s stats were enough combined with 178 yards rushing to get a win. In the end, Tommy Hunsicker outgunned him, completing 10 of 13 for 162 yards. And that was the difference with total yardage at 316 for Cedar Crest to 310 for Wilson. LL-1 action continues in Reading (1-4) who is putting some points on the scoreboard this season.
14 Ephrata 5A 5-0
Ephrata’s rebirth may seem modest going 26-21 the last five years without a losing season but it’s not. Far from it knowing they went winless from 2013 through 2017. That’s 0-50! So to see them here at 5-0 is special. Quarterback Sam McCracken was a load last week completing 15 of 17 passes for 287 yards with touchdowns of 18, 34 and 10 yards. He’s also their third leading rusher at 119 yards for the season with a 67% throw rate for 748 yards. Jeremiah Knowles had a big night with four receptions for 120 yards and a score. The rushing game was by committee last week although Brayden Brown is the primary at 572 yards on the year. They rushed for 182 here against Boone, giving them 476 total yards to Boone’s 153 in a 48-7 blowout. Up next is their most difficult game of the season on the road in New Holland against undefeated Garden Spot. This will be a HUGE test with GS’s dual threat quarterback Kye Harting passing for 906 yards and rushing for 657 with 22 touchdowns. It may be in the heart of Amish country but this kid can play.
15 Trinity 2A 3-2
Trinity responded to recent, narrow losses against two of the best teams in the district and perhaps the state by pounding overmatched Boiling Springs (1-4) 48-14. The two weeks preceding had Trinity losing to Wyomissing 35-34 and West Perry 19-16. Both are undefeated. Quarterback Caleb Wray was ‘on’ against the Bubblers (great name), completing a modest 11 of 20 but for 218 yards and five touchdowns. Cole Cappawanna and LaBron Mallard led the receiving corps with 70 and 75 yards on three receptions each. Christian Joy who gets too little attention rushed for 149 yards on just eight carries. Like most routs, this one was over at the half with the Shamrocks up 35-7. They’re home Friday against Big Spring (3-2) who will be licking their wounds after losing to Steel High last week 46-7. The Bulldogs don’t like the road so it could get ugly.
16 Exeter Township 5A 5-0
Once again Exeter is putting together a team that’s on its way to a double digit winning season as they did in 2021 at 10-4 and last year at 12-1. They’re moving up in the rankings slowly, playing a less than challenging schedule who have a combined 5-20 record. This year’s edition is mangling teams by an average score of 42-9. Last week was easy pickings, gaining 461 yards of total offense in a 51-0 rout of 0-5 Lebanon. Under center, Riley Martinez is rounding into a solid quarterback, going 7 of 9 for 135 yards with touchdowns of 30, 20, 19 and 35 yards. But the heart and soul of the attack is its running game where Jayden Zandier rushed for 107 yards on four carries with Pharrell Caceres at 94 yards as they ground out 319 yards rushing. Winless Lebanon is hurting but a defense holding any opponent to 85 total yards is impressive. Warwick is next at 1-4 and flailing. Exeter should roll in their next three games against Warwick, Muhlenberg and disappointing Hempfield before a road trip to Conestoga Valley then home against Manheim Central, both 4-1.
TIE
Garden Spot 5A 5-0
Garden Spot lit it up again last week with a 48-21 road win at Fleetwood. Kye Harting was the star, completing 11 of 18 passes for 218 yards with touchdowns of 35, 22, 3, 59, 28 and 16 yards. He also rushed for 150 yards on 19 carries including a 57-yard touchdown run giving him 368 yards of offense for the game! Trenton Hoober had touchdowns of 22, 16 and 3 yards on four receptions for 49 yards. A.J. Hurst and Jace Conrad had 68 and 65 yards respectively and a touchdown each. G-Spot’s D held Fleetwood to 28 yards rushing and 228 total. Look for a big, big crowd Friday night hosting undefeated Ephrata in a critical LL-3 matchup and 5A seeding battle.
17 Lampeter Strasburg 4A 4-1
Lampeter Strasburg finally got a challenge, unfortunately on the road at Cocalico where they Eagles prevailed 24-10. See Cocalico above. Cocalico ran right through them for 358 yards. At the same time, Cocalico wasn’t allowing LS anything, holding them to 70 yards on the ground. This proved fatal against an option team like the Pioneers. The LL-4 section race is still young but they can’t slip again and do get ELCO (4-1) and Wyomissing (5-0) at home. Octorara (2-3) is next where the Pioneers will roll.
18 Cedar Cliff 5A 4-1
There’s not much here to talk about except to show how thoroughly Bishop McDevitt beat the Colts in a key Mid Penn-Keystone contest. The final score of 48-7 says it clearly (42-0 at the half), as does McDevitt’s 471 yards of total offense doing whatever they pleased, rushing for 210 yards and throwing for 261. The Colts had no answer, rushing for 97 yards and passing for 68. Mifflin County (3-2) is next at their place in Lewistown where the Huskies can be frisky. They took a competitive 4-1 Lower Dauphin to the edge two weeks ago before losing 20-14 on a 90-yard kickoff touchdown that was the difference. They’ll need to fix that as the Colts have some people that can scoot.
19 New Oxford 5A 5-0
Nothing flashy here with a rebuilt offense getting it done assisted by a senior defense allowing them to get off to a 5-0 start. No one has gotten closer than 14 points in all their games including last week where they won at York Suburban 35-14. Quarterback Idriz Ahmetovic and his receivers were on the same page completing six of nine passes for 180 yards and four touchdowns. Brennan Holmes had 133 yards in receptions with Clayton Nieves rushing for 70 yards and a score. At the end of the day, they had 18o yards passing and 154 rushing. There doesn’t appear to be a challenger this year in the York Adams-2 with the entire division down, meaning the Colonials could run through the division unscathed. Susquehannock (2-3) is next in New Oxford.
20 East Pennsboro 4A 5-0
The teams from Enola run hot and cold, sometimes for decades at a time turning out good stuff from 2000-2004 going 38-14, then 20-31 (all losers) from 2005 through 2009. From 2010 through 2017, they went 60-27 followed by a 20-29 log from 2018-2022. Go figure, but they’re hot now, winning four road games by an average score of 36-17. They won their fifth game of the year last week in a meeting of undefeated Mid Penn-Colonial Division teams playing big and physical Greencastle-Antrim in Greencastle. Nothing easy playing the Blue Devils at their place where Pennsboro fought back from a 7-3 halftime deficit with 15 unanswered third quarter points. Quarterback Keith Oates threw for 141 yards and scored on a 20-yard jaunt and a 2-yard burst to open the second half. His quarterback sneak with :49 left in the game iced it. Ali Alami added a 31-yard field goal for their first score with JJ Gossard rushing for 106 yards on 21 carries. Trey Good had seven catches for 52 yards, giving the Panthers a small but balanced attack needed to win road games like this one against a tough opponent. Greencastle falls to 4-1 with Northern coming in while Pennsboro plays Mechanicsburg (2-3) in their second home game of the season.

OTHERS:
Hershey 5A 4-1 at Red Land
Greencastle-Antrim 5A 4-1 home vs Northern
Lower Dauphin 5A 4-1 home vs Palmyra
Conestoga Valley 5A 4-1 at Lebanon
ELCO 4A 4-1 home vs Cocalico

1. PCC vs NA- conference game and both 4-0. Winner will be favorite to win 6A
2. Peters township vs Upper St Clair- conference game and both 4-0.
3. Thomas Jefferson vs Belle Vernon- two of the best team in the wpial and state and both 4-0.
All these games will see where these teams stand and will be tough games getting them ready for the playoffs
My picks- PCC, USC, and TJ