District 3 State Playoffs; games of Dec 1, 2
(records reflect most recent game results)
6A: Harrisburg 12-1 vs North Allegheny 12-1 D7
The Cougars beat top seeded Manheim Township on Township’s field in overtime 34-28, giving the Streaks their first loss of the season while claiming a third straight district title for themselves. What’s hard to fathom for a team that dominated all comers up to this point was Township’s inability to hold a 28-7 lead in the third quarter. Thereon, it was all Harrisburg with quarterback Shawn Lee scoring on a 1-yard keeper following his 89 yard run to open the second half. Nehemiah Ewell then scored on a 15 yard run after a 13-play, 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter. Following great field position at the Township 35, Harrisburg drove to the four where Lee found Elias Coke on a 4-yard toss then made the 2-point conversion to force overtime with :23 left in regulation. In overtime, Harrisburg won the toss and elected to go on offense where Ewell scored on a 2-yard run. But a high snap prevented the conversion giving Township a shot. In a fitting end to an unusual game, Township failed to score on three fourth down opportunities where a touchdown was overturned on an illegal touching penalty, an interference penalty on Harrisburg moving the ball to the 4, and a pass batted away by Quincy Brannon on the final try. Up next is North Allegheny’s best team since the 2012 edition that went 16-0, winning a state title beating Coatesville 63-28. That group set records averaging 42ppg and allowing 8. This year’s is even more on offense, resetting the record books at 45.7ppg. The defense allowed 17.1. This drops to 11 eliminating Central Catholic games where they allowed 50 and 41. Anomalies? The 2012 title team had no such ‘anomalies’. Regardless, they’re a load with a 3-year starting quarterback in Logan Kushner, excellent skill people and a veteran defense. Kushner is as much a threat with his legs as his arm, rushing for 707 yards on 55 carries with 12 touchdowns while throwing at 57% for 972 yards with a 14/3 ratio. Khiryn Bird (All-State) is an exceptional receiver with 28 receptions for 728 yards with good support from Evan Lyon (10/274) and Daniel Sellers (12/204). Tyree Alualu is the primary back with 85-783 yards rushing and 7 receptions for 90 yards. He’s another 3-year starter with great speed and a terror on defense where the front 4 returned with good numbers throughout the defense. The game with Harrisburg looks like a classic matchup featuring perhaps the two best dual threat quarterbacks in the state. Both teams are explosive with good defenses. And both are historic powers that won’t be intimidated by circumstance or each other. The game is Dec 2nd at 1pm at Altoona’s Mansion Park.
5A: Cocalico 12-1 vs Peters Township 14-0, D7.
Cocalico won their 12th consecutive game against Ephrata in a well fought 23-9 district final that secured their second straight 5A crown. Their veer offense that no one has stopped ground out 308 yards. Powerhouses like Manheim Central allowed them 475 (not a misprint), Cocalico’s season high, while Wyomissing allowed 265. Combine that with a defense allowing 12.6ppg to see what a tough out they are. It was no different against a solid Ephrata team that was held to 27 rush yards and 215 passing. Their quarterback, Sam McCracken who is often a handful, had two interceptions and was held to negative 17 yards rushing. This combined with seven sacks removed a big piece of their offense. For Cocalico, running back Aaron Longenecker was center stage, rushing for 113 yards and scoring all their touchdowns; two rushing and one a 24-yard strike from quarterback Josh Myer (3/5-46yds) getting his fourth touchdown toss of the year. He more than makes up for that as the team’s third leading rusher netting 739 yards on 130 carries for 11 touchdowns. They move on to the State Semifinal to see if Peters Township can stop them. At 14-0 (1st Wpial) they’ve stopped everyone with a defense allowing 8ppg. The offense is headed by a sophomore quarterback Nolan DiLucia. He’s a good one, completing 61% for 2838 yards with a TD/Pick ratio of 30/10. He also rushed for 497 yards making him a dual threat. Five receivers have at least 375 yards. Combined, they total 162 receptions for 2360 yards. Vinny Sarcone and Preston Blair are the running backs with 862 and 610 rush yards respectively. The line averages 6-1 and 235. Shutting down teams like Upper St. Clair 31-0, Pine Richland 43-17 and Cathedral Prep 33-14 says they have speed defensively as suggested by DLs Paris Fishell (6-0, 235, so), Jake Velgich (5-10, 215, sr) and NT Franco Muscatello (6-2, 230, jr), with a standout LB in Mickey Vaccarello (6-3, 215, jr) having offers from Syracuse, Maryland, BC and others. Preston Lehman (6-3, 225, so) looked good in highlights too. Where they look to have an advantage is their multiple offense supported by a stout defense. Peters looks like the real deal. The game is Dec 1st at 7pm at Altoona’s Mansion Park.
4A: Bishop McDevitt 13-0 vs Dallas 14-0 D2
For all intents and purposes, Manheim Central looked like the better team last week. Hands down, not even close, besting the Crusaders in every measurable while holding what seemed to be an insurmountable 17-8 lead entering the fourth quarter. McDevitt’s Kentucky bound quarterback Stone Saunders couldn’t find his mark in the first half, throwing passes above, over and behind his receivers, completing 6 of 19 passes (if I counted right) with the team held to three first downs. Three! Things were so bad in the fourth quarter, a more-less typical 27-yard completion for a first down seemed to ignite a spark that brought the sideline alive with renewed energy. It was palpable! The very next play saw Saunders connect with Gage Ruth in the end zone on a 43-yard bomb making it 17-15 with 8:44 to go. Manheim fumbled the ball right back to McDevitt the next series (Rico Scott recovering) on MC’s 25-yard line where Saunders hit Scott for a 26-yard score on the next play with Saunders running it in for two. All this in the space of 15 seconds starting at the 8:43 mark of the fourth quarter. The thing was, barring a misstep or two, McDevitt’s defense was in near total control, allowing 87 total yards by game’s end. The game had so many twists and turns with a fumble recovered in the end zone, a Pick-6, a safety, a blocked punt then the incredible finish. Too much to cover here. Bottom line, a valiant effort by the Barons came up short, while the Crusaders advance after winning their 26th consecutive game and 17th district title. They move on to play District-2 power Dallas. At 14-0, the Mountaineers are having one of their best seasons of record. The 2019 team (15-1) was probably their best that lost in the final to the 16-0 machine from Thomas Jefferson that would have beat many in higher classifications. This group is balanced with 1761 pass yards and 2780 rushing. Quarterback Brady Zapoticky throws at 56% for 1761 yards with a 23/2 ratio. Zach Paczewski is his top receiver with 931 yards on 50 receptions. Running backs Dillon Geskey and Mike Lewis have 1414 and 276 yards respectively. Both can catch. The team’s average score is 38-16 with Coach Rich Mannello calling this his fastest defense. They got here by winning the close ones including playoff wins against rival Valley View (10-3) 21-18 two weeks ago and Bonner Prendi (10-3, Philly PCL) 28-27 when Bonner missed the extra point in ot. McDevitt can’t afford a repeat of last week against this bunch. The game is Dec 1st at 7pm at Northern Lehigh High School.
3A: Wyomissing 12-1 vs Northwestern Lehigh 14-0 D11
Wyomissing advances deeper into the postseason with a 48-27 win in Reading over Danville. It was a competitive game for a half. But like the Camp Hill-Dunmore game below, the weight of the Spartan attack proved dividends in the second half where they outscored the Ironmen 21-8. Heck of a year for them finishing 12-2. Wyo had their Wing-T in high gear, rolling out 465 yards on the ground. Ryker Jones led the way with 153 yards and touchdowns of 79 and 4 yards. Sophomore Chase Eisenhower added 93 yards on 17 carries with scores of 2, 5, 1 and 15 yards. Four other backs had 20 carries for 128 yards. Since losing to Cocalico 34-14, they’ve won their last six by an average score of 39-11. Up next is District-11 powerhouse Northwestern Lehigh, fielding their ‘best ever team’ with a record setting offense and defense averaging 45ppg and allowing 9. Their six year won-loss is 62-12. They’ve played a strong schedule, beating a competitive Blue Mountain (8-3) team 28-21, Southern Lehigh (10-2) 42-14, Notre Dame (8-4) 43-21, Palmerton’s ‘best ever’ (12-1) squad 58-8, and District-2 powerhouse Scranton Prep (12-2) 27-6, who defeated Neumann Goretti (11-2) 23-16 the week before. The D has some big boys upfront in Ben Walters (6-1, 240, 65 tackles), Bryer Reichard (6-4, 260, 67 stops), solid line backing in Dalton Clymer (6-0. 190, 113 tackles), Blaine Snyder (100 tackles), sophomore Shane Hulmes (6-0, 195, 89 tackles) and a super active secondary looking at the number of tackles. They’re a well balanced offense throwing the ball 36% of the time at 61% for 1589 yards with sophomore Shane Leh. His ratio is 22/6. Dalton Clymer has 1705 rush yards with Eli Zimmerman at 479. The primary receivers are Devon Hildebrand (46/590) and Mason Bollinger (23/438). The Tigers will be the best team Wyomissing has played this year and a real threat with their balance. The game is Dec 1st at 7pm at Kutztown University.
(2A: Camp Hill 8-6 vs Dunmore 12-2, D2)
Camp Hill concluded their surprising run in the postseason with a 41-25 quarterfinal loss at Dunmore. Nothing like a quarterfinal playoff game on the home field of one of the most successful Double-A programs in the state! Typically, you see that in district play with an 8 seed traveling to a 1. The Bucks won the state title in 1989 with a 57-18 win over Keystone, then grabbed Silver in 2012 beating Clairton 20-0. They’ve gone 175-45 since 2007. Back to the present, it was an exciting game for the first half with Dunmore holding a 21-19 lead. After that, the weight of their attack, rushing for 336 yards, showed itself where the larger more physical Bucks wore down the Lions, outscoring them 20-6. Dunmore moves on to play Southern Columbia (13-1) out of District-4 where they’ll need to change gears real fast from a pass prevent defense, Camp Hill throwing 44 times, to a run dominant scheme. The closest team they’ve played to a team like Southern is Mount Carmel (9-3), in a 34-7 loss and Lackawanna Trail (13-1) where they also lost 46-21. This looks like a very long day for the Bucks. The game is in Hazelton Dec 1st at 7pm.
Camp Hill note: The Lions look forward to next season returning good numbers and an outstanding quarterback.
1A: Steelton Highspire 14-0 vs South Williamsport 11-2 D4
Lackawanna Trail proved a worthy opponent falling to Steel High in the 1A quarterfinal in Scranton. LT was a good team. But like so many at the 1A and 2A classifications, they’re one dimensional as a ground pounder. And when Steel High controlled that, limiting them to 231 rushing and only 18 through the air, it was all over. Conversely, the Rollers are an anomaly, as a pass heavy team completing 21 of 26 passes for 398 yards as Alex Erby added to his state passing record. Their wide outs are almost impossible to guard with Jaeion Perry catching 6 passes for 154 yards and touchdowns of 11 and 42 yards, and Durrell Ceasar snagging 8 for 121 yards with touchdowns of 22 and 37 yards. They have an excellent running back when needed in Ronald Burnette gaining 101 yards. 512 total yards later it was all over, winning their 25th consecutive game 43-25. The win moves them into the semifinal against South Williamsport (11-2) of District-4. They’re from the Northern Tier League, small school division playing high end comp like Canton (56-12 the last 6) and Muncy (53-17 last 6). Except for those two and Southern Columbia deeper into the postseason, you’d be hearing much more about them. But it’s still good stuff in Coach Chris Elswerth’s 13th season going 103-44. They’re a big, senior laden, physical, Wing-T team that likes to pound it. Ryan Casella is the lead back with 1385 yards supported by Kaiser Kistner with 866 yards. Tadd Lusk can heave it, completing 43 of 74 passes (58%) for 790 yards with a 16/4 ratio. They have quality wins against Muncy (10-3), Canton (8-3) and the District-6 rep Cambria Heights (10-4) last week 33-0. They haven’t faced a team like Steelton and could be in trouble against such an attack and speed. The game is a ‘district’ home game for them, played at Shamokin High Dec 1st at 7pm.
(records reflect most recent game results)
6A: Harrisburg 12-1 vs North Allegheny 12-1 D7
The Cougars beat top seeded Manheim Township on Township’s field in overtime 34-28, giving the Streaks their first loss of the season while claiming a third straight district title for themselves. What’s hard to fathom for a team that dominated all comers up to this point was Township’s inability to hold a 28-7 lead in the third quarter. Thereon, it was all Harrisburg with quarterback Shawn Lee scoring on a 1-yard keeper following his 89 yard run to open the second half. Nehemiah Ewell then scored on a 15 yard run after a 13-play, 98-yard drive in the fourth quarter. Following great field position at the Township 35, Harrisburg drove to the four where Lee found Elias Coke on a 4-yard toss then made the 2-point conversion to force overtime with :23 left in regulation. In overtime, Harrisburg won the toss and elected to go on offense where Ewell scored on a 2-yard run. But a high snap prevented the conversion giving Township a shot. In a fitting end to an unusual game, Township failed to score on three fourth down opportunities where a touchdown was overturned on an illegal touching penalty, an interference penalty on Harrisburg moving the ball to the 4, and a pass batted away by Quincy Brannon on the final try. Up next is North Allegheny’s best team since the 2012 edition that went 16-0, winning a state title beating Coatesville 63-28. That group set records averaging 42ppg and allowing 8. This year’s is even more on offense, resetting the record books at 45.7ppg. The defense allowed 17.1. This drops to 11 eliminating Central Catholic games where they allowed 50 and 41. Anomalies? The 2012 title team had no such ‘anomalies’. Regardless, they’re a load with a 3-year starting quarterback in Logan Kushner, excellent skill people and a veteran defense. Kushner is as much a threat with his legs as his arm, rushing for 707 yards on 55 carries with 12 touchdowns while throwing at 57% for 972 yards with a 14/3 ratio. Khiryn Bird (All-State) is an exceptional receiver with 28 receptions for 728 yards with good support from Evan Lyon (10/274) and Daniel Sellers (12/204). Tyree Alualu is the primary back with 85-783 yards rushing and 7 receptions for 90 yards. He’s another 3-year starter with great speed and a terror on defense where the front 4 returned with good numbers throughout the defense. The game with Harrisburg looks like a classic matchup featuring perhaps the two best dual threat quarterbacks in the state. Both teams are explosive with good defenses. And both are historic powers that won’t be intimidated by circumstance or each other. The game is Dec 2nd at 1pm at Altoona’s Mansion Park.
5A: Cocalico 12-1 vs Peters Township 14-0, D7.
Cocalico won their 12th consecutive game against Ephrata in a well fought 23-9 district final that secured their second straight 5A crown. Their veer offense that no one has stopped ground out 308 yards. Powerhouses like Manheim Central allowed them 475 (not a misprint), Cocalico’s season high, while Wyomissing allowed 265. Combine that with a defense allowing 12.6ppg to see what a tough out they are. It was no different against a solid Ephrata team that was held to 27 rush yards and 215 passing. Their quarterback, Sam McCracken who is often a handful, had two interceptions and was held to negative 17 yards rushing. This combined with seven sacks removed a big piece of their offense. For Cocalico, running back Aaron Longenecker was center stage, rushing for 113 yards and scoring all their touchdowns; two rushing and one a 24-yard strike from quarterback Josh Myer (3/5-46yds) getting his fourth touchdown toss of the year. He more than makes up for that as the team’s third leading rusher netting 739 yards on 130 carries for 11 touchdowns. They move on to the State Semifinal to see if Peters Township can stop them. At 14-0 (1st Wpial) they’ve stopped everyone with a defense allowing 8ppg. The offense is headed by a sophomore quarterback Nolan DiLucia. He’s a good one, completing 61% for 2838 yards with a TD/Pick ratio of 30/10. He also rushed for 497 yards making him a dual threat. Five receivers have at least 375 yards. Combined, they total 162 receptions for 2360 yards. Vinny Sarcone and Preston Blair are the running backs with 862 and 610 rush yards respectively. The line averages 6-1 and 235. Shutting down teams like Upper St. Clair 31-0, Pine Richland 43-17 and Cathedral Prep 33-14 says they have speed defensively as suggested by DLs Paris Fishell (6-0, 235, so), Jake Velgich (5-10, 215, sr) and NT Franco Muscatello (6-2, 230, jr), with a standout LB in Mickey Vaccarello (6-3, 215, jr) having offers from Syracuse, Maryland, BC and others. Preston Lehman (6-3, 225, so) looked good in highlights too. Where they look to have an advantage is their multiple offense supported by a stout defense. Peters looks like the real deal. The game is Dec 1st at 7pm at Altoona’s Mansion Park.
4A: Bishop McDevitt 13-0 vs Dallas 14-0 D2
For all intents and purposes, Manheim Central looked like the better team last week. Hands down, not even close, besting the Crusaders in every measurable while holding what seemed to be an insurmountable 17-8 lead entering the fourth quarter. McDevitt’s Kentucky bound quarterback Stone Saunders couldn’t find his mark in the first half, throwing passes above, over and behind his receivers, completing 6 of 19 passes (if I counted right) with the team held to three first downs. Three! Things were so bad in the fourth quarter, a more-less typical 27-yard completion for a first down seemed to ignite a spark that brought the sideline alive with renewed energy. It was palpable! The very next play saw Saunders connect with Gage Ruth in the end zone on a 43-yard bomb making it 17-15 with 8:44 to go. Manheim fumbled the ball right back to McDevitt the next series (Rico Scott recovering) on MC’s 25-yard line where Saunders hit Scott for a 26-yard score on the next play with Saunders running it in for two. All this in the space of 15 seconds starting at the 8:43 mark of the fourth quarter. The thing was, barring a misstep or two, McDevitt’s defense was in near total control, allowing 87 total yards by game’s end. The game had so many twists and turns with a fumble recovered in the end zone, a Pick-6, a safety, a blocked punt then the incredible finish. Too much to cover here. Bottom line, a valiant effort by the Barons came up short, while the Crusaders advance after winning their 26th consecutive game and 17th district title. They move on to play District-2 power Dallas. At 14-0, the Mountaineers are having one of their best seasons of record. The 2019 team (15-1) was probably their best that lost in the final to the 16-0 machine from Thomas Jefferson that would have beat many in higher classifications. This group is balanced with 1761 pass yards and 2780 rushing. Quarterback Brady Zapoticky throws at 56% for 1761 yards with a 23/2 ratio. Zach Paczewski is his top receiver with 931 yards on 50 receptions. Running backs Dillon Geskey and Mike Lewis have 1414 and 276 yards respectively. Both can catch. The team’s average score is 38-16 with Coach Rich Mannello calling this his fastest defense. They got here by winning the close ones including playoff wins against rival Valley View (10-3) 21-18 two weeks ago and Bonner Prendi (10-3, Philly PCL) 28-27 when Bonner missed the extra point in ot. McDevitt can’t afford a repeat of last week against this bunch. The game is Dec 1st at 7pm at Northern Lehigh High School.
3A: Wyomissing 12-1 vs Northwestern Lehigh 14-0 D11
Wyomissing advances deeper into the postseason with a 48-27 win in Reading over Danville. It was a competitive game for a half. But like the Camp Hill-Dunmore game below, the weight of the Spartan attack proved dividends in the second half where they outscored the Ironmen 21-8. Heck of a year for them finishing 12-2. Wyo had their Wing-T in high gear, rolling out 465 yards on the ground. Ryker Jones led the way with 153 yards and touchdowns of 79 and 4 yards. Sophomore Chase Eisenhower added 93 yards on 17 carries with scores of 2, 5, 1 and 15 yards. Four other backs had 20 carries for 128 yards. Since losing to Cocalico 34-14, they’ve won their last six by an average score of 39-11. Up next is District-11 powerhouse Northwestern Lehigh, fielding their ‘best ever team’ with a record setting offense and defense averaging 45ppg and allowing 9. Their six year won-loss is 62-12. They’ve played a strong schedule, beating a competitive Blue Mountain (8-3) team 28-21, Southern Lehigh (10-2) 42-14, Notre Dame (8-4) 43-21, Palmerton’s ‘best ever’ (12-1) squad 58-8, and District-2 powerhouse Scranton Prep (12-2) 27-6, who defeated Neumann Goretti (11-2) 23-16 the week before. The D has some big boys upfront in Ben Walters (6-1, 240, 65 tackles), Bryer Reichard (6-4, 260, 67 stops), solid line backing in Dalton Clymer (6-0. 190, 113 tackles), Blaine Snyder (100 tackles), sophomore Shane Hulmes (6-0, 195, 89 tackles) and a super active secondary looking at the number of tackles. They’re a well balanced offense throwing the ball 36% of the time at 61% for 1589 yards with sophomore Shane Leh. His ratio is 22/6. Dalton Clymer has 1705 rush yards with Eli Zimmerman at 479. The primary receivers are Devon Hildebrand (46/590) and Mason Bollinger (23/438). The Tigers will be the best team Wyomissing has played this year and a real threat with their balance. The game is Dec 1st at 7pm at Kutztown University.
(2A: Camp Hill 8-6 vs Dunmore 12-2, D2)
Camp Hill concluded their surprising run in the postseason with a 41-25 quarterfinal loss at Dunmore. Nothing like a quarterfinal playoff game on the home field of one of the most successful Double-A programs in the state! Typically, you see that in district play with an 8 seed traveling to a 1. The Bucks won the state title in 1989 with a 57-18 win over Keystone, then grabbed Silver in 2012 beating Clairton 20-0. They’ve gone 175-45 since 2007. Back to the present, it was an exciting game for the first half with Dunmore holding a 21-19 lead. After that, the weight of their attack, rushing for 336 yards, showed itself where the larger more physical Bucks wore down the Lions, outscoring them 20-6. Dunmore moves on to play Southern Columbia (13-1) out of District-4 where they’ll need to change gears real fast from a pass prevent defense, Camp Hill throwing 44 times, to a run dominant scheme. The closest team they’ve played to a team like Southern is Mount Carmel (9-3), in a 34-7 loss and Lackawanna Trail (13-1) where they also lost 46-21. This looks like a very long day for the Bucks. The game is in Hazelton Dec 1st at 7pm.
Camp Hill note: The Lions look forward to next season returning good numbers and an outstanding quarterback.
1A: Steelton Highspire 14-0 vs South Williamsport 11-2 D4
Lackawanna Trail proved a worthy opponent falling to Steel High in the 1A quarterfinal in Scranton. LT was a good team. But like so many at the 1A and 2A classifications, they’re one dimensional as a ground pounder. And when Steel High controlled that, limiting them to 231 rushing and only 18 through the air, it was all over. Conversely, the Rollers are an anomaly, as a pass heavy team completing 21 of 26 passes for 398 yards as Alex Erby added to his state passing record. Their wide outs are almost impossible to guard with Jaeion Perry catching 6 passes for 154 yards and touchdowns of 11 and 42 yards, and Durrell Ceasar snagging 8 for 121 yards with touchdowns of 22 and 37 yards. They have an excellent running back when needed in Ronald Burnette gaining 101 yards. 512 total yards later it was all over, winning their 25th consecutive game 43-25. The win moves them into the semifinal against South Williamsport (11-2) of District-4. They’re from the Northern Tier League, small school division playing high end comp like Canton (56-12 the last 6) and Muncy (53-17 last 6). Except for those two and Southern Columbia deeper into the postseason, you’d be hearing much more about them. But it’s still good stuff in Coach Chris Elswerth’s 13th season going 103-44. They’re a big, senior laden, physical, Wing-T team that likes to pound it. Ryan Casella is the lead back with 1385 yards supported by Kaiser Kistner with 866 yards. Tadd Lusk can heave it, completing 43 of 74 passes (58%) for 790 yards with a 16/4 ratio. They have quality wins against Muncy (10-3), Canton (8-3) and the District-6 rep Cambria Heights (10-4) last week 33-0. They haven’t faced a team like Steelton and could be in trouble against such an attack and speed. The game is a ‘district’ home game for them, played at Shamokin High Dec 1st at 7pm.