2023 District 3: (The Playoffs).
District-3 Playoffs (First Round)
District-3 has 92 schools (seven private) of which nearly half, 42 teams (46%), qualify for the PIAA playoffs. Below are the schedules of first round games for Nov 3rd and 4th. This involves 22 of those teams with 20 getting byes counting the 6A classification teams that don’t play until Nov 10th and 11th.
The lowest seeds are home.
6A-8 teams, First Round games, Nov 10-11.
#1 Manheim Township 10-0 vs #8 York-William Penn 6-3
#4 Cumberland Valley 6-4 vs #5 Wilson 7-3
#2 Harrisburg 9-1 vs #7 Cedar Crest 8-2
#3 Central York 10-0 vs #6 Central Dauphin 6-4
5A-12 teams, First Round games, Nov 3-4
#8 Hershey 7-3 vs #9 Exeter Township 8-2
The home field might decide this one where Hershey is at least tested. They lost games to Cedar Cliff (9-1) 41-21, McDevitt (10-0) 42-7 and Lower Dauphin (6-4) 21-14, while beating capable if erratic competition vs Dallastown 34-19 and Milton Hershey 33-22, both 5-5. Exeter breezed through their schedule’s first eight games playing no team that ended the season above .500 before faltering against ‘quality’ at Conestoga Valley (8-2) and home to Manheim Central (9-1), losing to CV 34-27 and the Barons 42-14. Let’s see if they can handle Hershey’s battering ram of a running back Angel Cabrera (6-0, 235), and his 1412 rush yards.
#5 Ephrata 9-1 vs #12 Lower Dauphin 6-4
Misleading seeding finds Ephrata with only one loss and sharing the LL-3 title with Twin Valley (9-1) and Garden Spot (9-1) as the 5th seed. They’re a dangerous foe for Lower Dauphin having a dual threat at quarterback in Sam McCracken (1709p, 305r) and Brayden Brown (998) to hand off to. LD can almost match that with their own dual threat in Carter Burton (723p, 712r), and Dakota Sary (730) and Gerald Sanders (589) who at 5-7, 170 can scoot. Ephrata’s statement win was 52-33 against Twin Valley with a statement loss to Garden Spot 42-22. LD lost to Twin Valley 24-21 in a early non-conference game and have a good win against Hershey 21-14 in overtime. The losses are to McDevitt 61-10 last week, Cedar Cliff 21-16 and Milton Hershey 44-41, making them that close to 9-1. Should be a good one!
#7 South Western 7-3 vs #10 Greencastle-Antrim 7-3
The York-Adams Conference had a great turnout this year putting four teams in from Division-1, two from Division-2 and three from Division-3. South Western saved their season two weeks ago upsetting York 35-8, especially with earlier losses to New Oxford (9-1) 41-27, Dallastown (5-5) 24-20 and Central York (10-0) 29-7. It’s a young team led by Qb Bryce Graham at 58% for 1577 yards with seven capable receivers and Austin Rollman at 944 rush yards. Greencastle has had a few close calls while recording wins against Big Spring (6-4) 17-14 and Delone (6-4) 35-21. Their losses are to Mid Penn-Colonial Division champ East Pennsboro (9-1) 24-13, Susquehanna Township (7-3) 25-0 and Mechanicsburg (5-5) 34-22. Mixed reviews. They’ve been a low octane offense and should be in trouble at The Corral against the balanced Mustangs who have won their last five games.
#6 Conestoga Valley 9-2 vs #11 Dover 7-3
CV’s getting it done with enough offense and a solid D allowing 14ppg. The offense has a dual threat in Liam Cheek with 1180 passing and 325 rushing. His big weapon is Jayden Johnson rushing for 941 yards and leading the team in receptions/yardage with 18 for 369 yards. Excepting the 47-14 blow-out by Manheim Central, they’ve been solid, with a 34-27 win against Exeter (8-2) and a narrow 27-26 loss to Garden Spot (8-2). Dover has some people that get your attention in quarterback Aric Campbell throwing for 2015 yards with a 19/8 ratio and rushing for 464 yards. His receivers are 4th, 9th and 11th in the York-Adams Conference where they play out of the YA-1. This could get exciting with Campbell but road losses at South Western, New Oxford and Dallastown slant it CV’s way.
5A-Second Round games, Nov 10-11
#8-#9 winner vs #1 New Oxford 9-1
#5-#12 winner vs #4 Garden Spot 9-1
#7-#10 winner vs #2 Cedar Cliff 9-1
#6-#11 winner vs #3 Cocalico 9-1
4A-10 teams, First Round games, Nov 3-4
#8 Milton Hershey 5-5 vs #9 Eastern York 7-3
Milton Hershey got in as the 8th seed as a 5-5 team because of wins against Susquehanna Township (7-3) 35-34 and Lower Dauphin (6-4) 44-41. And they’re a dangerous group with explosive athleticism throughout the offense. Besides blow out losses to Cedar Cliff 54-18 and McDevitt 55-14, there was the odd home loss to Mifflin County (5-5) 42-35 and Coco Bean Bowl loss to rival Hershey (7-3) 33-22. No shame there. It was a difficult schedule. Eastern York’s record while better at 6-3 hides the fact they’ve lost to every winning team on their schedule; Dover (7-3) 21-7, New Oxford (9-1) 24-8 and even Spring Grove (3-7) 55-13. This is a big step up for them coming from the York Adams-2, facing Mid Penn talent/speed/athleticism they’ll encounter here on the road against a team that’s a lot better than its 5-5 record.
#7 ELCO 7-3 vs #10 Big Spring 6-4
ELCO (Eastern Lebanon County) had a competitive 28-14 loss to Wyomissing, ruining their 4-0 start before the bottom fell out against Cocalico (9-2) 56-7 and Lampeter Strasburg (8-2) 49-0 despite having the top rusher in the district in Jake Williams with 1982 yards. Jake is a load but he’s all they have with a mere 47 passing attempts all season. Stop Jake and you stop the Raiders. Big Spring also had a difficult schedule losing to Greencastle (7-3) 17-14 in the opener with subsequent losses to Steel High 46-7 and tight losses to Trinity (7-3) 28-22 and West Perry (9-1), 38-35. They’ve used two quarterbacks with great reliance on two running backs that are both over 1000 yards; Connor Green at 1075 and Grant Hall at 1025. This is a game Big Spring can win but it’s going to be a nail biter on the road in Myerstown.
4A-Second Round games, Nov 10-11
#8-#9 winner vs #1 Bishop McDevitt 10-0
#4 East Pennsboro 9-1 vs #5 Lampeter Strasburg 8-2
#7-#10 winner vs #2 Twin Valley 9-1
#3 Manheim Central 9-1 vs #6 Susquehanna Township 7-3
3A-6 teams, First Round games Nov 3-4
#4 Schuylkill Valley 8-2 vs #5 Littlestown 8-2
Head coach Bruce Harbaugh is turning things around in Leesport in year #3 with his second winning team at the helm in an illustrious 46-year career in local football. Coach has been one of the more successful coaches in the district taking Lancaster Catholic to two state titles while racking up 139 wins. He’s a former quarterback at Wilson. They’ve had little success on the gridiron making his stint an impressive one going 2-9, 6-5 and 8-2. They ended this year in a three way tie with Lancaster Catholic and Annville-Cleona in the LL-5. His teams reflect those at LC being balanced with a threatening passing attack showing 1741 pass yards to 1260 rushing. They have an impressive 14-13 win at Annville (7-3) but ended the season losing 35-14 to Lancaster Catholic. Their opponent Littlestown of the York-Adams-3 is nine points removed from a perfect season with a 28-27 home loss to Susquehannock (4-6)..?..and another home loss to bitter rival Delone Catholic (6-4) 14-6, putting them in a three way tie atop the York-Adams-3. Unlike Schuylkill Valley, they prefer pounding the ball with a season total of 1691 rush yards to 1245 passing.
#3 West Perry 9-1 vs #6 Bermudian Springs 6-4
West Perry tore through the Mid Penn-Capital with solid road wins against Trinity (7-3) 18-16, Big Spring (6-4) 38-35 and Camp Hill (5-5) 48-24 before falling to Steel High 33-12. They’re an exciting team, top heavy with offensive weapons in dual threat Marcus Quaker at quarterback, Brad Hockenberry at running back and Ian Gooding at receiver. Goodling is also a fine field goal kicker. At 42ppg, they’re putting points on the board against a low octane Bermudian Springs team from the York Adams-3. One thing about the Eagles is they’re fighters, battling back from a 0-3 start to end 6-1, with a disappointing loss at home to Littlestown 35-32. And they have a decent defense at 15ppg. They like lining up and just pounding you, rushing for 1864 yards and passing for 989. West Perry is not a big, physical team. Bermudian should be able to run. The problem will be slowing down Perry’s huge offence at West Perry. Good luck as the Eagles haven’t faced anything like West Perry’s diverse offense.
3A Second Round games Nov10-11
#4-#5 winner vs #1 Wyomissing 9-1
#3-#6 winner vs #2 Lancaster Catholic 9-1
2A-4 team, First Round, Nov 3-4
#1 Annville-Cleona 7-3 vs #4 Camp Hill 5-5
Annville Cleona takes being one-dimensional to a whole other level with only 45 passing attempts the entire year for 244 yards, compared to 3661 yards rushing. That might be a problem against the better teams like 4A ELCO (7-3) who throttled them 49-7, and even Littlestown who dropped then 33-21. And if they fall behind against this week’s opponent Camp Hill, it’s lights out. The Mid Penn is blessed with inordinately talented quarterbacks the last few years. And with the emergence of junior Drew Branstetter, add his name to that list with a 60% completion percentage for 2123 yards and a 20/5 ratio. Coming from the Mid Penn-Capital Division with Trinity (7-3), Steel High (10-0), Big Spring (6-4) and West Perry (9-1), they are battle tested for a playoff game like this one.
#2 Trinity 7-3 vs #3 Delone Catholic 6-4
Like most teams this time of year, Trinity has been banged up. But they’re healthy now at just the right time and positions for another deep run in the postseason. Last year’s team won districts before losing to Southern Columbia in the semifinal. This year’s edition is well prepped for the playoffs and nine points removed from a perfect season with super tight losses to Wyomissing 35-34, West Perry 19-16 and the war with Steel High 42-37; three of the best teams in the state. With a stable of running backs led by Messiah Mickens (876) and Christian Joy (692), they’re a load. Caleb Wray (59%-1180) can sling it and the entire team can catch. Delone is one of the historic powers in southern Pennsylvania. Like most editions over the years from McSherrystown, they’re a ground pounder with two backs over 1000 yards. This year’s team runs it 79% of the time. They played a hard schedule opening with a loss to Trinity 49-12, making this a revenge-rematch game. Tough as the Squires are, losses to Lancaster Catholic (9-1) 28-21, Greencastle (7-3) 35-21 and Bermudian Springs (6-4) 28-13 says it will be another disappointing trip to Camp Hill where Trinity should dominate.
1A-2 teams, Final Round games, Nov 3-4
#1 Steelton Highspire 10-0 vs #2 Halifax 4-6
The game features two Mid Penn teams with Steel High of the Capital Division playing Halifax of the Liberty Division. The defending 1A champion Rollers are after their 23rd straight win while Halifax qualifies in a small field of three teams, edging out Fairfield. They come into the game with no momentum, losing five of their last six (35-16 avg.) while the Rollers get better with time, ending the regular season with wins against Trinity 42-37 and West Perry 33-12 to win another Capital Division title. This is a tough spot for Halifax’s first year coach Roy Wall and his team. They played three teams that ended the season with a winning record, losing to Hamburg (6-4) 49-14, Line Mountain (8-2) 50-14 and Trinity (7-3) 45-8. And because they haven’t seen anything remotely resembling the talented Rollers, it’s going to be a real long day.
District-3 Playoffs (First Round)
District-3 has 92 schools (seven private) of which nearly half, 42 teams (46%), qualify for the PIAA playoffs. Below are the schedules of first round games for Nov 3rd and 4th. This involves 22 of those teams with 20 getting byes counting the 6A classification teams that don’t play until Nov 10th and 11th.
The lowest seeds are home.
6A-8 teams, First Round games, Nov 10-11.
#1 Manheim Township 10-0 vs #8 York-William Penn 6-3
#4 Cumberland Valley 6-4 vs #5 Wilson 7-3
#2 Harrisburg 9-1 vs #7 Cedar Crest 8-2
#3 Central York 10-0 vs #6 Central Dauphin 6-4
5A-12 teams, First Round games, Nov 3-4
#8 Hershey 7-3 vs #9 Exeter Township 8-2
The home field might decide this one where Hershey is at least tested. They lost games to Cedar Cliff (9-1) 41-21, McDevitt (10-0) 42-7 and Lower Dauphin (6-4) 21-14, while beating capable if erratic competition vs Dallastown 34-19 and Milton Hershey 33-22, both 5-5. Exeter breezed through their schedule’s first eight games playing no team that ended the season above .500 before faltering against ‘quality’ at Conestoga Valley (8-2) and home to Manheim Central (9-1), losing to CV 34-27 and the Barons 42-14. Let’s see if they can handle Hershey’s battering ram of a running back Angel Cabrera (6-0, 235), and his 1412 rush yards.
#5 Ephrata 9-1 vs #12 Lower Dauphin 6-4
Misleading seeding finds Ephrata with only one loss and sharing the LL-3 title with Twin Valley (9-1) and Garden Spot (9-1) as the 5th seed. They’re a dangerous foe for Lower Dauphin having a dual threat at quarterback in Sam McCracken (1709p, 305r) and Brayden Brown (998) to hand off to. LD can almost match that with their own dual threat in Carter Burton (723p, 712r), and Dakota Sary (730) and Gerald Sanders (589) who at 5-7, 170 can scoot. Ephrata’s statement win was 52-33 against Twin Valley with a statement loss to Garden Spot 42-22. LD lost to Twin Valley 24-21 in a early non-conference game and have a good win against Hershey 21-14 in overtime. The losses are to McDevitt 61-10 last week, Cedar Cliff 21-16 and Milton Hershey 44-41, making them that close to 9-1. Should be a good one!
#7 South Western 7-3 vs #10 Greencastle-Antrim 7-3
The York-Adams Conference had a great turnout this year putting four teams in from Division-1, two from Division-2 and three from Division-3. South Western saved their season two weeks ago upsetting York 35-8, especially with earlier losses to New Oxford (9-1) 41-27, Dallastown (5-5) 24-20 and Central York (10-0) 29-7. It’s a young team led by Qb Bryce Graham at 58% for 1577 yards with seven capable receivers and Austin Rollman at 944 rush yards. Greencastle has had a few close calls while recording wins against Big Spring (6-4) 17-14 and Delone (6-4) 35-21. Their losses are to Mid Penn-Colonial Division champ East Pennsboro (9-1) 24-13, Susquehanna Township (7-3) 25-0 and Mechanicsburg (5-5) 34-22. Mixed reviews. They’ve been a low octane offense and should be in trouble at The Corral against the balanced Mustangs who have won their last five games.
#6 Conestoga Valley 9-2 vs #11 Dover 7-3
CV’s getting it done with enough offense and a solid D allowing 14ppg. The offense has a dual threat in Liam Cheek with 1180 passing and 325 rushing. His big weapon is Jayden Johnson rushing for 941 yards and leading the team in receptions/yardage with 18 for 369 yards. Excepting the 47-14 blow-out by Manheim Central, they’ve been solid, with a 34-27 win against Exeter (8-2) and a narrow 27-26 loss to Garden Spot (8-2). Dover has some people that get your attention in quarterback Aric Campbell throwing for 2015 yards with a 19/8 ratio and rushing for 464 yards. His receivers are 4th, 9th and 11th in the York-Adams Conference where they play out of the YA-1. This could get exciting with Campbell but road losses at South Western, New Oxford and Dallastown slant it CV’s way.
5A-Second Round games, Nov 10-11
#8-#9 winner vs #1 New Oxford 9-1
#5-#12 winner vs #4 Garden Spot 9-1
#7-#10 winner vs #2 Cedar Cliff 9-1
#6-#11 winner vs #3 Cocalico 9-1
4A-10 teams, First Round games, Nov 3-4
#8 Milton Hershey 5-5 vs #9 Eastern York 7-3
Milton Hershey got in as the 8th seed as a 5-5 team because of wins against Susquehanna Township (7-3) 35-34 and Lower Dauphin (6-4) 44-41. And they’re a dangerous group with explosive athleticism throughout the offense. Besides blow out losses to Cedar Cliff 54-18 and McDevitt 55-14, there was the odd home loss to Mifflin County (5-5) 42-35 and Coco Bean Bowl loss to rival Hershey (7-3) 33-22. No shame there. It was a difficult schedule. Eastern York’s record while better at 6-3 hides the fact they’ve lost to every winning team on their schedule; Dover (7-3) 21-7, New Oxford (9-1) 24-8 and even Spring Grove (3-7) 55-13. This is a big step up for them coming from the York Adams-2, facing Mid Penn talent/speed/athleticism they’ll encounter here on the road against a team that’s a lot better than its 5-5 record.
#7 ELCO 7-3 vs #10 Big Spring 6-4
ELCO (Eastern Lebanon County) had a competitive 28-14 loss to Wyomissing, ruining their 4-0 start before the bottom fell out against Cocalico (9-2) 56-7 and Lampeter Strasburg (8-2) 49-0 despite having the top rusher in the district in Jake Williams with 1982 yards. Jake is a load but he’s all they have with a mere 47 passing attempts all season. Stop Jake and you stop the Raiders. Big Spring also had a difficult schedule losing to Greencastle (7-3) 17-14 in the opener with subsequent losses to Steel High 46-7 and tight losses to Trinity (7-3) 28-22 and West Perry (9-1), 38-35. They’ve used two quarterbacks with great reliance on two running backs that are both over 1000 yards; Connor Green at 1075 and Grant Hall at 1025. This is a game Big Spring can win but it’s going to be a nail biter on the road in Myerstown.
4A-Second Round games, Nov 10-11
#8-#9 winner vs #1 Bishop McDevitt 10-0
#4 East Pennsboro 9-1 vs #5 Lampeter Strasburg 8-2
#7-#10 winner vs #2 Twin Valley 9-1
#3 Manheim Central 9-1 vs #6 Susquehanna Township 7-3
3A-6 teams, First Round games Nov 3-4
#4 Schuylkill Valley 8-2 vs #5 Littlestown 8-2
Head coach Bruce Harbaugh is turning things around in Leesport in year #3 with his second winning team at the helm in an illustrious 46-year career in local football. Coach has been one of the more successful coaches in the district taking Lancaster Catholic to two state titles while racking up 139 wins. He’s a former quarterback at Wilson. They’ve had little success on the gridiron making his stint an impressive one going 2-9, 6-5 and 8-2. They ended this year in a three way tie with Lancaster Catholic and Annville-Cleona in the LL-5. His teams reflect those at LC being balanced with a threatening passing attack showing 1741 pass yards to 1260 rushing. They have an impressive 14-13 win at Annville (7-3) but ended the season losing 35-14 to Lancaster Catholic. Their opponent Littlestown of the York-Adams-3 is nine points removed from a perfect season with a 28-27 home loss to Susquehannock (4-6)..?..and another home loss to bitter rival Delone Catholic (6-4) 14-6, putting them in a three way tie atop the York-Adams-3. Unlike Schuylkill Valley, they prefer pounding the ball with a season total of 1691 rush yards to 1245 passing.
#3 West Perry 9-1 vs #6 Bermudian Springs 6-4
West Perry tore through the Mid Penn-Capital with solid road wins against Trinity (7-3) 18-16, Big Spring (6-4) 38-35 and Camp Hill (5-5) 48-24 before falling to Steel High 33-12. They’re an exciting team, top heavy with offensive weapons in dual threat Marcus Quaker at quarterback, Brad Hockenberry at running back and Ian Gooding at receiver. Goodling is also a fine field goal kicker. At 42ppg, they’re putting points on the board against a low octane Bermudian Springs team from the York Adams-3. One thing about the Eagles is they’re fighters, battling back from a 0-3 start to end 6-1, with a disappointing loss at home to Littlestown 35-32. And they have a decent defense at 15ppg. They like lining up and just pounding you, rushing for 1864 yards and passing for 989. West Perry is not a big, physical team. Bermudian should be able to run. The problem will be slowing down Perry’s huge offence at West Perry. Good luck as the Eagles haven’t faced anything like West Perry’s diverse offense.
3A Second Round games Nov10-11
#4-#5 winner vs #1 Wyomissing 9-1
#3-#6 winner vs #2 Lancaster Catholic 9-1
2A-4 team, First Round, Nov 3-4
#1 Annville-Cleona 7-3 vs #4 Camp Hill 5-5
Annville Cleona takes being one-dimensional to a whole other level with only 45 passing attempts the entire year for 244 yards, compared to 3661 yards rushing. That might be a problem against the better teams like 4A ELCO (7-3) who throttled them 49-7, and even Littlestown who dropped then 33-21. And if they fall behind against this week’s opponent Camp Hill, it’s lights out. The Mid Penn is blessed with inordinately talented quarterbacks the last few years. And with the emergence of junior Drew Branstetter, add his name to that list with a 60% completion percentage for 2123 yards and a 20/5 ratio. Coming from the Mid Penn-Capital Division with Trinity (7-3), Steel High (10-0), Big Spring (6-4) and West Perry (9-1), they are battle tested for a playoff game like this one.
#2 Trinity 7-3 vs #3 Delone Catholic 6-4
Like most teams this time of year, Trinity has been banged up. But they’re healthy now at just the right time and positions for another deep run in the postseason. Last year’s team won districts before losing to Southern Columbia in the semifinal. This year’s edition is well prepped for the playoffs and nine points removed from a perfect season with super tight losses to Wyomissing 35-34, West Perry 19-16 and the war with Steel High 42-37; three of the best teams in the state. With a stable of running backs led by Messiah Mickens (876) and Christian Joy (692), they’re a load. Caleb Wray (59%-1180) can sling it and the entire team can catch. Delone is one of the historic powers in southern Pennsylvania. Like most editions over the years from McSherrystown, they’re a ground pounder with two backs over 1000 yards. This year’s team runs it 79% of the time. They played a hard schedule opening with a loss to Trinity 49-12, making this a revenge-rematch game. Tough as the Squires are, losses to Lancaster Catholic (9-1) 28-21, Greencastle (7-3) 35-21 and Bermudian Springs (6-4) 28-13 says it will be another disappointing trip to Camp Hill where Trinity should dominate.
1A-2 teams, Final Round games, Nov 3-4
#1 Steelton Highspire 10-0 vs #2 Halifax 4-6
The game features two Mid Penn teams with Steel High of the Capital Division playing Halifax of the Liberty Division. The defending 1A champion Rollers are after their 23rd straight win while Halifax qualifies in a small field of three teams, edging out Fairfield. They come into the game with no momentum, losing five of their last six (35-16 avg.) while the Rollers get better with time, ending the regular season with wins against Trinity 42-37 and West Perry 33-12 to win another Capital Division title. This is a tough spot for Halifax’s first year coach Roy Wall and his team. They played three teams that ended the season with a winning record, losing to Hamburg (6-4) 49-14, Line Mountain (8-2) 50-14 and Trinity (7-3) 45-8. And because they haven’t seen anything remotely resembling the talented Rollers, it’s going to be a real long day.
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