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
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
