2023 District 3: Top 30 (Week 9).
Week #9 Standings
1 Bishop McDevitt 4A 9-0
McDevitt won their 22nd straight game with a 42-0 rout of Mifflin County (4-5). The win was their second consecutive shutout and eighth game scoring 42 or more points. Their lowest total was the opener against Mount St. Joseph (6-3) of Baltimore, winning 20-14. Since then, they’ve averaged 49.6ppg against teams with a combined record of 34-36. That won/loss is distorted, playing teams like DePaul-NJ (3-5) and LaSalle (4-4) whose schedule is brutal; DePaul of the Super-United White and LaSalle of the PCL-Red, with high end non-conference games. Except for the opening three non-conference games, all of McDevitt’s games were decided by halftime, including last week where they held a 42-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Stone Saunders continued his torrid pace completing 21 of 29 passes for 287 yards with four touchdowns, two going to Rico Scott who caught 11 for 98 yards. This week’s game at Lower Dauphin (5A, 6-3) wraps up the Mid Penn-Keystone division where the Crusaders will again go undefeated before entering the post season as the top seed in the district.
2 Manheim Township 6A 9-0
More and more Manheim Township resembles Bishop McDevitt with their big offense and stout defense deciding all their games by halftime. The closest anyone has come against them was Cumberland Valley in the opener, losing 35-6! Even Harrisburg went down hard, losing 38-6. And a pretty good 8-1 Spring-Ford team also lost big at 63-28, their only loss of the season. Then came Cedar Crest with a decent resume only to be destroyed by the Blue Streaks 42-0. Last week saw them record their third straight shutout and fourth of the year with a 59-0 dismantling of Penn Manor (3-5). Not known for a dominant ground game, they pounded out 252 yards rushing with Declan Clancy rushing for 126 yards and scores of 1 and 44 yards. Quarterback Hayden Johnson threw for 140 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for two more. They held the Penn Manor to 78 total yards. Appropriately, Wilson (7-2) awaits them in West Lawn with the 4th seed where they too are undefeated in ‘Section’ play at 6-0. Township has the top seed.
3 Harrisburg 6A 8-1
All the top teams in the district are rolling now with Harrisburg getting their sixth straight win with a 60-14 victory at home against Chambersburg. That answers the question how they’d play after a near perfect game the week before at State College, shutting out the Lions 20-0 and holding them to 147 total yards. They did the same last week to the Trojans, holding them to 128 yards to their 488. Everyone contributed, but the center piece was quarterback Shawn Lee. He had another great outing completing 13 of 23 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 106 yards and two more scores. Junior running back Nehemiah Ewell had a good game as well with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Quincy Brannon and Elias Coke were Lee’s primary targets with 76 and 53 yards respectively. This brings up the annual clash of Titans in Harrisburg between two old adversaries, when the Cougars travel to Landis Field to play Central Dauphin.
4 Central York 6A 9-0
Like all the teams above, Central York has it going too, kicking ‘A’ and taking names. Beating Reading last week 39-0 was their fourth shutout of the season. As impressive as that is, they’ve allowed 89 points the entire season. The offense is also becoming more balanced averaging 39ppg. They’ve had some issues there with Dallastown taking them to the edge in a 23-13 win and Red Lion doing the same three weeks ago, battling hard before falling 35-27. Reading was held to three first downs and 66 total yards of offense. And as generous as York-Adams teams can be, the Panthers have been well tested at the top of the season in non-conference wins against Central Dauphin 45-35 and Cumberland Valley 14-0. Like many teams in the district, conference rivals finish out the regular season in head-to-head matchups. Hang on for this one with York High at Central York. Central took both games last year in barnburners, winning 43-38 and 51-44 in the postseason. And with the Bearcats getting upset last week by South Western, look for extra intensity despite their youth as they still have a shot at a piece of the conference title with a win.
5 Steelton Highspire 1A 9-0
Steel High and rival Trinity added to the East Shore-West Shore dynamic with another nail bitter last week won by the Rollers 42-37 in Steelton. Last year’s game went overtime with Steel High winning 35-28. Trinity actually held a 34-28 lead entering the fourth quarter. But the Rollers outdueled them 14-3 in the final quarter for the win. Yardage figures were close to even with SHHS at 401; 278 rushing and 123 passing. Trinity was at 380; 180 rushing and 200 passing. While the Shamrocks had to respect quarterback Alex Erby who only threw 10 passes (8/10-123), the ground game was the clear emphasis for Steelton with Ronald Burnette rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns, and Kam Chisholm at 71 yards and a touchdown. Wide out Durrell Ceasar had four receptions for 77 yards and a 73-yard ‘Scoop and Score’ in the second quarter. After blowing away eight previous teams by an average score of 43-13, this was the perfect game to prepare the Rollers for a game at undefeated West Perry (9-0) Friday, and the postseason wars where everyone will be gunning for the defending 1A State Champ.
6 Wilson 6A 7-2
All the playoff caliber teams, especially the upper echelon teams are jelling this time of year. Since opening an unheard of 0-2 with losses to Roman Catholic 49-14 and Central Dauphin 36-35, they’ve won seven straight. Importantly, they’ve developed a running game with quarterback Tommy Hunsicker showing marked improvement. They’re breaking in some younger backs while Hunsicker has gone from 54.5% (30/55) for 427 yards his first two games, to 75.7% (97/128) for 1526 yards the last seven games. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns last week in a 47-20 win against J.P. McCaskey. Junior Correll Akings had a strong outing last week rushing for 113 yards on 13 carries with four touchdowns. The offense put together 408 yards while holding punch-less JPM to 154. Township is next in a game that will decide the LL-1 where both are undefeated. Wilson won a tight one last year at Township 27-21. With both streaking, something has to give.
7 Cocalico 5A 8-1
Defending 5A district champion Cocalico set a new low last week by not attempting a single pass. They’ve only attempted 29 the entire year. But they run it like few others, totaling 417 yards last week against Berks Catholic in a 42-14 win. Since opening with a 17-13 loss to Warwick (3-6), they won eight straight. This is the same team that gave power house teams like Manheim Central (8-1) 48-28, Lampeter Strasburg (8-1) 24-10 and Wyomissing (8-1) 34-14 their only loss of the year. They have three primary ball carriers; seniors Aaryn Longenecker at 914 yards and Sam Steffey at 741, plus junior quarterback Josh Myer at 513 yards. They showed off their depth last week with sophomore Dane Horning rushing for 202 yards on 24 carries with touchdowns of 1, 66, 1 and 5 yards. Conrad Weiser (2-7) is next where a win secures the LL-4.
8 Manheim Central 4A 8-1
The Barons won their sixth straight game since losing to Cocalico with a 42-0 rout of Governor Mifflin. The win keeps them atop the LL-2 at 5-0 with a decisive game at Exeter Friday. Exeter was defeated by Conestoga Valley last weekend, dropping them to second in a tie with Conestoga Valley at 4-1. Lead back Brycen Arnold (1266) sat this one out? But it didn’t matter with Michael Torres rushing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He and wide out Aaron Enterline scored all their points with Enterline catching five passes for 105 yards, one, a 66-yard touchdown. Quarterback Zac Hahn raised his seasonal completion percentage to 69% (1998 yards), completing 11 of 14 throws for 140 yards. They currently hold the third seed behind Twin Valley.
9 Wyomissing 3A 8-1
Wyomissing had an easy time of it last week, scoring all their points in the first half with a 41-6 rout of 2-7 Octorara. Octorara joined the Lancaster Lebanon League for all sports in 2018, moving from the Ches-Mont. The thinking (or lack of it) was they’d be more competitive against teams like Berks Catholic, Cocalico, Lampeter Strasburg and Wyomissing. Right! Since then, they’ve gone 21-37 through last week’s game. They struggled mightily against Wyomissing with five first downs and 88 total yards to Wyo’s 375, with Wyo starters sitting by the half. The Spartans emptied the bench with 13 backs getting carries, led by Justice Hardy’s 93 yards and two scores. For the year, four running backs have 310 yards or more rushing led by sophomore Chase Eisenhower with 927 yards. At 5-11 215 pounds, he doesn’t look like a sophomore. They finish the regular season at Lampeter Strasburg (8-1), the current 5A-5 seed. Wyo has the 2 seed, but could slide into the top spot with a win in Lampeter Friday combined with West Perry (3A, 8-0, #1) losing to Steel High.
10 Cumberland Valley 6A 5-4
The readjustment put Cumberland Valley into the rankings based on their recent performances following a 1-4 start. As a D3 guy, anything resembling 1-4 associated with CV looks like a misprint! Since then, they’ve gone 4-0 with solid wins against Central Dauphin (6-3) 19-14 and State College (6-3) last week, 17-10. Holding CD and SC to 14 and 10 points is a statement. They defeated SC last week with a goal line stand at the 2-yard line with under a minute remaining in the game. Unheralded running back Bryce Staretz gouged State for 134 yards behind one of the more experienced lines in the Commonwealth Division including Tyler Merrill (6-5 305….OSU, Mich, Pitt, PSU, etc) who’s just a sophomore, Tre Grohman (6-0 225), Noah Brown (6-0 245), and Mekhi Tichenor (6-0 225). But it was the defense that was outstanding, holding SC to 72 rush yards and a field goal; the other score coming on a 61-yard Pick-6 by Ty Salazar. Star running back D’Antae Steffey was held to 43 yards. Things seemed to turn around for the Eagles when junior quarterback Grant Shepley (IMG as a frosh) replaced the starter at halftime of the Central Dauphin game. CV’s surge moved them into the 6 seed they can secure with a win at Altoona Friday.
11 State College 6A 6-3 (District-6)
State College showed their vulnerabilities the last two weeks losing at home to Harrisburg 20-0 and last week on the road to Cumberland Valley 17-10. Remember, these guys came in averaging 42ppg with a pretty young group. But then, so is Harrisburg. They’ll still enter the 6A playoffs, but with a lot less luster. Quarterback Eddie Corkeery hit 10 of 15 passes against CV but threw a pick. And with D’Antae evidently nicked, held to 43 yards on four carries, the attack sputtered to 221 yards of offense. They’ll likely recover against Chambersburg (4-5) to close out the regular season as the top seed in District-6.
12 Central Dauphin 6A 6-3
Central Dauphin’s 19-14 loss at Cumberland Valley a three weeks ago is looking a lot better now with CV rolling and CD firing on all cylinders with a thorough crushing of bitter rival CD East last week 49-20. All phases of the team seem improved with quarterback Key’Ron Plummer rushing for 94 yards and four completions on six attempts for 38 yards. Miles Copper rushed for 98 yards with two scores with receiver Mateo Crummel a force on special teams, returning the opening kick-off 82 yards to start the game. He ended with 72 yards rushing. The defense was solid, holding down East High’s big offense to 284 yards (110r, 174p). They kept steady pressure with 344 yards rushing to own the clock and physically punish East with a 42-14 first half explosion. That was a knockout punch to East’s hopes of any postseason involvement, dropping them to the 13th seed in a field of eight. CD currently holds the fifth seed, hosting surging Harrisburg Friday night at Landis Field where the place will be rocking. SRO!
13 West Perry 3A 9-0
After losing to Steel High last year in a high scoring regular season finale 53-34, you can believe West Perry is ready to receive the Rollers on their turf where the victor wins the Mid Penn-Capital Division crown. And with the Rollers on a 20 game winning streak and the Mustangs at nine, something has to give. West Perry currently holds the No.1 3A seed by a hair’s width over Wyomissing, while the Rollers are firmly in control of the top spot in 1A. Look for a high scoring affair again with Perry averaging 42ppg and Steelton 48. Last week saw Perry win at Camp Hill 48-24 where Camp Hill’s quarterback Drew Branstetter completed 25 of 41 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. At the same time, Steel High was stretched to the breaking point at home in a narrow 42-37 win over Trinity.
14 Cedar Cliff 5A 8-1
Cedar Cliff had no trouble with next door neighbor Red Land High, beating the 2-7 Patriots 41-7. They used their one-two punch of quarterback Bennett Seacrest throwing for 134 yards and two touchdowns and running back Erik Schriver who rushed for 113 yards and a score. They also pack a serious punch on defense allowing on average 16ppg. Red Land shot themselves in the foot with two Pick-6’s; one by Evan Zeigler of 85 yards, the other of 9 yards by Michael Jones. Next up is a dangerous Milton Hershey team who at 5-4 are a six-point loss to East Pennsboro (8-1) and a seven point upset by Mifflin County (4-5) from being 7-2. Still, they hold the 6-seed in 4A while the Colts have the 2-seed in 5A, just above Cocalico. It’s in Hershey where MH is 1-3.
15 Garden Spot 5A 8-1
Garden Spot got a lackluster 24-3 win at home last week against 1-8 Elizabethtown. That’s a significant drop in production knowing they came into the game averaging 40ppg after defeating Central Mountain 48-0 the week before. Dual threat quarterback Kye Harting was again accountable for most of the yardage and points, passing for 144 yards with touchdown tosses of 65 and 13 yards, and rushing for 94 yards on 15 carries with an eight-yard score. For the season, he’s thrown for 1622 yards with a 29/2 ratio while rushing for 966 and 12 more touchdowns. He’s a load! The win keeps them in a three way tie with Twin Valley and Ephrata, both 8-1. They currently have the 5th seed with a home game Friday against Solanco (3-5) to close it out.
16 Ephrata 5A 8-1
Ephrata remained in a three way tie atop the LL-3 with Twin Valley and Garden spot after demolishing Muhlenberg (1-8) 59-0. They held the Muhls to 22 total yards. 22! And with an offense scoring 52, 52 and 59 the last three games, they’re peaking. Quarterback Sam McCracken is throwing at 58% for 1605 yards with a ratio of 16/4. He’s a run threat as well with 253 yards and eight scores. Brayden Brown is a load with 925 rush yards and four receivers have over 300 yards in receptions. They end the regular season at home against Elizabethtown (1-8) where they’ll name the score and maintain their 5th seed.
17 Trinity 2A 6-3
Since Steelton graduate Jordan Hill became the head coach at Trinity in 2021, the games between Steel High and Trinity have become epic. They went overtime last year before the Rollers eked out a 35-28 win. Hill was an All-American at Steel High, All-Big Ten at Penn State and a defensive tackle on the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. He also won a state title when playing for the Rollers. That’s quite a resume. And he has the Shamrocks playing like a Steelton team! Last week saw them almost pull off the upset in Steelton, rolling out 380 yards of offense in a 42-37 loss. Star sophomore running back Messiah Mickens rushed for 65 yards and a score while catching three passes for 92 yards and another score. Christian Joy who transferred from Bishop McDevitt two years ago rushed for 106 yards with quarterback Caleb Wray completing 10 of 21 passes for 200 yards and three touchdown passes. Tanie Young caught two passes for 19 and 45 yards. Mickens caught the other for 32 yards. They end the regular season at home Friday against Halifax (4-5) where they’ll retain the 2-seed in the playoffs.
18 Twin Valley 4A 8-1
Twin Valley had one of their best games with a win against outmanned Boone (1-8), 54-7. The score was 47-0 at the half. Twin Val is a team with a monster O-Line that bulldozes their way to victory, rushing for an average of 329 yards per game. Two running backs are already at 1000 yards each; Evan Johnson at 1010 yards and Drew Engle at 1120. Quarterback Evan Myers throws at 58% for 1039 yards making the attack diverse. The collapse at Ephrata two weeks ago, a 52-33 loss (?), distorts stats that otherwise show 16ppg allowed. Not bad in the pass happy world of the Spread. They’ll end the regular season at home Friday against Hatboro Horsham (5A, 5-4), an independent formerly of the Suburban One League. A win against the Hatters will likely secure the 2-seed behind Bishop McDevitt just ahead of Manheim Central.
19 Lampeter Strasburg 4A 8-1
The Pioneers put together a team that is just destroying opponents this season, winning by an average score of 42-7. They have one of the best defenses in the district that faltered once, on the road at LL-4 leader Cocalico in a 24-10 loss. Otherwise they’re storming people with four shutouts. They outgained Conrad Weiser last week 481 yards to 142 with a BIG and balanced offense behind quarterback Trent Wagner and running back Jonathan Mellinger. Wagner completed 6 of 6 passes for 219 yards, throwing touchdowns of 73, 19, 38 and 67 yards. Mellinger rushed for 153 yards with scores of 54 and 52 yards. Receivers Danoj Gray had 98 yards with 19 and 67 yard scores with Dean Herr at 111 yards and touchdowns of 73 and 38 yards. Those are some big plays! Let’s see how they do this week at home against the defending 3A district champ Wyomissing (8-1) who also plays some defense at 13ppg yield with an offense averaging 37ppg. Wyo has some vulnerabilities this year suggesting a tight game and possible mild upset by LS in what should be one of the best games in central PA
20 New Oxford 5A 8-1
Good things come in small packages as 1A Fort Hill of Cumberland-Maryland demonstrated, rolling up over 500 yards in a 49-21 rout of the Colonials in Cumberland. Fort Hill is the perennial 1A (smallest) state champion, winning the last two title at 13-1 and 12-0, and four in a row from 2013-2016, going 54-1. Because the loss doesn’t count against New Oxford for postseason purposes, they’ll maintains the top seed in the field of 12 just ahead of Cedar Cliff. The regular season ends at home Friday against Eastern York (6-2) of Wrightsville.
21 Conestoga Valley 5A 7-2
Conestoga Valley boosted their prospects for a higher seed last week with a 34-27 win against previously undefeated Exeter Township. The win helped secure the 6-seed. After falling behind 12-7 at the half, they mounted a furious comeback, scoring 27 points in the second half while holding down the big Exeter attack to 15 points. Exeter came in averaging 41ppg, with a stubborn defense allowing 12 a game. Maybe the Eagles underestimated CV who lost the week before to Manheim Central 47-14 at CV! Running back Jayden Johnson had a big night for CV, rushing for 170 yards with a 58-yard touchdown run. No one has rushed on Exeter like CV did, totaling 273 yards. And Isaiah Sensenig’s 88-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter had to be devastating following an Exeter score. Quarterback Liam Cheek had his best game of the season completing 11 of 15 passes for 118 yards with two touchdown passes and 57 yards rushing on 15 carries. Muhlenberg (1-8) is next at Muhlenberg before the playoffs.
22 Exeter Township 5A 8-1
See Conestoga Valley above. Exeter was surprised last week in Lancaster losing to Conestoga Valley for their first loss of the season. Stats show CV beat them about every way a team can be defeated, throwing for 118 yards at 73% (11/15) and rushing for 273 yards. The one bright spot for Exeter was running back Jayden Zandier rushing 189 yards with touchdowns of 53 and 58 yards on 21 carries. The loss precedes a big game with Manheim Central (8-1) who is tied for first place with Exeter and Conestoga Valley at 5-1 in the LL-2. Adding fuel to the fire, Exeter won last year in Manheim 21-17. They currently hold the eighth seed in a 5A field of 12 where Central holds the 3-seed in the 4A field of 10.
23 South Western 5A 6-3
South Western got their first win against York High since 2016 in a shocker at the Corral, winning 35-8. York came into the game on a six game winning streak while the Mustangs won their last three. But nothing in their record to date suggested they’d handle the Bearcats after losing to New Oxford (8-1) 41-27, Dallastown (4-5) 24-20 and Central York (9-0) 29-7. The tone was set on York’s first play from scrimmage when Cade Baumgardner made an interception. Thereon, it was all downhill with York having no answer for running back Austin Rollman who gashed them for 165 yards and three touchdowns while quarterback Bryce Graham completed just enough passes (8/17-68yds) to keep them off balance. And the defense was once again stellar, holding the explosive Bearcats 30 points below their season average. The win shot them to the 8th seed in the field of 12 with Spring Grove (3-6) up next at Spring Grove.
24 York (William Penn) 6A 6-2
After their season opening home bashing by Harrisburg 50-20, the young Bearcats went on a six game winning streak, winning by an average score of 42-22. With a combined won/loss of 14-40..!..the competition was not strong. That and the youth finally caught up to them last week in Hanover losing to a sound South Western team, 35-8. About their youth, it’s particularly young at the skill positions. Quarterback Najee Still (74/102/1016, 11/1) is a sophomore along with standout running back Shavane Anderson with 1257 yards on 146 carries. Their receiver corps is talented but also young. Wa’Nieq Scott has 503 yards on 30 completions with David Warde at 353 yards on 26 receptions. Who knows how the loss to South Western impacts the game against arch rival Central York Friday for the York Adams Division One title. York currently holds the 7th seed in the 6A field of eight.
25 Cedar Crest 6A 7-2
Cedar Crest showed off their big offense last week with their highest point total to date in a 49-28 win at Hempfield (2-7). Quarterback Jackson Custer had one of his best games, completing 15 of 22 for 174 yards and rushing for 52 more. One, a 44-yard touchdown. The ground game behind Fernando Marquez mustered 229 yards, 136 by Marquez who had touchdowns of 2, 36, 6 and 59 yards. The game was really two games in one with Hempfield holding a 14-13 halftime lead before the fireworks of the second half. Cedar Crest’s adjustments and their hard running game evidently took a toll, scoring 36 points with Hempfield punching in two meaningless fourth quarter scores. The defense allowed 364 yards but nabbed three interceptions, one, a 51-yard Pick-6 by Leo Tirado. Cedar Crest holds the 8th and last seed, finishing up at home against city rival Lebanon (0-9).
26 East Pennsboro 4A 8-1
Mid Penn-Colonial co-leaders East Pennsboro and Susquehanna Township went at it last week in Harrisburg in a game of near equals where Susquehanna Township won the first half 21-9, only to see East Pennsboro storm back to win the second half 22-7. That totals out to an exciting 31-28 East Pennsboro road win and a heartbreaking home loss for ‘Hanna’. The stats were nearly a dead heat with Pennsboro at 303 and Hanna at 348. Quarterback Keith Oates made a big difference, completing 12 of 22 passes for 206 yards with 48 and 18-yard touchdown heaves. He also rushed for 15 yards, one, a 2-yard burst for six. His throws were well dispersed, using four receivers; Breckin Swope 5/65, Trey Good 3/63-18yd touchdown, Paul Sanderson 3/31 and running back J.J. Gossard snagging a 48-yard score with 70 rushing and a two-yard score. They finish out at home against Waynesboro (2-7) where they hold the 4-seed.
27 Milton Hershey 4A 5-4
With only three losing seasons the last 20 years, Milton Hershey has been a well-kept secret and sneaky good team. It’s the same this year with probably the best 5-4 team in central PA. You can say that with wins against Susquehanna Township 35-34 and Lower Dauphin 44-41. They routed Palmyra (2-7) 41-6 last week, showing off some of their talent with the #2 back Nijee Kittrell rushing for 141 yards and a 74-yard touchdown run. He was replacing Elijah Johnson (755yds) who went down early with an injury. Quarterback Jason Burney had a big game completing 11 of 26 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns, taking his season total to 111/185-60%-1577yds with 20 touchdowns. He has two excellent receivers in Mohamed Koroma who had 113-yards vs Palmyra for a season total of 45 receptions and 606 yards. Angel Roberts is another weapon with five receptions for 68 yards last week taking his totals to 28 receptions for 418 yards. They’re good enough to get Cedar Cliff’s full attention this week at home with the 6-seed.
28 Susquehanna Township 4A 6-3
Susquehanna Township lost a tough one last week to East Pennsboro at home (see above) in a game that essentially decided the Colonial Division crown. Both came into the game with one division loss, with Pennsboro eking out a 31-28 win. Hanna still holds the 7-seed where they can do real damage with a dangerous and capable skill group spread throughout the offence. Last week saw quarterback Torin Evans complete 25 of 34 passes for 201 yards. His receivers are Lex Cyrus (5-7, 170, jr) who caught 13 for 106 yards and Jarrett Kern who had six receptions for 64 yards. Cyrus is sought by teams like Pitt, PSU, Neb and others with 881 yards to date. Dorian Smith is the answer on the ground rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries, taking his season total to 1053 on 128 attempts. They’ll be a handful in the postseason with a solid seed if the get past Gettysburg (4-5) in the season final. It’s at Gettysburg where the Warriors have been explosive with outstanding skill players and a veteran quarterback that typically gets little help from a porous defense.
29 Big Spring 4A 5-4
Big Spring plays in the rugged Mid Penn-Capital, alongside Steel High, West Perry and Trinity, making it the toughest small school division in the mid-state. Except for the 46-7 blowout to Steel High whose blowing everyone out, their losses have been competitive ones at Greencastle-Antrim (6-3), at Trinity (6-3) 28-22 and home to West Perry (9-0) 38-35. They’ve manhandled all others, beating Upper Dauphin (5-4) at UD 42-14 last week. Grant Hall was unstoppable, rushing two scores and 214 yards on 14 carries with Connor Green at 96 yards on 22 carries. Quarterback Chase Hope completed 6 of 13 for 76 yards and three touchdown tosses. They should get their sixth win of the season Friday against Middletown (1-8). The Bulldogs will be a competitive playoff team if they get there. But they need some help with the 11th seed in a field of 10. It’s a strange system that penalizes teams for competitive losses against some of the best teams in the state.
30 Lower Dauphin 5A 6-3
Here’s a team that doesn’t get much attention but just keeps winning despite a few heart breaking losses. Talk about snake bit. These guys lost at home to Twin Valley (8-1) 24-21, at Cedar Cliff (8-1) 21-16 and two weeks ago at home to Milton Hershey (5-4) 44-41. Having said all that, the won last week’s game against Hershey (6-3) 21-14 in overtime by stopping them on fourth and inches at the goal line for the win. To the unfamiliar, games against Hershey and Milton Hershey are real rivalries with Hershey butting up against Hummelstown, LD’s home, the same way Steelton, Highspire and Middletown are all side by side. So these are real wars as shown by the final scores. This week sees them at home but against Bishop McDevitt. They have the 10th seed that looks safe enough in a 12 team field with Greencastle (6-3) and Dover (7-2) below them in games both will likely win.
Others:
Central Dauphin East 6A 3-6 at Carlisle
Dallastown 6A 4-5 home vs Red Lion
Hershey 5A 6-3 at Palmyra
Greencastle Antrim 5A 6-3 home vs Shippensburg
ELCO 4A 5-4 at Berks Catholic
Bermudian Springs 3A 6-3 home vs Littlestown
Schuylkill Valley 3A 8-1 at Lancaster Catholic
Lancaster Catholic 3A 8-1 home vs Schuylkill Valley
Littlestown 3A 7-2 at Bermudian Springs
Delone Catholic 2A 5-4 home vs Fairfield
Week #9 Standings
1 Bishop McDevitt 4A 9-0
McDevitt won their 22nd straight game with a 42-0 rout of Mifflin County (4-5). The win was their second consecutive shutout and eighth game scoring 42 or more points. Their lowest total was the opener against Mount St. Joseph (6-3) of Baltimore, winning 20-14. Since then, they’ve averaged 49.6ppg against teams with a combined record of 34-36. That won/loss is distorted, playing teams like DePaul-NJ (3-5) and LaSalle (4-4) whose schedule is brutal; DePaul of the Super-United White and LaSalle of the PCL-Red, with high end non-conference games. Except for the opening three non-conference games, all of McDevitt’s games were decided by halftime, including last week where they held a 42-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Stone Saunders continued his torrid pace completing 21 of 29 passes for 287 yards with four touchdowns, two going to Rico Scott who caught 11 for 98 yards. This week’s game at Lower Dauphin (5A, 6-3) wraps up the Mid Penn-Keystone division where the Crusaders will again go undefeated before entering the post season as the top seed in the district.
2 Manheim Township 6A 9-0
More and more Manheim Township resembles Bishop McDevitt with their big offense and stout defense deciding all their games by halftime. The closest anyone has come against them was Cumberland Valley in the opener, losing 35-6! Even Harrisburg went down hard, losing 38-6. And a pretty good 8-1 Spring-Ford team also lost big at 63-28, their only loss of the season. Then came Cedar Crest with a decent resume only to be destroyed by the Blue Streaks 42-0. Last week saw them record their third straight shutout and fourth of the year with a 59-0 dismantling of Penn Manor (3-5). Not known for a dominant ground game, they pounded out 252 yards rushing with Declan Clancy rushing for 126 yards and scores of 1 and 44 yards. Quarterback Hayden Johnson threw for 140 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for two more. They held the Penn Manor to 78 total yards. Appropriately, Wilson (7-2) awaits them in West Lawn with the 4th seed where they too are undefeated in ‘Section’ play at 6-0. Township has the top seed.
3 Harrisburg 6A 8-1
All the top teams in the district are rolling now with Harrisburg getting their sixth straight win with a 60-14 victory at home against Chambersburg. That answers the question how they’d play after a near perfect game the week before at State College, shutting out the Lions 20-0 and holding them to 147 total yards. They did the same last week to the Trojans, holding them to 128 yards to their 488. Everyone contributed, but the center piece was quarterback Shawn Lee. He had another great outing completing 13 of 23 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 106 yards and two more scores. Junior running back Nehemiah Ewell had a good game as well with 86 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Quincy Brannon and Elias Coke were Lee’s primary targets with 76 and 53 yards respectively. This brings up the annual clash of Titans in Harrisburg between two old adversaries, when the Cougars travel to Landis Field to play Central Dauphin.
4 Central York 6A 9-0
Like all the teams above, Central York has it going too, kicking ‘A’ and taking names. Beating Reading last week 39-0 was their fourth shutout of the season. As impressive as that is, they’ve allowed 89 points the entire season. The offense is also becoming more balanced averaging 39ppg. They’ve had some issues there with Dallastown taking them to the edge in a 23-13 win and Red Lion doing the same three weeks ago, battling hard before falling 35-27. Reading was held to three first downs and 66 total yards of offense. And as generous as York-Adams teams can be, the Panthers have been well tested at the top of the season in non-conference wins against Central Dauphin 45-35 and Cumberland Valley 14-0. Like many teams in the district, conference rivals finish out the regular season in head-to-head matchups. Hang on for this one with York High at Central York. Central took both games last year in barnburners, winning 43-38 and 51-44 in the postseason. And with the Bearcats getting upset last week by South Western, look for extra intensity despite their youth as they still have a shot at a piece of the conference title with a win.
5 Steelton Highspire 1A 9-0
Steel High and rival Trinity added to the East Shore-West Shore dynamic with another nail bitter last week won by the Rollers 42-37 in Steelton. Last year’s game went overtime with Steel High winning 35-28. Trinity actually held a 34-28 lead entering the fourth quarter. But the Rollers outdueled them 14-3 in the final quarter for the win. Yardage figures were close to even with SHHS at 401; 278 rushing and 123 passing. Trinity was at 380; 180 rushing and 200 passing. While the Shamrocks had to respect quarterback Alex Erby who only threw 10 passes (8/10-123), the ground game was the clear emphasis for Steelton with Ronald Burnette rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns, and Kam Chisholm at 71 yards and a touchdown. Wide out Durrell Ceasar had four receptions for 77 yards and a 73-yard ‘Scoop and Score’ in the second quarter. After blowing away eight previous teams by an average score of 43-13, this was the perfect game to prepare the Rollers for a game at undefeated West Perry (9-0) Friday, and the postseason wars where everyone will be gunning for the defending 1A State Champ.
6 Wilson 6A 7-2
All the playoff caliber teams, especially the upper echelon teams are jelling this time of year. Since opening an unheard of 0-2 with losses to Roman Catholic 49-14 and Central Dauphin 36-35, they’ve won seven straight. Importantly, they’ve developed a running game with quarterback Tommy Hunsicker showing marked improvement. They’re breaking in some younger backs while Hunsicker has gone from 54.5% (30/55) for 427 yards his first two games, to 75.7% (97/128) for 1526 yards the last seven games. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns last week in a 47-20 win against J.P. McCaskey. Junior Correll Akings had a strong outing last week rushing for 113 yards on 13 carries with four touchdowns. The offense put together 408 yards while holding punch-less JPM to 154. Township is next in a game that will decide the LL-1 where both are undefeated. Wilson won a tight one last year at Township 27-21. With both streaking, something has to give.
7 Cocalico 5A 8-1
Defending 5A district champion Cocalico set a new low last week by not attempting a single pass. They’ve only attempted 29 the entire year. But they run it like few others, totaling 417 yards last week against Berks Catholic in a 42-14 win. Since opening with a 17-13 loss to Warwick (3-6), they won eight straight. This is the same team that gave power house teams like Manheim Central (8-1) 48-28, Lampeter Strasburg (8-1) 24-10 and Wyomissing (8-1) 34-14 their only loss of the year. They have three primary ball carriers; seniors Aaryn Longenecker at 914 yards and Sam Steffey at 741, plus junior quarterback Josh Myer at 513 yards. They showed off their depth last week with sophomore Dane Horning rushing for 202 yards on 24 carries with touchdowns of 1, 66, 1 and 5 yards. Conrad Weiser (2-7) is next where a win secures the LL-4.
8 Manheim Central 4A 8-1
The Barons won their sixth straight game since losing to Cocalico with a 42-0 rout of Governor Mifflin. The win keeps them atop the LL-2 at 5-0 with a decisive game at Exeter Friday. Exeter was defeated by Conestoga Valley last weekend, dropping them to second in a tie with Conestoga Valley at 4-1. Lead back Brycen Arnold (1266) sat this one out? But it didn’t matter with Michael Torres rushing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He and wide out Aaron Enterline scored all their points with Enterline catching five passes for 105 yards, one, a 66-yard touchdown. Quarterback Zac Hahn raised his seasonal completion percentage to 69% (1998 yards), completing 11 of 14 throws for 140 yards. They currently hold the third seed behind Twin Valley.
9 Wyomissing 3A 8-1
Wyomissing had an easy time of it last week, scoring all their points in the first half with a 41-6 rout of 2-7 Octorara. Octorara joined the Lancaster Lebanon League for all sports in 2018, moving from the Ches-Mont. The thinking (or lack of it) was they’d be more competitive against teams like Berks Catholic, Cocalico, Lampeter Strasburg and Wyomissing. Right! Since then, they’ve gone 21-37 through last week’s game. They struggled mightily against Wyomissing with five first downs and 88 total yards to Wyo’s 375, with Wyo starters sitting by the half. The Spartans emptied the bench with 13 backs getting carries, led by Justice Hardy’s 93 yards and two scores. For the year, four running backs have 310 yards or more rushing led by sophomore Chase Eisenhower with 927 yards. At 5-11 215 pounds, he doesn’t look like a sophomore. They finish the regular season at Lampeter Strasburg (8-1), the current 5A-5 seed. Wyo has the 2 seed, but could slide into the top spot with a win in Lampeter Friday combined with West Perry (3A, 8-0, #1) losing to Steel High.
10 Cumberland Valley 6A 5-4
The readjustment put Cumberland Valley into the rankings based on their recent performances following a 1-4 start. As a D3 guy, anything resembling 1-4 associated with CV looks like a misprint! Since then, they’ve gone 4-0 with solid wins against Central Dauphin (6-3) 19-14 and State College (6-3) last week, 17-10. Holding CD and SC to 14 and 10 points is a statement. They defeated SC last week with a goal line stand at the 2-yard line with under a minute remaining in the game. Unheralded running back Bryce Staretz gouged State for 134 yards behind one of the more experienced lines in the Commonwealth Division including Tyler Merrill (6-5 305….OSU, Mich, Pitt, PSU, etc) who’s just a sophomore, Tre Grohman (6-0 225), Noah Brown (6-0 245), and Mekhi Tichenor (6-0 225). But it was the defense that was outstanding, holding SC to 72 rush yards and a field goal; the other score coming on a 61-yard Pick-6 by Ty Salazar. Star running back D’Antae Steffey was held to 43 yards. Things seemed to turn around for the Eagles when junior quarterback Grant Shepley (IMG as a frosh) replaced the starter at halftime of the Central Dauphin game. CV’s surge moved them into the 6 seed they can secure with a win at Altoona Friday.
11 State College 6A 6-3 (District-6)
State College showed their vulnerabilities the last two weeks losing at home to Harrisburg 20-0 and last week on the road to Cumberland Valley 17-10. Remember, these guys came in averaging 42ppg with a pretty young group. But then, so is Harrisburg. They’ll still enter the 6A playoffs, but with a lot less luster. Quarterback Eddie Corkeery hit 10 of 15 passes against CV but threw a pick. And with D’Antae evidently nicked, held to 43 yards on four carries, the attack sputtered to 221 yards of offense. They’ll likely recover against Chambersburg (4-5) to close out the regular season as the top seed in District-6.
12 Central Dauphin 6A 6-3
Central Dauphin’s 19-14 loss at Cumberland Valley a three weeks ago is looking a lot better now with CV rolling and CD firing on all cylinders with a thorough crushing of bitter rival CD East last week 49-20. All phases of the team seem improved with quarterback Key’Ron Plummer rushing for 94 yards and four completions on six attempts for 38 yards. Miles Copper rushed for 98 yards with two scores with receiver Mateo Crummel a force on special teams, returning the opening kick-off 82 yards to start the game. He ended with 72 yards rushing. The defense was solid, holding down East High’s big offense to 284 yards (110r, 174p). They kept steady pressure with 344 yards rushing to own the clock and physically punish East with a 42-14 first half explosion. That was a knockout punch to East’s hopes of any postseason involvement, dropping them to the 13th seed in a field of eight. CD currently holds the fifth seed, hosting surging Harrisburg Friday night at Landis Field where the place will be rocking. SRO!
13 West Perry 3A 9-0
After losing to Steel High last year in a high scoring regular season finale 53-34, you can believe West Perry is ready to receive the Rollers on their turf where the victor wins the Mid Penn-Capital Division crown. And with the Rollers on a 20 game winning streak and the Mustangs at nine, something has to give. West Perry currently holds the No.1 3A seed by a hair’s width over Wyomissing, while the Rollers are firmly in control of the top spot in 1A. Look for a high scoring affair again with Perry averaging 42ppg and Steelton 48. Last week saw Perry win at Camp Hill 48-24 where Camp Hill’s quarterback Drew Branstetter completed 25 of 41 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns. At the same time, Steel High was stretched to the breaking point at home in a narrow 42-37 win over Trinity.
14 Cedar Cliff 5A 8-1
Cedar Cliff had no trouble with next door neighbor Red Land High, beating the 2-7 Patriots 41-7. They used their one-two punch of quarterback Bennett Seacrest throwing for 134 yards and two touchdowns and running back Erik Schriver who rushed for 113 yards and a score. They also pack a serious punch on defense allowing on average 16ppg. Red Land shot themselves in the foot with two Pick-6’s; one by Evan Zeigler of 85 yards, the other of 9 yards by Michael Jones. Next up is a dangerous Milton Hershey team who at 5-4 are a six-point loss to East Pennsboro (8-1) and a seven point upset by Mifflin County (4-5) from being 7-2. Still, they hold the 6-seed in 4A while the Colts have the 2-seed in 5A, just above Cocalico. It’s in Hershey where MH is 1-3.
15 Garden Spot 5A 8-1
Garden Spot got a lackluster 24-3 win at home last week against 1-8 Elizabethtown. That’s a significant drop in production knowing they came into the game averaging 40ppg after defeating Central Mountain 48-0 the week before. Dual threat quarterback Kye Harting was again accountable for most of the yardage and points, passing for 144 yards with touchdown tosses of 65 and 13 yards, and rushing for 94 yards on 15 carries with an eight-yard score. For the season, he’s thrown for 1622 yards with a 29/2 ratio while rushing for 966 and 12 more touchdowns. He’s a load! The win keeps them in a three way tie with Twin Valley and Ephrata, both 8-1. They currently have the 5th seed with a home game Friday against Solanco (3-5) to close it out.
16 Ephrata 5A 8-1
Ephrata remained in a three way tie atop the LL-3 with Twin Valley and Garden spot after demolishing Muhlenberg (1-8) 59-0. They held the Muhls to 22 total yards. 22! And with an offense scoring 52, 52 and 59 the last three games, they’re peaking. Quarterback Sam McCracken is throwing at 58% for 1605 yards with a ratio of 16/4. He’s a run threat as well with 253 yards and eight scores. Brayden Brown is a load with 925 rush yards and four receivers have over 300 yards in receptions. They end the regular season at home against Elizabethtown (1-8) where they’ll name the score and maintain their 5th seed.
17 Trinity 2A 6-3
Since Steelton graduate Jordan Hill became the head coach at Trinity in 2021, the games between Steel High and Trinity have become epic. They went overtime last year before the Rollers eked out a 35-28 win. Hill was an All-American at Steel High, All-Big Ten at Penn State and a defensive tackle on the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. He also won a state title when playing for the Rollers. That’s quite a resume. And he has the Shamrocks playing like a Steelton team! Last week saw them almost pull off the upset in Steelton, rolling out 380 yards of offense in a 42-37 loss. Star sophomore running back Messiah Mickens rushed for 65 yards and a score while catching three passes for 92 yards and another score. Christian Joy who transferred from Bishop McDevitt two years ago rushed for 106 yards with quarterback Caleb Wray completing 10 of 21 passes for 200 yards and three touchdown passes. Tanie Young caught two passes for 19 and 45 yards. Mickens caught the other for 32 yards. They end the regular season at home Friday against Halifax (4-5) where they’ll retain the 2-seed in the playoffs.
18 Twin Valley 4A 8-1
Twin Valley had one of their best games with a win against outmanned Boone (1-8), 54-7. The score was 47-0 at the half. Twin Val is a team with a monster O-Line that bulldozes their way to victory, rushing for an average of 329 yards per game. Two running backs are already at 1000 yards each; Evan Johnson at 1010 yards and Drew Engle at 1120. Quarterback Evan Myers throws at 58% for 1039 yards making the attack diverse. The collapse at Ephrata two weeks ago, a 52-33 loss (?), distorts stats that otherwise show 16ppg allowed. Not bad in the pass happy world of the Spread. They’ll end the regular season at home Friday against Hatboro Horsham (5A, 5-4), an independent formerly of the Suburban One League. A win against the Hatters will likely secure the 2-seed behind Bishop McDevitt just ahead of Manheim Central.
19 Lampeter Strasburg 4A 8-1
The Pioneers put together a team that is just destroying opponents this season, winning by an average score of 42-7. They have one of the best defenses in the district that faltered once, on the road at LL-4 leader Cocalico in a 24-10 loss. Otherwise they’re storming people with four shutouts. They outgained Conrad Weiser last week 481 yards to 142 with a BIG and balanced offense behind quarterback Trent Wagner and running back Jonathan Mellinger. Wagner completed 6 of 6 passes for 219 yards, throwing touchdowns of 73, 19, 38 and 67 yards. Mellinger rushed for 153 yards with scores of 54 and 52 yards. Receivers Danoj Gray had 98 yards with 19 and 67 yard scores with Dean Herr at 111 yards and touchdowns of 73 and 38 yards. Those are some big plays! Let’s see how they do this week at home against the defending 3A district champ Wyomissing (8-1) who also plays some defense at 13ppg yield with an offense averaging 37ppg. Wyo has some vulnerabilities this year suggesting a tight game and possible mild upset by LS in what should be one of the best games in central PA
20 New Oxford 5A 8-1
Good things come in small packages as 1A Fort Hill of Cumberland-Maryland demonstrated, rolling up over 500 yards in a 49-21 rout of the Colonials in Cumberland. Fort Hill is the perennial 1A (smallest) state champion, winning the last two title at 13-1 and 12-0, and four in a row from 2013-2016, going 54-1. Because the loss doesn’t count against New Oxford for postseason purposes, they’ll maintains the top seed in the field of 12 just ahead of Cedar Cliff. The regular season ends at home Friday against Eastern York (6-2) of Wrightsville.
21 Conestoga Valley 5A 7-2
Conestoga Valley boosted their prospects for a higher seed last week with a 34-27 win against previously undefeated Exeter Township. The win helped secure the 6-seed. After falling behind 12-7 at the half, they mounted a furious comeback, scoring 27 points in the second half while holding down the big Exeter attack to 15 points. Exeter came in averaging 41ppg, with a stubborn defense allowing 12 a game. Maybe the Eagles underestimated CV who lost the week before to Manheim Central 47-14 at CV! Running back Jayden Johnson had a big night for CV, rushing for 170 yards with a 58-yard touchdown run. No one has rushed on Exeter like CV did, totaling 273 yards. And Isaiah Sensenig’s 88-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter had to be devastating following an Exeter score. Quarterback Liam Cheek had his best game of the season completing 11 of 15 passes for 118 yards with two touchdown passes and 57 yards rushing on 15 carries. Muhlenberg (1-8) is next at Muhlenberg before the playoffs.
22 Exeter Township 5A 8-1
See Conestoga Valley above. Exeter was surprised last week in Lancaster losing to Conestoga Valley for their first loss of the season. Stats show CV beat them about every way a team can be defeated, throwing for 118 yards at 73% (11/15) and rushing for 273 yards. The one bright spot for Exeter was running back Jayden Zandier rushing 189 yards with touchdowns of 53 and 58 yards on 21 carries. The loss precedes a big game with Manheim Central (8-1) who is tied for first place with Exeter and Conestoga Valley at 5-1 in the LL-2. Adding fuel to the fire, Exeter won last year in Manheim 21-17. They currently hold the eighth seed in a 5A field of 12 where Central holds the 3-seed in the 4A field of 10.
23 South Western 5A 6-3
South Western got their first win against York High since 2016 in a shocker at the Corral, winning 35-8. York came into the game on a six game winning streak while the Mustangs won their last three. But nothing in their record to date suggested they’d handle the Bearcats after losing to New Oxford (8-1) 41-27, Dallastown (4-5) 24-20 and Central York (9-0) 29-7. The tone was set on York’s first play from scrimmage when Cade Baumgardner made an interception. Thereon, it was all downhill with York having no answer for running back Austin Rollman who gashed them for 165 yards and three touchdowns while quarterback Bryce Graham completed just enough passes (8/17-68yds) to keep them off balance. And the defense was once again stellar, holding the explosive Bearcats 30 points below their season average. The win shot them to the 8th seed in the field of 12 with Spring Grove (3-6) up next at Spring Grove.
24 York (William Penn) 6A 6-2
After their season opening home bashing by Harrisburg 50-20, the young Bearcats went on a six game winning streak, winning by an average score of 42-22. With a combined won/loss of 14-40..!..the competition was not strong. That and the youth finally caught up to them last week in Hanover losing to a sound South Western team, 35-8. About their youth, it’s particularly young at the skill positions. Quarterback Najee Still (74/102/1016, 11/1) is a sophomore along with standout running back Shavane Anderson with 1257 yards on 146 carries. Their receiver corps is talented but also young. Wa’Nieq Scott has 503 yards on 30 completions with David Warde at 353 yards on 26 receptions. Who knows how the loss to South Western impacts the game against arch rival Central York Friday for the York Adams Division One title. York currently holds the 7th seed in the 6A field of eight.
25 Cedar Crest 6A 7-2
Cedar Crest showed off their big offense last week with their highest point total to date in a 49-28 win at Hempfield (2-7). Quarterback Jackson Custer had one of his best games, completing 15 of 22 for 174 yards and rushing for 52 more. One, a 44-yard touchdown. The ground game behind Fernando Marquez mustered 229 yards, 136 by Marquez who had touchdowns of 2, 36, 6 and 59 yards. The game was really two games in one with Hempfield holding a 14-13 halftime lead before the fireworks of the second half. Cedar Crest’s adjustments and their hard running game evidently took a toll, scoring 36 points with Hempfield punching in two meaningless fourth quarter scores. The defense allowed 364 yards but nabbed three interceptions, one, a 51-yard Pick-6 by Leo Tirado. Cedar Crest holds the 8th and last seed, finishing up at home against city rival Lebanon (0-9).
26 East Pennsboro 4A 8-1
Mid Penn-Colonial co-leaders East Pennsboro and Susquehanna Township went at it last week in Harrisburg in a game of near equals where Susquehanna Township won the first half 21-9, only to see East Pennsboro storm back to win the second half 22-7. That totals out to an exciting 31-28 East Pennsboro road win and a heartbreaking home loss for ‘Hanna’. The stats were nearly a dead heat with Pennsboro at 303 and Hanna at 348. Quarterback Keith Oates made a big difference, completing 12 of 22 passes for 206 yards with 48 and 18-yard touchdown heaves. He also rushed for 15 yards, one, a 2-yard burst for six. His throws were well dispersed, using four receivers; Breckin Swope 5/65, Trey Good 3/63-18yd touchdown, Paul Sanderson 3/31 and running back J.J. Gossard snagging a 48-yard score with 70 rushing and a two-yard score. They finish out at home against Waynesboro (2-7) where they hold the 4-seed.
27 Milton Hershey 4A 5-4
With only three losing seasons the last 20 years, Milton Hershey has been a well-kept secret and sneaky good team. It’s the same this year with probably the best 5-4 team in central PA. You can say that with wins against Susquehanna Township 35-34 and Lower Dauphin 44-41. They routed Palmyra (2-7) 41-6 last week, showing off some of their talent with the #2 back Nijee Kittrell rushing for 141 yards and a 74-yard touchdown run. He was replacing Elijah Johnson (755yds) who went down early with an injury. Quarterback Jason Burney had a big game completing 11 of 26 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns, taking his season total to 111/185-60%-1577yds with 20 touchdowns. He has two excellent receivers in Mohamed Koroma who had 113-yards vs Palmyra for a season total of 45 receptions and 606 yards. Angel Roberts is another weapon with five receptions for 68 yards last week taking his totals to 28 receptions for 418 yards. They’re good enough to get Cedar Cliff’s full attention this week at home with the 6-seed.
28 Susquehanna Township 4A 6-3
Susquehanna Township lost a tough one last week to East Pennsboro at home (see above) in a game that essentially decided the Colonial Division crown. Both came into the game with one division loss, with Pennsboro eking out a 31-28 win. Hanna still holds the 7-seed where they can do real damage with a dangerous and capable skill group spread throughout the offence. Last week saw quarterback Torin Evans complete 25 of 34 passes for 201 yards. His receivers are Lex Cyrus (5-7, 170, jr) who caught 13 for 106 yards and Jarrett Kern who had six receptions for 64 yards. Cyrus is sought by teams like Pitt, PSU, Neb and others with 881 yards to date. Dorian Smith is the answer on the ground rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries, taking his season total to 1053 on 128 attempts. They’ll be a handful in the postseason with a solid seed if the get past Gettysburg (4-5) in the season final. It’s at Gettysburg where the Warriors have been explosive with outstanding skill players and a veteran quarterback that typically gets little help from a porous defense.
29 Big Spring 4A 5-4
Big Spring plays in the rugged Mid Penn-Capital, alongside Steel High, West Perry and Trinity, making it the toughest small school division in the mid-state. Except for the 46-7 blowout to Steel High whose blowing everyone out, their losses have been competitive ones at Greencastle-Antrim (6-3), at Trinity (6-3) 28-22 and home to West Perry (9-0) 38-35. They’ve manhandled all others, beating Upper Dauphin (5-4) at UD 42-14 last week. Grant Hall was unstoppable, rushing two scores and 214 yards on 14 carries with Connor Green at 96 yards on 22 carries. Quarterback Chase Hope completed 6 of 13 for 76 yards and three touchdown tosses. They should get their sixth win of the season Friday against Middletown (1-8). The Bulldogs will be a competitive playoff team if they get there. But they need some help with the 11th seed in a field of 10. It’s a strange system that penalizes teams for competitive losses against some of the best teams in the state.
30 Lower Dauphin 5A 6-3
Here’s a team that doesn’t get much attention but just keeps winning despite a few heart breaking losses. Talk about snake bit. These guys lost at home to Twin Valley (8-1) 24-21, at Cedar Cliff (8-1) 21-16 and two weeks ago at home to Milton Hershey (5-4) 44-41. Having said all that, the won last week’s game against Hershey (6-3) 21-14 in overtime by stopping them on fourth and inches at the goal line for the win. To the unfamiliar, games against Hershey and Milton Hershey are real rivalries with Hershey butting up against Hummelstown, LD’s home, the same way Steelton, Highspire and Middletown are all side by side. So these are real wars as shown by the final scores. This week sees them at home but against Bishop McDevitt. They have the 10th seed that looks safe enough in a 12 team field with Greencastle (6-3) and Dover (7-2) below them in games both will likely win.
Others:
Central Dauphin East 6A 3-6 at Carlisle
Dallastown 6A 4-5 home vs Red Lion
Hershey 5A 6-3 at Palmyra
Greencastle Antrim 5A 6-3 home vs Shippensburg
ELCO 4A 5-4 at Berks Catholic
Bermudian Springs 3A 6-3 home vs Littlestown
Schuylkill Valley 3A 8-1 at Lancaster Catholic
Lancaster Catholic 3A 8-1 home vs Schuylkill Valley
Littlestown 3A 7-2 at Bermudian Springs
Delone Catholic 2A 5-4 home vs Fairfield
