District-3 Top 20: (Oct 1,2 games 2021)
All are 6A unless marked otherwise, last week’s rank in parenthesis
1 Governor Mifflin 5A 5-0 (1)
Governor Mifflin took their undefeated team on the road to the Philadelphia area for a game against previously undefeated Episcopal Academy (3-1), giving the fans of southeastern PA a chance to see what all the hoopla surrounding the team was about. Their opponent at 60-25 the last nine years, 31-12 the last five years and 18-4 the last three years from the storied Inter-Academic League were certainly no slouch. Many felt it might be a competitive game. Unfortunately, they were a huge disappointment, putting up little resistance early on to be down 42-6 at the half! But, one of the top running backs in the country in Nicholas Singleton did not disappoint, by returning the opening kickoff 84 yards (!) before rushing for scores of 7, 20, 19, 55 and 60 yards, all in the first half. The game was no contest with Mifflin dominating 49-26. At least the fans in the southeast corner of the state had the opportunity to see what a generational player looks like. He ended the half with 290 yards on 13 carries. Full back Trey Rock added 82 yards rushing and at least a dozen tackles. With wins against York, Wilson, Harrisburg and now Episcopal, the only challenge left in the regular season is Exeter Township, seeing how Berks Catholic fell hard last week to Malvern Prep 39-7. Berks Inter-County Conference football action starts Friday in Shillington where the Mustangs host Reading (1-3).
2 Central York 4-0 (2)
Here’s another District-3 standout in quarterback Beau Pribula who like Nick Singleton has committed to Penn State. He was at the top of his game last week completing 17 of 21 passes (81%) for 338 yards and four touchdowns in a 68-21 rout of struggling Dover (1-4). Coach Gerry Yonchiuk sat his starters at the half leading 47-0. He was the Pennsylvania Football Writers 6A Coach of the Year in 2020. It’s probably obvious they have a fine group of receivers, in Imeire Manigault who caught 4 passes for 146 yards and a score, Parker Hines with 4 receptions for 70 yards and two scores and Treyhawn Smith who caught 6 passes for 93 yards. Pribula also ran for a score. They graduated a lot of talent but are surviving against the legitimate tests offered by Exeter winning 35-28, Cumberland Valley 21-3 and Hempfield winning 35-21. They’re home this week against South Western (4-1) who suddenly forgot how to play defense, allowing 47 and 35 points the last two outing. They also left their offense at home this year winning at New Oxford 14-7 before getting blown out at Dallastown 47-14.
3 Bishop McDevitt 4A 3-1 (3)
In yet another highlight-filled night, scoring 55, 75 and 63 points their last three games, Bishop McDevitt looked recovered from the season opening shock of losing to LaSalle in a 21-0 shutout. (Still not over that one!) And like Governor Mifflin and Central York above, this one was over early, outscoring Mifflin County 56-0 in the first half! Freshman quarterback Stone Saunders is showing why he’s the starter with a near perfect performance, completing 9 of 9 passes for 130 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had plenty of help from Marquese Williams rushing for 148 yards and a score on 11 carries. Cyncir Bowers added 120 yards on 4 carries and a touchdown. His 64-yard kickoff return in the first quarter followed by Jaire Rawlison’s 31-yard scoop and score on a fumble put MC in a 29-0 first quarter hole. Four more second quarter scores including Chase Regan’s 35-yard Pick-6 and Marquese Williams 68-yard scoot totally deflated the Huskies who fell to 0-5. McDevitt now plays Lower Dauphin (2-2) who’s coming off a 48-20 loss to Cedar Cliff.
4 Manheim Central 5A 5-0 (4)
In a game that pitted two of the historical powers of District-3 against one another, Manheim Central got a strong performance from the offense and defense to win their third consecutive road game, beating Wilson in West Lawn 24-21. The win showed that the Barons like Exeter, could pose a threat to Governor Mifflin’s assumed dominance in the district. Despite Manheim dominating statistically, the game was a tight affair, with Wilson up 14-10 at the half. But in the end, the Barons simply had more weapons, especially with fullback Jadyn Jones on the sidelines. Qb Judd Novak threw to five receivers for 130 yards with 3 touchdowns while rushing for 60 yards. He also threw three drive ending picks. Connor Caterbone’s 29-yard field goal in the second quarter was key. Manheim outdueled Wilson 288 yards to 142, holding them 98 yards on the ground. Passing stats showed Wilson completed 5 of 17 passes for 46 yards and threw 3 interceptions. That’s a bad day for any team and wholly out of character for a Wilson team. Speaking of uncharacteristic, Warwick (2-3) is up next in the LL-2 opener, coming in stunned, losing a last second home game to Penn Manor 30-28 two weeks ago and a 27-21 loss to Hempfield last week also at home.
5 Central Dauphin 2-1 (5)
Central Dauphin showed no ill effects coming off a two week covid pause to handle Chambersburg (2-3) 50-21. It was 50-7 at the end of the third quarter. For a team that is essentially replacing all their skill except quarterback, this was an impressive win after sitting the last two weeks then rolling out 484 yards of offense to Chambersburg’s 289. Max Mosey shook off the rust to complete 10 of 19 passes for 224 yards with 2 touchdown tosses, most of it going to Juice Selby who caught 8 throws for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. The big guy Terrell English ran for 102 yards on 17 attempts. This is not a typical, vintage CD team. They have the big OL and good players as always but no standout/highlight reel player that the opponent has to be mindful of. State College (3-2) is next, coming off a 34-13 loss to CD’s sister School CD East.
6 Central Dauphin East 4-1 (7)
East High has moved from the ranks of the also-rans to a legit 6A contender in one season. Much of this is because first year coach Lance Deane has the players on the same page believing in themselves. The entire team has clearly bought in based on scores verses quality opponents, the way they fly around defensively and their demeanor on the sidelines. They went 6-20 the previous 3 years, averaging 13ppg and allowing 26. To date their average score is 26-15 against Township, Warwick, Cedar Cliff, Altoona and State College. Last week saw them hold SC to 206 total yards, 94 rushing and 12 first downs. The East High attack was as it been all year, balanced, pounded out 280 yards rushing and throwing for 168 more at 77%. Running back Marcel McDaniels blossomed this year, rushing for 212 yards with 2 scores and snagging 2 passes for 62 yards last week. And with quarterback Tony Powell recovering from injury, completing 3 of 5 for 60 yards, they now have two solid quarterbacks with Terrence Jackson-Copney completing 7 of 8 for 108 yards. Four star PSU commit Mehki Flowers had 4 receptions for 68 yards. Red hot Cumberland Valley (3-2) is next, coming in on a roll winning their last two after the loss to Central York.
7 Harrisburg 4-1 (8)
Harrisburg started slow, hanging on to a 13-7 half time lead before getting it together to dispatch combative Carlisle 34-14. A 21-point outburst in the second half allowed them to win convincingly. Leading the way was their big-play threat Kyle Williams, only a junior, rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown, and catching 8 passes for 84 yards with another score. Junior Zakii Lewis, once more filled in for the injured freshman Shawn Lee, completing 12 of 19 for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Others standing out were junior fullback/linebacker Mahkai Hopkins with 54 hard yards on 18 carries, Justin Cook catching 3 passes for 26 yards and a touchdown and Anthony Day with a 45 yard Pick 6. This team has a number of talented underclassman! Cougar teams of the past lived and died by the big play. But not this year’s edition that is far more diverse as demonstrated against Carlisle throwing for 120 yards and running for 238. They can beat you behind their massive O-Line, feeding fullback Hopkins (6-2, 230) as they did against Pine Richland and Township toward the end of overtime. But they always have the explosive Kyle Williams looking to break one or Justin Cook. And with the young quarterbacks coming around, they’re a handful. They’re at 3-2 Altoona Friday before the big one with longtime rival Central Dauphin East.
8 York (William Penn) 3-1 (6)
York City School District announced the game with Spring Grove last Friday was cancelled. A more recent tweet from the YCSD said the teams are working to reschedule the game later this season. This was a York-Adams conference game with York 3-1, 1-0 and SG undefeated at 4-0, 1-0. York will hopefully not cancel this week’s game at another conference power in Dallastown (4-1, 2-0). York High has two dynamic players in running back Jaheim White with 602 yards on 59 carries for a 10.2ypc average. The other is quarterback Sam Stoner who has completed 61% of his passes for 1044 yards with a 13/2 ratio. Nice! Their opponent this week has a few game breakers themselves, making this one of the most exciting and potentially highest scoring games in the district.
9 Manheim Township 3-2 (11)
Manheim Township won their second straight road game convincingly, beating Cocalico 48-21. Yielding 33ppg coming in, Cocalico had a porous defense. But they came out with a purpose on offense, fueled by lead backs Anthony Bourassa and Brycen Flinton. Both broke off 70 yarders, allowing them to keep pace with Township’s developing passing game. Hayden Johnson connected with fellow sophomore Landon Kennel (6-1, 190) for 53 and 24 yard strikes, and Anthony Ivey for a 19-yard score at the end of the quarter for a 21-14 lead. And that’s where it ended for Cocalico with Johnson throwing two more touchdowns to speedster Jake Laubach (5-10, 150, jr) and Isaiah Jones (5-10, 170, sr) of 27 and 53 yards respectively. Laubach also ran for a 14-yard score with yet another sophomore, Nick Good (5-11, 180) running in from the 43. Johnson finished with 290 yards, completing 13 of 15 passes with 5 going for touchdowns. Good was their leading rusher with 6 carries for 72 yards. Landon Kennel had 82 yards on 3 receptions. One thing that pops out about Township is how well they distribute, completing passes to eight receivers with six running backs getting carries beside the quarterback. Lancaster-Lebanon-1 schedule begins favorably for the Blue Streaks opening with three straight homers. Cedar Crest (2-2) is up first.
10 Steelton Highspire 1A 4-0 (10) Steel High could not find a replacement game after Upper Dauphin baled on the game per covid issues. If all goes well they’ll play a Saturday afternoon game against super rival Middletown (2-2) who’s coming off an 8-7 upset to Juniata (3-2, 4A), the same Juniata team Steelton beat two weeks ago 53-19!
11 Wyomissing 3A 5-0 (11)
Wyomissing had another walk-in-the -park last week, this time beating a heretofore competitive Fleetwood team now 2-3. They have a nice quarterback in Tanner Maddocks who will make Villanova happy but that’s all they had as the Spartans lit into them for a 35-0 halftime lead that ended in a 48-7 blow-out. Ten players had touches rushing for 344 yards, led by Amory Thompson with 88 yards, Drew Eisenhower’s 76 and Tommy Grabowski’s 48 yards. Fleetwood’s Maddocks was held to 76 passing and 22 rushing. Wyo travels to Catawissa Friday for one of the best matchup in the state playing the incomparable Southern Columbia Tigers (5-0, 2A). They’re loaded again with another Garcia brother the headliner with Gavin at 759 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brief background shows they’re the four time defending 2A champion with six consecutive finals appearances on a 93 regular season game winning streak. They also have a 65 game winning streak after mercy ruling Mount Carmel last week 40-14. Clairton holds the record at 66. They’ve been dealing with injuries recently with Qb Liam Klebon and running backs Braeden Wisloski and Wes Barnes nicked but serviceable. It may not be blood in the water (eg Wilson at 2-3) but there is coloration having snuck by Wyoming Area (4-1) Sept 9th 37-30. Got to hand it to them holding WA on the 1-yard line before driving 99 yards for the winning score with 3:12 left on the clock. Different names and faces but it’s still Southern football! Should be a good one.
12 Hempfield 3-2 (13)
Few teams in the district faced the schedule the Black Knights have playing Dallastown (4-1), a 28-21 win, Manheim Central (5-0), a 14-0 loss, Central York (4-0), a 35-21 loss then getting wins against Exeter (3-2) 17-14 and Warwick (2-3) last week 27-21. This was a complete win, outgaining Warwick 463 yard to 300 at Warwick. Cameron Harbaugh outdueled Warwick’s Colin Payne in a matchup of signal-callers accounting for 331 yards, 185 rushing and 146 passing with three rushing touchdowns and one passing. Because Qb Harbaugh is their top rusher this season at 410 yards, it was good seeing Stephen Katch (6-0, 195, jr) have a strong game, running for 86 yards on 15 carries. That aspect needs developed if Hempfield is to take the next step. This may come to fruition hosting McCaskey (2-3) Friday in the LL-1 opener then Cedar Crest (2-2) the following week.
13 Exeter Township 5A 3-2 (14)
Exeter got back in the win column after the heart breaking 17-14 loss at Hempfield by demolishing West York 42-0. They won about every way you can win a game with 4 picks, punts returned for scores, scoring on a blocked punt and 14 TFLs. Colin Payne has filled the bill at quarterback replacing Gavin McCusker by throwing for 838 yards and 8 Tds. He’s supported by a stable of running backs led by the underrated (should say under recruited) Eric Nangle at 502 yards, FB/LB Ty Yocum with 222, and speedsters Cabraun Woody and Messiah Robinson at 165 and 122 respectively. The receiver corps is top shelf with wide out Joey Schlaffer (6-6, 210, jr) with 17 receptions for 290 yards and TE/LB JR Straus (Villanova) with 14 for 282 yards. PSU TE Coach attended the Wilson game to check out Schlaffer who’s being sought by ASU, Cincy, Mich St, Md, Neb, Pitt, Tenn et al. Berks Section-1 action begins Friday night under the lights hosting Muhlenberg’s winless Muhls.
14 Cedar Cliff 5A 4-1 (17)
Cedar Cliff moved to 2-0 in the Mid Penn-Keystone defeating Lower Dauphin 48-20. A 28-7 half time lead followed by a 20-point outburst in the third quarter sealed it. The Colts have weapons in Jontae Morris rushing for 182 yards (4 Tds), Trenton Smith pulling in 5 receptions for 83 yards with a 62-yard kickoff return, and Ethan Dorrell completing 9 of 12 passes for 114 yards. They’re a handful. Any issues are on defense where they’re allowing 26ppg, putting them in harm’s way against teams like Central Dauphin East who shut them down 20-7 two weeks ago. Hershey (0-5) is next. With three shutouts, they are really struggling on offense and could be in real trouble against the high powered Colts who are averaging 36ppg counting the loss at CD East.
15 Dallastown 6A 4-1 (18)
After opening with a tight 28-21 loss at Hempfield, Dtown has gone on a tear. It began with a confidence building 41-38 win against Manheim Township followed by wins against Hershey 20-13, South Western 47-14 and Northeastern 46-14 where they moved into a four way tie with Central York, Spring Grove and York atop the York-Adams-1. Qb Dylan Lease had a good game, completing 11 of 19 passes for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns with good ground support from Coleton Mahorney gaining 148 yards with a score. Lease is in fact having a good year, completing 65% for 613 yards with 6 Tds and no picks. He also rushed for 248 yards. Up next is a critical game with high flying York (3-1) who had last week off per covid. They got blown out by Governor Mifflin but showed their mettle defeating Coatesville 44-39 at Coatesville. It’s doubtful either one will be able to stop the other suggesting a high scoring game with lots of big plays.
16 Berks Catholic 4A 3-2 (12)
BC was overwhelmed by a far better Malvern Prep (3-1) team who slowly wore them down with 308 yards on the ground. Isaiah Wright and Yaahdir Nash did most of the damage with 170 yards to lead it at the half 20-7. BC’s Christian Cacchione was neutralized by the big and talented Friar defense (linebackers!) as was Josiah Jordan who added 38 yards on 13 carries to Cacchione’s 58 yards. Looking at the remaining schedule, the good news is they won’t play a team anywhere near Malvern’s caliber for two weeks when they play Exeter, before the closer at home to Governor Mifflin. But, and it’s a legitimate but, Boone who’s up next has been playing good football, winning their last three games after losing to Wyomissing in the opener 41-14 then 19-10 at Twin Valley the following week. They are a veteran team with a surprising degree of physicality. JT Hogan can motor and RB/MLB A.J. Hoffer will bash you at 6-2 205, gaining 208 last week against Ephrata. This one’s at Boone where BC needs to bring it.
17 Warwick 5A 2-3 (15)
Warwick keeps coming up a little short, losing the close ones in an over the top competitive district. With teams like Warwick, Hempfield, Exeter, Dallastown, Central Dauphin, Wilson, Spring Grove and others, saying there is a lot of parity out there is a gross understatement. And because they’re all playing each other makes for one exciting and largely unpredictable season. Back to Warwick. They lost another close one, this time to Hempfield 27-21. They piled up some stats but not as much as Hempfield. Exeter’s Qb Jack Reed completed 15 of 26 passes for 240 yards, with touchdown throws of 56, 19 and 30 yards. No picks. He’s not the problem. In fact, he is special as a first year starter completing 57% for 1253 yards with a 10/1 ratio. The problem is the running game that apart from Christian Royer’s 498 yards is non-existent. They got 60 rushing vs Hempfield. This is on their home turf! And with a defense allowing 24ppg, they could be in for a long night at Manheim Central Friday. The Barons are the best balanced team in the district (908ry-960py) with one of the top defenses at 14ppg. This is a must win for Warwick who appear to be the last team on Manheim’s schedule who can beat them in the regular season. It’s an LL-2 game so look for both to go all out.
18 Wilson 2-3 (16)
Here’s another team in a tailspin like Warwick, losing 2 of their last 3 games, this time to Manheim Central in a nail biter, 24-21. As mentioned in the MC write up. the only place it was close was the scoreboard with the Barons physically dominating Wilson, holding them to 98 yards on the ground and 44 in the air. Completing 5 of 17 passes (29%) had to be demoralizing. An 86-yard kickoff return by Cam Jones early in the fourth narrowed the gap. But drive stopping turnovers, 3 picks and a fumble crushed any momentum Wilson had. Despite losing, a strong takeaway for the Bulldogs was their pass defense, intercepting 3 Judd Novak passes and limiting him to 8 completions on 21 passes for 130 yards. And they unquestionably missed fullback Jadyn Jones who did not play? With the next three games being Penn Manor (4-1), McCaskey ((2-3) and Cedar Crest (2-2), they should make a run, landing at 5-3 going into the Hempfield and Township games. Penn Manor could be a game although the Comets are likely banged up after the hard fought 21-17 win at Solanco where the Golden Mules battered them for 232 yards rushing on 50 carries.
19 Cumberland Valley 3-2 (20)
Cumberland Valley paid tribute to legendary coach Tim Rimpfel who died last Tuesday at the age of 73. He held head coaching positions at Cumberland Valley, Bishop McDevitt and Trinity. He was at Cumberland Valley from 1989 to 2012, where they made 19 postseason appearances, while winning nine District-3 championships. And he won the 4A state title in 1992 beating Upper St. Clair 28-14. Coach also headed things at his alma mater Bishop McDevitt from 1981 through 1987 and Trinity from 1977-1979. Over his 43 years leading these programs, he went 307-100-3. Many of his former players lined the sidelines dressed in red before the game in his honor. Two of his more famous players were Ricky Waters at McDevitt and Jon Richie at CV. About the game; Altoona had their moments, hanging in through the first half down 10-7. But like most teams in the MP-Commonwealth, they’re replacing many of their best players from the District-6 title team. This plagued them, losing two fumbles and having a Pick 6 in the fourth quarter when CV’s Max Wilken returned it 26 yards for their final score in a 27-14 win. Isaac Sines (5-11, 180, jr) had a productive game, completing 12 of 18 passes for 156 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards on 14 carries and kicked two field goals of 35 yards each. Quite a game! JD Hunter was the go-to guy with 3 receptions for 43 yards and the recipient of Sines 6 and 35 yard touchdowns, plus 48 yards rushing. Next up is CD East at East where both are 2-0 in the division.
20 Spring Grove 5A 4-0 (HM)
York cancelled last week’s game with Spring Grove with covid concerns, denying us the opportunity to see more accurately where the Rockets stand in the District-3 hierarchy. But something special is going on in a program that has had three winning seasons the last 10 years. They return most of last year’s team (9-O, 8-D) that went 4-3, including the quarterback and two outstanding running backs in Zyree and brother Tyree Brooks. The entire O-Line is back. Zyree leads the York-Adams with 740 yards for a 11.0ypc average! Sophomore Cowan Ruhland (5-11, 175) has filled in beyond expectations for the injured Andrew Osmun (6-1, 200, jr), completing 20 of 29 passes (69%) for 274 yards with a 4/0 Td-Pick ratio. To date, they’re averaging 41ppg and allowing 12 with good team speed and depth. Of note they have two road wins beating Waynesboro (3-2) 25-20 and Northern (3-1) 39-7. This week’s opponent is Dover (1-4).
Honorable Mention
All are 6A unless marked otherwise, last week’s rank in parenthesis
Mid Penn
Carlisle 3-2 (HM) home to Chambersburg 2-3
Both are coming off consecutive losses and it’s an old, old rivalry. Their first game was 106 years ago, making it the longest running series in District-3. Carlisle has more this year but the Trojans who are talented but young will battle. The Herd is real close to 4-1 with a 27-24 loss to Cumberland Valley two weeks ago. Division rivalry games are the best!
Shippensburg 5A 5-0 (HM) at Mechanicsburg 5A 3-2
Last year’s 8-1 Mechanicsburg team blew out the Greyhounds 35-20. This year’s Mechburg team is coming off a mild upset by West Perry to balance out Ship’s emotion in one of the most balanced divisions in the district, the Mid Penn-Colonial. The Hounds are 3-0 on the road but Mechanicsburg is their most difficult game to date.
Boiling Springs 3A 4-1 (HM) home to Trinity 2A 3-1
Trinity’s Shamrocks will be feisty but Bubblers are more, especially at home. The Rocks were no comp last year losing 42-0. And the Bubblers want to remove the bad taste of a 39-34 home loss to 5A Mechanicsburg two weeks ago on the final play. Trinity will not be able to keep up with their big offense that averages 50 points per game.
Lancaster-Lebanon
Octorara 4A 4-1 (HM) home to Columbia 2A 3-1
This is the conference opener in the LL-4 with two big offenses. Octorara at 42ppg behind a great running game, 265 yards per game, with the Crimson Tide gone airborne at 316 yards per game! Robert Footman is a duel threat for Columbia but Weston Stoltzfus can also tuck it and run.
Cocalico 4A 2-3 (HM) home to Solanco 5A 2-3
Don’t get too comfortable for this one that will be over in a flash with both teams running option offenses. Cocalico has Anthony Bourassa, one of the top running backs in the LL with 866 yards. But they have a porous defense allowing 36ppg. Anthony will probably break a few but the Solanco Mules play enough defense to keep it interesting.
Lampeter Strasburg 4A 4-1 (HM) at Lancaster Catholic 3A 3-2
Lampeter Strasburg won four straight games since losing at Warwick 45-22, winning by an average score of 30-4. The gold and purple gang from Catholic will give a good account of themselves early before succumbing to LS’s size and depth, wearing down as the game goes on.
Penn Manor 4-1 (HM) home to Wilson 2-3
Penn Manor is playing winning football the last three weeks making them a far cry from the team that bottomed out against Lampeter Strasburg week-2, losing 31-0. But this is a tough assignment playing a fired up Wilson team off a tough loss to Manheim Central last week 24-21. Wilson should throttle their option attack since there is little pass threat to go with it.
Donegal 4A 4-1 (NR) home to Garden Spot 4A 1-4
Here’s another hot team reeling off four straight since the season opening loss to rival Elizabethtown (3-2, 5A), 5 miles down 230. Since then they beat quality teams Columbia then ELCO last week. After three straight road games they’re home and will likely give the folks of Mt. Joy a win hosting 1-4 Garden Spot.
York-Adams
New Oxford 5A 4-1 (HM) at Kennard Dale 4A 4-1
This is a big game for both who are tied in first place atop the York-Adams-2. The Colonials pride themselves on defense with three shutouts already while the KD Rams are explosive at 38 ppg but also play solid D allowing 10ppg. KD will have a big loud crowd coming home from three straight road games.
South Western 5A 4-1 (HM) at Central York 4-0
Seeing some cracks in the armor with the South Western Mustangs getting routed at Dallastown 47-14 two weeks ago and barely escaping winless Red Lion last week 42-35. Allowing 82 points their last two games suggests injuries or other that will get them in big trouble Friday night at Central York.
Kennard Dale 4A 4-1 (NR) home to New Oxford 5A 4-1
This program is showing signs going 22-20 since 2017 with three straight winning seasons after a 7-63 run from 2010 through 2016, including three winless seasons. This is one of KD’s biggest games in years and a tough one for New Oxford.
Berks Inter County
Twin Valley 5A 4-1 at Fleetwood 5A 2-3
Twin Valley is rolling after beating a good Conrad Weiser team 37-34 in double overtime, staying in a tie with Wyomissing in the Berks-2. They’ll need to repeat that effort at Fleetwood who’s coming off their second straight loss. Dangerous spot for TV with Fleetwood better than the 2-3 record might suggest.
Conrad Weiser 4A 3-2 (HM) home to Schuylkill Valley 3A 2-3
No shame losing to Twin Valley in double overtime, coming off strong wins over Fleetwood and ELCO. They’ll get back in the win column Friday against Schuylkill Valley (2-3) who won their second straight game under first year coach Bruce Harbach.
Boone 5A 3-2 home to Berks Catholic 4A 3-2
Boone won their last three games putting them in good shape for the Berks-1 opener against Berks Catholic who’s coming off a 37-7 loss to Malvern Prep. BC won last year 40-7, and it’s doubtful Boone closed the gap that much. But they still look capable and definitely have some talent.
Dropped out
East Pennsboro 4A 3-2 (HM)
Ephrata 5A 3-2 (HM)
Mechanicsburg 5A 3-2 (HM)
All are 6A unless marked otherwise, last week’s rank in parenthesis
1 Governor Mifflin 5A 5-0 (1)
Governor Mifflin took their undefeated team on the road to the Philadelphia area for a game against previously undefeated Episcopal Academy (3-1), giving the fans of southeastern PA a chance to see what all the hoopla surrounding the team was about. Their opponent at 60-25 the last nine years, 31-12 the last five years and 18-4 the last three years from the storied Inter-Academic League were certainly no slouch. Many felt it might be a competitive game. Unfortunately, they were a huge disappointment, putting up little resistance early on to be down 42-6 at the half! But, one of the top running backs in the country in Nicholas Singleton did not disappoint, by returning the opening kickoff 84 yards (!) before rushing for scores of 7, 20, 19, 55 and 60 yards, all in the first half. The game was no contest with Mifflin dominating 49-26. At least the fans in the southeast corner of the state had the opportunity to see what a generational player looks like. He ended the half with 290 yards on 13 carries. Full back Trey Rock added 82 yards rushing and at least a dozen tackles. With wins against York, Wilson, Harrisburg and now Episcopal, the only challenge left in the regular season is Exeter Township, seeing how Berks Catholic fell hard last week to Malvern Prep 39-7. Berks Inter-County Conference football action starts Friday in Shillington where the Mustangs host Reading (1-3).
2 Central York 4-0 (2)
Here’s another District-3 standout in quarterback Beau Pribula who like Nick Singleton has committed to Penn State. He was at the top of his game last week completing 17 of 21 passes (81%) for 338 yards and four touchdowns in a 68-21 rout of struggling Dover (1-4). Coach Gerry Yonchiuk sat his starters at the half leading 47-0. He was the Pennsylvania Football Writers 6A Coach of the Year in 2020. It’s probably obvious they have a fine group of receivers, in Imeire Manigault who caught 4 passes for 146 yards and a score, Parker Hines with 4 receptions for 70 yards and two scores and Treyhawn Smith who caught 6 passes for 93 yards. Pribula also ran for a score. They graduated a lot of talent but are surviving against the legitimate tests offered by Exeter winning 35-28, Cumberland Valley 21-3 and Hempfield winning 35-21. They’re home this week against South Western (4-1) who suddenly forgot how to play defense, allowing 47 and 35 points the last two outing. They also left their offense at home this year winning at New Oxford 14-7 before getting blown out at Dallastown 47-14.
3 Bishop McDevitt 4A 3-1 (3)
In yet another highlight-filled night, scoring 55, 75 and 63 points their last three games, Bishop McDevitt looked recovered from the season opening shock of losing to LaSalle in a 21-0 shutout. (Still not over that one!) And like Governor Mifflin and Central York above, this one was over early, outscoring Mifflin County 56-0 in the first half! Freshman quarterback Stone Saunders is showing why he’s the starter with a near perfect performance, completing 9 of 9 passes for 130 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had plenty of help from Marquese Williams rushing for 148 yards and a score on 11 carries. Cyncir Bowers added 120 yards on 4 carries and a touchdown. His 64-yard kickoff return in the first quarter followed by Jaire Rawlison’s 31-yard scoop and score on a fumble put MC in a 29-0 first quarter hole. Four more second quarter scores including Chase Regan’s 35-yard Pick-6 and Marquese Williams 68-yard scoot totally deflated the Huskies who fell to 0-5. McDevitt now plays Lower Dauphin (2-2) who’s coming off a 48-20 loss to Cedar Cliff.
4 Manheim Central 5A 5-0 (4)
In a game that pitted two of the historical powers of District-3 against one another, Manheim Central got a strong performance from the offense and defense to win their third consecutive road game, beating Wilson in West Lawn 24-21. The win showed that the Barons like Exeter, could pose a threat to Governor Mifflin’s assumed dominance in the district. Despite Manheim dominating statistically, the game was a tight affair, with Wilson up 14-10 at the half. But in the end, the Barons simply had more weapons, especially with fullback Jadyn Jones on the sidelines. Qb Judd Novak threw to five receivers for 130 yards with 3 touchdowns while rushing for 60 yards. He also threw three drive ending picks. Connor Caterbone’s 29-yard field goal in the second quarter was key. Manheim outdueled Wilson 288 yards to 142, holding them 98 yards on the ground. Passing stats showed Wilson completed 5 of 17 passes for 46 yards and threw 3 interceptions. That’s a bad day for any team and wholly out of character for a Wilson team. Speaking of uncharacteristic, Warwick (2-3) is up next in the LL-2 opener, coming in stunned, losing a last second home game to Penn Manor 30-28 two weeks ago and a 27-21 loss to Hempfield last week also at home.
5 Central Dauphin 2-1 (5)
Central Dauphin showed no ill effects coming off a two week covid pause to handle Chambersburg (2-3) 50-21. It was 50-7 at the end of the third quarter. For a team that is essentially replacing all their skill except quarterback, this was an impressive win after sitting the last two weeks then rolling out 484 yards of offense to Chambersburg’s 289. Max Mosey shook off the rust to complete 10 of 19 passes for 224 yards with 2 touchdown tosses, most of it going to Juice Selby who caught 8 throws for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. The big guy Terrell English ran for 102 yards on 17 attempts. This is not a typical, vintage CD team. They have the big OL and good players as always but no standout/highlight reel player that the opponent has to be mindful of. State College (3-2) is next, coming off a 34-13 loss to CD’s sister School CD East.
6 Central Dauphin East 4-1 (7)
East High has moved from the ranks of the also-rans to a legit 6A contender in one season. Much of this is because first year coach Lance Deane has the players on the same page believing in themselves. The entire team has clearly bought in based on scores verses quality opponents, the way they fly around defensively and their demeanor on the sidelines. They went 6-20 the previous 3 years, averaging 13ppg and allowing 26. To date their average score is 26-15 against Township, Warwick, Cedar Cliff, Altoona and State College. Last week saw them hold SC to 206 total yards, 94 rushing and 12 first downs. The East High attack was as it been all year, balanced, pounded out 280 yards rushing and throwing for 168 more at 77%. Running back Marcel McDaniels blossomed this year, rushing for 212 yards with 2 scores and snagging 2 passes for 62 yards last week. And with quarterback Tony Powell recovering from injury, completing 3 of 5 for 60 yards, they now have two solid quarterbacks with Terrence Jackson-Copney completing 7 of 8 for 108 yards. Four star PSU commit Mehki Flowers had 4 receptions for 68 yards. Red hot Cumberland Valley (3-2) is next, coming in on a roll winning their last two after the loss to Central York.
7 Harrisburg 4-1 (8)
Harrisburg started slow, hanging on to a 13-7 half time lead before getting it together to dispatch combative Carlisle 34-14. A 21-point outburst in the second half allowed them to win convincingly. Leading the way was their big-play threat Kyle Williams, only a junior, rushing for 165 yards and a touchdown, and catching 8 passes for 84 yards with another score. Junior Zakii Lewis, once more filled in for the injured freshman Shawn Lee, completing 12 of 19 for 120 yards and 2 touchdowns. Others standing out were junior fullback/linebacker Mahkai Hopkins with 54 hard yards on 18 carries, Justin Cook catching 3 passes for 26 yards and a touchdown and Anthony Day with a 45 yard Pick 6. This team has a number of talented underclassman! Cougar teams of the past lived and died by the big play. But not this year’s edition that is far more diverse as demonstrated against Carlisle throwing for 120 yards and running for 238. They can beat you behind their massive O-Line, feeding fullback Hopkins (6-2, 230) as they did against Pine Richland and Township toward the end of overtime. But they always have the explosive Kyle Williams looking to break one or Justin Cook. And with the young quarterbacks coming around, they’re a handful. They’re at 3-2 Altoona Friday before the big one with longtime rival Central Dauphin East.
8 York (William Penn) 3-1 (6)
York City School District announced the game with Spring Grove last Friday was cancelled. A more recent tweet from the YCSD said the teams are working to reschedule the game later this season. This was a York-Adams conference game with York 3-1, 1-0 and SG undefeated at 4-0, 1-0. York will hopefully not cancel this week’s game at another conference power in Dallastown (4-1, 2-0). York High has two dynamic players in running back Jaheim White with 602 yards on 59 carries for a 10.2ypc average. The other is quarterback Sam Stoner who has completed 61% of his passes for 1044 yards with a 13/2 ratio. Nice! Their opponent this week has a few game breakers themselves, making this one of the most exciting and potentially highest scoring games in the district.
9 Manheim Township 3-2 (11)
Manheim Township won their second straight road game convincingly, beating Cocalico 48-21. Yielding 33ppg coming in, Cocalico had a porous defense. But they came out with a purpose on offense, fueled by lead backs Anthony Bourassa and Brycen Flinton. Both broke off 70 yarders, allowing them to keep pace with Township’s developing passing game. Hayden Johnson connected with fellow sophomore Landon Kennel (6-1, 190) for 53 and 24 yard strikes, and Anthony Ivey for a 19-yard score at the end of the quarter for a 21-14 lead. And that’s where it ended for Cocalico with Johnson throwing two more touchdowns to speedster Jake Laubach (5-10, 150, jr) and Isaiah Jones (5-10, 170, sr) of 27 and 53 yards respectively. Laubach also ran for a 14-yard score with yet another sophomore, Nick Good (5-11, 180) running in from the 43. Johnson finished with 290 yards, completing 13 of 15 passes with 5 going for touchdowns. Good was their leading rusher with 6 carries for 72 yards. Landon Kennel had 82 yards on 3 receptions. One thing that pops out about Township is how well they distribute, completing passes to eight receivers with six running backs getting carries beside the quarterback. Lancaster-Lebanon-1 schedule begins favorably for the Blue Streaks opening with three straight homers. Cedar Crest (2-2) is up first.
10 Steelton Highspire 1A 4-0 (10) Steel High could not find a replacement game after Upper Dauphin baled on the game per covid issues. If all goes well they’ll play a Saturday afternoon game against super rival Middletown (2-2) who’s coming off an 8-7 upset to Juniata (3-2, 4A), the same Juniata team Steelton beat two weeks ago 53-19!
11 Wyomissing 3A 5-0 (11)
Wyomissing had another walk-in-the -park last week, this time beating a heretofore competitive Fleetwood team now 2-3. They have a nice quarterback in Tanner Maddocks who will make Villanova happy but that’s all they had as the Spartans lit into them for a 35-0 halftime lead that ended in a 48-7 blow-out. Ten players had touches rushing for 344 yards, led by Amory Thompson with 88 yards, Drew Eisenhower’s 76 and Tommy Grabowski’s 48 yards. Fleetwood’s Maddocks was held to 76 passing and 22 rushing. Wyo travels to Catawissa Friday for one of the best matchup in the state playing the incomparable Southern Columbia Tigers (5-0, 2A). They’re loaded again with another Garcia brother the headliner with Gavin at 759 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brief background shows they’re the four time defending 2A champion with six consecutive finals appearances on a 93 regular season game winning streak. They also have a 65 game winning streak after mercy ruling Mount Carmel last week 40-14. Clairton holds the record at 66. They’ve been dealing with injuries recently with Qb Liam Klebon and running backs Braeden Wisloski and Wes Barnes nicked but serviceable. It may not be blood in the water (eg Wilson at 2-3) but there is coloration having snuck by Wyoming Area (4-1) Sept 9th 37-30. Got to hand it to them holding WA on the 1-yard line before driving 99 yards for the winning score with 3:12 left on the clock. Different names and faces but it’s still Southern football! Should be a good one.
12 Hempfield 3-2 (13)
Few teams in the district faced the schedule the Black Knights have playing Dallastown (4-1), a 28-21 win, Manheim Central (5-0), a 14-0 loss, Central York (4-0), a 35-21 loss then getting wins against Exeter (3-2) 17-14 and Warwick (2-3) last week 27-21. This was a complete win, outgaining Warwick 463 yard to 300 at Warwick. Cameron Harbaugh outdueled Warwick’s Colin Payne in a matchup of signal-callers accounting for 331 yards, 185 rushing and 146 passing with three rushing touchdowns and one passing. Because Qb Harbaugh is their top rusher this season at 410 yards, it was good seeing Stephen Katch (6-0, 195, jr) have a strong game, running for 86 yards on 15 carries. That aspect needs developed if Hempfield is to take the next step. This may come to fruition hosting McCaskey (2-3) Friday in the LL-1 opener then Cedar Crest (2-2) the following week.
13 Exeter Township 5A 3-2 (14)
Exeter got back in the win column after the heart breaking 17-14 loss at Hempfield by demolishing West York 42-0. They won about every way you can win a game with 4 picks, punts returned for scores, scoring on a blocked punt and 14 TFLs. Colin Payne has filled the bill at quarterback replacing Gavin McCusker by throwing for 838 yards and 8 Tds. He’s supported by a stable of running backs led by the underrated (should say under recruited) Eric Nangle at 502 yards, FB/LB Ty Yocum with 222, and speedsters Cabraun Woody and Messiah Robinson at 165 and 122 respectively. The receiver corps is top shelf with wide out Joey Schlaffer (6-6, 210, jr) with 17 receptions for 290 yards and TE/LB JR Straus (Villanova) with 14 for 282 yards. PSU TE Coach attended the Wilson game to check out Schlaffer who’s being sought by ASU, Cincy, Mich St, Md, Neb, Pitt, Tenn et al. Berks Section-1 action begins Friday night under the lights hosting Muhlenberg’s winless Muhls.
14 Cedar Cliff 5A 4-1 (17)
Cedar Cliff moved to 2-0 in the Mid Penn-Keystone defeating Lower Dauphin 48-20. A 28-7 half time lead followed by a 20-point outburst in the third quarter sealed it. The Colts have weapons in Jontae Morris rushing for 182 yards (4 Tds), Trenton Smith pulling in 5 receptions for 83 yards with a 62-yard kickoff return, and Ethan Dorrell completing 9 of 12 passes for 114 yards. They’re a handful. Any issues are on defense where they’re allowing 26ppg, putting them in harm’s way against teams like Central Dauphin East who shut them down 20-7 two weeks ago. Hershey (0-5) is next. With three shutouts, they are really struggling on offense and could be in real trouble against the high powered Colts who are averaging 36ppg counting the loss at CD East.
15 Dallastown 6A 4-1 (18)
After opening with a tight 28-21 loss at Hempfield, Dtown has gone on a tear. It began with a confidence building 41-38 win against Manheim Township followed by wins against Hershey 20-13, South Western 47-14 and Northeastern 46-14 where they moved into a four way tie with Central York, Spring Grove and York atop the York-Adams-1. Qb Dylan Lease had a good game, completing 11 of 19 passes for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns with good ground support from Coleton Mahorney gaining 148 yards with a score. Lease is in fact having a good year, completing 65% for 613 yards with 6 Tds and no picks. He also rushed for 248 yards. Up next is a critical game with high flying York (3-1) who had last week off per covid. They got blown out by Governor Mifflin but showed their mettle defeating Coatesville 44-39 at Coatesville. It’s doubtful either one will be able to stop the other suggesting a high scoring game with lots of big plays.
16 Berks Catholic 4A 3-2 (12)
BC was overwhelmed by a far better Malvern Prep (3-1) team who slowly wore them down with 308 yards on the ground. Isaiah Wright and Yaahdir Nash did most of the damage with 170 yards to lead it at the half 20-7. BC’s Christian Cacchione was neutralized by the big and talented Friar defense (linebackers!) as was Josiah Jordan who added 38 yards on 13 carries to Cacchione’s 58 yards. Looking at the remaining schedule, the good news is they won’t play a team anywhere near Malvern’s caliber for two weeks when they play Exeter, before the closer at home to Governor Mifflin. But, and it’s a legitimate but, Boone who’s up next has been playing good football, winning their last three games after losing to Wyomissing in the opener 41-14 then 19-10 at Twin Valley the following week. They are a veteran team with a surprising degree of physicality. JT Hogan can motor and RB/MLB A.J. Hoffer will bash you at 6-2 205, gaining 208 last week against Ephrata. This one’s at Boone where BC needs to bring it.
17 Warwick 5A 2-3 (15)
Warwick keeps coming up a little short, losing the close ones in an over the top competitive district. With teams like Warwick, Hempfield, Exeter, Dallastown, Central Dauphin, Wilson, Spring Grove and others, saying there is a lot of parity out there is a gross understatement. And because they’re all playing each other makes for one exciting and largely unpredictable season. Back to Warwick. They lost another close one, this time to Hempfield 27-21. They piled up some stats but not as much as Hempfield. Exeter’s Qb Jack Reed completed 15 of 26 passes for 240 yards, with touchdown throws of 56, 19 and 30 yards. No picks. He’s not the problem. In fact, he is special as a first year starter completing 57% for 1253 yards with a 10/1 ratio. The problem is the running game that apart from Christian Royer’s 498 yards is non-existent. They got 60 rushing vs Hempfield. This is on their home turf! And with a defense allowing 24ppg, they could be in for a long night at Manheim Central Friday. The Barons are the best balanced team in the district (908ry-960py) with one of the top defenses at 14ppg. This is a must win for Warwick who appear to be the last team on Manheim’s schedule who can beat them in the regular season. It’s an LL-2 game so look for both to go all out.
18 Wilson 2-3 (16)
Here’s another team in a tailspin like Warwick, losing 2 of their last 3 games, this time to Manheim Central in a nail biter, 24-21. As mentioned in the MC write up. the only place it was close was the scoreboard with the Barons physically dominating Wilson, holding them to 98 yards on the ground and 44 in the air. Completing 5 of 17 passes (29%) had to be demoralizing. An 86-yard kickoff return by Cam Jones early in the fourth narrowed the gap. But drive stopping turnovers, 3 picks and a fumble crushed any momentum Wilson had. Despite losing, a strong takeaway for the Bulldogs was their pass defense, intercepting 3 Judd Novak passes and limiting him to 8 completions on 21 passes for 130 yards. And they unquestionably missed fullback Jadyn Jones who did not play? With the next three games being Penn Manor (4-1), McCaskey ((2-3) and Cedar Crest (2-2), they should make a run, landing at 5-3 going into the Hempfield and Township games. Penn Manor could be a game although the Comets are likely banged up after the hard fought 21-17 win at Solanco where the Golden Mules battered them for 232 yards rushing on 50 carries.
19 Cumberland Valley 3-2 (20)
Cumberland Valley paid tribute to legendary coach Tim Rimpfel who died last Tuesday at the age of 73. He held head coaching positions at Cumberland Valley, Bishop McDevitt and Trinity. He was at Cumberland Valley from 1989 to 2012, where they made 19 postseason appearances, while winning nine District-3 championships. And he won the 4A state title in 1992 beating Upper St. Clair 28-14. Coach also headed things at his alma mater Bishop McDevitt from 1981 through 1987 and Trinity from 1977-1979. Over his 43 years leading these programs, he went 307-100-3. Many of his former players lined the sidelines dressed in red before the game in his honor. Two of his more famous players were Ricky Waters at McDevitt and Jon Richie at CV. About the game; Altoona had their moments, hanging in through the first half down 10-7. But like most teams in the MP-Commonwealth, they’re replacing many of their best players from the District-6 title team. This plagued them, losing two fumbles and having a Pick 6 in the fourth quarter when CV’s Max Wilken returned it 26 yards for their final score in a 27-14 win. Isaac Sines (5-11, 180, jr) had a productive game, completing 12 of 18 passes for 156 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also rushed for 60 yards on 14 carries and kicked two field goals of 35 yards each. Quite a game! JD Hunter was the go-to guy with 3 receptions for 43 yards and the recipient of Sines 6 and 35 yard touchdowns, plus 48 yards rushing. Next up is CD East at East where both are 2-0 in the division.
20 Spring Grove 5A 4-0 (HM)
York cancelled last week’s game with Spring Grove with covid concerns, denying us the opportunity to see more accurately where the Rockets stand in the District-3 hierarchy. But something special is going on in a program that has had three winning seasons the last 10 years. They return most of last year’s team (9-O, 8-D) that went 4-3, including the quarterback and two outstanding running backs in Zyree and brother Tyree Brooks. The entire O-Line is back. Zyree leads the York-Adams with 740 yards for a 11.0ypc average! Sophomore Cowan Ruhland (5-11, 175) has filled in beyond expectations for the injured Andrew Osmun (6-1, 200, jr), completing 20 of 29 passes (69%) for 274 yards with a 4/0 Td-Pick ratio. To date, they’re averaging 41ppg and allowing 12 with good team speed and depth. Of note they have two road wins beating Waynesboro (3-2) 25-20 and Northern (3-1) 39-7. This week’s opponent is Dover (1-4).
Honorable Mention
All are 6A unless marked otherwise, last week’s rank in parenthesis
Mid Penn
Carlisle 3-2 (HM) home to Chambersburg 2-3
Both are coming off consecutive losses and it’s an old, old rivalry. Their first game was 106 years ago, making it the longest running series in District-3. Carlisle has more this year but the Trojans who are talented but young will battle. The Herd is real close to 4-1 with a 27-24 loss to Cumberland Valley two weeks ago. Division rivalry games are the best!
Shippensburg 5A 5-0 (HM) at Mechanicsburg 5A 3-2
Last year’s 8-1 Mechanicsburg team blew out the Greyhounds 35-20. This year’s Mechburg team is coming off a mild upset by West Perry to balance out Ship’s emotion in one of the most balanced divisions in the district, the Mid Penn-Colonial. The Hounds are 3-0 on the road but Mechanicsburg is their most difficult game to date.
Boiling Springs 3A 4-1 (HM) home to Trinity 2A 3-1
Trinity’s Shamrocks will be feisty but Bubblers are more, especially at home. The Rocks were no comp last year losing 42-0. And the Bubblers want to remove the bad taste of a 39-34 home loss to 5A Mechanicsburg two weeks ago on the final play. Trinity will not be able to keep up with their big offense that averages 50 points per game.
Lancaster-Lebanon
Octorara 4A 4-1 (HM) home to Columbia 2A 3-1
This is the conference opener in the LL-4 with two big offenses. Octorara at 42ppg behind a great running game, 265 yards per game, with the Crimson Tide gone airborne at 316 yards per game! Robert Footman is a duel threat for Columbia but Weston Stoltzfus can also tuck it and run.
Cocalico 4A 2-3 (HM) home to Solanco 5A 2-3
Don’t get too comfortable for this one that will be over in a flash with both teams running option offenses. Cocalico has Anthony Bourassa, one of the top running backs in the LL with 866 yards. But they have a porous defense allowing 36ppg. Anthony will probably break a few but the Solanco Mules play enough defense to keep it interesting.
Lampeter Strasburg 4A 4-1 (HM) at Lancaster Catholic 3A 3-2
Lampeter Strasburg won four straight games since losing at Warwick 45-22, winning by an average score of 30-4. The gold and purple gang from Catholic will give a good account of themselves early before succumbing to LS’s size and depth, wearing down as the game goes on.
Penn Manor 4-1 (HM) home to Wilson 2-3
Penn Manor is playing winning football the last three weeks making them a far cry from the team that bottomed out against Lampeter Strasburg week-2, losing 31-0. But this is a tough assignment playing a fired up Wilson team off a tough loss to Manheim Central last week 24-21. Wilson should throttle their option attack since there is little pass threat to go with it.
Donegal 4A 4-1 (NR) home to Garden Spot 4A 1-4
Here’s another hot team reeling off four straight since the season opening loss to rival Elizabethtown (3-2, 5A), 5 miles down 230. Since then they beat quality teams Columbia then ELCO last week. After three straight road games they’re home and will likely give the folks of Mt. Joy a win hosting 1-4 Garden Spot.
York-Adams
New Oxford 5A 4-1 (HM) at Kennard Dale 4A 4-1
This is a big game for both who are tied in first place atop the York-Adams-2. The Colonials pride themselves on defense with three shutouts already while the KD Rams are explosive at 38 ppg but also play solid D allowing 10ppg. KD will have a big loud crowd coming home from three straight road games.
South Western 5A 4-1 (HM) at Central York 4-0
Seeing some cracks in the armor with the South Western Mustangs getting routed at Dallastown 47-14 two weeks ago and barely escaping winless Red Lion last week 42-35. Allowing 82 points their last two games suggests injuries or other that will get them in big trouble Friday night at Central York.
Kennard Dale 4A 4-1 (NR) home to New Oxford 5A 4-1
This program is showing signs going 22-20 since 2017 with three straight winning seasons after a 7-63 run from 2010 through 2016, including three winless seasons. This is one of KD’s biggest games in years and a tough one for New Oxford.
Berks Inter County
Twin Valley 5A 4-1 at Fleetwood 5A 2-3
Twin Valley is rolling after beating a good Conrad Weiser team 37-34 in double overtime, staying in a tie with Wyomissing in the Berks-2. They’ll need to repeat that effort at Fleetwood who’s coming off their second straight loss. Dangerous spot for TV with Fleetwood better than the 2-3 record might suggest.
Conrad Weiser 4A 3-2 (HM) home to Schuylkill Valley 3A 2-3
No shame losing to Twin Valley in double overtime, coming off strong wins over Fleetwood and ELCO. They’ll get back in the win column Friday against Schuylkill Valley (2-3) who won their second straight game under first year coach Bruce Harbach.
Boone 5A 3-2 home to Berks Catholic 4A 3-2
Boone won their last three games putting them in good shape for the Berks-1 opener against Berks Catholic who’s coming off a 37-7 loss to Malvern Prep. BC won last year 40-7, and it’s doubtful Boone closed the gap that much. But they still look capable and definitely have some talent.
Dropped out
East Pennsboro 4A 3-2 (HM)
Ephrata 5A 3-2 (HM)
Mechanicsburg 5A 3-2 (HM)
Last edited:
