(All Classifications)
Here is information and thoughts on Mid State football, meaning District 3 teams and a few relevant D4 and D6 teams, having to cut off “Mid State” somewhere. Hard breaking it down with geographic absolutes. So here goes with some best guesstimates, as always, just for the fun of it.
11 Williamsport: Wyoming Valley-Division 1, 6A, 7-4
Should be improved with Qb veteran Joe Fagnano returning after a strong year, completing 212 of 327 passes at 65% for 2468 yards. His Td-Pick ratio was 30/4. Nice! His top two receivers also return in Marcus Simmons (72/790) and Colin Espisito (30/370). Good luck keeping up with these water bugs with Simmons at 5-8, 145 and Esposito at 5-6, 135. The line returns Ben Garverick (6-2 270 sr), Ethan Williamson (6-3 285 jr) and Tucker Kreisher (6-2 275 sr). But the big news is the return of one of PA’s top backs in Treyson Potts (5-10, 185 Minnesota commit) who missed all of last year with an ACL after rushing for over 2000 yards as a sophomore. Without him last year they scored 36ppg but allowed 32. This year they don’t see Delaware Valley or Wyoming Valley West til the 2nd half of the season meaning they should get off to a strong start against Central Mountain, Altoona, Berwick, Hazelton and Crestwood.
12 CD East: Mid Penn Commonwealth, 6A, 6-5
Should be a factor (not a player) with Qb back and most of last year’s young defense that will have to improve from 34ppg. They were in the negatives everywhere with an offense averaging 20ppg resulting in losses to Harrisburg, State College, Cumberland Valley (twice) and McDevitt by an average score of 49-9. But the season was a huge success by East High standards with a 35-31 upset of rival sister school Central Dauphin; Army-Navy type rivalry. The schedule is difficult, opening with Manheim Township and Lower Dauphin. Then comes the road game in White Plains (Above Yonkers, Westchester County) against AAA and NYCHSFL (New York Catholic HS FB League) state champ Archbishop Stepinac (10-2). Stepinac’s losses were to Iona Prep-Long Island and Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx. For linkage purposes, Stepinac beat Canisius 49-28 in the state final who then lost to McDevitt-Harrisburg 28-21 and Cathedral-Erie 31-20.
13 Governor Mifflin: Berks Inter County Section 1, 5A, 12-2
Suffered heavy grad losses especially RB Isaac Ruoss who set a school record of 1789 rush yards and 29 Tds, QB Kam Wolfe’s 1340 passing yards, lineman of the year Ben Gates (-11, 230), LB Niles Tanis et al. But so what, it’s Mifflin with their 132-35 won-loss since the last losing season in 2003. They began well last year trouncing West York’s slumping program 48-13 then knocking off bitter “Reading” rival Wilson 21-14, with the Mustangs from the suburbs of Shillington on the south side and Wilson from the western burbs in West Lawn. Next up was Cocalico (then 4A) from Denver who administered a wake-up call putting a 42-21 hurtin on em. That was all the wake-up call they needed going on to rout the ultimate 6A district champ Manheim Township the following week 49-14. High School football! They went on the beat York High Bearcats (9-2, Y-A co-champs) then stunned the state beating Harrisburg (11-1) 26-14 before succumbing to Manheim Central 30-29 in the district final on a missed xp. Central went on to lose to Gateway in the semi 31-28. With most of last year’s key players gone, the Mustangs are looking at a major reload. And the schedule doesn’t help opening at Cedar Cliff in Camp Hill, then Wilson before the home opener to Cocalico. We’ll know how the reload went after those 3 games.
14 Manheim Township: Lancaster-Lebanon, Section 1, 6A, 12-2
The Blue Streaks won’t repeat as the district champ this year with the loss of dual threat Qb Luke Emge who passed for 1880 yards and ran for another 465. Compounding things, running back Grayson Sallade is gone taking 1146 rush yards with him. Offensively it was their best ever at 42ppg and their best defense at 15pp since 2007’s 11-2 team that allowed 10. It was quite a year beating both Central Dauphin and Wilson twice and Cumberland Valley 24-21 for districts before losing to Pine Richland. They graduated most of their key starters but played many so they’ll have experience returning to fill many positions although Emge was special. This year sees them opening at Central Dauphin East, then home to Dallastown before going back to Landis to play Central Dauphin. They’ll cruise at Penn Manor then back into the fire playing the 5A bad ass Cocalico at home followed by Wilson, also at home. East High Panthers, D-town and Cocalico are new on the schedule.
15 Dallastown: York-Adams 1, 6A, 8-3
Finished with a flurry going 5-1, but losing to Hempfield 31-28 in the 1st round. They return one of the top backs in central PA in Nyzair Smith (5-10, 180, sr) with 2097 rush yards last year. 6-3, 195 sr John Cook got significant time at Qb (10 games 10/19 155yds). Cook will be glad to see Raymond Christas (6-1, 240, sr) back at center. They scored 38 a game allowing 21 with heavy D losses. But that never stopped anyone in the York-Adams League where it’s fun and gun time when Smith isn’t dazzling them. D-town could surprise despite graduation losses. This year’s schedule starts off with 3 LL-Section One teams; Hempfield, Manheim Township and Penn Manor, before going to the Mustang Corral at South Western, then home to Northeastern’s Bobcats with their impressive young quarterback.
Here is information and thoughts on Mid State football, meaning District 3 teams and a few relevant D4 and D6 teams, having to cut off “Mid State” somewhere. Hard breaking it down with geographic absolutes. So here goes with some best guesstimates, as always, just for the fun of it.
11 Williamsport: Wyoming Valley-Division 1, 6A, 7-4
Should be improved with Qb veteran Joe Fagnano returning after a strong year, completing 212 of 327 passes at 65% for 2468 yards. His Td-Pick ratio was 30/4. Nice! His top two receivers also return in Marcus Simmons (72/790) and Colin Espisito (30/370). Good luck keeping up with these water bugs with Simmons at 5-8, 145 and Esposito at 5-6, 135. The line returns Ben Garverick (6-2 270 sr), Ethan Williamson (6-3 285 jr) and Tucker Kreisher (6-2 275 sr). But the big news is the return of one of PA’s top backs in Treyson Potts (5-10, 185 Minnesota commit) who missed all of last year with an ACL after rushing for over 2000 yards as a sophomore. Without him last year they scored 36ppg but allowed 32. This year they don’t see Delaware Valley or Wyoming Valley West til the 2nd half of the season meaning they should get off to a strong start against Central Mountain, Altoona, Berwick, Hazelton and Crestwood.
12 CD East: Mid Penn Commonwealth, 6A, 6-5
Should be a factor (not a player) with Qb back and most of last year’s young defense that will have to improve from 34ppg. They were in the negatives everywhere with an offense averaging 20ppg resulting in losses to Harrisburg, State College, Cumberland Valley (twice) and McDevitt by an average score of 49-9. But the season was a huge success by East High standards with a 35-31 upset of rival sister school Central Dauphin; Army-Navy type rivalry. The schedule is difficult, opening with Manheim Township and Lower Dauphin. Then comes the road game in White Plains (Above Yonkers, Westchester County) against AAA and NYCHSFL (New York Catholic HS FB League) state champ Archbishop Stepinac (10-2). Stepinac’s losses were to Iona Prep-Long Island and Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx. For linkage purposes, Stepinac beat Canisius 49-28 in the state final who then lost to McDevitt-Harrisburg 28-21 and Cathedral-Erie 31-20.
13 Governor Mifflin: Berks Inter County Section 1, 5A, 12-2
Suffered heavy grad losses especially RB Isaac Ruoss who set a school record of 1789 rush yards and 29 Tds, QB Kam Wolfe’s 1340 passing yards, lineman of the year Ben Gates (-11, 230), LB Niles Tanis et al. But so what, it’s Mifflin with their 132-35 won-loss since the last losing season in 2003. They began well last year trouncing West York’s slumping program 48-13 then knocking off bitter “Reading” rival Wilson 21-14, with the Mustangs from the suburbs of Shillington on the south side and Wilson from the western burbs in West Lawn. Next up was Cocalico (then 4A) from Denver who administered a wake-up call putting a 42-21 hurtin on em. That was all the wake-up call they needed going on to rout the ultimate 6A district champ Manheim Township the following week 49-14. High School football! They went on the beat York High Bearcats (9-2, Y-A co-champs) then stunned the state beating Harrisburg (11-1) 26-14 before succumbing to Manheim Central 30-29 in the district final on a missed xp. Central went on to lose to Gateway in the semi 31-28. With most of last year’s key players gone, the Mustangs are looking at a major reload. And the schedule doesn’t help opening at Cedar Cliff in Camp Hill, then Wilson before the home opener to Cocalico. We’ll know how the reload went after those 3 games.
14 Manheim Township: Lancaster-Lebanon, Section 1, 6A, 12-2
The Blue Streaks won’t repeat as the district champ this year with the loss of dual threat Qb Luke Emge who passed for 1880 yards and ran for another 465. Compounding things, running back Grayson Sallade is gone taking 1146 rush yards with him. Offensively it was their best ever at 42ppg and their best defense at 15pp since 2007’s 11-2 team that allowed 10. It was quite a year beating both Central Dauphin and Wilson twice and Cumberland Valley 24-21 for districts before losing to Pine Richland. They graduated most of their key starters but played many so they’ll have experience returning to fill many positions although Emge was special. This year sees them opening at Central Dauphin East, then home to Dallastown before going back to Landis to play Central Dauphin. They’ll cruise at Penn Manor then back into the fire playing the 5A bad ass Cocalico at home followed by Wilson, also at home. East High Panthers, D-town and Cocalico are new on the schedule.
15 Dallastown: York-Adams 1, 6A, 8-3
Finished with a flurry going 5-1, but losing to Hempfield 31-28 in the 1st round. They return one of the top backs in central PA in Nyzair Smith (5-10, 180, sr) with 2097 rush yards last year. 6-3, 195 sr John Cook got significant time at Qb (10 games 10/19 155yds). Cook will be glad to see Raymond Christas (6-1, 240, sr) back at center. They scored 38 a game allowing 21 with heavy D losses. But that never stopped anyone in the York-Adams League where it’s fun and gun time when Smith isn’t dazzling them. D-town could surprise despite graduation losses. This year’s schedule starts off with 3 LL-Section One teams; Hempfield, Manheim Township and Penn Manor, before going to the Mustang Corral at South Western, then home to Northeastern’s Bobcats with their impressive young quarterback.
