(All classes, 6A unless otherwise shown, Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)
1 Harrisburg (2-1)
Cedar Cliff hosted an awkward 10:30 A.M. game at West Shore Stadium last week against Harrisburg and never really woke up, losing to the Cougars 41-0. But it was a nice win for the Cougars who survived their non-conference tests in reasonable health with a 2-1 slate before getting into conference action. They had their way with the Colts, rushing for 226 yards and passing for 296. Platooning QBs John McNeil and Nacari Williams completed 13 of 17 for 184 yards and 8 of 16 for 112 respectively. Williams threw 18 and 57 yard touchdown passes to Dionte Kent (4/116p), who also had an interception. Shifty Jahmir Plant rushed for 147 yards on 15 carries. They held Colts running back Jaheim Morris to 88 yards. It was a tough game for Qb Gannon McMeans too, held to five completions on twenty attempts for 46 yards. He threw two interceptions. CD East (1-2) is next in their home opener off a road loss to Archbishop Wood (3-0. 5A, PCL-Red) 35-0. East picked up Wood when Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains) backed out after East High went there last year and lost 32-14. East’s coach Aaron Blanding remarked “We don’t duck anybody, so we wanted to find the toughest team that was still available.” It’s been tough sledding for the Panthers so far losing the opener to powerhouse Manheim Township (3-0) 43-0 then last week’s loss to Wood with a 47-9 win at winless Lower Dauphin sandwiched in between. The Panthers have some talented people in DTs Kyle Williams (6-4, 280, jr) and Logan Fleegal (6-3, 300, sr) plus DE Trey Wallace-Koons 6-5, 220, sr), just not enough of them.
2 State College (3-0)
Things turned ominous for Hollidaysburg (2-1, 5A) at the very outset against SC when Dresyn Green popped off a 73 yards run for the money on the first play from scrimmage. A 38 yard Pick-6 by William Howell soon after didn’t help. Hollidaysburg is always game (spunky bunch) but State was way too much, outgaining them 340 yards to 74 in the first half and 454 to 192 for the game. Green finished with 124 yards on five carries and three Tds, plus a reception for a score. Qb Brady Dorner completed seven of eight passes for 148 yards with Wm. Howell catching three for 78 yards. The game was played at the new South Track Field while Memorial Stadium is being renovated. Great place with fans right at the field (folding chairs) instead of the less cozy seating of Memorial Stadium. State moves on to conference action Friday against Carlisle (1-2) who is coming off a loss to downtrodden South Western (1-2) of the York-Adams, 27-14. This is the first of three roads games the Lions should win against Chambersburg, then CD East before playing Harrisburg and Central Dauphin back to back, but in State College.
3 Manheim Township (3-0)
Anymore finding significant difference between the top six teams is becoming more difficult as the season unfolds. Usually the opposite is true. Realistically, what is the difference between 5th ranked Central Dauphin who lost road games to 4th rated Wilson 21-13….and 3rd rated Manheim Township 10-7? But it’s a nice problem to have with so many powerful teams in the district playing each other. And it’s going to continue at a quickened pace with the Mid Penn-Commonwealth set for conference action between State High, Cumberland Valley, Harrisburg, Central Dauphin (phew!) and a spooky Chambersburg team. Same thing in the Lancaster Lebanon-Section One (LL-1) where conference action also begins this weekend with Wilson, Manheim Township and Warwick soon banging heads. Throw in LL-1 vs LL-2 mandated games against Cocalico and Manheim Central plus aforementioned inter and intra-conference games to see you’re essentially talking about a district wide round robin before the playoffs begin! Back to the Manheim Township-Central Dauphin game; Township came back from a 7-0 third quarter deficit to edge Central Dauphin on a 27 yard Jackson Wright field goal with 1:10 left to play, after CD had blocked two earlier attempts. This was a typical war between the Streaks and Rams defenses, with CD’s scoring on an 85 yard scoop and score with their defense holding the Streaks in check for three quarters. But Township’s senior Qb Harrison Kirk has developed into a real field general, completing 18 of 31 passes for 286 yards. He led them on a 50 yard drive in the 4th quarter with 7:35 left to tie it on a keeper, then on an eight play 72 yard drive setting up the winning field goal. With CD getting only 117 total yards (Ten 1st downs), their defense was on the field way too long. Despite holding Township to 36 yards rushing on 30 attempts, they allowed big plays and scoring drives as they faded in the 4th quarter. MT moves on to LL-1 action at home against Penn Manor (1-2) where they can name the score before a brutal schedule run through Cocalico (3-0), Wilson (3-0), Warwick (3-0) and Cedar Crest (3-0), back-to-back, with the first three being on the road! These are essentially playoff positioning games occurring on a near weekly basis throughout the district. Exciting stuff.
4 Wilson (3-0)
Wilson tore through their first three non-conference opponents with relative ease, defeating Central Dauphin 21-13, Governor Mifflin 61-14 and last week in Royersford beating Spring Ford. Excepting Central Dauphin, they are destroying teams. Spring Ford offered little resistance after falling behind 21-3 at the half then 28-10 when Wilson’s Mason Linart returned the kick-off 95 yards following a Ram score in the third quarter. Thereon they traded points in a 42-23 SF loss. With the Bulldog defense holding them to 41 yards rushing on the night, they took to the air where Ryan Engro completed 24 of 46 (52%) passes for 427 yards. But he paid for it with numerous hits and three sacks. Two drives into Wilson territory came up short with untimely miscues and penalties. Qb Kaleb Brown was far more productive for Wilson, completing 13 of 20 (65%) tosses for 162 yards and two scores, while rushing for 115 yards on 12 carries! Avanti Lockhart (6-2, 215) had 118 yards on 14 carries with sophomore Jadyn Jones getting 58 on seven carries. Although Spring Ford outgained Wilson 437 to 426, they had to go 19.00 yards for each point, while Wilson went 10.14 yards to get a single point; decent road stats for them against what has become a serious rival. The Rams are at Exeter Friday for another stiff contest while Wilson is home for Manheim Central (2-1), coming off a 37-7 loss at Warwick.
5 Central Dauphin (1-2)
The Rams hold on to the 5th spot in the rankings this week on the strength of their 10-7 last minute road loss on a field goal to a team ranked two spots higher than them. It’s been a tough early schedule for the Rams, losing the opener on the road to Wilson 21-13 when they converted two 4th downs out of punt formation (!), downed a punt at the Rams three yard line, then stopped them on a 4th and goal in the fourth quarter. Last week saw them lose on the road again against powerful Manheim Township when the Streaks kicked a 27 yards field goal with 1:10 to play. For CD, the offense just hasn’t been there, not at 17ppg. The D is always there, but can only stand up to teams like Wilson and Township so long. Wilson averages 41ppg while Township scores 36 a game. Bottom line they lost, and will have to wait for the playoffs to get another shot, likely on the road with a lower seed. Not sure what fella said these early games don’t count but he obviously wasn’t talking District-3 football or the inter conference games in Disrict-1. The light at the end of the tunnel for CD has always been their defense that held the Streaks to 36 rush yards. And who said breaking in a sophomore quarterback was easy? Max Mosey (6-1, 170) seems to be holding up, completing 32 of 55 for 360 yards at 58%, 1/0. Unfortunately, they ran into two of the best quarterbacks in this part of the state, perhaps beyond in Kaleb Brown (28/45/375/62%, 6/1 ratio, 222r) of Wilson and Harrison Kirk (40/61/516/65%, 3/2) of Township. On the plus side, they don’t play Warwick with their gunslinger Joey McCracken (48/68/715/66%, 9/1). To say the district is loaded with quality Qbs is quite an understatement. They move on to conference action Friday with another tough road assignment at Cumberland Valley, especially as they’re also coming off a loss.
6 Warwick (3-0, 5A)
Warwick passed Southern Columbia in the rankings on the strength of an overwhelming win against previously unbeaten LL-2 state power Manheim Central, 37-7. No one scored that many points on the Barons since Harrisburg in the 2016 5A District-3 final where they lost 48-20. This was a big deal for the Warriors, taking down their next down neighbor for the first win since 1983 (some breaks) to snap their 27 game regular season unbeaten streak. Qb Evan Simon was Central’s offense, completing 11 of 28 passes for 128 yards and rushing for 55 yards. Warwick’s primary weapon of quarterback Joey McCracken (6-2, 180, jr) completed 14 of 26 passes for 293 yards with three touchdown passes. Colton Miller (6-2, 205, jr) has become a real factor in the offense as their go to back, rushing for 130 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. With so many good receivers they are nearly impossible to cover. Year to date stats show Conor Adams (5-11, 170, sr) with 15 catches for 282 yards, Caleb Schmitz (6-3, 185, jr) with 13 for 245 and Justin Gerhart (5-11, 170, sr) catching 8 for 210 yards. All this behind a line averaging 242 pounds, headed by Penn State commit Nolan Rucci (6-8, 280, jr). Warwick needed a big win after opening with much weaker opposition, blasting Ephrata (2-1, 5A) 61-0 and Garden Spot (0-3, 5A) 56-18. They’ll need another good effort Friday in Landisville for the LL-1 opener against Hempfield (1-2) who is coming off a tough road loss at Central York 30-28.
7 Southern Columbia (3-0, 2A)
Gaige Garcia’s 129th and 130th touchdowns against Selinsgrove established him as PA’s all-time leader in touchdowns and points scored, breaking Dominic Bragalone’s record of South Williamsport. The win also tied the state record for consecutive regular season wins at 74! Garcia ended the game with 84 yards on eleven carries and two Tds with brother Gavin getting 100 yards on seven carries. In a game that was a gross mismatch, Southern led 42-0 at the half, rolling out 475 total yards of offense to Selinsgrove’s -32 yards, as in negative 32 yards. Preston Zachman completed 9 of 11 for 96 yards. Shamokin (2-1, 3A) is next, coached by former SCA standout Henry Hynoski. It doesn’t bode well the Indian’s lost to District-11 power North Schuylkill (2-1) 56-6 two weeks ago or that they were drubbed by Southern last year in Catawissa 48-0.
8 Cocalico (3-0, 5A)
Cocalico got a glimpse of Governor Mifflin’s potential, but just a glimpse as they went on to defeat the Mustangs 26-14 in Cocalico’s home opener. Mifflin held Cocalico’s powerful offense to 214 total yards (125r, 89p), forcing the resourceful Eagles to convert two 4th down attempts successfully that led to two scores. A kickoff return of 76 yards sealed it as Cocalico won a difficult inter-conference game between the Lancaster Lebanon-2 and the Berks League. Mifflin running back Nicholas Singleton led all runners with 105 yards on 22 carries. But their passing woes continued with Kobie Reeser completing 4 of 13 passes for 58 yards and running for 38. Cocalico’s Noah Palm completed two of nine passes for 89 yards and two touchdown passes. But the defense was stellar, remembering they graduated the entire defense last year, by holding Mifflin to 207 total yards. The win concludes a non-conference slate that proved less than challenging against Conrad Weiser (1-2), Cedar Cliff (1-2) and Governor Mifflin (0-3), despite appearance to the contrary at the top of the season. But they still went into these game against well coached, respected programs, coming out the other side at 3-0 with an average scoring margin of 37-15. The LL-2 opener is next at home against Elizabethtown (2-1), coming off a disappointing home opening loss to previously winless Conrad Weiser.
9 Middletown (3-0, 3A)
Middletown came through with a road win at Bishop McDevitt, shutting down the Crusaders by the unlikely score of 6-2. But it gave us a look at an improved Blue Raider defense that while not without issues, is a force. McDevitt was held to 42 yards rushing and 126 through the air, while Middletown dented the Crusaders for 206 on the ground and six passing. It’s McDevitt, so they had their moments but blew it with two touchdowns called back, one dropped in the end zone and five turnovers. Middletown is still using two quarterbacks, sophomore Tony Powell and junior Julio Rodriguez. Their big gun was Jose Lopez with 158 rushing yards on 32 attempts. The D stepped up with people like DEs Tymir Jackson (5-10, 220, sr), Tajae Brodie (6-4, 220, so), DT Evan Groan (6-0, 230, sr), ILB Arthur Dash and Chris Joseph playing key roles in the win. Mid Penn-Capital action begins this week with the Raiders going across the river to play Camp Hill (1-2, AA) who is coming off a 54-8 loss to West Perry (3-0, 4A) of the Mid Penn-Colonial.
10 Manheim Central (2-1, 5A)
This will be interesting seeing how Manheim Central responds to a rare loss, remembering last week’s loss snapped a 27 game regular season winning streak. Compounding that, the schedule makers did not provide an easy follow up opponent knowing it’s against one of the best Wilson teams to come along in years. Wilson’s struggling 8-4 team of last season gave them all they could handle, losing in Manheim while holding them to 186 total yards. MC’s Qb Evan Simon was held to 60 yards passing and running back Tyler Flick to 78 yards rushing. But missed opportunities, and three turnovers helped dissolve a 10-6 Bulldog halftime lead to a 20-10 road loss. The situation this week has Central coming off a 37-7 rout at Warwick (see Warwick) while Wilson has their well-oiled offense in mid-season form after three games against respectable opposition, averaging 42ppg with a supportive defense allowing 17ppg.
11 Shippensburg (3-0, 5A)
Shippensburg keeps battering people with a bevy of backs like Alex Sharrow gaining 141 yards on nine carries for two scores, FB Jacob Foy getting 108 yards on 17 carries and Max Kalb getting 62 yards on 11 attempts. Their first possession broke Bermudian Springs will with a jarring 17 play drive covering 97 yards that consumed 7:59 of the first period. Qb Zac Manning kept the defense on its heels completing six of twelve passes for 93 yards as the Greyhounds got an easy 37-12 win over the 1-2 rebuilding Eagles. Ship hasn’t had a test yet but may get it this week at Waynesboro (1-2, 5A) in the Mid Penn-Colonial opener. The Indians have enough to keep it interesting with a 14-12 loss at Red Lion (3-0) and last week’s 21-7 loss at their old rival Gettysburg (2-1, 4A) who they’ve played since 1919. They returns a huge line and veteran defense featuring senior OL/DTs Daniel Toney (6-0, 225) and Xavier Rhyne (6-0, 295) with 100 and 26 tackles from last year. Also back are Ethan Saunders (6-2, 255, sr), Brandan Trujllo (6-1, 280, jr) and Benjamin Dewease (6-5, 325), with Bolden Blades (5-8, 260), Keith Heinbaugh (6-2, 250) and Hayden Walker (6-1, 220) in the rotation. Behind them is a veteran line backing corps of Derec Urey (6-1, 190), Guy Sullivan (5-10, 195) and Carson McGegor (5-8, 175) who return 53, 90, 47 tackles respectively. Logan Smith (6-2, 185) is back at SS with 78 tackles, plus FS Hayden Baer (6-0, 170) with 112 stops and Adam Wertz (6-0, 160) at corner with 89 tackles. They feature a freshman and sophomore in the backfield who can both motor; Aiden Mencia (5-8, 180, 45/287) and the freshman Mikel Holden (5-9, 180, 48/181). Shippensburg is better but it could get interest after going into overtime last year before losing 28-20.
12 Susquehanna Twp (2-1, 4A)
The Indians got their second straight win after losing the opener 16-7 at Manheim Central by crushing outmanned Huntingdon (1-2, 3A, D6) 42-7 last week. Hanna’s larger team simply overwhelmed the smaller Bearcats, holding them to 100 total yards (61r, 39p) while rushing for 252 yards and passing for another 95. Qb Rahsaan Carlton had a touchdown pass to Ty Stewart while running backs Jacob Seigle and Stevie Graves had two rushing touchdowns each with Mickey Reuse getting another. If Hanna ever puts it all together and stays healthy, they can make a run in 4A this year, starting by winning their next five games that are winnable, before playing Cedar Cliff away and hosting McDevitt at the end. They’ve got the parts!
13 Exeter Township (2-1, 5A)
Since losing the opener at Berks Catholic with 19 penalties for 150 yards, Exeter put together impressive wins against unimpressive opponents, beating Boyertown (1-2) 37-0 and Lower Dauphin (0-3) 48-6 last week. J.R. Strauss and Wender Polanco (5-6, 150!) led all rushers with 98 and 94 yards each after lead back Jeremiah Nixon (42/234 to date) went down with a strained leg muscle. Qb Gavin McCusker (6-2, 185) completed 8 of 15 passes for 132 yards with two touchdowns. They’re doing this behind a typical Exeter O-Line featuring Robbie Unrah (6-3, 250), Jaylin Miller (6-0, 355), Brock Eisenhart (6-0, 295), Connor Powell (6-4, 265) et al. All totaled, the Exeter offense and defense were in high gear with 412 yards to Lower Dauphin’s 26. 26!....and held to one first down. Their next game is at home against Spring Ford (1-2) who will be pumped coming to Exeter after losing to Wilson 42-23 last week. They will not want to drop to 1-3. And Exeter will be just as stoked after losing at Spring Ford 33-27 in overtime last year, meaning this should be one of the most entertaining games in the mid-state.
14 Berks Catholic (1-2, 4A)
Berks Catholic maintained their 14th position since they lost to an out of state team, this being a mid-state ranking. Still, it got real bad, being mercy ruled early in the third quarter, down 38-0 in an eventual 38-7 loss. Rebuilding is rebuilding and McDonogh School (2-0) has been a Baltimore power (Owings Mills) for years. They’ve already defeated Malvern Prep this season 34-13. For BC, the schedule becomes more manageable with Boyertown (1-2) at home Friday before playing Malvern, also at home. Then comes Berks Inter County-Section 2 action where they’ll face rare competition with the possible exception of Fleetwood (3-0, 4A) and definitely rival Wyomissing (3-0, 3A), who already defeated strong teams from Pottsville and North Schuylkill.
15 Central York (2-1)
Central York and Hempfield battered each other for a half with Central holding on to a 10-7 halftime. From thereon it was pedal to the metal with Central scoring 20 second half points to Hempfield’s 21, giving Central an exciting 30-28 non-conference win in their home opener. What a great way to respond to a 13-12 loss at Cumberland Valley the week before. There were four lead changes in the second half, highlighted by Isaiah Surgis’s 25 yard sweep, Imeire Manigault’s 50 yard run for six, Qb Beau Pribula’s (6-2, 195, soph, Temple offer) seven yard scamper for another and especially Mason Myers’s 73 yard kickoff return for CY. At 5-8 145 pounds he’s super quick and hard to find. Same with Imeire Manigault at 5-8, 155 pounds. The O-Line isn’t bad either featuring Josh Gaffney (6-3, 295, jr), Logan Wright (6-5, 275, so), Lake Hinderer (6-0, 260, jr), Max Wertman (6-0, 210, sr) and I believe Logan Becker (6-2, 255, jr) and Ian McNaughton (6-1, 205, sr) at TE. Coach Josh Oswalt has them ahead of schedule looking at the youth on this team! YAIAA actions starts Friday at Red Lion who is off to a surprising 3-0 start. This one gets the Panthers full attention with Red Lion giving them their first loss of the season last year and one of their worst losses in the series, losing 56-28 at home.
16 Red Lion (3-0)
Red Lion makes their first appearance in the Top 20 after beating previously unbeaten Chambersburg 26-21. Chambersburg led 7-0 at the half before Red Lion scored 26 second half points, 20 coming in the third quarter. First year starting quarterback Nic Shultz had his best outing of the year for the Lions, completing 12 of 20 passes for 285 yards and four Td passes. They were shut down on the ground, getting only 85 yards on 33 carries but they owned the sky, where receiver Randy Fizer snagged eight passes for 192 yards and scoring strikes of 86, 29 and 25 yards. Devante Dennis caught an 80 yard Td for another score. On 4th and fourteen, Red Lion pulled off their third fake punt conversion of the game, one for 86 yards to a streaking Randy Fizer. And when they had to, the defense was there, stopping the Trojans on a critical fourth and one. Chambersburg hurt their cause with a few untimely penalties and turnovers you can’t do on the road against a worthy opponent. We’ll see what Red Lion has left after winning back-to-back struggles against Waynesboro 14-12 and Chambersburg, with Central York in Friday for the conference opener.
17 Chambersburg (2-1)
Chambersburg played their best defensive game of the season but came up short, losing at Red Lion 26-21. But they got a quality test that was needed following easy wins against Greencastle Antrim 56-13 and South Western 35-7, both 1-2. They didn’t play that bad last week in Red Lion where Keyshawn Jones ran for 122 yards on 15 carries and quarterback Brady Stumbaugh adding another 88 on 15 carries. But the air lanes were closed against a tight Lion defense that picked two passes and had a few forces, allowing Stumbaugh only 9 completions of 25 passes for 162 yards. The Trojans had too many defensive breakdowns with Red Lion converting fake punts to own the clock, while their defense made a few timely stops. Add in a fumble with the two picks and the inability to stop Red Lion’s air assault to see what they were up against.
MP-Commonwealth newcomer Altoona is next and may be what the doctor ordered knowing they struggled to beat a 1-2 Taylor Allderdice (Pitt City, Dist-8) team 33-29 last week. Altoona was in the MPC from 2004 to 2010 going 27-36 then joined the WPIAL going 24-53 before their return this year in football only.
18 Cumberland Valley (2-1)
Cumberland Valley looked like they were going to get their third win of the season at the start of last week’s game with Coatesville, scoring in their first possession on a 61 yard run by Derik Sauve. Putting points on the board that quickly stunned the CV crowd as much as it did the visiting Coatesville contingent that was substantial. But with the very special Ricky Ortega in the house, it took the Raiders one possession to knot it up when he found Artie Burgess streaking across the middle, busting a few would be tacklers then racing 69 yards to even the score. Wow, what a start! Both sides seemed pretty jacked. But before anyone could settle in the game changed dramatically when Dapree Bryant took a direct snap in punt formation on 4th and 10 at his own 32 yards line, saw openings and took it to the house, streaking 69 yards for a momentum shifting touchdown. Coach Ortega had called for a punt but the savvy Bryant saw CV defenders looking the wrong way and made a game altering decision. The atmosphere in the place changed immediately, but not the way you might expect. CV didn’t drop their heads, but you did see an obvious change on the Coatesville side of the field. Two more throws by a hobbled Ortega in the 3rd quarter to Bryant of 82 yards and Artie Burgess again of 24 yards ended the scoring for a convincing 28-7 Coatesville. Despite a compromising injury, Qb Ortega’s performance was gutsy and steady, completing 10 of 16 passes for 214 yards with three touchdown tosses. Strange how some of your better performances occur in such circumstance. Bryant was the main target with 210 total yards. Cumberland Valley’s performance was hindered by a good Red Raider pass rush, giving junior Qb Alex Kovach no time and making them even more predictable as a Wing-T team. But Dontay Rogan (6-0, 205) stepped up for the injured and missed Maximos Dell’Anno with 96 tough yards on 22 carries against an expectant defense. Tough kid! Bottom line, Coatesville was bigger, faster and stronger! They move on to play Henderson while CV opens conference play against their old nemesis Central Dauphin.
19 Bishop McDevitt (1-2, 4A)
McDevitt puts so much talent on the field that in most years they often have to beat themselves to elude victory. In part, that was the case last week vs Middletown where a defensive struggle saw the Blue Raiders eke out a 6-2 win against them. See Middletown above. Taking nothing from Middletown, who held McDevitt to 168 total yards of offense, McDevitt was their own worst enemy. First year starting quarterback Lek Powell (5-10, 175, jr) put it out there, with two touchdowns called back and another dropped. He finished with 15 completions in 30 attempts for 128 yards. No Tds, one interception. Then there were the eight penalties for 96 yards and five turnovers! That’s a lot of ground to give up especially against a team of this stature that has been to the 3A finals the last three years. McDevitt’s problem is they haven’t yet developed a running game. They’ve faced quality opposition in Cumberland Valley (2-1), Gettysburg (2-1) and now Middletown (3-0), rushing for an inadequate 178 yards….total! At 55% (41 of 74) completion rate, work is needed there as well. Throwing for 455 yards against 178 rushing is not a formula for success. Then again, it helps when your receivers catch passes and the team avoids game changing penalties. Mid Penn-Keystone action opens Friday with Red Land (2-1, 5A) in off two consecutive wins against two winless teams, East Pennsboro and Dover.
20 Hempfield (1-2)
It’s always tough looking back on a game you could (should?) have won knowing you statistically beat the other team convincingly, especially when it was at their place. That was the case last week where Hempfield lost a heartbreaker to Central York 30-28 while outgaining them 448 to 330 total yards. This one had something for everyone. Us D guys loved the 10-7 half time score with the O people loving the 41point outburst in the second half. That’s probably a compliment to both team’s diverse and capable offenses than an indictment of the defenses. Forget record, these are good teams. Qb Tanner Hess stood out, completing 9 of 13 passes for 122 yards and rushing for 152 yards on 19 carries. Senior quarterback Colin Peters contributed with three completions in four attempts. Both threw an interception. Credit Central York for a 2nd quarter pick that led to a score, then stopping the Knights on 4th down on CY’s one yard line. Yardage is impressive, but those are the plays that win games. Thinking of the adage “no rest for the weary”, LL-1 action starts Friday with undefeated Warwick coming to town. Hempfield is on a difficult run of quality teams, having already played Manheim Central (2-1) and Central York (2-1), with Warwick (3-1, 5A), Cedar Crest (3-0), Lampeter Strasburg (3-0, 4A) and Wilson (3-0) to follow.
Honorable Mention:
Lancaster Catholic (3-0, 3A) home Conestoga Valley 2-1, 5A
Cedar Crest (3-0) at McCaskey 0-3
Milton Hershey (2-1, 5A) at Boiling Springs 0-3, 4A
West Perry (3-0, 4A) at Greencastle Antrim 1-2, 4A
Northeastern (3-0, 5A) at Spring Grove 2-1, 5A
York Suburban (3-0, 4A) at Eastern York 2-1, 4A
Montoursville (3-0, 3A, Dist 4) home Warrior Run 2-1, 3A
Mount Carmel (2-1, 3A, Dist4) home Jersey Shore 2-1, 4A
Reading (3-0) home Twin Valley 1-2, 5A
Wyomissing (3-0, 3A) home Blue Mountain 3-0, 4A
Clearfield (3-0, 4A, Dist 9) home Huntingdon 1-2, 3A
1 Harrisburg (2-1)
Cedar Cliff hosted an awkward 10:30 A.M. game at West Shore Stadium last week against Harrisburg and never really woke up, losing to the Cougars 41-0. But it was a nice win for the Cougars who survived their non-conference tests in reasonable health with a 2-1 slate before getting into conference action. They had their way with the Colts, rushing for 226 yards and passing for 296. Platooning QBs John McNeil and Nacari Williams completed 13 of 17 for 184 yards and 8 of 16 for 112 respectively. Williams threw 18 and 57 yard touchdown passes to Dionte Kent (4/116p), who also had an interception. Shifty Jahmir Plant rushed for 147 yards on 15 carries. They held Colts running back Jaheim Morris to 88 yards. It was a tough game for Qb Gannon McMeans too, held to five completions on twenty attempts for 46 yards. He threw two interceptions. CD East (1-2) is next in their home opener off a road loss to Archbishop Wood (3-0. 5A, PCL-Red) 35-0. East picked up Wood when Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains) backed out after East High went there last year and lost 32-14. East’s coach Aaron Blanding remarked “We don’t duck anybody, so we wanted to find the toughest team that was still available.” It’s been tough sledding for the Panthers so far losing the opener to powerhouse Manheim Township (3-0) 43-0 then last week’s loss to Wood with a 47-9 win at winless Lower Dauphin sandwiched in between. The Panthers have some talented people in DTs Kyle Williams (6-4, 280, jr) and Logan Fleegal (6-3, 300, sr) plus DE Trey Wallace-Koons 6-5, 220, sr), just not enough of them.
2 State College (3-0)
Things turned ominous for Hollidaysburg (2-1, 5A) at the very outset against SC when Dresyn Green popped off a 73 yards run for the money on the first play from scrimmage. A 38 yard Pick-6 by William Howell soon after didn’t help. Hollidaysburg is always game (spunky bunch) but State was way too much, outgaining them 340 yards to 74 in the first half and 454 to 192 for the game. Green finished with 124 yards on five carries and three Tds, plus a reception for a score. Qb Brady Dorner completed seven of eight passes for 148 yards with Wm. Howell catching three for 78 yards. The game was played at the new South Track Field while Memorial Stadium is being renovated. Great place with fans right at the field (folding chairs) instead of the less cozy seating of Memorial Stadium. State moves on to conference action Friday against Carlisle (1-2) who is coming off a loss to downtrodden South Western (1-2) of the York-Adams, 27-14. This is the first of three roads games the Lions should win against Chambersburg, then CD East before playing Harrisburg and Central Dauphin back to back, but in State College.
3 Manheim Township (3-0)
Anymore finding significant difference between the top six teams is becoming more difficult as the season unfolds. Usually the opposite is true. Realistically, what is the difference between 5th ranked Central Dauphin who lost road games to 4th rated Wilson 21-13….and 3rd rated Manheim Township 10-7? But it’s a nice problem to have with so many powerful teams in the district playing each other. And it’s going to continue at a quickened pace with the Mid Penn-Commonwealth set for conference action between State High, Cumberland Valley, Harrisburg, Central Dauphin (phew!) and a spooky Chambersburg team. Same thing in the Lancaster Lebanon-Section One (LL-1) where conference action also begins this weekend with Wilson, Manheim Township and Warwick soon banging heads. Throw in LL-1 vs LL-2 mandated games against Cocalico and Manheim Central plus aforementioned inter and intra-conference games to see you’re essentially talking about a district wide round robin before the playoffs begin! Back to the Manheim Township-Central Dauphin game; Township came back from a 7-0 third quarter deficit to edge Central Dauphin on a 27 yard Jackson Wright field goal with 1:10 left to play, after CD had blocked two earlier attempts. This was a typical war between the Streaks and Rams defenses, with CD’s scoring on an 85 yard scoop and score with their defense holding the Streaks in check for three quarters. But Township’s senior Qb Harrison Kirk has developed into a real field general, completing 18 of 31 passes for 286 yards. He led them on a 50 yard drive in the 4th quarter with 7:35 left to tie it on a keeper, then on an eight play 72 yard drive setting up the winning field goal. With CD getting only 117 total yards (Ten 1st downs), their defense was on the field way too long. Despite holding Township to 36 yards rushing on 30 attempts, they allowed big plays and scoring drives as they faded in the 4th quarter. MT moves on to LL-1 action at home against Penn Manor (1-2) where they can name the score before a brutal schedule run through Cocalico (3-0), Wilson (3-0), Warwick (3-0) and Cedar Crest (3-0), back-to-back, with the first three being on the road! These are essentially playoff positioning games occurring on a near weekly basis throughout the district. Exciting stuff.
4 Wilson (3-0)
Wilson tore through their first three non-conference opponents with relative ease, defeating Central Dauphin 21-13, Governor Mifflin 61-14 and last week in Royersford beating Spring Ford. Excepting Central Dauphin, they are destroying teams. Spring Ford offered little resistance after falling behind 21-3 at the half then 28-10 when Wilson’s Mason Linart returned the kick-off 95 yards following a Ram score in the third quarter. Thereon they traded points in a 42-23 SF loss. With the Bulldog defense holding them to 41 yards rushing on the night, they took to the air where Ryan Engro completed 24 of 46 (52%) passes for 427 yards. But he paid for it with numerous hits and three sacks. Two drives into Wilson territory came up short with untimely miscues and penalties. Qb Kaleb Brown was far more productive for Wilson, completing 13 of 20 (65%) tosses for 162 yards and two scores, while rushing for 115 yards on 12 carries! Avanti Lockhart (6-2, 215) had 118 yards on 14 carries with sophomore Jadyn Jones getting 58 on seven carries. Although Spring Ford outgained Wilson 437 to 426, they had to go 19.00 yards for each point, while Wilson went 10.14 yards to get a single point; decent road stats for them against what has become a serious rival. The Rams are at Exeter Friday for another stiff contest while Wilson is home for Manheim Central (2-1), coming off a 37-7 loss at Warwick.
5 Central Dauphin (1-2)
The Rams hold on to the 5th spot in the rankings this week on the strength of their 10-7 last minute road loss on a field goal to a team ranked two spots higher than them. It’s been a tough early schedule for the Rams, losing the opener on the road to Wilson 21-13 when they converted two 4th downs out of punt formation (!), downed a punt at the Rams three yard line, then stopped them on a 4th and goal in the fourth quarter. Last week saw them lose on the road again against powerful Manheim Township when the Streaks kicked a 27 yards field goal with 1:10 to play. For CD, the offense just hasn’t been there, not at 17ppg. The D is always there, but can only stand up to teams like Wilson and Township so long. Wilson averages 41ppg while Township scores 36 a game. Bottom line they lost, and will have to wait for the playoffs to get another shot, likely on the road with a lower seed. Not sure what fella said these early games don’t count but he obviously wasn’t talking District-3 football or the inter conference games in Disrict-1. The light at the end of the tunnel for CD has always been their defense that held the Streaks to 36 rush yards. And who said breaking in a sophomore quarterback was easy? Max Mosey (6-1, 170) seems to be holding up, completing 32 of 55 for 360 yards at 58%, 1/0. Unfortunately, they ran into two of the best quarterbacks in this part of the state, perhaps beyond in Kaleb Brown (28/45/375/62%, 6/1 ratio, 222r) of Wilson and Harrison Kirk (40/61/516/65%, 3/2) of Township. On the plus side, they don’t play Warwick with their gunslinger Joey McCracken (48/68/715/66%, 9/1). To say the district is loaded with quality Qbs is quite an understatement. They move on to conference action Friday with another tough road assignment at Cumberland Valley, especially as they’re also coming off a loss.
6 Warwick (3-0, 5A)
Warwick passed Southern Columbia in the rankings on the strength of an overwhelming win against previously unbeaten LL-2 state power Manheim Central, 37-7. No one scored that many points on the Barons since Harrisburg in the 2016 5A District-3 final where they lost 48-20. This was a big deal for the Warriors, taking down their next down neighbor for the first win since 1983 (some breaks) to snap their 27 game regular season unbeaten streak. Qb Evan Simon was Central’s offense, completing 11 of 28 passes for 128 yards and rushing for 55 yards. Warwick’s primary weapon of quarterback Joey McCracken (6-2, 180, jr) completed 14 of 26 passes for 293 yards with three touchdown passes. Colton Miller (6-2, 205, jr) has become a real factor in the offense as their go to back, rushing for 130 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown. With so many good receivers they are nearly impossible to cover. Year to date stats show Conor Adams (5-11, 170, sr) with 15 catches for 282 yards, Caleb Schmitz (6-3, 185, jr) with 13 for 245 and Justin Gerhart (5-11, 170, sr) catching 8 for 210 yards. All this behind a line averaging 242 pounds, headed by Penn State commit Nolan Rucci (6-8, 280, jr). Warwick needed a big win after opening with much weaker opposition, blasting Ephrata (2-1, 5A) 61-0 and Garden Spot (0-3, 5A) 56-18. They’ll need another good effort Friday in Landisville for the LL-1 opener against Hempfield (1-2) who is coming off a tough road loss at Central York 30-28.
7 Southern Columbia (3-0, 2A)
Gaige Garcia’s 129th and 130th touchdowns against Selinsgrove established him as PA’s all-time leader in touchdowns and points scored, breaking Dominic Bragalone’s record of South Williamsport. The win also tied the state record for consecutive regular season wins at 74! Garcia ended the game with 84 yards on eleven carries and two Tds with brother Gavin getting 100 yards on seven carries. In a game that was a gross mismatch, Southern led 42-0 at the half, rolling out 475 total yards of offense to Selinsgrove’s -32 yards, as in negative 32 yards. Preston Zachman completed 9 of 11 for 96 yards. Shamokin (2-1, 3A) is next, coached by former SCA standout Henry Hynoski. It doesn’t bode well the Indian’s lost to District-11 power North Schuylkill (2-1) 56-6 two weeks ago or that they were drubbed by Southern last year in Catawissa 48-0.
8 Cocalico (3-0, 5A)
Cocalico got a glimpse of Governor Mifflin’s potential, but just a glimpse as they went on to defeat the Mustangs 26-14 in Cocalico’s home opener. Mifflin held Cocalico’s powerful offense to 214 total yards (125r, 89p), forcing the resourceful Eagles to convert two 4th down attempts successfully that led to two scores. A kickoff return of 76 yards sealed it as Cocalico won a difficult inter-conference game between the Lancaster Lebanon-2 and the Berks League. Mifflin running back Nicholas Singleton led all runners with 105 yards on 22 carries. But their passing woes continued with Kobie Reeser completing 4 of 13 passes for 58 yards and running for 38. Cocalico’s Noah Palm completed two of nine passes for 89 yards and two touchdown passes. But the defense was stellar, remembering they graduated the entire defense last year, by holding Mifflin to 207 total yards. The win concludes a non-conference slate that proved less than challenging against Conrad Weiser (1-2), Cedar Cliff (1-2) and Governor Mifflin (0-3), despite appearance to the contrary at the top of the season. But they still went into these game against well coached, respected programs, coming out the other side at 3-0 with an average scoring margin of 37-15. The LL-2 opener is next at home against Elizabethtown (2-1), coming off a disappointing home opening loss to previously winless Conrad Weiser.
9 Middletown (3-0, 3A)
Middletown came through with a road win at Bishop McDevitt, shutting down the Crusaders by the unlikely score of 6-2. But it gave us a look at an improved Blue Raider defense that while not without issues, is a force. McDevitt was held to 42 yards rushing and 126 through the air, while Middletown dented the Crusaders for 206 on the ground and six passing. It’s McDevitt, so they had their moments but blew it with two touchdowns called back, one dropped in the end zone and five turnovers. Middletown is still using two quarterbacks, sophomore Tony Powell and junior Julio Rodriguez. Their big gun was Jose Lopez with 158 rushing yards on 32 attempts. The D stepped up with people like DEs Tymir Jackson (5-10, 220, sr), Tajae Brodie (6-4, 220, so), DT Evan Groan (6-0, 230, sr), ILB Arthur Dash and Chris Joseph playing key roles in the win. Mid Penn-Capital action begins this week with the Raiders going across the river to play Camp Hill (1-2, AA) who is coming off a 54-8 loss to West Perry (3-0, 4A) of the Mid Penn-Colonial.
10 Manheim Central (2-1, 5A)
This will be interesting seeing how Manheim Central responds to a rare loss, remembering last week’s loss snapped a 27 game regular season winning streak. Compounding that, the schedule makers did not provide an easy follow up opponent knowing it’s against one of the best Wilson teams to come along in years. Wilson’s struggling 8-4 team of last season gave them all they could handle, losing in Manheim while holding them to 186 total yards. MC’s Qb Evan Simon was held to 60 yards passing and running back Tyler Flick to 78 yards rushing. But missed opportunities, and three turnovers helped dissolve a 10-6 Bulldog halftime lead to a 20-10 road loss. The situation this week has Central coming off a 37-7 rout at Warwick (see Warwick) while Wilson has their well-oiled offense in mid-season form after three games against respectable opposition, averaging 42ppg with a supportive defense allowing 17ppg.
11 Shippensburg (3-0, 5A)
Shippensburg keeps battering people with a bevy of backs like Alex Sharrow gaining 141 yards on nine carries for two scores, FB Jacob Foy getting 108 yards on 17 carries and Max Kalb getting 62 yards on 11 attempts. Their first possession broke Bermudian Springs will with a jarring 17 play drive covering 97 yards that consumed 7:59 of the first period. Qb Zac Manning kept the defense on its heels completing six of twelve passes for 93 yards as the Greyhounds got an easy 37-12 win over the 1-2 rebuilding Eagles. Ship hasn’t had a test yet but may get it this week at Waynesboro (1-2, 5A) in the Mid Penn-Colonial opener. The Indians have enough to keep it interesting with a 14-12 loss at Red Lion (3-0) and last week’s 21-7 loss at their old rival Gettysburg (2-1, 4A) who they’ve played since 1919. They returns a huge line and veteran defense featuring senior OL/DTs Daniel Toney (6-0, 225) and Xavier Rhyne (6-0, 295) with 100 and 26 tackles from last year. Also back are Ethan Saunders (6-2, 255, sr), Brandan Trujllo (6-1, 280, jr) and Benjamin Dewease (6-5, 325), with Bolden Blades (5-8, 260), Keith Heinbaugh (6-2, 250) and Hayden Walker (6-1, 220) in the rotation. Behind them is a veteran line backing corps of Derec Urey (6-1, 190), Guy Sullivan (5-10, 195) and Carson McGegor (5-8, 175) who return 53, 90, 47 tackles respectively. Logan Smith (6-2, 185) is back at SS with 78 tackles, plus FS Hayden Baer (6-0, 170) with 112 stops and Adam Wertz (6-0, 160) at corner with 89 tackles. They feature a freshman and sophomore in the backfield who can both motor; Aiden Mencia (5-8, 180, 45/287) and the freshman Mikel Holden (5-9, 180, 48/181). Shippensburg is better but it could get interest after going into overtime last year before losing 28-20.
12 Susquehanna Twp (2-1, 4A)
The Indians got their second straight win after losing the opener 16-7 at Manheim Central by crushing outmanned Huntingdon (1-2, 3A, D6) 42-7 last week. Hanna’s larger team simply overwhelmed the smaller Bearcats, holding them to 100 total yards (61r, 39p) while rushing for 252 yards and passing for another 95. Qb Rahsaan Carlton had a touchdown pass to Ty Stewart while running backs Jacob Seigle and Stevie Graves had two rushing touchdowns each with Mickey Reuse getting another. If Hanna ever puts it all together and stays healthy, they can make a run in 4A this year, starting by winning their next five games that are winnable, before playing Cedar Cliff away and hosting McDevitt at the end. They’ve got the parts!
13 Exeter Township (2-1, 5A)
Since losing the opener at Berks Catholic with 19 penalties for 150 yards, Exeter put together impressive wins against unimpressive opponents, beating Boyertown (1-2) 37-0 and Lower Dauphin (0-3) 48-6 last week. J.R. Strauss and Wender Polanco (5-6, 150!) led all rushers with 98 and 94 yards each after lead back Jeremiah Nixon (42/234 to date) went down with a strained leg muscle. Qb Gavin McCusker (6-2, 185) completed 8 of 15 passes for 132 yards with two touchdowns. They’re doing this behind a typical Exeter O-Line featuring Robbie Unrah (6-3, 250), Jaylin Miller (6-0, 355), Brock Eisenhart (6-0, 295), Connor Powell (6-4, 265) et al. All totaled, the Exeter offense and defense were in high gear with 412 yards to Lower Dauphin’s 26. 26!....and held to one first down. Their next game is at home against Spring Ford (1-2) who will be pumped coming to Exeter after losing to Wilson 42-23 last week. They will not want to drop to 1-3. And Exeter will be just as stoked after losing at Spring Ford 33-27 in overtime last year, meaning this should be one of the most entertaining games in the mid-state.
14 Berks Catholic (1-2, 4A)
Berks Catholic maintained their 14th position since they lost to an out of state team, this being a mid-state ranking. Still, it got real bad, being mercy ruled early in the third quarter, down 38-0 in an eventual 38-7 loss. Rebuilding is rebuilding and McDonogh School (2-0) has been a Baltimore power (Owings Mills) for years. They’ve already defeated Malvern Prep this season 34-13. For BC, the schedule becomes more manageable with Boyertown (1-2) at home Friday before playing Malvern, also at home. Then comes Berks Inter County-Section 2 action where they’ll face rare competition with the possible exception of Fleetwood (3-0, 4A) and definitely rival Wyomissing (3-0, 3A), who already defeated strong teams from Pottsville and North Schuylkill.
15 Central York (2-1)
Central York and Hempfield battered each other for a half with Central holding on to a 10-7 halftime. From thereon it was pedal to the metal with Central scoring 20 second half points to Hempfield’s 21, giving Central an exciting 30-28 non-conference win in their home opener. What a great way to respond to a 13-12 loss at Cumberland Valley the week before. There were four lead changes in the second half, highlighted by Isaiah Surgis’s 25 yard sweep, Imeire Manigault’s 50 yard run for six, Qb Beau Pribula’s (6-2, 195, soph, Temple offer) seven yard scamper for another and especially Mason Myers’s 73 yard kickoff return for CY. At 5-8 145 pounds he’s super quick and hard to find. Same with Imeire Manigault at 5-8, 155 pounds. The O-Line isn’t bad either featuring Josh Gaffney (6-3, 295, jr), Logan Wright (6-5, 275, so), Lake Hinderer (6-0, 260, jr), Max Wertman (6-0, 210, sr) and I believe Logan Becker (6-2, 255, jr) and Ian McNaughton (6-1, 205, sr) at TE. Coach Josh Oswalt has them ahead of schedule looking at the youth on this team! YAIAA actions starts Friday at Red Lion who is off to a surprising 3-0 start. This one gets the Panthers full attention with Red Lion giving them their first loss of the season last year and one of their worst losses in the series, losing 56-28 at home.
16 Red Lion (3-0)
Red Lion makes their first appearance in the Top 20 after beating previously unbeaten Chambersburg 26-21. Chambersburg led 7-0 at the half before Red Lion scored 26 second half points, 20 coming in the third quarter. First year starting quarterback Nic Shultz had his best outing of the year for the Lions, completing 12 of 20 passes for 285 yards and four Td passes. They were shut down on the ground, getting only 85 yards on 33 carries but they owned the sky, where receiver Randy Fizer snagged eight passes for 192 yards and scoring strikes of 86, 29 and 25 yards. Devante Dennis caught an 80 yard Td for another score. On 4th and fourteen, Red Lion pulled off their third fake punt conversion of the game, one for 86 yards to a streaking Randy Fizer. And when they had to, the defense was there, stopping the Trojans on a critical fourth and one. Chambersburg hurt their cause with a few untimely penalties and turnovers you can’t do on the road against a worthy opponent. We’ll see what Red Lion has left after winning back-to-back struggles against Waynesboro 14-12 and Chambersburg, with Central York in Friday for the conference opener.
17 Chambersburg (2-1)
Chambersburg played their best defensive game of the season but came up short, losing at Red Lion 26-21. But they got a quality test that was needed following easy wins against Greencastle Antrim 56-13 and South Western 35-7, both 1-2. They didn’t play that bad last week in Red Lion where Keyshawn Jones ran for 122 yards on 15 carries and quarterback Brady Stumbaugh adding another 88 on 15 carries. But the air lanes were closed against a tight Lion defense that picked two passes and had a few forces, allowing Stumbaugh only 9 completions of 25 passes for 162 yards. The Trojans had too many defensive breakdowns with Red Lion converting fake punts to own the clock, while their defense made a few timely stops. Add in a fumble with the two picks and the inability to stop Red Lion’s air assault to see what they were up against.
MP-Commonwealth newcomer Altoona is next and may be what the doctor ordered knowing they struggled to beat a 1-2 Taylor Allderdice (Pitt City, Dist-8) team 33-29 last week. Altoona was in the MPC from 2004 to 2010 going 27-36 then joined the WPIAL going 24-53 before their return this year in football only.
18 Cumberland Valley (2-1)
Cumberland Valley looked like they were going to get their third win of the season at the start of last week’s game with Coatesville, scoring in their first possession on a 61 yard run by Derik Sauve. Putting points on the board that quickly stunned the CV crowd as much as it did the visiting Coatesville contingent that was substantial. But with the very special Ricky Ortega in the house, it took the Raiders one possession to knot it up when he found Artie Burgess streaking across the middle, busting a few would be tacklers then racing 69 yards to even the score. Wow, what a start! Both sides seemed pretty jacked. But before anyone could settle in the game changed dramatically when Dapree Bryant took a direct snap in punt formation on 4th and 10 at his own 32 yards line, saw openings and took it to the house, streaking 69 yards for a momentum shifting touchdown. Coach Ortega had called for a punt but the savvy Bryant saw CV defenders looking the wrong way and made a game altering decision. The atmosphere in the place changed immediately, but not the way you might expect. CV didn’t drop their heads, but you did see an obvious change on the Coatesville side of the field. Two more throws by a hobbled Ortega in the 3rd quarter to Bryant of 82 yards and Artie Burgess again of 24 yards ended the scoring for a convincing 28-7 Coatesville. Despite a compromising injury, Qb Ortega’s performance was gutsy and steady, completing 10 of 16 passes for 214 yards with three touchdown tosses. Strange how some of your better performances occur in such circumstance. Bryant was the main target with 210 total yards. Cumberland Valley’s performance was hindered by a good Red Raider pass rush, giving junior Qb Alex Kovach no time and making them even more predictable as a Wing-T team. But Dontay Rogan (6-0, 205) stepped up for the injured and missed Maximos Dell’Anno with 96 tough yards on 22 carries against an expectant defense. Tough kid! Bottom line, Coatesville was bigger, faster and stronger! They move on to play Henderson while CV opens conference play against their old nemesis Central Dauphin.
19 Bishop McDevitt (1-2, 4A)
McDevitt puts so much talent on the field that in most years they often have to beat themselves to elude victory. In part, that was the case last week vs Middletown where a defensive struggle saw the Blue Raiders eke out a 6-2 win against them. See Middletown above. Taking nothing from Middletown, who held McDevitt to 168 total yards of offense, McDevitt was their own worst enemy. First year starting quarterback Lek Powell (5-10, 175, jr) put it out there, with two touchdowns called back and another dropped. He finished with 15 completions in 30 attempts for 128 yards. No Tds, one interception. Then there were the eight penalties for 96 yards and five turnovers! That’s a lot of ground to give up especially against a team of this stature that has been to the 3A finals the last three years. McDevitt’s problem is they haven’t yet developed a running game. They’ve faced quality opposition in Cumberland Valley (2-1), Gettysburg (2-1) and now Middletown (3-0), rushing for an inadequate 178 yards….total! At 55% (41 of 74) completion rate, work is needed there as well. Throwing for 455 yards against 178 rushing is not a formula for success. Then again, it helps when your receivers catch passes and the team avoids game changing penalties. Mid Penn-Keystone action opens Friday with Red Land (2-1, 5A) in off two consecutive wins against two winless teams, East Pennsboro and Dover.
20 Hempfield (1-2)
It’s always tough looking back on a game you could (should?) have won knowing you statistically beat the other team convincingly, especially when it was at their place. That was the case last week where Hempfield lost a heartbreaker to Central York 30-28 while outgaining them 448 to 330 total yards. This one had something for everyone. Us D guys loved the 10-7 half time score with the O people loving the 41point outburst in the second half. That’s probably a compliment to both team’s diverse and capable offenses than an indictment of the defenses. Forget record, these are good teams. Qb Tanner Hess stood out, completing 9 of 13 passes for 122 yards and rushing for 152 yards on 19 carries. Senior quarterback Colin Peters contributed with three completions in four attempts. Both threw an interception. Credit Central York for a 2nd quarter pick that led to a score, then stopping the Knights on 4th down on CY’s one yard line. Yardage is impressive, but those are the plays that win games. Thinking of the adage “no rest for the weary”, LL-1 action starts Friday with undefeated Warwick coming to town. Hempfield is on a difficult run of quality teams, having already played Manheim Central (2-1) and Central York (2-1), with Warwick (3-1, 5A), Cedar Crest (3-0), Lampeter Strasburg (3-0, 4A) and Wilson (3-0) to follow.
Honorable Mention:
Lancaster Catholic (3-0, 3A) home Conestoga Valley 2-1, 5A
Cedar Crest (3-0) at McCaskey 0-3
Milton Hershey (2-1, 5A) at Boiling Springs 0-3, 4A
West Perry (3-0, 4A) at Greencastle Antrim 1-2, 4A
Northeastern (3-0, 5A) at Spring Grove 2-1, 5A
York Suburban (3-0, 4A) at Eastern York 2-1, 4A
Montoursville (3-0, 3A, Dist 4) home Warrior Run 2-1, 3A
Mount Carmel (2-1, 3A, Dist4) home Jersey Shore 2-1, 4A
Reading (3-0) home Twin Valley 1-2, 5A
Wyomissing (3-0, 3A) home Blue Mountain 3-0, 4A
Clearfield (3-0, 4A, Dist 9) home Huntingdon 1-2, 3A
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