(All classes are 6A and District 3 teams unless otherwise shown; Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 9)
1 Manheim Township (8-0)
State College’s 21 point loss at home to Central Dauphin paved the way for Manheim Township’s move to the top spot in the Mid-State rankings, aided by their 62-0 dismantling of Cedar Crest (6-2). This was their first shutout of the season where they’ve allowed just 55 points. The schedule hasn’t been a cakewalk either with quality wins against Central Dauphin (6-2) 10-7, Wilson (7-1) 30-14, Warwick (6-2) and now Cedar Crest. That’s quite a listing knowing CD defeated Harrisburg and State College, Wilson defeated Central Dauphin, Manheim Central, Warwick and Spring Ford, while Warwick handled Manheim Central 37-7 before last week’s 14-7 loss at Wilson. About last week, the Blue Streaks put on a show, dominating all aspects of the game with a 21-0 first quarter followed by a 24-0 second quarter. Cedar Crest has a nice team but showed they weren’t ready for this level of competition. Their 34-14 loss the week before at Warwick demonstrated as much. The Blue Streaks defense put on another clinic, holding the Falcons to 63 yards of offense with 4 interceptions, one a Pick-6 by Jon Engel of 51 yards before the half. Backups played much of the second half with eight running backs accounting for 248 yards. Harrison Kirk completed 4 of 6 passes for 80 yards and a score. He was their leading rusher with 58 yards and another touchdown. They move on to play winless McCaskey (0-8), then close at home against rival Hempfield, where they’ll end the regular season undefeated. Barring a total collapse, they’ll enter the District-3 playoffs with the top seed where they’ll encounter formidable opposition from Wilson, Harrisburg, Central Dauphin, Chambersburg and Central York.
2 Central Dauphin (6-2)
Central Dauphin has been on a roll since losing at Manheim Township 10-7 six weeks ago, winning their last five games by an average score of 37-10. Impressive stuff knowing this included road wins at Harrisburg 15-14 three weeks ago and last week at State College 34-13. Last week’s win stood out, with their well-regarded defense winning the game. It was another typical Mid Penn defensive slugfest, between the two best teams in the conference. The score was 13-13 well into the 4th quarter when a CD blitz sacked-stripped Qb Brady Dorner in his end zone with defensive end Jackson Talbott (6-3, 225, sr) falling on it with under seven minutes left in the game. On their next possession, Dorner was again feeling pressure at his 36 yard line, lofting an errant throw Malachi Bowman got under, returning it 48 yards for a 27-13 lead. These two scores happened in a span of two and a half minutes! A subsequent pick deep in Lion territory set up the final touchdown by Timmy Smith with just under two minutes to seal the win. Talk about a wild finish! 28 unanswered points in the final seven minutes saw Central Dauphin get 2 sacks, 3 picks, a fumble and a blocked extra point. Strange saying…. ‘the defense blew this one wide open’. Like Harrisburg two week before, State College marched up and down the field piling up yards (230 rushing, 188 passing) but not points. CD had 233 total yards. Harrisburg did the same thing, outgaining the Rams 397 yards to 189. It’s no secret Central Dauphin’s active and relentless defense covers shortcomings of the offense. But at 30ppg average, it’d be a mistake calling it pedestrian, despite taking a back seat to defense. Coach McNamee never hid the fact the best athletes go to defense. Harrisburg’s team scoring efficiency was poor at 28.35 yards per point. SC’s was worse at 32.15 yards to get a single point. The Rams were a cool 6.85yyp. The win puts them in sole possession of first place with a very good Chambersburg (5-3) team up next coming off their close call 27-25 loss to Harrisburg.
3 State College (7-1, D6)
State College’s undefeated season came to a sudden conclusion last week losing a key conference game to Central Dauphin 34-13. The loss drops them into second place at 4-1 a game behind CD at 5-0 with two games left. The record books would likely show this to be one of the very few occasions where State lost a game, especially at home, after piling up 418 yards of offense to the other team’s 233 yards. Rarer still is an SC defense allowing a visitor to put up 28 unanswered fourth quarter points while blowing a 13-7 lead. But they looked good with sophomore Dresyn Green gaining 110 yards and Isaiah Edwards having a strong game with 155 total yards. Unfortunately, Brady Dorner had a rough game, completing 15 of 25 passes for 180 yards with 3 interceptions. He was also the victim of a hard hit and strip by Shamar Joppy that was recovered by Jackson Talbott to launch Central Dauphin’s fourth quarter explosion. Altoona (1-7) is next before closing out at home against Cumberland Valley.
4 Wilson (7-1)
Wilson got their revenge last week defeating Warwick 14-7 to erase the memory of last year’s 38-12 pounding at Warwick. After securing a somewhat safe looking 14-0 lead at the half that dwindled to 14-7 at the end of the third quarter, Wilson withstood a Warwick charge, making a goal line stand where LB Anthony Koper (5-11, 235, sr) stuffed Colton Miller (6-2, 205, jr) at the 2 yard line (3rd and goal), throwing him back as time expired. The Bulldogs contained Miller throughout the game, holding him to 60 yards on 20 carries. Joey McCracken was also checked, completing 13 of 26 passes for 128 yards. He was intercepted once. Mason Lenart was almost unstoppable (too quick), rushing for 129 yards on 7 carries. FB/LB Avanti Lockhart kept the chains moving on 16 carries for 47 hard yards. Versatile Qb Kaleb Brown did damage rushing for 72 yards while keeping Warwick on their heels with 8 completions for 62 yards. He survived 2 picks, the last being turned away with the goal line stand. The win was Coach Doug Dahm’s 152nd at Wilson, putting him at the top of the heap ahead of the legendary John Gurski, for whom the stadium is named. They move on to play Cedar Crest (6-2) then McCaskey before entering the postseason with the 2 seed behind Township as things stand now.
5 Harrisburg (5-3)
Harrisburg recovered from a 14-0 first quarter deficit against vastly improved Chambersburg with a 27-0 second quarter allowing them to get past the Trojans, 27-25. What a nightmare for Chambersburg, wilting against an explosive Cougar rally. They simply couldn’t handle John McNeil who threw for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kamere Day caught 3 passes for 120 yards, two going for 29 and 80 yard scores with a now healthy Donte Kent scoring on a 64 yard touchdown. The win ended the two game losing streak to Central Dauphin and State College where they were held to 14 and 6 points respectively. They’ve had trouble being consistent this year, finding anything approaching a rhythm with teams like Coatesville, Archbishop Hoban, CD and State College on the docket. Who wouldn’t, especially on a team trying to replace quarterback Kane Everson’s 2734 pass yards and 1008 rush yards. Andre White (6-3, 255) will always be a hole at linebacker tho he will likely help Jimbo Fisher turn things around at Texas A&M. So they’ll take that 27 point second quarter outburst, their only scoring of the game even if it did all come in a single period. Qb McNeil completing 11 of 15 gets your attention with a ground game that finally got something going at 116 yards. Carlisle is next at 2-6 followed by Altoona at 1-7 where Harrisburg should breeze, getting healthy and rested for what promises to be a competitive postseason.
6 Southern Columbia (8-0, 2A, D4)
Southern Columbia won their 79th consecutive regular season game and 40th in a row overall with a 42-0 win against Wyoming Area (7-1). The Warriors where completely throttled, held to 46 yards rushing and 96 passing. Qb Dominic DeLuca was intercepted 6 times. It was SCA’s sixth shutout of the season. The offense had another big day, rushing for 274 yards (9.7ypc), led by the Garcia brothers; Gavin with 108 yards and Gaige with 72. Preston Zachman balanced things out completing 6 of 12 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown toss. He contributed as a stand out in the secondary with a Pick 6 in the third quarter. Up next is Montoursville (8-0, 3A), another Triple-A like Wyoming with a stronger history of success going 59-27 (69%) the last 7 years and 75-43 (64%) the last 10 against a similar schedule. They don’t appear to be any more of a threat than WA, but must be a prideful bunch with their tradition and the continued success of this year.
7 Warwick (6-2, 5A)
Warwick made a second half push against Wilson (see above) that fell short with a goal line stand by Wilson at the end of the game. The stand followed an interception thrown by Qb Kaleb Brown, his second of the night. Although the score was close at 14-7, Wilson did a number on Qb Joey McCracken, pressuring him throughout the game and limiting him to 126 yards passing and one touchdown. Where they iced it was taking Colton Miller out of the game, holding him to 60 yards on 20 carries and Warwick to 104 yards on 33 carries Miller came into the game averaging 92 yards a game (111/641) with 15 touchdowns averaging 5.7ypc after becoming their go to guy week three. Conversely, Warwick couldn’t slow Wilson’s running game (Mason Linart and Avanti Lockhart) that gained 248 yards. It was still a solid Warwick effort helped in part by Wilson turnovers. They currently hold the 6 seed, traveling to Conestoga Valley (2-6. 5A, LL-2) who is dangerous despite the record averaging 33ppg their last six, including 41 against Cocalico and 27 against Manheim Central.
8 Central York (7-1)
The Panthers won their sixth straight game since the 13-12 loss at Cumberland Valley six weeks ago, defeating Northeastern (6-2) 57-7. It was over at the half with Central up 43-0. Beau Pribula seems fully recovered from a shoulder injury after completing 10 of 13 passes for 190 yards and throwing 2 touchdown passes. He rushed for 60 yards and another score. Running backs Isiah Sturgis added 88 yards with Jahmar Simpson contributing 64 yards and 2 touchdowns. At 432 total yards, the offense is coming together, attempting to replace the production of senior quarterback Cade Pribula (2863 yards, 63%, 32/11 ratio) and others. The defense contributed with a 23 yard Pick-6, a 58 yard punt return and a 25 yard scoop and score, while holding the Bobcats to 172 total yards. Central moves on to play Dallastown (2-6) before deciding the York-Adams-1 championship at home against York High (6-2) where both are deadlocked at 5-0.
9 Chambersburg (5-3)
Two scores by Keyshawn Jones and a 14-0 lead weren’t enough at Harrisburg where the Chambersburg suffered a disappointing 27-25 loss. The Cougar’s defense was in lockdown mode most of the game, holding Jones to 64 yards rushing and Tyler Luther to 66 yards on 6 catches. Defensive lapses lost this one leaving Kamere Day totally uncovered for an 88 yard touchdown with no one within 20 yards of him, then a 29 yard strike catching him alone in the end zone for another score. Chambersburg battled back with Qb Brady Stumbaugh punching one in from the 1 yard line and Tyler Luther hitting a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Take away the busted coverage and it’s a whole new game. A road game is next at Landis field against Central Dauphin where a Friday night crowd will be boisterous, welcoming the Rams back from the big win at State College last week.
10 Manheim Central (6-2, 5A)
Manheim Central got off to an exciting start against Conestoga Valley when Owen Pappas returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for the score, followed by quarterback Evan Simon rushing for scores of 10 and 52 yards on the way to a 56-27 rout of Conestoga Valley. What a first quarter. By game’s end Simon had another incredible performance, completing 15 of 22 passes for 292 yards with touchdown tosses of 22, 26 and 77 yards. He also rushed for 138 yards, scoring on 1, 10 and 52 yard runs. His performance alone accounted for 430 of their 546 yards of offense, or 79%. Ben and Colby Wagner had 210 yards in receptions with Cole Lastinger at 56 yards on 3 receptions. For Conestoga Valley, a quarterback like Bradley Stoltzfus throwing for 1849 yards and rushing for 596 yards on the year, is hard to shut down. The Barons didn’t, with Stoltzfus completing 16 of 27 passes for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading them in rushing with 99 yards. Too bad the Buckskins don’t have more to put around him. The win keeps Manheim Central atop the LL-2 at 4-0, a game ahead of Lampeter Strasburg and Cocalico at 3-1. They currently hold the 3rd seed behind York and Shippensburg with winless Garden Spot up next.
11 Susquehanna Township (7-1, 4A)
Susquehanna Township is on a seven game winning streak after thumping Red Land at West Shore Stadium last week 35-14. Although the Tribe had size and speed advantage, the Patriots battled, staying within a score, down 21-14 at the half. Ultimately Hanna’s size wore them down, holding them scoreless in the second half with a now healthy running back Jacob Seigle scoring twice to secure the win. Seigle had a strong outing, rushing for 186 yards, with scores of 1, 9, 11 and 30 yards. DE Armani Caraballo got in on the fun with a 5 yard scoop and score in the 1st quarter. So here they are tied with Cedar Cliff at 4-0 atop the Keystone Conference. Hanna returns to the West Shore Friday for a decisive game against Cedar Cliff where something has to break with the Colts on a five game winning streak. Rest assured the Tribe remembers last year’s 30-0 home loss that ended their six game winning streak. That was a young group (6-5) taking on a far more mature 10-3 Cedar Cliff team. The roles are reversed this year.
12 Shippensburg (8-0, 5A)
Dillsburg, home of the famous Pickle Drop witnessed a great game decided in the final moment when Isaiah Houser picked off Northern’s desperation pass as the game ended, allowing Shippensburg to escape with a 27-21 road win. Shippensburg knew they had to stop Northern’s all-time leading rusher Kyle Swartz and they did, sort of, holding him to 182 yards on 33 carries, 18 yards below his average. It was a great game between rivals locked in an old school ground and pound where each side lined up and went at it. Northern rushed for 222 yards on 42 carries, Shippensburg for 226 on 40 carries. Alex Sharrow was the man for the Greyhounds, rushing for 111 yards with FB Jacob Loy blasting for 76. In the end, with Northern knocking on the door, Swartz was turned away, stood up and stuffed on downs at Ship’s 8 yard line. The Greyhounds got out to the 31 with the clock running down when Northern stripped Loy but were picked off by Houser to end it. That’s how a game between conference co-leaders should go, down to the wire. Ship ends the season with home games against Red Land (crossover) Friday and Big Spring both 4-4, while Northern looks to win out against Big Spring and Waynesboro.
13 Milton Hershey (7-1, 5A)
Milton Hershey survived the letdown scare after beating Middletown by leading Palmyra (3-5) 25-7 at the half, then holding on as the Cougars clawed their way back before losing 45-30. The Spartans skill people were on display in this one with Tigere Mavesere turning heads passing for 255 yards (14/21-67%, 2 Tds) and rushing for 142 yards on 13 carries. One man show? The scary thing about that is…he is NOT a one man show, supported with multiple weapons to choose from. Super soph running back Dion Bryant rushed for 80 yards, getting touchdowns of 1, 6 and 7 yards while snagging 5 passes for 58 yards, one, a 44 yard touchdown. Big Josh Parra (6-4, 210) scorched Palmyra’s secondary, catching 4 passes for 140 yards with touchdowns of 30 and 72 yards. The Spartans (7-1, 5-0) looked special in winning, outgaining Palmyra 508 to 325 total yards. Camp Hill (2-6, 1-4) is next, with the real test coming the following week at home against Steelton Highspire (7-1, 4-1). A win by the explosive Rollers (40ppg) combined with a Middletown win sets up a 3 way tie in the Mid Penn-Capital Conference.
14 Middletown (7-1 3A)
Middletown got back on the winning track after losing to Milton Hershey two weeks ago by defeating Trinity in a lackluster 33-9 game. Their outstanding backs had notable games, with sophomore Tymir Jackson (5-10, 220….ouch!) running for 180 yards while all-everything Jose Lopez (5-11, 190) tacked on 159 yards. Middletown’s backs just beat you up. The big news is a strong game from sophomore quarterback Tony Powell (6-4, 190) who completed 7 of 10 passes for 215 yards, 106 caught by Chris Joseph for 2 touchdowns. In a run centric offense, Powell’s development as a sophomore Qb should pay real dividends in the postseason. They’ll win out from here with a home game against East Pennsboro (2-6) this week and the closer at Palmyra (3-5) the following week.
15 Berks Catholic (5-3, 4A)
The Saints have improved with three straight wins and the ongoing return to health of a talented backfield. Schuylkill Valley at 3-5 didn’t offer much resistance but it’s still good seeing Abdul MacFoy fully recovered, gaining 180 yards on 12 attempts with touchdowns of 4, 34 and 76 yards….and Colby Newton with 13 carries netting 145 yards with touchdown runs of 1 and 36 yards. Fullback CJ Carwll gained 59 yards on 3 totes with a 5 yard touchdown. Sometimes it just feel good thumping someone! The bottom line was a dominant 51-10 win were they outgained SV 495 to 120. The Berks-2 scheduling is perfect this year with 3-0 BC at home Friday against Fleetwood (7-1, 2-1) followed by Wyomissing (8-0, 3-0) in the closer at home. Although Fleetwood was crushed by Wyomissing three weeks ago, 35-7, BC can’t overlook them. They have enough talent in Christian Moreno with 970 rush yards and Qb Charlie Maddocks throwing for 1148 yards (68/147-47%) to make a game of it. Plus, the Berks-2 is still a three horse race with seeds on the line making every game a playoff game.
16 Cocalico (6-2, 5A)
Cocalico jumped on winless Garden Spot taking a 34-6 lead into the half then coasting home with a 54-13 win. A number of underclassman got significant time with sophomores Austin Vang (5-8, 170) getting 12 carries for 85 yards and Steven Flinton (5-8 155) with 9 carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Flinton has become a mainstay in their attack this year with 394 rush yards and four touchdowns. Juniors Micah Uysse (6-0, 165) had 62 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown while Carson Nash caught a 14 yard touchdown and ran for a 10 yard score. Cocalico’s Veer was purring (382yds) with Qb Noah Palm rushing for 140 yards on five carries for two scores. Ronald Zalm ended any hope of a comeback with a 2nd quarter 90 yard punt return, giving the Eagles a 34-0 lead. Solanco (5-3, 2-1) is next with their Triple-Option well suited for their entirely new O-Line made up of two juniors and three sophomores. They’re doing something right averaging 336 yards a game. Nick Yannutz leads the team with 1260 yards followed by Qb Grady Unger rushing for 669 yards. Cocalico allowed a lot of points recently at 56, 46 and 41 in three of their last four games? The Golden Mules shouldn’t surprise a Veer team but they could be stubborn and drag it out.
17 Wyomissing (8-0, 3A)
Wyomissing essentially emptied the bench in the first quarter, rotating everyone in on the way to a 44-7 halftime lead. Ten different players scored against a crippled Kutztown team playing without key players and their head coach who was suspended earlier in the week. Kutztown entered the game winless allowing 57ppg? Their game against Jim Thorpe (6-2, 3A, D-11) was called at the half with JT ahead 76-0. Against Wyomissing they failed to get a first down, did not throw a pass and ended the game with 8 total yards. Wyo moves on to play Schuylkill Valley (3-5, 1-2) who limps in off a 51-10 loss to Berks Catholic.
18 Exeter Township (6-2, 5A)
That’s four in a row for Exeter against the softer part of the schedule where they won by an average score of 39-9. Twin Valley (2-6, 5A) was woefully outmanned here, getting nine first downs and 206 yards (90 rushing) to Exeter’s 457 yards. Meanwhile Exeter established great balance rushing for 285 yards and passing for 172. Gavin McCusker connected on 5 of 9 passes and rushed for 55 more. The schedule ramps up Friday where things will be jumping in Shillington against the surging Governor Mifflin Mustangs who’ve won five straight. I had these guys way over rated, thinking they’d develop a credible passing attack with second year Kolbie Reeser under center and Nicholas Singleton (1180 rush yards this year) in the backfield. They haven’t. Few defenses feel threatened against a team completing 46% of their passes for 525 yards with a ratio of 4 to 5. But, with five straight wins, they come in hot like Exeter, averaging 49ppg allowing 11. And with a conference record of 78-7 since 2006, everyone in District-3 knows the conference title always goes through Governor Mifflin. They are to the Berks-1 what Cumberland Valley has been to the Mid Penn-Commonwealth, Wilson to the LL-Section One, St. Joseph’s to the PCL, North Penn to the Suburban One. With both Exeter and Mifflin tied at 4-0, the outcome essentially decides the Berks-1. And because both are 5A teams jockeying for higher seeds, there’s even more at stake.
19 Cedar Cliff (6-2, 5A)
Here’s another team on a roll with the Colts winning their last five games since losing to Harrisburg 41-7. For a team that lost a lot of bodies last year, they’ve proven to be resilient, finding themselves tied with Susquehanna Township atop the Mid Penn-Keystone at 4-0. Much of the Colts success can be attributed to their workhorse running back Jaheim Morris who has been almost unstoppable, rushing for 1584 yards after last week’s record setting 300 yards against Mechanicsburg. The Wildcats started James Anderson at quarterback for the injured Micah Brubaker who went down in the first half against Red Land two weeks ago. This is a great story with Anderson all of 5-8 and 145 pounds. He guided them to a 16-11 win against Red Land then almost pulled the stunner against the Colts last week, leading them to two scores in the fourth quarter to draw within seven before losing 31-24. The loss drops Mechanicsburg to 5-3 (2-2) while Cedar Cliff gets ready for Susquehanna Township (7-1, 4-0) in a game that will decide the conference championship.
20 Bishop McDevitt (5-3, 4A)
Bishop McDevitt began the year at #12 where they were stunned at home by Cumberland Valley 21-7. The following week saw them beat Gettysburg (6-2, 4A) 28-9, then lose again at home to Middletown (7-1, 3A) 6-2. This was big news in the Harrisburg area seeing the Crusaders at 1-2. A third loss, this time to conference rival Cedar Cliff dropped them to 2-3 and out of the Mid-State rankings. Since that point they’ve won the last three games, showing significant improvement (offense), albeit, against a weak slate of teams beating Waynesboro (4-4), Lower Dauphin (0-8) and Hershey (1-7) by an average score of 45-10. Great tonic for a young team! Leading rusher Marquese Williams (5-10, 170) is freshman, starting the last seven games with 607 yards at 7.9 ypc. He is highly regarded. Their top receiver is Mario Easterly (6-0, 170), a sophomore, with 43 receptions for 685 yards or 15.9 yards per reception. The quarterback is junior Lek Powell (5-10, 175) at 62% for 1288 yards with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The offense is a work in project as evidenced by no-shows against Cumberland Valley, Middletown and Cedar Cliff, scoring 7, 2 and 17 points respectively. But the veteran defense with seven returning starters has carried the team, allowing 11ppg. Any offense with that defense has them competitive with most teams in the district. They are still in the MP-Keystone race with Susquehanna Township and Cedar Cliff facing off Friday and McDevitt playing Susquehanna Township the following week.
Honorable Mention:
Cedar Crest (6-2) home Wilson 7-1
York Suburban (8-0, 4A) at West York 1-7, 4A
Savion Harrison For YS had 325yds on 24 atps-4Tds in 31-19 win vs Gettysburg. Gbg's Ruger Pennington went 22/140 with Charles Warren at 152 tot yds.
Northern York (5-3, 5A) at Big Spring 4-4, 4A
York-William Penn (6-2, 5A) home Northeastern 6-2, 5A
Lampeter Strasburg (6-2, 4A) at Elizabethtown 3-5, 5A
Montoursville (8-0, 3A, D4) home Southern Columbia 8-0, 2A
Gettysburg (6-2, 4A) home Dover 2-6, 5A
Steelton Highspire (7-1, 2A) home Boiling Springs 0-8, 4A
Mount Carmel (6-2, 3A, D4) home Bloomsburg 3-5, 2A
Governor Mifflin (5-3, 5A) home Exeter Township 6-2, 5A
1 Manheim Township (8-0)
State College’s 21 point loss at home to Central Dauphin paved the way for Manheim Township’s move to the top spot in the Mid-State rankings, aided by their 62-0 dismantling of Cedar Crest (6-2). This was their first shutout of the season where they’ve allowed just 55 points. The schedule hasn’t been a cakewalk either with quality wins against Central Dauphin (6-2) 10-7, Wilson (7-1) 30-14, Warwick (6-2) and now Cedar Crest. That’s quite a listing knowing CD defeated Harrisburg and State College, Wilson defeated Central Dauphin, Manheim Central, Warwick and Spring Ford, while Warwick handled Manheim Central 37-7 before last week’s 14-7 loss at Wilson. About last week, the Blue Streaks put on a show, dominating all aspects of the game with a 21-0 first quarter followed by a 24-0 second quarter. Cedar Crest has a nice team but showed they weren’t ready for this level of competition. Their 34-14 loss the week before at Warwick demonstrated as much. The Blue Streaks defense put on another clinic, holding the Falcons to 63 yards of offense with 4 interceptions, one a Pick-6 by Jon Engel of 51 yards before the half. Backups played much of the second half with eight running backs accounting for 248 yards. Harrison Kirk completed 4 of 6 passes for 80 yards and a score. He was their leading rusher with 58 yards and another touchdown. They move on to play winless McCaskey (0-8), then close at home against rival Hempfield, where they’ll end the regular season undefeated. Barring a total collapse, they’ll enter the District-3 playoffs with the top seed where they’ll encounter formidable opposition from Wilson, Harrisburg, Central Dauphin, Chambersburg and Central York.
2 Central Dauphin (6-2)
Central Dauphin has been on a roll since losing at Manheim Township 10-7 six weeks ago, winning their last five games by an average score of 37-10. Impressive stuff knowing this included road wins at Harrisburg 15-14 three weeks ago and last week at State College 34-13. Last week’s win stood out, with their well-regarded defense winning the game. It was another typical Mid Penn defensive slugfest, between the two best teams in the conference. The score was 13-13 well into the 4th quarter when a CD blitz sacked-stripped Qb Brady Dorner in his end zone with defensive end Jackson Talbott (6-3, 225, sr) falling on it with under seven minutes left in the game. On their next possession, Dorner was again feeling pressure at his 36 yard line, lofting an errant throw Malachi Bowman got under, returning it 48 yards for a 27-13 lead. These two scores happened in a span of two and a half minutes! A subsequent pick deep in Lion territory set up the final touchdown by Timmy Smith with just under two minutes to seal the win. Talk about a wild finish! 28 unanswered points in the final seven minutes saw Central Dauphin get 2 sacks, 3 picks, a fumble and a blocked extra point. Strange saying…. ‘the defense blew this one wide open’. Like Harrisburg two week before, State College marched up and down the field piling up yards (230 rushing, 188 passing) but not points. CD had 233 total yards. Harrisburg did the same thing, outgaining the Rams 397 yards to 189. It’s no secret Central Dauphin’s active and relentless defense covers shortcomings of the offense. But at 30ppg average, it’d be a mistake calling it pedestrian, despite taking a back seat to defense. Coach McNamee never hid the fact the best athletes go to defense. Harrisburg’s team scoring efficiency was poor at 28.35 yards per point. SC’s was worse at 32.15 yards to get a single point. The Rams were a cool 6.85yyp. The win puts them in sole possession of first place with a very good Chambersburg (5-3) team up next coming off their close call 27-25 loss to Harrisburg.
3 State College (7-1, D6)
State College’s undefeated season came to a sudden conclusion last week losing a key conference game to Central Dauphin 34-13. The loss drops them into second place at 4-1 a game behind CD at 5-0 with two games left. The record books would likely show this to be one of the very few occasions where State lost a game, especially at home, after piling up 418 yards of offense to the other team’s 233 yards. Rarer still is an SC defense allowing a visitor to put up 28 unanswered fourth quarter points while blowing a 13-7 lead. But they looked good with sophomore Dresyn Green gaining 110 yards and Isaiah Edwards having a strong game with 155 total yards. Unfortunately, Brady Dorner had a rough game, completing 15 of 25 passes for 180 yards with 3 interceptions. He was also the victim of a hard hit and strip by Shamar Joppy that was recovered by Jackson Talbott to launch Central Dauphin’s fourth quarter explosion. Altoona (1-7) is next before closing out at home against Cumberland Valley.
4 Wilson (7-1)
Wilson got their revenge last week defeating Warwick 14-7 to erase the memory of last year’s 38-12 pounding at Warwick. After securing a somewhat safe looking 14-0 lead at the half that dwindled to 14-7 at the end of the third quarter, Wilson withstood a Warwick charge, making a goal line stand where LB Anthony Koper (5-11, 235, sr) stuffed Colton Miller (6-2, 205, jr) at the 2 yard line (3rd and goal), throwing him back as time expired. The Bulldogs contained Miller throughout the game, holding him to 60 yards on 20 carries. Joey McCracken was also checked, completing 13 of 26 passes for 128 yards. He was intercepted once. Mason Lenart was almost unstoppable (too quick), rushing for 129 yards on 7 carries. FB/LB Avanti Lockhart kept the chains moving on 16 carries for 47 hard yards. Versatile Qb Kaleb Brown did damage rushing for 72 yards while keeping Warwick on their heels with 8 completions for 62 yards. He survived 2 picks, the last being turned away with the goal line stand. The win was Coach Doug Dahm’s 152nd at Wilson, putting him at the top of the heap ahead of the legendary John Gurski, for whom the stadium is named. They move on to play Cedar Crest (6-2) then McCaskey before entering the postseason with the 2 seed behind Township as things stand now.
5 Harrisburg (5-3)
Harrisburg recovered from a 14-0 first quarter deficit against vastly improved Chambersburg with a 27-0 second quarter allowing them to get past the Trojans, 27-25. What a nightmare for Chambersburg, wilting against an explosive Cougar rally. They simply couldn’t handle John McNeil who threw for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns. Kamere Day caught 3 passes for 120 yards, two going for 29 and 80 yard scores with a now healthy Donte Kent scoring on a 64 yard touchdown. The win ended the two game losing streak to Central Dauphin and State College where they were held to 14 and 6 points respectively. They’ve had trouble being consistent this year, finding anything approaching a rhythm with teams like Coatesville, Archbishop Hoban, CD and State College on the docket. Who wouldn’t, especially on a team trying to replace quarterback Kane Everson’s 2734 pass yards and 1008 rush yards. Andre White (6-3, 255) will always be a hole at linebacker tho he will likely help Jimbo Fisher turn things around at Texas A&M. So they’ll take that 27 point second quarter outburst, their only scoring of the game even if it did all come in a single period. Qb McNeil completing 11 of 15 gets your attention with a ground game that finally got something going at 116 yards. Carlisle is next at 2-6 followed by Altoona at 1-7 where Harrisburg should breeze, getting healthy and rested for what promises to be a competitive postseason.
6 Southern Columbia (8-0, 2A, D4)
Southern Columbia won their 79th consecutive regular season game and 40th in a row overall with a 42-0 win against Wyoming Area (7-1). The Warriors where completely throttled, held to 46 yards rushing and 96 passing. Qb Dominic DeLuca was intercepted 6 times. It was SCA’s sixth shutout of the season. The offense had another big day, rushing for 274 yards (9.7ypc), led by the Garcia brothers; Gavin with 108 yards and Gaige with 72. Preston Zachman balanced things out completing 6 of 12 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown toss. He contributed as a stand out in the secondary with a Pick 6 in the third quarter. Up next is Montoursville (8-0, 3A), another Triple-A like Wyoming with a stronger history of success going 59-27 (69%) the last 7 years and 75-43 (64%) the last 10 against a similar schedule. They don’t appear to be any more of a threat than WA, but must be a prideful bunch with their tradition and the continued success of this year.
7 Warwick (6-2, 5A)
Warwick made a second half push against Wilson (see above) that fell short with a goal line stand by Wilson at the end of the game. The stand followed an interception thrown by Qb Kaleb Brown, his second of the night. Although the score was close at 14-7, Wilson did a number on Qb Joey McCracken, pressuring him throughout the game and limiting him to 126 yards passing and one touchdown. Where they iced it was taking Colton Miller out of the game, holding him to 60 yards on 20 carries and Warwick to 104 yards on 33 carries Miller came into the game averaging 92 yards a game (111/641) with 15 touchdowns averaging 5.7ypc after becoming their go to guy week three. Conversely, Warwick couldn’t slow Wilson’s running game (Mason Linart and Avanti Lockhart) that gained 248 yards. It was still a solid Warwick effort helped in part by Wilson turnovers. They currently hold the 6 seed, traveling to Conestoga Valley (2-6. 5A, LL-2) who is dangerous despite the record averaging 33ppg their last six, including 41 against Cocalico and 27 against Manheim Central.
8 Central York (7-1)
The Panthers won their sixth straight game since the 13-12 loss at Cumberland Valley six weeks ago, defeating Northeastern (6-2) 57-7. It was over at the half with Central up 43-0. Beau Pribula seems fully recovered from a shoulder injury after completing 10 of 13 passes for 190 yards and throwing 2 touchdown passes. He rushed for 60 yards and another score. Running backs Isiah Sturgis added 88 yards with Jahmar Simpson contributing 64 yards and 2 touchdowns. At 432 total yards, the offense is coming together, attempting to replace the production of senior quarterback Cade Pribula (2863 yards, 63%, 32/11 ratio) and others. The defense contributed with a 23 yard Pick-6, a 58 yard punt return and a 25 yard scoop and score, while holding the Bobcats to 172 total yards. Central moves on to play Dallastown (2-6) before deciding the York-Adams-1 championship at home against York High (6-2) where both are deadlocked at 5-0.
9 Chambersburg (5-3)
Two scores by Keyshawn Jones and a 14-0 lead weren’t enough at Harrisburg where the Chambersburg suffered a disappointing 27-25 loss. The Cougar’s defense was in lockdown mode most of the game, holding Jones to 64 yards rushing and Tyler Luther to 66 yards on 6 catches. Defensive lapses lost this one leaving Kamere Day totally uncovered for an 88 yard touchdown with no one within 20 yards of him, then a 29 yard strike catching him alone in the end zone for another score. Chambersburg battled back with Qb Brady Stumbaugh punching one in from the 1 yard line and Tyler Luther hitting a 37 yard field goal in the third quarter. Take away the busted coverage and it’s a whole new game. A road game is next at Landis field against Central Dauphin where a Friday night crowd will be boisterous, welcoming the Rams back from the big win at State College last week.
10 Manheim Central (6-2, 5A)
Manheim Central got off to an exciting start against Conestoga Valley when Owen Pappas returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for the score, followed by quarterback Evan Simon rushing for scores of 10 and 52 yards on the way to a 56-27 rout of Conestoga Valley. What a first quarter. By game’s end Simon had another incredible performance, completing 15 of 22 passes for 292 yards with touchdown tosses of 22, 26 and 77 yards. He also rushed for 138 yards, scoring on 1, 10 and 52 yard runs. His performance alone accounted for 430 of their 546 yards of offense, or 79%. Ben and Colby Wagner had 210 yards in receptions with Cole Lastinger at 56 yards on 3 receptions. For Conestoga Valley, a quarterback like Bradley Stoltzfus throwing for 1849 yards and rushing for 596 yards on the year, is hard to shut down. The Barons didn’t, with Stoltzfus completing 16 of 27 passes for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading them in rushing with 99 yards. Too bad the Buckskins don’t have more to put around him. The win keeps Manheim Central atop the LL-2 at 4-0, a game ahead of Lampeter Strasburg and Cocalico at 3-1. They currently hold the 3rd seed behind York and Shippensburg with winless Garden Spot up next.
11 Susquehanna Township (7-1, 4A)
Susquehanna Township is on a seven game winning streak after thumping Red Land at West Shore Stadium last week 35-14. Although the Tribe had size and speed advantage, the Patriots battled, staying within a score, down 21-14 at the half. Ultimately Hanna’s size wore them down, holding them scoreless in the second half with a now healthy running back Jacob Seigle scoring twice to secure the win. Seigle had a strong outing, rushing for 186 yards, with scores of 1, 9, 11 and 30 yards. DE Armani Caraballo got in on the fun with a 5 yard scoop and score in the 1st quarter. So here they are tied with Cedar Cliff at 4-0 atop the Keystone Conference. Hanna returns to the West Shore Friday for a decisive game against Cedar Cliff where something has to break with the Colts on a five game winning streak. Rest assured the Tribe remembers last year’s 30-0 home loss that ended their six game winning streak. That was a young group (6-5) taking on a far more mature 10-3 Cedar Cliff team. The roles are reversed this year.
12 Shippensburg (8-0, 5A)
Dillsburg, home of the famous Pickle Drop witnessed a great game decided in the final moment when Isaiah Houser picked off Northern’s desperation pass as the game ended, allowing Shippensburg to escape with a 27-21 road win. Shippensburg knew they had to stop Northern’s all-time leading rusher Kyle Swartz and they did, sort of, holding him to 182 yards on 33 carries, 18 yards below his average. It was a great game between rivals locked in an old school ground and pound where each side lined up and went at it. Northern rushed for 222 yards on 42 carries, Shippensburg for 226 on 40 carries. Alex Sharrow was the man for the Greyhounds, rushing for 111 yards with FB Jacob Loy blasting for 76. In the end, with Northern knocking on the door, Swartz was turned away, stood up and stuffed on downs at Ship’s 8 yard line. The Greyhounds got out to the 31 with the clock running down when Northern stripped Loy but were picked off by Houser to end it. That’s how a game between conference co-leaders should go, down to the wire. Ship ends the season with home games against Red Land (crossover) Friday and Big Spring both 4-4, while Northern looks to win out against Big Spring and Waynesboro.
13 Milton Hershey (7-1, 5A)
Milton Hershey survived the letdown scare after beating Middletown by leading Palmyra (3-5) 25-7 at the half, then holding on as the Cougars clawed their way back before losing 45-30. The Spartans skill people were on display in this one with Tigere Mavesere turning heads passing for 255 yards (14/21-67%, 2 Tds) and rushing for 142 yards on 13 carries. One man show? The scary thing about that is…he is NOT a one man show, supported with multiple weapons to choose from. Super soph running back Dion Bryant rushed for 80 yards, getting touchdowns of 1, 6 and 7 yards while snagging 5 passes for 58 yards, one, a 44 yard touchdown. Big Josh Parra (6-4, 210) scorched Palmyra’s secondary, catching 4 passes for 140 yards with touchdowns of 30 and 72 yards. The Spartans (7-1, 5-0) looked special in winning, outgaining Palmyra 508 to 325 total yards. Camp Hill (2-6, 1-4) is next, with the real test coming the following week at home against Steelton Highspire (7-1, 4-1). A win by the explosive Rollers (40ppg) combined with a Middletown win sets up a 3 way tie in the Mid Penn-Capital Conference.
14 Middletown (7-1 3A)
Middletown got back on the winning track after losing to Milton Hershey two weeks ago by defeating Trinity in a lackluster 33-9 game. Their outstanding backs had notable games, with sophomore Tymir Jackson (5-10, 220….ouch!) running for 180 yards while all-everything Jose Lopez (5-11, 190) tacked on 159 yards. Middletown’s backs just beat you up. The big news is a strong game from sophomore quarterback Tony Powell (6-4, 190) who completed 7 of 10 passes for 215 yards, 106 caught by Chris Joseph for 2 touchdowns. In a run centric offense, Powell’s development as a sophomore Qb should pay real dividends in the postseason. They’ll win out from here with a home game against East Pennsboro (2-6) this week and the closer at Palmyra (3-5) the following week.
15 Berks Catholic (5-3, 4A)
The Saints have improved with three straight wins and the ongoing return to health of a talented backfield. Schuylkill Valley at 3-5 didn’t offer much resistance but it’s still good seeing Abdul MacFoy fully recovered, gaining 180 yards on 12 attempts with touchdowns of 4, 34 and 76 yards….and Colby Newton with 13 carries netting 145 yards with touchdown runs of 1 and 36 yards. Fullback CJ Carwll gained 59 yards on 3 totes with a 5 yard touchdown. Sometimes it just feel good thumping someone! The bottom line was a dominant 51-10 win were they outgained SV 495 to 120. The Berks-2 scheduling is perfect this year with 3-0 BC at home Friday against Fleetwood (7-1, 2-1) followed by Wyomissing (8-0, 3-0) in the closer at home. Although Fleetwood was crushed by Wyomissing three weeks ago, 35-7, BC can’t overlook them. They have enough talent in Christian Moreno with 970 rush yards and Qb Charlie Maddocks throwing for 1148 yards (68/147-47%) to make a game of it. Plus, the Berks-2 is still a three horse race with seeds on the line making every game a playoff game.
16 Cocalico (6-2, 5A)
Cocalico jumped on winless Garden Spot taking a 34-6 lead into the half then coasting home with a 54-13 win. A number of underclassman got significant time with sophomores Austin Vang (5-8, 170) getting 12 carries for 85 yards and Steven Flinton (5-8 155) with 9 carries for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Flinton has become a mainstay in their attack this year with 394 rush yards and four touchdowns. Juniors Micah Uysse (6-0, 165) had 62 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown while Carson Nash caught a 14 yard touchdown and ran for a 10 yard score. Cocalico’s Veer was purring (382yds) with Qb Noah Palm rushing for 140 yards on five carries for two scores. Ronald Zalm ended any hope of a comeback with a 2nd quarter 90 yard punt return, giving the Eagles a 34-0 lead. Solanco (5-3, 2-1) is next with their Triple-Option well suited for their entirely new O-Line made up of two juniors and three sophomores. They’re doing something right averaging 336 yards a game. Nick Yannutz leads the team with 1260 yards followed by Qb Grady Unger rushing for 669 yards. Cocalico allowed a lot of points recently at 56, 46 and 41 in three of their last four games? The Golden Mules shouldn’t surprise a Veer team but they could be stubborn and drag it out.
17 Wyomissing (8-0, 3A)
Wyomissing essentially emptied the bench in the first quarter, rotating everyone in on the way to a 44-7 halftime lead. Ten different players scored against a crippled Kutztown team playing without key players and their head coach who was suspended earlier in the week. Kutztown entered the game winless allowing 57ppg? Their game against Jim Thorpe (6-2, 3A, D-11) was called at the half with JT ahead 76-0. Against Wyomissing they failed to get a first down, did not throw a pass and ended the game with 8 total yards. Wyo moves on to play Schuylkill Valley (3-5, 1-2) who limps in off a 51-10 loss to Berks Catholic.
18 Exeter Township (6-2, 5A)
That’s four in a row for Exeter against the softer part of the schedule where they won by an average score of 39-9. Twin Valley (2-6, 5A) was woefully outmanned here, getting nine first downs and 206 yards (90 rushing) to Exeter’s 457 yards. Meanwhile Exeter established great balance rushing for 285 yards and passing for 172. Gavin McCusker connected on 5 of 9 passes and rushed for 55 more. The schedule ramps up Friday where things will be jumping in Shillington against the surging Governor Mifflin Mustangs who’ve won five straight. I had these guys way over rated, thinking they’d develop a credible passing attack with second year Kolbie Reeser under center and Nicholas Singleton (1180 rush yards this year) in the backfield. They haven’t. Few defenses feel threatened against a team completing 46% of their passes for 525 yards with a ratio of 4 to 5. But, with five straight wins, they come in hot like Exeter, averaging 49ppg allowing 11. And with a conference record of 78-7 since 2006, everyone in District-3 knows the conference title always goes through Governor Mifflin. They are to the Berks-1 what Cumberland Valley has been to the Mid Penn-Commonwealth, Wilson to the LL-Section One, St. Joseph’s to the PCL, North Penn to the Suburban One. With both Exeter and Mifflin tied at 4-0, the outcome essentially decides the Berks-1. And because both are 5A teams jockeying for higher seeds, there’s even more at stake.
19 Cedar Cliff (6-2, 5A)
Here’s another team on a roll with the Colts winning their last five games since losing to Harrisburg 41-7. For a team that lost a lot of bodies last year, they’ve proven to be resilient, finding themselves tied with Susquehanna Township atop the Mid Penn-Keystone at 4-0. Much of the Colts success can be attributed to their workhorse running back Jaheim Morris who has been almost unstoppable, rushing for 1584 yards after last week’s record setting 300 yards against Mechanicsburg. The Wildcats started James Anderson at quarterback for the injured Micah Brubaker who went down in the first half against Red Land two weeks ago. This is a great story with Anderson all of 5-8 and 145 pounds. He guided them to a 16-11 win against Red Land then almost pulled the stunner against the Colts last week, leading them to two scores in the fourth quarter to draw within seven before losing 31-24. The loss drops Mechanicsburg to 5-3 (2-2) while Cedar Cliff gets ready for Susquehanna Township (7-1, 4-0) in a game that will decide the conference championship.
20 Bishop McDevitt (5-3, 4A)
Bishop McDevitt began the year at #12 where they were stunned at home by Cumberland Valley 21-7. The following week saw them beat Gettysburg (6-2, 4A) 28-9, then lose again at home to Middletown (7-1, 3A) 6-2. This was big news in the Harrisburg area seeing the Crusaders at 1-2. A third loss, this time to conference rival Cedar Cliff dropped them to 2-3 and out of the Mid-State rankings. Since that point they’ve won the last three games, showing significant improvement (offense), albeit, against a weak slate of teams beating Waynesboro (4-4), Lower Dauphin (0-8) and Hershey (1-7) by an average score of 45-10. Great tonic for a young team! Leading rusher Marquese Williams (5-10, 170) is freshman, starting the last seven games with 607 yards at 7.9 ypc. He is highly regarded. Their top receiver is Mario Easterly (6-0, 170), a sophomore, with 43 receptions for 685 yards or 15.9 yards per reception. The quarterback is junior Lek Powell (5-10, 175) at 62% for 1288 yards with 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The offense is a work in project as evidenced by no-shows against Cumberland Valley, Middletown and Cedar Cliff, scoring 7, 2 and 17 points respectively. But the veteran defense with seven returning starters has carried the team, allowing 11ppg. Any offense with that defense has them competitive with most teams in the district. They are still in the MP-Keystone race with Susquehanna Township and Cedar Cliff facing off Friday and McDevitt playing Susquehanna Township the following week.
Honorable Mention:
Cedar Crest (6-2) home Wilson 7-1
York Suburban (8-0, 4A) at West York 1-7, 4A
Savion Harrison For YS had 325yds on 24 atps-4Tds in 31-19 win vs Gettysburg. Gbg's Ruger Pennington went 22/140 with Charles Warren at 152 tot yds.
Northern York (5-3, 5A) at Big Spring 4-4, 4A
York-William Penn (6-2, 5A) home Northeastern 6-2, 5A
Lampeter Strasburg (6-2, 4A) at Elizabethtown 3-5, 5A
Montoursville (8-0, 3A, D4) home Southern Columbia 8-0, 2A
Gettysburg (6-2, 4A) home Dover 2-6, 5A
Steelton Highspire (7-1, 2A) home Boiling Springs 0-8, 4A
Mount Carmel (6-2, 3A, D4) home Bloomsburg 3-5, 2A
Governor Mifflin (5-3, 5A) home Exeter Township 6-2, 5A
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