All classes are 6A and District 3 teams unless otherwise shown; Districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 9.
1 Manheim Township (9-0)
Manheim Township edged a game closer to securing their third straight Lancaster Lebanon Section-1 title with an overwhelming 71-0 performance against winless McCaskey. A win against rival Hempfield (4-5) at home Friday seals it. The tape tells the tale in this one with the Blue Streaks outgaining McCaskey 474 to 19. McCaskey rushed for negative 6 yards and continues shooting themselves in the foot with an inordinate number of penalties, 13 for 103 yards in this one. This has been an issue all year. Adding to those against Township, are the 8 flags thrown for 85 yards against Red Lion, 12 for 100 yards against Warwick and 14 for 92 yards against Penn Manor. That’s 47 penalties for 380 yards in just four games. Conversely, Township has 54 penalties for the year. Mercifully, Township emptied the bench, using eight running backs and seven receivers who totaled 276 yards rushing while senior Qb Harrison Kirk completed 11 of 19 passes for 167 yards. #2 Qb Evan Clark (6-2, 170, jr) completed both his passes for 100 yards. The Streaks are in rarified air this year for a 6A team averaging 47ppg (27.4 last year), a level more typically reached by smaller schools. More impressive is their defense that allowed 55 points or 6ppg (13.5 last year), making them a very unusual team indeed.
2 Central Dauphin (7-2)
How about these Rams starting the season 1-2 with tight road losses at Wilson and Manheim Township, and now on a six game win streak that has them in sole possession of the Mid Penn-Commonwealth. The streak includes wins against Harrisburg, State College and last week against Chambersburg who proved to be a bear. In the words of one of Harrisburg’s finest, Coach Dennis Green (former AZ Cardinals head coach), “They are who we thought they were” following a loss to Chicago Bears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmQbk5h86w
Tell em coach! Here’s how the game went.
Chambersburg nearly duplicated the Bears performance against Arizona, blocking a punt recovered in the end zone for a late first half score to cut CD’s lead to 21-14. This unquestionably fired up the Trojans who came out in the second half with a purpose. Coming off a 27-25 loss at Harrisburg the week before didn’t seem to affect them, holding the Rams scoreless throughout the 3rd quarter, allowing them to draw closer on Tyler Luther’s 30 yard field goal that cut the deficit to 21-17. The second half saw both teams miss opportunities with an errant CD field goal and a Trojan fumble before Timmy Smith broke loose on a 46 yard dash early in the 4th for a 28-17 lead. Chambersburg responded, driving 65 yards with Qb Brady Stumbaugh hitting Terrell Williams for his second touchdown to bring them within five on a missed extra point. From there CD was able to run out the clock, getting a key first down and turning back another Trojan drive for a hard fought 28-23 win. Self-inflicted wounds and a good Chambersburg defense kept the Rams at bay, despite 476 yards of total offense. Timmy Smith had a break out game rushing for 180 yards while Max Mosey (64%, 1244, 8/2) had one of his best games of the season completing 14 of 17 passes for 222 yards and an 11 yard touchdown pass to Nick Chimienti. CD’s receiver corps of Chimienti (3/64), Malachi Bowman (3/54), Jackson Talbott (3/76), Tyrese Fuller and running back Timmy Smith may just be the most underrated area of the team. Rival Central Dauphin East (3-6) is next at Landis where they both share the field.
3 State College (8-1, D6)
State College shook off the effects of last week’s 34-13 loss at home to Central Dauphin, their first of the season, by routing outmanned Altoona 48-0. Shaking off the effects of playing Harrisburg and Central Dauphin back to back this time of year with all the nicks and dents took up the 1st quarter where they got a 7-0 lead before exploding for 27 2nd quarter points. Also have to give Altoona (1-8) props for conjuring up a lengthy time consuming drive. Dresyn Green keyed State’s 27 point surge with a 7 yard run and a 48 yard Pick-6, combined with William Howell’s 10 yard touchdown toss from Qb Brady Dorner and another one to Isaiah Edwards of 27 yards. Howell may be the most underrated weapon in State’s considerable arsenal, rushing for 42 yards on 3 attempts and catching 4 passes for 54 yards. But Green gets most of the attention and rightly so, rushing for 102 yards on 10 carries. Like Howell, Isaiah Edwards is a multi-faceted talent, rushing for 38 yards while catching 5 passes for 85 yards, two of them for touchdowns. Dorner (68%, 1345, 9/3) ended the night 11 of 13 for 153 yards, passing for scores of 24 (Edwards), 10 (Howell) and 27 (Edwards) yards. They finish up at home to Cumberland Valley (5-4), winners of their last three games after a 2-4 start. CV often plays SC hard, losing 16-13 last year with a 3-7 team. And while SC has the #1 seed locked up in District-6, CV is struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive, holding the 7th seed in a field of eight. They have a veteran defense that has hung tough despite little support from the offense. SC should know by now can never underestimate Cumberland Valley, even in the rare off years.
4 Wilson (8-1)
Wilson is staying close, a game back of Township in the LL-1 after shutting down Cedar Crest 35-7 with a relentless defense and effective ground game. The defense held the slumping Falcons (lost 3 of 4) to 94 rush yards, and their outstanding running back Tyler Cruz who came in with 1050 yards to 10 yards. 10! But you might want to remember the name Aadyn Richards (5-10, 195, soph) who gained 98 yards on 12 tries. Cedar Crest only gained 202 total yards of offense to 496 for the Bulldogs; 308 rushing on 40 carries. Bruising Avanti Lockhart (6-2, 215) had his most productive game of the season, rushing for 142 yards and 3 scores. He’s at 710 for the year. Qb Kaleb Brown had a good outing completing 11 of 15 passes for 170 yards and 3 touchdown passes while rushing for 36 yards. They finish up Friday at home to 0-9 McCaskey, where they will enter the postseason with the 1 or 2 seed.
5 Harrisburg (6-3)
Harrisburg finally got it together after tough losses to State College and Central Dauphin and the grinding 27-25 win against Chambersburg by overwhelming Carlisle 62-0. Their defense was hyper active, holding the Herd to 154 total yards. Cougar quarterbacks had outstanding games combining for 184 yards on 6 completions of 7 passes. Nicari Williams threw touchdown passes of 65 and 19 yards and returned the 2nd half kickoff 95 yards for another score. John McNeil ran from 2 yards out and threw a strike to Trevion Carey of 59 yards for another score. Sophomore Amirh Pittman got in on the fun returning an interception 99 yards for the final touchdown. Altoona is next where the Cougars are battling Central York for the 4 seed. Central likely takes it if they can beat 5A York High (7-2).
6 Southern Columbia (9-0, 2A, D4)
Previously undefeated Montoursville had no more luck stopping Southern Columbia than any team has this year, getting trounced 35-0, with Tiger subs coming in early and often following a 21-0 first quarter. Gavin and Gaige Garcia topped the 100 yard mark again, rushing for 124 and 116 yards respectively, both scoring touchdowns. Quarterback Preston Zachman completing 8 of 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. All his completions went to Julian Fleming. Once again Southern completely dominated a decent team, outgaining the Warriors (8-1, 3A) 426 to 82, while holding them to five first downs. They close out the regular season Friday against Danville (4-5, 3A), a team Montoursville beat two weeks ago 46-14.
7 Warwick (7-2, 5A)
Warwick bounced back from consecutive losses and the heartbreaking loss to Wilson by defeating Conestoga Valley 30-6. It took a while for them to shake out the kinks from the 14-7 loss at Wilson and the 28-7 loss to Manheim Township the week before. Those were physical games with all three having solid, hard hitting defenses. Getting the offense back in gear was then another matter. Two Joey McCracken touchdown passes of 40 and 24 yards got things going where a 20-7 lead proved decisive. Colton Miller kept C-Val’s D-front locked down, rushing for 114 yards, allowing McCracken’s accuracy to do real damage completing 11 of 13 passes for 200 yards. Their big three receivers, Caleb Schmitz, Conor Adams and Justin Gerhart had three receptions each; Schmitz for 80 yards and a score, Adams for 64 yards and Gerhart for 42 yards and a score. As always, Warwick’s defense clamped down, holding the Buckskins to 98 rush yards and 84 through the air. They’re out of the LL race at 3-2 behind Wilson (4-1) and Township (5-0) but hold the 6th seed for the coming 5A tournament with Penn Manor (3-6) up next. Remember, they’re doing all this without the services of receiver Trey Glass who missed the season with a knee after catching 75 passes for 1328 yards and 15 Touchdowns last year. 5A is shaping up for a memorable postseason, with teams such as Shippensburg 9-0, Manheim Central 7-2, York 7-2, Cedar Cliff 7-2, Governor Mifflin 6-3, Cocalico 7-2, Exeter 6-3 and Warwick 7-2 all bringing good stuff.
8 Central York (8-1)
Central York cruised to an easy win in a string of easy wins the last six games showing off both their offense and defense getting in another gear, winning by an average score of 53-5. Dallastown (2-6) was the latest victim, losing 58-0 in a game that was over at the half. Central led 37-0 before flooding the field with reserves. Another red hot York team, York High (6-2, 5A), also on a six game win streak is next. They aren’t at Central’s level offensively but are averaging 36ppg since opening with the 42-7 disaster against Pittsburgh Central Catholic with almost an entirely new cast. The big loss was last year’s standout running back Dayjure Stewart (6-0, 200, Illinois St, Mizu Val Conf) who graduated with 3092 rush yards and 37 touchdown in his senior season alone! Both York and Central are tied for first place in the York-Adams-1 at 6-0; York holding the 4 seed in 5A and Central the 5th in 6A. Look for extra incentive after York’s stunning 54-14 dismantling of Central High in last year’s regular season finale. A loss they never recovered from, losing to Central Dauphin 49-21 the following week in the quarterfinals.
9 Chambersburg (5-4)
Chambersburg suffered another narrow loss, this time to Central Dauphin 28-23 after losing at Harrisburg 27-25 the week before. See the Central Dauphin write up for more detail. It was a strong effort where the other guy had a few more weapons and was just better. Brady Stumbaugh (5-11, 160, sr) still managed to show his stuff completing 16 or 24 passes for 145 yards, two of the passes going to TE/OLB Terrell Williams (6-2, 230, sr) for scores. Kevin Lee (5-8, 150) who is hard keeping up with also had an outstanding game, catching 5 passes for 78 yards. Running back Keyshawn Jones (5-8, 185) showed why he is one of the better backs in the Mid-State running for 110 yards on 18 carries against a legit defense. Allowing 254 yards rushing while keeping it close shows something of their defensive resiliency….as does Carter Sollenberger’s effort blocking a punt then recovering it in the end zone, narrowing CD’s lead to 21-14 at the half. Good luck running into these guys in the postseason if they make the cut. Right now they’re on the outside looking in with the 9th seed, behind Hempfield (4-5). They may get there yet with the Black Knights playing Manheim Township while Chambersburg closes out the regular season at home against the rival Thundering Herd of Carlisle who have a fine back in Tristyn Sulich with 969 yards rushing.
10 Manheim Central (7-2, 5A)
Manheim Central’s 63-13 win against Garden Spot (New Holland) set them up for their 5th straight LL-Section Two title and 26th overall Section championship (26th!) with a win Friday in Quarryville against Solanco (5-4, 5A). The win was also their 5th in a row since losing to Warwick and Wilson back-to-back. Quarterback Evan Simon had another career night completing 9 of 11 passes for 224 yards with touchdown tosses of 5, 10, 39 and 68 yards. He also rushed for 194 yards, scoring on runs of 58 and 91 yards. This accounted for 418 of the team’s 586 total yards of offense. He is some kind of talent. Garden Spot rushed for 184 yards and passed for 159, getting all their points and most of their yardage in the second half against subs. The Baron’s 3rd seed shouldn’t be at risk this final week visiting Solanco (South Lancaster County) who nevertheless have a mean option offense (3022 yards), but a non-existent passing attack that has thrown 31 passes all year.
11 Shippensburg (9-0, 5A)
The Greyhounds got much more than they expected at Red Land last week, battling well into the 4th quarter until securing this one. Ship had a 23-17 lead at the half and 28-23 lead entering the 4th quarter before icing it with fullback Jacob Loy’s 3rd and 4th touchdowns of the game. He had quite a game rushing 19 times for 160 yards. On defense, he had an interception making him something of a one man wrecking crew. While Foy batters people, Alex Sharrow is one of the real Greyhounds in the offense (they have a few), flying well under the radar at 5 feet 4 inches with speed to burn at 140 pounds. He had 122 yards on 16 carries. Zack Manning had one of his best games of the year in an effort that was needed against a tougher than expected Patriot team, completing 6 of 10 passes for 162 yards. Game stats show Ship at 462 (162p, 300r) yards of offense to Red Land’s 391 (241p, 150r). A win at home this week against Big Spring (4-5, 4A) puts them in sole possession of the Mid Penn-Colonial title after sharing it with Mifflin County last year. They also hold the top seed in 5A, just ahead of Cocalico, Manheim Central and York High.
12 Cedar Cliff (7-2, 5A)
Cedar Cliff (5-0) battled back from a 7-0 deficit to gain a 21-14 win at West Shore Stadium Friday against powerful Susquehanna Township. The outcome was in doubt until the very end when Jamir Reynolds-Vasquez picked off a desperation heave in the end zone with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Cedar Cliff couldn’t get anything going in the first half but found their groove in the 3rd exploding for 21 points. Everyone knew coming into the game that Jaheim Morris was Cedar Cliff’s offense. Just not to this degree, scoring all three touchdowns and rushing for 185 yards on 41 carries. If the math is right, he needs 144 yards against Red Land to break Jayden Demmy’s 4054 career mark. The win guarantees a tie in the Mid Penn-Keystone while Bishop McDevitt (6-3, 4-1) and Susquehanna Township (7-2, 4-1) face off Friday night at Hanna. The Colts destiny is in their hands with a win against Red Land (4-5, 2-3) wrapping up their second consecutive MP-Keystone title. It doesn’t look good for Red Land but their Qb Adam Cramer can get hot as he did last week against Shippensburg completing 22 of 37 throws for 241 yards.
13 Susquehanna Township (7-2, 4A)
Susquehanna Township dropped two spots in the rankings after seeing their seven game win streak come to a halt at Cedar Cliff, losing 21-14 in a Mid Penn showdown. Both came into the game undefeated in conference play. It was a defensive slugfest from the very start with neither topping the 300 total yardage mark and Susquehanna Township holding a 7-0 lead at the half. That’s as good as it got for the Tribe as the Colts responded with 21 3rd quarter points. Jaheim Morris controlled the pace with 41 carries grinding out 185 yards. Few do that to Hanna’s big, athletic front. The Colts didn’t seal it until picking off a desperation throw in the end zone, their third of the game with less than 30 seconds to go. Hanna’s quarterback Rahsaan Carlton completed 11 of 19 passes for 210, but threw 3 picks. Jacob Seigle had a good game rushing for 76 yards on 16 carries. Wide outs Steven Graves had 5 receptions for 98 with Cam Allen catching 4 for 75 yards. They outgained Cedar Cliff 283 to 220 but couldn’t handle Jaheim Morris. Bishop McDevitt (6-3, 4A, 5th seed) is next with Hanna in the same classification with the 3rd seed, battling for second place in the Keystone and postseason positioning.
14 Milton Hershey (8-1, 5A)
A lot of teams are coming into the postseason hot. Milton Hershey is one of them, coming off a 53-14 pounding of 2A Camp Hill (2-7, 1-5). This puts them on a seven game win streak after losing their only game of the season in week-2 at home to Susquehanna Township in a crossover game, 20-13, Hanna playing in the MP-Colonial. Milton Hershey plays in the MP-Capital, where they are currently in first at 6-0. They’re a game up on Middletown (8-1, 5-1, 3A), who they defeated 33-21 three weeks ago and Steelton Highspire (8-1, 5-1, 2A, 2 seed). They get Steel High Friday at Hershey in a game that promises to be high scoring with both teams averaging 38ppg. The Spartans play better defense at 15ppg to Steel High’s 23. But both are so explosive with real breakaway speed at multiple positions that either could score from any part of the field at any time. A win against the Rollers ends Middletown’s three year run and pretty much locks down the 4 seed for the Spartans entering the postseason. The Rollers hold the 2 seed behind undefeated Upper Dauphin (9-0).
15 Middletown (8-1 3A)
Middletown scored on their opening drive with East Pennsboro answering, returning the kick-off 80 yards to tie it up at 7-7. Heck of a start. Evidently this got the Blue Raiders attention as they went on a 35 point tear en route to a 42-7 rout of the Panthers. Two of Middletown’s big guns are Jose Lopez and Tymir Jackson. Both had notable games scoring three touchdowns a piece with Lopez rushing for 116 yards and Jackson at 126. The Raider’s defense was nearly impregnable as it’s been for most of the year, picking off three Panther passes and holding them to 80 total yards! Like Steelton Highspire, they’re a game behind Milton Hershey with a game to go, closing at Palmyra (4-5, 5A) with the 2 seed well in hand.
16 Berks Catholic (6-3, 4A)
Abdul MacFoy got his third touchdown of the 1st quarter (!), returning a Fleetwood kickoff 73 yards on the heels of their score to squash any momentum and go on to rout the Tigers 49-20. MacFoy is clearly back to full health gaining 236 yards on 16 carries for touchdowns of 64, 19, 73 and 20 yards in addition to the kickoff return. It was a sloppy game where BC lost 3 of 4 fumbles and were penalized 105 yards on 11 flags. They also allowed Fleetwood 292 yards passing on just 13 completions. Most going to Christian Moreno who caught 4 for 114 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 102 yards on 16 carries for another score. They’re a quick little veteran team with (eight back on both sides) but lack the size to go up against the big boys of the Berks-2 like BC and Wyomissing. **** For the Ches Mont crowd, Bishop Shanahan transfer Charlie Maddocs is Fleetwood’s starting quarterback, completing 80 of 178 passes (45%) for 1439 yards with a Td/Pick ratio of 13 to 9. BC’s favorable schedule playing Exeter, Malvern Prep and Fleetwood at home continues Friday against another Reading power in a game that promises to be heated against bitter rival Wyomissing (9-0, 3A). The Saints currently hold the top seed in 4A and Wyo the same in 3A.
17 Cocalico (7-2, 5A)
Solanco’s promising 5-2 season evaporated with recent losses to powerful Lampeter Strasburg (7-2) 41-14, and Cocalico last week 46-14, dropping them out of the LL-2 race at 2-2 behind Lampeter and Cocalico, both 3-1. Cocalico wasted no time against the Golden Mules, building a 40-0 lead at the half. Quarterback Noah Palm and Ronald Zalm spearheaded the attack with Palm garnering 207 total yards (136p, 71r) and Zalm at 194 (136p, 58r), and catching all of Palm’s passes. The Mules option offense had some kick to it at 335 rush yards but nothing in support from above, going 0 for 4 in pass attempts. The regular season finale is at home to another power running team in Lampeter Strasburg whose season rushing total is 2151 yards against Cocalico’s 2635. Cocalico’s 10-3 team stormed the 6-6 Pioneers last year 62-23. But this one should be different against a far more stout LS defense. Hats off to them since losing their returning quarterback Sean McTaggart for the season the opening week against Spring Grove.
18 Wyomissing (9-0, 3A)
A 47 yard punt return by Max Hurleman for a touchdown followed by a 20 yard Pick-6 by Evan Niedrowski got Wyomissing off to a flying start on the way to a 28-0 1st quarter that ballooned to 42-7 at the half as the Spartans routed Schuylkill Valley 56-14. It’s difficult not running the score up on a 3-6 team but Wyomissing tried, using 10 running backs and throwing just 6 passes. Leading rusher Max Thurlman had 68 yards on 3 carries. Across the field the Panther’s quarterback Nicco Iaccarino set a school record flinging it 44 times with 18 completions, one touchdown and four interceptions. As always, Wyomissing played it close to the vest, running 37 times for 304 yards. The win sets up a game at Berks Catholic that will decide the Berks-Section Two title with both at 4-0. Over the years the game has somewhat officially been dubbed “The Backyard Brawl”, rather than….a backyard brawl!? Whatever you call it, it promises to be one of the very best games in the district.
19 Bishop McDevitt (6-3, 4A)
Three scoops and scores, two in the 1st quarter and one in the 2nd blew this one wide open with McDevitt rocking Mechanicsburg at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium, 42-7. Mechanicsburg’s anemic offense of 36 yards rushing and 72 passing was a statement to McDevitt’s quick and veteran defense and their own mistakes, fumbling the ball away five times. Another breakdown saw McDevitt’s Julian Jordan return a punt 75 yards for a score. Highly regarded freshman running back Marquese Williams has become their lead back, rushing for 99 yards on 14 carries with 700 total for the year. This is a rebuilt offense benefitting from a veteran defense. Junior quarterback Lek Powell is having a solid season as a first year starter, completing 14 of 20 passes for 150 yards in this one….and 117 of 181 (65%, 13/6 ratio) for 1432 yards for the season. Last year’s freshman Mario Easterly caught 22 passes for 272 yards and has 43 for 692 this year. Oman Hopkins, a junior, has 16 receptions for 379 yards with sophomore Kamil Foster catching 9 for 135 yards. At 6-3, they may not be a year ahead of schedule but they are developing well, with tight losses to Cumberland Valley 21-7 in the opener, Middletown 6-2 and Cedar Cliff 20-17. They’ll have to bring it strong Friday at Susquehanna Township where the Tribe will be waiting after last year’s 42-14 shellacking.
20 Governor Mifflin (6-3, 5A)
The Mustangs are back on top of the Berk-1 after defeating Exeter Township 33-27 for their sixth straight win following a 0-3 start. Last week saw them face a stiff challenge from Exeter who came in full of fight. Things began well for Mifflin, jumping on the Eagles early where running back Nicholas Singleton almost single handedly broke their spirit, gashing them for touchdowns of 57, 14 and 53 yards while building a 33 to 17 halftime lead. He was a bull, doing most of the damage the first half, finishing the game with 192 yards on 18 carries. But a second half push by Exeter brought Mifflin to the precipice, as much with their defense that shut the Mustangs down as with their offense that chipped away with a 11 yard keeper by Qb Gavin McCusker and a 36 yard field goal that was clutch by Sean Henry in the 4th quarter, making it a one possession game at 33-27. The conclusion saw Exeter driving to the 14 yard line where on a 4th and 4, McCusker was stopped short with just under two minutes remaining. The Mustangs took over, maintaining possession to run out the clock. They’re at Robesonia Friday playing defending champ Conrad Weiser (5-4) who at 4-1 is still in the Berk-1 title race with Exeter. Plus they have the 9th seed in the 10 team 4A field so look for an intense game.
Honorable Mention:
Exeter Township (6-3, 5A) home Boone 2-7, 5A
Cedar Crest (6-3) at Garden Spot 0-9
York Suburban (9-0, 4A) home Susquehannock 4-5. 4A
Northern York (6-3, 5A) home Waynesboro 5-4, 5A
York-William Penn (7-2, 5A) at Central York 8-1
Lampeter Strasburg (7-2, 4A) at Cocalico 7-2, 5A
Cumberland Valley (5-4) at State College 8-1
Gettysburg (7-2, 4A) at Greencastle Antrim 1-8, 4A
Steelton Highspire (8-1, 2A) at Milton Hershey 8-1, 4A
Mount Carmel (7-2, 3A, D4) at Shamokin 3-6, 3A
Upper Dauphin (9-0, 2A) at Line Mountain 3-6, 2A
1 Manheim Township (9-0)
Manheim Township edged a game closer to securing their third straight Lancaster Lebanon Section-1 title with an overwhelming 71-0 performance against winless McCaskey. A win against rival Hempfield (4-5) at home Friday seals it. The tape tells the tale in this one with the Blue Streaks outgaining McCaskey 474 to 19. McCaskey rushed for negative 6 yards and continues shooting themselves in the foot with an inordinate number of penalties, 13 for 103 yards in this one. This has been an issue all year. Adding to those against Township, are the 8 flags thrown for 85 yards against Red Lion, 12 for 100 yards against Warwick and 14 for 92 yards against Penn Manor. That’s 47 penalties for 380 yards in just four games. Conversely, Township has 54 penalties for the year. Mercifully, Township emptied the bench, using eight running backs and seven receivers who totaled 276 yards rushing while senior Qb Harrison Kirk completed 11 of 19 passes for 167 yards. #2 Qb Evan Clark (6-2, 170, jr) completed both his passes for 100 yards. The Streaks are in rarified air this year for a 6A team averaging 47ppg (27.4 last year), a level more typically reached by smaller schools. More impressive is their defense that allowed 55 points or 6ppg (13.5 last year), making them a very unusual team indeed.
2 Central Dauphin (7-2)
How about these Rams starting the season 1-2 with tight road losses at Wilson and Manheim Township, and now on a six game win streak that has them in sole possession of the Mid Penn-Commonwealth. The streak includes wins against Harrisburg, State College and last week against Chambersburg who proved to be a bear. In the words of one of Harrisburg’s finest, Coach Dennis Green (former AZ Cardinals head coach), “They are who we thought they were” following a loss to Chicago Bears. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmQbk5h86w
Tell em coach! Here’s how the game went.
Chambersburg nearly duplicated the Bears performance against Arizona, blocking a punt recovered in the end zone for a late first half score to cut CD’s lead to 21-14. This unquestionably fired up the Trojans who came out in the second half with a purpose. Coming off a 27-25 loss at Harrisburg the week before didn’t seem to affect them, holding the Rams scoreless throughout the 3rd quarter, allowing them to draw closer on Tyler Luther’s 30 yard field goal that cut the deficit to 21-17. The second half saw both teams miss opportunities with an errant CD field goal and a Trojan fumble before Timmy Smith broke loose on a 46 yard dash early in the 4th for a 28-17 lead. Chambersburg responded, driving 65 yards with Qb Brady Stumbaugh hitting Terrell Williams for his second touchdown to bring them within five on a missed extra point. From there CD was able to run out the clock, getting a key first down and turning back another Trojan drive for a hard fought 28-23 win. Self-inflicted wounds and a good Chambersburg defense kept the Rams at bay, despite 476 yards of total offense. Timmy Smith had a break out game rushing for 180 yards while Max Mosey (64%, 1244, 8/2) had one of his best games of the season completing 14 of 17 passes for 222 yards and an 11 yard touchdown pass to Nick Chimienti. CD’s receiver corps of Chimienti (3/64), Malachi Bowman (3/54), Jackson Talbott (3/76), Tyrese Fuller and running back Timmy Smith may just be the most underrated area of the team. Rival Central Dauphin East (3-6) is next at Landis where they both share the field.
3 State College (8-1, D6)
State College shook off the effects of last week’s 34-13 loss at home to Central Dauphin, their first of the season, by routing outmanned Altoona 48-0. Shaking off the effects of playing Harrisburg and Central Dauphin back to back this time of year with all the nicks and dents took up the 1st quarter where they got a 7-0 lead before exploding for 27 2nd quarter points. Also have to give Altoona (1-8) props for conjuring up a lengthy time consuming drive. Dresyn Green keyed State’s 27 point surge with a 7 yard run and a 48 yard Pick-6, combined with William Howell’s 10 yard touchdown toss from Qb Brady Dorner and another one to Isaiah Edwards of 27 yards. Howell may be the most underrated weapon in State’s considerable arsenal, rushing for 42 yards on 3 attempts and catching 4 passes for 54 yards. But Green gets most of the attention and rightly so, rushing for 102 yards on 10 carries. Like Howell, Isaiah Edwards is a multi-faceted talent, rushing for 38 yards while catching 5 passes for 85 yards, two of them for touchdowns. Dorner (68%, 1345, 9/3) ended the night 11 of 13 for 153 yards, passing for scores of 24 (Edwards), 10 (Howell) and 27 (Edwards) yards. They finish up at home to Cumberland Valley (5-4), winners of their last three games after a 2-4 start. CV often plays SC hard, losing 16-13 last year with a 3-7 team. And while SC has the #1 seed locked up in District-6, CV is struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive, holding the 7th seed in a field of eight. They have a veteran defense that has hung tough despite little support from the offense. SC should know by now can never underestimate Cumberland Valley, even in the rare off years.
4 Wilson (8-1)
Wilson is staying close, a game back of Township in the LL-1 after shutting down Cedar Crest 35-7 with a relentless defense and effective ground game. The defense held the slumping Falcons (lost 3 of 4) to 94 rush yards, and their outstanding running back Tyler Cruz who came in with 1050 yards to 10 yards. 10! But you might want to remember the name Aadyn Richards (5-10, 195, soph) who gained 98 yards on 12 tries. Cedar Crest only gained 202 total yards of offense to 496 for the Bulldogs; 308 rushing on 40 carries. Bruising Avanti Lockhart (6-2, 215) had his most productive game of the season, rushing for 142 yards and 3 scores. He’s at 710 for the year. Qb Kaleb Brown had a good outing completing 11 of 15 passes for 170 yards and 3 touchdown passes while rushing for 36 yards. They finish up Friday at home to 0-9 McCaskey, where they will enter the postseason with the 1 or 2 seed.
5 Harrisburg (6-3)
Harrisburg finally got it together after tough losses to State College and Central Dauphin and the grinding 27-25 win against Chambersburg by overwhelming Carlisle 62-0. Their defense was hyper active, holding the Herd to 154 total yards. Cougar quarterbacks had outstanding games combining for 184 yards on 6 completions of 7 passes. Nicari Williams threw touchdown passes of 65 and 19 yards and returned the 2nd half kickoff 95 yards for another score. John McNeil ran from 2 yards out and threw a strike to Trevion Carey of 59 yards for another score. Sophomore Amirh Pittman got in on the fun returning an interception 99 yards for the final touchdown. Altoona is next where the Cougars are battling Central York for the 4 seed. Central likely takes it if they can beat 5A York High (7-2).
6 Southern Columbia (9-0, 2A, D4)
Previously undefeated Montoursville had no more luck stopping Southern Columbia than any team has this year, getting trounced 35-0, with Tiger subs coming in early and often following a 21-0 first quarter. Gavin and Gaige Garcia topped the 100 yard mark again, rushing for 124 and 116 yards respectively, both scoring touchdowns. Quarterback Preston Zachman completing 8 of 10 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. All his completions went to Julian Fleming. Once again Southern completely dominated a decent team, outgaining the Warriors (8-1, 3A) 426 to 82, while holding them to five first downs. They close out the regular season Friday against Danville (4-5, 3A), a team Montoursville beat two weeks ago 46-14.
7 Warwick (7-2, 5A)
Warwick bounced back from consecutive losses and the heartbreaking loss to Wilson by defeating Conestoga Valley 30-6. It took a while for them to shake out the kinks from the 14-7 loss at Wilson and the 28-7 loss to Manheim Township the week before. Those were physical games with all three having solid, hard hitting defenses. Getting the offense back in gear was then another matter. Two Joey McCracken touchdown passes of 40 and 24 yards got things going where a 20-7 lead proved decisive. Colton Miller kept C-Val’s D-front locked down, rushing for 114 yards, allowing McCracken’s accuracy to do real damage completing 11 of 13 passes for 200 yards. Their big three receivers, Caleb Schmitz, Conor Adams and Justin Gerhart had three receptions each; Schmitz for 80 yards and a score, Adams for 64 yards and Gerhart for 42 yards and a score. As always, Warwick’s defense clamped down, holding the Buckskins to 98 rush yards and 84 through the air. They’re out of the LL race at 3-2 behind Wilson (4-1) and Township (5-0) but hold the 6th seed for the coming 5A tournament with Penn Manor (3-6) up next. Remember, they’re doing all this without the services of receiver Trey Glass who missed the season with a knee after catching 75 passes for 1328 yards and 15 Touchdowns last year. 5A is shaping up for a memorable postseason, with teams such as Shippensburg 9-0, Manheim Central 7-2, York 7-2, Cedar Cliff 7-2, Governor Mifflin 6-3, Cocalico 7-2, Exeter 6-3 and Warwick 7-2 all bringing good stuff.
8 Central York (8-1)
Central York cruised to an easy win in a string of easy wins the last six games showing off both their offense and defense getting in another gear, winning by an average score of 53-5. Dallastown (2-6) was the latest victim, losing 58-0 in a game that was over at the half. Central led 37-0 before flooding the field with reserves. Another red hot York team, York High (6-2, 5A), also on a six game win streak is next. They aren’t at Central’s level offensively but are averaging 36ppg since opening with the 42-7 disaster against Pittsburgh Central Catholic with almost an entirely new cast. The big loss was last year’s standout running back Dayjure Stewart (6-0, 200, Illinois St, Mizu Val Conf) who graduated with 3092 rush yards and 37 touchdown in his senior season alone! Both York and Central are tied for first place in the York-Adams-1 at 6-0; York holding the 4 seed in 5A and Central the 5th in 6A. Look for extra incentive after York’s stunning 54-14 dismantling of Central High in last year’s regular season finale. A loss they never recovered from, losing to Central Dauphin 49-21 the following week in the quarterfinals.
9 Chambersburg (5-4)
Chambersburg suffered another narrow loss, this time to Central Dauphin 28-23 after losing at Harrisburg 27-25 the week before. See the Central Dauphin write up for more detail. It was a strong effort where the other guy had a few more weapons and was just better. Brady Stumbaugh (5-11, 160, sr) still managed to show his stuff completing 16 or 24 passes for 145 yards, two of the passes going to TE/OLB Terrell Williams (6-2, 230, sr) for scores. Kevin Lee (5-8, 150) who is hard keeping up with also had an outstanding game, catching 5 passes for 78 yards. Running back Keyshawn Jones (5-8, 185) showed why he is one of the better backs in the Mid-State running for 110 yards on 18 carries against a legit defense. Allowing 254 yards rushing while keeping it close shows something of their defensive resiliency….as does Carter Sollenberger’s effort blocking a punt then recovering it in the end zone, narrowing CD’s lead to 21-14 at the half. Good luck running into these guys in the postseason if they make the cut. Right now they’re on the outside looking in with the 9th seed, behind Hempfield (4-5). They may get there yet with the Black Knights playing Manheim Township while Chambersburg closes out the regular season at home against the rival Thundering Herd of Carlisle who have a fine back in Tristyn Sulich with 969 yards rushing.
10 Manheim Central (7-2, 5A)
Manheim Central’s 63-13 win against Garden Spot (New Holland) set them up for their 5th straight LL-Section Two title and 26th overall Section championship (26th!) with a win Friday in Quarryville against Solanco (5-4, 5A). The win was also their 5th in a row since losing to Warwick and Wilson back-to-back. Quarterback Evan Simon had another career night completing 9 of 11 passes for 224 yards with touchdown tosses of 5, 10, 39 and 68 yards. He also rushed for 194 yards, scoring on runs of 58 and 91 yards. This accounted for 418 of the team’s 586 total yards of offense. He is some kind of talent. Garden Spot rushed for 184 yards and passed for 159, getting all their points and most of their yardage in the second half against subs. The Baron’s 3rd seed shouldn’t be at risk this final week visiting Solanco (South Lancaster County) who nevertheless have a mean option offense (3022 yards), but a non-existent passing attack that has thrown 31 passes all year.
11 Shippensburg (9-0, 5A)
The Greyhounds got much more than they expected at Red Land last week, battling well into the 4th quarter until securing this one. Ship had a 23-17 lead at the half and 28-23 lead entering the 4th quarter before icing it with fullback Jacob Loy’s 3rd and 4th touchdowns of the game. He had quite a game rushing 19 times for 160 yards. On defense, he had an interception making him something of a one man wrecking crew. While Foy batters people, Alex Sharrow is one of the real Greyhounds in the offense (they have a few), flying well under the radar at 5 feet 4 inches with speed to burn at 140 pounds. He had 122 yards on 16 carries. Zack Manning had one of his best games of the year in an effort that was needed against a tougher than expected Patriot team, completing 6 of 10 passes for 162 yards. Game stats show Ship at 462 (162p, 300r) yards of offense to Red Land’s 391 (241p, 150r). A win at home this week against Big Spring (4-5, 4A) puts them in sole possession of the Mid Penn-Colonial title after sharing it with Mifflin County last year. They also hold the top seed in 5A, just ahead of Cocalico, Manheim Central and York High.
12 Cedar Cliff (7-2, 5A)
Cedar Cliff (5-0) battled back from a 7-0 deficit to gain a 21-14 win at West Shore Stadium Friday against powerful Susquehanna Township. The outcome was in doubt until the very end when Jamir Reynolds-Vasquez picked off a desperation heave in the end zone with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Cedar Cliff couldn’t get anything going in the first half but found their groove in the 3rd exploding for 21 points. Everyone knew coming into the game that Jaheim Morris was Cedar Cliff’s offense. Just not to this degree, scoring all three touchdowns and rushing for 185 yards on 41 carries. If the math is right, he needs 144 yards against Red Land to break Jayden Demmy’s 4054 career mark. The win guarantees a tie in the Mid Penn-Keystone while Bishop McDevitt (6-3, 4-1) and Susquehanna Township (7-2, 4-1) face off Friday night at Hanna. The Colts destiny is in their hands with a win against Red Land (4-5, 2-3) wrapping up their second consecutive MP-Keystone title. It doesn’t look good for Red Land but their Qb Adam Cramer can get hot as he did last week against Shippensburg completing 22 of 37 throws for 241 yards.
13 Susquehanna Township (7-2, 4A)
Susquehanna Township dropped two spots in the rankings after seeing their seven game win streak come to a halt at Cedar Cliff, losing 21-14 in a Mid Penn showdown. Both came into the game undefeated in conference play. It was a defensive slugfest from the very start with neither topping the 300 total yardage mark and Susquehanna Township holding a 7-0 lead at the half. That’s as good as it got for the Tribe as the Colts responded with 21 3rd quarter points. Jaheim Morris controlled the pace with 41 carries grinding out 185 yards. Few do that to Hanna’s big, athletic front. The Colts didn’t seal it until picking off a desperation throw in the end zone, their third of the game with less than 30 seconds to go. Hanna’s quarterback Rahsaan Carlton completed 11 of 19 passes for 210, but threw 3 picks. Jacob Seigle had a good game rushing for 76 yards on 16 carries. Wide outs Steven Graves had 5 receptions for 98 with Cam Allen catching 4 for 75 yards. They outgained Cedar Cliff 283 to 220 but couldn’t handle Jaheim Morris. Bishop McDevitt (6-3, 4A, 5th seed) is next with Hanna in the same classification with the 3rd seed, battling for second place in the Keystone and postseason positioning.
14 Milton Hershey (8-1, 5A)
A lot of teams are coming into the postseason hot. Milton Hershey is one of them, coming off a 53-14 pounding of 2A Camp Hill (2-7, 1-5). This puts them on a seven game win streak after losing their only game of the season in week-2 at home to Susquehanna Township in a crossover game, 20-13, Hanna playing in the MP-Colonial. Milton Hershey plays in the MP-Capital, where they are currently in first at 6-0. They’re a game up on Middletown (8-1, 5-1, 3A), who they defeated 33-21 three weeks ago and Steelton Highspire (8-1, 5-1, 2A, 2 seed). They get Steel High Friday at Hershey in a game that promises to be high scoring with both teams averaging 38ppg. The Spartans play better defense at 15ppg to Steel High’s 23. But both are so explosive with real breakaway speed at multiple positions that either could score from any part of the field at any time. A win against the Rollers ends Middletown’s three year run and pretty much locks down the 4 seed for the Spartans entering the postseason. The Rollers hold the 2 seed behind undefeated Upper Dauphin (9-0).
15 Middletown (8-1 3A)
Middletown scored on their opening drive with East Pennsboro answering, returning the kick-off 80 yards to tie it up at 7-7. Heck of a start. Evidently this got the Blue Raiders attention as they went on a 35 point tear en route to a 42-7 rout of the Panthers. Two of Middletown’s big guns are Jose Lopez and Tymir Jackson. Both had notable games scoring three touchdowns a piece with Lopez rushing for 116 yards and Jackson at 126. The Raider’s defense was nearly impregnable as it’s been for most of the year, picking off three Panther passes and holding them to 80 total yards! Like Steelton Highspire, they’re a game behind Milton Hershey with a game to go, closing at Palmyra (4-5, 5A) with the 2 seed well in hand.
16 Berks Catholic (6-3, 4A)
Abdul MacFoy got his third touchdown of the 1st quarter (!), returning a Fleetwood kickoff 73 yards on the heels of their score to squash any momentum and go on to rout the Tigers 49-20. MacFoy is clearly back to full health gaining 236 yards on 16 carries for touchdowns of 64, 19, 73 and 20 yards in addition to the kickoff return. It was a sloppy game where BC lost 3 of 4 fumbles and were penalized 105 yards on 11 flags. They also allowed Fleetwood 292 yards passing on just 13 completions. Most going to Christian Moreno who caught 4 for 114 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 102 yards on 16 carries for another score. They’re a quick little veteran team with (eight back on both sides) but lack the size to go up against the big boys of the Berks-2 like BC and Wyomissing. **** For the Ches Mont crowd, Bishop Shanahan transfer Charlie Maddocs is Fleetwood’s starting quarterback, completing 80 of 178 passes (45%) for 1439 yards with a Td/Pick ratio of 13 to 9. BC’s favorable schedule playing Exeter, Malvern Prep and Fleetwood at home continues Friday against another Reading power in a game that promises to be heated against bitter rival Wyomissing (9-0, 3A). The Saints currently hold the top seed in 4A and Wyo the same in 3A.
17 Cocalico (7-2, 5A)
Solanco’s promising 5-2 season evaporated with recent losses to powerful Lampeter Strasburg (7-2) 41-14, and Cocalico last week 46-14, dropping them out of the LL-2 race at 2-2 behind Lampeter and Cocalico, both 3-1. Cocalico wasted no time against the Golden Mules, building a 40-0 lead at the half. Quarterback Noah Palm and Ronald Zalm spearheaded the attack with Palm garnering 207 total yards (136p, 71r) and Zalm at 194 (136p, 58r), and catching all of Palm’s passes. The Mules option offense had some kick to it at 335 rush yards but nothing in support from above, going 0 for 4 in pass attempts. The regular season finale is at home to another power running team in Lampeter Strasburg whose season rushing total is 2151 yards against Cocalico’s 2635. Cocalico’s 10-3 team stormed the 6-6 Pioneers last year 62-23. But this one should be different against a far more stout LS defense. Hats off to them since losing their returning quarterback Sean McTaggart for the season the opening week against Spring Grove.
18 Wyomissing (9-0, 3A)
A 47 yard punt return by Max Hurleman for a touchdown followed by a 20 yard Pick-6 by Evan Niedrowski got Wyomissing off to a flying start on the way to a 28-0 1st quarter that ballooned to 42-7 at the half as the Spartans routed Schuylkill Valley 56-14. It’s difficult not running the score up on a 3-6 team but Wyomissing tried, using 10 running backs and throwing just 6 passes. Leading rusher Max Thurlman had 68 yards on 3 carries. Across the field the Panther’s quarterback Nicco Iaccarino set a school record flinging it 44 times with 18 completions, one touchdown and four interceptions. As always, Wyomissing played it close to the vest, running 37 times for 304 yards. The win sets up a game at Berks Catholic that will decide the Berks-Section Two title with both at 4-0. Over the years the game has somewhat officially been dubbed “The Backyard Brawl”, rather than….a backyard brawl!? Whatever you call it, it promises to be one of the very best games in the district.
19 Bishop McDevitt (6-3, 4A)
Three scoops and scores, two in the 1st quarter and one in the 2nd blew this one wide open with McDevitt rocking Mechanicsburg at Rocco Ortenzio Stadium, 42-7. Mechanicsburg’s anemic offense of 36 yards rushing and 72 passing was a statement to McDevitt’s quick and veteran defense and their own mistakes, fumbling the ball away five times. Another breakdown saw McDevitt’s Julian Jordan return a punt 75 yards for a score. Highly regarded freshman running back Marquese Williams has become their lead back, rushing for 99 yards on 14 carries with 700 total for the year. This is a rebuilt offense benefitting from a veteran defense. Junior quarterback Lek Powell is having a solid season as a first year starter, completing 14 of 20 passes for 150 yards in this one….and 117 of 181 (65%, 13/6 ratio) for 1432 yards for the season. Last year’s freshman Mario Easterly caught 22 passes for 272 yards and has 43 for 692 this year. Oman Hopkins, a junior, has 16 receptions for 379 yards with sophomore Kamil Foster catching 9 for 135 yards. At 6-3, they may not be a year ahead of schedule but they are developing well, with tight losses to Cumberland Valley 21-7 in the opener, Middletown 6-2 and Cedar Cliff 20-17. They’ll have to bring it strong Friday at Susquehanna Township where the Tribe will be waiting after last year’s 42-14 shellacking.
20 Governor Mifflin (6-3, 5A)
The Mustangs are back on top of the Berk-1 after defeating Exeter Township 33-27 for their sixth straight win following a 0-3 start. Last week saw them face a stiff challenge from Exeter who came in full of fight. Things began well for Mifflin, jumping on the Eagles early where running back Nicholas Singleton almost single handedly broke their spirit, gashing them for touchdowns of 57, 14 and 53 yards while building a 33 to 17 halftime lead. He was a bull, doing most of the damage the first half, finishing the game with 192 yards on 18 carries. But a second half push by Exeter brought Mifflin to the precipice, as much with their defense that shut the Mustangs down as with their offense that chipped away with a 11 yard keeper by Qb Gavin McCusker and a 36 yard field goal that was clutch by Sean Henry in the 4th quarter, making it a one possession game at 33-27. The conclusion saw Exeter driving to the 14 yard line where on a 4th and 4, McCusker was stopped short with just under two minutes remaining. The Mustangs took over, maintaining possession to run out the clock. They’re at Robesonia Friday playing defending champ Conrad Weiser (5-4) who at 4-1 is still in the Berk-1 title race with Exeter. Plus they have the 9th seed in the 10 team 4A field so look for an intense game.
Honorable Mention:
Exeter Township (6-3, 5A) home Boone 2-7, 5A
Cedar Crest (6-3) at Garden Spot 0-9
York Suburban (9-0, 4A) home Susquehannock 4-5. 4A
Northern York (6-3, 5A) home Waynesboro 5-4, 5A
York-William Penn (7-2, 5A) at Central York 8-1
Lampeter Strasburg (7-2, 4A) at Cocalico 7-2, 5A
Cumberland Valley (5-4) at State College 8-1
Gettysburg (7-2, 4A) at Greencastle Antrim 1-8, 4A
Steelton Highspire (8-1, 2A) at Milton Hershey 8-1, 4A
Mount Carmel (7-2, 3A, D4) at Shamokin 3-6, 3A
Upper Dauphin (9-0, 2A) at Line Mountain 3-6, 2A
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