Friday, Oct. 18
Non-League
East Pennsboro at James Buchanan
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 38, James Buchanan 14: Remember the Panthers started ice cold and were 0-2 while the Rockets were firing on all cylinders to start the season and didn’t lose the first month. That’s flipped as EP looks playoff bound with this victory.
Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 45, James Buchanan 21: Rockets are on a losing skid but they haven’t stopped punching. I think they’ll find the end zone in this game, just not nearly as often as the Panthers, who have grown exponentially over the course of this season.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 45, James Buchanan 7: Panthers currently hold the No. 7 seed in the District 3-AAAA Power rankings–and no, Mr. Shay, it is not too early to look!
Commonwealth
Cedar Cliff at Altoona
Andy Shay: Altoona 27, Cedar Cliff 24: I know the Mountain Lions are a one-win team and the Colts have two more victories. Four of Altoona’s seven losses have been two or fewer scores. They are not easy to beat and I just feel they are ripe to get a second “W”.
Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 30, Altoona 21: The Colts are coming off their best offensive performance in Commonwealth play. If they can recreate that effort in Mansion Park, they’ll come home winners.
Adam Kulikowski:Altoona 31, Cedar Cliff 24: My picks against Altoona recently have been berated by my Altoona-grad wife. And rightfully so! This one shouldn’t be.
Central Dauphin East at Bishop McDevitt
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 32, CD East 14: Crusaders are taking care of their Commonwealth Division duties in workmanlike fashion in preparation for the playoffs. The Panthers first loss was an eye opener and revealing.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 38, CD East 28: I think the Panthers match up a little better with McDevitt than they did with State College last week. It’s still going to be an uphill battle for East High.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 44, CD East 23: Taking in the Panthers loss to State College last week provided a first-hand glimpse at the vulnerabilities of Lance Deane’s crew. Crusaders with D1-QB commit Stone Saunders are well equipped to challenge East’s air defense.
Carlisle at State College
Andy Shay: State College 49, Carlisle 0: Never like picking a team to get shut out, but just the way this cookie crumbles right now as my four eyes see it.
Andy Sandrik: State College 48, Carlisle 7: Every team in the Commonwealth has talent, but State College is showing once again what happens when you add depth to the equation.
Adam Kulikowski: State College 45, Carlisle 6: Little Lions aren’t afraid to sling the rock when they see weakness. Just ask CD East.
Harrisburg at Central Dauphin
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 21, Central Dauphin 7: Cougars are looking to rebound after getting bounced by Cumberland Valley at home a week ago. Rams are not easy to beat, but not sure they have enough offense in this matchup over 48 minutes.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 28, Central Dauphin 7: Was the CV loss a wake up call for Harrisburg, or foreshadowing of things to come? Cougars will answer at least part of that question on Friday.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 28, Central Dauphin 14: How do the Cougars respond to being upset last week by Cumberland Valley? Sharps would say Harrisburg showcases their true colors.
Chambersburg at Cumberland Valley
Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 27, Chambersburg 14: Here we go again with CV making a late season push to be part of the second season. Springing the upset of Harrisburg came out of left field kind of. Now it’s time to validate when you are the better team.
Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 21, Chambersburg 18: Trojans have the athletes to put some points on the board. Their best path to victory will be playing from ahead against a CV squad whose offense was more opportunistic than explosive in a surprise win over Harrisburg.
Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 28, Chambersburg 21: CV forced four interceptions a week ago against Harrisburg. If the defense continues to win the turnover battle, the Eagles will fortify their hold on a 6A playoff seed.
Keystone
Mifflin County at Gettysburg
Andy Shay: Gettysburg 31, Mifflin County 27: This is my “on any given night game”. Why do I feel if these two teams played 10 times each might win five of those. Heads on my coin was Gettysburg.
Andy Sandrik: Mifflin County 21, Gettysburg 18: Huskies have allowed only 7.3 points per contest over their last three games. If they can find just a little bit of offense to go along with that defensive effort, they’ll have a really good shot to win.
Adam Kulikowski: Gettysburg 28, Mifflin County 27: I see this game as a toss up. Both teams have rolled through the 2024 circuit searching for consistency.
Hershey at Mechanicsburg
Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 35, Hershey 14: All the Wildcats do is win games by three or more touchdowns every single week. Until that changes, I’m gonna ride the train. Wildcats are a complete team.
Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 42, Hershey 19: I will watch any football team that streams its games free of charge on YouTube, like Mechanicsburg does. Bonus points if that team is also one of the best in the Mid-Penn, like Mechanicsburg is.
Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 32, Hershey 28: This just might be the biggest test of the year to date for the undefeated Wildcats–one I fully expect this crew to ace.
Waynesboro at Lower Dauphin
Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 28, Waynesboro 26: This could be a wild one. Indians are struggling and the Falcons are playing better in recent weeks with back-to-back wins. Still a tight squeeze.
Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 21, Waynesboro 7: I’m going with the LD defense, which has allowed just seven points over the last eight quarters.
Adam Kulikowski: Waynesboro 31, Lower Dauphin 28: Waynesboro is on a three-game skid, but make no mistake this is a dangerous team fully capable of knocking off the Falcons.
Shippensburg at Northern York
Andy Shay: Shippensburg 40, Northern York 14: Yeah the ‘Hounds have had a couple close shaves, but they have been extremely consistent offensively. That’s your difference maker here – more weapons.
Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 42, Northern York 14: At the beginning of the year, we thought Ship was performing beyond its capabilities. Now as we approach the end of the regular season, the Greyhounds now look the part of contender.
Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 37, Northern York 26: The Greyhounds seemingly have found another gear offensively. That’s bad news for the Polar Bears.
Palmyra at Red Land
Andy Shay: Red Land 31, Palmyra 7: For what they lack in consistency, the Patriots have been explosive at times on a more level playing field. Expect some fireworks from Red Land in this one.
Andy Sandrik: Red Land 21, Palmyra 14: Brady Seyler has quietly racked up back-to-back 100-yard rushing weeks for the Patriots. Make it three straight for the senior RB.
Adam Kulikowski: Red Land 27, Palmyra 20: Cougars haven’t scored more than 14 points since their Week 1 victory while the Patriots have topped the 14-point mark just twice this season. So, of course, both will ‘light up’ the scoreboard this week.
Capital
Line Mountain at Camp Hill
Andy Shay: Line Mountain 39, Camp Hill 26: The better team is clearly Line Mountain. I just can’t let go of seeing the Lions as a dangerous squad to take out, though. Eagles are a solid favorite based on ‘24 results.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 55, Camp Hill 40: If you have any players from these schools on your high school fantasy team, start them now!
Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 31, Camp Hill 20: Eagles present a stiff test to a Camp Hill squad that appears to be scuffling a bit down the stretch.
Halifax at Juniata
Andy Shay: Juniata 48, Halifax 0: Whole stole the Juniata defense last week and made them look like a regular high school defense? That was an outlier in terms of body of work. Wildcats don’t have the horsepower to generate any consistent pressure.
Andy Sandrik: Juniata 49, Halifax 0: After getting smoked for a season-high 40 points last week, Juniata’s proud defense would like nothing more than to make an example out of somebody.
Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 45, Halifax 6: The winless Wildcats struggle to put points on the board. Juniata is not a team that you right that woe against.
Newport at Upper Dauphin
Andy Shay: Upper Dauphin 44, Newport 14: Did you know the Trojans have not only won three straight after bottoming out at 1-4, but UDA has scored 111 points over the last 12 quarters. The train has left the station.
Andy Sandrik: Upper Dauphin 43, Newport 14: We’ve always known UD can run the ball, but QB Aidan Bingaman throwing four TDs last week showed us there’s another dimension to this Trojans offense.
Adam Kulikowski: Upper Dauphin 34, Newport 21: The vibes in Newport have been trending up, but knocking off the Trojans presents a new level challenge.
Steelton-Highspire at Susquenita
Andy Shay: Steel-High 49, Susquenita 14: Once the pieces for this new-look Rollers outfit fell into place, it kind of looks the same as it ever was in some ways. Bad news for the Blackhawks.
Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 42, Susquenita 7: Rollers have found a new offensive gear during their three-game winning game streak. Not great news for a Susquenita squad still picking up the pieces after allowing 46 points last week.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 45, Susquenita 14: Rollers enter this fray with a three-game winning streak and plenty of momentum to keep the good vibes going.
Colonial
Middletown at Big Spring
Andy Shay: Big Spring 35, Middletown 32: Recent form clearly favors Big Spring. This has all the markers of a wild one breaking out. Give me the Bulldogs and their recent form.
Andy Sandrik: Middletown 38, Big Spring 35: Middletown’s allowed over 39 points per contest during its three-game slide. Big Spring’s defense can relate after surrendering 70 last week. Should we expect a barn burner in Newville?
Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 41, Middletown 38: Two straight clunkers give me pause picking the Blue Raiders. Bulldogs are winners of three of their last four.
Boiling Springs at Greencastle-Antrim
Andy Shay: Greencastle-Antrim 45, Boiling Springs 14: Did you see what the Blue Devils did to Juniata last week – dropping a 40-burger on the Indians’ vaunted defense for win No. 2. Yeah, give me G-A.
Andy Sandrik: Greencastle-Antrim 42, Boiling Springs 14: Anyone else shocked at how thoroughly the Blue Devils dispatched Juniata last week? There will be no postseason for Greencastle, so look for them to play the rest of their schedule like it’s the Super Bowl.
Adam Kulikowski: Greencastle-Antrim 43, Boiling Springs 13: Five of Greencastle-Antrims eight games have been decided by a one-score margin. This one will not be.
West Perry at Milton Hershey
Andy Shay: West Perry 30, Milton Hershey 20: Only the result was missing for West Perry to say they plugged some of the leaks in their 2024 ship. Losing to Trinity by a point is a tough pill to swallow, but beyond that they performed. The result will bear out the fruits of their labor this week.
Andy Sandrik: West Perry 28, Milton Hershey 17: The Mustangs were an extra point away from ending a losing streak against a contending Trinity team last week. I think WP gets over that hump this time.
Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 31, Milton Hershey 14: It’s been a tale of two halves for a Mustangs squad that rode a four-game winning streak before dropping four straight. The time is now for the Mustangs to find their footing again as they sit just outside the playoff cutline.
Susquehanna Township at Trinity
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 34, Trinity 32: Enjoy this one, folks. All the indicators of a barn burner are in full bloom. Don’t think for a second the T-Rocks don’t believe they are the better team. Hanna will have something to say about that.
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 28, Trinity 21: I’m easily swayed by big numbers, and the Tribe’s 70-point outburst against a respectable Big Spring squad was certainly a big number.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Township 35, Trinity 33: This just might be the most intriguing game on the docket this week with the battle for the Colonial division on the line. A win by Trinity and you can hand the division title to the Shamrocks. A win by Twp., and we’ll have to wait one more week to see how things shake out.
