By Andy Shay:
Each week during the 2020 season we’ll offer some news, notes, tidbits and opinions from each of the five divisions in the Mid-Penn Conference.
Middletown and Wyomissing line up for the District 3 Class 3A title…again:
For the fifth consecutive year Middletown will face off against Wyomissing in the District 3 Class 3A playoffs. This one is for the 2020 district championship. The Spartans have a more capable passing game led by QB Zach Zechman than in the previous four tilts. Wyo is still a ground-and-pound Wing-T outfit, but the sneaky good passing game could be critical. Middletown counters with a secondary that has all the pieces to handle a team that wants to throw. It’s tougher when that comes off the Wing-T. Both teams, as in every other game, will look to pound the ball down the other squads throat. Up front usually plays a role in this game and all I know is the Spartans have assembled a very large group of humans for a Class 3A team along the offensive line. Wyomissing is the clear favorite for sure.
Rollers use early season experience to fuel District 3 Class 1A title:
In so many ways the game against Middletown and to a lesser degree but still important the contest with Camp Hill really helped Steel-High claim the District 3 Class 1A title on the road against Delone Catholic. It was a low-scoring affair in miserable weather conditions. The defense held the Squires to fewer than 50 yards and produced turnovers. And the Rollers showed again they are primarily a running team that can throw it all around the lot. Now it faces a 7-1 Muncy team in the PIAA playoffs that is a mirror image in many ways to the Rollers. One big difference, though. Steel-High is at home and has more overall team speed. This one could be wild in terms of the scoreboard, but it feels like the Rollers are a heavy favorite to move on.
Can extra rest for Camp Hill pay dividends in District 3 Class 2A championship:
Camp Hill needed to take a week before its upcoming District 3 Class 2A championship game with York Catholic because the Lions finished the game against Boiling Springs with fewer than 20 available players. That kind of explains the 35-0 loss to the Bubblers. Here’s hoping the rest served them well because York Catholic is physical and has a blazer in De’Kzeon Wyche who average 6.9 yards per carry. The Lions defense will be challenged. How much damage Daniel Shuster and that pass-happy offense can do will tell the story.
