By Michael Bullock:
Williams Valley and Tri-Valley hoping to battle:
For the fourth consecutive postseason, Williams Valley (8-1) and Tri-Valley (5-1) are hoping to duke it out in a backyard scrap that will double as the District 11 Class 1A title game. Right now, however, this match-up is postponed. More information on the status of this game is expected to be released on Monday, according to Williams Valley coach Tim Savage. Yet, if the regular-season meeting between these two was an indication, this should be a dandy between two feisty programs that enjoy knocking one another around. Limited to 6 offensive yards in the opening half last time, Tim Savage’s Vikings rallied for a 35-28 triumph behind Bryce Herb’s three touchdown passes and Jesse Engle’s second-half running (13 carries for 109 yards and 1 score). Two of Herb’s touchdown passes went to Jake Herman, with the third hauled in by Brady Evans. Herman, Engle, Isaac Whiteash and Logan Williard added interceptions for Williams Valley, while Jackson Yoder, Engle and Whiteash combined for 44 tackles. Jonas McGrath fired a pair of touchdown passes to Chase Herb, while Herb rushed for 105 yards and a third score. McGrath also scored on a QB sneak. Caden Richards chipped in with 12 tackles, three more than Jake Scheib. Williams Valley prepped for its latest District 11-A final — the Vikings have won two of the last three to Tri-Valley’s one — by holding off Mahanoy Area 27-22 for its seventh straight victory. Bryce Herb tossed touchdown passes to Alex Achenbach, Herman and Evans, while Engle complemented Achenbach’s 156 rushing yards by running for 38 yards and one TD. Engle left last weekend’s scrap with an ankle injury, so how healthy he is this week will be a key. Tri-Valley doubled up Nativity 28-14 in its 11-A semifinal — also at North Schuylkill — as Chase Herb, Kameron Wetzel and McGrath rushed for touchdowns. McGrath also tossed a touchdown pass to Jolten Flory. Flory added 2.5 QB sacks — Tri-Valley totaled five — while Layne Yoder swiped two Nativity passes.
Pine Grove angling to close out with second straight win:
Buoyed by a convincing 43-6 conquest of Pequea Valley, Pine Grove will try to turn back another Lancaster-Lebanon League side Friday night when Columbia visits the Cardinals (3-6). QB Josh Leininger threw three touchdown passes in the win over Pequea Valley, hooking up twice with Dalton Geesey and once with Shea Morgan. Brody Robinson added 145 rushing yards and three scores for Frank Gaffney’s Cardinals, who rolled up 475 offensive yards against the visiting Braves. Geesey finished with three catches for 64 yards, while Morgan racked up 115 yards on nine receptions. Morgan’s output bumped his career total to 108 catches, moving him past Larry Zimmerman (104) on Pine Grove’s all-time receptions list.
