Steel-High is best known for its high powered and explosive offense with senior quarterback Alex Erby pulling the strings.
Friday night on the road in Elliottsburg, the offense brought some heavy artillery to the table against West Perry in the winner-take-all battle of unbeatens for the Mid-Penn Conference Capital Division title.
But it was the Rollers’ defense that ended up having the biggest impact on the final outcome by slamming the door on the Mustangs’ offense in the red zone.
Erby threw four touchdown passes, ran for another and the Rollers’ defense allowed only one touchdown in a tense, physical and penalty laced 33-12 victory that made Steel-High champions of the Capital.
Six times the Mustangs offense ventured inside the Steel-High 25-yard line in the first three quarters. Twice West Perry kicked field goals, they missed another field goal from 42 yards, scored one touchdown on a 1-yard plunge by QB Marcus Quaker and twice the Rollers made big-time interceptions in the end zone.
The scoreboard after three quarters revealed a tight 20-12 Rollers lead. But Steel-High blanked the Mustangs in the second half, and Erby’s third touchdown pass sealed the deal.
Time to hand out some grades.
STEEL-HIGH ROLLERS
Quarterback: Erby is a polished veteran who owns the state passing yards and touchdown records. His chops at this level are unquestioned. What stood out in this game was his utter command and control of the offense despite at times utter chaos going on around him with penalties negating big play after big play. He never blinked, kept going about his business and was simply a master of his craft. West Perry had no answer. He was the best player on the field. Grade: A+
Running back: Man is Ronald Burnette Jr. a handful as the Rollers’ RB1. He was forced to show his full arsenal against the West Perry defense, and it was joy to watch him work. He can grind inside the tackles but also has the vision and quickness to make somebody miss in tight quarters and get into space quickly. His only trip to the end zone was called back by a penalty, but he eclipsed 100 yards. He’s a valuable pass catcher out of the backfield, as well. Grade: A
Wide receivers: Here’s what stands out about the full arsenal of receivers the Rollers deploy. First, they are big and understand how to use that size to make themselves available targets. But even more impressive is their ability to make catches. I didn’t see one drop or anything close to a drop. And how fast they go from catch to yards after the catch is an art. They are impressive. Grade: A
Offensive line: For starters, only one sack allowed and Erby wasn’t under much stress all game. That is a big win for this group. Run blocking was a little more hit and miss. On this night, Burnette was their friend and covered up some of their misfires in the run game. He was that good. Too many holding penalties well after the play that cost them two touchdowns. Grade: B
Defensive line: Simply stated, these gentlemen wrecked the game for the Rollers. They got out-schemed a few times in the first quarter, but once they adjusted they took over control of this game. And it was dominating, which is not easy to do. Grade: A+
Linebackers: They had a bit of a rough ride in the first half, with the inside-outside running game of West Perry making more hay than their defensive coordinator probably liked. They made a great adjustment in the second half and put Amari Williams as a shadow of sorts on the Mustangs QB so he didn’t carve them up. His work was next-level stuff. Grade: B+
Secondary: Take a bow, Rell Ceasar Jr. and Jaieon Perry. Those interceptions they made in the end zone were not only great coverage, but showed a high football IQ by getting their heads around at the exact right time to make a play on 50-50 balls. And both interceptions changed the momentum. Neither was easy and each was as good as you’ll see at the high school level. The run support from this group was outstanding all night, as well. Grade: A+
Special teams: The Rollers punted only once, and of course Erby bombed a long one. Gave up some return yards on kickoffs, but that’s not unexpected, really. Two extra points were blocked, and that needs to be cleaned up because those one-pointers will matter down the road. Overall it was not too bad, though. Grade: B+
WEST PERRY MUSTANGS
Quarterback: It was a long night for Marcus Quaker as the Rollers slowly figured out how to limit the damage he can inflict. The deep throws that ended in Rollers interceptions in the end zone were not bad throws. They were intended to be high-arcing 50-50 balls with the expectation his guy makes the play. On this night, the other guys were just better. Grade: B-
Running back: The Mustangs went into this one a man down with senior Caleb Gutshall not in uniform. That impacted the 1-2 punch inside West Perry relies on. Brad Hockenberry ran hard and was not easy to get to the ground at times, but he isn’t a focal-point-of-the-offense type of back. The Rollers knew he was going to get the ball, too. Overall the absence left a void that couldn’t be filled and that showed. I’m still a Hockenberry fan, though. Love what he brings to the table. Grade: B
Wide receivers: I’d like to say the receivers lost a couple 50-50 battles in the end zone that hurt the Mustangs, but that’s not what happened. The Rollers’ DBs just made sick plays. Ian Goodling was limited in his impact, but this offense doesn’t function well if he’s priority No. 1. No drops or mistakes, and they do block those WR screens well . Grade: B
Offensive line: Really good start by the lads up front as some of those holes early were big. And they were physical and pushed some buttons by battling right up to the whistle. That was fine. They were at a huge size disadvantage, though, and in the second half that showed up big time when the guys across from them took over the game. Grade: C+
Defensive line: For me, this was where the biggest surprise had to come from for West Perry to have a shot at springing the upset. And it just didn’t happen. They were pretty weary to start the second half. Steel-High rushes that went for 2 or 3 yards in the first half became a 10-plus carries the second half. Again, the Rollers’ o-line was much bigger, so the battle was an uphill climb. Grade: B
Linebackers: The ask of this group was always going to be a big one, and for the better part of three quarters I think they were up to the task. Trent and Brad Hockenberry were flying around and making plays all over the place. And remember, they were a man down. Best unit overall for the Mustangs on this night. Grade: A
Secondary: Goodling is a returning All-State defensive back because he’s just a fantastic two-way player on the defensive side of the ball. And against this level of competition, that showed. Too many open receivers, though. The throws looked easy for Erby, and that couldn’t happen consistently if West Perry was to have a shot. Grade: C+
Special teams: Goodling made field goals of 34 and 35 yards look easy and also connected from 27 yards out to open the second half to cut the score to 20-15. But a chop-block penalty on the Mustangs moved the kick back 15 yards, and he missed left from 42 yards out. That was a tough pill to swallow. The kickoff coverage was outstanding by any standard. Grade: B
It’s the final week of the regular season. And every Mid-Penn Conference division has at least a share of the crown up for grabs (although some are pretty much locked in).
That means a week from now we’ll be readying ourselves for the PIAA high school football playoffs, with Mid-Penn teams vying for District 3 supremacy from Class 6A to 1A.
As always, bookmark this page on your phone, laptop or tablet to follow every matchup and see every highlight from the Mid-Penn and some of the teams in the Colonial-Schuylkill League. We’ll update scores throughout the night on this page (refresh the page to see new updates), and you can follow our Twitter feed below for minute-by-minute updates.
PIAA football: Week 10 Mid-Penn analysis, staff picks and previews
Each week 4th Down Magazine will preview the weekend slate, predict the winners and provide extra analysis. Here’s everything to get you ready for Week 10 of the PIAA high school football season:
EXPLAINING OUR PICKS: It’s Week 10 of the Pennsylvania high school football season, and the 4th Down Magazine team is here to tell you who’s going to win every game involving Mid-Penn Conference teams, as well as Schuylkill-Colonial League games featuring former members of the now-defunct Tri-Valley League.
This year’s group of experts includes veteran reporters Andy Shay and Andy Sandrik, as well as 4th Down owner and manager Adam Kulikowski.
Here’s who we think will win each game in the final week of the regular season.
* Records in parentheses after school name; District and seed in parentheses before school name.
In this edition of 4th & Goal, Andy Shay and Jake Adams name their Conference MVP—hint this dude hails from the Capital Division—their biggest surprise team; the best storyline from the 2023 campaign so far; Game of the Week and more. We’re also joined this week by Cedar Cliff running back Erik Schriver!
FRIDAY, OCT. 27
Cumberland Valley 33, Altoona 20
Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 28, Altoona 7: Eagles have overcome the underdog role a couple times in the last few weeks, now let’s see if they can continue to flourish in the favorite role.
Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 36, Altoona 21: Cumberland Valley is hitting its stride at just the right moment. I’m taking the Eagles to hit a season-high in points scored.
Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 32, Altoona 23: What a night and day difference from Week 1 to Week 10 for the Eagles. Hats off to the young gents and the coaching staff at CV on a job well done turning this season around.
CD East 44, Carlisle 24
Andy Shay: CD East 29, Carlisle 21: Playing out the string for both clubs, and sometimes that allows the best players on the field to shine even more. Counting on that for the up-and-down Panthers.
Andy Sandrik: CD East 33, Carlisle 10: The Panthers have been competitive against the toughest teams in the Commonwealth. I think they’re due for a blowout win.
Adam Kulikowski: Carlisle 24, CD East 23: I just have no idea what to make of the Panthers this season. One week they take Harrisburg to the wire, the next … um, they look nothing of the sort.
Harrisburg 47, Central Dauphin 21
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 30, Central Dauphin 14: Expect the best version of the CD Rams to show up here. Cougars have more firepower offensively, time to prove they can play solid run defense because CD will test that.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 30, Central Dauphin 21: This matchup seems much easier to pick than two or three weeks ago, but you can never count the Rams out, even against the surging Cougars.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 27, Central Dauphin 14: Cougars have perfectly timed their peak while Central Dauphin looks to set itself up well for the District 3 Class 6A playoffs.
State College 21, Chambersburg 14
Andy Shay: State College 42, Chambersburg 14: Not often you see the Little Lions in the position of picking up the pieces and moving forward. Right matchup for State College to turn the page.
Andy Sandrik: State College 44, Chambersburg 13: State College’s offense has been in hibernation for the past two weeks, but I fully expect the Little Lions to come out roaring this week.
Adam Kulikowski: State College 45, Chambersburg 20: All of a sudden, the Little Lions are reeling. Not the position we thought this club would be in heading into Week 10, but this is a week to right the ship.
Bishop McDevitt 61, Lower Dauphin 10
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 49, Lower Dauphin 7: Falcons have lost a couple tight ones and recorded an overtime victory the last three weeks. This won’t be close.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 52, Lower Dauphin 7: Bishop McDevitt’s defense has gone eight quarters without allowing a touchdown. Will that trend continue?
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 47, Lower Dauphin 13: The Falcons are a quality club. However, that makes little difference when you are lining up against a true juggernaut in the Crusaders.
Cedar Cliff 54, Milton Hershey 18
Andy Shay: Cedar Cliff 42, Milton Hershey 32: The trap for the Colts would be trying to exchange big plays with a Spartans team that can run as white hot as anybody in stretches. Colts are too savvy to take that bait. Overall, Cedar Cliff is the better team, too.
Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 44, Milton Hershey 32: These teams have been opposites in terms of consistency, but if the Spartans get a couple bounces, they have the playmakers to make an honest run at this ballgame.
Adam Kulikowski: Cedar Cliff 45, Milton Hershey 33: This spicy match up has the makings of coming down to the final quarter. Give me the one-loss Colts and our guest-of-the-week, Erik Schriver. (Link to show).
Hershey 21, Palmyra 13
Andy Shay: Hershey 35, Palmyra 14: You punch your first ticket to the second season in a decade with a victory in order to take those all important momentum points along for the ride. Hershey is too big and strong for the Cougars.
Andy Sandrik: Hershey 34, Palmyra 17: My 10-year-old kid was in his “debut season” the last time Hershey made the playoffs. This backyard brawl will be a nice warmup for the Trojans.
Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 37, Palmyra 14: Trojans are primed to make its first playoff appearance since the 2013 campaign. Congrats, gents!
Mifflin County 22, Red Land 19
Andy Shay: Mifflin County 29, Red Land 14: Counting on the Huskies’ defense to be a difference-maker against the Patriots’ offense. Otherwise, this gets dicey for Mifflin County. Hey, a .500 season is on the line, and that matters.
Andy Sandrik: Mifflin County 28, Red Land 12: The Huskies aren’t perfect, but they have more than enough gas in the tank to steal a win from Red Land at West Shore Stadium.
Adam Kulikowski: Mifflin County 26, Red Land 23: I see this as a closer matchup than my esteemed colleagues. The Patriots are capable of a victory in this tilt, but right now the safe bet says go with the chalk.
East Pennsboro 38, Waynesboro 12
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 37, Waynesboro 21: One thing we know about this Panthers team, the 48 minutes of a game matter to them, and until the clock runs out they will keep plugging away no matter what the situation looks like. That will show here.
Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 38, Waynesboro 14: This East Pennsboro team is about as playoff ready as a squad can get, and I’m not sure what Waynesboro is going to be able to do to stop itself from being the springboard for the Panthers’ postseason run.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 33, Waynesboro 20: For three quarters the Panthers were on the mat against Susquehanna Township, then Keith Oates III and the East Penn crew pounced on the Indians to steal full control of the Colonial Division. This one should be less of a full-metal test.
Susquehanna Township 45, Gettysburg 28
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 42, Gettysburg 28: Been a long time since I witnessed a team absorb so many self-inflicted gut punches. How the Indians respond is what matters. They have all the firepower they need.
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 38, Gettysburg 30: Who can better get over a tough loss? That’s the question after ‘Hanna had a collapse against East Penn and Gettysburg gave up 500 yards and nine TDs to a single man.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Township 45, Gettysburg 37: You can bet the Indians heard one of those storied Coach Joe Headen talks after a toxic cocktail of penalties and misplays doomed their chances at sole possession of the Colonial Division title.
Greencastle-Antrim 21, Shippensburg 14
Andy Shay: Greencastle-Antrim 28, Shippensburg 14: Raise your hand if you had the Blue Devils playoff bound for the first time in a dozen years before the season kicked off. Put your hands down! A win here seals the deal, and it would be well-earned by GA.
Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 21, Greencastle-Antrim 18: While the playoffs are out of the question for Shippensburg, the ‘Hounds have a great opportunity to not only sweep their Franklin County competition (Ship also blanked Waynesboro 27-0 last week), they have a chance to spoil Greenastle’s run to the postseason.
Adam Kulikowski: Greencastle-Antrim 29, Shippensburg 23: You have to go all the way back to 2011 to find the Blue Devils in the postseason. GA should be in control of its own destiny to earn the right to play another week.
Mechanicsburg 32, Northern 18
Andy Shay: Northern 28, Mechanicsburg 24: Not exactly fans of each other. The Polar Bears’ strength is the Wildcats’ weakness — size in the trenches and physical football. Mechanicsburg has shown up all season. This is a coin-flip game for me.
Andy Sandrik: Northern 27, Mechanicsburg 21: I want to say Cole Bartram put up “video game numbers” for Northern last week when he ran for 500 yards and nine TDs, but those are the kind of video game numbers you rack up when you’re playing against your 8-year-old brother, not a full-fledged varsity team.
Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 33, Northern 27: Give credit to Cole Bartram, who posted the game of a lifetime last week — he’s an absolute stud on both sides of the ball. I see the Wildcats putting up a stronger defensive test than the porous Warriors of Gettysburg.
Big Spring 21, Middletown 7
Andy Shay: Big Spring 34, Middletown 14: Yeah sure, the Bulldogs need some serious help to earn a postseason invitation. But all they can control is winning this game. Powerhouse running game will serve them well in this matchup.
Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 36, Middletown 13: Whether this is the final game of the season for Big Spring or not, it’s worth praising Joe Sinkovich’s boys for the way they rose to the competition this season, including several matchups against playoff-bound teams.
Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 28, Middletown 14: The Bulldogs, currently sitting No. 11 in a 10-team Class 4A dance, need some help to reach the postseason. But none of that matters if they don’t take care of their own business.
Camp Hill 35, Boiling Springs 27
Andy Shay: Camp Hill 42, Boiling Springs 14: Tough season for the Bubblers, and the Lions have been a little shaky after that hot start. Chance to finish .500 is at stake, and that is an accomplishment this season in the Capital Division.
Andy Sandrik: Camp Hill 34, Boiling Springs 14: I’ll respect any team that can grind out a 6-5 win in American football, like the Bubblers did last week against Middletown, but Camp Hill represents a different kind of challenge for Boiling Springs.
Adam Kulikowski: Camp Hill 27, Boiling Springs 14: Lions have plenty of weapons in the cupboard to end the regular season with a .500 record and secure a coveted playoff berth.
Steel-High 33, West Perry 12
Andy Shay: Steel-High 32, West Perry 21: Can the Mustangs complete the perfect regular season? Rollers will ask a lot of questions and have been in plenty of these bright-lights games, so this is nothing new.
Andy Sandrik: West Perry 33, Steel-High 30: Mustangs are not only playing for a Capital Division title, but also the No. 1 seed in the District 3 Class 3A playoffs. Beating Steel-High is a heck of a task, but if WP gives a complete and clean effort, it can turn this into a coin-flip game.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 42, West Perry 41 (OT): If I could make the score any closer, I would. A playoff atmosphere arrives a week early in Elliottsburg, where a winner-take-all heavyweight bout will crown someone the Capital Division champ.
Trinity 45, Halifax 8
Andy Shay: Trinity 42, Halifax 14: Key for the Shamrocks is to take care of business and get as many key ingredients off the field in preparation for the second season. Wildcats don’t have the speed in space to keep up with the T-Rocks.
Andy Sandrik: Trinity 40, Halifax 14: This is a great opportunity for the ‘Rocks to rest, recover and develop some much-needed depth for the postseason.
Adam Kulikowski: Trinity 47, Halifax 20: Shamrocks provided the best test of the season to Steel-High last week. This team is more than ready for anything an improved Wildcats team can fire at them.
Newport 29, James Buchanan 0
Andy Shay: James Buchanan 13, Newport 12: Not “rooting” for the Buffaloes, but one win isn’t too much to ask. Rockets have more offensive weapons, but the gap isn’t a big one.
Andy Sandrik: Newport 23, James Buchanan 7: It’s a long bus ride to Mercersburg, but it could be a very fun ride back home to Newport if the Buffs can defuse the Rockets.
Adam Kulikowski: James Buchanan 13, Newport 6: Both clubs are desperately looking to end the season on a positive note. Give the edge to the Rockets, who appear to have more horsepower under the hood.
Susquenita 18, Juniata 7
Andy Shay: Juniata 37, Susquenita 22: Indians are still in the Liberty Division hunt, but none of that matters if they don’t take care of the Blackhawks. Can’t see how Susquenita can make them sweat over the long haul.
Andy Sandrik: Juniata 33, Susquenita 24: The ‘Hawks, on a three-game winning streak, are playing as good now as they have all season. But is it enough to overcome Juniata?
Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 34, Susquenita 20: Line Mountain broke a five-game Juniata winning streak last week. Time for the Indians to start anew.
Line Mountain 35, Upper Dauphin 0
Andy Shay: Line Mountain 42, Upper Dauphin 20: This grind catches up to you when you push uphill, and the Trojans have pushed more water uphill this season than most. Eagles are better equipped for the long game and are ready to claim the Liberty title.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 44, Upper Dauphin 19: I think we can all agree that UD has outperformed just about every expectation this season, but I’m just not sure the Trojans have enough sandbags to stop this tidal wave of momentum from the Eagles, who come into this game winners of six straight.
Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 41, Upper Dauphin 26: Line Mountain has scored 40 or more points each of the last three weeks. Can the Trojans stop the streak?
Williams Valley 49, Tri-Valley 14
Andy Shay: Tri-Valley 28, Williams Valley 26: One of the better “town rivalries” around, and I’m aware the Vikings are on a hot streak against the Bulldogs. So I’m taking the law of averages: Tri-Valley in a toss-up game. Why not?
Andy Sandrik: Williams Valley 24, Tri-Valley 17: It’s always hard to get any kind of grasp on a rivalry game. The Vikings are looking for their fifth win in a row and deserve to be favored, yet I get the sense Tri-Valley is going to march step for step with WV.
Adam Kulikowski: Williams Valley 39, Tri-Valley 24: I’m predicting a Vikings dub — and the winner of Williams Valley’s 50-50 drawing will take home more than $1,500.
Marian Catholic 20, Pine Grove 7
Andy Shay: Marian Catholic 42, Pine Grove 7: I sense MC will come in a little fired up after a couple close setbacks. The Colts have the offensive weapons to make this one easy, but they will have to earn it.
Andy Sandrik: Marian Catholic 36, Pine Grove 7: The Colts are coming off back-to-back competitive losses to Williams Valley and Tri-Valley, but if they keep their composure, this is a game MC should win.
Adam Kulikowski: Marian Catholic 33, Pine Grove 6: Marian Catholic has shown plenty of mettle in its 5-4 campaign to date. Cardinals will face a stiff test against a defense that is surrendering just 13.7 points per game.
It wasn’t just his arm that led Halifax’s Teegan Carroll to Week 9 4th Down Magazine Mid-Penn Conference Player of the Week honors.
It was also his legs. The sophomore quarterback helped the Wildcats snap a four-game losing streak in a 46-22 win over Newport. He did it with 153 rushing yards and 118 passing, plus he contributed to five touchdowns on the ground and in the air.
Some 3,113 Wildcats fans voted for Carroll, topping Line Mountain running back Nolan Baumert (2,674 votes). There were 6,775 total votes cast this week.
Carroll and Halifax (4-5, 2-4 Liberty) visit Trinity to close out the regular season Friday at 7 p.m.
Kash Tobin was a nightmare last week, just in time for Halloween, and that earned him our Week 9 4th Down Magazine Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week honors.
The senior linebacker spearheaded an impressive defensive effort in Tri-Valley’s 16-6 win over Marian Catholic, recording 18 tackles, a sack and two pass breakups. He also rushed for 30 yards.
The senior picked up a whopping 4,180 votes from fans this week, easily topping POTW regular Alex Achenbach (Williams Valley), who picked up 938 votes. There were 5,785 total votes cast.
Tobin and the Bulldogs (5-4, 2-2) visit arch rival Williams Valley in the regular-season finale Friday at 7 p.m.
Vote now for your 4th Down Magazine Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week. Our poll will remain open until Tuesday evening at 11 p.m. Voting is allowed once every 30 minutes.
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Alex Achenbach, sr., RB, Williams Valley: Achenbach keeps what is seemingly a weekly slot in our Player of the Week polls with another strong performance — this time rushing for 237 yards on 26 carries. He scored four times on the evening en route to a 54-0 shutout of Shenandoah Valley.
Matthew Machalik, sr., QB, Palmerton: It took Machalik just 16 carries to tally 196 stripes against Tamaqua Friday night in a 34-14 victory. The senior also added three touchdowns. On defense, he picked off Tamaqua’s Luke Kane.
Niko Carestia, so., RB, Schuylkill Haven: Carestia turned in his best statistical performance of the season Friday night when the sophomore diced up Minersville’s defense for 195 stripes on 24 carries (8.1 yards per carry). He reached paydirt four times to fuel his team’s 35-28 victory.
Kash Tobin, sr., LB, Tri-Valley: Tri-Valley notched a 16-6 victory against Marian Catholic. Leading the way for a stout defense was Tobin, who tallied 18 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and also chipped in 30 yards rushing on the evening.
Dainn Vassallo, sr., LB, Notre Dame-Green Pond: Vassallo churned out a game-high 19 tackles Friday night in a 56-6 victory against Pine Grove. He also recorded an interception.
Vote now for our 4th Down Magazine Mid-Penn Conference Player of the Week. Our poll will remain open until Tuesday evening at 11 p.m. Voting is allowed once every 30 minutes.
Editor’s note: We have implemented safeguards to prevent voting which falls outside the spirit of the rules in place. We reserve the right to block users who cast fraudulent votes.
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Justin Bardo, jr., LB, Mechanicsburg: Bardo had an absurd 19 tackles in the Wildcats’ 34-22 win over Greencastle-Antrim. Mechanicsburg recorded three turnovers in its second straight win, with Bardo responsible for two interceptions.
Cole Bartram, sr., RB, Northern: We may never see another night like it. Bartram put up the kinds of numbers Friday night some players are lucky to have in an entire season, rushing for an insane 500 yards and nine touchdowns on an otherworldly 48 carries in a 63-42 victory over Gettysburg. He had 1,120 yards and 12 TDs entering Week 9.
Nolan Baumert, sr., RB, Line Mountain: Baumert capped a furious 40-30 comeback victory over Juniata with a 55-yard dash to the end zone with 25 seconds left, gifting the Eagles a share of the Liberty Division title. He finished with 185 yards on 17 carries, adding a third-quarter TD as well, and caught a 21-yard pass.
Teegan Carroll, so., QB/LB, Halifax: Carroll accounted for five touchdowns in a 46-22 victory over winless Newport, and he finished with 153 rushing yards and 118 passing to help the Wildcats snap a four-game losing streak.
Durrell Ceasar Jr., sr., WR/DB, Steel-High: Caesar’s 73-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown put the Rollers ahead in the second quarter, and his 77-yard touchdown reception in the third kept the game close before they finally pulled away from Trinity in a wild 42-37 victory. Caesar finished with four receptions and 77 yards.
Derek Gibney, sr., QB, Susquenita: Gibney overcame two interceptions to throw for 262 yards and three touchdowns on a tidy 17-of-26 passing in a 48-6 blowout of James Buchanan. Improving the Blackhawks to 4-5, he also rushed for 42 yards and a TD on two carries and had two tackles on defense.
Grant Hall, jr., RB, Big Spring: Hall averaged a whopping 15.3 yards on 14 carries, finishing with 214 yards and a couple of trips to the end zone in the Bulldogs’ 42-14 victory over Upper Dauphin. He also snagged three passes for 53 yards, including a go-ahead 45-yard TD grab.
Nijeer Kittrell, sr., RB, Milton Hershey: Subbing in for an injured Elijah Johnson, Kittrell performed admirably on both sides of the ball in a 41-6 rout of Palmyra. He rushed for 141 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown, doing most of his damage in the second half. And he returned an interception to the house.
Shawn Lee Jr., jr., QB, Harrisburg: Lee did plenty in a 60-14 blowout of Chambersburg, going 13 of 23 for 174 yards and a couple of touchdowns (22, 29 yards) and an additional 106 yards and two scores (10, 28 yards) on 11 rushes. And he chipped in a defensive interception for good measure.
Bron Mosley, sr., RB, Altoona: Mosley twice had to score go-ahead touchdowns, the second finally pushing the Mountain Lions ahead of Carlisle for good in a 28-19 victory. He finished with three TDs (2, 1 and 7 yards) and 162 stripes on a workmanlike 36 carries.
Keith Oates III, sr., QB, East Pennsboro: In a Colonial Division championship-winning performance, Oates’ threw for 206 yards (12 of 22 passing) and ran five times for 15 times in a 31-28 comeback win over Susquehanna Township. He threw two TDs and won the game with a 1-yard QB sneak and successful two-point conversion pass with 1:25 left to play.
Marcus Quaker, sr., QB, West Perry: On a night when the 9-0 Mustangs ran for 403 total yards in a 48-24 win over Camp Hill, Quaker churned out 111 of them. The dual-threat QB scored four times on nine carries, including a 44-yard dash in the first quarter, ahead of a mammoth Week 10 game against Steel-High.
Stone Saunders, jr., QB, Bishop McDevitt: Saunders, a Kentucky verbal commit, was again his efficient self in a 42-0 blowout of Mifflin County, finishing with 287 yards and four scores on 21-of-29 passing. He threw two TDs to Alabama commit Rico Scott.
Josh Smith, jr., WR/DB, Mechanicsburg: Smith caught 10 passes for 117 yards and fourth-quarter touchdowns of 32 and 8 yards in a 32-22 win over Greencastle-Antrim. He also, on a trick play that had him throwing, connected with Henry Notarfrancesco for a 67-yard TD.
Bryce Staretz, sr., RB, Cumberland Valley: Staretz scored two crucial touchdowns, a 6-yarder in the first quarter and game-winning 39-yard with 2:56 to play, in the Eagles’ stunning 17-10 upset over State College. He finished with 134 yards on 20 carries in the home win.
What a wild and crazy Week 9 in the Mid-Penn Conference, just what you want as the stakes in the chase for division crowns and postseason berths gets more intense.
A few of the clutch results include Line Mountain coming on like gangbusters in the second half to stake a claim to the Liberty Division crown by overpowering Juniata, East Pennsboro climbing off the deck to shock Susquehanna Township and Cumberland Valley holding off State College in the dying seconds to stun the Little Lions.
But the most wild showing Friday night was Northern running back Cole Bartram and his stunning performance against Gettysburg. The Polar Bears’ battering ram set the Mid-Penn Conference record for rushing yards in a single game with 500 stripes and nine touchdowns. His record performance came on 48 carries.
The 500 yards stands out because it’s a record, but I’m not sure the nine touchdowns and 48 carries aren’t more impressive. I remember former Cedar Cliff running back Coy Wire once notching 40-plus carries in a playoff game back in 1996. In more than three decades I can’t remember a running back approaching 50 carries, and I’ve never heard of one dude getting nine rushing touchdowns.
Bartram eclipsed the great LeSean McCoy from Bishop McDevitt, who had 404 yards against Red Land in 2003, as the No. 1 rushing performance by a Mid-Penn Conference RB. “Shady” needed only 31 carries and scored five touchdowns that day in a 48-27 victory. For those who saw Shady play in the early 2000s, his record performance felt like just another day at the office.
Bartram’s 500-yard performance places him tied for third in state history with Eastern York’s Alex Cooley (2012), a full 222 yards behind former Penn State standout Journey Brown’s 722 yards for Meadville in 2015.
Cumberland Valley’s turnaround nothing short of impressive
At the midway point of the season, Cumberland Valley was 1-4 and its 2023 rebuild was in shambles. Offensive challenges were going to front and center, and the Eagles still had Central Dauphin and State College on the schedule.
Today, the surging Eagles have stacked four consecutive victories to get to 5-4, and they’re on the cusp of making the District 3 Class 6A playoffs after a stunning goal-line stand by the CV defense preserved a 17-10 victory in a game where the Eagles never trailed.
It’s fitting the CV defense put this one away because the second half of this season has been carried by that unit. It only surrendered four touchdowns the last three games, and two of those opponents were Central Dauphin and State College. That’s next-level stuff.
State College was poised to forge a tie in this one late when the Little Lions cobbled together a drive and had first-and-goal at the CV 4-yard-line. CV stuffed the first two plays, and star linebacker Alex Sauve recovered a fumble on third down for the decisive nail in the coffin.
Cumberland Valley scored 19 points against Central Dauphin and 17 against State College, and the Eagles claimed victory on both those occasions. That’s all you really need to know.
Line Mountain takes Liberty driver’s seat
Congratulations to Line Mountain for rallying from behind to beat Juniata in a wild chase for the Liberty Division title. The Eagles are 5-0 in division play with a 40-30 victory that was nip-and-tuck all the way.
The 40 points scored by Line Mountain was its most this season and came at exactly the right time. LM needs to replicate that next week, though. Hey, winning division crowns isn’t always easy, right?
Four touchdown passes from QB Kaiden Maurer was much needed for this team. Toss in 185 rushing yards from RB Nolan Baumert, including a 55-yard TD scamper in the final minute to ice the victory, and the one-two punch was simply too much for the Juniata defense.
They still have to play 4-1 Upper Dauphin in Week 10 to make the title their own. Juniata is 4-1 and is still part of a three-way tie scenario should UDA bounce Line Mountain in the regular-season finale.
Upper Dauphin still has a say in this championship chase, but the upper hand clearly belongs to Line Mountain.
East Penn shows they’re Colonial’s best
As I sat in the press box at Roscoe Warner Field just off Progress Avenue Friday night, as the key Colonial Division showdown between East Pennsboro and Susquehanna Township trickled into the fourth quarter, I had this sense the Panthers were going to do it again.
In early September the Panthers trailed Milton Hershey on the road by a touchdown with less than seven minutes to play. There was no panic by the Panthers, they simply found another gear and scored twice down the stretch to subdue the Spartans 34-28 after trailing at halftime.
A similar scenario played out Friday night (READ MAKING THE GRADE HERE), only this time it was clear the Panthers needed some help to rally from two scores down.
The Indians provided the assistance by going silent offensively thanks to a bushel basket of penalties. Once East Pennsboro seized momentum, it was clear they would win. The Panthers scored twice in the final six minutes to seize a 31-28 victory.
Here’s the kicker: East Pennsboro could have easily scored a third touchdown during the onslaught but had a pass picked off in the end zone to end a drive.
When it mattered most, the potential Colonial Division champions believed they were the better team and went out and did the hard part — they showed it.
The Panthers can go 6-1 in the Colonial with a win over Waynesboro in Week 10.
Playoff picture analysis
Heading into Week 10, I always look for teams on the playoff bubble and see how much control they have of their own destiny. That’s how I define “fun” when it comes to the District 3 Power Rankings.
Let’s start in Class 2A where Camp Hill sits in the fourth and final spot. There’s really no drama here, as the 4-5 Lions will be No. 4 whether they win or lose. Moving to Class 4A, Big Spring is on the wrong side of the cutoff line at No. 11 and has some serious ground to make up to make the dance. It’s possible, but they are way behind No. 10 Susquehannock.
In Class 5A there’s 12 spots open for the taking and Hershey, Lower Dauphin, Greencastle-Antrim and Gettysburg are currently in the Nos. 9, 10, 12 and 13 spots, respectively. That’s going to be worth following as Week 10 plays out.There’s no real drama in Class 6A, to be honest. Cumberland Valley currently sits in the No. 8 spot and isn’t threatened by anyone below them. I’m just wondering if the Eagles can keep the train rolling and beat Altoona in Week 10 can they move up a spot to No. 7 or even No. 6 and somehow avoid playing either Manheim Township or Harrisburg in the first round — two squads they have already locked horns with and lost.
