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Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week for Nov. 10-11: Trevon Bair

Player of the Week

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November 15, 2023

Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week for Nov. 10-11: Trevon Bair

For a second straight week a linebacker has earned the 4th Down Magazine Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week, this time Williams Valley’s Trevon Bair in the second week of the playoffs

Bair, a dominant freshman, notched a team-high 13 tackles (three for loss) and a sack to lead the Vikings to a 49-35 victory over Schuylkill Haven for the District 11 Class 2A championship. The ‘backer has come on strong since his first varsity game Oct. 6, according to MaxPreps, with 56 tackles (eight TFLs) in six games

The rookie earned 1,765 votes from thrilled Vikings fans this week, easily besting teammate and star running back Alex Achenbach (883). There were 3,298 total votes cast this week.

Bair and the Vikings’ (10-2) season continues Friday in a PIAA first-round playoff game against District 3 champion Dunmore Friday at 7 p.m. at Schuylkill Haven High School.

Eric F. Epler’s State High School Football Rankings after Week 2 of the Postseason

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4thdownmagazine

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November 14, 2023

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Eric F. Epler’s State High School Football Rankings after Week 2 of the Postseason

For more content from Eric F. Epler, visit Pennlive.

CLASS 6A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) — 9-1 – 1

2. Parkland (11) — 12-0 – 2

3. Manheim Township (3) — 11-0 – 4

4. Central Bucks West (1) — 12-0 – 3

5. Central York (3) — 11-0 – 5

6. Pittsburgh C.C. (7) — 10-1 – 6

7. Downingtown East (1) — 11-0 – 7

8. North Allegheny (7) — 10-1 – 8

9. Nazareth (11) – 11-1 – 9

10. Harrisburg (3) — 10-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Central Bucks South (1) 11-1, Cumberland Valley (3) 7-4, Downingtown West (1) 10-2, State College (6) 7-3.

CLASS 5A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Imhotep Charter (12) — 11-0 – 1

2. Peters Township (7) — 12-0 – 2

3. Cocalico (3) — 10-1 – 3

4. Roman Catholic (12) – 8-2 – 4

5. West Chester Rustin (1) — 10-1 – 5

6. Springfield-Delco (1) — 11-1 – 6

7. Chester (1) — 11-1 – 7

8. Cedar Cliff (3) — 10-1 – 8

9. Pine-Richland (7) — 9-3 – NR

10. Cathedral Prep (10) — 7-3 – 10

Teams to watch: Delaware Valley (2) 9-3, Ephrata (3) 11-1, Hershey (3) 9-3, Strath Haven (1) 11-1, Whitehall (11) 8-4.

CLASS 4A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Bishop McDevitt (3) – 11-0 – 1

2. Aliquippa (7) – 10-0 – 2

3. Pope John Paul II (1) – 12-0 – 3

4. Selinsgrove (4) – 11-0-1 – 5

5. McKeesport (7) – 10-1 – 7

6. Manheim Central (3) — 10-1 – 8

7. Dallas (2) — 12-0 – 9

8. Montour (7) — 10-1 – 10

9. Lampeter-Strasburg (3) — 9-2 – NR

10. Twin Valley (3) — 10-1 – NR

Teams to watch: Bethlehem Catholic (11) 7-5, Juniata (6) 7-5, Mars (7) 10-2, Meadville (10) 9-2, Valley View (2) 10-2.

CLASS 3A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Belle Vernon (7) – 9-1 – 1

2. Wyomissing (3) – 10-1 – 2

3. Avonworth (7) – 11-0 – 3

4. Neumann-Goretti (12) – 10-1 – 4

5. Danville (4) — 11-1 – 5

6. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 12-0 – 6

7. Palmerton (11) — 12-0 – 7

8. Central (6) — 11-0 – 8

9. Elizabeth-Forward (7) — 10-1 – 9

10. West Perry (3) — 11-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Clearfield (9) 8-3, East Allegheny (7) 9-2, Hickory (10) 9-2, Loyalsock (4) 9-3, Scranton Prep (2) 11-1, Sharon (10) 9-2.

CLASS 2A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Farrell (10) – 10-1 – 1

2. Westinghouse (8) – 10-0 – 2

3. Central Clarion (9) — 11-0 – 3

4. Southern Columbia (4) – 11-1 – 4

5. Troy (4) — 12-0 – 6

6. Steel Valley (7) — 9-1 – 7

7. Richland (6) – 11-1 – 8

8. Mercyhurst Prep (10) — 10-0 – 9

9. Williams Valley (11) — 10-2 – NR

10. Bald Eagle Area (6) — 11-1 – NR

Teams to watch: Beaver Falls (7) 7-5, Camp Hill (3) 7-5, Dunmore (2) 10-2, Mohawk (7) 10-2, Washington (7) 11-1.

CLASS 1A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Steelton-Highspire (3) — 12-0 – 1

2. Lackawanna Trail (2) – 12-0 – 2

3. Northern Bedford (5) — 12-0 – 3

4. Fort Cherry (7) — 12-0 – 4

5. Bishop Canevin (7) — 10-1 – 5

6. South Side (7) — 12-0 – 6

7. Muncy (4) — 10-1 – 7

8. Clairton (7) — 10-2 – 8

9. Cambridge Springs (10) — 11-1 – 9

10. Redbank Valley (9) — 10-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Lakeview (10) 9-2, Minersville (11) 10-2, Port Allegany (9) 10-2, Purchase Line (6) 9-3, South Williamsport (4) 9-2.

Vote Now: Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week for Nov. 10-11

Player of the Week

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November 12, 2023

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Vote Now: Colonial-Schuylkill League Player of the Week for Nov. 10-11

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.

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.

Browser cookies must be accepted to vote.

Alex Achenbach, sr., RB, Williams Valley: Big time players show up in the biggest moments. And Achenbach certainly fits that mold, accounting for seven touchdowns in Williams Valley’s 49-35 victory Friday against Schuylkill Haven. The senior rushed for 234 stripes on 37 carries and four touchdowns. He also completed four passes for 147 yards and three more touchdowns.

Trevon Bair, fr., LB, Williams Valley: Bair made a huge impact on defense for the Vikings, notching a team-high 13 tackles. He added three tackles for loss and a sack to help Williams Valley slip past Schuylkill Haven 49-35.

Emiolo Gonzalez, sr., LB, Palmerton: Gonzalez made a new home in the North Schuylkill backfield Friday night in a 32-24 victory. The senior notched a team-high 10 tackles and had three sacks and a forced fumble.

Luke Stevenosky, sr., RB, Minersville: Stevenosky rushed for 175 yards on 22 carries (8.0 yards per carry) and a touchdown. On defense, he racked up 10 stops, including four for loss, and a sack.

This poll has ended (since 1 year).

Trevon Bair, fr., LB, Williams Valley:

53.52%

Alex Achenbach, sr., RB, Williams Valley:

26.77%

Luke Stevenosky, sr., RB, Minersville:

19.62%

Emiolo Gonzalez, sr., LB, Palmerton:

0.09%

Vote now: Mid-Penn Conference Player of the Week for Nov. 10-11 Sponsored by Vertical Raise PA

Player of the Week

4thdownmagazine

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November 12, 2023

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Vote now: Mid-Penn Conference Player of the Week for Nov. 10-11 Sponsored by Vertical Raise PA

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.

Browser cookies must be accepted to vote.

Put those Candy Boxes Away; No more Sub Sales; Retire from Washing Cars! And elevate your team’s fundraising this season with Vertical Raise!

Vertical Raise is the premier online fundraising platform for organizations of all types and sizes. Vertical Raise provides solutions to the challenges of fundraising by utilizing its best-in-class software to create the easiest, most efficient and effective fundraising.

Drew Branstetter, jr., QB, Camp Hill: What a shocking upset Branstetter led. The sophomore went 17 of 24 for 160 yards in a 20-13 District 3 Class 2A championship upset win over arch rival Trinity. He hit Kobe Moore with 1:15 left for a 5-yard, game-winning score, finishing with two passing touchdowns and another rushing TD.

Ronald Burnette Jr., sr., RB, Steel-High: Burnette didn’t have much work to do in the Rollers’ 49-28 blowout victory over Belmont Charter in PIAA Class 1A play. He scored on runs of 2 and 51 yards as Steel-High built a 49-8 halftime lead, finishing with 100 yards on just nine carries.

Nolan Buzalka, jr., DL/TE, Cumberland Valley: Buzalka led a clutch defensive performance in the Eagles’ 20-14 District 3 Class 6A quarterfinal victory over Wilson, recording three sacks and recovering a fumble. CV held the Bulldogs to just 58 second-half yards to make its lead stand, thanks in large part to Buzalka.

Angel Cabrera, sr., RB, Hershey: Cabrera recorded his third straight 30-carry game, and his sixth this season, battering No. 1-seed New Oxford for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 38 touches in a 34-28 upset victory. Cabrera is now within 178 yards of 2,000 for the season, his first as a full-time running back on varsity.

Trey Good, sr., WR/DB, East Pennsboro: Good made a little Panthers history Friday night, with a 10-catch, 120-yard night. That gave him 870 yards this season, breaking a 22-year single-season record of 762 yards held by Ross Wheeler. Good also had two TDs in East Penn’s 23-20 double-overtime loss to Lampeter-Strasburg in the District 3-4A quarterfinals.

Brad Hockenberry, jr., RB, West Perry: Once again Hockenberry helmed a deadly rushing attack to beat Lancaster Catholic in the District 3-3A semifinals, this time 49-20. The junior rushed 18 times for 189 yards — the Mustangs ran for 476 stripes collectively — and three touchdowns that covered 14, 62 and 15 yards.

Shawn Lee Jr., jr., QB, Harrisburg: Lee was once again a two-way threat in the Cougars’ 54-33 District 3-5A quarterfinal triumph over Cedar Crest. With his legs, he led Harrisburg with 110 yards and two TDs (17 and 13 yards) on 11 attempts. And with his arm, he was a nearly flawless 11 of 12 for 249 yards and scoring strikes of 90, 22 and 53 yards.

Marcus Quaker, sr., QB, West Perry: Quaker was his typical dynamic self in the Mustangs’ district semifinal victory over Lancaster Catholic. He led WP back to the district title game for the second year in a row with three rushing touchdowns (59, 1 and 11 yards) and another passing while rushing for 186 yards on 18 carries and 47 passing yards.

Ty Salazer, sr., WR, State College: Salazar caught a 26-yard touchdown pass in the opening quarter of the Little Lions’ 16-6 win over Altoona for their 22nd District 6 title, becoming the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards, passing Cohen Russell (2018). Salazar finished with six receptions for 68 stripes.

Stone Saunders, jr., QB, Bishop McDevitt: No need to remind you how good Saunders is. The Kentucky verbal commit completed 17 of 25 passes for 394 yards and six touchdowns (covering 80, 27, 45, 22, 5 and 38 yards) in a 55-14 shellacking of division rival Milton Hershey in the District 3-4A quarterfinals Friday night.

Rico Scott, sr., WR, Bishop McDevitt: Saunders’ favorite target on the night? Unsurprisingly it was Alabama pledge Scott, who hauled in three first-half scores (80, 27 and 5) and finished with a shiny seven receptions for 195 stripes. He now has 65 catches for 1,143 yards and 20 touchdowns this season.

Bennett Secrest, jr., QB, Cedar Cliff: Another solid dual-threat performance from the Colts’ signal caller, who threw for 175 yards and ran for another 78 in Friday’s 31-7 win over South Western in the District 3-5A quarterfinals. Secrest connected on two TD tosses of 23 and 25 yards, the former to his brother, Blake.

Jasper Shepps, so., WR/DB, Juniata: Yet another all-around performance for the electric sophomore in Juniata’s 36-22 win over DuBois in a PIAA Class 4A playoff game. Shepps caught three balls for 99 yards and a score, returned two kickoffs 83 combined yards and recorded seven tackles (tied for team high) and an interception on defense.

Dorian Smith, sr., RB/DB, Susquehanna Township: Smith was electric in ‘Hanna’s 45-34 DIstrict 3-4A quarterfinal loss to Manheim Central, particularly in the first half. He rushed for 172 yards on 15 carries, including a first 24 minutes that saw him carry the ball seven times for 154 yards and sprints to the end zone of 57 and 61 yards.

Bryce Staretz, sr., RB/LB, Cumberland Valley: Staretz rushed for 143 yards and scored two key touchdowns (9 and 1 yard) on 33 carries in the Eagles’ 20-14 quarterfinal win over Wilson. His stats came in chunks, including 53 yards and a score on the opening drive and 12 carries and another TD to start the second half.

Kymir Williams, sr., WR, Harrisburg: Five touches, three touchdowns and a Cougars District 3-5A quarterfinal victory, 54-28 over Cedar Crest. Williams was simply explosive all afternoon Saturday, hauling in four passes for 178 yards (44.5 yards per catch) and touchdowns of 90 and 53 yards. He also ran in a 16-yard score.

This poll has ended (since 1 year).

Trey Good, sr., WR/DB, East Pennsboro:

61.11%

Brad Hockenberry, jr., RB, West Perry:

13.52%

Nolan Buzalka, jr., DL/TE, Cumberland Valley:

11.17%

Jasper Shepps, so., WR/DB, Juniata:

6.80%

Bennett Secrest, jr., QB, Cedar Cliff:

2.88%

Bryce Staretz, sr., RB/LB, Cumberland Valley:

2.13%

Drew Branstetter, jr., QB, Camp Hill:

1.27%

Angel Cabrera, sr., RB, Hershey:

0.52%

Ty Salazer, sr., WR, State College:

0.15%

Marcus Quaker, sr., QB, West Perry:

0.11%

Kymir Williams, sr., WR, Harrisburg:

0.07%

Dorian Smith, sr., RB/DB, Susquehanna Township:

0.07%

Rico Scott, sr., WR, Bishop McDevitt:

0.07%

Stone Saunders, jr., QB, Bishop McDevitt:

0.04%

Shawn Lee Jr., jr., QB, Harrisburg:

0.04%

Ronald Burnette Jr., sr., RB, Steel-High:

0.04%

Sunday Morning QB: Hershey does it again!; CV takes down Wilson; Camp Hill claims the D3 2A title and more from this week’s playoff action

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Andy Shay

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November 12, 2023

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Sunday Morning QB: Hershey does it again!; CV takes down Wilson; Camp Hill claims the D3 2A title and more from this week’s playoff action

We see you, Hershey Trojans.

One week after an improbable and thrilling come-from-behind victory to open the Trojans’ 2023 playoff ledger, Hershey went out and took care of District 3 Class 5A No. 1-seed New Oxford 34-28.

Hershey is a win away from playing for a D3 championship.

The win over the Colonials was clearly not as dramatic as the opener, but the winning formula at its core was the exact same.

Give the ball to Angel Cabrera 30-plus times and see if the defense can hold up just enough to give that power-running game that features two fullbacks and pulling guard and tackles a chance to take over.

Against New Oxford, Cabrera, a vintage north-south runner who isn’t shy about taking on contact, had 38 carries for 231 yards and three touchdowns. He’s now carried the ball 30-plus times in three straight games and six times this season. That’s Hershey’s main ingredient in its formula for success — you know it, we know it, everybody knows it.

Can you stop them is the question they are going to ask the opponent each and every quarter.

Hey, it’s one thing to pull off a staggering victory for the memory bank. The Trojans, though, went to the next level by validating that triumph in style and in their likeness and image.

A road trip to 11-1 Ephrata in the semifinal awaits.

We see you, too, Cumberland Valley

Tip of the cap to the Cumberland Valley Eagles. If you saw this coming from the 2023 squad, you are lying.

The Mid-Penn Conference Coach of the Year award has to go to Josh Oswalt and his staff. Sure, it was a tough three-game opening stretch to the season that was expected. But after 12 quarters CV wasn’t in shambles, it was ashes. Some good defense in spots was the only small sign of hope.

This convocation of Eagles stuck together and didn’t hang their heads, and that fueled their leaders to keep pushing buttons and pulling strings. And now this squad, a shocking No. 4 seed, has a feather in its cap after powering past Wilson 20-14.

As expected, the CV offense was in full grind mode, led by 138 yards on a whopping 33 carries and two touchdowns from running back Bryce Staretz and 11 short completions to wideout Caiden Pines.

Remember that defense we mentioned as the early foothold for the Eagles? It took over this game, limiting the Bulldogs to 40 rushing yards and fewer than 125 yards of total offense.

Undefeated Manheim Township is up next. The Eagles already know the drill, having played the Blue Streaks in that early stretch. All I know is one team is very different now.

Defense, Camp Hill’s defense, wins championship

That final drive by Camp Hill quarterback Drew Branstetter was next level. Every single snap mattered as the Lions marched 56 yards in 81 seconds to cement the District 3 Class 2A championship over rival Trinity.

You can read more about the Lions’ triumph in my Making The Grade recap.

The offense grabbed the moment, but overall it was the Lions’ defense that earned the No. 4 seed a district crown. One touchdown was surrendered to Trinity Friday night. In eight quarters against the Shamrocks, the total was three touchdowns.

We’ve all heard the saying defense wins championships. Now you know exactly what that looks like.

West Perry back in the saddle again

For the second year in a row West Perry will play for the District 3 Class 3A championship. And it will be powerhouse Wyomissing on the other side of the ball again.

This was different for the Mustangs, though. This was kind of what the expectation was for this team since the season began, unlike last year when they were a surprise championship contender. And as the regular season trudged along, it became more and more difficult for the Mustangs.

Even last week was a real grind for West Perry. The win over Bermudian Springs was well short of its own expectations.

That was not the case in taking out No. 2-seed Lancaster Catholic on the road this week. West Perry was explosive and dominant in a commanding 49-20 victory. This team is now in the perfect spot to play the Spartans for a title again.

Quarterback Marcus Quaker and running back Brad Hockenberry combined for more than 300 total yards and were part of all seven West Perry touchdowns.

This Cedar Cliff team is quite good

Honestly, I have to keep reminding myself Cedar Cliff is a one-loss team.

This team has sort of quietly put together a killer 10-win campaign that might lack some high-end sheen, but the bones are rock solid.

Cedar Cliff simply overpowered South Western in the Colts’ Class 5A opener 31-7. That 31 isn’t unexpected. What stands out is the 7 for the Mustangs. This screams complementary football all the way.

Quarterback Bennett Secrest had a splendid dual-threat outing, totaling 175 yards through the air, 79 on the ground and threw a pair of touchdown passes. Nathan Lusk hauled in seven catches for 75 yards and a TD, and RB Erik Schriver again went over 100 yards with his efficient and sneaky good running style.

Winning in the trenches is what is driving this train, and that will get a next-level test against Cocalico. Remember, both teams are 10-1.

Bishop McDevitt: Same as it ever was

Bishop McDevitt could not avoid another member of the Keystone Division for its 2023 playoff opener. Milton Hershey earned its second bite of the Crusaders apple, and as expected the result was almost the same.

Quarterback Stone Saunders threw six touchdown passes, three to fellow FBS recruit Rico Scott, and McDevitt posted a 54-14 victory to stay unbeaten. Saunders threw for nearly 400 yards, and Scott averaged 27.9 yards per catch on seven grabs. Crazy, but again, not unexpected numbers for McDevitt.

Both Milton Hershey touchdowns came in the fourth quarter after the Crusaders built a 54-0 cushion. Lampeter-Strasburg is up next, and I’m sure McDevitt is looking forward to facing somebody outside of the Keystone Division.

Drew Branstetter leads Camp Hill to District 3 Class 2A Championship plus Making the Grade Analysis of Each Position Group

Making the Grade

Andy Shay

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November 10, 2023

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Drew Branstetter leads Camp Hill to District 3 Class 2A Championship plus Making the Grade Analysis of Each Position Group

At the most crucial time in Friday night’s District 3 Class 2A championship game, Camp Hill quarterback Drew Branstetter owned the moment and guided his Lions to their 11th district title in school history.

The junior was perfect on the game winning drive, marching the Lions 56 yards in six plays — all completed passes — and capped the impressive 81-second march with a 5-yard touchdown toss to Kobe Moore with 1:15 to play.

Branstetter to Moore vaulted the No. 4-seed Lions to a stunning 20-13 victory over No. 2 Trinity and avenged an earlier one-point loss to the Shamrocks during the regular season.

In a game that was dominated by defense, the Lions’ offense had a bit more pop and Branstetter was the difference-maker with three total touchdowns — two passing to go along with a 12-yard run.

Trinity tied the game 13-13 with 2:44 to play after a long and productive ground-focused drive that covered nearly 80 yards ended in Kieran Finegan’s second field goal of the game, this one from 29 yards out.

The Shamrocks scored only one touchdown, and that came on their opening drive when Messiah Mickens waltzed in from the 5-yard line to stake Trinity to an early 7-0 cushion.

That touchdown came with five minutes to play in the first quarter. The next 41 minutes belonged to Camp Hill’s defense. The Lions not only limited Trinity to two field goals the rest of the way, they also came up with two turnovers.

Time to hand out some postseason grades.

CAMP HILL LIONS

Quarterback: It was a grind for Branstetter all game until the final drive. Trinity wasn’t giving him much on the outside, so he was taking the underneath stuff and doing what he could. Without much of a running game, the game was clearly in his hands. On the final drive, every single throw was perfect — it was like he found fifth gear all of a sudden and carved up the T-Rocks’ secondary with ease. We all know it wasn’t that easy. But that shows how ready the junior was for that big moment. And he owned it big time. Grade: A

Running back: So we know the Lions don’t rely much on the running game, and Kobe Moore can usually give them what they need when called upon. He hit a couple edges early for decent runs, but anything and everything inside was out of bounds. He did catch the game-winning touchdown pass and is an option as a receiver. It was tough sledding, though. The other team had something to do with that. Grade: B

Wide receivers: The variety of targets the Lions possess for a roster of 20-ish players is simply staggering. Noah Doi, Alex Long and Marcus Colson are all quality wideouts. They did struggle to get open against sticky coverage most of the game. In that final drive, though, they ran precision routes, and the timing looked like a day at practice. Only one or two drops and a couple of really tough catches. Grade: A-

Offensive line: Hey, the Lions don’t run the ball for a reason. Part of that is they are not built up front to play any kind of power game. And that showed in this one. Nothing new on that front. Pass protection, what they are asked to do and execute well, was above average. Helps to have an elusive QB bail you out every now and then. Straight up they held their own. Run blocking was as expected. Grade: B-

Defensive line: Wore down inside the tackles as the game went on, but that’s not unexpected. Gave up some yards, but it wasn’t easy for Trinity to move the ball on the ground with any consistency. Junior Alex Long was sensational off the edge and even snagged an incredible interception on a quick out — just pure athleticism on display. They were gritty. Grade: A-

Linebackers: Nothing short of spectacular from the Lions’ backers. Not a single big gainer allowed, something they know the T-Rocks thrive on. Tackled physically and well in space all game. Did not allow anything to the outside, either, which was huge in my book. Take a bow, Doi and Moore in particular. That was very well done, lads. Grade: A+

Secondary: They were beat a couple times, but the throw from Trinity wasn’t quite good enough to punish them. I will say, the run-support part of their job was outstanding. Tommy Corbin was up in the box most of the night and was a force all game. His run blitzes were outstanding. And those two blitzes on the final Trinity drive in must-pass situations were not only great calls, but were also well executed. Grade: A-

Special teams: The Lions did give up some serious yards in the return game but also had a spectacular double reverse return on a kickoff that went for 54 yards and set up the opening touchdown. The long missed extra point after a 15-yard penalty was a critical point that hung around for a long time. Grade: B-

TRINITY SHAMROCKS

Quarterback: Senior Caleb Wray had good stretches and some rough patches. In the end, because of injuries and the deficit, he was asked to do more than the Shamrocks probably wanted. Hit some good step-and-throws after a shaky start. Hit a couple excellent deep throws, too. One deep throw looked perfect and would have gone for a touchdown in the third quarter, but the receiver just missed it. I don’t blame him for the interception, either. That was just a sick play by a DE/OLB. Grade: C+

Running back: From the first quarter of the Wyomissing game in Week 2, Penn State recruit Messiah Mickens has battled a high-ankle sprain and for the most part played through the injury. He’s looked better the last couple games, but he clearly re-injured the ankle early in this one and was hobbled the rest of the game after looking strong on the opening drive. He didn’t carry the ball much the second half and was lined up as a receiver almost exclusively. Junior Christian Joy ran well as the No. 2. He’d be a No. 1 on most teams. I enjoy his vision and cuts in tight spaces. Grade: B

Wide receivers: They lost Tanie Young to an ankle injury early. He tried to come back but eventually lost the battle and was on crutches most of the second half. Cole Cappawana made a couple tough catches. Overall, though, too many drops. Grade: C

Offensive line: They were very good on the opening drive and exceptional on the drive late that led to a field goal. In between they were pretty average and struggled all game with blitzes that put extra pressure on their QB. Overall, they were less than consistent is the best way to describe it. Grade: C

Defensive line: They were put in some bad spots and really made only one big gaffe, on the 12-yard TD run where they lost their way on a QB scramble. More than made up for it by coming through with a big stop on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter at their own 5-yard line that would have sealed the game for the Lions pretty much. Pass rush didn’t get home that often but was consistent and kept the Lions’ QB on the move. Grade: A-

Linebackers: Those crossing routes by the Lions are tricky for linebackers, and they only got beat once — for a touchdown. Otherwise, they were on it. Remember the name Marcus Yeager. He’s only a sophomore and is going to be a good one. Grade: A

Secondary: Until that last drive, the T-Rocks’ secondary was magnificent. But the game is 48 minutes long. Amil Way took away a lot of the outside stuff on his side that the Lions like to run. He was fantastic all game. They were organized and on point until those final six plays. Grade: B+

Special teams: Two field goals that were desperately needed covering 29 and 32 yards was a big plus. Kickoff game was shaky, though, along with the coverage that allowed a big return to set up the first Lions TD. Cappawana was also very, very good in the return game. Set his team up well three times at least. Grade: B+

Pennsylvania high school football playoffs: Scores, highlights from Week 2 of PIAA district tournaments

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4thdownmagazine

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November 10, 2023

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Pennsylvania high school football playoffs: Scores, highlights from Week 2 of PIAA district tournaments

One District 3 champion has been crowned (see: Steel-High). Another will be crowned this week, and more will follow shortly.

The second week of the PIAA high school football postseason brings up a fantastic rivalry game in the D3 Class 2A title game: Camp Hill at Trinity. The Lions pulled off an impressive upset in the semifinals, while the Shamrocks seem to have a healthy Messiah Mickens for the first time in months. It’s going to be a good one.

And while the Rollers have a bye week before the PIAA Class 1A tournament begins, the rest of District 3’s classifications will be in the quarterfinals or semifinals. 4th Down’s coverage area also includes the District 4, 6 and 11 tournaments, and we’ll be following those games closely as well.

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 playoffs: District 3 football championships 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 the District 3 Class 2A championship game, Class 3A semifinals and quarterfinals in 4A through 6A:

PIAA football playoffs schedule and scores:

Looking for the latest updates and final scores from this weekend’s games around the Harrisburg area? We have you covered:

Friday, Nov. 10

DISTRICT 3 CLASS 6A QUARTERFINALS