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Cole Bartram, sr., RB, Northern: Bartram followed up his epic 500-yard performance from Week 9 with “only” 225 yards in the Polar Bears’ 32-18 season-finale loss to Mechanicsburg. The senior battering ram scored on a 4-yard run and finished with 44 carries.
Angel Cabrera, sr., RB/LB, Hershey: Quite the regular-season finale for bruising back Cabrera. The senior scored all three Trojans touchdowns and finished with 179 hard yards on 34 carries in a 21-13 win over Palmyra. He also had five tackles on defense.
Lex Cyrus, jr., WR/DB, Susquehanna Township: Cyrus was on the receiving end (literally) of seven passes that went for 181 yards and a couple scores as Township wrapped up an 7-3 regular season with a 45-28 win over Gettysburg. He scored from 40 and 71 yards out.
Alex Erby, sr., QB, Steel-High: The state’s all-time passing yards and TDs leader piloted a 33-12 Capital title bout victory over West Perry, the Rollers’ 22nd-straight victory. Erby was fantastic as always, finishing 18 of 21 for 279 yards and four passing TDs of 20, 19, 8 and 11 yards, all to different receivers. He also ran in a 4-yard TD and had five carries for 16 stripes.
Drew Gibney, sr., WR/DB, Susquenita: The Blackhawks closed out the season with an 18-7 win over Juniata. Gibney contributed all over the field with three catches for 80 yards and a TD on offense, plus 10 tackles (five solo), three passes defended and a forced fumble on defense.
Shawn Lee Jr., jr., QB, Harrisburg: Lee once again captained a dominant 47-21 triumph over rival Central Dauphin to cap the regular season with the Commonwealth Division title. The dynamic weapon finished 12 of 19 for 153 yards passing and a 30-yard TD toss; and he rushed 15 times for 168 yards and TDs of 12, 75 and 1 yard.
Alex Long, jr., WR/DL, Camp Hill: Several deserving Lions from a 35-27 win over Boiling Springs ahead of the District 3 Class 2A playoffs, but the nod goes to Long this week after he hauled in 11 passes for 186 yards and three trips to the end zone.
Kaiden Maurer, so., QB, Line Mountain: The Eagles’ journey to Liberty Division champs is complete, thanks to a stellar Maurer effort. The sophomore finished 7 of 9 from the pocket for 136 yards and a pair of TD passes of 34 and 35 yards, and he rushed five times for 49 stripes and an 8-yard score in a 35-0 whitewash of Upper Dauphin.
Zachary Mell, sr., DL/OL, Big Spring: The Bulldogs clinched a District 3 Class 4A playoff berth with a 21-7 win over Middletown thanks to an impressive night by Mell on defense. The senior led the team with 12 tackles (five solo, two tackles for loss) and a pair of sacks to hold the Blue Raiders in check.
Keith Oates III, sr., QB/LB, East Pennsboro: Fitting one of our POTW nominee regulars is back again after breaking the Panthers’ single-season passing yards record with 2,064. He reached that mark after going 10 of 19 for 132 yards and a TD toss in EP’s 38-12 win over Waynesboro to clinch the outright Colonial Division title.
Caiden Pines, sr., WR/DB, Cumberland Valley: Pines contributed in multiple ways to the Eagles’ fifth straight, playoff-clinching win, 33-20 at Altoona. He opened with a 34-yard carry to set up a CV TD, chipped in four receptions for 69 yards and a 51-yard TD later in the first quarter and iced the game in the third with a 91-yard kick return TD.
Jared Porter, jr., RB, CD East: Porter handed the Panthers a 44-24 win over Carlisle, capping a 4-6 campaign with 34 carries and 242 yards. He scored a pair of second-half touchdowns from 5 and 11 yards out.
Stone Saunders, jr., QB, Bishop McDevitt: The Kentucky verbal commit crossed another threshold, 9,000 career passing yards, on his way to being one of the best QBs in Mid-Penn history. Saunders, in a 61-10 rout of Lower Dauphin to move McD to 10-0, finished 11 of 16 for 205 yards and four TDs of 11, 8, 11 and 40 yards.
Deakon Schaeffer, sr., RB, Mifflin County: The Huskies improved to 5-5 and will play in the District 6 Class 6A playoffs after a 22-19 win over Red Land. Schaeffer shined in the game, rushing 38 times for 172 yards and a key touchdown.
Erik Schriver, sr., RB, Cedar Cliff: The Colts kept their bye-week seed in the District 3 Class 5A playoffs thanks to Schriver’s electric performance in a 54-18 win over Milton Hershey. He toted the rock 23 times for 186 yards and four scores.
Josh Smith, jr., WR/DB, Mechanicsburg: A couple worthy Wildcats to pick from after a 32-18 win over rival Northern, but we’re going to give it to Mechanicsburg’s new single-season touchdown receptions leader, Smith. The junior caught two TDs to finish with 15 on the year, setting the record, from Eli Reider (15 of 18, 333 yards, four TDs).
The dream of a perfect season came crashing down at the hands of defending PIAA Class 1A champion Steel-High. Not a bad loss by any measurable, though.
10.
Cedar Cliff
9-1
NR
Called an audible here and went with the Colts in the final rankings. Only loss was to Bishop McDevitt, and they have improved massively since the start of the season. Crushed Milton Hershey to close out a stellar 2023. This was earned.
9.
Exeter Township
8-2
7
Back-to-back losses for the Eagles, except this one to fellow Elite 11 foe Manheim Central wasn’t close. Losing by four touchdowns reveals some cracks after that 8-0 start.
8.
Steel-High
10-0
9
Allowed only one touchdown to fellow unbeaten West Perry on the road in a hostile environment. That’s championship pedigree right there.
7.
Wyomissing
9-1
8
Had to scratch and claw past a feisty Lampeter-Strasburg squad that has some chops. This kind of game is a good measuring stick for the Spartans, and the 18-13 final is still a good result.
6.
Manheim Central
9-1
6
Was in a battle with fellow Elite 11 resident at halftime, but the Barons put the final 28 points on the board to pull away for an impressive victory.
5.
Cocalico
9-1
5
Was pushed to the limit by a Conrad Weiser team that came in with only two wins this season. Final was 24-14, and sometimes winning matters more than the score.
4.
Central York
10-0
4
You always celebrate a perfect regular season, and the Panthers completed another stellar campaign by drilling York by 31 points. Impressive.
3.
Harrisburg
9-1
3
Why yes, the Cougars are playing their best football heading into the second season. A four-touchdown victory over the CD Rams is just another example. Harrisburg offense is in full go-mode after scoring 47 more.
2.
Manheim Township
10-0
2
From start to finish this team has been as consistent as anybody. Wilson pushed all the right buttons and gave the Blue Streaks a full-metal-jacket test during a 49-34 contest. Excellent playoff primer for Township.
1.
Bishop McDevitt
10-0
1
Scored at least two touchdowns in each quarter in roughing up Lower Dauphin 61-10. In 10 games the Crusaders have scored 478 points. And that number includes 20 in the opener. A defense of their state title is primed and ready.
Another regular season in the books for the Mid-Penn Conference, and there was a fair bit of drama to go around as an unseasonably warm evening provided the backdrop to bring the curtain down on the 10-game slate.
We have plenty of playoff tidbits to break down, but first we want to give each Mid-Penn Conference division champion their moment in the spotlight. And thankfully no shared titles this season.
Harrisburg won all seven of its Commonwealth Division games to claim the outright title. It was powered by junior quarterback Sean Lee Jr. and a defense that can lock down an opponent. Harrisburg has higher championship aspirations of course, but take a moment to savor a job well done. Crazy part was the toughest test in the division came from CD East.
Nobody else was in the same area code to compete with Bishop McDevitt for the Keystone Division title. The defending PIAA Class 4A champion cruised through the Mid-Penn portion of its schedule to complete an undefeated regular season. The offense is big-play explosive, led by an FBS recruit at quarterback and bolstered by an FBS recruit at wide receiver and arguably the best corps of wideouts in the state. In seven division victories, McD’s defense surrendered six touchdowns. That group plays a vital role for this squad, too.
For the first time since 2015, East Pennsboro is the champion of the Colonial Division. This wasn’t an easy road for the Panthers to navigate, either. An upset loss to Northern in Week 7 opened up the door for a shared title or Susquehanna Township winning it outright. The grit and determination of this East Penn group came to a head last week with a fourth-quarter rally from the abyss to shock the ‘Hanna Tribe. And you have to love a team whose quarterback, Keith Oates III, set the school record for yards in a season and also leads them in tackles from his linebacker position.
Steel-High registered win No. 22 in a row Friday night in Elliottsburg to claim the Mid-Penn Capital Division crown in style by upending previously unbeaten and very confident West Perry. This wasn’t a given for the Rollers in 2023. The Mustangs and Trinity were both high-end title contenders, as well. And Steel-High had to beat those two squads in back-to-back weeks. The defending PIAA Class 1A champion is a legitimate threat to repeat as the best in the state. This title prepared the Rollers better than any other year for that run.
When the season kicked off you could have put three jars on a table, marked them Juniata, Line Mountain and Upper Dauphin and the tickets in each to win the Liberty Division title would have been fairly equal. Line Mountain’s 2023 squad always had the highest ceiling, and that was realized after a rugged 1-2 start. The Eagles never lost again and closed out a perfect Liberty run by scoring 75 points against previously mentioned Juniata and Line Mountain the last two weeks.
Some initial District 3 playoff thoughts
Before we provide a quick Mid-Penn Conference knee-jerk perspective on each of the classifications for the upcoming District 3 playoffs, there wasn’t a tough-luck squad at any level from the Mid-Penn. Big Spring was a serious bubble team but made the cut by a whisker.
Steel-High will be the Class 1A champion, and, despite three losses, Trinity is a heavy favorite in Class 2A as the No. 2 seed.
Wyomissing has barely been challenged in Class 3A the last few years. Will this year be more the same? The answer will be provided by either 9-1 Lancaster Catholic or 9-1 West Perry, the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds.
The top four seeds in Class 4A, Bishop McDevitt, Twin Valley, Manheim Central and East Pennsboro, have three combined losses with No. 1 McDevitt still unbeaten. The question here is can any of those three top seeds present a legitimate four-quarter challenge for the high-powered Crusaders?
Class 5A is going to be so much fun to watch unfold because you could make a case for four or maybe even five teams that could win the championship. Nobody enters unbeaten, and I’d be hard pressed to pick even a marginal favorite. Maybe 9-1 Cocalico as the No. 3 seed if I have to pick a winner? New Oxford is the No. 1 seed, but that’s just math in this bracket. Cedar Cliff, Garden Spot, Ephrata and even Conestoga Valley as the No. 6 seed will believe they have a shot. This one is going to be lots and lots of fun.
We start in Class 6A by recognizing Cumberland Valley for not only making the postseason after a brutal 0-3 start, but making a massive leap this week to the No. 4 seed to earn a home game. CV has the best opponents winning percentage in the district at a staggering .736. This classification comes down to Manheim Township, Harrisburg and Central York. Who ya got? Township and Central are unbeaten, and Harrisburg’s only loss is to Township.
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.
