Andy Shay’s Elite 11 Football Rankings After Week 4
| 11. | Twin Valley | 4-0 | NR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All the undefeated Raiders have done is outscore the opposition by nearly 200 points – or roughly winning by an average of 50 a game so far. | ||||
| 10. | Manheim Township | 3-1 | 10 | |
| The Blue Streaks have seen what I would classify as a very robust schedule through to a 3-1 mark and will be a tough out from here on out. | ||||
| 9. | Exeter Township | 4-0 | 9 | |
| For the third time in four games the Eagles soared past 40 points to win going away. More tests are coming, but the foundation is laid. | ||||
| 8. | Conestoga Valley | 4-0 | 8 | |
| Thought it might be a little closer with Ephrata, but when your defense gives up only two touchdowns all season thew game is a wee bit easier. | ||||
| 7. | Wilson | 3-1 | 7 | |
| Offense found some extra gears for an easy win against Reading as expected. Feels like the Bulldogs defense will be the bedrock for this team. | ||||
| 6. | Susquehanna Twp. | 4-0 | 6 | |
| In order to keep up with Hanna you are going to need to score at least 28-35 points it seems because this group shows no signs of slowing down in any way, shape or form. | ||||
| 5. | Wyomissing | 4-0 | 5 | |
| Back-to-back shutouts for the lads from Berks County and something tells me there are a few more coming down the tracks. | ||||
| 4. | Bishop McDevitt | 2-2 | 4 | |
| Back to level par for the Crusaders with a solid win over the Colts. Hard to see more than one more real test for McD the rest of the way, honestly. | ||||
| 3. | State College | 3-1 | 3 | |
| Wasn’t an easy win over Cumberland Valley, but the Little Lions bounced back from the brutal setback in overtime to the No. 1 squad. Solid bounce back. | ||||
| 2. | Central York | 4-0 | 2 | |
| Panthers continue to build the firepower on offense by scoring five or more touchdowns for the third week in a row. | ||||
| 1. | Harrisburg | 4-0 | 1 | |
| Finally a bit of a breather for the Cougars and it was just as impressive the way Harrisburg took care of business against Chambersburg with no letdown. | ||||
Eric F. Epler’s State High School Football Rankings After Week 4
CLASS 6A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1. La Salle College HS (12) — 4-0 – 1
2. Harrisburg (3) — 4-0 – 2
3. Parkland (11) — 4-0 – 4
4. Pittsburgh CC (7) — 3-1 – 5
5. North Allegheny (7) — 4-0 — 6
6. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) — 0-3 — 3
7. State College (6) — 3-1 – 7
8. Central York (3) — 4-0 — 8
9. Coatesville (1) — 4-0 — 9
10. Easton Area (11) — 4-0 — 10
Teams to watch: Manheim Township (3) 3-1, Nazareth (11) 4-0, Pennridge (1) 4-0, Wilson-West Lawn (3) 3-1.
CLASS 5A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1. Pine-Richland (7) — 3-1 – 2
2. Peters Township (7) — 4-0 – 3
3. Roman Catholic (12) — 2-2 – 1
4. Chester (1) — 4-0 – 4
5. Exeter Township (3) — 4-0 – 5
6. Upper St. Clair (7) — 4-0 — 6
7. Springfield-Delco (1) — 4-0 — 7
8. Bishop McDevitt (3) — 2-2 – 8
9. Strath Haven (1) — 4-0 — 9
10. Woodland Hills (7) — 2-2 – NR
Teams to watch: Abington Heights (2) 4-0, Cathedral Prep (10) 3-1, Conrad Weiser (3) 4-0, West Chester East (1) 4-0, West Chester Rustin (1) 3-1.
CLASS 4A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1. Bonner-Prendergast (12) — 3-0 – 1
2. Southern Lehigh (11) — 4-0 – 2
3. Pope John Paul II (1) — 4-0 – 3
4. Wyomissing (3) — 4-0 – 4
5. Shamokin (4) — 4-0 – 6
6. Twin Valley (3) — 4-0 — 8
7. Thomas Jefferson (7) — 3-1 – 5
8. Jersey Shore (4) — 3-1 — 7
9. Susquehanna Twp. (3) — 4-0 — 10
10. Bishop Shanahan (1) — 3-1 — 9
Teams to watch: Aliquippa (7) 2-1, Bethlehem Catholic (11) 3-1, Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 3-1, McKeesport (7) 2-2.
CLASS 3A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1. Avonworth (7) — 4-0 – 2
2. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 4-0 – 1
3. Hickory (10) — 4-0 – 3
4. ND-Green Pond (11) — 4-0 – 4
5. Imani Christian (7) — 4-0 – 5
6. North Catholic (7) — 4-0 — 9
7. Mifflinburg (4) — 4-0 — 10
8. North Schuylkill (11) — 2-2 — 6
9. Sharon (10) — 2-2 – 7
10. Berwick (2) — 4-0 — NR
Teams to watch: Elizabeth-Forward (7) 3-1, Forest Hills (6) 4-0, Hopewell (7) 3-1, Wyoming Area (2) 4-0.
CLASS 2A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1. Schuylkill Haven (11) — 4-0 – 1
2. Troy (4) — 3-1 – 2
3. Williams Valley (11) — 4-0 – 3
4. Farrell (10) — 3-1 – 5
5. Bishop McCort (6) — 4-0 — 6
6. Southern Columbia (4) — 3-1 – 7
7. Steelton-Highspire (3) — 3-0 – 8
8. South Allegheny (7) — 4-0 — NR
9. Karns City (9) — 3-1 — NR
10. Western Beaver (7) — 4-0 — NR
Teams to watch: Lakeland (2) 3-1, Minersville (11) 3-1, Richland (6) 3-1, Riverside (2) 3-1.
CLASS 1A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1. Fort Cherry (7) — 4-0 – 1
2. Clairton (7) — 3-1 – 2
3. Line Mountain (4) — 4-0 – 3
4. Bishop Guilfoyle (6) — 3-1 – 4
5. Wilmington (10) — 3-1 – 5
6. Port Allegany (9) — 4-0 – 6
7. Westinghouse (8) — 3-1 – 7
8. Lackawanna Trail (2) — 3-1 – 8
9. Greenville (10) — 3-1 — 10
10. Marian Catholic (11) — 4-0 — NR
Teams to watch: Jeannette (7) 3-1, Meyersdale (5) 3-1, Neshannock (7) 2-1, Wilmington (10) 3-1, Windber (5) 3-1.
Vote Now: Mid-Penn Conference Week 4 Player of the Week
Vote now for our 4th Down Magazine Mid-Penn Conference Player of the Week. Our poll will remain open until Wednesday 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.
Grady Hope, RB, Big Spring: The Bulldogs leaned on their main ball carrier Friday night to rip past Milton Hershey, 37-19. Hope recorded a team-high 22 carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns, including a 51-yard jaunt.
Carson Goodman, KR, Hershey: Good field position can change the dynamic of a game in a heartbeat. For the Trojans Friday night, Goodman made the most of his five kickoff returns, racking up a whopping 252 yards—an average return of 50.4 yards. His electric returns set up Hershey with short fields all evening en route to a 27-7 victory against Mifflin County.
Rowan Walker, RB, State College: Walker served as the lead back for the Little Lions Friday night. Let’s just say he capitalized on the opportunity. The junior earned 28 touches, racking up 173 yards and a score to help fuel State College past Cumberland Valley, 24-14 Friday night.
Connor Keiser, K, Lower Dauphin: When you drill the game-winning kick against a previously undefeated team, there’s a good chance your name will find its way onto our Player of the Week list. Keiser nailed a 34-yard shot with just seven seconds left on the clock to knock off Mechanicsburg, 22-21.
Torin Evans, QB, Susquehanna Twp.: Evans’ name should be plenty familiar by this time in this young name’s high school career. The dual threat QB flummoxed West Perry defenders all evening, completing 10-of-17 passing for 192 and three scores. He was just as electric on the ground, adding another 137 stripes including a 73-yard scamper and two touchdowns.
Nickayus Zenon, WR, Middletown: The resurgence in Middletown continued on Friday night and this young lad played a huge role. Zenon hauled in six receptions on the evening for a whopping 192 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Blue Raiders 35-6 handling of Boiling Springs.
Week 3 4th Down Magazine Player of the Week: Kolton Keys
East Pennsboro fans delivered the 4th Down Magazine Player of the Week for Week 3 to Kolton Keys, casting more than 1,000 votes to seal the deal. All Keys did was deliver splash play after splash play on a 42-28 victory against Milton Hershey to earn the nod.
On just three carries, Keys ripped off touchdown rushes of 75 and 60 yards en route to 193 yards. But he wasn’t done. He hauled in a 56 yard touchdown catch as well, ending the night with another 99 yards through the air.
Lower Dauphin’ running back Hunter Strohm finished second in the balloting.
Results: Week 4 Picks and Predictions
Week 4 rolls in with a mix of unbeaten showdowns, bounce-back opportunities, and rising underdogs looking to keep the good vibes going.
Standings:
Name; Week 3; Overall
Andy Shay 14-5; 48-19
Adam Kulikowski 13-6; 44-23
Andy Sandrik: 13-6; 40-27
Friday, September 12
Steel-High 48, Upper Dauphin 7
Andy Shay: Steel-High 30, Upper Dauphin 13: Rollers are more balanced than you might expect in terms of one side of the ball being the dominating force. Trojans offense hasn’t shown enough bite to keep pace.
Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 44, Upper Dauphin 7: The Trojans scored their first points of the season last week, but that elusive first win will have to wait at least another week.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 45, Upper Dauphin 6: Trojans have completed just 36 percent of their pass attempts this season. Finding a rhythm through the air can help make this a more competitive match up.
Red Land 56, Waynesboro 14
Andy Shay: Red Land 34, Waynesboro 13: Why not 4-0 for the Red Land Patriots? Surprise team of 2025 and will be hard to knock off that perch.
Andy Sandrik: Red Land 33, Waynesboro 28: What a gut punch last week for the Tribe, who couldn’t hold on to a 14-0 lead over Shippensburg. Just keeping this game close will require some kind of bounceback from Waynesboro.
Adam Kulikowski: Red Land 33, Waynesboro 21: The Patriots undoubtedly are the feel-good story of the year in the Mid-Penn Conference. Keep the good vibes going, gents.
Susquehanna Twp. 55, West Perry 14
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 53, West Perry 19: Been a struggle this season for the Mustangs and this is NOT the team you want to see across from you when on the Struggle Bus.
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 43, West Perry 25: Yes, the Tribe should be favored here, but I’m not sure why so many folks are counting out the 3-0 Mustangs.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 47, West Perry 30: This is the biggest test of the season for the Tribe, but every indication we’ve seen so far tells us they are fully prepared for a dog fight.
Newport 47, Camp Hill 12
Andy Shay: Camp Hill 32, Newport 27: This could be a wild affair with both clubs feeling they should have won the game. Buffaloes are improved and if the Lions bring less than their best the W goes to the squad from Perry County.
Andy Sandrik: Newport 38, Camp Hill 26: Give me the Buffs over the Lions in a high-scoring contest at Siebert Park Stadium.
Adam Kulikowski: Newport 34, Camp Hill 21: Took in a Buffaloes game in Week 3 and can attest. This is a much improved squad equipped with enough playmakers to cause the Lions fits.
East Pennsboro 21, Greencastle-Antrim 12
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 26, Greencastle-Antrim 7: Clear the Panthers have made serious progress over 12 quarters and in this one their defense shines.
Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 24, Greencastle-Antrim 14: The Blue Devils took a big step forward last week in grinding out a “W” over Middletown. They’ll need to make even more strides to conquer the rising Panthers.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 27, Greencastle-Antrim 21: Panthers senior Ryan Potts has been a playmaker teams need to account for, contributing five tackles for loss and a team-high 28 tackles.
State College 24, Cumberland Valley 14
Andy Shay: State College 34, Cumberland Valley 7: Both squads are coming off losses, but in reality these are two trains going in opposite directions. The firepower of the Little Lions offense shines through.
Andy Sandrik: State College 20, Cumberland Valley 14: As disappointing as the loss to Altoona was last week, I still think CV has the defense to keep this game within reach.
Adam Kulikowski: State College 28, Cumberland Valley 14: Are there such things as quality losses? If so, the Little Lions certainly earned one going toe-to-toe with Harrisburg last week. Does that fuel them against an unpredictable Eagles squad?
Shippensburg 13, Palmyra 12
Andy Shay: Shippensburg 30, Palmyra 7: Greyhounds faced some serious adversity to date and passed with flying colors.
Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 35, Palmyra 14: Finally, a game the Hounds likely won’t have to sweat out. Staying competitive in the Keystone has been a struggle for Palmyra so far.
Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 43, Palmyra 6: Greyhounds are averaging 6.3 yards-per-carry on the ground and an 82 percent completion rate passing. That will win you a more than a few games.
Gettysburg 36, Northern York 20
Andy Shay: Gettysburg 26, Northern York 6: Warriors own the only win in this matchup, but you could make an argument for at least one more win if not 3-0 at this point. Polar Bears are battling uphill.
Andy Sandrik: Gettysburg 28, Northern York 10: Every game Gettysburg has played has been a high-scoring affair. That’s not great news for a Northern squad averaging eight points per game.
Adam Kulikowski: Gettysburg 33, Northern York 13: Warriors know at this point who they are as a team. I’m not sure the Polar Bears do quite yet.
Line Mountain 62, Halifax 14
Andy Shay: Line Mountain 39, Halifax 20: The Eagles will get a full metal jacket test from the explosive Wildcats. Line Mountain just has a bit too much savvy at this point to get caught overlooking this one.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 38, Halifax 7: No disrespect to Halifax. Line Mountain has just been making examples out of every team it has faced so far.
Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 45, Halifax 13: Eagles have given up just 20 points all season. Wildcats will need to earn every yard Friday night.
Central Dauphin 38, Altoona 21
Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 17, Altoona 14: After what Altoona did last week against Cumberland Valley, there is zero doubt in my book they could win this game.
Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin 21, Altoona 7: Give a lot of credit to the Mountain Lions, who sprung a major upset over Cumberland Valley last week, but consistently winning in the Commonwealth Division is one of the toughest asks in all of Pa. high school football.
Adam Kulikowski: Altoona 28, Central Dauphin 24: Last week, my wife called me a hater for picking against the Mountain Lions who knocked off Cumberland Valley in a thriller. Calling on the gents from Altoona to prove it again this week.
Bishop McDevitt 48, Cedar Cliff 13
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 34, Cedar Cliff 14: Former mates in the Keystone Division square off with the Colts riding a roller coaster and the Crusaders looking to reclaim their elite status. Firepower on offense favors the Crusaders.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 42, Cedar Cliff 17: After shaking off their winless start to the season last week, McDevitt has built some confidence and will be expecting to embark on a winning streak starting Friday.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 31, Cedar Cliff 24: History tells us that the Colts will play the Crusaders tough. There, however, are difference in the weaponry each will bring to the fight.
Harrisburg 49, Chambersburg 6
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 48, Chambersburg 20: Finally a team not ranked in the Top 10 in the state for the Cougars. They are heavy favorites, but the Trojans are not an easy team to beat so Harrisburg talent has to shine.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 47, Chambersburg 14: Chambersburg lost starting QB Ceagan Truett for the foreseeable future after an injury last week. Cam Green showed some potential in relief and even threw for a TD against the McDevitt defense, but the sophomore will certainly have his work cut out for him against the state-ranked Cougars.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 55, Chambersburg 14: A few years ago, you might think the Cougars would look over Chambersburg after battling some of the best teams in the state. I don’t see that happening this week.
CD East 27, Carlisle 7
Andy Shay: CD East 35, Carlisle 14: Both teams are scuffing a bit in 2025, but the Panthers have shown some flashes and those flashes are good enough.
Andy Sandrik: CD East 41, Carlisle 7: Wish I had something nicer to say about a Carlisle team that’s a five-minute walk from my house, but this season has been a struggle for the Herd on both sides of the ball.
Adam Kulikowski: CD East 47, Carlisle 7: High-scoring match-ups simply are not the style of play the Thundering Herd can thrive in right now. Panthers have the ability to make Carlisle uncomfortable.
Big Spring 37, Milton Hershey 19
Andy Shay: Big Spring 32, Milton Hershey 29: This just has the feel of a wild one waiting to happen and if anything else happens it would be a surprise. Why does it feel like a toss-up game?
Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 35, Milton Hershey 24: Bulldogs have a golden opportunity to rebound against a Spartans squad that’s allowing an average of five TDs per game. Milton Hershey will try to turn this into a shootout.
Adam Kulikowski: Milton Hershey 28, Big Spring 27: I see this match up as a coin flip. Spartans have the weapons to hang with Big Spring for four quarters.
Lower Dauphin 22, Mechanicsburg 21
Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 30, Lower Dauphin 7: Wildcats jumped into the state rankings this week so that brings added pressure they have earned. Falcons found some offense a week ago but this defense will be different.
Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 33, Lower Dauphin 3: Can’t pick against the Wildcats when they’re allowing just 4.67 points per game.
Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 33, Lower Dauphin 13: Wildcats have a special season in the making. Momentum stays with the boys in Maroon in Week 4.
Juniata 19, James Buchanan 12
Andy Shay: Juniata 33, James Buchanan 14: The team with more victories heading into this one (James Buchanan) is up against a well tested 1-2 squad that is looking to turn the corner record-wise and has serious matchup advantages.
Andy Sandrik: Juniata 28, James Buchanan 21: The Indians desperately need a pick-me-up after taking a 35-0 shellacking from Line Mountain last week. The Rockets, however, aren’t the automatic win they used to be.
Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 28, James Buchanan 20: Rockets had opportunities last week to knock off Newport. Rockets will need every bounce to go their way to come out on top in Week 4.
Trinity 48, Susquenita 3
Andy Shay: Trinity 28, Susquenita 7: If there was ever a week for the Trinity offense to take one or two steps forward this is the game to do it.
Andy Sandrik: Trinity 24, Susquenita 14: While I still have some reservations about a Trinity offense that averages 3.1 yards per rush, this certainly seems like a winnable game for the ‘Rocks.
Adam Kulikowski: Trinity 21, Susquenita 14: The X-factor in this match up is Trinity wideout Maddox Jarzynski. A 6-2, 210-pound beast, Jarzynski is ripping down 100 reception yards per game to help power the Shamrocks.
Middletown 35, Boiling Springs 6
Andy Shay: Middletown 30, Boiling Springs 7: There is a certain style of game the Blue Raiders play and it will give the Bubblers defense a rough ride.
Andy Sandrik: Middletown 23, Boiling Springs 17: The Blue Raiders have been a winner this fall, but haven’t exactly run away from anyone yet. Bubblers have to feel like they have a punchers chance.
Adam Kulikowski: Middletown 34, Boiling Springs 6: Blue Raiders have all the tools to needed to take care of business against the still-search Bubblers.
Hershey 27, Mifflin County 7
Andy Shay: Hershey 21, Mifflin County 7: I think the defenses for these clubs are going to continue to have a huge impact. Overall just feels like the Trojans have more firepower on offense.
Andy Sandrik: Mifflin County 14, Hershey 7: First team to two TDs wins this game. I’ve got all the respect in the world for a MiffCo team that gave a good battle to a heavily-favored Mechanicsburg squad last week, so I’ll go with the Huskies.
Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 28, Mifflin County 21: Huskies proved they can play with the top teams in the division, so the Trojans would be foolish to take them lightly.
Andy Shay’s Elite 11 Rankings After Week 3
| 11. | Warwick | 3-0 | NR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answered all the questions early and came out of the gate flying with a couple quality wins. Nobody has scored more than 12 points on this defense through 12 quarters . | ||||
| 10. | Manheim Township | 2-1 | 10 | |
| Already proved they can play and style after a wild victory over William Penn where nearly 80 total points were scored. | ||||
| 9. | Exeter Township | 3-0 | 9 | |
| Bigger tests are coming down the line, but right now the Eagles are making hay against lesser competition and putting strong building blocks in place. | ||||
| 8. | Conestoga Valley | 3-0 | 8 | |
| Two shutouts in three games and 116 points scored in 12 quarters is clicking at the next level. Schedule says to expect more of the same in next couple weeks. | ||||
| 7. | Wilson | 2-1 | 4 | |
| Ran into an early season buzzsaw in Nazareth Area and didn’t have the right answers. A big step backwards for sure. | ||||
| 6. | Susquehanna Twp. | 3-0 | 7 | |
| Tribe are winning very big through 12 quarters and expect them to reach 200-plus points scored this week to keep on a 50ish a game average. | ||||
| 5. | Wyomissing | 3-0 | 6 | |
| Outside of an odd game or maybe (maybe) two, the Spartans have navigated the toughest part of their 2025 schedule. And did so with flying colors. | ||||
| 4. | Bishop McDevitt | 1-2 | 5 | |
| Step 1 of rebuilding the confidence successfully navigated for the Crusaders. More to follow for sure. | ||||
| 3. | State College | 2-1 | 3 | |
| Step for step with No. 1 Harrisburg for all 48 minutes of a shootout and suffered a brutal double OT loss. And for that they move directly to No. 2 with full confidence the Little Lions will stay there. | ||||
| 2. | Central York | 3-0 | 2 | |
| Successful navigation of their non-conference schedule by the Panthers, which means they enter the county part of their schedule and a step down in weekly competition and that league winning streak creeps higher. | ||||
| 1. | Harrisburg | 3-0 | 1 | |
| Nobody in the state has navigated more in three weeks than the Cougars with a trio matchups against Top 10 ranked teams in the state. Passed with flying colors and found ways to win. A kingpin that feels untouchable. | ||||