As the leaves start to turn, the stakes rise across the Mid-Penn. Week 5 brings us grudge matches, revenge tours, and programs on the edge of breakout or breakdown. From Central Dauphin’s quest to snap a losing streak against Cumberland Valley to Steel-High trying to slow the high-flying Tribe, this slate is packed with storylines.

Thursday, September 18

Susquehanna Twp. 35, Steel-High 20

Andy Shay: Susquehanna Twp. 42, Steel-High 14: Feels very odd to say the Rollers don’t have the firepower on offense to keep pace. That is rare, indeed. However that is the case in this one with the electric and quick-strike Tribe and their offense. Hard to keep up. 

Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Twp. 44, Steel-High 17: No offense to the unbeaten Rollers, but the average score of a ‘Hanna game this fall has been close to 54-7, in favor of the Tribe.

Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 55, Steel-High 21: Tribe continue to roll over formidable opponents–an attestment to the weaponry Coach Headen has at his disposal. 

Friday, September 19

Cumberland Valley 24, Central Dauphin 15

Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 20, Cumberland Valley 13: CV Eagles are in a losing vortex that is hard to shake out of without help from the opposition. CD Rams are in a better spot it seems with two straight wins and feel good about where they are. That matters.

Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 20, Central Dauphin 17: If Central Dauphin can break through that 21-point barrier against CV’s stout defense, the Rams have a good chance to beat the Eagles for the first time since the 2019 season.

Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin 21, Cumberland Valley 20: Every time I think I know what to expect from the Eagles, they prove otherwise. Which CV team will host the Rams?

State College 40, Chambersburg 0

Andy Shay: State College 42, Chambersburg 7: Third hammer opponent in a row for the Trojans on the heels of games with McDevitt and Harrisburg. Just survive and move forward the schedule gets more balanced from here on in.

Andy Sandrik: State College 44, Chambersburg 14: How unforgiving is the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division? Just ask the Chambersburg Trojans.

Adam Kulikowski: State College 34, Chambersburg 14: You might not know it from the final scores, but this Chambersburg squad is not an easy out. 

Bishop McDevitt 49, Carlisle 0

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 42, Carlisle 6: The rebuild from that 0-2 start continues for the Crusaders as the Thundering Herd are not capable of matching wits with an opponent at this level in 2025.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 49, Carlisle 0: This is a contest where the Thundering Herd need to focus on the small victories within the game, instead of the big picture. 

Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 55, Carlisle 6: Crusaders are simply playing for different reasons than the Thundering Herd at this point in the season. 

Altoona 14, CD East 0

Andy Shay: CD East 28, Altoona 24: This one is tricky because after getting drilled in its first two games the Mountain Lions have rallied and made some noise. CD East will get the best shot Altoona has and if they are ready, it’s their game to lose.

Andy Sandrik: Altoona 18, CD East 15: The Panthers are 0-2 in games decided by two scores or less. It’s not exactly the vote of confidence East High needs going into a game against Altoona that could very well go down to the wire.

Adam Kulikowski: Altoona 31, CD East 28: Mountain Lions are trending up after scoring just seven points in each of their first two games. Offense continues to take steps forward Friday night against the Panthers.

Red Land 47, Northern York 7

Andy Shay: Red Land 35, Northern York 0: Make it 5-for-5 for the undefeated Patriots who continue to soar and all systems are go against a winless Polar Bears squad. Red Land has scored more than 100 points over the last eight quarters.

Andy Sandrik: Red Land 28, Northern York 7: It’s been a cinderella season for the boys from Red Land, but this Friday the Patriots will be playing the role of Goliath against the winless Polar Bears.

Adam Kulikowski: Red Land 42, Northern York 6: Patriots have all the momentum going in their favor, yielding 14 or less points in three of their four victories this season.

Shippensburg 21, Mifflin County 6

Andy Shay: Shippensburg 20, Mifflin County 7: Certainly not a smooth ride for the Greyhounds but full credit to Ship for finding a way to still post victories. Neither offense has displayed much firepower so expect a defensive struggle.

Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 28, Mifflin County 7: Every single game has been a tooth-and-nail struggle for Shippensburg. Can the ‘Hounds find some relief against a Mifflin County squad that’s totaled seven points over its last eight quarters?

Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 34, Mifflin County 14: Greyhounds have found success leaning on their backs and a steady defense. That formula should prove successful in Week 5. 

Lower Dauphin 27, Hershey 24

Andy Shay: Hershey 28, Lower Dauphin 7: It would take another massive effort for the Falcons to pull off two shocking results in as many weeks. Hershey has the QB in Cam Sweeney who fully qualifies as a difference maker.

Andy Sandrik: Hershey 24, Lower Dauphin 14: Just when we were ready to count LD out, the Falcons pulled off a stunner over Mechanicsburg. Hershey QB Cam Sweeney, a man closing in on 1,000 combined rushing and passing yards, presents a whole new challenge for the boys from Hummelstown.

Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 28, Hershey 21: Falcons defense continues to make an impact in its opponent’s backfield, averaging just over seven tackles for loss a game. 

Palmyra 9, Waynesboro 7

Andy Shay: Waynesboro 21, Palmyra 7: Very similar teams in so many ways, the only difference being the Indians have just a little more firepower in the tank offensively to lean on and over 48 minutes that will show up.

Andy Sandrik: Waynesboro 25, Palmyra 14: Expect a close game from a couple of one-win squads looking to get back on track. Waynesboro has just a little bit more offensively and can pull away late with a steady effort.

Adam Kulikowski: Waynesboro 24, Palmyra 20: Both teams enter this fray reeling from three-game losing streaks. Indians have the tools to get back on the track this week.

Mechanicsburg 35, Gettysburg 14

Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 24, Gettysburg 17: What we have here is a battle of wills. The Wildcats defense vs. Warriors offense and how that matchup plays out will reveal who comes out on top in the end. Strength vs. Strength is always super appealing.

Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 28, Gettysburg 25: Mechanicsburg’s strength, its defense, will be tested by a Gettysburg side that excels in scoring points.

Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 34, Gettysburg 14: Wildcats have the type of defense that can make a slip last week just a blip on the calendar.  

Line Mountain 33, Upper Dauphin 20

Andy Shay: Line Mountain 55, Upper Dauphin 0: Dealers choice for the Eagles as they still need to keep that edge and stay sharp. Trojans aren’t providing much resistance this season.

Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 48, Upper Dauphin 0: This game can get as ugly as unbeaten Line Mountain wants to make it. 

Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 45, Upper Dauphin 6: Eagles can control the throttle in this one, getting reps to some of the youngsters. 

Newport 55, Susquenita 12

Andy Shay: Newport 30, Susquenita 7: When it comes to firepower the Buffs have the best player on the field and will be able to keep the scoreboard moving. Blackhawks aren’t built to run up and down the field.

Andy Sandrik: Newport 28, Susquenita 18: I actually think this Perry County scrap will be closer than most experts think, but Newport has a dynamic QB in Trevin Arnold who can carry the Buffs to the finish line.

Adam Kulikowski: Newport 33, Susquenita 6: Buffaloes have found a resilient element to their game that’s been lacking the last several seasons. Winning this Perry County tussle is a matter of pride. 

Juniata 27, Camp Hill 10

Andy Shay: Juniata 34, Camp Hill 0: Slow and steady has been a recipe for success for the Indians this season and this matchup provides an opening to break out of that grind-it-out pace. Camp Hill is battling uphill on many fronts this season including defensively.

Andy Sandrik: Juniata 35, Camp Hill 7: The Indians have yet to score more than 19 points in a game this season. That should change on Friday against a Camp Hill side that’s struggled to be competitive this fall.

Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 42, Camp Hill 13: Some weeks, it feels like a grind for the Indians, but this is not one of those weeks.

Halifax 14, James Buchanan 10

Andy Shay: Halifax 27, James Buchanan 25: I expect this one to go back and forth and enter the final four minutes with the outcome very much in doubt. Last big play wins, maybe?

Andy Sandrik: Halifax 28, James Buchanan 27: The win-loss record might not show it, but the Wildcats possess more offensive pop than they have in years.

Adam Kulikowski: James Buchanan 31, Halifax 24: Wildcats defense is susceptible to leaks. Rockets have enough in the cupboard to take advantage. 

East Pennsboro 35, Boiling Springs 10

Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 27, Boiling Springs 7: Very quietly and a little below the radar the Panthers have become confident and comfortable in their own football skin and are on the same page on what it takes to get the job done.

Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 28, Boiling Springs 17: The Panthers have settled into a nice groove in recent weeks and have a good chance this week to roll off their fourth win in a row.

Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 21, Boiling Springs 7: Bubblers have scored just six points over the last three weeks. Panthers won’t make life easy for the gents in Purple and Gold.

Trinity 17, Milton Hershey 6

Andy Shay: Trinity 28, Milton Hershey 7: There are issues with the T-Rocks offense and that isn’t likely to change. However, they are backstopped by a defense that is surrendering less than 11 points a game (one touchdown on average) and that will win you plenty of games. 

Andy Sandrik: Trinity 42, Milton Hershey 21: Until Milton Hershey can shore up a defense that’s allowing more than five TDs per game, it’s going to be hard to pick the Spartans to win.

Adam Kulikowski: Trinity 48, Milton Hershey 28: If the Spartans are going to slow the Shamrocks, it starts with limiting the damage wideout Maddox Jarzynski can do downfield–tough task. 

Big Spring 27, Greencastle-Antrim 17

Andy Shay: Big Spring 20, Greencastle-Antrim 7: If you dig deep beyond the game with Hanna Tribe, the Bulldogs defense has been doing some of the heavy lifting to help Big Spring reach three wins in four games. Expect that trend to continue.

Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 23, Greencastle-Antrim 17: The Bulldogs are 3-0 when RB Grady Hope goes over 100 rushing yards. Look for Hope to do just that against a Greencastle team that was subdued by East Penn’s running game last week.

Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 28, Greencastle-Antrim 14: Bulldogs have committed just two turnovers all season. Taking care of the rock will make this an uphill battle for G-A.

West Perry 38, Middletown 17

Andy Shay: Middletown 19, West Perry 14: In their three wins the Blue Raiders have surrendered only 21 total points. Heck, even in defeat they allowed only 19 points. Pretty clear why I picked Middletown in this one.

Andy Sandrik: West Perry 28, Middletown 21: How soon can WP forget about the ‘Hanna game? If the Mustangs have a short memory, they’ve got a good shot to win this battle of 3-1 teams.

Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 24, Middletown 21: This might just be one of the most intriguing match ups on the slate in Week 5. Mustangs look to avenge last season’s 14-9 loss to the Blue Raiders.

Saturday, September 20:

Harrisburg 42, Cedar Cliff 0

Andy Shay: Harrisburg 42, Cedar Cliff 7: Based on their schedule to date, more needs to be said about the Cougars defense this season. That will show up in spades in this matchup.

Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 44, Cedar Cliff 14: A portion of Harrisburg’s success this fall should be given to the Cougars’ leading rusher, PJ Dent, who transferred in from Cedar Cliff this season.

Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 48, Cedar Cliff 14: How does one challenge a Lamborghini? That’s the task facing the Colts this week.  

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.