We got ourselves our first defensive stud winning Athlete of the Week.

The Week 5 winner of the 4th Down honor goes to Newport’s Ethan Grove. The sophomore linebacker had an impressive 10 tackles on defense during a 41-20 loss to Upper Dauphin. Grove’s blocked punt return touchdown (from 10 yards out) briefly made it a 27-20 game in the third quarter.

Grove pulled in 337 votes this week, topping Mifflin County senior Isaac Wilson’s 228. Third was Upper Dauphin senior Branden Fetterholf.

Although the Upper Dauphin ground game needed a few weeks to locate what works and who’s in fine form, the Trojans hope to unleash its potent running attack yet again.

Here’s a guess that surpassing 340 collective rushing yards in back-to-back outings – and bounce off victorious in both contests – just isn’t enough for Kent Smeltz’s program. So, will they make it three in a row this weekend when neighboring Halifax (1-4, 0-2) makes the short jaunt up Rte. 225 for a Mid-Penn Liberty Division encounter?

What adds to UD’s productive ground assault – admittedly, it is difficult to prepare for the Trojans’ Pistol Wing-T scheme in a single week – is Smeltz’s club (3-2, 2-0) has had multiple 100-yard rushers fueling those numbers and three players reach that mark overall.

Last weekend, in a 41-20 conquest of host Newport, senior Branden Fetterhoff uncorked a career-best effort by rushing for 135 yards and scoring three times on just 14 attempts.

Trailing 7-6 midway through the second quarter, Fetterhoff wheeled 48 yards for his first score as UD grabbed its second lead of the night. The speedy senior added touchdown runs of 4 and 15 yards after the halftime break as the Trojans created separation and won going away.

Brady Morgan also carried the ball 14 times, collecting 115 yards and a 4-yard score just before halftime as the Trojans took a 20-12 lead that put them in front to stay. Morgan also caught four passes for 29 yards as QB Aidan Bingaman threw for 174 yards.

Bingaman’s numbers – he completed 13 of his 17 pass attempts; Bingaman’s lone interception was returned for a score – helped the Trojans pile up 500-plus offensive yards.

Another cog in UD’s rushing game has been Konner Walker, who gained 100-plus yards in a Week 4 triumph over Susquenita. Walker rushed four times for 33 yards, but caught four passes for 62 yards as Bingaman spread the ball to four targets.

Walker did flash his speed in the third quarter, answering Newport’s blocked punt return for a score by taking the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to the house. Eli Farence also put together some fine offensive numbers, hauling in four Bingaman aerials for 72 yards.

Tegan Engle paced the Upper Dauphin defense with eight tackles – he recorded one of the Trojans’ seven tackles for loss – and fell on one Newport fumble. Smeltz’s bunch authored five takeaways, recovering three fumbles and picking off a pair of passes.

As UD was vanquishing Newport, Earl Mosley’s Halifax club was getting blanked 55-0 by reigning Mid-Penn Liberty champion Juniata at home. The Wildcats trailed 41-0 at halftime.

Mosley’s remarkably youthful group managed just 48 offensive yards against Juniata’s stingy defensive unit – 27 on the ground and 21 through the air. Plus, freshman quarterback Teegan Carroll was sacked six times, twice by lineman Jonathan Kauffman.

The Wildcats also were bumped up defensively, as Juniata totaled 400-plus offensive yards despite 16 stops from junior linebacker Isaac Miller. Miller also recovered one fumble, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Halifax from tumbling to defeat for the second straight week.

Juniata seeking third Liberty Division shutout in succession

Back at home this weekend following its successful trek to Halifax, Juniata (3-2, 2-0) will be chasing its third consecutive Mid-Penn Liberty whitewash when James Buchanan pays a visit to Klingensmith Stadium to square off against the reigning Liberty champs.

Since league play kicked off two weeks ago, Juniata has blanked Newport (36-0) and Halifax (55-0) in succession while climbing into a share of the Liberty lead with Upper Dauphin.

While Kurt Condo’s Indians rolled up 258 rushing yards against the Wildcats – 12 players carried the football before the game came to a close – Waylon Ehrenzeller needed just seven attempts to rack up 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Seth Laub also scored twice for Juniata, posting 27 yards on just three attempts as the Indians broke out to a 41-0 advantage.

The Indians also threw for 154 yards as Aaron Kanagy (8-17-0-91), freshman Jasper Shepps (1-1-0-53) and Wyatt Ehrenzeller (1-1-0-10) took turns sharing the passing load. Shepps tossed the lone touchdown pass, hooking up with Grant Reinhold for a 53-yard score.

Condo utilized lots of players defensively before the night was over, but the Indians were able to sack freshman quarterback Teegan Carroll six times for (minus-35 yards). High-motor senior lineman Jonathan Kauffman put Carroll on the ground twice.

James Buchanan (3-2, 0-1) returns to Mid-Penn Liberty action after suffering a 51-8 loss to undefeated West Perry in a non-league contest. While the high-octane Mustangs opened a 51-0 lead by halftime, they finished with nearly 360 offensive yards.

Quarterback John Stoner found some room to operate, collecting 55 rushing yards on 14 attempts and 15 through the air (2-9-0). Stoner squeezed over from a yard out to spoil the West Perry shutout with just 19 seconds showing on the clock.

Newport skipper Todd Rothermel returns home yet again

Although his Newport Buffaloes (0-5, 0-2) have been pestered by season-long struggles, head coach Todd Rothermel would enjoy nothing more than to skipper his ballclub to a win over Line Mountain – his alma mater – and send the Ressler Field faithful home cranky.

Rothermel’s Buffs showed some flashes last weekend, scoring in all three phases of the game before falling at home to Upper Dauphin by a 41-20 count. Newport took a 7-6 lead with 4:19 gone in the second quarter when Mason Messick threw a 33-yard TD pass to Darian Cohick.

Although UD cashed in on a long TD run to retake the lead, the Buffs responded by going back in front (14-12) with 1:24 to go in the half on Travis Lilly’s 53-yard interception return.

The visiting Trojans scored just before the halftime break and early in the third quarter to make it 26-14, but Ethan Grove’s 10-yard return of a blocked punt had the Buffs down six with 6:32 to go. Unfortunately for the ‘Port, UD scored twice to pull away to the victory.

Messick wound up completing six of his 14 pass attempts for 88 yards and his throw to Cohick – he was picked off twice – while Aiden Dishman led the Buffs with 48 rushing yards on 10 tries.

Line Mountain (1-4, 0-1) fell behind by two scores early and had to play uphill throughout its Mid-Penn Liberty opener yet wound up losing 35-21 at Susquenita.

Tharon Wagner and Ian Bates rushed for touchdowns – Wagner’s first-half scoring run covered 61 yards, while Bates cashed in from 17 yards out after the break – while Kaiden Maurer lofted a 64-yard touchdown pass to Connor Finlan that pulled the Eagles within 35-21.

Freshman Max Johnson finished with six tackles from his defensive end spot, with four stops coming behind the line of scrimmage. Johnson also recorded his club’s lone QB sack.

We’d be remiss for not mentioning how tight last year’s encounter was, as Line Mountain prevailed 13-10 at Newport. The Eagles, however, didn’t firm up the result until inside backer Chandon Maurer knocked down a fourth-down pass to douse Newport’s flickering hopes.

Susquenita stepping out of league play

Still abuzz following its 35-21 conquest of visiting Line Mountain, Susquenita (2-3) will collide with former Blue Mountain League playmate Camp Hill (4-1) on the road. Since both sides like to toss the ball around the yard, this one may take a while to complete.

Augie Glass’ Blackhawks opened a 13-0 lead last weekend, constructing that cushion with 4:56 gone on a pair of touchdown runs by Derek Gibney (29, 1). Although Line Mountain answered, ‘Nita responded with a 32-yard by Hunter Thomas and Wyatt Jumper’s 4-yard TD run.

Gibney flashed his strong right arm throughout – he had a 49-yard pass to Blaise Swancer erased by a holding penalty just before halftime – throwing TDs to Athan Robinson (24 yards) and Payton Garcia (19 yards) as Susquenita kept the Eagles at arm’s length.

Gibney completed 14 of his 24 pass attempts for 229 yards and those second-half scores – he was picked off twice – with twin brother, Drew, latching on to four aerials for 99 yards.

The Blackhawks also benefited by falling on three Line Mountain fumbles.

Camp Hill tacked up its latest victory without playing, as Tim Bigelow’s Lions were awarded a forfeit win over Middletown since the latter’s season was scrapped for a hazing incident.

Two weeks ago, Camp Hill lost a 16-6 contest at Big Spring despite 228 passing yards and one TD from Drew Branstetter (25 of 36). Alex Long caught eight passes for 59 yards and the Lions’ lone score, while Tommy Corbin and Kobe Moore shared 10 receptions for 90 yards.

Senior Luke Parise enjoyed a monster outing defensively, recording 19 stops with four tackles behind the line of scrimmage. All four TFLs were credited as quarterback sacks.

Class 6A:

The top 8 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 6A playoffs.

1	Cumberland Valley	4-1	0.801657
2	Hempfield	4-1	0.790133
3	Central York	4-1	0.757040
4	Harrisburg	3-1	0.754775
5	Wilson	4-1	0.728942
6	Manheim Township	3-2	0.703582
7	William Penn	3-2	0.685045
8	Carlisle	3-2	0.682865
9	Dallastown	3-2	0.677633
10	Penn Manor	3-2	0.661865
11	Chambersburg	2-3	0.606918
12	Central Dauphin East	2-3	0.582206
13	Reading	2-3	0.571077
14	Red Lion	2-3	0.558389
15	Cedar Crest	2-3	0.543605
16	Central Dauphin	1-4	0.528992
17	J P McCaskey	1-4	0.433053
18.	Lebanon	0-5	0.286686
19.	York County School of Tech.	1-4	0.247179

Class 5A:

The top 12 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 5A playoffs.

1.	Solanco	5-0	0.838267
2.	Elizabethtown	5-0	0.803125
3.	Exeter Township	5-0	0.774537
4.	Gettysburg	4-1	0.723179
5.	Shippensburg	4-1	0.715464
6.	Garden Spot	4-1	0.707591
7.	Greencastle-Antrim	3-1	0.672087
8.	New Oxford	4-1	0.663769
9.	South Western	3-2	0.648788
10.	Ephrata	3-2	0.639379
11.	Spring Grove Area	3-2	0.626551
12.	Lower Dauphin	3-2	0.610327
13.	Dover	3-2	0.576086
14.	Governor Mifflin	2-3	0.566356
15.	Conestoga Valley	2-3	0.553636
16.	Waynesboro	2-3	0.544438
17.	Northern York	2-3	0.534341
18.	Cocalico	2-3	0.527778
19.	Warwick	2-3	0.527364
20.	Hershey	2-3	0.526551
21.	Muhlenberg	2-3	0.502815
22.	Cedar Cliff	2-3	0.498483
23.	Northeastern	1-4	0.419742
24.	Mechanicsburg	1-4	0.410143
25.	Palmyra	1-4	0.377240
26.	Red Land	1-4	0.366853

Class 4A:

The top 10 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 4A playoffs.

1.	Manheim Central	5-0	0.749710
2.	Lampeter Strasburg	4-1	0.708961
3.	East Pennsboro	4-1	0.706493
4.	Bishop McDevitt (3)	3-1	0.681951
5.	Twin Valley	3-2	0.652853
6.	Conrad Weiser	3-2	0.594960
7.	Milton Hershey	3-2	0.577542
8.	Eastern Lebanon County	3-2	0.534330
9.	Fleetwood	2-3	0.514730
10.	Susquehanna Twp.	2-3	0.494588
11.	Kennard Dale	2-3	0.492130
12.	Daniel Boone	1-4	0.470453
13.	Susquehannock	2-3	0.450588
14.	Big Spring	2-3	0.442887
15.	York Suburban	2-3	0.430827
16.	Northern Lebanon	2-3	0.429709
17.	Boiling Springs	2-3	0.428147
18.	James Buchanan	2-2	0.420888
19.	West York	1-4	0.387280
20.	Donegal	1-4	0.383317
21.	Octorara	1-4	0.354116
22.	Eastern York	1-4	0.326244
23.	Middletown	0-5	0.228305

Class 3A:

The top 6 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 3A playoffs.

1.	Wyomissing	5-0	0.746818
2.	Lancaster Catholic	5-0	0.736663
3.	West Perry	5-0	0.723864
4.	Hamburg	5-0	0.705751
5.	Schuylkill Valley	3-2	0.551746
6.	Upper Dauphin	3-2	0.441236
7.	Susquenita	2-3	0.397326
8.	Berks Catholic	1-4	0.395243
9.	Biglerville	2-3	0.331168
10.	Hanover (3)	2-3	0.319029
11.	Kutztown	1-4	0.307916
12.	Bermudian Springs	1-4	0.277990
13.	Littlestown	1-4	0.260067
14.	Pequea Valley	0-5	0.225462

Class 2A:

The top 4 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 2A playoffs.

1.	Camp Hill	4-1	0.625210
2.	Annville-Cleona	3-2	0.524556
3.	Trinity	2-3	0.473011
4.	Columbia	2-3	0.428301
5.	York Catholic	2-3	0.409570
6.	Delone Catholic	2-3	0.409180
7.	Newport	0-5	0.224756

Class 1A:

The top 2 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 1A playoffs.

1.	Steel-High	4-1	0.650533
3.	Fairfield	1-3	0.271242
4.	Halifax	0-4	0.170926

PennLive will publish updated state rankings every Tuesday through the PIAA Championships at Cumberland Valley High School in December. Teams are listed with district, record, and previous ranking. 

CLASS 6A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)         – 3-1 – 1 

2. Garnet Valley (1)                – 5-0 – 2 

3. Emmaus (11)                      — 5-0 – 3 

4. State College (6)                 – 5-0 – 4 

5. North Allegheny (7)           — 5-0 – 5 

6. Coatesville (1)                    — 5-0 – 6 

7. Harrisburg (3)                     – 3-1 – 9 

8. McDowell (10)                   — 4-1 – 10 

9. Hazleton (2)                        — 5-0 – NR 

10. Central Bucks East (1)      — 5-0 – NR 

Teams to watch: Central York (3) 4-1, Cumberland Valley (3) 4-1, Downingtown East (1) 4-1,   

Hempfield (3) 4-1, Nazareth (11) 4-1.  

CLASS 5A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Upper Dublin (1)                – 5-0 – 1 

2. Imhotep Charter (12)          – 2-2 – 2 

3. Exeter Township (3)           – 4-1 – 3 

4. Upper St. Clair (7)              — 5-0 – 8 

5. Strath Haven (1)                 — 5-0 – 7 

6. Roman Catholic (12)          — 4-1 – 5 

7. Chester (1)                          — 5-0 – NR 

8. Solanco (3)                         — 5-0 – NR 

9. Hempfield Area (7)            — 5-0 – NR 

10. Cathedral Prep (10)          — 3-2 – 4 

Teams to watch: Bethel Park (7) 4-1, Great Valley (1) 5-0, Peters Township (7) 4-1, Scranton (2) 5-0. 

CLASS 4A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

1. Aliquippa (7)                      – 4-0 – 1 

2. Bishop McDevitt (3)           – 3-1 – 2 

3. Jersey Shore (4)                  – 5-0 – 3 

4. Central Valley (7)               – 5-0 – 4 

5. Meadville (10)                    – 5-0 – 7 

6. McKeesport (7)                   – 5-0 – 8 

7. Manheim Central (3)          — 5-0 – 9 

8. Pope John Paul II (1)          — 5-0 – 10 

9. Armstrong (7)                     — 4-1 – NR 

10. Allentown C.C. (11)         — 3-2 – 5 

Teams to watch: Bethlehem Catholic (11) 3-2, Dallas (2) 5-0, Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 4-1,  

Valley View (2) 4-1, West Allegheny (7) 4-1. 

CLASS 3A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

1. Wyomissing (3)                  – 5-0 – 1 

2. Danville (4)                         – 5-0 – 2 

3. Elizabeth Forward (7)         – 5-0 – 4 

4. Belle Vernon (7)                 – 2-2 – 5 

5. Loyalsock (4)                      — 4-1 – 6 

6. Avonworth (7)                    — 4-1 – 7 

7. Penn Cambria (6)                — 5-0 – 8 

8. Lancaster Catholic (3)        — 5-0 – 9 

9. North Schuylkill (11)          — 4-1 – 10 

10. Hamburg (3)                     — 5-0 – NR 

Teams to watch: Clearfield (9) 4-1, Neumann-Goretti (12) 2-1, Northwestern Lehigh (11) 4-1,  

Tyrone (6) 5-0, West Perry (3) 5-0. 

CLASS 2A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

1. Farrell (10)                          – 4-1 – 1 

2. Mount Carmel (4)               – 5-0 – 2 

3. Richland Township (6)       – 5-0 – 4 

4. Lakeland (2)                       – 5-0 – 5 

5. Sharpsville (10)                  — 5-0 – 6 

6. Steel Valley (7)                   — 4-0 – 7 

7. Berlin Brothersvalley (5)    — 5-0 – 8 

8. Bedford (5)                         — 5-0 – 9 

9. Beaver Falls (7)                  — 4-1 – 10 

10. Dunmore (2)                     — 4-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 3-2, Neshannock (7) 4-1, Serra Catholic (7) 4-1,  Southern Columbia (4) 3-2, Westinghouse (8) 5-0. 

CLASS 1A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

1. Canton (4)                           – 5-0 – 1 

2. Steelton-Highspire (3)        – 3-1 – 2 

3. Bishop Canevin (7)             – 4-1 – 3 

4. OLSH (7)                            – 5-0 – 4 

5. Tri-Valley (11)                   — 5-0 – 6 

6. Reynolds (10)                     – 4-1 – 7 

7. Muncy (4)                           – 4-0 – 8 

8. Redbank Valley (9)            — 5-0 – 9 

9. Penns Manor (6)                 — 5-0 – NR 

10. Eisenhower (10)               — 5-0 – NR 

Teams to watch: Northern Bedford (5) 5-0, Northern Lehigh (11) 4-1, Rochester (7) 3-1, Windber (5) 4-1. 

Passing:

Dimaj Jalloh, CD East: 22-of-36, 256, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Derek Gibney, Susquenita: 14-of-24, 256, 2 TDs, 2 INTs

Kenneth Emile, Milton Hershey: 23-of-31, 245, 2 TDs

Stone Saunders, Bishop McDevitt: 12-of-16, 212, 2 TDs

Tucker Chamberlin, Shippensburg: 11-of-14, 170, 2 TD, 1 INT

Marcus Quaker, West Perry: 10-of-13, 168, 3 TDs

Brady Heiser, Gettysburg: 10-of-14, 131: 1 TD, 1 INT

Landen Eichhorn, Mifflin County: 9-of-19, 117, 1 TD, 1 INT

Brennen Freiwald, Altoona: 2-of-4, 104, 1 TD

Rushing:

Angel Cabrera, Hershey: 24-180, 2 TDs

Jayden Johnson, Gettysburg: 27-168

Marquese Williams, Bishop McDevitt: 11-146, 5 TDs

Brady Morgan, Upper Dauphin: 16-144, 1 TD

Mahkai Hopkins, Harrisburg: 19-138, 1 TD

Brandon Fetterhoff, 14-137, 2 TDs

Kyle Williams Jr., Harrisburg: 17-137, 2 TDs

Aaron Angelo, East Pennsboro: 14-109

Deakon Schaeffer, Mifflin County: 20-109

Diesel Koser, Shippensburg: 12-108, 1 TD

D’antae Sheffey, State College: 19-108, 1 TD

Tavon Cooper, Greencastle-Antrim: 23-105

Receiving:

Tyshawn Russell, Bishop McDevitt: 4-108, 2 TDs

Izayah Hitchcock, CD East: 5-105, 1 TD

Drew Gibney, Susquenita: 4-101

Ian Goodling, West Perry: 4-94, 1 TD

Isaac Wilson, Mifflin County: 3-92, 1 TD

Angel Roberts, Milton Hershey: 6-85

Terrence Jackson-Copner, CD East: 8-81

Tanner Newman, Gettysburg: 3-80, 1 TD

Tyson Reid, Altoona: 1-72

Connor Finlan, Line Mountain: 1-64, 1 TD

Malachi Thomas, Milton Hershey: 9-57, 1 TD

Grant Reinhold, Juniata: 1-53, 1 TD

Mateo Crummel, Central Dauphin: 2-52

No statistics available for:

Carlisle

Chambersburg

Mechanicsburg

Susquehanna Twp.

Passing:

Ben Dempster, Shenandoah Valley: 12-of-12, 253, 6 TDs

Brad Rissmiller, Pen Argyl: 13-of-33, 188, 1 TD, 1 INT

Bradley Whalen, Tamaqua: 17-157, 2 TDs

Trevor Minalda, North Schuylkill: 12-of-18, 143, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Dante Carr, Minersville: 7-of-18, 138, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Isaac Whiteash, Williams Valley: 9-of-22, 136, 1 TD, 1 INT

Ben Kreitzer, Nativity BVM: 7-of-13, 130, 1 TD

Bruce Hopeck, Marian Catholic: 6-of-11, 113, 1 INT

Eric Striba, Bangor: 9-of-16, 96, 2 TD

Rushing:

Alex Achenbach, Williams Valley: 26-156, 2 TDs

Jared Tinari, North Schuylkill: 23-136

Eric Striba, Bangor: 10-131, 2 TDs

Matt Martin, Marian Catholic: 26-1223, 2 TDs

Tyler Miller, Blue Mountain: 15-121, 1 TD

Aiden Myers, Schuylkill Haven: 10-101, 1 TD

Luke Stevenosky, Minersville: 14-101, 3 TDs

Receiving:

Damian Tyminski, Pen Argyl: 7-136

Noah Dolbin, Nativity BVM: 5-117, 1 TD

Alex Achenbach, Williams Valley: 4-72, 1 TD

Greg Campbell, Bangor: 6-62, 2 TDs

No statistics available for:

Salisbury Township

Mahanoy Area

Palisades

Saucon Valley

Pottsville

Wilson Area

Southern Lehigh

Northwestern Lehigh

Lehighton

Palmerton

Notre-Dame-Green Pond

Pine Grove

Jim Thorpe

Catasauqua

Panther Valley

Alex Achenbach, Williams Valley, jr., RB/DB: Achenbach flashed terrific form as Williams Valley battled Loyalsock before tumbling 35-29. In addition to rushing 26 times for 156 yards and two scores, Achenbach caught four passes for 72 yards and another TD as the Vikings rallied from a 27-6 halftime deficit to make things really, really interesting. 

Eric Striba, Bangor, sr, QB: Striba did a little bit of everything for the Slaters Friday night against Wilson Area, tossing a pair of touchdowns to wideout Greg Campbell and rushing for another pair on 10 totes for 131 yards in a 34-7 victory against the Warriors. 

Luke Stevenosky, Minersville, jr, RB/LB: Stevenosky reached pay dirt three times for the Battlin’ Miners Friday night in a 41-21 victory against Panther Valley. On 14 carries, he topped 100 yards–a 7.1 yards-per-carry average. His effort helped Minersville improve to 4-1 overall 

Isaac Whiteash, Williams Valley, sr., QB/DB: Whiteash had a busy night on both sides of the football, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Vikings dropped a 35-29 verdict to Loyalsock – despite trailing 27-6 at halftime. Whiteash completed nine of his 22 throws for 136 yards and one touchdown – he was picked off once – but he also paced Tim Savage’s club with his 15 tackles defensively. Thirteen of those 15 stops were solos.

Ben Dempster, Shenandoah Valley, jr, QB: This is one Dempster will remember for a long time. The junior was a perfect 12-of-12 passing for 253 yards and 6–yes, 6–touchdowns in a 51-20 victory against Hancock. 

Jake Scheib, Tri-Valley, sr., RB/DL: Scheib rumbled 14 times for 87 yards and a 10-yard score as Tri-Valley remained unbeaten by fending off Executive Education 19-18. Scheib also came up big defensively, posting his lone quarterback sack on fourth down as the visiting Raptors were knocking on Tri-Valley’s goal line in the final minutes. He also posted five tackles.

Layne Yoder, Tri-Valley, jr., WR/DB: Yoder caught two passes for 28 yards on the offensive side, but he also intercepted a pair of Executive Education passes, returning one 24 yards for a score that played large in Tri-Valley’s 19-18 victory. Yoder’s pick-six, in fact, provided the game-winning points since the Bulldogs were leading 19-12 at that point. 

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Derek Gibney, jr., QB, Susquenita: Gibney started ‘Nita’s 35-21 home win over Line Mountain with touchdown runs of 29 and 1 yard in the first five minutes of the game. Then he added second-half TD passes of 24 yards (to Athan Robinson) and 19 (to Payton Garcia) to ice the game. He finished with 21 rushing yards on five carries and 229 passing yards on 14 of 24 passing (with two INTs).

Max Schlager, sr., RB, Trinity: The Shamrocks pulled off one of the biggest upsets of Week 5 thanks to Schlager. The senior ripped off an early 77-yard TD run and finished with two more scores of 1 and 13 yards. His night ended with 171 yards on the ground.

Alex Erby, jr., QB, Steel-High: The area’s best quarterback sliced up Big Spring for four touchdown passes (16, 29, 37 and 27 yards) and a fifth on the ground for 5 yards, finishing a 61-7 romp with 231 yards on 17 of 25 passing.

Tanner Newman, sr., WR/DB, Gettysburg: The Warriors gambled early and Newman cashed in. The senior caught a quick pass from Brady Heiser on a fake punt at Gettysburg’s own 33-yard line and raced to the end zone to spark a 14-0 win over Mechanicsburg.

Marquese Williams, sr., RB, Bishop McDevitt: He had scores of 11, 15, 3, 6 and then an electric 71 yards to lead the Crusaders to a comfortable 48-7 win over Cedar Cliff. Those five touchdowns accounted for nearly half of Williams’s 11 carries, which went for a total of 142 yards. He also added a 25-yard reception.

Tyshawn Russell, sr., WR, Bishop McDevitt: Russell caught four passes for 107 yards and touchdowns of 8 and 75 yards in the first half of McDevitt’s 48-7 win over the Colts. He might have had an even bigger night before a leg injury knocked him out for the rest of the game.

Marcus Quaker, jr., QB, West Perry: It was another big night for the Mustangs’ leader. Quaker, in a 51-8 romp of James Buchanan, ripped off 75 yards and two touchdowns on just two rushing attempts and was a tidy 10 of 13 for 168 yards and three TDs through the air. 

Charlie Fortney, sr., WR/QB/DB, Lower Dauphin: It was a do-everything sort of day for the senior. In the Falcons’ 49-3 dismantling of Red Land, Fortney was 4 of 5 for 42 yards, a TD and an INT passing; had a carry for 8 yards; caught six passes for 98 yards and two scores of 34 and 5 yards; and recorded an interception.

Angel Cabrera, jr., RB/LB, Hershey: Cabrera had a breakout game for his first 100-yard performance of his career. The junior rushed 24 times for 180 yards and scored two touchdowns. And on defense he had six tackles in the Trojans’ 28-21 win over rival Milton Hershey.

Isaac Wilson, sr., WR/LB, Mifflin County: Logan Parks got the pick-6, but Wilson got his hands on a couple passes on defense as well. Wilson swiped two Palmyra pass attempts in a 14-0 win, added three tackles and then for good measure caught three passes at WR for 92 yards and a 72-yard TD to ice the game.

Trae Kater, sr., RB/DB, Shippensburg: A regular on this list, Kater had another quality performance with a 45-yard pick-6, 5 receiving yards on one catch and 58 rushing yards on 13 touches in the Greyhounds’ 27-13 win over Susquehanna Township. Hat tip to Erby Weller’s seven-catch, 124-yard, one-TD performance.

Branden Fetterhoff, sr., RB/DB, Upper Dauphin: Fetterhoff unleashed the best game of his high school career, rushing 14 times for 135 yards and three touchdowns. Fetterhoff’s outing, which featured TD runs of 48, 4 and 15 yards, sparked Upper Dauphin to a come-from-behind 41-20 victory over Newport.

Aidan Bingaman, so., QB/DB, Upper Dauphin: Bingaman completed 13 of his 17 pass attempts for 174 yards – he was picked off once – as the Trojans dealt Newport a 41-20 setback. Bingaman also orchestrated UD’s impressive offensive outing, as the Trojans totaled 522 yards – including 348 on the ground.

Ethan Grove, so., LB/TE, Newport: Grove stood out in two phases, leading the Buffaloes with 10 tackles from his linebacker spot. He also scored on special teams returning a blocked punt 10 yards to pull the Buffaloes within a single score (27-20) midway through the third quarter.