Class 6A:

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

1	Cumberland Valley	6-1	0.816995
2	Hempfield	6-1	0.808608
3	Harrisburg	5-1	0.789866
4	Central York	6-1	0.786894
5	Manheim Township	5-2	0.748584
6	William Penn	4-2	0.704212
7	Wilson	5-2	0.695947
8	Penn Manor	4-3	0.658900
9	Dallastown	3-4	0.610663
10	Carlisle	3-4	0.591896
11	Central Dauphin	2-5	0.572295
12	Cedar Crest	3-4	0.554653
13	Chambersburg	2-5	0.528426
14	Reading	2-4	0.521073
15	Central Dauphin East	2-5	0.507982
16	Red Lion	2-5	0.481802
17	J P McCaskey	1-6	0.415669
18.	Lebanon	0-7	0.270584
19.	York County School of Tech.	1-6	0.233649

Class 5A:

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

1.	Solanco	7-0	0.827639
2.	Exeter Township	7-0	0.762416
3.	Gettysburg	6-1	0.739404
4.	Elizabethtown	6-1	0.722862
5.	New Oxford	6-1	0.715852
6.	South Western	5-2	0.700494
7.	Shippensburg	5-2	0.680612
8.	Spring Grove Area	5-2	0.680607
9.	Garden Spot	5-2	0.640634
10.	Dover	5-2	0.638576
11.	Conestoga Valley	4-3	0.627503
12.	Northern York	4-3	0.614070
13.	Lower Dauphin	4-3	0.593520
14.	Cedar Cliff	4-3	0.587584
15.	Ephrata	4-3	0.584755
16.	Greencastle-Antrim	3-3	0.546110
17.	Hershey	3-4	0.533695
18.	Cocalico	3-4	0.528848
19.	Governor Mifflin	2-5	0.481054
20.	Warwick	2-5	0.475691
21.	Waynesboro	2-5	0.471685
22.	Mechanicsburg	2-5	0.456764
23.	Red Land	2-5	0.434761
24.	Muhlenberg	2-5	0.417268
25.	Northeastern	1-5	0.402748
26.	Palmyra	1-6	0.342252

Class 4A:

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

1.	Manheim Central	6-0	0.736284
2.	Lampeter Strasburg	6-1	0.730808
3.	Bishop McDevitt (3)	5-1	0.716302
4.	Twin Valley	4-3	0.617964
5.	East Pennsboro	4-3	0.595951
6.	Susquehanna Township	4-3	0.572318
7.	Milton Hershey	4-3	0.569462
8.	Eastern Lebanon County	4-3	0.521208
9.	Kennard Dale	3-4	0.520886
10.	Conrad Weiser	3-4	0.492681
11.	York Suburban	3-4	0.453108
12.	Fleetwood	2-5	0.434082
13.	Susquehannock	2-5	0.420256
14.	Daniel Boone	1-6	0.418531
15.	Donegal	2-5	0.416323
16.	James Buchanan	2-3	0.398613
17.	Boiling Springs	2-5	0.398326
18.	Eastern York	2-5	0.381002
19.	Northern Lebanon	2-5	0.368847
20.	Big Spring	2-5	0.365666
21.	West York	1-6	0.361010
22.	Octorara	1-6	0.324195
23.	Middletown	0-7	0.235168

Class 3A:

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

1.	Wyomissing	7-0	0.757220
2.	Lancaster Catholic	7-0	0.737662
3.	West Perry	7-0	0.727578
4.	Hamburg	6-1	0.627829
5.	Schuylkill Valley	5-2	0.606673
6.	Upper Dauphin	5-2	0.517186
7.	Berks Catholic	2-5	0.439617
8.	Susquenita	3-4	0.431183
9.	Bermudian Springs	3-4	0.394718
10.	Littlestown	3-4	0.382506
11.	Biglerville	3-4	0.375347
12.	Kutztown	2-5	0.342854
13.	Hanover (3)	2-5	0.285140
14.	Pequea Valley	1-6	0.277006

Class 2A:

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

1.	Trinity	4-3	0.562641
2.	Camp Hill	5-2	0.560422
3.	Annville-Cleona	4-3	0.510177
4.	Delone Catholic	4-3	0.502115
5.	York Catholic	3-4	0.431032
6.	Columbia	2-5	0.367129
7.	Newport	0-7	0.233255

Class 1A:

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

1.	Steel-High	4-1	0.642400
2.	Fairfield	1-5	0.262722
3.	Halifax	0-6	0.196479

CLASS 6A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)        – 5-1 – 1 

2. Garnet Valley (1)              – 7-0 – 2 

3. Emmaus (11)            — 7-0 – 3 

4. State College (6)               – 7-0 – 4 

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

6. Harrisburg (3)                    – 5-1 – 6 

7. Downingtown East (1)      — 6-1 – 7 

8. Nazareth (11)           — 6-1 – 8 

9. Cumberland Valley (3)      — 6-1 – 9 

10. North Allegheny (7)        — 6-1 – 10 

Teams to watch: Bethlehem Freedom (11) 5-2, Central York (3) 6-1, Hempfield (3) 6-1, McDowell (10) 5-2, Northampton (11) 7-0, Pennsbury (1) 6-1. 

CLASS 5A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Upper Dublin (1)               – 7-0 – 1 

2. Imhotep Charter (12)         – 3-2 – 2 

3. Exeter Township (3)          – 7-0 – 3 

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

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

6. Chester (1)                         — 7-0 – 7 

7. Bethel Park (7)                  — 6-1 – 10 

8. Solanco (3)                        — 7-0 – 8 

9. Cathedral Prep (10)           — 5-2 – 9 

10. Gateway (7)           — 6-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Elizabethtown (3) 6-1, Peters Township (7) 6-1, Pine-Richland (7) 4-3, Southern Lehigh (11) 6-1, Upper St. Clair (7) 6-1. 

CLASS 4A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

1. Aliquippa (7)            – 6-0 – 1 

2. Bishop McDevitt (3)         – 5-1 – 2 

3. Jersey Shore (4)                 – 7-0 – 3 

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

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

6. Manheim Central (3)         — 7-0 – 7 

7. Pope John Paul II (1)         — 7-0 – 8 

8. Lampeter-Strasburg (3)     — 6-1 – NR 

9. Meadville (10)         — 6-1 – 5 

10. Armstrong (7)                  — 6-1 – 9 

Teams to watch: Allentown C.C. (11) 4-3, Bonner-Prendergast (12) 5-1, Highlands (7) 7-0, Valley View (2) 6-1, West Allegheny (7) 6-1. 

CLASS 3A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Wyomissing (3)                 – 7-0 – 1 

2. Danville (4)              – 7-0 – 2 

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

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

5. Loyalsock (4)           — 6-1 – 5 

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

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

8. Lancaster Catholic (3)       — 7-0 – 8 

9. West Perry (3)          — 7-0 – 10 

10. Northwestern Lehigh (11)        — 6-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Freeport (7) 6-1, Hamburg (3) 6-1, North Schuylkill (11) 5-2, Oil City (10) 5-2. 

CLASS 2A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

1. Farrell (10)                        – 6-1 – 1 

2. Mount Carmel (4)              – 7-0 – 2 

3. Richland Township (6)      – 7-0 – 3 

4. Lakeland (2)             – 7-0 – 4 

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

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

7. Beaver Falls (7)                 — 6-1 – 8 

8. Serra Catholic (7)              — 6-1 – 10 

9. Troy Area (4)           — 7-0 – NR 

10. Westinghouse (8)            — 6-0 – NR 

Teams to watch: Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 5-2, Neshannock (7) 6-1, Sharpsville (10) 6-1, Southern Columbia (4) 5-2, Sto-Rox (7) 4-2. 

CLASS 1A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous  

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

2. Steelton-Highspire (3)       – 5-1 – 2 

3. Bishop Canevin (7) – 6-1 – 3 

4. Tri-Valley (11)                  — 7-0 – 5 

5. Reynolds (10)           – 6-1 – 6 

6. Muncy (4)                          – 6-0 – 7 

7. Redbank Valley (9)           — 7-0 – 8 

8. Penns Manor (6)                — 7-0 – 9 

9. Eisenhower (10)                — 7-0 – 10 

10. Northern Lehigh (11)      — 6-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Belmont Charter (12) 6-1, Laurel (7) 6-1, Northern Bedford (5) 7-0, South Side Area (7) 7-0, Windber (5) 6-1. 

Nick Frame, Northern Lehigh, sr., QB/FS: Big game players step up when the bright lights shine. Frame, a dual-threat QB, did just that for Northern Lehigh this week, rushing for 206 yards, and a touchdown on 24 carries. He added 82 yards and a touchdown through the air to help his crew knock off Notre Dame-Green Pond, 40-33. 

Alex Achenbach, Williams Valley, jr., RB/DB: Well, Achenbach made it happen yet again – and the Vikings needed every inch, yard, meter and whatever measurement one wants to toss out there in order to pull out a 22-21 victory over Blue Division playmate Mahanoy Area. Achenbach rushed 25 times for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns (2, 80) – he cracked the 1,000-yard plateau for the second straight season – as Tim Savage’s squad erased deficits of 13-0 and 21-14 before pocketing the win on Achenbach’s successful two-point try.

Colm McGroarty, Mahanoy Area, jr., RB/FS:  In a Blue Division tilt to remember, Mahanoy Area narrowly fell to Williams Valley. But don’t let the 22-21 loss take the luster off McGroary’s performance. The junior ripped off quality trotts all night, racking up 246 stripes on 21 carries when the dust settled. He found paydirt three times for the Golden Bears. 

Aiden Myers: Schuylkill Haven, jr., RB/LB: This young man had myself one heck of a night against Panther Valley. In a week where several dynamic backs posted huge numbers, no one in the Colonial-Schuylkill League topped Myers and his 281 stripes. His electric performance included five stanzas in the end zone enroute to a 40-27 victory. Oh, and he added a team-high 14 tackles–you know, just for good measure. 

Kameron Wetzel, Tri-Valley, sr., RB/DB: Wetzel backed up his splendid return to live action with another dandy, as the electric senior rolled up 171 yards and a pair of scores as the state-ranked Bulldogs handled Blue Division rival Nativity and remained undefeated. Wetzel, who was injured in Week 1 and did not return until last weekend, scored on runs of 48 and 20 yards as Jeff Sampson’s squad posted a 43-6 victory.

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Cole Bartram, jr., RB/LB, Northern: Bartram scored both touchdowns in overtime, from 1 and 3 yards out, in a 28-27 double-overtime win over East Pennsboro. He overcame two near-costly fumbles and pummeled the Polar Bears for 232 yards on 31 carries.

Aaron Angelo, so., RB, East Pennsboro: A breakout game for the youngster in a 28-27 2OT loss to Northern. Angelo rushed 21 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught a 10-yard TD pass from Dakota Campbell. He did lose a fumble, however, in a tight game.

Marcus Quaker, jr., QB, West Perry: It must’ve been a Friday night. Quaker’s numbers feel average now, with how often he puts up a big performance. The signal caller was 15 of 23 for 232 yards and two touchdowns (16 and 19 yards) and rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to finish with 70 yards on 11 totes in a 31-14 win over Big Spring.

Elijah Johnson, jr., RB, Milton Hershey: We like even numbers here. Johnson ran for a tidy 200 yards, scoring three times, on 30 carries in the Spartans’ 42-27 win over Mifflin County. The monster game included TD runs of 31, 7 and 5 yards in the second and third quarters to put the game out of reach. He also had a 1-yard reception.

Derek Gibney, jr., QB, Susquenita: The junior righty threw for 239 yards (14-for-27, 0 picks) and rushed for 39 more (on 7 carries) in a 52-14 rout of Newport. Gibney accounted for four touchdowns, throwing one each to twin brother Drew and Kamar Lewis and two to Athan Robinson as the Blackhawks kept alive their hopes for a Mid-Penn Liberty Division crown.

Tavon Cooper, sr., RB, Greencastle-Antrim: Cooper rushed for 131 yards and caught five passes for 31 yards, and he scored twice in a 38-23 win over Susquehanna Township on Friday. 

Grady Heiser, so., QB, Gettysburg: The surprising Warriors (6-1) got 240 yards passing (12 of 17) and 82 rushing (14 carries) from its signal caller in a 21-10 Mid-Penn Colonial win over Waynesboro. He threw a 61-yard TD pass to Tanner Newman and rushed for another.

Stone Saunders, so., QB, Bishop McDevitt: Saunders completed 13 passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns (two apiece to Rico Scott and Jeff Penn) that covered 7, 54, 24 and 46 yards to lead the Crusaders to a 70-0 blowout win over Hershey.

Isaac Sines, jr., QB, Cumberland Valley: The 7-1 Eagles continue to get big performances from their breakout QB. Sines ran in two TDs from 7 and 22 yards, and he hit Caiden Pines for an early 83-yard touchdown in CV’s 35-21 win over Central Dauphin. Sines finished 8 of 11 for 183 yards through the air and rushed for 124 yards on 13 totes. He made all five PATs.

Manny Miller, sr., DE, Altoona: Three sacks deserves to make the list, and that’s what Miller recorded Friday night, bringing down Chambersburg QB Riley Harmon three times in a 27-23 win. Altoona’s defense sacked Harmon five times and won despite leading for just the final 21 seconds of the game.

Jasper Shepps, fr., WR/DB/K/KR, Juniata: The rookie shined most on defense in a 13-7 win over Boiling Springs, where he had seven tackles (six solo) and picked off two passes for 22 yards. In the other two phases of the game, he caught three passes for 48 yards; averaged 37.4 yards on five punts, 49.3 yards on three kickoffs and made an extra point; and had a 24-yard kick return.

Casey Smith, sr, WR/DB, Juniata: Like Shepps, Smith was one of Juniata’s many defensive standouts as the Indians rallied for a 13-7 victory over Boiling Springs by scoring twice in the fourth quarter. Smith posted a team-high nine tackles and one pick defensively, but he also caught one pass for 14 yards.

Ian Bates, so., RB/DB, Line Mountain: Bates’ first-half production at Halifax propelled the visiting Eagles to a sizable lead at the break. The diminutive yet powerful feature back rushed 14 times for 120 first-half yards while scoring on runs of 1, 34 and 8 yards as Line Mountain opened a 27-0 lead. Bates finished with 154 rushing yards (23 carries), but he also caught a pair of passes for 34 yards.

Kaiden Maurer, fr., QB/DB, Line Mountain: Making just his second varsity season, Maurer displayed his accuracy throughout the Eagles’ 43-13 victory at Halifax. Maurer completed his first five throws, eventually winding up 12-for-16 for 154 yards and one touchdown. His 16-yard TD throw to fellow freshman Max Johnson was spliced between Bates’ second and third rushing touchdowns. With Maurer directing the show, the Eagles scored on six of their seven possessions, converted nine third- and fourth-down situations into first downs or scores, ran their winning streak to two and kept alive their hopes for a Mid-Penn Liberty Division title.

Brady Morgan, sr., RB/DB, Upper Dauphin: Morgan did not get a lot of work, but what snaps he was involved in were mighty, mighty productive and weighed heavily in Upper Dauphin’s 72-13 win at James Buchanan. Morgan carried just three times, but he piled up 159 yards and scored touchdowns on each touch as the Trojans prepped for next weekend’s Mid-Penn Liberty showdown at Juniata. Morgan also caught two passes for 16 yards and made one tackle.Aidan Bingaman, so., QB/DB, Upper Dauphin: Bingaman continued his progress Friday night, completing eight of his 11 throws for 133 yards and two scores as UDA upended James Buchanan 72-13 and extended its winning streak to four games. Bingaman’s touchdown passes were hauled in by Cole Wallace and Konner Walker.

You play to win the game and live with the result. East Pennsboro was locked in a double-overtime thriller with Northern in one of several Crazy Colonial Division contests in Week 7 of the Mid-Penn Conference slate.

Full plaudits to the Panthers and head coach John Denniston for taking a crack to seal the result in the second overtime. It was unsuccessful, and the Polar Bears walked away from George R. Saxton Memorial Field with a 28-27 victory.

Northern, which dominated offensively but lost the turnover battle 3-1 and had nine penalties, scored first in the second extra session from 10 yards out and kicked. That’s exactly what you do when the first crack is yours. East Penn scored right away on an Aaron Angelo 10-yard run. The two-point pass from QB Dakota Campbell fell incomplete to seal the defeat.

Overtime was needed because of Northern’s bruising running back Cole Bartram and his 232 rushing yards on 31 carries with a pair of touchdowns. He’s a true power workhorse for this squad.

It was huge for Northern because it keeps the Polar Bears in the massive chase for the Colonial Division crown. Gettysburg is top of the table with an unblemished 4-0 mark, followed by one-loss Northern and Shippensburg. Susquehanna Township and Mechanicsburg are all on the fringe with a 2-2 division mark.

Good to see the Hanna Tribe back in the mix. This has been a stellar rebound for the Indians after an abysmal 2021. Joe Headen’s crew is 4-3 overall after using a trio of big plays to overpower Greencastle-Antrim for its second consecutive victory. Three touchdowns covering 50 or more yards, two by zippy WR Lex Cyrus and a 60-yard gallop by Dorian Smith was the difference-maker.

Shippensburg kept its goal to repeat as Colonial champions on life support after rallying from a 10-0 deficit to slide past defensive-minded Mechanicsburg 14-0. A pair of Tucker Chamberlin touchdown passes was the difference. The Wildcats dropped to 2-5 overall but are in every single game thanks to a defense that surrenders 17 points a game. Most squads that boast that stern of a defensive test would be 5-2 instead of the other way around.

Gettysburg still hasn’t tasted defeat to a Mid-Penn Conference squad in this the Warriors’ return to the lesgue. The leading rusher in the conference, Jayden Johnson, inched closer to a 1,000-yard season with 107 yards and a touchdown in a workmanlike 21-10 triumph over Waynesboro. Gettysburg QB Grady Heiser was a dual-threat beast with nearly 300 total yards (243 passing, 55 rushing) and a couple touchdowns. Gettysburg isn’t built to blow teams out, but with their sneaky good defense they are a difficult team to beat.

We can argue for days over this, but in my opinion the hardest position to be really good at in high school football is the kicker. It’s such a mixed bag of pressure, expectations and opportunity to really impact a game. I’ve seen so many highs and lows that involve kickers over three decades, it’s the position that I have a soft spot for.

That is why when you see a kicker win a game — especially after a miss to win it less than a minute earlier — in the dying seconds, it’s just magic. And when it’s from 43 yards out with the wind swirling … well that’s just the cherry on top.

Cedar Cliff kicker Derek Witmer saw his first chance to kick his team into the lead doink off the crossbar from a longer distance. When given another opportunity some 20 seconds later from 43 yards out, he drilled it home with two seconds on the clock to lift the Colts past Lower Dauphin 24-21. There’s a ton that happens before that seminole moment, but that quickly becomes irrelevant when a single game comes down to one kick. That’s why the kicker’s job is the most difficult.

Cumberland Valley’s resurgence continued with a two-score win over Central Dauphin at Landis Field. The Eagles led 21-0 at halftime and the hard work to salt this one away was done. The Rams are now 2-5 overall and lost to CV for the second consecutive year. QB Isaac Sines is a live-wire weapon for the Eagles who is tough to handle. Several times it appeared CD’s defense had him in a bad spot, and his athleticism and speed allowed him to escape.

The senior piled up 183 yards through the air and added 124 on the ground with three total touchdowns to make sure the Rams’ much better second half didn’t spoil the Eagles’ dominance in the first two quarters. Despite their record, it is very clear the Rams are a team that is vastly improved and will be a tough out down the stretch.

State College started sluggishly at home against an up-and-down Carlisle squad after falling behind 10-0 early. But 49 of the next 59 points belonged to the undefeated Little Lions. The highlight was lineman Michael Dincher picking up a fumble and returning it for a touchdown. Nothing tops a large human rumbling for a touchdown, especially when that big man checks in at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds.

Altoona rallied very late, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes, to beat a Chambersburg Trojans side that has dropped four straight. RB Alexander Yost’s 1-yard run with 21 ticks remaining was the difference-maker on the scoreboard in a 27-23 victory. 

Undefeated West Perry — yes, the Mustangs — remain perfect after seven weeks. They were in a scrap with Big Spring entering the fourth quarter clinging to a three-point lead. A couple touchdowns in the final 12 minutes sealed the deal, and for only the third time in program history West Perry is 7-0. QB Marcus Quaker’s 302 total yards and three touchdowns proved handy.

Bishop McDevitt continued its late-season assault on the rest of the Keystone Division by flying past Hershey 70-0. QB Stone Saunders threw for 275 yards and four scores, WR Rico Scott had six catches for 75 yards and a couple scores, two of three catches Jeff Penn made went for touchdowns and Jaire Rawlison had a 95-yard pick-6. The Crusaders average 51 points a game!

Maybe this is the weekend for Newport to celebrate some long-awaited success.

Todd Rothermel’s Buffaloes came mighty close in their last outing, falling in overtime 24-23 at Line Mountain when Zach Bates’s low placement attempt was knocked down by Chandon Maurer and a few others to preserve the one-point result.

Since Mid-Penn Liberty Division playmate and Perry County neighbor Susquenita (2-4, 1-1 Liberty) is en route to Katchmer Field this weekend, the Buffs (0-6, 0-3) must flush last weekend’s finish as quickly as possible and gird for a backyard scrap.

What Newport wants to see continue is the success Aiden Dishman had carrying the football against the host Eagles. Dishman enjoyed his most productive outing of the season, rushing 19 times for 209 yards while scoring touchdowns covering 45, 79 and 10 yards. Dishman’s final TD came in overtime, setting up the game-deciding kick that would force a second extra session or result in a Line Mountain win.

Although Dishman thrived against the Eagles, few others enjoyed similar success as the Buffs totaled 226 yards on the ground. QB Mason Messick picked up 17 yards on nine tries, but no one else netted one positive yard before.

Messick attempted just four passes, completing only a 23-yarder to Darian Cohick that was part of the late march that set up Bates’s game-tying 25-yard field goal. His first throw was intercepted and returned 42 yards for an early score that had Newport in arrears with just 1:13 gone.

Defensively, the Buffs were gouged a bit by a Line Mountain attack centered around sophomore running back Ian Bates, who carried the ball 34 times for 279 yards and two scores.

Bates broke up three passes, while Ethan Grove, Zach Bellis and Tyler Geer shared 20 tackles.

After flashing plenty of offensive firepower two weeks ago in a 35-21 conquest of Line Mountain, Susquenita managed just one score in a 10-7 loss at Camp Hill. So, the uncertainty as to which group of Blackhawks arrives at Katchmer definitely will have Rothermel worried.

If quarterback Derek Gibney can generate a rhythm throwing the football to receivers such as his twin brother, Drew, Blaise Swancer, Athan Robinson and Payton Garcia, the Blackhawks may have a good bit of success. Primary running back Bryce McKee also is a threat in the passing game.

Of course, Derek Gibney is a horse to bring down, so the Buffs will need to stay disciplined up front and not allow the 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior to break contain as he did early against Line Mountain.

Upper Dauphin can slide into Liberty lead

Since fellow leader Juniata is involved in non-league action this weekend, Upper Dauphin (4-2, 3-0) will take over the Liberty Division’s top spot if the Trojans can run their winning streak to four games at James Buchanan (3-3, 1-1).

Kent Smeltz’s Trojans had the ground game running at a full boil again last week, totaling 378 rushing yards while scoring seven touchdowns in a 56-13 conquest of Halifax. 

Brady Morgan rolled up 151 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries to lead UD’s ground assault, while Caleb Snyder added 72 yards and two scores on nine tries and Cole Wallace tacked on 70 yards and one TD on a mere six touches. Collectively, UD averaged 11.5 yards per carry.

Quarterback Aidan Bingaman did not throw often, but he did complete five of his eight passes for 78 yards – with one of his passes going to Konner Walker for yet another UD score.

Defensively, UD limited Halifax to 178 total yards. Tegan Engle topped the Trojans with eight stops.

James Buchanan was intercepted twice and lost one fumble in its decisive 48-0 loss at Juniata – JB yielded 421 offensive yards as well – the Rockets’ second consecutive setback.

Line Mountain hoping to use momentum

Able to hang on for a 24-23 victory in overtime against visiting Newport – a blocked placement attempt was the difference – Line Mountain hopes that narrow success can lead to another result this weekend when Brandon Carson’s Eagles (2-4, 1-1) visit Halifax (1-5, 0-3).

Scoring in all three phases – Quinn Dunkelberger returned an interception 42 yards for a score just 1:13 in, Max Johnson blocked a punt that led to a safety and the offense received a huge performance from Ian Bates – Line Mountain led 9-0 at one point yet found itself in a game-long fight.

Bates rushed for a career-high 279 yards on 34 carries, scoring on runs of 60 and 1 yards that came at critical times for Carson’s squad. Bates’s 60-yard scamper answered a 79-yard touchdown run by Aiden Dishman, allowing the Eagles to retake a 17-14 lead with a little more than nine minutes to go.

The Maurer brothers took care of the two-point try, as freshman Kaiden found junior Chandon rolling out of the backfield. Kaiden Maurer completed four of his 10 attempts for 49 yards in his first varsity start behind center, but almost all of the balls he threw were on target.

Bates’s 1-yard run and Brayden Boyer’s placement gave Line Mountain a 24-17 lead after the Eagles’ opening possession in OT.

Chandon Maurer and Dunkelberger finished with nine tackles apiece for the Eagles’ defensive unit, which registered 10.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage and two sacks. Johnson added eight stops (3.5 tackles for loss).

Halifax trailed Upper Dauphin 49-0 after three quarters but scored twice down the stretch in the Wildcats’ 56-13 setback. Freshman Cohen Bechtel rushed for one touchdown, while classmate Teegan Carroll tossed a TD pass to Peter Ranck for another score.

Carroll was 7-of-14 passing for 82 yards, while Bechtel rushed seven times for 34 yards. Isaac Miller was the top ground gainer for Earl Mosley’s club, picking up 63 yards on seven tries.

Ranck finished with three catches for 32 yards.

Juniata seeking fourth shutout win in a row

Stepping out of Liberty Division play in Week 7, Juniata (4-2) is hoping to run its winning streak to four by bagging a road success at Boiling Springs (2-4). Kurt Condo’s Indians also are looking for their fourth consecutive whitewash – with the last three coming in league play.

Juniata’s latest victory came at home last weekend, when the Indians thumped James Buchanan by a 48-0 margin. Senior fullback Waylon Ehrenzeller rolled up 183 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 11 carries, fueling a ground game that riddled the Rockets for 299 yards.

Eight others carried the rock for the Indians, with Seth Laub, Aaron Kanagy and Caleb Smith posting touchdowns. Kanagy, who was picked off twice, was 5-for-8 passing for 122 yards and two scores – one each to Jasper Shepps and Jordan Dickinson.

Ehrenzeller also registered a team-high 10 stops for Juniata, which forced three turnovers.

Boiling Springs conceded nearly 500 offensive yards in a 54-21 loss to West Perry – which earlier blanked Juniata 24-0. Trey McCardell rushed 12 times for 100 yards and two scores (1, 60 yards), but he also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Liam Fisher that had the Bubblers tied 7-7 after one quarter.

Boiling Springs also is caught in a four-game skid after starting the season 2-0. Since defeating Bermudian Springs, the Bubblers have lost to Gettysburg, Steel-High, Trinity and West Perry.