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. 

Week 3 is serving up a loaded slate filled with bounce-back opportunities, early-season litmus tests, and a few heavyweight battles that could shake up the landscape. Our gang at 4th Down Magazine scoped out each match up and dished their predictions for the action ahead in Week 3.

Standings:

Name; Week 3; Overall

Andy Shay 14-5; 48-19

Adam Kulikowski 13-6; 44-23

Andy Sandrik: 13-6; 40-27

Bishop McDevitt 41, Chambersburg 4

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 40, Chambersburg 7: Not sure the Trojans are ready for a little frustrated and angry McD squad looking for victory No. 1 of the season. Crusaders are 0-2 but showed last week they are capable of a response to losing. 

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 35, Chambersburg 24: The Trojans are far from perfect, but they play with guts and aren’t afraid of a little adversity. The Crusaders will get their first win, but I get the sense Chambersburg will make them work for it.

Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 47, Chambersburg 13: Crusaders faced the gauntlet facing off against Clarkson North and Harrisburg to start the season, but don’t be fooled by the team’s 0-2 mark. This is a team primed for a deep playoff push.

Cedar Cliff 14, CD East 3

Andy Shay: Cedar Cliff 27, CD East 25: The coin landed on the Colts for this one. Both teams are a wee bit “less than predictable” this early season and have some explosiveness that comes and goes. Should be a fun one.

Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 28, CD East 20: It’s really hard to shake off the emotional damage of losing a game after holding a three-score lead, like CD East did against Chambersburg last week. 

Adam Kulikowski: CD East 33, Cedar Cliff 28: Not sure what yet to make of the Colts after a roller coaster first two weeks… and actually, I could say the same about the Panthers after they dropped a game in which they were up by three scores.

Altoona 17, Cumberland Valley 14

Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 34, Altoona 14: Mountain Lions gave a quality effort a week ago and still went down to State College. Need another one of those to compete and Eagles are slowly putting the pieces together.

Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 42, Altoona 17: The Eagles scored their first points of the season against Carlisle last week, and I expect CV to pile on even more against Altoona this week. 

Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 38, Altoona 20:  Eagles found their footing last week while Altoona continues to search for the right combination.

Central Dauphin 41, Carlisle 0

Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 31, Carlisle 7: Couple of winless squads through the early weeks. Rams have just a bit more meat on the bone to work with and that will show through.

Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin 35, Carlisle 14: Points have come at a premium for the Rams, but look for that trend to change for at least one week against an outgunned Carlisle squad.

Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin 28, Carlisle 7: Both teams have limitations that have prevented either from notching a victory in 2025. Rams possess a few more tools to build with than their Carlisle foes. 

Harrisburg 48, State College 45

Andy Shay: Harrisburg 33, State College 31: This will be the third Top 10 ranked team in the state for the Cougars in as many weeks. Won’t be anything new or surprising to them. Difference for me is that Harrisburg is already at the next level. 

Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 26, State College 19: It’s a long road trip to State College, but Harrisburg has all the tools it needs to squeeze past the Little Lions.

Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 38, State College 28: You can bet the Little Lions had this one circled on their calendar. It’s an instant measuring stick against one of–if not the best–team in the Commonwealth.

Red Land 48, Gettysburg 34

Andy Shay: Red Land 17, Gettysburg 7: Who had your Red Land Patriots at 3-0 on their preseason bingo card? One of the 914 reasons to love High School Football!

Andy Sandrik: Gettysburg 21, Red Land 17: We knew RB Preston Burnett was going to have a quality senior year for Gettysburg, but sophomore QB Grant Johnson has been a pleasant surprise, completing 36 of 59 passes for 607 yards and five TDs. That offensive balance will be just what the Warriors need to spring the upset over Red Land. 

Adam Kulikowski: Gettysburg 28, Red Land 21: The Patriots fast start tempted me this week, but I believe this game will require more than 17 points–the highwater offensive production from the boys at Red Land.

Lower Dauphin 35, Northern York 24

Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 14, Northern York 0: Couple of winless clubs with offensive issues that have shown up consistently through eight quarters. Falcons have a TD to their ledger this season and get the call.

Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 14, Northern York 7: Yes, Lower Dauphin is 0-2, but the Falcons have been competitive and know they could just as easily be 2-0. The Polar Bears have been a different kind of 0-2.

Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 17, Northern York 6: Both teams are simply looking for playmakers. Falcons seem to have just a bit more in the cupboard as we enter Week 3.

Mechanicsburg 19, Mifflin County 0

Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 21, Mifflin County 7: Early season benchmark game for a couple 2-0 squads. Mifflin County has not surrendered a single point. Wildcats are on a serious regular season winning streak that has stretched over part of three seasons. Wildcats offense finds a way.

Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 24, Mifflin County 14: A confident Mifflin County squad should make this a competitive game, but is that enough to take down a dominant program in Mechanicsburg?

Adam Kulikowski:Mechanicsburg 33, Mifflin County 17: The Wildcats have given up just 14 points in the first eight quarters of play this season. Can the Huskies offense provide enough spark to contend? 

Shippensburg 28, Waynesboro 21

Andy Shay: Shippensburg 26, Waynesboro 20: Neither defense has been on top of its game to start the season. Greyhounds nudged past Hershey to register a high-quality bounceback victory. Like where Ship is right now for this matchup.

Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 28, Waynesboro 14: It’s no secret Waynesboro can put up points, but the Tribe defense will have to do a better job to stay within striking distance of the Hounds.

Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 37, Waynesboro 33: If you like two teams throwing haymakers at each other for four quarters, this is likely your destination of choice in Week 3. 

Hershey 48, Palmyra 0

Andy Shay: Hershey 30, Palmyra 7: I call the setback a week ago against Shippensburg for the Trojans a quality loss in a game that could have just as easily won. Hershey is fine and Palmyra is battling uphill this season.

Andy Sandrik: Hershey 33, Palmyra 6: The Trojans’ defense has been getting a little bit better each week and is in a great position to have its best showing up on Friday.

Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 41, Palmyra 13: Trojans have all the firepower needed to quickly right the ship in Week 3. 

Susquenita 44, Camp Hill 12

Andy Shay: Camp Hill 20, Susquenita 13: Neither team has been particularly competitive in these early weeks and win No. 1 is on the dock for somebody here. Lions defense has to take a step forward for this win to happen. Blackhawks offense can struggle.

Andy Sandrik: Camp Hill 17, Susquenita 7: Camp Hill just enough pop to outlast the ‘Hawks, but it will likely take a full four quarters for the Lions to sweat out victory. 

Adam Kulikowski: Susquenita 21, Camp Hill 14: In a game that could go either way, I’ll play the role of contrarian and ride with the Blackhawks.  

Newport 26, James Buchanan 21

Andy Shay: James Buchanan 26, Newport 13: Something doesn’t feel right about going with the Rockets to double up the Buffs. I don’t think this is bold at all. JB is playing consistent football in 2025.

Andy Sandrik: James Buchanan 21, Newport 18: The Rockets are playing good football and deserve to be favored here, but I have a feeling Newport has a say in this outcome. 

Adam Kulikowski: James Buchanan 34, Newport 21: Buffaloes are reeling after getting thumped by Line Mountain last week. Rebounding against a team that has yielded just 13 all season is a tough ask. 

West Perry 49, Upper Dauphin 14

Andy Shay: West Perry 28, Upper Dauphin 0: Mustangs are working through their issues, but they don’t have a glaring problem like the Trojans who have yet to score a touchdown this season while surrendering 93 points.

Andy Sandrik: West Perry 42, Upper Dauphin 6: Even if WP peeks a little bit ahead to Week 4 against Susquehanna Township, the Mustangs should be safe to win against a Trojans squad that has struggled mightily out of the gates. 

Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 49, Upper Dauphin 6: Not the season the gents in Upper Dauphin had in mind, but key injuries have already taken a toll. 

Steel-High 44, Halifax 6

Andy Shay: Steel-High 26, Halifax 20: Huge win by the Rollers over Juniata in a tight game all the way and low scoring as well. This will be a very competitive game, just hard to pick the Wildcats to win at this level right now. Repeating it will be a very competitive game.

Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 28, Halifax 10: The Rollers turned in quite the scalp over Juniata last week. Beaming with confidence, Steel-High has all the momentum it needs to make quick work of Halifax. 

Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 33, Halifax 21: This is the biggest test of the season for the Wildcats to date. Score the upset dub and there will be more believers among the scribes. 

Line Mountain 35, Juniata 0

Andy Shay: Line Mountain 27, Juniata 14: This will be a full metal jacket test for the undefeated Eagles and their high flying offense. Won’t be easy, but they pass the test with flying colors in my book. Juniata offense has to do something extra special to spring the upset.

Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 28, Juniata 13: The Indians are trying to shake off a heartbreaking loss to Steel-High. Can they do it against a Line Mountain team expecting a blowout win? 

Adam Kulikowski:Line Mountain 31, Juniata 21: The Indians did everything right against Steel-High last week but lost on a heartbreaker in the final seconds. Eagles present an even bigger test to the boys from Juniata.

Greencastle-Antrim 19, Middletown 16

Andy Shay: Middletown 30, Greencastle-Antrim 6: All I know is the Blue Raiders defense has been a wall for eight quarters and the Blue Devils offense isn’t exactly ticking the scoreboard over at a high rate. Middletown to 3-0.

Andy Sandrik: Middletown 21, Greencastle-Antrim 7: It’s hard to argue against a Middletown defense that is averaging nearly as many sacks per game (5.25) as points allowed (7.5).

Adam Kulikowski: Middletown 28, Greencastle-Antrim 13: When’s the last time the Blue Raiders were 3-0 to start a season? You have to go all the way back to the pre-COVID era… 2019.

East Pennsboro 42, Milton Hershey 28

Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 23, Milton Hershey 13: All I know is the Panthers showed a ton of guts to knock off Trinity and the way I see it, guts is good enough.

Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 28, Milton Hershey 14: Opponents of Milton Hershey are scoring nearly twice as many points as the Spartans this fall. Look for a battle-hardened East Penn squad to continue that trend.

Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 31, Milton Hershey 24: Panthers are riding a pair of senior running backs– Elliot Bruhn and EJ Rivera. Can the Spartans force East Penn to beat them through the air where they are completing just 31 percent of their passes? 

Trinity 25, Big Spring 8

Andy Shay: Big Spring 20, Trinity 14: I don’t feel comfortable about this selection, however the Bulldogs have earned the favorite role in this game with a tight win over Shippensburg and blowout of Camp Hill. Love the T-Rocks defense, but the offense isn’t able to carry much water up the hill for Trinity right now.

Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 24, Trinity 17: With Grady Hope averaging 10.3 yards per carry, the Bulldogs have an above average chance of starting 3-0 for the first time since 2019. 

Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 30, Trinity 14: Turnovers have hurt the Shamrocks in the team’s  first two games. I see this one being closer than my prediction if that gets cleaned up this week.

Susquehanna Twp. 55, Boiling Springs 0

Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 49, Boiling Springs 6: The Hanna Tribe can name their number in this game and pretty sure the majority of the starters will be helmets off and watching in the third quarter.

Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 52, Boiling Springs 7: Even with the bar set high, ‘Hanna has found a way to perform well above expectations. 

Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 55, Boiling Springs 6:  Two teams in completely different stratospheres. Tribe’s young gents should get plenty of valuable minutes.