Friday, Sept. 13

Non-League

Trinity at Susquenita

Andy Shay: Trinity 42, Susquenita 7: Resilience is alive and well in Shiremanstown. Good week to work on the offense in this matchup with an undermanned Hawks side.

Andy Sandrik: Trinity 44, Susquenita 6: The Blackhawks scored their first TD of the season last week, but they’ll need much more than that to hang with the suddenly high-flying Shamrocks.

Adam Kulikowski: Trinity 37, Susquenita 14: Who would have thought the Shamrocks would be in the position they are in now heading into Week 4 play after all the changes this team faced? Kudos to this group of young lads and their first-year head coach. 

Commonwealth

Altoona at Central Dauphin

Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 17, Altoona 7: Rams are generally a squad that makes the opposition earn every little bit they get. This year CD’s team is earning some of those hard triumphs and it will be the story of the season.

Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin 28, Altoona 0: Look at the improvement of CD from Week 1 to Week 3. The young Rams may not be stacked like their teams of the past, but they’re putting in the work to be a competitive team in the Commonwealth.

Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin 35, Altoona 6: After a Week 1 blanking at the hands of Central York, the Rams have turned in two strong performances. Glen McNamee’s crew will make it a third. 

Cedar Cliff at Bishop McDevitt

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 30, Cedar Cliff 28: Colts have shown they are a worthy foe in the big, bad Commonwealth. This is a one-time fellow Keystone Division foe against whom the Colts have enjoyed some sweet success. And yet I pick McD to win, right?

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 35, Cedar Cliff 21: McDevitt seems to be back on track after the Week 2 loss to Harrisburg. The Colts know the Crusaders better than anyone in the Commonwealth Division, but I think they’ll need to catch a few breaks to have a shot at pulling off the upset.  

Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 41, Cedar Cliff 27: Keeping up with the high-octane offense the Crusaders bring to the table is a full metal test for any foe. 

Central Dauphin East at Carlisle

Andy Shay: Central Dauphin East 35, Carlisle 0: When you are the better team and the opponent isn’t able to offer much resistance, get to 4-0 the right way and keep the momentum rolling. 4-0 Panthers is uncommon.

Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin East 42, Carlisle 7: The best advertisement Lance Deane can have for his personal training business is success from his finely-tuned Panthers squad, a group that has a really good shot of moving to 4-0 this week.

Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin East 55, Carlisle 6: The Panthers are playing some of the best football this school has seen in at least a decade. Good times continue against a Carlisle crew looking to put the pieces together. 

State College at Cumberland Valley

Andy Shay: State College 21, Cumberland Valley 14: Eagles have the defense to keep pace with the Little Lions. Just not sure the CV offense can make enough hay against the SC defense. Battle up front will be a mismatch.

Andy Sandrik: State College 24, Cumberland Valley 14: Will offense return this Friday for SC and CV, two teams who combined for 20 points last week?

Adam Kulikowski: State College 34, Cumberland 21: The Little Lions lost a heart-breaker last week against arguably the best team in the Commonwealth. The offense should find more green space in Week 4.

Keystone

Gettysburg at Northern York

Andy Shay: Gettysburg 20, Northern York 13: Combined these squads have two victories and neither has achieved anything close to expectations. Which quarterback has the best night will determine your winner.

Andy Sandrik: Gettysburg 19, Northern York 12: Listen, neither of these one-win teams are happy with where they currently stand, but 2-2 feels a heck of a lot better than 1-3, so I expect to see two squads playing with some desperation.

Adam Kulikowski: Gettysburg 34, Northern York  20:  We finally saw a glimpse of the offense we thought the Warriors would produce each week. Can this crew find consistency as we approach the halfway point of the season? 

Mifflin County at Hershey

Andy Shay: Hershey 34, Mifflin County 14: The Trojans have been quietly going about their business by running the ball and overwhelming teams with wave after wave of dudes toting the rock. That means the OL is running the show. That continues here.

Andy Sandrik: Hershey 36, Mifflin County 14: I counted four different Trojan rushers who are averaging more than five yards per carry, which tells me that Hershey is winning the battle up front. If the Huskies don’t show up to play, this one could quickly turn into a blowout.

Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 41, Mifflin County: 17: Running chalk on this one after I pushed chips in on the Huskies last week. Line play will be the difference in this one. 

Lower Dauphin at Mechanicsburg

Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 28, Lower Dauphin 26: Riding the hot hand and going with the Wildcats here because they have the best player on the field. LD is deeper, though, at the skill positions.

Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 28, Mechanicsburg 21: I can’t pick against the team I picked to win the Keystone, but man, those Wildcats from Mechanicsburg are tempting me.

Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 31, Lower Dauphin 28: One of the best match-ups on the docket in Week 4. Give a nod to Wildcats QB Eli Reider who is completing nearly 77 percent of his passes and has yet to toss a pick.

Waynesboro at Red Land

Andy Shay: Waynesboro 29, Red Land 15: The Patriots have struggled to slow teams down defensively and the Indians have some serious “explosive play” in their running game.

Andy Sandrik: Waynesboro 30, Red Land 16: Waynesboro lost its first game last week, but I think QB Rayshawn Frazer-Hewitt and the Indians have the moxie to bounce back and earn their third win.

Adam Kulikowski: Waynesboro 28, Red Land 14: Indians are rushing for 6.5 yards per carry as a team this season while the Red Land defense has struggled. Not a good mix.

Palmyra at Shippensburg

Andy Shay: Shippensburg 27, Palmyra 14: Week by week this Greyhounds squad adds a brick or two to the foundation. It has been a slow and deliberate build but the results speak for themselves. Simple, solid football.

Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 33, Palmyra 17: We overuse the term “coming together as a team” but that really seems to be what’s happening in Shippensburg with an unbeaten Greyhounds squad whose confidence is growing by the week. 

Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 45, Palmyra 14: We predicted the Greyhounds to finish fifth in the new-look Keystone Division. Early results show the error in our ways. 

Capital

Camp Hill at Newport

Andy Shay: Camp Hill 49, Newport 6: Camp Hill has way too much firepower for the lads from Perry County.

Andy Sandrik: Camp Hill 42, Newport 7: Make it two wins in two weeks for the Lions over Perry County teams.

Adam Kulikowski: Camp Hill 55, Newport 6: The only question in this one is when the Lions will pull back the throttle and cruise to the finish line. 

Line Mountain at Halifax

Andy Shay: Line Mountain 49, Halifax 7: When you are talented and experienced, man that shows up in so many different ways it makes competing with the opposition that much more difficult. LM will overwhelm the Wildcats.

Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 45, Halifax 7: Halifax could have a very tough time against Line Mountain, the team I picked to win the Capital Division.

Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 48, Halifax 13: Line Mountain is capitalizing each week on the benefits of having a leap of returning varsity talent. 

James Buchanan at Juniata

Andy Shay: Juniata 35, James Buchanan 7: The JB winning train is pulling into the station and jumping off the tracks at Juniata. Rockets have been impressive, but the Indians will ask some tough questions.

Andy Sandrik: Juniata 39, James Buchanan 6: Big props to JB for dashing out to a 3-0 start, but Juniata poses a new challenge altogether for the Rockets.

Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 31, James Buchanan 14: The feel-good part of the schedule has concluded for the Rockets. Now we learn just what kind of chops they have. 

Steelton-Highspire at Upper Dauphin

Andy Shay: Upper Dauphin 28, Steelton-Highspire 26: If this happens it will be because the UDA defense makes a couple of critical stops in the final 12 minutes. If the Rollers reach 30 points, they win.

Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 28, Upper Dauphin 21: Games that were once automatic for the Rollers now have us stopping for a moment to think. Upper Dauphin lost last week but earned some respect by holding the West Perry machine to 16 points.

Adam Kulikowski: Upper Dauphin 27, Steel-High 26: OK this feels like a trap game. The Trojans defense showed some real mettle last week and the Rollers don’t possess the firepower from a year ago. This one will still keep me up at night. 

Colonial

Middletown at Boiling Springs

Andy Shay: Middletown 21, Boiling Springs 18: I like where this group of Blue Raiders has steered the ship. Bubblers have been roughed up the last eight quarters and might find the playing field here a little more level. Still taking Middletown.

Andy Sandrik: Middletown 25, Boiling Springs 14: I’m trying not to read too much into Boiling Springs’ back-to-back blowout losses because they played some awfully tough competition, but giving up more than 50 points per game in those contests is certainly a cause for concern. 

Adam Kulikowski: Middletown 17, Boiling Springs 14: Each week we’ve seen progress from the Blue Raiders–a Week 1 Dub and a pair of 2-point losses tell me this team is close to breaking through.  

East Pennsboro at Greencastle-Antrim

Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 27, Greencastle-Antrim 21: One of these teams will be enjoying a two-game winning streak. I think the Blue Devils might be the better team here, maybe? So yeah give me the Panthers.

Andy Sandrik: Greencastle-Antrim 27, East Pennsboro 24: There are few feelings better than getting that first win, so congrats to the Blue Devils and Panthers for breaking through. Only one of these teams, however, gets to go on a winning streak now.

Adam Kulikowski: Greencastle-Antrim 28, East Pennsboro 27: This is a coin toss game to me. Neither team has shown the consistency you’d like to see heading into Week 4. But both have plenty of potential to make their case as the better team. 

Susquehanna Township at West Perry

Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 28, West Perry 20: I just don’t feel the Mustangs have the firepower to stay with this Hanna Tribe outfit for the full 48 minutes. WP has a path to victory, but it requires help from ST, and not sure that’s in the cards.

Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 25, West Perry 21: The Mustangs have a shot if they can control the clock and limit the number of possessions for ‘Hanna. If this game turns into a shootout, however, Indians’ QB TD Evans and his three all-star caliber receivers could very well make it a quiet night in Elliottsburg for the WP faithful.

Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 31, West Perry 28: This has the potential to be a Game of the Week. I’ll have an eye on the Mustangs secondary vs. the aforementioned all-star caliber receivers.   

Saturday, Sept. 14

Commonwealth

Chambersburg at Harrisburg, 1 p.m.

Andy Shay: Harrisburg 48, Chambersburg 0: For the record the Cougars have beaten Bishop McDevitt and State College in the last two weeks with less than their full complement of talent to employ on the opposition. The key here is zero steps backward.

Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 50, Chambersburg 0: The faint of heart may want to cover their eyes for this game, which could be in mercy rule territory before halftime.

Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 55, Chambersburg 6: That Cougars defense presents a huge challenge–not just for the Trojans, but any opponent. Just as State College. 

Colonial

Big Spring at Milton Hershey, 1:30 p.m.

Andy Shay: Big Spring 28, Milton Hershey 14: The Bulldogs are the winless team you don’t want to face. Spartans have been on the struggle bus. Big Spring gets a richly deserved win here.

Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 23, Milton Hershey 16: It’s hard for me to fathom how the Bulldogs can be 0-3 with RB Grant Hall averaging nearly eight yards a pop. I think Big Spring will turn it around this week.

Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 33, Milton Hershey 14: Spartans have mustered just 34 points through their first three games. The offense will need to find another gear to turn the tide in this one. 

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Turner Barlup, QB, East Pennsboro: Barlup was nearly perfect Friday night for the Panthers in a 35-13 victory against Milton Hershey. He completed all 10 of his pass attempts for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Amil Way, WR, Trinity: When The Shamrocks needed a big play downfield, they turned to Amil Way. Way delivered in a big way, hauling in a game-high six passes for 166 stripes and a touchdown in a 35-14 victory against Big Spring Friday night.

Drew Branstetter, QB, Camp Hill: Branstetter tossed four touchdowns Friday night en route to a 55-7 drubbing of Susquenita Friday night. Branstetter finished the night with 310 yards on 14-of-17 passing.

Brad Hockenberry, RB, West Perry: Hockenberry turned in another stellar performance Friday night in a 16-0 blanking of Upper Dauphin. The back churned out 176 yards on 18 carries, reaching paydirt twice.  He’s averaging a staggering 18 yards per carry through the first three games of the season.

Sean Elliott, RB, Hershey: Elliott proved to be the catalyst for the Trojans’ success Friday night against Palmyra in a 34-13 victory. The senior tailback rushed for 236 yards on 21 carries—an average of 11.2 yards per carry. He tallied four touchdowns on the evening.

Janye Statum, RB, Shippensburg: The senior running back did his job Friday night, helping the Greyhounds stay undefeated. The senior turned in a team-high 25 carries for 165 yards in a 28-21 victory against Waynesboro.

Td Evans, QB, Susquehanna Twp:  When you throw for more than 400 yards in a varsity game, you’re going to make our Player of the Week poll. It’s that simple. That’s what the junior gunslinger did Friday night against Boiling Springs, totaling 408 yards on 15-of-19 passing. He added five touchdowns for good measure in the 61-10 victory.

That old saying “better lucky than good” always bothered me. In sports, particularly at the high school level, you always need a little luck along the way to be considered good. 

Central Dauphin East is off to a 3-0 start, our theme this week is undefeated teams, and needed a little fortune Friday night to get there. And in the end, nobody cares that a wee bit of the Irish luck played a role.

The Panthers benefitted from a missed extra point by fellow previously unbeaten Cedar Cliff with 75 showing on the clock to grab a one-point Commonwealth Division victory.

Previous wins over William Penn and Chambersburg were a good start for the Panthers, but slipping past the Colts has set CD East up for next-level success. The road to 5-0 looks smooth with the offensive playmakers the Panthers deploy. Carlisle and Altoona are on deck, and neither of those squads has registered a victory.

In the win over Cedar Cliff QB Demaj Jalloh threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns and RB Leon Parson rumbled for 147 yards on 13 carries. That’s an average of 11.3 yards per carry for Parson and 21.9 yards a completion for Jalloh. That’s a dangerous “explosive play” offense.

The meat of the Panthers schedule is the second half with Cumberland Valley, Central Dauphin, Harrisburg, Bishop McDevitt, and State College awaiting to see what the Panthers have. Get to 5-0 and win at least two of the final five and the second season for CD East is in play.

ROCKETS GET OFF TO FLYING START

James Buchanan is 3-0 for the first time since … who knows when. I’ve been around more than 30 years and I’m sure it’s happened once or twice in three-plus decades – or maybe not, who knows? Either way, the Rockets, behind a defense that has surrendered 13 points in 12 quarters, are unbeaten.

There is some reality coming for JB in the very near future. Next week 1-2 Juniata is the opponent and the Indians are the one-win team you don’t want to play. Does this make the Rockets a postseason contender? Maybe but most likely not as heavy hitters like Camp Hill, Line Mountain, Steel-High, and East Pennsboro are upcoming. Still on the heels of a 1-9 campaign a year ago the potential to post a .500 season is a huge step forward.

CAPITAL SHOWDOWN ON OFFER EARLY

Susquehanna Township and West Perry have emerged as the clear head and shoulders above the rest of the squads in the MPC Capital. The Tribe and Mustangs will each bring spiffy 3-0 records into their contest in Elliottsburg on Friday.

West Perry being 3-0 is kind of not all that surprising, but also at the same time, it is a bit of a surprise because of the manner in which the Mustangs have galloped to 3-0. The lads from Perry County, dominant at times a year ago but hit heavy by graduation at critical positions, have been dominant. 

After throwing up nearly 100 points in its opening eight quarters, West Perry squeezed out a 16-0 grinder victory over Upper Dauphin in Week 3. It was the second shutout of the WP defense in three games and there lies your hidden key to success going forward.

The Indians are an explosive and seasoned talent-laden bunch that is averaging more than 40 points a game and has a victory over Penn Hills in the opener as a feather in its cap.

And by explosive, we are talking lethal. QB Torin Evans threw for 413 yards and five touchdowns in the Week 3 win over Boiling Springs. He averaged 27.5 yards per completion. Lethal. And Hanna has weapons everywhere.

Honestly, it’s hard to see a regular season loss on the Tribe’s schedule. I’m not heaping pressure on them to go 10-0, their performance to date merits that plaudit.

CATS ARE RUNNING WILD

Under new head coach Dave Heckard, Mechanicsburg has raced to a tidy 3-0 start behind a rejuvenated offense that is using its best asset, Josh Smith, in a variety of ways and has no trouble putting points on the scoreboard.

It is however the other side of the ball where the rubber meets the road from my seat in the press box. The Wildcats defense has been downright stingy and limiting Mifflin County to only six points in a Week 3 victory is a message delivered.

Fellow MPC Keystone undefeated Shippensburg and the Wildcats are not slated to meet until the final week of the season. And the Greyhounds are making a case as a contender for sure by grinding out wins by scoring 28 points every single game and riding the defense holding serve.

The punch of the Wildcats offense and the level their defense has performed through 12 quarters has more “championship” elements that I can see. All I know is Lower Dauphin will test Mechanicsburg at another level this week.

HARRISBURG DOES IT AGAIN

The chase for the MPC Commonwealth Division title will go through Market Street in the city. The Harrisburg Cougars, despite the adversity of losing its star QB to eligibility and key injuries, are the alpha dog again.

One week after taking out Bishop McDevitt in overtime, the Cougars defense stepped up and slammed the door on State College’s offense by not surrendering a touchdown Saturday. The 7-6 triumph means after getting shellacked in its opener, Harrisburg has dispatched two of the top contenders in the division.

All State College could muster was a pair of field goals against the stingy Cougars defense. Harrisburg also blocked a potential go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter and ended another drive with an interception.

You can throw the kitchen sink at this Harrisburg team and it just seems to march on and find a way. Does anyone else think the chase in the new-look Commonwealth Division is over? I do.

Standings:

Name: Week 3: Overall:

Andy Shay: 16-3; 51-18

Andy Sandrik: 18-1; 51-18

Adam Kulikowski: 14-5; 56-23

Friday, Sept. 6

Non-League

West Perry 16, Upper Dauphin 0

Andy Shay: West Perry 42, Upper Dauphin 26: This will be a step up in overall resistance for the Mustangs, but early indicators are West Perry won’t be threatened by what UDA has to offer.

Andy Sandrik: West Perry 36, Upper Dauphin 19: Mustangs’ RB Brad Hockenberry is averaging 29.2 yards per carry. It sounds like I’m making that up, but I’m really not. 

Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 45, Upper Dauphin 21: The Mustangs suffered significant losses to graduation, but the performance of Hockenberry and this new-look crew shows this is a re-load instead of the dreaded rebuild season.

Commonwealth

Cumberland Valley 13, Altoona 0

Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 35, Altoona 7: Nice schedule break for the Eagles to work on their craft as a unit to be better prepared for what lies ahead. Winning matters, but how CV wins will be what the coaching staff will be focused on.

Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 32, Altoona 14: The Eagles had a nice bounce-back win last week and now they hit the road to face another opponent they’re expected to beat. Altoona has only scored 14 points in two games, so its best shot to steal a win at home is to keep this a low-scoring ballgame.

Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 37, Altoona: 13: The Eagles running game took a nice step forward in Week 2 after being stymied to open the season. Can Brody Pines and that offensive line continue to create holes in Week 3? 

Bishop McDevitt 40, Chambersburg 3

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 47, Chambersburg 14: Wondering if the Crusaders are licking their wounds or have moved on from a gut-wrenching loss to Harrisburg. It’s not that you lose, but how you respond that matters. So does the opponent and this looks favorable for McD.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 48, Chambersburg 7: I don’t know how many TDs the Crusaders will have to put up to wipe the Harrisburg loss from their memory, but it’s a lot. That’s bad news for the Trojans.

Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 56, Chambersburg 13: Yes, the Crusaders lost last week in a building that lived up to the hype in every way. The adage that iron sharpens iron holds true. McD will be better this year for having played that game. A scary proposition for a Chambersburg club showing some signs of life. 

Central Dauphin 48, Carlisle 0

Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 28, Carlisle 7: This win will be earned by a Rams team short on upper-echelon talent, but big on making themselves hard to beat. After getting embarrassed in Week 1, they showed more than enough dog in the fight to be a tougher out than you might think.

Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin 27, Carlisle 14: Despite a loss last Friday, the rebuilding Rams made a big leap from Week 1 to 2. Carlisle, not so much. 

Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin 24, Carlisle 6: Both teams are still searching for answers as we head into the third week of the season. Rams seem to have more in the cupboard than their Cumberland County foes. 

Central Dauphin East 28, Cedar Cliff 27:

Andy Shay: Cedar Cliff 31, Central Dauphin East 28: What I like is how the Colts have already had their feet to the fire and know exactly what is needed to push across the line. Panthers might have more elite talent in spots, but the Colts are not an easy team to beat.

Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 28, Central Dauphin East 21: This is shaping up to be a must-watch Commonwealth contest. I think Cedar Cliff has a few more tricks up its sleeve, but CD East certainly turned a few heads when it held its opponent to just over 10 yards of total offense last week.

Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin East 33, Cedar Cliff 27: Am I drinking the Panther Kool-Aid too soon? This just might be the most intriguing match-up on the docket in Week 3. 

Keystone

Gettysburg 54, Red Land 12

Andy Shay: Gettysburg 34, Red Land 20: It’s now or never for the Warriors. Last week might have left a scar for the season if Gettysburg falls to 0-3 here. Not sure Red Land can keep pace, but remember the Pats scored 30 in their opener.

Andy Sandrik: Gettysburg 31, Red Land 14: No one wants to label a Week 3 game as a must-win, but it sure feels that way for the Warriors, doesn’t it?

Adam Kulikowski: Gettysburg 35, Red Land 20: Warriors might be the most disappointing squad so far this season. If this team is going to turn things around, now is the time to get on track with Northern York and Mechanicsburg on deck.

Hershey 34, Palmyra 13:

Andy Shay: Hershey 28, Palmyra 7: I’m going to hitch my U-Haul to the Trojans defense in this one and ride their ability to slow down the Cougars as the key.

Andy Sandrik: Hershey 22, Palmyra 17: The Trojans and Falcons both lost last week, but I only expected one of those results. Has Palmyra improved enough to make this a 50-50 game? 

Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 28, Palmyra 13: Can the Cougars generate enough offense to make hay in this match-up? Trojans defense will be a tough test. 

Lower Dauphin 35, Northern York 14:

Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 20, Northern York 14: This is the game where the depth of LD at the skill positions has to make a difference otherwise chalk up an upset win for the Polar Bears.

Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 17, Northern York 12: Both teams are coming off confidence-boosting wins and both teams see this as a winnable contest. This game gets my pick for Grinder of the Week. 

Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 21, Northern York 14: To me, this one can go either way. The best weapon on the field is Grady Bonin, the do-it-all QB for the Polar Bears. The difference to me is the supporting cast–which edges to the Falcons. 

Mechanicsburg 40, Mifflin County 6:

Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 35, Mifflin County 21: This will be about who hits more of those “explosive” plays covering 20 or more yards. Huskies will take their shots, but the Wildcats combo has been more consistently lethal.

Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 35, Mifflin County 24: The Wildcats have been steady through two games under Dave Heckard, but they’ll have to be wary of a Mifflin County team that might be in desperation mode after letting a win slip away against Northern. 

Adam Kulikowski: Mifflin County 28, Mechanicsburg 27: Senior quarterback Fletcher Wilson has shown that the Huskies aren’t afraid to push the ball downfield. That makes this a tricky match-up for a Wildcats squad that should be the favorite entering this one. 

Shippensburg 28, Waynesboro 21:

Andy Shay: Shippensburg 28, Waynesboro 26: Full plaudits to both squads for showing way more than what was expected through eight quarters. Hard for me to not pick the Hounds when the margins are slim.

Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 21, Waynesboro 20: The Greyhounds and Indians looked way better than expected in games they weren’t necessarily expected to win last week, but somehow did. Convincingly. Friday night could very well come down to who blinks first.

Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 31, Waynesboro 24: The Greyhounds have leaned heavily on its running backs with 95 carries out of 115 offensive snaps in the first two weeks. Can the Indians force Shippensburg to beat them through the air? 

Capital

Camp Hill 55, Susquenita 7:

Andy Shay: Camp Hill 49, Susquenita 0: This will either be the halftime score or something close to it. Lions have every advantage in the book on their side.

Andy Sandrik: Camp Hill 32, Susquenita 0: Finally, a game where the cardiac kids from Camp Hill can breathe. I don’t always pick shutouts, but Susquenita is still looking for its first points of the season. 

Adam Kulikowski: Camp Hill 42, Susquenita 6: Lions seal up this Dub early and get the youngbucks some additional playing time. 

Steelton-Highspire 56, Halifax 7:

Andy Shay: Steelton-Highspire 49, Halifax 7: Everyone knows who the Rollers are this year. Yet somehow in this matchup, it will feel like each of the previous four years.

Andy Sandrik: Steelton-Highspire 55, Halifax 0: This will be a good chance for the still-growing Rollers to get some live varsity reps and build some continuity in all three phases.

Adam Kulikowski: Steelton-Highspire 41, Halifax 13: The Rollers may have their bumps along the road as they reload, but this outcome is predictable. 

James Buchanan 34, Newport 0

Andy Shay: James Buchanan 20, Newport 13: Ladies and Gentlemen your 3-0 James Buchanan Rockets.

Andy Sandrik: James Buchanan 18, Newport 12: The entirety of Rocket Stadium in Mercersburg just might blast off to the moon if James Buchanan wins this game and goes to 3-0.

Adam Kulikowski: James Buchanan 28, Newport 6: Plenty to feel good about if you are a Rockets fan so far this season. Good vibes flow another week!

Line Mountain 20, Juniata 18:

Andy Shay: Line Mountain 26, Juniata 20: Going chalk in this game for a couple of Capital Division heavyweights. This one could go either way and that way will make sense.

Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 19, Juniata 18: True coin flip game between the teams I picked to finish 1-2 in the Capital. I wish I had a phone-a-friend lifeline I could use to reach TVL historian Michael Bullock for insight. 

Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 28, Line Mountain 21: Indians defense has yet to yield more than 14 points in a ball game this season. Continue that trend and good things will happen on Friday. 

Colonial

Trinity 35, Big Spring 14:

Andy Shay: Trinity 24, Big Spring 20: Something tells me the fire the T-Rocks have been forced to battle through serves them well in this grinder of a game. Big Spring is capable of sucking the life out of the game in their likeness and image if permitted.

Andy Sandrik: Trinity 28, Big Spring 13: If Trinity can limit the big plays from Bulldogs’ RB Grant Hall (135.5 ypg), the Shamrocks have a really good shot to improve to 2-1, better than most of the “experts” have predicted. 

Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 28, Trinity 24: Toss up game to me. I could make a compelling case for either team.

Susquehanna Township 61, Boiling Springs 10:

Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 42, Boiling Springs 14: Hanna Tribe showed they can turn it on when pushed this season and they are growing into a 48-minute football outfit. This is the next step. Early and often should be the mantra this week.

Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 38, Boiling Springs 7: ‘Hanna was forced to evolve last week in a challenging game against Greencastle-Antrim, and that level of intensity should serve the Tribe well in front of their home crowd.

Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Township 45, Boiling Springs 13: The Tribe’s mettle was tested last week–and Joe Headen’s crew didn’t disappoint. Look for another Hanna dub this week against a crew still looking to find themselves. 

East Pennsboro 35, Milton Hershey 13:

Andy Shay: Milton Hershey 28, East Pennsboro 24: A couple of not-exactly-sure teams after eight quarters, but something feels like it’s moving in the right direction for the Spartans. Feels like EP is struggling a bit.

Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 21, Milton Hershey 16: Aaron Angelo is averaging exactly 100 rushing yards per game for East Pennsboro, and if he does it again this week I think the Panthers have a very good chance of nailing down that first win.

Adam Kulikowski: Milton Hershey 24, East Pennsboro 21: The last time the Spartans beat East Penn was in 2019. Milton Hershey breaks that streak this year. 

Greencastle-Antrim 28, Middletown 26:

Andy Shay: Greencastle-Antrim 28, Middletown 7: The Blue Devils might be 0-2, but they have been more than competitive and are ready to get victory No. 1. Blue Raiders have to play next level special to keep pace.

Andy Sandrik: Greencastle-Antrim 32, Middletown 13: Listen, this is an aggressive pick for 0-2 Greencastle, but the Blue Devils have played tough over that stretch, including last week against clear-cut division favorite Susquehanna Township. If Devin McCauley’s bunch can give that same effort this week, I think they can get that dub. 

Adam Kulikowski: Greencastle-Antrim 38, Middletown 27: The win-loss record doesn’t show it, but the Blue Devils should be proud of their effort in the first two weeks of the season. The time is now to get that elusive first win. 

Saturday, Sept. 7

Commonwealth

Harrisburg 7, State College 6:

Andy Shay: State College 31, Harrisburg 27: Geez am I fully prepared to pick against the Cougars for the second week in a row? This is not a rivalry game and State College will ask some serious questions over 48 minutes and have made precious few mistakes to date.

Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 33, State College 28: Just when we were ready to hit the panic button after a Week 1 blowout loss, the Cougars passed a major test last Saturday by toppling Bishop McDevitt. Yes, it’s early, but the winner of this game will have an inside track to the Commonwealth title.

Adam Kulikowski: State College 34, Harrisburg 33: The Cougars sure seem to have found their next quarterback, so no shock if the final score is flipped.