Each week during the 2021 season we’ll offer some news, notes, tidbits and opinions from each of the five divisions in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Commonwealth Division

Cougars creep closer

Harrisburg is on the cusp of winning the Commonwealth crown outright and halting the two-year run by Central Dauphin. The Cougars only need to take care of business with what else: a road game at Chambersburg. It’s sort of fitting this Harrisburg team will be on the road one final time this season.

That air-tight win over State College was a mild surprise, but getting the result sometimes is enough to keep the momentum rolling. The consistent production of this team over the long haul with a small roster has been impressive. They are good in so many ways that isn’t typical of a Harrisburg team. And that’s what makes them so hard to beat.

Herd face must-win

I don’t think Carlisle can beat CD East this week to nail down a District 3 Class 6A playoff berth. The Thundering Herd are capable of winning this game if they get some help from the Panthers. And CD East has been extremely consistent all season on too many fronts. They aren’t a very “giving” 7-2 squad. Outside of upsetting the Panthers, I have trouble seeing the Herd at 6-4 overall qualifying for the second season.

And that’s a shame. It still could happen, but they would need a LOT of help. Right now, Carlisle occupies the eighth and final spot. The problem lies in their OWP (opponent’s winning percentage). It’s the second lowest of any team in the Top 10 of the power rankings behind only No. 1-seed Central York. When you are on the bubble and scraping to find a way in, that OWP number really matters.

If Cumberland Valley springs an upset of Central Dauphin to get to 5-5 overall, the Eagles have a better outside shot at the postseason than a 6-4 Carlisle team because the Herd’s OPW is so much lower than the Eagles’. 

We’re taking a look around our coverage area to see who helped themselves this week and who did not as we move into the final week of the high school football regular season.  

STOCK UP

Big Spring

Nobody shook the ground in Week 9 like Big Spring. The Bulldogs not only beat previously unbeaten Steel-High, they won going away and put 49 on the board. As I wrote last week, the Capital Division was a three-horse shootout down the stretch and Big Spring was capable of springing an upset here. This was much more than an upset, though. This was setting the table for the second season and what lies ahead. The defensive backfield holding the Rollers passing game in check and surrendering only 14 points was the hidden key.

Middletown

Remember when Middletown was 2-3 and lost in the flood after getting upset by Juniata 8-7 and followed that up with a shutout loss to Steel-High? Well, the worm has certainly turned for the lads along the banks of the Susquehanna River. The Blue Raiders have won two of their last three and that loss was a 26-23 setback to Boiling Springs.

That’s a 50-50 game loss where Middletown didn’t need a win to make a statement. It just thrashed Trinity by 35 last Friday and has a high-flying Big Spring on deck. This team has found what it was looking for at the right time it appears.

Marcel McDaniels

Did you know that CD East running back Marcel McDaniels, the 155-pound wrecking ball inside the tackles who also has the jets to do damage in open spaces, never played running back before this season?

I ran into Panthers RB coach Jameel Poteat, the former Bishop McDevitt standout, after McDaniels shredded Central Dauphin for 178 yards on 30 totes with a couple touchdowns, and he was sharing how much of a blank canvas his star pupil was when they first looked at him playing RB. Behind an OL that leans on a defense, McDaniels has that you-can’t-teach vision and feel in tight spaces that makes him so effective. The Panthers are a running team that likes to be physical. And they have found a RB1 who can do a little of everything including 30 carries against the Rams.

STOCK DOWN

Steel-High

I fully expect Steel-High to bounce back this week against Boiling Springs. But there have been signs this team wasn’t hitting on all cylinders, and the floodgates opened up big time in a 35-point loss to Big Spring. All teams, even good ones, lose games. But getting trucked by five scores isn’t your garden variety loss. Picking up the pieces and showing up for the finale this week against Boiling Springs will serve the Rollers well heading into the second season. They don’t have to beat the Bubblers. Just show up.

Some teams’ playoff odds

I have several concerns as we get ready to put a bow on the regular season as it relates to potential District 3 playoff teams from the Mid-Penn Conference. Why do I think unless Big Spring wins their season finale, the No. 8-seeded Bulldogs who currently own a 7-2 mark could be in serious jeopardy of missing the 10-team Class 4A field?

That would tick me off. Both Lower Dauphin and Mechanicsburg rest squarely on the 14-team Class 5A bubble currently occupying the last two spots. Why do I think only one of them makes it? Middletown and West Perry are going to make the eight-squad Class 3A bracket, but only one of them is going to get a home game.

Week 10 is all about playing in friendly confines for the Mustangs and Blue Raiders. Bummer that Greencastle-Antrim has to play undefeated Shippensburg to wrap up the 2021 campaign. Winning is unlikely, and without a win the playoffs appear mathematically impossible. As a lower seed, that team would have given a top seed fits. Don’t argue with me on that one, either.

Class 6A:

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

Class 5A:

The top 14 teams will advance to the District 3 Class 5A playoffs.

Class 4A:

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

Class 3A:

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

Class 2A:

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

Class 1A:

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

Of course Big Spring knocking off the defending PIAA Class 1A state champion and No. 1-ranked Steel-High Rollers is an upset. It wasn’t a complete shocker after getting eyes on the Bulldogs a few weeks ago, though.

What the Bulldogs did was more than spring an upset. They won by five touchdowns going away. That is a program-changing victory. To win that convincingly speaks volumes about where this team is going and the potential that lies ahead. For a program that has made exactly one District 3 appearance in its history, I can hear opportunity knocking at the next level.

Four touchdowns apiece from RB Dillon Wakefield and QB Ethan Eisenberg is the 1-2 punch formula that fuels the Bulldogs. The Rollers had no answers. Tip of the cap to the Big Spring secondary. They’ve been shaky and cuffed around at times this season but saved their best for this one.

One week after getting over the big-win hump against State College, the Thundering Herd from Carlisle validated they are an up-and-comer with their sights on the second season by rolling Altoona. Nearly 400 yards of offense, 56 points and a defense that limited the Mountain Lions to less than 200 total yards. Carlisle is 6-3 overall and has a big one remaining with CD East, a game where the Thundering Herd will be the underdog.

CD East played a complete game against rival Central Dauphin to take a huge step toward securing a home game for the upcoming postseason. The Panthers’ 17-point victory was powered by a ground game and some tenacious run defense. See how the Rams and Panthers fared in Making The Grade . It was a bit unusual to watch these two teams play and the Rams have almost no say in the outcome. The Panthers were that good.

I don’t care who won the game, what running backs Jontae Morris and Dion Bryant did in their head-to-head matchup is something you don’t get to see very often. Two backs at the top of their game that completely dominate all night is ultra rare. The duo combined for 592 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Morris had 331 yards and three scores, and Bryant went for 261 yards on the ground and three touchdowns in Cedar Cliff’s 12-point victory over Milton Hershey. Two backs going for nearly 600 yards is something I’m not sure I’ve heard of in my 30 yards covering the Mid-Penn Conference. Tip of the cap, gents, to each of you, and your offensive lines.

Harrisburg survived a full-metal-jacket scare from State College in a defensive battle at Severance Field. The Cougars thwarted a two-point conversion try by the Little Lions with only seconds remaining to scrape out a 15-13 victory. Really good teams find ways to win games they otherwise shouldn’t, or when having an off day. The Cougars are no worse for the wear just because they won by two points. There are no style points when a win goes up on the board.

Don’t look now, but Middletown is rounding a corner and headed down the stretching playing its best football of the season. Scored a season-high 41 points in a blowout of Trinity, including a pair of pick-sixes from Tate Leach. The Blue Raiders are 4-4, in the hunt for a District 3 Class 3A berth and have a tough Week 10 contest with Big Spring.

Lower Dauphin making the playoffs would qualify as the biggest surprise of the 2021 season, hands down. The Falcons are 5-3 overall after rallying to nudge Hershey in a game that was tight for a long, long time. Jacob Kauffman continues to produce in the run game, adding 129 yards and another TD to his 2021 résumé.

Congratulations to Line Mountain for holding off Newport 13-10 to get the Eagles’ first win of the season. A 140-yard night with a touchdown from Nolan Baumert was a difference maker.

The last time CD East had the ball in the first half, the Panthers raced 57 yards in 50 seconds to grab a two-score lead. On their first possession of the second half they went 80 yards on the ground in 11 plays to increase their lead to 21 points.

That was how CD East beat rival Central Dauphin on the scoreboard Friday night. Everywhere else the Panthers were far and away the better team. When it became 21-0 early in the third quarter, it was clear the winner was going to be CD East.

If you know Central Pennsylvania football, in this rivalry, that is not normal. It’s almost always the other way around. NOT this time. CD East was balanced and played complementary football across the board to overpower the Rams. And make no mistake, this wasn’t about speed and flash. This was all about power, being physical and aggressive.

Time to hand out some grades.

CENTRAL DAUPHIN EAST PANTHERS

Quarterback: Terrence Jackson-Copney started for the Panthers and played well, but Tony Powell saw plenty of snaps as well. Combined, the duo threw for more than 200 yards with a pair of touchdowns. They are very different quarterbacks. Jackson-Copney, who doubles as a pretty good wideout, brings an element in the run game that Powell doesn’t have. But Powell is the better pure passer and throws an enticing deep ball. Both were very good. I don’t know if the plan was to use both equally, but on this night it worked well. Grade: A-

Running Back: Marcel McDaniels, all 160 pounds of him, is a horse. He is durable and consistent. He carried the ball 30 times for 178 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He’s fast to the edgenbut is at his very best inside the tackles and making cuts and reads at the second level. He did a double stick his foot in the ground and cut move on the same carry. It was a difference maker. When Powell was under center you knew he was getting the ball, too. Grade: A

Wide Receivers: Penn State 2022 recruit Mehki Flowers was a huge asset in the short passing game. It’s not a flashy role, but he was very effective at getting yards after the catch, and that’s what the defense was giving him. So, he took it. I thought taking those short passes and making them work was the hidden key to victory. Nine catches for 94 yards with a touchdown in this game was a huge night. Tymere Thornton had three grabs for 80 yards. At 6-foot-6, he’s a nightmare matchup and the Panthers exploited his size with deep shots. He had another 50-yard grab that was inches out of bounds. Those two were a wicked 1-2 punch.  Grade: A

Offensive Line: When your running back goes for 178 and a couple tuddy runs and you average 5.8 yards per carry, you did your job. But in my book, this group was the ultimate difference maker. Enjoy the weekend, lads. You earned it. The pass blocking was simply stellar. Neither quarterback faced much pressure at all. Don’t overlook the value of that ’cause the other team blitzes a lot. Grade: A+

Defensive Line: When you play Central Dauphin’s offense, gap discipline and not getting shoved out of your lane is critical. And on that front this group was very good. I don’t recall a big run that wasn’t a scramble by the quarterback. And the heat on the QB was there all game and produced results. Marcario Clark and Cameron Livingston both were on point most of the night.  Grade: A

Linebackers: Thaddeus Krebbs is a 150-pound big-school linebacker who plays like he’s a 220-pound wrecking ball. The catch is he’s fast and tackles very well. He was everywhere. Jekari Rivera-Mauldin brought plenty of heat off the edge and held serve on plenty of those jet sweeps. Grade: A

Secondary: This group struggled and allowed this game to be closer on the scoreboard than it really was. Got beat on too many deep shots, got nabbed for DPI and holding a few times and looked sluggish in coverage all game. I know they are better than this. This night, though, they were not good. Grade: C-

Special Teams: The short kickoffs were a testament to trusting the defense, because that’s a lot of field position to surrender. Kicking game was fine on extra points, and Nickolas Bloss was 1-for-2 on field goals. That first one on the opening drive from 39 yards wasn’t really all that close. Something went wrong with the snap and hold it appeared.  Grade: B

CENTRAL DAUPHIN RAMS

Quarterback: Max Mosey is asked to do a lot for this offense, and from what I saw, against a defense that is hard-charging and aggressive, he did his part. He threw with touch on the deep shots and was elusive in the pocket to keep plays alive. He didn’t have much time. His numbers, 8-20-1, aren’t great. But if you watched the game, you know he was pretty darn good. I wish the Rams offense had a little more in between the hashes for him in the passing game. He spins a nice ball. Grade: B

Running Back: Tyrell English runs hard and can push a pile by himself, but he’s not a pure running back. He’s a pounder, and against CD East those yards are hard to come by even for a 220-pound physical back. Zion Allen is the jet-sweep guy and never found an edge that was open. Combined, this duo managed only 71 yards on 20 carries. Grade: C+

Wide Receivers: The Rams have some options, and they made some tough catches in tight windows. Andre Noel finds his way open short and deep. But he had only four catches for 59 yards in a game CD trailed by 21 early in the third quarter. David Chase III is a multi-use guy who also gets carries in the run game but ran a stellar route in the seam for his 61-yard grab. Grade: B-

Offensive Line: It is not easy to run the ball against this CD East defense, so there is an expectation you have to put in play here. They were efficient at the point of attack but could not sustain blocks long enough to get those second- and third-level yards. It was tough sledding. They struggled in pass protection. The pressure was consistent, and it came from everywhere.  Grade: C

Defensive Line: For most of the night this group was going nowhere or backwards. They were simply overpowered in the run game and created very, very little or no pressure up the middle in the pass rush.  Grade: C-

Linebackers: After getting burned a couple times early, OLBs Chase III and Randy Rudy made the adjustments on the fly and held the edge pretty solid the rest of the way. It was the inside linebackers that really struggled. CD East did most of its damage on inside run plays or QB draws. The Panthers ILBs never impacted the game up the middle. It was open season. The outside ‘backers saved this grade from being lower.  Grade: B-

Secondary: Overall, the corners, who played well all night, did a respectable job. Not too many big plays, they tackled well in space. The deep safety, sometimes 20-25 yards off the ball, didn’t allow any monster big plays to do much damage, and Zion had an interception. The couple completions right before the half on the quick touchdown drive were killers, though. Grade: C+

Special Teams: In the return game, the short kicks were not a problem, and the Rams set themselves up in good field position all night. Offense just couldn’t take advantage of it. A short punt just before the half, covering only 24 yards, gave CD East really good field position and eventually led to a score. Grade: B-

Offensive balance and depth, along with some stingy run defense, allowed CD East to overwhelm Central Dauphin over the course of 48 minutes Friday night.

Panthers running back Marcel McDaniels had a big night on the ground to power East to a convincing 31-14 victory at The Speedway.

KEYS TO VICTORY

McDaniels flashed inside and outside on his way to 178 yards on 30 carries with a pair of touchdowns. CD East mixed and matched at the quarterback position with Terrance Jackson-Copney (who started) and Tony Powell each garnering equal snaps. The duo combined for 201 yards through the air with each QB notching a touchdown pass.

CD East led 14-0 at halftime, but Central Dauphin had the ball first to start the second half. After surrendering a 37-yard pass, the Panthers defense went into lockdown mode and turned the ball back over to its offense by getting a stop on downs at its own 20. Eight snaps later, all running plays, the Panthers had a comfortable 21-0 lead when McDaniels finished off the 80-yard march with a 2-yard touchdown run. Daniels carried the rock six of the eight plays and accounted for 71 of the 80 yards.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Copney-Jackson did a little bit of everything offensively for CD East. He rushed for 46 yards on eight carries, threw for 102 yards including an 11-yard touchdown pass and had a key 37-yard reception on a Panthers scoring drive right before the half. …. Penn State 2022 recruit Mehki Flowers played a huge role in the short passing game, hauling in nine receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown. … The two teams combined for only four total punts. … CD East won despite 9-94 in penalties. … CD quarterback Max Mosey was very good, throwing for 158 yards despite serious pressure with a touchdown. He also added a 6-yard touchdown run. … The Rams averaged only 3.1 yards per carry. … Panthers LB Thaddeus Krebs had two of his team’s three sacks.

WHAT WE SAW

The Rams closed the gap to 10 points (24-14) early in the fourth quarter, but the only place the game felt that close was on the scoreboard. CD East did what it wanted on offense all game, and only some dodgy play calling on a couple drives slowed the Panthers down. In a rivalry dominated by Central Dauphin, it was unusual to watch a game where the Rams had little or no say in the outcome.

Up front on both sides of the ball was where this game was won for CD East. The Panthers’ offensive line was calling the shots and running the show, and the defensive line was stout against the run and created plenty of pressure in the passing game.

THEY SAID IT

“We had our ups and downs at times, but played well overall defensively even though we gave up a couple long shots. We wanted to get after the quarterback, blitz a lot and make him throw the ball. It was a great win.” — CD East linebacker Thaddeus Krebs

“It felt really good out there tonight. My offensive line, I think, is the best in the Mid-Penn Conference. They’ve been working so hard. I’ve been working hard in practice on getting to the second level and making a move. It helped and paid off tonight. A big part of our offense tonight was the passing game. The quarterbacks did a good job.” – CD East running back Marcel McDaniels

PANTHERS 31, RAMS 14

CD East                        0-14-7-10 – 31 

Central Dauphin         0-0-7-7 – 14 

Second quarter 

CDE-Mehki Flowers 11 pass from Terrence Jackson-Copney (Nickolas Bloss kick), 6:43 

CDE-Tymere Thornton 10 pass from Tony Powell (Bloss kick), :11 

Third quarter 

CDE-Marcel McDaniels 2 run (Bloss kick), 6:01 

CD-Max Mosey 5 run (Ahren Stauffer kick), 1:00 

Fourth quarter 

CDE-FG Bloss 23, 9:13 

CD-David Chase III 61 pass from Mosey (Stauffer kick), 8:03 

CDE-McDaniels 18 run (Bloss kick), :41 

Team statistics           CDE                 CD 

First downs                 24                    15                     

Rush-yards                  39-226             42-129  

Passing                        201                  158 

Comp-Att-Int               13-21-1           8-20-1  

Fumbles-lost               0-0                   0-0 

Punts-Avg.                   2-26.5              2-29 

Penalties-yards           9-94                 4-36 

Individual statistics 

RUSHING: CD East, Marcel McDaniels 30-178, Terrence Jackson-Copney 8-46, Mohamed Aly 0-2, Team 1-0; Central Dauphin, Tyrell English 10-36, Zion Allen 10-35, Max Mosey 17-31, David Chase III 5-27. 

PASSING: CD East, Terrence Jackson-Copney 7-12-1-102, Tony Powell 6-9-0-99; Central Dauphin, Max Mosey 8-20-1-158. 

RECEIVING: CD East, Mehki Flowers 9-84, Tymere Thornton 3-80, Terrence Jackson-Copney 1-37; Central Dauphin, David Chase III 2-77, Andre Noel 4-59, Randy Rudy 1-15, Zion Allen 1-7.