Five-star performance

In this section, we’ll feature one former Mid-Penn player who had a particularly impressive week in college football.

Cody Gustafson has been nothing short of spectacular since joining Grove City’s football team.

The former Shippensburg High School pass catcher has put up one big season after another since his debut in 2017 with the Wolverines. 

Gustafson put together his third 100-yard receiving performance Saturday in a 33-32 loss to Westminster, going for 13 catches, 132 yards and two touchdowns. It was the Wolverines first loss of the season after a 3-0 start. His 132 stripes are actually the second fewest he’s had this season — he had 159 yards, 157 and 52 in his previous three games. 

He’s already at 37 grabs for 500 yards and five touchdowns through four games for Grove City, putting him on pace for career highs in receptions (102-catch pace in 11 games) and yards (1,375-yard pace). He already has a pair of 1,200-yard seasons (2018 and ‘19) with double-digit touchdowns. 

In total, Gustafson has played 40 games in five seasons — like many across college football, Gustafson has taken a fifth year granted by the NCAA because of COVID-19’s impact on college sports — with 281 receptions, 4,408 yards and 43 scores. 

Grove City and Gustafson, who owns multiple school records already, return to action Saturday at Waynesburg.

In the pros

Considering the publication time this week, it’s worth mentioning CD East product Chase Edmonds had himself a 75-yard day in Arizona’s 31-19 win over Jacksonville on Sunday. Edmonds ran 11 times for 26 yards and caught seven passes for 49 yards.

Jets corner Bryce Hall (Bishop McDevitt) had five tackles in New York’s 26-0 loss against Denver.

Closer look

In this section, we look at some of the former Mid-Penn standouts that had big weeks a little closer to home.

Saturday’s 51-7 win for Shippensburg University (4-0, 1-0 PSAC) over Bloomsburg featured seven Mid-Penn alumni in action.

Perhaps the best performance belonged to Quentin Gaskill, a Bloom defensive back from Waynesboro who had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery in the loss. Although Central Dauphin grad Trey Paul (DB) showed well on defense for the Red Raiders with four tackles, a pick and two pass breakups.

Receiver Evan Morrill (Lower Dauphin) tied for the most receptions for SU with five and had the third-most yards with 63.

Running back Bill Williams (Camp Hill) had 11 rushes for 42 yards and two catches for 28 stripes; Shippensburg High product Cameron Tinner added three tackles; and Middletown’s Laron Woody had two tackles for SU.

Bloomsburg also got an 8-yard catch from CD East grad Tyshaun Pollard.

In on the action

In this section, we’ll list off some of the performances from former Mid-Penn players now in the college ranks

Cedar Cliff grad Grant Breneman escaped his early season slump with 169 passing yards (14 of 24) and 119 rushing yards (16 carries) in guiding Colgate to its first win of the season, 30-3 over Lehigh. The QB had a pair of touchdowns as well, one on the ground and one through the air.

In Penn State’s 38-17 win over Villanova, Waynesboro grad Forrest Rhyne stood out with 11 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks in the Wildcats’ loss, their first of the season. The Nittany Lions got three tackles from Cumberland Valley alumnus Charlie Katshir, two from State College’s Keaton Ellis (and a pass breakup) and another tackle from Susquehanna Township’s Fatorma Mulbah.

One-time Penn State tight end and former Camp Hill standout Zack Kuntz put up a six-catch, 45-yard, one-touchdown performance in Old Dominion’s 35-34 loss to Buffalo. One of his teammates, Bishop McDevitt playmaker Joe Joe Headen, had a tackle and pass breakup from his cornerback spot. The Monarchs stormed back from a 28-7 third-quarter deficit and got within one on Kuntz’s touchdown grab with 19 seconds remaining, but the extra point was missed.

Back in PSAC action, IUP got six extra points (on seven attempts) from kicker Tyler Luther (Chambersburg), and Central Dauphin product Grant Smith caught two passes for 19 yards and a score from his tight end position in a 48-13 win over Mercyhurst.

A pair of Mid-Penn Keystone grads shared the field again as foes when Trael Seegars’ (Susquehanna Township) West Chester squad beat Jaheim Morris (Cedar Cliff) and Millersville 42-14. Seegars had two tackles, and Morris finished with 8 yards on four carries. 

Two former Carlisle receivers made a couple plays over the weekend. Kutztown receiver Kurtis Ravenel Jr. had 38 yards on two grabs, plus a tackle, in a 37-29 win over Shepherd, and Slipper Rock’s Gavyn Barnes had two grabs for 23 yards in a 41-17 win over Seton Hill. (Bishop McDevitt’s Devyn Clair, a linebacker, had a pair of tackles for SRU.)

Back in Division I action, Harrisburg’s Donte Kent, a corner, had six tackles, an interception and two PBUs in Central Michigan’s 31-27 win over FIU. And his former teammate, Andre White Jr., pulled in five tackles for Texas A&M in a 20-10 loss to Arkansas. Another former Cougar, Ronald Kent Jr., had three tackles, half a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery in Western Carolina’s 52-34 loss to Gardner-Webb.

Here we go again …

While the numbers might indicate that a one-sided contest is on tap, those unfamiliar with the heated rivalry that’s existed between Line Mountain and Upper Dauphin might just want to take a deeper look inside.

These backyard neighbors have been knocking each other around for decades, so why should anything change this time around. We’ll see Friday night at Ressler Field. Frustrated by a sputtering attack that’s yet to find any sort of consistency, Line Mountain (0-4, 0-2) needs a winning result to remain relevant in the Mid-Penn Liberty and District 4 Class 2A chats.

The Eagles, just one week removed from a COVID-induced respite, dropped a 19-17 decision to Camp Hill even though Brandon Carson’s squad picked off four passes. The Eagles also were turned away on fourth-and-goal at the 1, meaning the Mountain is well beyond a state of testiness. One key will be the availability of freshman back Ian Bates, sophomore QB Nick Snyder and senior Jace Hackenburg — the latter two suffering in-game injuries that forced them to the sidelines.

Another key is remaining disciplined when Upper Dauphin (3-1, 1-1) is on offense since the Trojans will have the ball and players moving in every possible direction. Kent Smeltz’s squad — Smeltz is a Line Mountain grad — will be trying to shrug off its own weeklong COVID shutdown. The Trojans unleashed a potent ground game two weeks back in a 42-12 conquest of Camp Hill, so they’ll likely offer up a similar tactic.

Juniata, Halifax looking to sustain momentum

Taking advantage of two air-mailed punt snaps, Juniata (3-2, 2-0) turned those errant exchanges into a safety and a G.G. Ortiz touchdown that ultimately delivered to the Indians an 8-7 victory over Middletown.

Kurt Condo’s club struggled mightily on offense — senior QB Jacob Condo remains on the mend from a broken collarbone — so the Indians likely will try to reestablish their diverse rushing attack Friday night at Klingensmith Stadium.

They’ve also got a determined defensive unit that’s performed well in all three Juniata victories. Halifax (1-4, 0-2) knocked off Renaissance Academy last weekend, getting 100-plus rushing yards and a pair of second-half touchdowns from Isaac Miller in a 20-0 victory.

QB Carter Enders also ran for a TD, but Earl Mosley’s Wildcats will need to flash balance against a Juniata front that yields little and is capable of putting heat on opposing quarterbacks.

3. Newport, Susquenita hoping to halt skids

Another backyard scrap ticketed for Newport’s Katchmer Field, the all-Perry County matchup between the host Buffaloes (1-4, 1-1) and Susquenita (2-2, 1-0) figures to be quite spirited. Yet while both sides struggled mightily last weekend — Newport lost 42-7 to Trinity, while Susquenita dropped a 58-8 decision to Boiling Springs — both remain in the hunt for Liberty Division gold.

Newport, however, has lost four in a row and has struggled offensively since quarterback Andrew Bates suffered a broken wrist. Susquenita sports a two-game losing streak and has been on the wrong end of several one-sided results. One thing is guaranteed — someone will prevail. … James Buchanan (1-4) won’t be in action until Saturday, but the Rockets will travel to Frederick, Maryland, to face the unbeaten Maryland School for the Deaf Orioles (4-0).

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.

Colonial Division Game of the Week is…

Best game on the slate this week features a couple teams coming off their best wins of the season. West Perry ran past Mechanicsburg, and Northern took East Pennsboro out behind the woodshed. The Mustangs will visit Robert F. Bostic Field in Dillsburg to trade paint with the Polar Bears. From my chair, West Perry has been forced to grind harder to get its three wins. Northern has been the more dominant squad of these two. No clue. I know the Polar Bears are the favorites, which suits the Mustangs just fine.

Looking for a bounce back performance:

Three squads are in bounce-back mode this week: East Pennsboro, Waynesboro and Mechanicsburg. I give East Pennsboro the best shot at a correction course with a matchup against struggling Susquehanna Township. Tough one for Mechanicsburg as division-leading Shippensburg pays a visit to the new-look John H. Frederick field. And Waynesboro, they will host fellow Franklin County mate Greencastle-Antrim. Something tells me that game is going to be a powder keg affair with plenty of back-and-forth.

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.

Cougars gaining momentum:

Make it three wins in the last four contests for the suddenly streaking Palmyra, which used a 28-point third-quarter explosion and four turnovers to thump Milton Hershey. The Cougars welcome Red Land to Buck Swank with a real opportunity to make it four out of five. Raise your hand if you saw this coming for Chris Pope’s crew?

Crusaders rolloing on offense:

This is all you need to know about why Bishop McDevitt has been steamrolling teams since it lost that opener to La Salle College: the Crusaders, in four games, are averaging 10.6 yards per play on offense. Hard to imagine that number dropping much against Lower Dauphin this week, either.

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.

CD find its offensive groove after layoff:

Maybe I missed something, but in the two weeks Central Dauphin was idle battling COVID-19 issues the Rams found something offensively that was missing the first couple of games. That is a very good sign for this club. No signs of rust, either. For the first game in 21 days, to drop 50 on Chambersburg and roll up more than 500 yards is impressive. Max Mosey threw for 224 with a couple touchdowns, and the running game averaged 7.9 yards per carry. Perfect timing with a road trip to State College on deck this week.

Shining a spotlight on Issac Sines:

My spotlight player this week is Cumberland Valley quarterback Isaac Sines. He’s a gritty quarterback with a stronger left arm than you think, and he is very adept at making something out of nothing at times. The Eagles are a more balanced offense running Josh Oswalt’s system, but CV is playing CD East and I’m sorry to say running the ball will be a limited options proposition. The Panthers’ defense is stellar against the run. Sines has some elements as a QB that gives CV more of a fighting chance. It’s still an uphill climb for the Eagles in this matchup.

On the road again…..

The Harrisburg “Road Warriors” Cougars are back on the bus this week for the fourth time in six weeks. And these aren’t short bus trips, either. This week it’s Altoona. Harrisburg has already played games in suburban Pittsburgh, Hazleton and Governor Mifflin in 2021. They know the drill, though, by now.

We’re taking a look around our coverage area to see who helped themselves this week and who did not as we move into Week No. 6 of the high school football season.  

STOCK UP

Shippensburg Greyhounds

At first glance this might seem like shooting fish in a barrell. How are the 5-0 Greyhounds on the rise? After watching high school football teams shape themselves for 30 years, I’ve come to the conclusion that really good teams go through a building process and when you can clearly see it and identify it, well that’s when you have something special cooking.

Was it only a little over a month ago that Shippensburg beat a struggling Hershey team 7-0 on a touchdown in the dying minutes? That is the same Shippensburg team that just erased Waynesboro by three touchdowns. Looking at the schedule ahead, considering the state of the Crazy Colonial Division, you can see potential landmines dotted throughout the second half of the season – Mechanicsburg on deck, upstart West Perry, surging Northern.

All coming up for the Greyhounds. After what this club showed in Week 5, I would be shocked if Shippensburg finishes anything other than 10-0. They are building week-by-week, which is something easy to say but not easy to accomplish.

CD East Is A Commonwealth Contender

I’m sorry, but years of institutional knowledge is hard to shake. Am I the only one who keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop with the CD East Panthers? I’ve been waiting for a couple weeks and I’m done. I’m ready to throw the Panthers’ hat in the ring as Commonwealth contenders.

The bones of this club under first-year head coach Lance Deane are built on defense, running the rock and being physical. And they are executing that plan. Those are some solid bones that are hard to break. I’m not saying this squad is the clear-cut favorite or anything. I just believe their voices will be heard. I mean you don’t just take State College out behind the woodshed without a very good reason. That doesn’t happen by accident. The defense is getting better.

CD East’s offense has seen plenty of adversity already at the quarterback position and it was barely noticeable. The last five games might be a wee bit tougher than the first five, but this 4-1 squad is confident and comfortable with who they are and how they accomplish getting there.

Bishop McDevitt QB Stone Saunders

Normally there’s plenty of buzz and fanfare around a young and promising quarterback at Bishop McDevitt. Through no fault of their own, the Crusaders’ regular-season schedule is nothing short of brutal in terms of competition inside the Keystone Division. That’s a fact, not an opinion. McD is five or six touchdowns better than every other team except Cedar Cliff.

That has allowed freshman Stone Saunders to quietly and efficiently establish himself as the QB1 for McDevitt. The 6-1, 185-pound Saunders has some talent at wideout to work with for sure. But how he goes about his part of the equation is just as important. He’s completing 64 percent of his passes, averaging 190 yards a game, has 13 touchdowns passes with the all-important zero interceptions. And he’s not playing much into the second half these days, either.

For a special talent like Saunders, having the cover of a schedule like this might at first glance seem problematic. I see it the other way and will serve his development well for when the real bullets start flying.

STOCK DOWN

Cumberland Valley in Black Pants?

I almost fell out of my chair in the corner of the press box at The Chap when after I heard the familiar “here come the Eagles”, I saw Cumberland Valley hit the field in black pants. In case you didn’t know, there was a tradition established by the late legendary head coach Tim Rimpfel that the Eagles only break out the black pants for certain postseason games. The really big ones. Michael Whitehead Jr. followed the same tradition when he took over as the head coach. Now I know current head coach Josh Oswalt is a CV alum and knows the drill with the black pants but is also carving out his own niche in New Kingstown.

Maybe the black pants were a one-night thing for the Altoona game as the community honored the passing of Rimpfel last week before the game. That’s my hope. Coach Oswalt wasn’t able to be on the sideline for this game, so I was not able to ask him about the black pants for a regular season Week 5 game. Maybe he made them part of the new look Eagles under his leadership. They are, after all, a very good look. And I have no problem with change. It’s a good thing. But this one was such a steep tradition, I guess I needed a warning or something before having one of those traditions I adored jarred right in front of me. Either way, CV and black pants will always be a playoff thing in my mind.

Middletown struggles are real

With a regime change in Middletown, change from a championship mentality to a new-kid-on-the-block mentality was never going to go well. Particularly with the talent pool a little light compared to say the previous decade. The cupboard was a bit empty, and this was always going to be an uphill climb for the new regime. But losing to Juniata 8-7, full props to the Indians for making this a defensive slugfest without their best player, is a clear either launching point or breaking point for this squad. Middletown is now 2-2 overall and next up is the big-play machine and undefeated Steel-High Rollers.

Like I said, 2021 was always going to be an uphill climb. The mountain now is a lot higher.

Class 6A — Record — Previous rank 

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)          — 2-1   — 1 

2. Pittsburgh C.C. (7)               — 4-1   — 2 

3. La Salle College HS (12)       — 5-0   — 3 

4. Central York (3)                   — 4-0   — 4 

5. North Penn (1)                    — 5-0   — 5 

6. Mount Lebanon (7)             — 5-0   — 7 

7. Garnet Valley (1)                 — 5-0   — 8 

8. Harrisburg (3)                     — 4-1   — NR 

9. CD East (3)                          — 4-1   — NR 

10. Archbishop Wood (12)     — 3-2   — 6 

Teams to watch: McDowell (10) 4-0, Parkland (11) 3-1, Quakertown (1) 5-0, Ridley (1) 5-0, Seneca Valley (7) 4-1, York High (3) 3-1. 

Class 5A — Record — Previous rank 

1. Governor Mifflin (3)            — 5-0   — 1 

2. Imhotep Charter (12)          — 3-1   — 2 

3. Cathedral Prep (10)            — 5-0   — 3 

4. Academy Park (1)                — 4-0   — 6 

5. Moon (7)                             — 5-0   — 7 

6. Manheim Central (3)          — 5-0   — 8 

7. Whitehall (11)                     — 3-1   — 9 

8. Peters Township (7)            — 4-1   — 10 

9. Unionville (1)                      — 5-0   — NR 

10. South Fayette (7)              — 4-1   — NR 

Teams to watch: Cedar Cliff (3) 4-1, Chester (1) 5-0, East Stroudsburg South (11) 4-1, West Chester Rustin (1) 3-1.  

Class 4A — Record — Previous rank 

1. Jersey Shore (4)                  — 5-0   — 2 

2. Belle Vernon (7)                  — 4-0   — 3 

3. Thomas Jefferson (7)          — 3-1   — 1 

4. Bishop McDevitt (3)            — 3-1   — 4 

5. Valley View (2)                    — 5-0   — 5 

6. Aliquippa (7)                       — 3-1   — 7 

7. Allentown C.C. (11)             — 4-1   — 8 

8. Northwestern Lehigh (11)  — 5-0   — 9 

9. McKeesport (7)                   — 4-1   — 10 

10. Berks Catholic (3)              — 3-2 — 6 

Teams to watch: Bishop Shanahan (1) 4-1, Bonner-Prendergast (12) 4-1, Hampton (7) 5-0, Pope John Paul II (1) 3-2, Pottsville (11) 4-1.  

Class 3A — Record — Previous rank 

1. North Schuylkill (11)           — 5-0   — 1 

2. Central Valley (7)                — 5-0   — 2 

3. Wyomissing (3)                   — 5-0   — 3 

4. Notre Dame-GP (11)           — 5-0   — 4 

5. Scranton Prep (2)                — 4-0   — 5 

6. Bedford (5)                          — 5-0   — 6 

7. Central Martinsburg (6)      — 5-0   — 7 

8. Neumann-Goretti (12)        — 3-1   — 8 

9. North Catholic (7)               — 5-0   — 9 

10. Clearfield (9)                     — 5-0   — 10 

Teams to watch: Avonworth (7) 4-1, Danville (4) 4-1, Montoursville (4) 3-2, Sharon (10) 4-1, Wyoming Area (2) 4-1. 

Class 2A — Record — Previous rank  

1. Southern Columbia (4)        — 5-0   — 1 

2. Farrell (10)                          — 4-0   — 2 

3. Sto-Rox (7)                          — 5-0   — 3 

4. Washington (7)                   — 5-0   — 4 

5. Richland Township (6)        — 4-1   — 5 

6. Bellwood-Antis (6)              — 5-0   — 6 

7. Windber (5)                         — 5-0   — 7 

8. Serra Catholic (7)                — 4-0   — 8 

9. Wilmington (10)                  — 3-1   — 9 

10. York Catholic (3)               — 3-0   — 10 

Teams to watch: Karns City (9) 5-0, Laurel (7) 5-0, Ligonier Valley (7) 5-0, Northern Lehigh (11) 3-2.  

Class 1A — Record — Previous rank  

1. Steelton-Highspire (3)         — 4-0   — 1 

2. Old Forge (2)                       — 4-0   — 2 

3. Muncy (4)                            — 4-1   — 3 

4. Canton (4)                           — 5-0   — 5 

5. Redbank Valley (9)              — 4-1   — 6 

6. Juniata Valley (6)                — 4-0   — 7 

7. Our Lady Sacred Heart (7) — 4-0   — 8 

8. Portage (6)                          — 5-0   — 9 

9. Tri-Valley (11)                     — 3-1   — 4 

10. Homer-Center (6)             — 3-1   — 10 

Teams to watch: Bishop Canevin (7) 5-0, Clairton (7) 2-2, Keystone (9) 4-0, Smethport (9) 5-0, Williams Valley (11) 4-1.  

Statistics unavailable for Chambersburg, Middletown, Hershey, Greencastle-Antrim, Susquehanna Twp., and Pine Grove

Did not play: Steel-High, Upper Dauphin

Passing (Com-Att-INTs-Yards)

Max Mosey, Central Dauphin: 11-18-1-224, 2 touchdowns

Landon Kuntzelmam, Trinity: 9-21-1-212, 3 touchdowns

Peyton Shore, Camp Hill: 17-36-4-195, 3 touchdowns

Ethan Eisenberg, Big Spring: 6-6-0-186, 3 touchdowns

Roman Jensen, Red Land: 14-21-0-169, 3 touchdowns

Isaac Sines, Cumberland Valley: 11-18-1-146, 2 touchdowns

Braden Landis, Lower Dauphin: 11-24-1-143, 1 touchdown

Jonas McGrath, Tri-Valley: 9-27-0-139

Stone Saunder, Bishop McDevitt: 9-9-0-126, 4 touchdowns

Zakii Lewis, Harrisburg: 12-19-1-118, 2 touchdowns

Ethan Dorrell, Cedar Cliff: 9-12-0-112, 1 touchdown

Colin Lunde, Boiling Springs: 3-5-1-111, 2 touchdowns

Terrence Jackson-Copney, CD East: 7-8-0-106, 1 touchdown

Derek Gibney, Susquenita: 9-15-2-98

Finn Furmanek, State College: 10-16-0-95

Carter Enders, Halifax: 8-15-0-89

Jeffrey Lougee, Mechanicsburg: 10-18-2-86, 2 touchdowns

Rushing (Att-Yards)

Marcel McDaniels, CD East: 25-202, 2 touchdowns

Jontae Morris, Cedar Cliff: 18-178, 4 touchdowns 

Dion Bryant, Milton Hershey: 20-172, 1 touchdown

Kyle Williams, Harrisburg: 17-163, 1 touchdown

Marquese Williams, Bishop McDevitt: 10-144, 1 touchdown

Richie Kowalski, Palmyra: 20-121, 2 touchdowns

Isaac Miller, Halifax: 19-121, 2 touchdown

Cyncir Bowers, Bishop McDevitt: 3-117, 1 touchdown

Tyler Rossi, Trinity: 19-117

Jacob Kauffman, Lower Dauphin: 16-115, 1 touchdown

Parker Sample, Mechanicsburg: 11-111

Joey Menke, Boiling Springs: 10-105, 2 touchdowns

Aiden Metzger, Boiling Springs: 10-102, 3 touchdowns

Traevon Kater, Shippensburg: 10-99

Aidan Mencia, Waynesboro: 15-97, 1 touchdown

Trent Herrera, West Perry: 17-96, 3 touchdowns

Tyrell English, Central Dauphin: 17-95, 3 touchdowns

Dillon Wakefield, Big Spring: 3-78, 2 touchdowns

Grant Hall, Big Spring: 2-76, 1 touchdown

Talon Belluscio, Northern York: 18-74

Amari Kerr, Shippensburg: 11-71

Receiving (Rec-Yards)

Juice Selby, Central Dauphin: 8-190, 2 touchdowns

Brady Evans, Williams Valley: 8-149, 2 touchdowns

Sam Sklar, Red Land: 4-122, 2 touchdowns

Tyler Rossi, Trinity: 3-116, 2 touchdowns

Christian Doi, Camp Hill: 9-85, 1 touchdown

Trenten Smith, Cedar Cliff: 5-83, 1 touchdown

Kyle Williams, Harrisburg: 8-82, 1 touchdown

Grant Hall, Big Spring: 1-80

Max Klipa, Palmyra: 4-76

Charlie Fortney, Lower Dauphin: 4-68

Mehki Flowers, CD East: 4-68, 1 touchdown

Marcel McDaniels, CD East: 2-62

TJ Yoder, State College: 4-56

Carson Garvey, Boiling Springs: 1-55, 1 touchdown

Logan Schmidt, Big Spring: 1-52, 1 touchdown