By Eric F. Epler: 

CLASS 6A                                  Rec.      Previous
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)             3-0       1
2. North Allegheny (7)                6-0       2
3. McDowell (10)                       5-0       5
4. La Salle College HS (12)        4-1       6
5. Central York (3)                      7-0       NR
6. Delaware Valley (2)                4-1       8
7. Nazareth (11)                         6-0       9
8. Harrisburg (3)                         4-1       7
9. Pennridge (1)                         5-0       NR
10. Pittsburgh C.C. (7)                5-2       NR
Honorable mention: Central Dauphin (3) 5-1, Emmaus (11) 5-0, Souderton (1) 5-0, Spring-Ford (1) 6-0, Wilson (3) 6-1, York High (3) 7-0.
CLASS 5A                                  Rec.      Previous 

1. Pine-Richland (7)                    7-0       1
2. Warwick (3)                           7-0       2
3. Gateway (7)                           5-0       3
4. Peters Township (7)                7-0       4
5. Governor Mifflin (3)                6-0       6
6. East Stroudsburg South (11)    4-0       7
7. Penn-Trafford (7)                   6-1       8
8. Cathedral Prep (10)                4-2       5
9. Mechanicsburg (3)                  6-0       9
10. Upper Dublin (1)                   4-1       NR
Honorable mention: New Oxford (3) 6-0, Southern Lehigh (11) 4-1, Unionville (1) 3-1, West Chester Rustin (1) 3-1.

CLASS 4A                                  Rec.      Previous 

1. Jersey Shore (4)                      8-0       1
2. Lampeter-Strasburg (3)           7-0       2
3. Aliquippa (7)                           8-0       3
4. Thomas Jefferson (7)              6-1       5
5. Oil City (10)                            8-0       6
6. Bishop McDevitt (3)                5-0       4
7. Belle Vernon (7)                     6-1       7
8. Plum (7)                                 8-0       NR
9. Crestwood (2)                        7-0       10
10. McKeesport (7)                    6-2       8
Honorable mention: ELCO (3) 6-0, Harbor Creek (10) 7-1, Juniata (6) 5-1, Upper Moreland (1) 4-1.

CLASS 3A                                  Rec.      Previous  
1. Central Valley (7)                    8-0       1
2. Wyomissing (3)                      6-0       2
3. Hickory (10)                           7-0       3
4. Montoursville (4)                    8-0       4
5. Bedford (5)                            8-0       5
6. North Catholic (7)                   8-0       8
7. Central Martinsburg (6)          8-0       9
8. Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 6-0       7
9. Lakeland (2)                           4-0       10
10. Danville (4)                           7-1       NR
Honorable mention: Elizabeth-Forward (7) 6-0, Lake-Lehman (2) 7-1, Middletown (3) 4-1, North Schuylkill (11) 6-0, Tyrone (6) 6-1.

CLASS 2A                                  Rec.      Previous 

1. Southern Columbia (4)            7-0       1
2. Wilmington (10)                     7-0       2
3. Berlin-Brothersvalley (5)         8-0       3
4. Beaver Falls (7)                       8-0       4
5. Sto-Rox (7)                             7-1       8
6. Richland (6)                            7-1       9
7. Apollo-Ridge (7)                     6-0       NR
8. York Catholic (3)                     6-1       NR
9. Karns City (9)                          6-2       NR
10. Farrell (10)                           5-3       7
Honorable mention: Bellwood-Antis (6) 6-1, Brookville (9) 7-1, Chestnut Ridge (5) 6-2, Dunmore (2) 3-2, South Williamsport (4) 5-1.

CLASS 1A                                  Rec.      Previous

1. Clairton (7)                             6-0       1
2. Old Forge (2)                          4-0       2
3. Jeannette (7)                          7-1       3
4. Steel-High (3)                         6-0       4
5. Williams Valley (11)                7-1       6
6. Reynolds (10)                         7-0       8
7. Muncy (4)                              7-1       9
8. Bishop Guilfoyle (6)                5-2       NR
9. Tri-Valley (11)                        4-1       10
10. Rochester (7)                       7-1       NR
Honorable mention: Canton (4) 4-1, Delone Catholic (3) 6-1, Homer-Center (6) 5-1, Juniata Valley (6) 6-2, Northern Bedford (5) 7-1, Redbank Valley (9) 6-0. 

Each week, our crew will dish out ‘Game Balls” to athletes who turned in impressive performances across our coverage area. Here are our selections for Week of Oct. 30-31 of the regular season.

Jake Adams’s Game Balls

Offensive line, East Pennsboro: I feel like going against the grain this week, so I’m looking at the cumulative. And the Panthers’ big uglies deserve some shine. The five big men up front have shoved aside defensive lines all season, with their running backs benefitting for 284 yards per game. They can beat teams with jet sweeps, with full back dives and with everything in between. Three different backs have 380 yards or more, and the Panthers have scored 22 times on the ground. Against unbeaten Mechanicsburg, even in a loss, East Penn rolled up 293 yards and four TDs on 52 carries. It’s a group that loves to run the ball and doesn’t shy away from it despite the score.

Defense, Carlisle: The last time the Thundering Herd pitched a shutout was in 2016, a Week 1 44-0 victory over Mechanicsburg. That was a stretch of 33 games until Friday’s 21-0 beatdown of CD East. It featured four Panthers turnovers and just 213 yards earned (an average of just 3.5 yards per play) against the Herd. Carlisle is 3-2 and can thank its defense for getting them above .500 for the first time since Week 1. 

WR/DB depth, Mechanicsburg: Again, going against the grain. The Wildcats are without Swiss Army Knife Caleb Brubaker, who broke his scapula in Week 5 and is out for the season. And for at least one week, the 6-0 Wildcats were just fine without him. Brubaker will certainly be missed, especially with the playoffs beginning and No. 1 Governor Mifflin on deck. But when he’s missed time — like in Week 6 or in Week 1 this year — the Wildcats have made due. This week it was Rashawn Early-Holton to again step up at WR as the deep threat, hauling in a 52-yard score. And the defense again forced multiple picks, the fifth time they’ve done that this season. And just think … three or four years ago the Wildcats were lucky to have one good weapon.

Andy Shay’s Game Balls

Tyree Morris, DE, Mechanicsburg: Lost in all the crazy numbers the Wildcats offense has put up this year is a defense that has held its own through six games and helped earn Mechanicsburg a playoff spot. Morris is a major part of that push on defense. Against an East Pennsboro team that has a strong running game and can score some points, Morris registered 12 tackles, including 11 solo stops, and added 2.5 tackles for a loss in a 43-21 victory. All his numbers led the Wildcats defensively in a game Mechanicsburg led 30-7 about midway through the third quarter.

Donald Leach, QB, Susquehanna Township: This has been a difficult start-stop-start-stop-start season for the Indians dealing with COVID-19. Over the last week, though, Susquehanna Township has played 12 quality quarters and went a respectable 2-1 playing three games in seven days. Leach has come on big-time and capped a week where ‘Hanna didn’t have any trouble scoring points by exploding for 389 total yards and accounting for four touchdowns in a 33-22 win over West Perry. Leach threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns and added 135 yards on the ground with a rushing TD. As he’s developed during this tough time in terms of practice and reps, Leach has blossomed and become a threat.

Tymir Jackson, RB-DL, Middletown: The senior is the latest version of the horse at running back for the Blue Raiders. And when the stakes were raised in a Class 3A playoff game, it is not a surprise that Jackson carried a big load against Bermudian Springs. He finished three yards shy of 200 rushing yards on 23 carries and scored five touchdowns in Middletown’s 46-7 victory over the Eagles. This one was close for a while before the Blue Raiders exploded for 34 second-half points. Jackson averaged a stellar 8.6 yards per carry.

Adam Kulikowski Game Balls

Brad Zell, coach, Boiling Springs: Yes, the Bubblers dropped its District 3-3A playoff bout against Wyomissing by a lopsided 47-7 final tally. But consider this a full season nod to Zell and his Bubblers. After a winless circuit in 2019, Zell and the Bubblers notched four victories and fought Middletown tough for four quarters to have a chance to win the game in its final possession of the night. Boiling Springs isn’t a finished product, but in a year where we had no idea if teams would even touch the field, this blue-collar squad was exciting to watch, well-coached and is heading firmly in the right direction.

Timmy Smith, RB, Central Dauphin: Raise your hand if you saw a 42-15 Central York victory against the Rams in the pipeline. The Rams game plan featured a heavy dose of Smith, who churned out 116 rushing yards on 18 carries and a touchdown against a formidable Panthers defensive front. He did his job helping to execute a game plan that centered on keeping the ball out of the hands of Penn State recruit Beau Pribula. 

Odell Greene, RB, Steel-High: Anyone who totes the rock 42 times in one game should earn an automatic game ball just for toughness and grit. But Greene did more than just step up to the plate. He helped deliver a District 3 title to the Roller Nation. Messy conditions largely grounded the Rollers’ air attack, but the senior back chewed up 158 yards, reaching the end zone twice in a narrow 21-13 victory against Delone Catholic to return the District 3 Class 1A championship hardware back to the fine folks of Steelton. 

Michael Bullock’s Game Balls

Jace White, FB-LB, Juniata: One of numerous Juniata players that contributed significantly to the Indians’ 24-21 victory over Bellefonte in Friday’s District 6/9 Class 4A title game, White definitely did his part. The 6-foot, 225-pounder caught a 10-yard TD pass with less than a minute left in the first half as Kurt Condo’s squad pulled into a 14-all tie at the break. White also made four solo tackles as the Indians held on for a positive result that popped them into the PIAA tournament for the first time.

Ezi Hite, OL-DL, Williams Valley: Cranking out a terrific two-way effort, Hite’s play on both fronts helped propel the Vikings to a 41-10 conquest of Marian Catholic in Williams Valley’s regular-season finale. Hite actually registered a handful of stops from his defensive tackle spot, including four for losses, as Tim Savage’s bunch limited the Colts to 142 total yards — many of them arriving late — and ran their winning streak to six. 

 Jake Scheib, FB-DE, Tri-Valley: Part of a Tri-Valley ground assault that piled up nearly 400 rushing yards in a 41-6 mauling of Panther Valley, Scheib rolled up 103 yards on just 10 attempts as the Bulldogs prepped for an intriguing date with Nativity in the District 11 Class 1A semifinals. Scheib also popped a 55-yard scoring run against the Panthers and made several stops from his spot on the edge.

By 4th Down staff:

Welcome to 4th Down Magazine’s vote for Player of the Week presented by Crown Trophy of Harrisburg (in Lemoyne).

The nominees for the week are listed below. Vote for the player with the most impressive performance.

The poll will remain open until Tuesday evening at 11 p.m. and voting is allowed once per hour. The winner will be announced Wednesday evening.

Tymir Jackson, RB-DL, Middletown: The senior two-way stud for the Blue Raiders scored five touchdowns and totaled 197 rushing yards on 23 carries in a 46-7 District 3 Class 3A semifinal victory over Bermudian Springs.

Micah Brubaker, QB, Mechanicsburg: The senior accounted for 315 total yards and five touchdowns in a win over East Pennsboro. Brubaker totaled 224 passing yards and four touchdowns, making every throw in the book, and added 91 yards on the ground with a touchdown.

Donald Leach, QB, Susquehanna Township: Leach showed off his arm and legs in a 33-22 comeback win over West Perry. He threw for 254 yards on 14-of-17 passing and ran for 135 more stripes on 20 carries. And his third TD, a 15-yard run, with 1:23 left iced the game. Leach also threw TDs of 37 and 25 yards.

Sean Smith, RB-LB, Carlisle: A week after his record-setting 333-yard night, Smith provided a more-than-adequate encore. The senior two-way stud racked up 158 yards and two TDs of 17 and 29 yards on 26 carries. And he pitched in on defense as the Herd silenced visiting CD East in a 21-0 shutout.

Dillon Wakefield, RB-LB, Big Spring: The Bulldogs had no problem dispatching Halifax 35-7, with Wakefield shining in the victory. On a modest eight carries, Wakefield averaged a mesmerizing 19.4 yards, finishing with 155 stripes and a score that went for 21 yards.

Dylan Rodenhaber, RB-LB, Red Land: The Patriots are making strides during this rebuild, now at 3-3 after Friday’s 35-17 win over Twin Valley. They were aided by workhorse back Rodenhaber, who scored twice on runs of 4 and 34 yards while finishing with 141 stripes on just 18 totes. He also had a handful of tackles and forced a fumble.

Ethan Stroup, RB, Altoona: The Mountain Lions’ surprising run continues. Stroup was center stage in Friday’s 29-14 win over Williamsport in the District 4/6 Class 6A subregional, rushing for 149 yards on 33 carries, scoring on a 9-yard rush to stake Altoona to an early lead, then added a sack and fumble recovery later in the game.

Odell Greene, RB, Steel-High: Sloppy conditions forced the Rollers’ aerial game to the ground, and Greene was more than ready for it. The senior toted the rock an impressive 42 times, chugging along for 158 yards and two scores in the 21-13 District 3 Class 1A championship victory over Delone Catholic. His 17-yard score in the fourth was the insurance TD.

Gannon McMeans, QB, Cedar Cliff: McMeans overcame two INTs and 23 straight points from Mifflin County to toss a game-winning TD to Adam Enrico in overtime for a 32-29 victory. It was the third TD McMeans was responsible for, adding to his scoring runs of 16 and 1 yard earlier. He finished 10-of-15 for 86 yards passing and ran four times for 22 stripes.

Jacob Condo, QB, Juniata: Back behind center after missing Juniata’s regular-season finale, Condo mixed the run and pass masterfully as the Indians captured the District 6/9 Class 4A championship with a 24-21 conquest of Bellefonte. Condo tossed two touchdown passes, but he also rushed 21 times for 103 yards as Juniata stretched its winning streak to five games and claimed its first-ever PIAA tournament berth. 

Zach Harr, LB, Juniata: Harr certainly picked the right times to record his first two career interceptions in Juniata’s 24-21 win over Bellefonte in the District 6/9 Class 4A championship game. Harr’s second pick was the biggie, however, as it arrived in the fourth quarter and set up Ben Wagner’s game-winning 23-yard field goal.

Bryce Herb, QB-DB, Williams Valley: Adding to his career touchdown pass and yardage records, Herb passed for 179 yards (7-for-14) as the Vikings wheeled past Marian Catholic 41-10 and claimed the top seed in the District 11 Class 1A playoffs. Herb spread his touchdown throws to three receivers. Herb also rushed for 26 yards and one score on just two attempts.

Chase Herb, RB-DE, Tri-Valley: Herb cracked triple digits yet again, rushing 17 times for 177 yards as the Bulldogs wrapped up regular-season play by popping Panther Valley 41-6. Herb’s touchdown runs covered 7, 32, 17 and 52 yards, fueling a rushing attack that churned out nearly 400 yards against the Colts. 

Shea Morgan, WR-DB, Pine Grove: Morgan was his typically dynamic self in the Cardinals’ 38-26 loss to Tamaqua, catching five passes for 110 yards and two scores while also wheeling 50 yards with a fake punt for a third TD. Morgan’s five receptions moved him to 47 on the season, breaking the single-season mark (43) set by the great Larry Zimmerman. He also had a productive night defensively, making 19 tackles against the run-happy Blue Devils.

Brody Robinson, RB-LB, Pine Grove: Erasing the single-game standard (21) he established several weeks back, Robinson amassed 24 tackles Friday night in Pine Grove’s 38-26 loss to Tamaqua. Robinson also owns the Cardinals’ single-season record (129) with at least one game to play, besting the 2004 mark set by ball-hawking ‘backer Chuck Brightbill.

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By Andy Shay: 

Dating back to 1985 when postseason playoffs at the District 3 level were woven into the fabric of high school football in Central Pennsylvania, teams from York County have very rarely had a say in the top classification.

That is going to change and unless something very, very strange occurs, the team that’s going to change all that is Central York.

Overall a team from York County has never won a District 3 title in the largest classification, whether that was Class 4A for decades or more recently, starting in 2016, in Class 6A. Zero titles.

York County is guaranteed District 3 title No. 1 in 2020 because Central York drubbed defending champion Central Dauphin 42-15 Friday night. The Panthers will host William Penn (York High) in the title game. The Bearcats reached the final via a forfeit by Harrisburg after the Cougars had a COVID-19 issue announced hours after the playoff brackets were finalized.

When you look at all classifications historically, York County has won only nine District 3 championships and No. 10 overall is guaranteed. The Panthers, led by Penn State recruit Beau Pribula at quarterback, have the offense and secondary to make some noise going forward. If they execute anywhere near the same level as they did Friday night at The Speedway, it could be an interesting month in new territory for a York County team.

Congratulations to the Juniata Indians out of the newly formed MPC Liberty Division for claiming the District 6 Class 4A championship with a 24-21 victory over Bellefonte. QB Jacob Condo had a pair of TD passes and accounted for 165 yards (103 rushing, 62 passing) in the victory. Nice job by the Indians defense, too. That was a huge key for Juniata – keeping the Red Raiders to three scores.

I look all over the web for information, but as best I can gather Northern did play its regulars Friday night against Waynesboro. The highlights I saw revealed Jordan Heisey was under center for the Polar Bears. Either way, playoff-bound Northern was upset by the Indians 22-0. The Waynesboro defense held the Polar Bears offense to only 78 total yards.

Carlisle running back Sean Smith followed up his school record 333-yard performance with a 158-yard, two touchdown second act in the Thundering Herd’s 21-0 victory over CD East. The senior carried 26 times and averaged 6.1 yards per carry to power Carlisle to a 3-2 overall record. The Panthers have struggled offensively this season and the Herd made sure that continued by picking off four passes and posting a shutout.

Timing is everything and it appears Middletown has found its groove and is playing its best football of the season heading into the District 3 Class 3A championship game with Wyomissing. A 34-point second-half explosion powered the Blue Raiders past Bermudian Springs 46-7. Tymir Jackson was a beast on the ground and holding the Eagles’ rushing offense to a touchdown is another good sign.

I was bummed to learn a match-up between a couple unbeatens, Bishop McDevitt and Hershey, was lost to COVID-19 issues. Neither club made the playoffs and that’s a tough pill to swallow. Was curious to see how the Trojans and Crusaders responded. Oh well … sigh!

Congratulations to Steel-High for claiming the District 3 Class 1A title with a 23-13 victory over Delone in McSherrystown. On a rainy and dreary night, the Rollers high-octane offense was grounded to leaning on its offensive line and running back Odell Greene. How about a staggering 42 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns for Greene. That’s some serious grinding right there. The real key was Steel-High’s defense holding the Squires to fewer than 50 yards rushing and forcing three turnovers.

Micah Brubaker and that Mechanicsburg offense continue to carve up opponents on a weekly basis. This week it was 30 points before the third quarter was four minutes old against East Pennsboro. Brubakers finished with 334 total yards (243 passing, 91 rushing) and five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing). The beat goes on.

Boiling Springs could not match-up defensively against the powerful Wyomissing Spartans on Saturday in Berks County and went down 47-7 in a District 3 Class 3A semifinal. Hey when you go 0-10 the year before and make the playoffs the next season, playoff results aren’t the measure of progress. Wyomissing is a very large football team for Class 3A. Big dudes!

My under-the-radar player this week goes to West Perry WR-RB Trent Herrera in a 33-22 setback to Susquehanna Township. Herrera had 202 total yards on 127 receiving yards and 75 yards on the ground with a touchdown receiving for the Mustangs. Big game that gave struggling West Perry a chance.

Central York has a very good football team with some weapons on the outside and they executed at a very high level Friday night and didn’t turn the ball over. Central Dauphin has a very good football team as well, did not execute on defense at a very high level and turned it over three times.

Final score in this District 3 Class 6A semifinal was Central York 42, Central Dauphin 15.

The biggest difference maker on the field and it showed up on the scoreboard was Penn State recruit Beau Pribula at quarterback for the Panthers. He was in a league all his own and the Rams were helpless to slow him down even a little bit.

Central Dauphin executed its game plan, hog the ball and keep that Panthers Air Raid offense on the sidelines. There was a stretch in the second quarter where the Rams ran 25 plays to a single snap for Central York. The problem was turnovers. Central Dauphin had two costly giveaways in the opening 24 minutes.

Two plays, a 40-yard catch-and-run by Judah Tomb and a 95-yard kickoff return by Tomb opened the Panthers’ lead from 13-9 to 27-9 in a hurry and took Central Dauphin completely out of its ground-and-pound gameplan.

The real shocker in this match-up, beyond the final score, was the Central Dauphin defense had zero impact on this game. There was some shaky tackling, sure, but overall the Rams defense could not and did not stop Central York’s offense. The turnovers by the Rams and big plays by the Panthers only accelerated what was always going to be a Central York triumph. It’s offense was that dominating.

Time to hand out some grades.

CENTRAL YORK PANTHERS

Quarterback: It is very obvious why Penn State coach James Franklin was high on Beau Pribula. He’s athletic, has decent size at 6-3, 205 and has this field presence that college coaches cherish. And he is a legitimate dual threat. He “only” threw for 190 yards, but that’s because with a big lead Central York had to go out of character and slow the game down. No problem, Pribula simply ran the ball to the tune of 150 yards on 11 carries. And he had a hand in five touchdowns (three passing, two rushing). The Panthers offense averaged 8.3 yards per play against Central Dauphin. That’s impressive. Best player on the field by a mile. It was hard not to see that. Grade: A+

Running Back: Isaiah Sturgis runs hard and hits the hole with authority. He finished with only 44 yards on 16 carries, but most of his work was in between the tackles and came in the second half when the Panthers were trying to grind on the clock. And slamming inside against CD is no easy task. Grade: B

Wide Receivers: Judah Tomb is a ticking time bomb in this offense every game with Pribula dealing. He’s super fast and lethal in space. His first two catches went for 83 yards and a pair of touchdowns. They have three other wideouts as well and they all had a couple catches in space and did good work. But Tomb was the game changer.  Grade: A

Offensive Line: Safe to say this group hasn’t faced a defensive front and linebackers the caliber of Central Dauphin this season. And they did just fine. Pass blocking, their obvious strength, was very good particularly on blitzes and off the edge. Inside run blocking was a stalemate and when you do that against the Rams you had a good night. It was their downfield blocking that grabbed my attention. They got after it in the second level and performed. Grade: A-

Defensive Line: It was tough sledding in the first half against a very good Central Dauphin offensive line. You could see those orange helmets going backwards most of the first half. Once the Panthers went ahead by three scores, the pressure was off. Grade: B

Linebackers: Carter Glassmyer is only a junior and is already a guy that catches your eye. He was all over the field making tackles inside and outside. His work in space was particularly impressive. Jack Smith patrols the middle and that’s a tough ask against the Rams. He was up to the job and didn’t allow any of those 15-plus yard run on cutbacks by making tackles in some tight spots. He was very good in the first half. Nice grab by OLB Cole Luckenbaugh on that tipped ball for an INT. Grade: A-

Secondary: The strength of this defense with Taylor Wright-Rawls, Tomb, Jahmar Simpson and on this night they added Pribula to the mix. Their run support was outstanding and they knocked down a couple deep balls. I didn’t see anybody wide open. Grade: A

Special Teams: The kickoff coverage was pretty good for the most part minus one long return. There was that bad snap on the one extra point but it didn’t matter. Two offsides on field goal attempts could have cost them dearly, but it didn’t. And of course there was that 95-yard kickoff return by Tomb. Grade: B

CENTRAL DAUPHIN RAMS

Quarterback: The plan was a lot of running game and short passes to keep the Central York offense off the field. And Max Mosey executed that plan to perfection for a long time. The interception was a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage and a nice scoop by the Panthers. That happens. When forced to throw after the Rams fell behind by 18 points, the only option was to go deep. Not a strength for any QB when you know the other team knows it’s coming. Grade: B

Running Back: Timmy Smith and Shamarr Joppy combined for 176 yards on 31 carries. That’s solid work most nights. But each fumbled deep inside the red zone and those miscues hurt more than most in a game like this. Grade: B-

Wide Receivers: Malachi Bowman finished with 99 yards on five grabs and that was a nifty grab after a deflection for a 61-yard catch-and-run touchdown for the only CD points of the second half. Only two receivers made catches in a game the Rams trailed by 18 points very early in the second half. Grade: B-

Offensive Line: This group did their job. Central York defense is fast and physical and they moved guys off their spots and created running lanes. The Rams had 186 rushing yards on 36 carries in the first half. They were muted by the defense not being able to stop the Panthers..  Grade: A

Defensive Line: No pressure on the quarterback was a problem. They had to get pressure to make a difference and it never materialized. They were good in tight spaces as always. When it came to pass rush they were eliminated from the equation. Grade: C+

Linebackers: Not a good night for this group. Too many huge gaps in the middle of the field and on the edge those quick swing passes were wide open and good for 10-12 yards the minute the ball was snapped. The Panthers were a perfect 9-for-9 converting on third and fourth down. The yardage was irrelevant. Grade: C-

Secondary: Missed tackles in the open field, wide open receivers and the Central York quarterback had his way in open space using his legs. Deep balls were open and middle seam routes they were a step behind as well. Grade: C-

Special Teams: Neither team punted, which for a high school game is almost unheard of. Missed three sure tackles on that killer 95-yard kickoff return. Two guys had him at the 20-yard-line and failed to finish. Kick returns were hit-and-miss. Grade: D

By 4th Down Staff: 

NO. 3 CENTRAL YORK AT NO. 2 CENTRAL DAUPHIN
District 3 Class 6A semifinal

7 p.m. Friday, Landis Field at Speed Ebersole Stadium

THE PANTHERS (6-0): Gerry Yonchiuk’s perfect Panthers have been the talk of the York-Adams hemisphere even before this strange and revolving football season began. It had something to do with junior QB Beau Pribula, a Penn State commit and one of the nation’s top dual-threat signal callers in the Class of ’22. Pribula, whose brother Cade is a redshirt freshman QB at Delaware, entertained offers from Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and more.

Pirbula has been an excellent pilot through six weeks, completing 73-percent of his 107 pass attempts for 1,170 yards and 24 touchdowns against two interceptions.Seniors Judah Tomb (6 TDs), Taylor Wright Rawls (8 TDs) and Kyle Fontes (5 TDs) are all averaging better than 14.6 yard per catch, with the offense generating 59 points per game. Yes, 59. DT Seth Griffiths and MLB Carter Glassmyer pace a defense that has surrendered just 10 points all season, with all 10 coming coming deep in the fourth quarter with the game in hand. That’s four shutouts in six weeks, about a good as it gets.

THE RAMS (5-0): The only intangible that could have kept the Rams from this position is a fouled season due to the pandemic. Luckily, football is happening, so Central Dauphin’s annual pass to the District 3 postseason is cashed. The Rams, ranked among the top Class 6A programs in the state, will be the most complete football team the Panthers have faced all season. And the other junior QB on display, Max Mosey, possesses the same skill and savvy as Central’s Pribula. Mosey has pitched 12 TDs and averages 5 yard per keeper.

Mosey supported by a stout offensive line – one of the hallmarks of Glen McNamee’s program – and a group of versatile skill players in returning All-State pick Timmy Smith (60 rush, 464 yards, 4 TDs) and fellow senior Shamarr Joppy (24-317-4). Senior Malachi Bowman is a lethal deep threat, whose play in the defensive secondary will factor in Friday. So will the work of LB Paul Clark, CD’s top run stuffer, and the rest of CD’s “all hats” defense. The unit has manufactured 31 TFLs on the season, an important note when pressuring the QB means everything.

THE SERIES: Central Dauphin and Central York have met twice in the District 3 playoffs, with the Rams winning both contests. In 2018, the Rams defeated Central York 49-21 in the quarterfinal round, setting a District 3 6A record with 405 rushing yards.

DOWN AND DISTANCE: Central York, 8-13 overall in District 3 play, has lost five straight in the tournament. The Panthers’ last postseason victory over a Mid-Penn team was a 33-28 win over Chambersburg in the 2012 Class 4A opening round.

THE PICK: Central Dauphin 33, Central York 22

By Andy Shay: 

 Each week during the 2020 season we’ll offer some news, notes, tidbits and opinions from each of the five divisions in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Three golden tickets:

 Three teams from the MPC Capital will dot the District 3 playoff brackets with undefeated Steel-High leading the pack in the Class 1A championship game against Delone Catholic in McSherrystown in a rematch of a Class 2A game from last season. The Rollers have scored a staggering 264 points in five games. That’s nearly 53 a game on average. Now, you can bet the Squires will provide a tougher test on defense for Steel-High. Still, with the running of Odell Greene and all those tall and athletic wideouts, including FBS recruit Mehki Flowers, you have to wonder what it takes to slow the Rollers down and keep them under 30 points.

Wyomissing the No. 1 seed despite .240 opponent winning percentage: 

Middletown and Boiling Springs comprise half the Class 3A playoff brackets as the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds, respectively. It appeared the Blue Raiders and Bubblers were headed for a rematch of their splendid Week 4 contest at Middletown won by the Blue Raiders. But Middletown and its 4-1 overall record was good enough to edge out defending champion Wyomissing and its 5-0 mark for the No. 1 seed. The reason for that is the Spartans have a historically bad .240 opponent winning percentage. So, the Bubblers will travel to Berks County and play the Spartans on Saturday. Wyomissing has surrendered only nine points this season, but their opponents have been so soft you almost have to disregard that as a consideration in this game. A couple of Wing-T programs going head-to-head. The Bubblers belong on this field, but 48 minutes against the wave of backs the Spartans trot out is a big ask.

Bracket favors Middletown: 

Not only do the Blue Raiders get a home game, but they play a running team in Bermudian Springs. And they don’t have to face Wyomissing or the Bubblers for a second time in three weeks. Talk about winning. Playoff teams that run the ball don’t seem to have much success against the Blue Raiders defense historically. This feels like another rendition of that playbill. The size and speed of Middletown’s backs, Tymir Jackson (5-foot-10, 220 pounds) and Tajae Broadie (6-4, 247 pounds) will come into play.