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.

Carlisle playing tough against Commonwealth foes:

Carlisle gave State College all it could handle in the Mid-Penn Conference version of Monday Night Football. The game was moved because of possible COVID-19 issues around the State High program that made playing last Friday a no-go. All knotted up at 21 at the half, Little Lions QB Conrad Moore accounted for a pair of touchdowns to open up a 35-21 cushion on their way to a 38-29 victory. Carlisle was powered by Ezeekai Thomas and Sean Smith, who combined for nearly 250 yards on the ground. Smith had a game-high 145 yards and also added 43 yards through the air with a rushing TD. The Thundering Herd acquitted themselves admirably the last eight quarters against Central Dauphin and State College.

Harrisburg searching for one more game: 

As of writing this, Harrisburg is still in search of a fourth game to possibly qualify for the District 3 Championships. The Cougars played Williamsport on Tuesday evening, winning 41-0. Harrisburg has until the Oct. 26 deadline to find opponent No. 4. Commonwealth Division mate Carlisle had an opening after the Thundering Herd lost its scheduled game with Altoona to the District 6 Championships. Carlisle opted to play Cedar Cliff instead of Harrisburg with its open date.

Offensive firepower limiting several Commonwealth teams: 

Only three teams in the Commonwealth Division own winning records ﹘ Central Dauphin, Harrisburg and State College. The other five are .500 or below. Offense has been the big problem. CD East and Cumberland Valley have scored a combined 59 points in eight games, and Chambersburg has only 64 points in its four outings. It’s impossible to compete scoring fewer than 10 points a game.

Rams’ Shamarr Joppy making an impact: 

Central Dauphin’s Shamarr Joppy had himself a game against Altoona. The senior carried only twice but led the Rams in rushing with 86 yards and a touchdown. He also had three tackles, two tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble on defense. That’s some major impact right there. CD had nearly 300 yards rushing, but nobody had more than Joppy’s 86 in the win over Altoona. The Rams have so many options and spread it around.

By Eric Epler: 

CLASS 6A                                  Rec.      Result
1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)             2-0       1
2. North Allegheny (7)                5-0       2
3. Central Dauphin (3)                4-0       3
4. Archbishop Wood (12)            1-0       5
5. McDowell (10)                       3-0       6
6. La Salle College HS (12)           3-1       4
7. Delaware Valley (2)                2-1       7
8. Nazareth (11)                         4-0       8
9. Parkland (11)                         2-0       9
10. Harrisburg (3)                       2-0       NR
Teams to watch: Central York (3) 5-0, Pennridge (1) 3-0, Spring-Ford (1) 4-0, State College (6) 1-1, Wilson (3) 4-1.CLASS 5A                                  Rec.      Result

1. Pine-Richland (7)                    5-0       1
2. Warwick (3)                           5-0       2
3. Gateway (7)                           3-0       3
4. Peters Township (7)                5-0       4
5. Cathedral Prep (10)                4-1       5
6. Governor Mifflin (3)                4-0       6
7. East Stroudsburg South (11)    2-0       7
8. Penn-Trafford (7)                   4-1       8
9. Mechanicsburg (3)                  4-0       NR
10. South Fayette (7)                  4-2       NR
Teams to watch: New Oxford (3) 4-0, Southern Lehigh (11) 2-1, Woodland Hills (7) 4-2

CLASS 4A                                  Rec.      Result
1. Thomas Jefferson (7)              5-0       1
2. Jersey Shore (4)                      6-0       2
3. Lampeter-Strasburg (3)           5-0       3
4. Bishop McDevitt (3)                4-0       4
5. Aliquippa (7)                          6-0       5
6. Oil City (10)                            6-0       6
7. Belle Vernon (7)                     5-1       7
8. Harbor Creek (10)                   6-0       8
9. Bethlehem Catholic (11)         3-1       NR
10. Crestwood (2)                      5-0       10
Teams to watch: Berks Catholic (3) 3-2, Chartiers Valley (7) 5-1, McKeesport (7) 5-1, Plum (7) 6-0.CLASS 3A                                  Rec.      Result 

1. Central Valley (7)                    6-0       1
2. Wyomissing (3)                      4-0       2
3. Hickory (10)                           6-0       3
4. Montoursville (4)                    6-0       4
5. Bedford (5)                            6-0       6
6. Scranton Prep (2)                   3-0       7
7. Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 6-0       8
8. North Schuylkill (11)               5-0       9
9. North Catholic (7)                   6-0       NR
10. Saint Mary’s (9)                    5-0       10
Teams to watch: Central Martinsburg (6) 6-0, Danville (4) 5-1, Fort LeBoeuf (10) 6-0, Lake-Lehman (2) 6-0, Tyrone (6) 5-0. 

CLASS 2A                                  Rec.      Result
1. Southern Columbia (4)            5-0       1
2. Wilmington (10)                     6-0       2
3. Berlin-Brothersvalley (5)         6-0       4
4. Beaver Falls (7)                       6-0       5
5. Bellwood-Antis (6)                  5-0       6
6. McGuffey (7)                          5-1       7
7. Farrell (10)                             4-2       9
8. Richland (6)                            5-1       10
9. Sto-Rox (7)                             5-1       NR
10. Dunmore (2)                        2-1       3
Teams to watch: Apollo-Ridge (7) 4-0, Brookville (9) 6-0, Windber (5) 5-1, York Catholic (3) 5-0.CLASS 1A                                  Rec.      Result 

1. Clairton (7)                             4-0       1
2. Old Forge (2)                          3-0       2
3. Jeannette (7)                          5-1       3
4. Steel-High (3)                         4-0       4
5. Canton (4)                              3-0       5
6. Williams Valley (11)                5-1       7
7. Delone Catholic (3)                 5-0       9
8. Reynolds (10)                         6-0       NR
9. Tri-Valley (11)                        3-0       10
10. Muncy (4)                            5-1       6 

Teams to watch: Bishop Guilfoyle (6) 3-2, Shenango (7) 6-0, Smethport (9) 5-0, Springdale (7) 5-1, Tussey Mountain (5) 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. 16-17 of the regular season. 

Jake Adams’s Game Balls

Defensive backs, Mechanicsburg: Partial credit to a defensive line that was sharp on the pass rush despite not recording a sack. The Wildcats’ defensive backs benefited greatly and set up the potent offense with five interceptions from five different players in Friday’s 40-7 win at Susquehanna Township. Yes … five players picked off Donald Leach in a blowout. Those names: James Anderson, Taylor Shearer, Nick Morrison, Sam DeLuca and Caleb Brubaker. Mechanicsburg has 11 picks already this season. I imagine that leads the Mid-Penn. 

Micah Brubaker, QB, Mechanicsburg: Yes, I’m going with the rare two-fer. It’d be unfair to exclude Brubaker following the best game of his season. He’s been on this list before for lesser performances, so his 16-of-22, 224-yard night passing deserves a game ball. Brubaker fired three touchdowns, all of which were impressive in their accuracy and daring, and ran for another while accumulating more than 70 yards on the ground. He’s been superbly accurate all year and dangerous in so many ways for the unbeaten Wildcats.

Gavin Feliciano, K, Red Land: Let’s give a kicker some props. Feliciano knocked two field goals through the uprights during a 20-7 win over Lower Dauphin, giving him three for the season. His longest of the night was a 37-yarder. He also has six extra points this season, giving him 15 points so far this season.

Andy Shay’s Game Balls

Sy Burgos, RB, East Pennsboro: The 5-foot-7, 170-pound junior exploded in the second half and sparked a dramatic comeback for the now 3-1 East Pennsboro. How ‘bout them Panthers!! Burgos and company trailed Waynesboro 28-14 at halftime and by a point (28-27) heading into the fourth quarter. East Pennsboro won going away after rolling up 26 unanswered in the second half. Burgos scored three of the Panthers’ four second-half touchdowns, including the game winner on a 69-yard scamper with 6:49 to play. He finished with four touchdowns runs on only seven carries ﹘ pretty good touch-to-touchdown ratio, I’d say ﹘ and had 116 yards for a nifty 16.6 yards per carry average. His other touchdown runs covered 8, 12 and 28 yards. Four touchdowns on seven carries always gets a game ball.

Tajae Broadie, DE-FB, Middletown: At 6-4 and 220 pounds the Blue Raiders’ athletic junior is hard to miss on the field watching warm-ups. He’s bigger than a couple of Middletown’s offensive lineman, and the cruel part for opponents is they hand him the ball as a fullback. Broadie is the most diversely talented player on the field most nights, and when a guy performs at or beyond those expectations it’s a joy to watch. His impact for the Blue Raiders is on both sides of the ball, and to beat Boiling Springs the Blue Raiders needed him to deliver. And Broadie did just that by accounting for 84 total yards (62 rushing, 22 receiving) offensively on 12 touches (10 carries, 2 receptions) in the 20-16 victory. He also had a sack, terrorized the Bubblers QB when he dropped back to pass all game, forced a fumble and blocked an extra point on special teams. That’s an all-around game right there.

Brycen Hassinger, QB, Mifflin County: Nobody had run the ball with any success against Hershey this season until the 6-2, 190-pound senior carved up the Trojans for 155 yards. The Huskies still fell to Hershey 24-14, but it took a stellar goal-line stand by the Trojans defense to keep Hassinger and company at a comfortable distance. Mifflin County runs the veer, and with the QB pulling the trigger and making those reads, the offense goes as he goes. Eclipsing the 150-yard mark and scoring a touchdown against a defense that has given up next to nothing on the ground all season is a special game and deserves a game ball. The final result is irrelevant when you are the player on the field who had the biggest impact on the game for your team.

Adam Kulikowski’s Game Balls

Cam Ochs, WR, Camp Hill: This cat has quickly become the favorite target of senior QB Daniel Shuster–and for good reason. The lanky wideout showed off some soft hands with a dazzling one-hand grab on a 62-yard touchdown reception against Steel-High. He finished the afternoon with 174 stripes on five receptions in the 36-26 loss to the Rollers.

Tymir Jackson, RB-DT, Middletown: The Bubblers defensive front seven likely needed ice baths after Friday night’s battle against the Blue Raiders. That’s what happens when you face off against a bruising back like the 5-11, 220-pound Jackson. The senior battered Boilings Springs 29 times for 175 yards and a touchdown in the Blue Raiders’ 20-16 victory against its Capital Division foe. 

Michael Bullock’s Game Balls

Aiden Wiest, RB, Upper Dauphin: One of three Trojans backs to rush for 100 or more yards — there nearly was a fourth — Wiest rolled up 167 yards on just 10 attempts and scored three times as UD outran Halifax 38-28 in Mid-Penn Liberty play. UD’s ground game piled up 483 yards on 42 attempts (11.5 ypc) and totaled five touchdowns. Wiest also caught one pass for 22 yards as the Trojans totaled 600-plus yards of offense.

Manny O’Donell, WR, Juniata: O’Donell was a factor on the flanks, catching four passes for 73 yards and touchdowns covering 24 and 22 yards as the Indians downed Lancaster Catholic 28-20 in overtime. Both of O’Donell’s scores arrived in the first half as Kurt Condo’s bunch opened a 14-10 lead on the road.

Ryan Stahl, WR-DB, Halifax: Stahl showed why he’s Halifax’s Swiss Army knife, as the multi-talented senior caught 11 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown in the Wildcats’ 38-28 loss to Upper Dauphin. Also completed his lone pass for a 19-yard TD while making 14 stops on the defensive side of the ball.

Jackson Yoder, C-ILB, Williams Valley: Yoder totaled 13 tackles from his inside backer spot — including one for a loss — as the Vikings trimmed Schuylkill Haven 22-7 in Schuylkill 2 action. Yoder also was part of an offensive front that opened enough holes so freshman Alex Achenbach could roll up 100-plus yards and one score.

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 Wednesday at noon and voting is allowed once per hour. The winner will be announced Wednesday evening.

Tajae Broadie, DE-FB, Middletown: The 6-4, 220-pound junior accounted for 84 total yards (62 rushing, 22 receiving) offensively on 12 touches (10 carries, 2 receptions) in the 20-16 victory over Boiling Springs. Also had a sack, a forced fumble and blocked an extra point on special teams.

Tymir Jackson, RB-DT, Middletown: The 5-11, 220-pound senior carried 29 times for 175 yards and a touchdown run covering 18 in the Blue Raiders’ 20-16 victory over Boiling Springs.

Sy Burgos, RB, East Pennsboro: The 5-7, 170-pound junior exploded in the fourth quarter in a 40-28 victory over Waynesboro. Two of his four touchdown runs, covering 12 and 69 yards, came in the fourth quarter when the Panthers outscored the Indians 19-0. Finished with game-high 116 yards on only seven carries.

Lek Powell, QB, Bishop McDevitt: The 6-0, 180-pound senior threw for 197 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-10 victory over Cumberland Valley. Powell has thrown for more than 500 yards with nine touchdown passes the last two games in wins over the Eagles and Cedar Cliff.

Odell Greene, RB, Steel-High: When you run for 275 yards on 31 carries, and take four of those handoffs to the house in a 36-26 win over Camp Hill, you tend to deserve a nod for this list. Greene scored on runs of 51, 17, 21 and 9 yards, the last securing the win.

Daniel Shuster, QB, Camp Hill: What a shootout. The senior signal caller finished with 412 yards on 20-of-42 passing. While Shuster did throw three interceptions in the Lions’ 36-26 loss to Steel-High, he did fire four TDs to four different receivers, all of which went for at least 28 yards.

Cam Ochs, WR, Camp Hill: One of four receivers to haul in a TD for the Lions during a 36-26 loss Saturday to Steel-High, Ochs finished with five receptions, 174 yards and a 62-yard TD.

Micah Brubaker, QB, Mechanicsburg: A regular in these parts, Brubaker had arguably his best game of the season, finishing 16-of-22 for 224 yards and three scores (one going for 76 yards) while rushing 11 times for 76 stripes and a first-quarter TD. He has the Wildcats flying high at 4-0 after a 40-7 win over Susquehanna Township.

Caleb Brubaker, WR-DB, Mechanicsburg: Hey, look! The other twin! Caleb makes the cut after a seven-catch, 101-yard night that including two impressive TD grabs of 16 and 17 yards. He also had one of the Wildcats’ five INTs in the 40-7 win over Susquehanna Township.

Kiev Gregg, RB, Harrisburg: Mission accomplished. Gregg scored four times, all in the first half, to trip the mercy rule clock in the second half during a 49-0 win over J.P. McCaskey. Gregg played just 24 minutes, but scored on runs of 1, 27, 2 and 2 yards and finished with 11 carries and 77 yards. 

Trenten Smith, WR-DB, Cedar Cliff: Smith Jr. scored on both sides of the ball and finished with six catches for 65 yards during a 42-0 whitewash of Palmyra. His two scores came in the first half, the first a 21-yard reception and the second a pick-6 before halftime.

Jacob Feese, QB-LB, Line Mountain: Feese directed Line Mountain’s attack wonderfully, rushing for 142 yards on 14 carries and scoring four first-half touchdowns on runs of 48, 1, 2 and 23 yards. Also threw for 99 yards (6-of-10, 0 picks) as the Eagles popped Northwest 47-20 for their third straight victory.

Jesse Engle, TE-LB, Williams Valley: Engle was dominant defensively as the Vikings clipped Schuylkill 2 playmate Schuylkill Haven 22-7. In addition to making 12 stops from his inside ‘backer position — including one quarterback sack — the 6-1, 225-pounder returned an interception 40 yards for Williams Valley’s first score.

Chase Herb, RB-DE, Tri-Valley: Herb continued to stand out as Tri-Valley ran its record to 3-0 with a 47-7 thumping of Marian Catholic. Herb cracked 200 yards rushing for the second consecutive weekend, collecting 210 yards on 18 carries and scoring on runs of 1, 10 and 20 yards.

Shea Morgan, WR-DB, Pine Grove: Morgan had another big night in space, catching touchdown passes of 8, 51 and 8 yards as the Cardinals walloped Panther Valley 49-6. Morgan also converted all seven of his placement attempts.

Christian Snyder, RB-LB, Upper Dauphin: Snyder uncorked a terrific two-way effort as Upper Dauphin evened its mark at 2-2 with a 38-28 triumph at Halifax. Snyder rushed 16 times for 109 yards and one score, but was just as effective defensively as he piled up 13 tackles — including one for a loss.

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By Andy Shay:

Good morning, and hello East Pennsboro Panthers. The Panthers are riding a three-game winning streak under first-year coach John Denniston and get to be part of the conversation in the crazy Mid-Penn Colonial Division.

Taking out previously undefeated Waynesboro by double digits is attention worthy. Storming back from two touchdowns down at halftime to zip past the Indians takes it to another level.

This is how I see the Panthers to date in 2020:

• New head coach and all the stuff that comes with that was a factor in getting rolled 37-7 in the opener by unbeaten Northern. The result makes sense.
• Nice bounce back with some offensive pop to outscore Fleetwood to get win No. 1 for coach.
• Kept the momentum going into Week 3 and used a fast start to the tune of 28 first-half points to outgun winless West Perry. Another solid win. 

This one, though, is a bit shocking ﹘ not so much in the result but how it came about.

Despite leading by two touchdowns at halftime, Waynesboro didn’t have much say in the outcome of this game. It was always the Panthers’ result to get. Waynesboro used a pair of special teams gems to build their lead ﹘ a blocked punt recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and a 97-yard kickoff return.

This victory was all about East Pennsboro’s defense locking down the Indians and giving the Panthers’ offense enough chances to get rolling in the second half.

How do you give up two special teams daggers and win going away? You hold the opposition to fewer than 100 total yards, hog the ball, limit the snaps to only 36 and only allow 2.8 yards per play from those snaps.

The Panthers’ defense had seven tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception. Of course, they were helped out by Sy Burgos and Devin Shepherd each climbing over 100 yards with five combined touchdowns.

For the record, I took a peek at the District 3 power rankings. I quickly shut it down after I saw what was going on in Class 5A. Look, I’m grateful we are playing football in 2020, right. And the format of limited brackets is the right decision. 

But as it sits right now Mechanicsburg would not make the limited Class 5A field. Yeah, that’s all I have to say about that.

Micah Brubaker and that Mechanicsburg offense continue to roll. After tossing a second consecutive 40-plus spot on the board against Susquehanna Township, the Wildcats have now scored 151 points in four games. The hidden key is probably a defense that is surrendering only 10 points a game. Brubaker had another “typical Micah” game with 283 total yards (214 passing, 69 rushing) and four touchdowns.

Boiling Springs strolled into War Memorial Field in Middletown with an undefeated record and something to prove. Yes, the Bubblers fell 20-16 to the Blue Raiders in a splendid football game. I would argue despite the loss the Bubblers proved they are a quality team in 2020.

Middletown coach Brett Myers agreed, and he knows what it looks like.

“That’s a really good football team we just beat,” Myers said. “Give them credit.”

Boiling Springs has a trio of backs that each fill those critical roles in the Wing-T nicely, the OL has improved greatly and the defense ﹘ despite giving up 253 rushing yards to Middletown, which was always going to happen because the Blue Raiders are also good ﹘ showed some grit with a couple goal-line stands. When it comes to my eye test, the Bubblers pass and have the look of a playoff team.

This score ﹘ Central Dauphin 49, Altoona 20 ﹘ tells me that despite going down by four touchdowns Altoona played well. It was a one-score game at halftime before the Rams lit the fuse and pulled away.

That’s what CD can do at any time, though. They are explosive. Solid road win for the undefeated Rams. Malachi Bowman had a TD reception and returned a kickoff 84 yards to the house. Lots and lots of weapons for CD makes them nearly impossible to slow down.

Bishop McDevitt quarterback Lek Powell has thrown nine touchdowns the last two games after tossing four in the Crusaders’ drubbing of Cumberland Valley. He went for 330 yards and five touchdowns the week prior in the win over Cedar Cliff. And my bad on saying he had an interception against the Colts. I was wrong. My stat sheet let me down.

The Northern Polar Bears went to 4-0 with a narrow victory over Greencastle-Antrim. When it comes to Northern, they have the right stuff on offense triggered by QB Jordan Heisey, and his key pieces are all showing up, too. They have a solid kicking game ﹘ that always comes in handy. I’m not sure about the Polar Bears defense, though. They surrendered 27 points to the Blue Devils, a squad that had scored only once in the previous eight quarters, and have allowed 20 or more points to each of its last three opponents ﹘ who combined have exactly two wins. Hey, 4-0 is all that matters, right?

Hershey stayed the course and is 4-0 for the first time since 2011 when it started the season 7-0 before getting steamrolled by Bishop McDevitt. It wasn’t easy to hold off struggling Mifflin County. That goal-line stand by the Trojans defense was HUGE. QB Jackson Bouslough had a nifty 7-yard TD run and tossed a pair of touchdowns.

My under-the-radar performance of the week goes to Red Land RB-LB Dylan Rodenhaber. This is his first year as a running back, and he’s a much better linebacker than he is a running back. I’m a big fan of his play on defense. But out of necessity he’s forced to carry the load for a Patriots offense that struggles to score points.

In the victory over winless Lower Dauphin he carried it 23 times for 116 yards. The defense helped out with a pair of interceptions, and Parker Lawler took a blocked punt 19 yards to the end zone for a critical Red Land touchdown. Rodenhaber runs hard and does most of his work between the tackles. Never underestimate the value of a grinder playing out of position by necessity and still producing.

Standings: 

Andy Shay: Week 3: 16-2 Week 2 13-8  Overall: 43-15 

Andy Sandrik: Week 3: 16-2 Week 2 13-8  Overall: 41-17 

Jake Adams: Week 3: 15-3 Week 2  13-8  Overall: 39-19  

Geoff Morrow: Week 3: 13-5 Week 2 12-9  Overall: 38-20  

Friday, Oct. 16

Boiling Springs at Middletown

Andy Shay: Middletown 34, Boiling Springs 20: Two weeks to sit on a loss is a long time for a program that isn’t used to losing much during the regular season. Blue Raiders are rested and hopefully healthy, especially at the QB position. Bubblers are much improved, but I’m not sure they are quite at the level of winning a game like this. They aren’t a mile away, though.

Jake Adams: Middletown 35, Boiling Springs 17: All good things must come to an end. The Bubblers’ 3-0 start is the feel-good story of the year, in my opinion, but the Blue Raiders won’t let that number reach 4-0 easily. Still, I’m enjoying this Bubbletown run.

Andy Sandrik: Middletown 24, Boiling Springs 21: I think the undefeated Bubblers bring some confidence and pop to Middletown, and, who knows, maybe they can snap their five-game losing streak against the Blue Raiders. Crazier things have happened in 2020.

Geoff Morrow: Middletown 28, Boiling Springs 21: Intriguing game. If the Bubblers can win the turnover battle and come up with a few stops, the upset is very possible. Similarly, the hosts have a lot to prove after a recent shellacking by rival Steel-High, and this is a dangerous spot. I could see any number of outcomes, but I’m guessing it will be tightly contested.

Trinity at Big Spring

Andy Shay: Big Spring 41, Trinity 7: It’s been a very fine line between winning and losing for the Bulldogs, and you can see they have more of the right elements than in recent years. Offensively, they have some punch, and the T-Rocks have struggled to be competitive.

Jake Adams: Big Spring 35, Trinity 14: Feeling bad for these Shamrocks after the beatdown at the hands of Steel-High on Saturday. This team has a lot of growing to do, and it’s going to be painful for a bit. Bulldogs gave Bubblers a scare last week and can use that as a lesson in this one.

Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 42, Trinity 21: It’s been a slow start for both teams, who combine for one win, but the Bulldogs seem to have a little more traction than the ‘Rocks, who have been outscored 119-0 over the last two games.

Geoff Morrow: Big Spring 48, Trinity 0: With Steel-High and Middletown upcoming, Bulldogs better enjoy this one.

Cumberland Valley at Bishop McDevitt

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 41, Cumberland Valley 7: This game has a long and rich tradition in terms of tough, well-played and hard-earned victories. This won’t be one of those games. The gap is that big.

Jake Adams: Bishop McDevitt 44, Cumberland Valley 14: It feels weird to predict a Crusaders blowout in this game, which is usually a tight contest. But with the Eagles’ big-time adjustment from the Wing-T to the spread, this isn’t going to be an easy night for the visitors.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 42, Cumberland Valley 7: Every game, win or loss, comes with a lesson. CV will have to bring everything it has for that lesson to last a full 48 minutes against the mighty Crusaders, who are torching opponents 113-28 this season. 

Geoff Morrow: Bishop McDevitt 48, Cumberland Valley 13: Truth is, this matchup hasn’t produced a close battle (single-digit final spread) since McD’s 6-3 victory in 2014.

State College at Carlisle

Andy Shay: State College 28, Carlisle 14: The Thundering Herd have a slight advantage up front along the OL against the Little Lions’ greenhorns up front on defense. Have to exploit that matchup ‘cause State High has significantly more pop on offense.

Jake Adams: State College 28, Carlisle 21: You know what? The Herd did not play great last week against Central Dauphin, but the offensive line was not overmatched. The coaching staff’s high praise in the preseason of that group was for good reason. I think the Little Lions are in for a fight if Carlisle just plays smarter this week.

Andy Sandrik: State College 35, Carlisle 7: I’ll give the Herd a TD because they’re playing at home, but I just get the sense that this is the week where SC really begins to hit its stride.

Geoff Morrow: State College 44, Carlisle 20: Little Lions have absolutely dominated this series, including wins in each of the previous 10 seasons, all of them by double figures.

Altoona at Central Dauphin

Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 42, Altoona 7: Maybe, by their standards, the Rams were a bit sluggish offensively last week but still scored 35 points. Altoona is much improved; however, slowing down CD looks darn near impossible right now.

Jake Adams: Central Dauphin 42, Altoona 7: The Mountain Lions appear to have some fight in them this year. Fight, however, is not enough against one of the best teams the state has to offer. 

Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin 35, Altoona 14: My biggest surprise of the Commonwealth has been the Mountain Lions, who are off to a 2-1 start. If Altoona can stay within two scores of the Rams, that’s a win for the Mountain Lions in my book. 

Geoff Morrow: Central Dauphin 49, Altoona 21: Love that the Mountain Lions are showing some grit this year, but there are at least two more levels of significant program growth needed to match wits with the Rams.

CD East at Chambersburg

Andy Shay: CD East 13, Chambersburg 7 (OT): The most consistent aspect of this game for either team has been the Panthers’ defense standing tall each week. With offense appearing to be a premium across the board, I’ll ride the CDE defense to a win. 

Jake Adams: Chambersburg 27, CD East 16: Just realized both of these teams are quickly running out of time to snatch a win. And the schedules don’t let up enough to seemingly guarantee one. This might be the easiest week for both teams the rest of the season. 

Andy Sandrik: CD East 13, Chambersburg 7: Coin flip game in my mind. The Panthers aren’t putting up a lot of points this year, but I think the continued growth of East’s defense — which has limited opponents an average of 10 points the last two games — makes the difference in a nail-biter.

Geoff Morrow: CD East 20, Chambersburg 7: If the Panthers can’t get their offense into a groove this week, it probably ain’t happening this year. I also want to note that East is probably going to be sick of long bus rides after these last two weeks.

Northern at Greencastle-Antrim

Andy Shay: Northern 34, Greencastle-Antrim 7: The play of quarterback Jordan Heisey has been outstanding and has allowed the Polar Bears to find their way in other areas. Blue Devils need the score to be under 20 to win, and Northern has the firepower to clear that hurdle.

Jake Adams: Northern 28, Greencastle-Antrim 7: I had no idea what to make of the P-Bears going into the season. Now? I really wish they could face Mechanicsburg before the playoffs so we could see a Mid-Penn Colonial championship game.

Andy Sandrik: Northern 35, Greencastle-Antrim 14: The 3-0 Polar Bears are slowly converting me into a believer after grinding out a hard-earned win over Shippensburg. Greencastle will be more competitive than last week’s 48-0 loss to Mechanicsburg, but I still see Northern QB Jordan Heisey doing as much damage to the Blue Devils as dynamic ‘Cats QB Micah Brubaker did last week. 

Geoff Morrow: Northern 33, Greencastle-Antrim 10: I remember one time many years ago, I drove to Greencastle for a huge conference baseball game against Northern on a gorgeous spring afternoon, only to learn it had been postponed for some random reason. I stopped into town to get a soft pretzel. But that was a long way to go for a soft pretzel.

Mifflin County at Hershey

Andy Shay: Hershey 40, Mifflin County 6: When was the last time Hershey was 4-0? See, nobody knows. Huskies have struggled, and the Trojans are riding a new-found wave. Deep shots and defense carries Hershey to win No. 4.

Jake Adams: Hershey 34, Mifflin County 17: I’ve been around these parts much less than the other esteemed gentlemen on this panel. I don’t have too many memories of winning Hershey football. 

Andy Sandrik: Hershey 24, Mifflin County 12: Kind of crazy to think that we could see a 5-0 Hershey squad entering battle against Bishop McDevitt on Oct. 30, basically playing for the Keystone Division title. That’s two weeks from now, of course, provided the Trojans can take care of business against winless Mifflin County and Lower Dauphin. 

Geoff Morrow: Hershey 39, Mifflin County 14: Well, Mr. Shay, I’ll do your research for you. Hershey started the 2011 season with seven straight wins. Trojans are hunting their first winning season since 2013.

Susquenita at James Buchanan

Andy Shay: Susquenita 39, James Buchanan 20: Short week for the Rockets does them no favors. ‘Hawks have been a step short of where I thought they would be, but here’s a great opportunity to get one.

Jake Adams: Susquenita 22, James Buchanan 13: Both these teams have struggled perhaps a bit more than I expected in the early going. JB comes in with the short end of the stick having been popped Monday by Annville-Cleona. 

Andy Sandrik: James Buchanan 26, Susquenita 21: Coming from someone who has taken the bus ride before, it is a looooong drive from Perry County to Mercersburg, especially if you get stuck behind farming equipment. 

Geoff Morrow: Susquenita 33, James Buchanan 20: The reason it probably took Sandrik so long to get to Mercersburg is because he was actually riding a lawnmower. Irony is now he needs a lawnmower to shave his face.

Juniata at Lancaster Catholic

Andy Shay: Juniata 21, Lancaster Catholic 13: I’m going to ride the coattails of the Indians’ defense and solid production from the QB position. It’s a winning formula in tight squeezes. Still a toss-up game for me.

Jake Adams: Juniata 24, Lancaster Catholic 19: A couple impressive wins in a row for these Indians, who have an interesting balance on offense. That group produces just enough to impress once again.

Andy Sandrik: Juniata 28, Lancaster Catholic 25: Don’t read my Juniata analysis; read Andy Shay’s. He’s the one who correctly picked the Indians marching into Hersheypark Stadium and coming home with the ‘W’ last week.

Geoff Morrow: Juniata 14, Lancaster Catholic 7: Let’s pretend the Indians are still angry over the lopsided loss they were dealt by the Crusaders back in 2007, when this year’s seniors were 4 years old. ANGER IS A GIFT!

Cedar Cliff at Palmyra

Andy Shay: Cedar Cliff 27, Palmyra 14: Been a rugged and physical 12 opening quarters to the season for the Colts. This is a more level playing field to flash more of that speed they have. Cougars are scrappy but have been inconsistent.

Jake Adams: Cedar Cliff 37, Palmyra 7: Colts have taken some lumps the last few weeks but get to dish out some pain this time.

Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 28, Palmyra 21: With one combined win in six games, this is probably the last chance for one of these teams to turn their season around.

Geoff Morrow: Cedar Cliff 40, Palmyra 14: Let’s not overthink it. Yes, the teams are a combined 1-5, but the Colts lost a nail-biter to Hershey and a competitive game to McDevitt, whereas the winless Cougars just lost by 34 last week to Hershey.

Lower Dauphin at Red Land

Andy Shay: Red Land 21, Lower Dauphin 7: Neither offense has shown enough bang for the buck to be a solid favorite here. Patriots’ defense has been more consistent when the playing field is level. And RL has a win, so that matters. 

Jake Adams: Red Land 20, Lower Dauphin 13: Patriots’ defense has been solid much of the season, but offensive consistency hasn’t always been there. 

Andy Sandrik: Red Land 27, Lower Dauphin 12: The Patriots can’t be thrilled about last week’s blowout loss, and I can’t imagine the Falcons are happy about losing to a team that was in the TVL last year. Someone needs to pick it up this week, and I’m picking the Red Land offense to finally do just that.

Geoff Morrow: Red Land 17, Lower Dauphin 14: Falcons drag a 13-game losing streak into what was recently a one-sided series. Patriots’ triumph over LD last year snapped a seven-game skid vs. LD.

West Perry at Shippensburg

Andy Shay: Shippensburg 37, West Perry 20: More of the pieces fell into place for the Greyhounds despite the loss to Northern. Mustangs are struggling to get all the train cars on the track together, and Ship has an opportunity to get that elusive first win. 

Jake Adams: Shippensburg 35, West Perry 31: Neither of these teams plays like they’re 0-3. Probably the toughest winless teams in the Mid-Penn right now. Sadly, one of them must remain that way for another week. 

Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 42, West Perry 21: The Mustangs will have to do better than last week’s four-turnover effort if they intend to invade Memorial Park and return to Elliottsburg with a win. Ship is 0-3, too, but the ‘Hounds took a few steps forward in a loss to Northern last week. 

Geoff Morrow: Shippensburg 28, West Perry 20: It was recently Greyhound Week at the beach in Delaware, so it’s time for Ship to get the sand out of its shorts and pocket a W.

Mechanicsburg at Susquehanna Township

Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 40, Susquehanna Township 7: So it’s been two full weeks without playing ball for the Indians, and that’s a huge factor. Plus Mechanicsburg is on top of its game right from the opening kick. Speed advantage that ‘Hanna usually enjoys does not exist in this one.

Jake Adams: Mechanicsburg 35, Susquehanna Township 19: Indians might be fresher heading into this game, but the Wildcats are playing with a confidence the program hasn’t had in quite some time. A year ago this was a fun battle. This year? Think the ‘Cats’ bite is a little sharper.

Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 42, Susquehanna Township 7: Is Mechanicsburg the team to beat in the Colonial? We may or may not have a good answer to that question after this game, which features a skilled Indians squad that hasn’t played for the past two weeks. 

Geoff Morrow: Mechanicsburg 35, Susquehanna Township 14: As of six days ago, I now live in Susquehanna Township. Let me introduce myself to the neighbors by picking their (our?) football team to lose by three touchdowns.

East Pennsboro at Waynesboro

Andy Shay: Waynesboro 26, East Pennsboro 7: There’s a level of pure football strength and power that the Indians are employing this year that grinds teams into the ground and takes a lot of the fight right out of them. Panthers are 2-1 and will have to live on the edges and be successful there to have a shot.

Jake Adams: Waynesboro 28, East Pennsboro 23: Both teams have been pleasant surprises in the first half of the season. A Panthers win here would likely leave just two unbeaten teams standing in the Colonial. Interesting …

Andy Sandrik: Waynesboro 27, East Pennsboro 14: I still can’t get over how much of a manhandling Waynesboro put last week on Red Land, a program known for its tough, physical style of play. If the Indians can match up with East Penn’s team speed, this is their game to lose.

Geoff Morrow: Waynesboro 33, East Pennsboro 20: First meeting for these programs since 2015 could be entertaining. But the ‘Boro seems to have found another gear last week.

Saturday, Oct. 17

Camp Hill at Steel-High

Andy Shay: Steel-High 54, Camp Hill 21: The over/under for pass attempts in this one is 67. And that might be low. Combined these teams are 5-0, and the week off helps the Lions in one respect, but, in this matchup, that might not matter.

Jake Adams: Steel-High 49, Camp Hill 27: Did you see what the Rollers just did to Trinity? OK, Camp Hill should fair much, much better, even after a sudden week off because of COVID-19, but Steel-High is playing phenomenal ball right now.

Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 55, Camp Hill 14: The Lions have deployed a productive offensive unit this season, but points will be hard to come by against the ‘Rollers, who also hold a major advantage on offense.

Geoff Morrow: Steel-High 59, Camp Hill 26: After watching some highlights of the Rollers, I honestly don’t know what stops them in the small-school universe. This bunch is fast, fun and unforgiving.

J.P. McCaskey at Harrisburg

Andy Shay: Harrisburg 49, J.P. McCaskey 0: Lots of phony tough teams out there ducking teams like the Cougars and opting to enjoy an “off” week instead. In the COVID-19 world any game is better than no game. McCaskey is 0-4 and still took the game. Nothing phony tough about that.

Jake Adams: Harrisburg 51, J.P. McCaskey 9: Really, I’m just picking this score to be weirder than my companions here this week.

Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 55, J.P. McCaskey 0: There are a whole lot of programs out there crying “Let the kids play!” while also turning down the chance to play Harrisburg. Credit to 0-4 McCaskey for taking this on. If the Cougars end up winning a district or state title, the Red Tornadoes should be invited to the pizza party. 

Geoff Morrow: Harrisburg 62, J.P. McCaskey 6: If he were alive today, former Lancaster mayor John Piersol McCaskey would have just celebrated his 183rd birthday this week. “Celebrate” might be too strong a word, though. I imagine being 183 years old wouldn’t feel that much fun. Ask me in 140 years.

Upper Dauphin at Halifax

Andy Shay: Upper Dauphin 33, Halifax 26: Something tells me this one is tight early then explodes into a track meet in the middle before a big play or two decides it late. True dartboard game for me.

Jake Adams: Upper Dauphin 36, Halifax 28: So I just learned tonight from a groupchat with my old college roommates “Dauphin” is the word for the French heir apparent, which was typically the Duke of Orleans at that time, during the 14th through 19th centuries. The more you know.

Andy Sandrik: Upper Dauphin 49, Halifax 35: This is officially a Mid-Penn Liberty Division contest, but it sure looks, smells, and feels like a TVL pinball matchup, doesn’t it? 

Geoff Morrow: Upper Dauphin 42, Halifax 19: The teams have flip-flopped wins each of the last five years. That means Halifax should win this year. But I detest patterns … unless we’re talking about socks.

*Not playing Week 4: Newport

Week 6 Schuylkill League Schedule: 

Friday, Oct. 16

Williams Valley at Schuylkill Haven

Andy Shay: Williams Valley 40, Schuylkill Haven 21: Whether it was the Tri-Valley League (RIP) or in their new residence as part of the Schuylkill League, the Vikings are pretty consistent in keeping the scoreboard rolling with points. Expect that to continue.

Jake Adams: Williams Valley 35, Schuylkill Haven 25: Vikings invade foreign territory and dominate the competition. You know … how football was played hundreds of years ago.

Andy Sandrik: Williams Valley 42, Schuylkill Valley 25: I take way too many things for granted, like the Vikings providing a steady stream of wins for my pick ‘ems.

Geoff Morrow: Williams Valley 43, Schuylkill Haven 30: Hurricanes roughed up the Vikings in the 2008 and 2013 playoffs, but it’s a new era in the Schuylkill!

Tri-Valley at Marian Catholic

Andy Shay: Tri-Valley 42, Marian Catholic 6: It was a late start for the Bulldogs, but they are making up for lost time by out-scoring their first two opponents 97-7. A one-win Marian squad provides an opportunity for that trend to continue.

Jake Adams: Tri-Valley 40, Marian Catholic 6: Despite already having a couple of shutouts, I still try to avoid predicting a shutout.

Andy Sandrik: Tri-Valley 42, Marian Catholic 0: Once. That’s how many times the Bulldogs have punted in eight quarters of football.

Geoff Morrow: Tri-Valley 38, Marian Catholic 0: The Colts have already been blanked three times this season.

Panther Valley at Pine Grove

Andy Shay: Pine Grove 29, Panther Valley 26: Couple of teams with identical 1-4 marks that have scored points but can’t slow teams down enough with any consistency. A toss-up game on every level in my book.

Jake Adams: Pine Grove 30, Panther Valley 24: My girlfriend would pick the Panthers because she likes Panthers better than Cardinals. She’s not picking these games. Or is she ….

Andy Sandrik: Pine Grove 28, Panther Valley 17: Yes, Pine Grove is 1-4, but those four losses have come against teams with a combined 18-2 record. I think the Cards weather the storm, then finish the fight. 

Geoff Morrow: Pine Grove 28, Panther Valley 27: Honestly, wouldn’t be surprised if this is the most competitive game on our entire slate of games this week.