Sunday Morning Quarterback: Steel-High adds a chapter to its legacy; Camp Hill has plenty to be proud of; Palmyra ends its season strong; CV putting the pieces together

Andy Shay
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By Andy Shay: 

Steel-High has a rich and storied football history littered with great teams, players, state championships and a flair for the dramatic at times.

Friday night on the road at Old Forge in Lackawanna County, the 2020 Steel-High team added another chapter to that rich Rollers football history.

Side note to this story: a few of us were on the sidelines at Seibert Park at the Camp Hill game watching the last couple minutes of this thriller play out. It was cool to be able to watch it on a phone. Who ever thought, right?

Before we get to the crazy final 10 seconds, it must be noted the Rollers rallied from down 36-27 with less than five minutes to play and won the game in regulation. That’s easy to forget in the drama that played out — especially at a stadium called the Devil’s Den.

Freshman quarterback Alex Erby was sensational down the stretch, completing 11 passes in two drives to take his team down the field with a pair of touchdown passes to win it.

The second of those came with no time remaining on the clock after his first attempt at victory from 6 yards out was incomplete, only for Old Forge was flagged for holding on the play.

Of course he was looking for his big-time FBS recruit wide receiver with the game on the line. He has other options at wideout, but Flowers is a big-time recruit for a reason. And given a second chance, Erby delivered and Flowers made the grab to keep the Rollers’ undefeated season alive with a date in the PIAA Class 1A semifinals up next.

Camp Hill might play another game with this special group of seniors, but we all know COVID-19 ravaged the schedule the last couple weeks and it feels like football is done. If this was the Lions’ last effort it was one they should be proud of in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal at home. That Bishop McDevitt-Wyncote had every advantage in the book but ran into a group of fearless razorbacks that simply wouldn’t be denied their shot.

It’s always fun to see a team that on paper is clearly overmatched in terms of the other squad being bigger, stronger and faster but yet the game is a tractor pull all the way for that team. You can read my game recap and Making The Grade for all the details.

Palmyra started 0-4 and will most likely — unless it plays another game — close this wacky COVID-19 season with three wins in its final four games after knocking off Northern by a field goal. This was a Northern team that raced to 5-0 and qualified for the District 3 Class 4A playoffs. That’s a big-time win for the Cougars and a testament to their sheer determination under these very trying circumstances. The Polar Bears lost for the third time in as many games after a torrid start.

Cumberland Valley and first-year coach Josh Oswalt are putting a few of the bricks in place as the Eagles’ alumnus re-shapes this program. Back-to-back wins over Carlisle and Cedar Cliff after a historically bad start — not seen since the 1970s. Freshman linebacker Alex Sauve returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown with 4:18 to play to rally CV to a four-point victory over hard-luck Cedar Cliff.

Wins over Cedar Cliff and Carlisle are normally a foregone conclusion for a program like CV, but as the Eagles turn over a new leaf under Oswalt any forward momentum is welcome.

Cumberland Valley and Mechanicsburg, one-time rivals who played annually for decades, are scheduled to play again on Thanksgiving Day. Who knows what the next couple weeks hold with COVID-19, but an old high school football rivalry renewed on Thanksgiving Day would be a breath of fresh air during these very difficult and troubling times.

Making the Grade: Camp Hill vs. Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote)

Andy Shay
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Making the Grade: Camp Hill vs. Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote)

By Andy Shay: 

Even before the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal between visiting Bishop McDevitt-Wyncote and Camp Hill kicked off you could see the astounding size difference between the two clubs. The Royal Lancers won the tale of the tape going away.

But the Lions, all 23 of them that dressed, showed up and played their tails off. Camp Hill was going to have to be even better than it was the first half in a game it led 14-13 at intermission. Turns out that was too big of an ask as the Royal Lancers came out on top 26-14.

Make no mistake, though, it wasn’t an easy win for the District 12 squad from Philadelphia. They were pushed by the scrappy Lions.

This wasn’t a clean game by any measurable. The teams combined for nine turnovers and 22 penalties that totaled 200-plus yards. But it was an entertaining game, but the size difference was astounding.

Time to hand out some grades.

BISHOP MCDEVITT ROYAL LANCERS

Quarterback: Nick Santo isn’t the kind of QB that is going to throw down the field and drop a dime. But he’s smart with the ball and makes the short throws to his playmakers look easy. They don’t ask a lot of him, but he delivered with 13 completions for nearly 200 yards. He did fumble on the goal line and it didn’t end up costing McD, but it was a huge mistake in the fourth quarter. Grade: B

Running Back: The Royal Lancers go with a two-back rotation and both James Bermudez and Keon Keener both crept just past the 100-yard barrier. Bermudez broke loose for one big gainer. The real hammer, though, is Keener who checks in at 5-11, 225 pounds and is what can best be described as a heavy runner. He ain’t easy to bring down when he gets going forward. Keener scored both rushing touchdowns and is tough. Grade: A

Wide Receivers: Most of the routes are either WR screens or crossing routes, but Joachim McElroy and Corey Wright-Downing find ways to get open and catch most balls around them. The duo combined for 13 grabs for 152 yards. They were lethal after the catch and that was key. The best catch was by Emmanuel Sia, who made the best individual catch I’ve seen in person all season by adjusting to a tough throw to make a 34-yard grab on a third-and-30 play. It was his only catch.  Grade: A+

Offensive Line: They are massive and pretty darn good. It helps when you average about 75-100 pounds more per man than the guy across from you, but you still need to execute. They are a big reason the Royal Lancers pulled this game out. With so many turnovers and miscues, when they were given the chance they made sure the QB had time to throw and holes were available for the backs. Grade: A

Defensive Line: This group is big, strong and fast. They were in the Lions’ QB’s kitchen all game making his life miserable. And they didn’t miss many chances to finish. Five sacks is a good number against a mobile QB.. Grade: A

Linebackers: My guess is they are probably really good against the run. But on this night they struggled with the crossing routes and bubble screens in pass coverage. They made a couple big hits and picked off one pass. Still, their coverage against the pass opened a door for Camp Hill. Grade: C+

Secondary: A pick-six by Sia, who also had the best catch of the game, turned this game around for the Royal Lancers. The corners got beat a couple times, three pass interference calls. Overall a good night with picks, but at times they struggled. Grade: B

Special Teams: Lots of special teams penalties, a missed PAT and their coverage on kickoffs was just average. That’s an average grade, right? Grade: C

CAMP HILL LIONS

Quarterback: Daniel Shuster is ready to play at the next level. If he can stand up to that kind of beating and still be throwing it at the end, he’s ready. His coach likes to say he has three seconds. On this night it was more like two or less most times. Still threw for 268 yards, but made two bad throws for interceptions. The other two were good plays by the defense to guys that probably looked open when he let the ball go. They had that much speed. Grade: B

Running Back: I don’t count quarterbacks as running backs and out of necessity in this one Shuster was the best option running the ball on QB draws. Grade: Incomplete

Wide Receivers: After the game my partner on High School Football Now, the legendary Eric Epler, told me Cam Ochs is only a rookie when it comes to varsity football and that basketball is his main sport. Well the Royal Lancers have some good corners and they rotated three guys on him and they still couldn’t cover him. I was impressed and not because he finished 8-162 and a TD, either. I did see three or four drops that were clear drops. Those stood out in a game like this. Still, Ochs more than made up for it. Grade: A-

Offensive Line: When the guy across from you is clearly bigger, stronger and pretty fast, too, that makes for a long night. I know the pass rush was fierce and impacted the game. But for what they have to work with, I thought this group did an okay job, really. They were going backwards almost from the snap because they guys on the other side were 50-75 pounds bigger.  Grade: C

Defensive Line: It must have felt like pushing a burlap bag filled with water all night for these guys. They were so much smaller than the Royal Lancers’ OL. Luke Parise was fantastic, though. He knocked a pass down and was able to break free and make some nice plays. They caused a couple fumbles, too. Grade: C+

Linebackers: Max Delaye and Ben Mullin could barely walk after the game and with good reason. They gave at the office. These two were like razorbacks in tight spaces and made a ton of tackles. Neither was afraid to run at 100 miles per hour into the fray with zero regard for their bodies. They were outstanding. Grade: B

Secondary: I saw only one mistake by this group and that was on a 32-yard touchdown pass to the tight end after a long drive where the McDevitt was running the ball down their throat. They got caught looking in the backfield. Even that killer 34-yard reception they gave up on third-and-20 was excellent coverage. The catch was just better. They got beat on nothing deep or in space. Grade: B

Special Teams: Well the missed FG by Shuster wasn’t close and that was always a big ask at 35 yards. The deep kickoff was the better option after a short kick gave up too much field position. Produced a turnover early in the first quarter. The offense didn’t capitalize, but they created opportunity. Only punt from deep in their own territory was nearly 40 yards and not returnable. Well done Parise. Grade: B+

Camp Hill falls to Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote) 26-14 in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal

Andy Shay
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Camp Hill falls to Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote) 26-14 in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal

News and Notes: Schuylkill League

4thdownmagazine
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News and Notes: Schuylkill League

By Michael Bullock: 

Williams Valley and Tri-Valley hoping to battle:

For the fourth consecutive postseason, Williams Valley (8-1) and Tri-Valley (5-1) are hoping to duke it out in a backyard scrap that will double as the District 11 Class 1A title game. Right now, however, this match-up is postponed. More information on the status of this game is expected to be released on Monday, according to Williams Valley coach Tim Savage. Yet, if the regular-season meeting between these two was an indication, this should be a dandy between two feisty programs that enjoy knocking one another around. Limited to 6 offensive yards in the opening half last time, Tim Savage’s Vikings rallied for a 35-28 triumph behind Bryce Herb’s three touchdown passes and Jesse Engle’s second-half running (13 carries for 109 yards and 1 score). Two of Herb’s touchdown passes went to Jake Herman, with the third hauled in by Brady Evans. Herman, Engle, Isaac Whiteash and Logan Williard added interceptions for Williams Valley, while Jackson Yoder, Engle and Whiteash combined for 44 tackles. Jonas McGrath fired a pair of touchdown passes to Chase Herb, while Herb rushed for 105 yards and a third score. McGrath also scored on a QB sneak. Caden Richards chipped in with 12 tackles, three more than Jake Scheib. Williams Valley prepped for its latest District 11-A final — the Vikings have won two of the last three to Tri-Valley’s one — by holding off Mahanoy Area 27-22 for its seventh straight victory. Bryce Herb tossed touchdown passes to Alex Achenbach, Herman and Evans, while Engle complemented Achenbach’s 156 rushing yards by running for 38 yards and one TD. Engle left last weekend’s scrap with an ankle injury, so how healthy he is this week will be a key. Tri-Valley doubled up Nativity 28-14 in its 11-A semifinal — also at North Schuylkill — as Chase Herb, Kameron Wetzel and McGrath rushed for touchdowns. McGrath also tossed a touchdown pass to Jolten Flory. Flory added 2.5 QB sacks — Tri-Valley totaled five — while Layne Yoder swiped two Nativity passes.

Pine Grove angling to close out with second straight win:

Buoyed by a convincing 43-6 conquest of Pequea Valley, Pine Grove will try to turn back another Lancaster-Lebanon League side Friday night when Columbia visits the Cardinals (3-6). QB Josh Leininger threw three touchdown passes in the win over Pequea Valley, hooking up twice with Dalton Geesey and once with Shea Morgan. Brody Robinson added 145 rushing yards and three scores for Frank Gaffney’s Cardinals, who rolled up 475 offensive yards against the visiting Braves. Geesey finished with three catches for 64 yards, while Morgan racked up 115 yards on nine receptions. Morgan’s output bumped his career total to 108 catches, moving him past Larry Zimmerman (104) on Pine Grove’s all-time receptions list.

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Liberty

4thdownmagazine
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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Liberty

By Michael Bullock: 

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.

Juniata’s first state appearance nearly extended

Trailing 26-7 at the halftime break to an undefeated Oil City squad, things looked mighty, mighty grim for Juniata as it huddled at Altoona’s Mansion Park. And while Jacob Condo’s 70-yard touchdown pass to Manny O’Donell was one of the few first-half bright spots for the Indians (5-2), it wasn’t long before Kurt Condo’s club began digging into the District 10 Class 4A champions. Although Zach Harr’s 30-yard fumble return late in the third quarter pulled Juniata within two scores, a pair of short touchdown runs by Yaneil “G.G.” Ortiz had the Indians sporting a 27-26 lead with just less than nine minutes to play. A minute or so later, Holden Stahl fired a 76-yard touchdown pass to Dakota Cole and Cole tacked on the two-point try as the Oilers held a 34-27 advantage. Juniata made one last push to move into the next round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs when Jacob Condo hooked up with Caleb Seeger for a 5-yard score with 31 seconds left. Condo was stopped on the ensuing two-point try, meaning Juniata’s bid to advance had been halted despite a valiant second-half rally that gave the Indians a chance to win in the closing seconds.

Newport goes 14 days between games, hoping to build on latest win

Finally able to play a game following a two-week break, Newport didn’t seem to be bothered by the layoff as the Buffaloes trimmed Upper Dauphin 42-28 at Katchmer Field. Thomas Pyle rushed for a career-high 162 yards and two touchdowns, and he tossed a TD pass to QB Andrew Bates for a third score. Meanwhile, Bates ran for 116 yards and one score, fired two touchdown passes to Will Davis and caught one TD toss from Pyle for another score. Trading scores throughout the first half, Todd Rothermel’s Buffaloes (3-2, 2-1) carried a 21-14 lead into the break when Bates broke off a 33-yard TD run with 1:38 to play. And Bates found Davis for a 5-yard score midway through the third quarter to make a two-score game. UD was able to answer Newport’s next two scores, but when Pyle tacked on a 47-yard score with 5:08 to play, the Buffs were up 42-28. On tap for the ‘Port is a trip to Halifax (1-5, 0-4) for a Mid-Penn Liberty Division scrap. Like Rothermel’s Buffs, Halifax will ride into Friday night’s contest with some momentum after ending a 17-game skid last weekend with a 37-32 victory over Trinity. Bryce Enders rushed for 272 yards and touchdowns of 52, 44, 60 and 9 yards to lead Earl Mosley’s Wildcats, but it was Zander Conrad’s short TD run with 4:38 to play that finally turned the result in Halifax’s favor. Conrad led the ‘Cats with 14 tackles, two more than Ryan Stahl.

Line Mountain hoping to halt two-game slide

Stunned by a Penns Valley side they’d scheduled merely one day earlier, Line Mountain will be trying to end a two-game losing streak Friday night at Ressler Field when Mifflinburg (5-4) pays a visit. Brandon Carson’s Eagles (4-3) appeared to be in decent shape when QB Jacob Feese fired a 30-yard touchdown pass to Garret Laudenslager on a quick slant, but the hosts found themselves down 21-12 at the half once Penns Valley turned a fumble into points. The Rams added two second-half scores, sending Line Mountain to a 35-12 setback that arrived just one week after Southern Columbia smacked the Eagles 49-7 in the District 4 Class 2A semifinals. Mifflinburg (5-4) squeezed past Shikellamy 13-7 in overtime on Cade Dressler’s 5-yard run just one week after the Wildcats were handled 48-7 in the District 4 Class 4A semifinals by top-ranked Jersey Shore. Speedy QB Jacob Reitz, who paced Jason Dressler’s squad with 55 rushing yards, logged the ‘Cats’ first score.

Upper Dauphin to entertain Big Spring

Idled for 17 days before returning to the field earlier this week, Upper Dauphin (2-4) hung in with Newport before falling 42-28. Chance Crawford rushed for 65 yards and two scores, Brady Morgan added 65 rushing yards and a TD, while Christian Snyder paced Kent Smeltz’s Trojans with 92 rushing yards. Tyler Cleveland passed for 143 yards — Kyle Casner latched on to a handful of Cleveland aerials for 107 yards — with his 14-yard throw to Casner initiating the UDA scoring. Big Spring (4-3) will roll into Elizabethville Saturday night sporting a two-game winning streak. The Bulldogs last weekend rallied past Susquenita, defeating the Blackhawks 28-21 in overtime despite trailing 21-7 at the halftime break.

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Colonial

Andy Shay
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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Colonial

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.

Mustangs notch victory No. 2: 

Congratulations to West Perry on picking up win No. 2 this season by knocking off Waynesboro last week. Hold on, the one-win Mustangs beat an Indians team who the week prior blanked playoff-bound Northern 22-0 for their second win of the season? Don’t ever tell me when I say Crazy Colonial again I’m wrong. And it doesn’t have to be a COVID-19 season for this division to be nuts.

Welcome to the wild Colonial: 

So, you want another example? Well, how about Greencastle-Antrim scoring a touchdown and field goal in the final 50 seconds to edge East Pennsboro. I can keep going if you want. How about Shippensburg holding Susquehanna Township to a touchdown in a 20-7 victory? The Greyhounds have found their stride after a rough, rough start. That’s not easy to do in this climate, either. I mean, is there a more vintage Shippensburg victory score than 20-7?

4th Down Magazine’s Picks and Predictions for the Week of Nov. 12-14

4thdownmagazine
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4th Down Magazine’s Picks and Predictions for the Week of Nov. 12-14

Standings: 

Andy Shay: Last week 20-6; Overall 112-32

 Jake Adams: Last week 20-6; Overall 109-35

Geoff Morrow: Last week 17-9; Overall 103-41

 Andy Sandrik:  Last week 14-12; Overall 102-42

THURSDAY’S GAMES 

Regular Season

Mechanicsburg at CD East, 6

Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 31, CD East 7: Wildcats are gonna be stinging a bit after that game with Mifflin, but back in the fray they go. They’ll be fine. East defense has been tough all year, and nothing says that is going to change. Panthers haven’t scored in two-plus games, though.

Jake Adams: Mechanicsburg 35, CD East 7: The final score may depend a little on if RB Taylor Shearer is healthy after twisting his ankle last week. But, even without him, the Wildcats should have no problem bouncing back from a tough District 3 loss.

Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 34, CD East 14: The Wildcats are out of the playoffs, but they get to resume their season with a pair of crossover contests against Commonwealth Division reps CD East and Cumberland Valley. Won’t be as easy most think, but Mechanicsburg will take care of business. 

Geoff Morrow: Mechanicsburg 24, CD East 6: Interesting dynamic, returning to regular-season football after getting thrashed in a playoff game. Psychologically, it can’t be easy to revive the same fire from pre-playoffs. But this is simply a good team vs. a not-so-good team.

FRIDAY’S GAMES 

PIAA Playoffs

Class 3A Quarterfinal: 3-1 Wyomissing at 2-1 Lakeland, 7

Andy Shay: Wyomissing 42, Lakeland 7: All I’m going to say is the Spartans’ offense gets a lot of attention, and it should. But watch out for this defense. That unit is the game-changer in my book.

Jake Adams: Wyomissing 49, Lakeland 14: Lakeland’s CJ Dippre (Maryland commit) is a talented TE with a couple TDs and 199 receiving yards. He may be more destructive on defense, where he has 13 TFLs and a team-high four sacks. But Wyo has its share of D-I recruits as well.

Andy Sandrik: Wyomissing 38, Lakeland 18: I can’t say I’m super familiar with Lakeland’s season, but I can say I just finished watching Wyomissing put a HURTING on two high-quality opponents, and I’m not quite ready to pick against that yet.

Geoff Morrow: Wyomissing 35, Lakeland 15: Gotta respect what the Chiefs have done this year out of District 2, but they’re entering a different level of football. It is a long trip to the rural Scranton suburb, though, for the Spartans.

Class 2A Quarterfinal: 12-1 Bishop McDevitt at 3-1 Camp Hill, 7

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 34, Camp Hill 20: McD (Wyncote) has battled COVID-19 shutdown this season and hasn’t played a ton of football. But its schedule is full of quality teams, and it competed at a high level. That will show up here. Lions are free to take their shots and see what happens. This is like playing with house money for them.

Jake Adams: Camp Hill 28, Bishop McDevitt 24: My yearly bemoaning that there’s next to nothing on any school in District 12. Anyway … if the Lions’ newfound offensive balance carries into a second straight week, they just might make the final four for the first time in 16 years.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 35, Camp Hill 21: I thought for sure we’d be talking about Bishop McDevitt in the playoffs, but not … like this.

Geoff Morrow: Camp Hill 30, Bishop McDevitt 21: It’s been a weird season for everybody, but the Philly Catholic League has been particularly absurd. I’m not sure I trust the Royal Lancers here, and the Lions have been playing with heart. Notable: Penn State OL legend Chris Conlin is a McDevitt alum.

Class 1A Quarterfinal: 3-1 Steel-High at 2-1 Old Forge, 7 

Andy Shay: Steel-High 37, Old Forge 33: This is a toss-up game for me mostly because the Rollers didn’t finish last week. Until the mercy rule clock rolls or the final horn sounds, gotta stay focused and on point. Overall, I still think they are the better team by a wide berth. Defense rallies, and it could be a smoother ride to victory.

Jake Adams: Old Forge 49, Steel-High 42: One thing these two teams do well is score points. Should be fun for fans who like that sort of thing. I could see this game going either way.

Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 24, Old Forge 20: I don’t think the Rollers can win a shootout with the Blue Devils, who haven’t allowed more than 19 points in a game all season. If Steel-High wins, it’s going to be because of its defense. 

Geoff Morrow: Steel-High 42, Old Forge 38: Not sure the status of Rollers WR Mehki Flowers, who injured his ankle last week. But he’s definitely not a one-man show. At this level, Steel-High can’t afford the penalties, defensive lapses or turnovers that helped keep Muncy alive until the final whistle last week. If there’s a repeat of those mistakes, the Rollers likely lose to the Blue Devils as they did in 2013.

District 3 Playoffs

Class 5A Championship: No. 1 Governor Mifflin wins by forfeit over No. 2 Warwick, COVID-19

Class 4A Championship: No. 2 Elco at No. 1 Lampeter-Strasburg, 7

Andy Shay: Lampeter-Strasburg 42, Elco 20: All the Pioneers do is score 40 points a game each and every week. Has to be a real special effort from Elco to keep pace.

Jake Adams: Lampeter-Strasburg 45, Elco 14: The Pioneers have won the last two meetings between these two teams, both in the district playoffs the last two years, and have scored no less than 40 points in eight games this season. You do the math.

Andy Sandrik: Lampeter-Strasburg 52, Elco 13: All signs point to a Pioneers blowout.

Geoff Morrow: Lampeter-Strasburg 39, Elco 21: Third straight November these teams meet, with the Pioneers winning the last two by a combined score of 71-7. That said, I won’t make the same mistake disrespecting the Raiders as I did last week. Elco clearly has something special this season. It’s just that it will take a lot of it to upend L-S.

Regular Season

Big Spring at Upper Dauphin, 7

Andy Shay: Big Spring 34, Upper Dauphin 22: Behind the running of Mr. Wakefield, the Bulldogs are making it happen after a rough start. Run defense has to be on point against the Trojans.

Jake Adams: Big Spring 28, Upper Dauphin 20: I said it last week, and I’ll say it again — Dillon Wakefield seems good for 150 yards and 1.5 touchdowns. Every. Single. Week. On the flip side, the Trojans’ run game must find a way to crack a stingy Bulldogs defense allowing around 4 yards per carry.

Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 35, Upper Dauphin 21: The Bulldogs seem to have found their footing after a 1-2 start, which does not bode well for UD, a team that comes in on a two-game skid.

Geoff Morrow: Big Spring 27, Upper Dauphin 13: Third straight ex-TVL foe for the Bulldogs, and the first two ended in victory. A victory here gives Big Spring its first six-win season since 2016.

Bishop McDevitt at Hershey, 7

Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 35, Hershey 17: Nobody has slowed down McD quarterback Lek Powell this year. He’s good for about 250-275 yards and three touchdowns a game. A little shine is off this game, but Trojans still have a lot to play for.

Jake Adams: Bishop McDevitt 35, Hershey 21: The game we’ve all been waiting for lost a little shine after the Trojans’ first loss last week, but this should still be an entertaining battle for the Keystone title.

Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 42, Hershey 20: This game is like marrying your high school crush, but like 20 years later when they’ve already had kids and accumulated a bit of debt. Could be a good game, but the contest doesn’t quite carry the same weight to me that it did a few weeks ago. 

Geoff Morrow: Bishop McDevitt 45, Hershey 22: Let’s everybody hop on the Crusaders bandwagon, overlook the Trojans and predict multiple-score victories for McDevitt. I hope we’re all wrong and that this game comes down to the wire, though.

Columbia at Pine Grove, 7

Andy Shay: Pine Grove 26, Columbia 13: Long road trip for the Crimson Tide, and playing at PG is a great venue. Cardinals have enjoyed a decent last month; now it’s time to finish strong against a team that just played Monday.

Jake Adams: Pine Grove 37, Columbia 33: I wonder what the recovery feels like for the Crimson Tide after they go 17 days between games, play Monday and then quickly turn around for a game four days later.

Andy Sandrik: Pine Grove 24, Columbia 9: Pine Grove, 2-2 over its last two games, seems to have turned a corner. As for the Crimson Tide, I’m wondering if they’re still getting their football legs back after a long break from live games. 

Geoff Morrow: Pine Grove 27, Columbia 21: Personally speaking, the Cardinals have been one of the tougher teams for me to predict this season. I think the Crimson Tide have a solid group, though circumstance has not done them any favors. This could be an entertaining contest.

Cumberland Valley at Cedar Cliff, 7

Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 21, Cedar Cliff 17: This has all the elements of a great late-season, pandemic-world game in my book. Each team has battled through some tough times and is looking to finish strong. I see a lot of fight from the Colts and Eagles all game.

Jake Adams: Cedar Cliff 28, Cumberland Valley 21: I’m not sure the Carlisle win suddenly means the Eagles have turned a corner, but it’s clear they’re getting better. But I like the Colts on their home turf more.

Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 17, Cedar Cliff 14: Eagles have improved enough for me to call this a coin flip game. Colts are confident after two straight wins, though, and have thrived in scoring offense all season. 

Geoff Morrow: Cedar Cliff 23, Cumberland Valley 20: Picking Cedar Cliff games this season is torture. I make this pick with zero confidence.

Hollidaysburg at State College, 7

Andy Shay: Hollidaysburg 29, State College 27: Going with the Tigers for no real reason other than it feels like it’s their time to knock off the Little Lions.

Jake Adams: Hollidaysburg 30, State College 25: Yep, I’m gonna swing for the fences. It’s 2020, after all. Go big or go home.

Andy Sandrik: State College 28, Hollidaysburg 21: My gut is telling me to go with Hollidaysburg, but it also told me to eat the whole bag of nachos, effectively ruining family nacho night, so I’ll think for myself on this one.

Geoff Morrow: State College 33, Hollidaysburg 27: It’s been a LONG time since the Golden Tigers beat the Little Lions, and they have a legitimate chance in this game. A score I look back on now that surprises me is the Tigers’ double-digit takedown of Altoona. If that effort shows up here, it’s celebration time for the guests.

Mifflinburg at Line Mountain, 7

Andy Shay: Mifflinburg 36, Line Mountain 27: Three straight weeks in the fire at this level feels like a bit of a tall ask for the Eagles at this point.

Jake Adams: Mifflinburg 35, Line Mountain 28: Watch out for the Wildcats’ Colin Miller, who has 42 tackles and two sacks on defense as well as 372 rushing yards, 273 receiving and six combined TDs. Three of Mifflinburg’s four losses came against state-ranked squads.

Andy Sandrik: Mifflinburg 32, Line Mountain 28: The Eagles are a talented squad, but it’s awfully hard to rebound from back-to-back lopsided losses, especially against a quality team like Mifflinburg.

Geoff Morrow: Line Mountain 27, Mifflinburg 24: One thing that gives me pause is the Wildcats haven’t beaten a team with a winning record. Eagles are coming off back-to-back losses but still enter with a mark of 4-3.

Newport at Halifax, 7

Andy Shay: Newport 32, Halifax 19: Well done Wildcats putting that first W on the left side of the ledger last week. Buffaloes have been fighting COVID-19 a lot this season, so this is a bonus for them to even be playing.  

Jake Adams: Newport 35, Halifax 14: Good on the Wildcats for snagging that first win last week. The Buffaloes might be a little sluggish out of the gate after having not played since Oct. 26.

Andy Sandrik: Newport 28, Halifax 14: The Buffs answered the bell big time Monday. I think they ride that momentum to a ‘W’ Friday. 

Geoff Morrow: Newport 38, Halifax 20: Buffaloes have won six of the last seven meetings, many of them with a TON of points on the board. Not sure they match those outputs, but the ‘Port deserves to be called favorite in this one.

Northern at Palmyra, 6

Andy Shay: Northern 20, Palmyra 17: Polar Bears have seven points scored and have allowed 64 points over their last eight quarters. Gonna need to buck that trend to get this win. Cougars will put up a fight.

Jake Adams: Northern 28, Palmyra 14: The Polar Bears have been trending downward recently, and the offense has struggled, but this is a good matchup with which to bounce back.

Andy Sandrik: Northern 24, Palmyra 17: Palmyra is a much-improved team, but I’m wondering if this is the game that Northern bounces back with.

Geoff Morrow: Palmyra 26, Northern 16: Not sure where the Polar Bears are mentally right now after a couple of thorough losses followed their 5-0 start. Before a predictable loss to McDevitt last week, the Cougars showed they’re on a significant upward trend. I’m not even sure I’d call this an upset at this point.

Susquehanna Township at Waynesboro, 7

Andy Shay: Waynesboro 22, Susquehanna Township 20: ‘Hanna offense has to find that groove again against an Indians squad that has been up-and-down. But when they are riding a high wave, they do exactly as they wish.

Jake Adams: Waynesboro 28, Susquehanna Township 14: In keeping with the bizarro world the Colonial has been this year, the Franklin County Indians started white hot (3-0) and now have a couple perplexing losses in the last four weeks. Your guess is as good as mine.

Andy Sandrik: Waynesboro 27, Susquehanna Township 13: Save for a frustrating loss to East Penn, Waynesboro has been exceptional at Rip Engle Field. 

Geoff Morrow: Waynesboro 25, Susquehanna Township 18: Home-field advantage is the main reason for this pick. Secondary reason is ‘Hanna’s single-touchdown effort last week against Shippensburg causes concern.

Trinity at West Perry, 7

Andy Shay: West Perry 40, Trinity 20: Mustangs are playing their best football of the season and are looking to make it three wins in four games after a rough start.

Jake Adams: West Perry 35, Trinity 20: The Shamrocks have been oh-so-close the last few weeks trying to avoid a winless season. Mustangs have won two of the last three.

Andy Sandrik: West Perry 44, Trinity 21: WP took its early season lumps, went back to the drawing board and has re-emerged as a dangerous unit that not a lot of teams want to play right now. 

Geoff Morrow: West Perry 46, Trinity 22: Tough spot for the improving Shamrocks here, as the Mustangs are finding a groove and might not miss a beat at home this week.

SATURDAY’S GAMES

PIAA Playoffs 

Class 6A Quarterfinal: 3-1 Central York at 2-1 Delaware Valley, 1

Andy Shay: Central York 42, Delaware Valley 20: Panthers have more firepower and are willing to take more shots. That’s the difference maker here. Defense sets the table in this one for a late offensive explosion.

Jake Adams: Central York 55, Delaware Valley 21: How have the Panthers allowed just 45 points all season? Rooting for this team the rest of the way just because this is a fun-as-heck run.

Andy Sandrik: Central York 38, Delaware Valley 27: After years and years of YAIAA teams being the runts of the District 3 litter, it’s been really cool to see Central York win back respect, one blowout at a time. 

Geoff Morrow: Central York 44, Delaware Valley 28: If you’re driving 160 or so miles to play your first state playoff game, I expect a solid plan will be in place. Per the fabulous Matt Allibone of the York Daily Record, this could be York County’s first PIAA playoff win, with Littlestown (Adams County) owning the YAIAA’s only victory way back in 2004.

Local teams not playing this week: Altoona, Boiling Springs, Carlisle, Central Dauphin, Chambersburg, East Pennsboro, Greencastle-Antrim, Harrisburg, James Buchanan, Juniata, Lower Dauphin, Middletown, Mifflin County, Red Land, Shippensburg, Susquenita, Williams Valley, Tri-Valley.

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Capital

Andy Shay
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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Capital

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.

Capital Division faring well in the playoffs: 

Three playoff teams for the Capital Division — Middletown, Steel-High and Camp Hill. Two of those squads have claimed District 3 titles. Steel-High won the Class 1A crown two weeks ago, and last Friday night the Lions upset York Catholic 21-7 in the Class 2A championship game. I call it an upset and that might ruffle the feathers of the Lions and their fans, but they were the underdogs. Camp Hill has only 28 players on its roster and numbers issues are just a way of life for the Lions. But they were able to get all the right players healthy and in the positions Tim Bigelow and his staff wanted for the game with York Catholic. Here’s the crazy part: Camp Hill is known as a team that likes to throw the ball all over the yard with strong-arm QB Daniel Shuster pulling the trigger. Against the Fighting Irish, Camp Hill grabbed the lead then went on a nearly 11-minute drive to ice the game away. I mean, York Catholic had only 32 offensive snaps the entire game. That’s a crazy number. Next up for Camp Hill is Bishop McDevitt Wyncote at home Friday night in a PIAA Class 2A quarterfinal.

Rollers clicking on the ground and through the air: 

I keep hearing Steel-High is a running team. You don’t score 50 a game if you are a running team unless you are Southern Columbia. The Rollers are a very good running team, but they can go up-and-down the field with the best of them and that’s what happened Saturday at Cottage Hill against Muncy in a PIAA Class 1A game. The teams combined for 93 points (50-43 Rollers win) and more than 1,100 yards of total offense was put up. Quick, when was the last high school game where you saw the two teams combined for more than 120 total offensive snaps? No wonder it was 50-43. The halftime score was 36-14 Rollers, so the explosion came early in this one. Odell Greene had 101 yards on nine carries and a TD; QB Alex Erby threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns; Damein Hammonds had five catches for 135 yards and three scores; and Mekhi Flowers added five grabs for 115 yards and a TD. All this was their numbers in the first half. Crazy.

News and Notes: Mid-Penn Keystone

Andy Shay
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News and Notes: Mid-Penn Keystone

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.

Battle for Keystone Division on tap: 

Neither Hershey nor Bishop McDevitt earned a berth in the District 3 playoffs this year despite each boasting an unbeaten record at the playoff deadline. That’s how it goes in 2020. BUT … there is football left to be played, and the Crusaders and Trojans are scheduled to play Friday night at Hershey High School for the Keystone Division title. This game was wiped out by COVID-19 a couple weeks ago, and each team had a warm-up game last week to get ready. Hershey is coming off its first loss to Manheim Central in a game where the inability to get off the field on third down the second half and too many penalties ended up being the difference in a three-point loss. McDevitt rolled Palmyra while shaking off the COVID-19 week off rust. The biggest question in this one is can Hershey’s defense, which has been well above board compared to a year ago, slow down Crusaders QB Lek Powell? The senior has thrown for more than 1,500 yards in only six games and is completing like 64% of his passes. Hershey is not shy about taking shots in the passing game, and hits on more than they miss it seems. This is a very intriguing contest.

Lower Dauphin breaks 16-game losing streak: 

Congratulations to the Lower Dauphin Falcons and head coach Rob Klock on ending their 16-game losing streak. You could see this win coming. The Falcons had been hanging around in a couple games recently, and it was just a matter of time. Klock has been down this path before as LD’s head coach. He knows how to build something. I’m just not sure when he opted to come back last year if he was fully aware of how far down the ladder he was going to start. The Falcons weren’t even competitive last year. This year they are better and have a win on their ledger. I wouldn’t bet against Klock bringing this program all the way back in a couple years.

4th Down Magazine Player of the Week: Waynesboro’s Chance Eyler

4thdownmagazine
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4th Down Magazine Player of the Week: Waynesboro’s Chance Eyler

4th Down Staff: 

Chance Eyler had a breakout game, tossing a career-high 229 yards in Friday’s 24-18 loss to West Perry. 

The effort was enough to claim one of our last Player of the Week honors of this strange, truncated 2020 season. 

Eyler’s stat line — 17-of-22, 229 yards, TD passes of 9 and 12 yards, an interception and seven carries for 13 yards — is the best of his career as well. The senior’s previous career high was 106 yards earlier this season. 

Eyler now has 532 yards through the air in his final campaign, including six touchdowns, on. 48-of-87 passing. He also has 173 yards and two TDs on the ground.

Eyler has led the Indians to a 4-3 record.

He picked up 678 votes this week, 35.4% of the 1,915 votes cast. His only close competition was Shippensburg QR/DB Devin Wilson, who garnered 560 votes (29.2%). Halifax RB/LB Bryce Enders finished third with 281 votes (14.7%).

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