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.

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.

Keystone Division left out of the District 3 playoffs:

Nobody from the MPC Keystone made the cut for the District 3 playoffs despite hosting a pair of 5-0 squads — Bishop McDevitt and Hershey. Each has a valid reason for being frustrated with what went down, but the bottom line was the lack of depth in the Mid-Penn Conference overall and in the Keystone Division in particular hurt both teams. You can argue Bishop McDevitt, a powerhouse program, has a more legitimate beef than the surprise 5-0 Trojans. I don’t see it that way. Each lost out on equal undefeated terms. The other factor here is this is not a normal year, right? The volatility of District 3 power ratings over the first 5-6 weeks is somewhat normal. In a normal year, generally speaking, the best time to start paying attention to the power ratings is after Week 7. It’s calmed down by then. In a shortened year with condensed brackets, this was always going to happen. Hershey missed in Class 5A and finished behind a 4-2 team in the No. 6 hole. That tells you how much the opponent’s weighted winning percentage (OWWP) matters. The four teams that made it in Class 5A are also undefeated. Bishop McDevitt fell victim to a perfect storm in Class 4A with all four teams ahead of them also being undefeated. But the kicker for the Crusaders — and this really hurt — was all of the other teams on their schedule that determine their OWWP lost in Week 5. Guess who plays this week at the Concrete Palace (Hersheypark Stadium)? Bishop McDevitt will pay a visit to Hershey. Isn’t that interesting.

Palmyra notches win No. 1: 

Congratulations to Palmyra for picking up win No. 1 on the season by using three interceptions and scoring 34 points to knock off Mifflin County. The 34 points by the Cougars was more than they had scored in the three previous games combined.

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.

COVID-19 plays havoc on District 3-6A field:

Welcome to COVID-19 pandemic and District 3 high school football playoffs. So the Harrisburg Cougars found that elusive fourth game they needed to be playoff eligible, bump Wilson out of the four-team Class 6A party and deny Central York a home game. State College stepped in, kudos to the Little Lions for playing the already scheduled game with Harrisburg early right on the deadline. It didn’t matter if Harrisburg won or lost (the Cougars won), they were going to get in with four games. Harrisburg’s victory over State College meant the No. 1 seed when the brackets were officially announced at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Less than five hours after the brackets were made official Harrisburg School District announced a player on the football team, who did not travel to the game Monday as a precaution, had indeed tested positive for COVID-19. That means Harrisburg had to cease all activities until Nov. 5. By District 3 rules for all sports in the pandemic world, once the brackets are set any team that has a COVID-19 issue will automatically forfeit their upcoming contest. So, Harrisburg must forfeit its District 3 Class 6A semifinal to William Allen (York High). It was only five hours after the brackets were announced, but by rule Wilson could not take Harrisburg’s place and enter the playoffs. Look, it’s a strange world we are living in now. We all know that. And the rules and regulations for COVID-19 playoff guidelines were set in August. No complaining now when it looked like in August there was going to be zero football played in 2020. Rules are rules.

Rams favorites in the District 3-6A tournament:

Central Dauphin is still the favorite in Class 6A and will now host Central York. This should be an interesting game. Central York has not fared very well in these big-school playoff games the last two years despite splendid regular seasons. Rams are built for a scrap and 48 minutes of trading paint. We will be there Friday night at the Speedway for this one!

Carlisle’s Sean Smith set school rushing record: 

I hope Carlisle running back Sean Smith plans to take the lads up front out to The Hamilton on High Street for Hotchee Dogs after he set a school record for rushing yards in a game with 333 in a victory over Cedar Cliff. The Colts’ defensive line isn’t a pushover, so Smith clearly had some help. He scored four touchdowns in the 35-28 victory as well. The french fries with gravy aren’t bad, either.

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.

Line Mountain carries four-game winning streak into semis

Brandon Carson’s Line Mountain outfit (4-1) may be heading into the District 4 Class 2A semifinals, but the Eagles needed an impressive 11-minute stretch just to reverse some early negatives and power their way into postseason play with a 44-21 defeat of Newport. Down 21-10, Line Mountain gained plenty of momentum with 11 seconds left in the first half when Jacob Feese found Aidan Herb on an 11-yard touchdown pass. Once the second half began, the Eagles were winging, scoring 27 more points to bounce off with a result that an hour or so earlier looked doubtful. Feese added a pair of touchdown runs to the one he opened the game with, finishing with 190 yards on 23 carries for a Line Mountain group that rolled up 510 yards on the ground.

Garret Laudenslager also had a productive night, adding 255 yards on 23 attempts, while Beau Keim chipped in with 65 yards and one score on 10 tries. Cameron Smeltz paced the Eagles defensively with 12 tackles, one for loss and an interception. Dominick Bridi added a handful of stops, 1.5 for loss, one quarterback sack and a fumble recovery. While Line Mountain ran its winning streak to four — all four victories featured offensive bursts of 40 points or more — what’s sitting in front of the Eagles is the powerful Southern Columbia program (7-0) riding a 55-game winning streak that’s won the last three PIAA Class 2A championships. Jim Roth’s Tigers also knocked off Central Columbia, ensuring Line Mountain’s route to the 4-2A semis. Although Line Mountain may need to be more balanced offensively to keep up with a potent Southern side, the Eagles are going to need to be perfect defensively against a big-play attack.

Junior Gavin Garcia is the primary weapon in the Tigers’ arsenal, and no one has slowed him down thus far. Amazingly, Garcia has piled up 1,012 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on just 49 carries. He’s also capable of going yard with a kickoff or a punt. For those wondering what Garcia’s per-carry yardage is, it’s a mere 20.6 yards per attempt. He hardly operates alone, however, as Braeden Wisloski (27-316, 8 TDs) and Wes Barnes (34-359, 3) are averaging 11.7 and 10.6 yards per crack. While Southern hasn’t had to throw much, the Tigers do have capable burners such as Jake Davis and Jake Rose operating on the flanks. Don’t forget that Roth has won 451 games during his sparkling career.

Juniata playing for District 6 gold

Also running hot is a Juniata squad (4-1) that’s won its last four outings heading into a duel with Bellefonte (3-3), a game that will award the victor the District 6/9 Class 4A regional title and thrust the winner into the state playoffs. Racking up just over 500 yards of total offense last weekend — including 400 on the ground – Kurt Condo’s Indians eased past James Buchanan 40-6. Caleb Seeger banked 124 yards and one long touchdown run on just seven attempts, Yaneil Ortiz chipped in 97 yards and two scores on 11 carries, and Jace White powered for 79 yards on six tries. With regular starter Jacob Condo out, Cameron Sweigart came in to run the Juniata attack, completing 5-of-8 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown.

The Indians also were opportunistic, forcing four turnovers as Billy Dressler picked off two passes and Ortiz wheeled 47 yards with a fumble recovery for another score. Bellefonte ran its winning streak to three games, downing Philipsburg-Osceola 35-7 as Jalen Emel rushed for two short touchdowns and caught a 3-yard pass from QB Ethan Rossman for a third. Rossman also rushed for a short touchdown, while Jamal Saunders nearly cracked 100 yards (13-97) on the ground.

Newport and Upper Dauphin set to collide

Trying to side-step its third loss in an eight-day span, Newport (2-2) will venture to Elizabethville for a Mid-Penn Liberty scrap with Upper Dauphin (2-3) that will pit Buffaloes skipper Todd Rothermel against his former defensive coordinator, Kent Smeltz. Both, ironically, are Line Mountain grads. Newport was holding a 21-10 lead at Line Mountain before the host Eagles rattled off 34 unanswered points en route to a 44-21 victory. Three nights later at home, Rothermel’s Buffaloes dropped a 29-7 decision to Susquehanna Township. While Mason Huggins’ 90-yard kickoff return and touchdown runs from Andrew Bates and Thomas Pyle staked the Buffs to their 21-10 lead, Line Mountain unleashed a powerful ground game that chalked up 510 yards. Huggins added four catches for 61 yards and Bates totaled 182 yards (90 rushing/92 passing), yet it wouldn’t be enough against the host Eagles.

Things were not all that promising against Susquehanna Township, as the Buffaloes yielded 429 offensive yards while totaling just 155. In fact, Pyle’s 28-yard strike to Adam Reich accounted for the lone Newport score. Offense wasn’t the problem for Upper Dauphin, which amassed 438 offensive yards and a half-dozen touchdowns yet lost 43-42 to visiting Fleetwood. Christian Snyder totaled 180 yards and two touchdowns on 19 rushing attempts, while Aiden Wiest and quarterback Tyler Cleveland each ran for scores. Cleveland also completed 9-of-12 passes for 104 yards, while Smeltz’s Trojans also benefited from a 70-yard TD pass from Hayden Harner to Kyle Casner. Casner caught three balls for 80 yards for an Upper Dauphin side that played without running back Chance Crawford.

Susquenita, Halifax involved in crossovers

Hustling to find an opponent since Juniata was bound for postseason play, Susquenita (2-3) will visit winless Trinity (0-5) in a Mid-Penn crossover. Scott Acri’s Blackhawks are angling for a third straight victory after downing James Buchanan and Halifax the past two weekends. Last week at home, Susquenita blanked Halifax 29-0 as freshman quarterback Derek Gibney (3-10-0, 35 yards/10 carries for 45 yards) rushed for touchdowns of 3, 7 and 10 yards and threw a scoring pass to classmate Bryce McKee. Gibney also had two potential touchdown passes dropped. Austin Kenny powered the rushing portion of the Blackhawks’ attack, collecting 209 yards on 25 attempts.

Trinity picked up touchdown receptions from Max Schlager and Trey McAuliffe, but that was far from enough as the Shamrocks fell 49-14 to Capital Division rival Middletown. Schlager added 12 tackles. … Halifax (0-4) hopes to halt a 15-game skid at home against Big Spring (2-3). Micah Deitrich passed for 128 yards (14-for-34, 2 interceptions) in the Wildcats’ loss to Susquenita. Seven of Deitrich’s completions were to the brothers Enders, Bryce (5-50) and Carter (2-27). Ryan Stahl added four receptions for 30 yards, while Judah Miller totaled three catches for 21 yards. Big Spring will arrive in Halifax hoping to erase the 65-30 loss the Bulldogs suffered at Steel-High while conceding 514 offensive yards — including the 396 piled up by the Rollers’ freshman QB Alex Erby (22-for-30, 5 TDs). Dillon Wakefield was a bright spot for Big Spring, rushing 13 times for 109 yards and one score. He also caught one pass for 26 yards. QB Jack Shulenberger passed for 115 yards and one touchdown, but also scored on a short run.