Standings:
Name; Week 9; Overall
Andy Shay 18-1; 143-38
Andy Sandrik: 18-1; 139-42
Adam Kulikowski 17-2; 136-45
Cumberland Valley 48, Cedar Cliff 17
Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 14, Cedar Cliff 7: I’m very conflicted about this game on many levels. Overall I think right now the Colts are playing better football, but the CV defense has been locked in at another level the last month. Taking a flyer on the Eagles here.
Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 17, Cumberland Valley 14: It usually takes me just a short while to go through each of these picks, but I’ve been staring at the monitor for this one for several minutes now. I’m going with the Colts solely for the reason of playing catchup to AShay in the 4DM pick ‘em standings.
Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 24, Cedar Cliff 21: On a defense that has been stout all season, Zayden Smith has been a ball hawk, picking off four passes this season. While the Eagle’s offense has struggled at times, players like Smith have the potential to make a game-changing impact.
Mechanicsburg 17, Shippensburg 0
Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 20, Shippensburg 7: Both squads have close wins over a solid Hershey team as my measuring stick. Again I’m going with the defensive unit of the Wildcats that is playing lights out surrendering one or fewer touchdowns in three of their last four games. That’s not an accident.
Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 21, Shippensburg 14: The Greyhounds have been a tough squad on a weekly basis, but not exactly an offensive juggernaut. Points will come at a premium against this Mechanicsburg defense, and I get the sense it will take some kind of game-altering play, perhaps on special teams, for Ship to get over the hump.
Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 28, Shippensburg 21: Two quality programs square off. Give the edge to the Wildcats who I see as the more balanced club.
Steel-High 38, Newport 24
Andy Shay: Steel-High 39, Newport 7: Two ships headed in opposite directions. Rollers have been stacking wins and the Buffs are stacking losses after an awesome first half.
Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 41, Newport 10: The Buffs need this win badly but it’s hard to pick against the Rollers, whose only two losses have come to undefeated teams.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 45, Newport 17: Ending the season on a five game skid isn’t the way the Buffs want to go into the season. But the reality is this program has made serious strides forward in ‘25. That’s what this crew should take into the offseason.
Central Dauphin 28, Chambersburg 20
Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 14, Chambersburg 7: To me these two teams are very similar. They are a small fry short of a Happy Meal on the talent front, but are not easy to beat and give you their very best shot. Intriguing matchup.
Andy Sandrik: Chambersburg 16, Central Dauphin 10: I’m taking a bit of a gamble on Chambersburg, but the Trojans have plenty of motivation with a playoff spot on the line.
Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin 21, Chambersburg 14: When you play the three top teams in the Commonwealth Division over the last four weeks, you welcome an opportunity to play a team on more level footing. Rams take advantage.
James Buchanan at Camp Hill
Andy Shay: James Buchanan 30, Camp Hill 20: I would love to pick the Lions to get a win this season but as much as my old man softie heart wants the lads wearing blue to get that victory feeling, football-wise it seems a bridge too far.
Andy Sandrik: James Buchanan 28, Camp Hill 14: As tough of a season as it’s been for the winless Lions, no football program in Pennsylvania understands suffering more than the James Buchanan Rockets. Some of that decades-long pain will be alleviated when JB earns its third win on Friday.
Adam Kulikowski: James Buchanan 35, Camp Hill 14: Rockets wrap up a competitive regular season with its third victory while the Lions turn in their helmets in search of answers this offseason.
Bishop McDevitt 36, State College 20
Andy Shay: State College 27, Bishop McDevitt 24: When I took the scattered puzzle pieces and put it together I found ways to make it work where each team was the better one. So this is just a feeling I have that State College has a little more of the “right stuff” for this matchup to isolate a slight weakness or two the Crusaders possess. Very slight weaknesses I might add.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 35, State College 28: At some point these 7-2 Crusaders are going to get tired of being referred to as a vulnerable team in a down season. McDevitt has a great opportunity to set the record straight when it welcomes SC into Rocco Ortenzio Stadium.
Adam Kulikowski: State College 31, Bishop McDevitt 24: Little Lions appear to be a more healthy team heading into this division clash of titans. Doesn’t mean it will be a cruiser.
Northern York 22, Palmyra 21
Andy Shay: Palmyra 29, Northern York 7: When the playing field is nearly level or the Cougars have an edge or two they win those games. And they have not been an easy team to beat.
Andy Sandrik: Palmyra 34, Northern 14: Last chance for the Polar Bears to get in the win column, but Palmyra has been a tough out for all.
Adam Kulikowski: Palmyra 33, Northern York 6: Five of the last six Palmyra games have been decided by one score. If that’s the case in Week 10, tip your cap to the Polar Bears.
Altoona 31, Carlisle 21
Andy Shay: Altoona 32, Carlisle 13: Mountain Lions have a couple wins and been competitive for the most part despite their record. Carlisle has neither of those and has surrendered 49 or more points in four of its last five games.
Andy Sandrik: Altoona 28, Carlisle 21: Life is not easy for any team in the Commonwealth Division, especially the ones that are bringing up the rear. After taking lumps from the big dogs of the division, I get the sense both the Mountain Lions and Thundering Herd will be eager to compete against someone their own size on Friday.
Adam Kulikowski: Altoona 33, Carlisle 13: This is a nine out of 10 on the confidence meter selection. Mountain Lions have the tools to create separation as both teams look to wrap up the season on a high note.
West Perry 31, Greencastle-Antrim 13
Andy Shay: West Perry 33, Greencastle-Antrim 20: All I know is West Perry has two losses to Trinity and Susquehanna Township. Mustangs have won all the others. That works for me.
Andy Sandrik: West Perry 28, Greencastle-Antrim 21: The Blue Devils were left for dead after a 1-5 start to the season, but they’ve bounced back and now have an outside shot of qualifying for the playoffs if they can find a way to knock off WP. Mustangs will have to play a clean game to outlast motivated Greencastle.
Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 41, Greencastle-Antrim 24: Both teams have plenty to play for as we wrap up the regular season. Mustangs possess a level of grit and fight that’s admirable.
Lower Dauphin 35, Gettysburg 14
Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 37, Gettysburg 14: The Falcons are my MPC building block team of 2025. They were battered and bruised early and started from a deep hole and have just kept grinding and digging to put it back together. And the offense has now scored 35 or more points in each of their last three games. Warriors can’t keep up with that.
Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 42, Gettysburg 20: The Falcons have worked way too hard to claw their way back into the playoff picture to let it all slip away now.
Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 33, Gettysburg 24: Warriors haven’t won a ball game since mid-September while the Falcons have an opportunity to play an 11th game this season.
Mifflin County 21, Red Land 15
Andy Shay: Red Land 27, Mifflin County 20: This won’t be easy for the Patriots and that’s okay. Closing out an eight-win season after years and years of struggling should be hard because the hard is what makes it great. MC is playing its best football of the season.
Andy Sandrik: Red Land 23, Mifflin County 17: Red Land’s 5-0 start was nice, but what’s impressed me the most is how the Patriots have bounced back from the two tough losses that came after that streak. Red Land will once again face adversity against Mifflin County, but now we know the Patriots are fully equipped to ride out the storm.
Adam Kulikowski: Mifflin County 28, Red Land 27: The Huskies certainly enter this match up as an underdog, but if you’re going to take a shot on a dog, why not one that’s on a bit of a heater?
Juniata 14, Upper Dauphin 7
Andy Shay: Juniata 23, Upper Dauphin 19: Two straight losses for Juniata vs. four straight wins for Upper Dauphin. I see you Trojans. Yet I’m still taking the reliable Indians.
Andy Sandrik: Upper Dauphin 28, Juniata 14: Momentum, coupled with a sense of urgency, can be an incredible thing. The Trojans – on a four-game winning streak and sitting one spot outside of the district playoff picture – have plenty of both.
Adam Kulikowski: Upper Dauphin 27, Juniata 21: The fact that the Trojans even have a shot at reaching the postseason after starting the season 0-5 says a lot about the leadership on and off the field in UD.
Big Spring 31, East Pennsboro 21
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 24, Big Spring 14: Both these teams are right on the playoff bubble in their respective PIAA District 3 classes. So there’s a lot at stake. Bulldogs are sliding and Panthers run hot and cold. Trade paint boys!
Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 21, Big Spring 17: The Panthers and Bulldogs both started the season with 4-1 records, but it’s looking more and more like the loser of this game could miss the playoffs.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 31, Big Spring 24: All eyes will be on this tussle to see who can secure that coveted playoff berth.
Line Mountain 63, Susquenita 14
Andy Shay: Line Mountain 42, Susquenita 6: The last time the Blackhawks scored more than two touchdowns in a game was Week 1. Eagles will cruise into the postseason.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 61, Susquenita 7: The Eagles have surpassed 60 points twice this season against quality programs in Newport and Halifax. Make it three times when LM visits Cove on Friday night.
Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 58, Susquenita 7: Eagles get one final tune up before the postseason kicks off.
Hershey 29, Waynesboro 16
Andy Shay: Hershey 38, Waynesboro 7: Two of the Trojans’ three losses were by three points and one of those was in OT. The other is a 7-0 defeat to Mechanicsburg last week. In other words they are a bit better than their 6-3 record.
Andy Sandrik: Hershey 35, Waynesboro 14: As good as Hershey has been this season, it still sits one spot outside of the 12-team, District 3-5A playoff picture. Needless to say, this is a must-win game for Cam Sweeney and the Trojans.
Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 43, Waynesboro 7: There’s simply no way the Trojans don’t take care of their business with a district playoff berth on the line.
Trinity 28, Middletown 27
Andy Shay: Trinity 20, Middletown 0: Only Susquehanna Township last week cracked the 20-point barrier on the T-Rocks defense this season. That’s all I have to say about that, really.
Andy Sandrik: Trinity 14, Middletown 7: The Blue Raiders have been punching above their weight class all season and I think they’ll be in this game until the end. Trinity’s defense, however, will have the last say.
Adam Kulikowski: Trinity 28, Middletown 7: When your team gives up less than 10 points per game, you’re going to win your share of games.
Halifax at Boiling Springs
Andy Shay: Halifax 42, Boiling Springs 6: Not only did the Wildcats beat Juniata last week, they thumped the Indians convincingly. Win No. 7 for Halifax is on deck.
Andy Sandrik: Halifax 39, Boiling Springs 14: A victory on Friday would give Halifax more wins in 2025 than the last four years combined.
Adam Kulikowski: Halifax 43, Boiling Springs 6: After tossing four picks in a blowout loss to Line Mountain, Wildcats quarterback Ryder Tobias has tossed just one in the last four outings. That’s what turning a corner looks like.
Saturday, October 25
CD East at Harrisburg, 1
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 28, CD East 7: They like to say funny things happen when these two teams square off. And some of it might still happen. And for the Panthers it still won’t be near enough to slay this giant.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 35, CD East 6: After a long layoff Messiah Mickens returned to the Harrisburg lineup last week. The live reps from this game will go a long way toward fine-tuning Mickens for what could be a deep postseason run.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 42, CD East 7: Cougars do what they need to do to ensure their key players are as ready for the postseason as possible.
Susquehanna Twp. at Milton Hershey, 1:30
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 42, Milton Hershey 14: Time to put a bow on that perfect regular season for the Hanna Tribe. Make sure to take time to celebrate appropriately before moving on because 10-0 isn’t as easy as it looks … EVER!
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Twp. 44, Milton Hershey 7: Milton Hershey’s defense has shown some improvement over the back half of the season, but the Spartans will have their hands full against a ‘Hanna team putting up more than 40 points per game. The Tribe roll to 10-0.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 55, Milton Hershey 14: Tip of the cap to Joe Headen and this talented gaggle of young lads who put behind them undeserved offseason turmoil and will rip off an undefeated regular season with a victory in Week 10.