Week 3 is serving up a loaded slate filled with bounce-back opportunities, early-season litmus tests, and a few heavyweight battles that could shake up the landscape. Our gang at 4th Down Magazine scoped out each match up and dished their predictions for the action ahead in Week 3.
Standings:
Name; Week 2; Overall
Andy Shay 13-6; 34-14
Adam Kulikowski 13-6; 31-17
Andy Sandrik: 10-9; 27-21
Chambersburg at Bishop McDevitt, 7
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 40, Chambersburg 7: Not sure the Trojans are ready for a little frustrated and angry McD squad looking for victory No. 1 of the season. Crusaders are 0-2 but showed last week they are capable of a response to losing.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 35, Chambersburg 24: The Trojans are far from perfect, but they play with guts and aren’t afraid of a little adversity. The Crusaders will get their first win, but I get the sense Chambersburg will make them work for it.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 47, Chambersburg 13: Crusaders faced the gauntlet facing off against Clarkson North and Harrisburg to start the season, but don’t be fooled by the team’s 0-2 mark. This is a team primed for a deep playoff push.
Cedar Cliff at CD East, 7
Andy Shay: Cedar Cliff 27, CD East 25: The coin landed on the Colts for this one. Both teams are a wee bit “less than predictable” this early season and have some explosiveness that comes and goes. Should be a fun one.
Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 28, CD East 20: It’s really hard to shake off the emotional damage of losing a game after holding a three-score lead, like CD East did against Chambersburg last week.
Adam Kulikowski: CD East 33, Cedar Cliff 28: Not sure what yet to make of the Colts after a roller coaster first two weeks… and actually, I could say the same about the Panthers after they dropped a game in which they were up by three scores.
Altoona at Cumberland Valley, 7
Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 34, Altoona 14: Mountain Lions gave a quality effort a week ago and still went down to State College. Need another one of those to compete and Eagles are slowly putting the pieces together.
Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 42, Altoona 17: The Eagles scored their first points of the season against Carlisle last week, and I expect CV to pile on even more against Altoona this week.
Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 38, Altoona 20: Eagles found their footing last week while Altoona continues to search for the right combination.
Carlisle at Central Dauphin, 7
Andy Shay: Central Dauphin 31, Carlisle 7: Couple of winless squads through the early weeks. Rams have just a bit more meat on the bone to work with and that will show through.
Andy Sandrik: Central Dauphin 35, Carlisle 14: Points have come at a premium for the Rams, but look for that trend to change for at least one week against an outgunned Carlisle squad.
Adam Kulikowski: Central Dauphin 28, Carlisle 7: Both teams have limitations that have prevented either from notching a victory in 2025. Rams possess a few more tools to build with than their Carlisle foes.
Harrisburg at State College, 7
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 33, State College 31: This will be the third Top 10 ranked team in the state for the Cougars in as many weeks. Won’t be anything new or surprising to them. Difference for me is that Harrisburg is already at the next level.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 26, State College 19: It’s a long road trip to State College, but Harrisburg has all the tools it needs to squeeze past the Little Lions.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 38, State College 28: You can bet the Little Lions had this one circled on their calendar. It’s an instant measuring stick against one of–if not the best–team in the Commonwealth.
Red Land at Gettysburg, 7
Andy Shay: Red Land 17, Gettysburg 7: Who had your Red Land Patriots at 3-0 on their preseason bingo card? One of the 914 reasons to love High School Football!
Andy Sandrik: Gettysburg 21, Red Land 17: We knew RB Preston Burnett was going to have a quality senior year for Gettysburg, but sophomore QB Grant Johnson has been a pleasant surprise, completing 36 of 59 passes for 607 yards and five TDs. That offensive balance will be just what the Warriors need to spring the upset over Red Land.
Adam Kulikowski: Gettysburg 28, Red Land 21: The Patriots fast start tempted me this week, but I believe this game will require more than 17 points–the highwater offensive production from the boys at Red Land.
Lower Dauphin at Northern York, 7
Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 14, Northern York 0: Couple of winless clubs with offensive issues that have shown up consistently through eight quarters. Falcons have a TD to their ledger this season and get the call.
Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 14, Northern York 7: Yes, Lower Dauphin is 0-2, but the Falcons have been competitive and know they could just as easily be 2-0. The Polar Bears have been a different kind of 0-2.
Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 17, Northern York 6: Both teams are simply looking for playmakers. Falcons seem to have just a bit more in the cupboard as we enter Week 3.
Mifflin County at Mechanicsburg, 7
Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 21, Mifflin County 7: Early season benchmark game for a couple 2-0 squads. Mifflin County has not surrendered a single point. Wildcats are on a serious regular season winning streak that has stretched over part of three seasons. Wildcats offense finds a way.
Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 24, Mifflin County 14: A confident Mifflin County squad should make this a competitive game, but is that enough to take down a dominant program in Mechanicsburg?
Adam Kulikowski:Mechanicsburg 33, Mifflin County 17: The Wildcats have given up just 14 points in the first eight quarters of play this season. Can the Huskies offense provide enough spark to contend?
Waynesboro at Shippensburg, 7
Andy Shay: Shippensburg 26, Waynesboro 20: Neither defense has been on top of its game to start the season. Greyhounds nudged past Hershey to register a high-quality bounceback victory. Like where Ship is right now for this matchup.
Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 28, Waynesboro 14: It’s no secret Waynesboro can put up points, but the Tribe defense will have to do a better job to stay within striking distance of the Hounds.
Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 37, Waynesboro 33: If you like two teams throwing haymakers at each other for four quarters, this is likely your destination of choice in Week 3.
Palmyra at Hershey, 7
Andy Shay: Hershey 30, Palmyra 7: I call the setback a week ago against Shippensburg for the Trojans a quality loss in a game that could have just as easily won. Hershey is fine and Palmyra is battling uphill this season.
Andy Sandrik: Hershey 33, Palmyra 6: The Trojans’ defense has been getting a little bit better each week and is in a great position to have its best showing up on Friday.
Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 41, Palmyra 13: Trojans have all the firepower needed to quickly right the ship in Week 3.
Camp Hill at Susquenita, 7
Andy Shay: Camp Hill 20, Susquenita 13: Neither team has been particularly competitive in these early weeks and win No. 1 is on the dock for somebody here. Lions defense has to take a step forward for this win to happen. Blackhawks offense can struggle.
Andy Sandrik: Camp Hill 17, Susquenita 7: Camp Hill just enough pop to outlast the ‘Hawks, but it will likely take a full four quarters for the Lions to sweat out victory.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquenita 21, Camp Hill 14: In a game that could go either way, I’ll play the role of contrarian and ride with the Blackhawks.
James Buchanan at Newport, 7
Andy Shay: James Buchanan 26, Newport 13: Something doesn’t feel right about going with the Rockets to double up the Buffs. I don’t think this is bold at all. JB is playing consistent football in 2025.
Andy Sandrik: James Buchanan 21, Newport 18: The Rockets are playing good football and deserve to be favored here, but I have a feeling Newport has a say in this outcome.
Adam Kulikowski: James Buchanan 34, Newport 21: Buffaloes are reeling after getting thumped by Line Mountain last week. Rebounding against a team that has yielded just 13 all season is a tough ask.
Upper Dauphin at West Perry, 7
Andy Shay: West Perry 28, Upper Dauphin 0: Mustangs are working through their issues, but they don’t have a glaring problem like the Trojans who have yet to score a touchdown this season while surrendering 93 points.
Andy Sandrik: West Perry 42, Upper Dauphin 6: Even if WP peeks a little bit ahead to Week 4 against Susquehanna Township, the Mustangs should be safe to win against a Trojans squad that has struggled mightily out of the gates.
Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 49, Upper Dauphin 6: Not the season the gents in Upper Dauphin had in mind, but key injuries have already taken a toll.
Steel-High at Halifax, 7
Andy Shay: Steel-High 26, Halifax 20: Huge win by the Rollers over Juniata in a tight game all the way and low scoring as well. This will be a very competitive game, just hard to pick the Wildcats to win at this level right now. Repeating it will be a very competitive game.
Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 28, Halifax 10: The Rollers turned in quite the scalp over Juniata last week. Beaming with confidence, Steel-High has all the momentum it needs to make quick work of Halifax.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 33, Halifax 21: This is the biggest test of the season for the Wildcats to date. Score the upset dub and there will be more believers among the scribes.
Line Mountain at Juniata, 7
Andy Shay: Line Mountain 27, Juniata 14: This will be a full metal jacket test for the undefeated Eagles and their high flying offense. Won’t be easy, but they pass the test with flying colors in my book. Juniata offense has to do something extra special to spring the upset.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 28, Juniata 13: The Indians are trying to shake off a heartbreaking loss to Steel-High. Can they do it against a Line Mountain team expecting a blowout win?
Adam Kulikowski:Line Mountain 31, Juniata 21: The Indians did everything right against Steel-High last week but lost on a heartbreaker in the final seconds. Eagles present an even bigger test to the boys from Juniata.
Middletown at Greencastle-Antrim, 7
Andy Shay: Middletown 30, Greencastle-Antrim 6: All I know is the Blue Raiders defense has been a wall for eight quarters and the Blue Devils offense isn’t exactly ticking the scoreboard over at a high rate. Middletown to 3-0.
Andy Sandrik: Middletown 21, Greencastle-Antrim 7: It’s hard to argue against a Middletown defense that is averaging nearly as many sacks per game (5.25) as points allowed (7.5).
Adam Kulikowski: Middletown 28, Greencastle-Antrim 13: When’s the last time the Blue Raiders were 3-0 to start a season? You have to go all the way back to the pre-COVID era… 2019.
East Pennsboro at Milton Hershey, 7
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 23, Milton Hershey 13: All I know is the Panthers showed a ton of guts to knock off Trinity and the way I see it, guts is good enough.
Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 28, Milton Hershey 14: Opponents of Milton Hershey are scoring nearly twice as many points as the Spartans this fall. Look for a battle-hardened East Penn squad to continue that trend.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 31, Milton Hershey 24: Panthers are riding a pair of senior running backs– Elliot Bruhn and EJ Rivera. Can the Spartans force East Penn to beat them through the air where they are completing just 31 percent of their passes?
Big Spring at Trinity, 7
Andy Shay: Big Spring 20, Trinity 14: I don’t feel comfortable about this selection, however the Bulldogs have earned the favorite role in this game with a tight win over Shippensburg and blowout of Camp Hill. Love the T-Rocks defense, but the offense isn’t able to carry much water up the hill for Trinity right now.
Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 24, Trinity 17: With Grady Hope averaging 10.3 yards per carry, the Bulldogs have an above average chance of starting 3-0 for the first time since 2019.
Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 30, Trinity 14: Turnovers have hurt the Shamrocks in the team’s first two games. I see this one being closer than my prediction if that gets cleaned up this week.
Susquehanna Twp. at Boiling Springs, 7
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 49, Boiling Springs 6: The Hanna Tribe can name their number in this game and pretty sure the majority of the starters will be helmets off and watching in the third quarter.
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 52, Boiling Springs 7: Even with the bar set high, ‘Hanna has found a way to perform well above expectations.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 55, Boiling Springs 6: Two teams in completely different stratospheres. Tribe’s young gents should get plenty of valuable minutes.