Standings:
Name; Week 5; Overall
Andy Shay 14-5; 80-25
Adam Kulikowski 16-3; 77-28
Andy Sandrik: 17-2; 75-30
Upper Dauphin at. James Buchanan
Andy Shay: James Buchanan 20, Upper Dauphin 14: True the Trojans are winless at the halfway pole, and the Rockets are the favorite just thinking this game is going to be a tight squeeze all the way.
Andy Sandrik: Upper Dauphin 21, James Buchanan 14: If the Trojans could play within 13 points of mighty Line Mountain, they’ve got a chance to beat James Buchanan, right?
Adam Kulikowski: Upper Dauphin 26, James Buchanan 14: The sample size is small, but after going toe-to-toe with Line Mountain last week, I believe the Trojans might be on the verge of turning the corner.
Shippensburg 23, Lower Dauphin 20
Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 24, Shippensburg 21: Wins over Mechanicsburg and Hershey in back-to-back weeks has the Falcons flying high. Ship has the pieces to shorten this game and put LD on tilt, but jumping on the LD bus for this one.
Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 21, Lower Dauphin 18: The ‘Hounds haven’t allowed more than three scores in a game all season, and if that trend continues, Ship will have a great shot at improving to 5-1.
Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 28, Shippensburg 21: The Falcons have found their identity over the last few weeks, relying on their ground attack and a steady defense to post back-to-back quality victories.
Waynesboro 49, Northern York 14
Andy Shay: Waynesboro 26, Northern York 20: Couple of struggling programs in ‘25 with one victory combined. Coin flip in my book this one could go either way.
Andy Sandrik: Waynesboro 21, Northern York 14: Waynesboro only has one more victory than the winless Polar Bears, but the Tribe have been much more competitive in their time on the field.
Adam Kulikowski: Waynesboro 33, Northern York 21: Both teams likely view this as a winnable matchup in a season where little has gone right for either.
Hershey 48, Gettysburg 31
Andy Shay: Hershey 30, Gettysburg 28: Here’s the thing about this matchup … Hershey is coming off an upset loss in overtime and the Warriors have scored points on pretty much everybody but struggle on defense.
Andy Sandrik: Gettysburg 34, Hershey 27: If you’re the betting type, take the “over” this week.
Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 34, Gettysburg 27: Trojans defense is allowing 16.4 points per game through the season’s mid-way point. Full metal test coming this week, however with the high-flying Warriors weaponry.
Harrisburg 49, Carlisle 0
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 49, Carlisle 0: Anything other than a mercy rule victory by the Cougars will be a huge surprise.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 45, Carlisle 0: No reason to believe Harrisburg won’t continue rolling to 6-0 this week.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 55, Carlisle 0: Brutal back-to-back weeks for Carlisle coming off a blanking by Bishop McDevitt last week. The only thing that would prevent a Cougars victory Friday night is the rapture.
Mifflin County 8, Palmyra 6
Andy Shay: Palmyra 13, Mifflin County 7: All I know is the Cougars lost to Shippensburg by a point two weeks ago and edged Waynesboro last week. Plus Palmyra defense has surrendered only 20 points the last eight quarters.
Andy Sandrik: Palmyra 21, Mifflin County 10: Take away a 42-point outburst against a winless Central Mountain squad, and Mifflin County’s offense is averaging just 6.75 points per game. The Huskies will need more than that against a Palmyra defense that has found a rhythm in recent weeks.
Adam Kulikowski: Palmyra 24, Mifflin County 7: Cougars haven’t won more than two games in a season since 2021. They have a very good chance to break that ugly streak this week.
Cumberland Valley 24, CD East 6
Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 24, CD East 14: Five weeks and 20 quarters of football into the season and why do I feel I know less about these two clubs than when the season started. Sounds like a me problem for sure, though.
Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 18, CD East 7: Thanks to an elite defense, the Eagles have the unique distinction of being a losing team that’s outscored their competition by more than 30 points. Look for CV to shake off that “losing” label this week and get back to .500.
Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 31, CD East 7: Eagles have more pathways to victory in this match up than I see for the Panthers.
State College 41, Central Dauphin 13
Andy Shay: State College 30, Central Dauphin 14: It has been a more competitive Rams squad week in and week out, however the Little Lions demand next level and CD doesn’t have that answer.
Andy Sandrik: State College 36, Central Dauphin 10: The Rams will have competitive moments against the Little Lions, but sticking with SC for four full quarters is an awfully tall ask.
Adam Kulikowski: State College 31, Central Dauphin 21: Little Lions have yielded 14 or less points in four of their five match-ups this season. Good gauge for the Rams as we enter the second half.
Boiling Springs at Big Spring
Andy Shay: Big Spring 40, Boiling Springs 13: If nothing else the one-loss Bulldogs from Newville have been super consistent this season and you know what is coming at you. Bubblers defense has struggled to hold down the score and that’s the difference maker.
Andy Sandrik: Big Spring 38, Boiling Springs 14: A steady dose of Grady Hope should be more than enough for the Bulldogs to overcome their rivals from Bubbletown.
Adam Kulikowski: Big Spring 37, Boiling Springs 7: This has the makings of an early evening for some of the Bulldogs big dawgs ahead of a showdown next week against West Perry.
Bishop McDevitt 38, Altoona 0
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 41, Altoona 7: These Mountain Lions have been somewhat inconsistent and sneaky at times as well this season. Crusaders are making a long road trip to test their new-found resolve and winning ways.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 42, Altoona 14: Full credit to the Mountain Lions for picking up two Commonwealth wins in three weeks, but they now face a McDevitt that is just starting to hit its stride.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 48, Altoona 14: The Crusaders possess a plethora of weapons to cut you at every turn. Getting a foothold against a team like that is no small feat.
Cedar Cliff 35, Chambersburg 7
Andy Shay: Chambersburg 26, Cedar Cliff 21: How much gas is left in the tank for the Trojans after playing the trio of Commonwealth hammers in a row? When the playing field is more level Chambersburg has shown up. All about Cedar Cliff defense for them to snare a road win.
Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 28, Chambersburg 21: Both of these squads have taken their respective beatings from the monsters of the Commonwealth Division. And now that the Colts and Trojans are facing each other, both squads can see a potential light at the end of the tunnel. Expect a hard battle.
Adam Kulikowski: Chambersburg 28, Cedar Cliff 24: The similarities of these two squads should make this a fair fight for a full four quarters. Winner will simply make fewer missteps along the way.
Milton Hershey 26, Newport 21
Andy Shay: Newport 26, Milton Hershey 20: This is a step up in competition level for the Buffaloes despite the Trojans being winless. All about whether or not Milton Hershey defense can give their club a shot. Expect a tight one.
Andy Sandrik: Milton Hershey 26, Newport 17: The Buffs are a confident squad right now, but the Spartans will be their biggest challenge in weeks. Milton Hershey’s defense has been susceptible, but it took a step forward against Trinity last week.
Adam Kulikowski: Newport 31, Milton Hershey 28: Newport has gashed its last three opponents on the ground for a combined 791 yards. Spartans’ defense will need to fill the box to slow the Buffs.
Susquehanna Twp. 21, Middletown 0
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 49, Middletown 14: Full props to the Blue Raiders defense for backstopping the program to a couple wins in the first month. West Perry lit up the scoreboard last week and this Hanna outfit has twice as much firepower.
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 44. Middletown 17: The Tribe present matchup problems all over the field on a weekly basis, and this Friday will be no exception.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Township 55, Middletown 21: Tribe’s bounty of weaponry presents huge match up issues for the Blue Raiders.
Halifax 49, Camp Hill 13
Andy Shay: Halifax 27, Camp Hill 7: Tight squeeze here for the Wildcats despite Camp Hill being winless. Having to play all four quarters to get a W last week sets the table for Halifax to reach .500 after six weeks.
Andy Sandrik: Halifax 24, Camp Hill 17: You’ve gotta respect the hustle of the Wildcats’ Cohen Bechtel, a player who’s rolled up more than 500 combined rushing and passing yards this season.
Adam Kulikowski: Halifax 31, Camp Hill 14: Lions are averaging just 11 points per game this season.
West Perry 28, East Pennsboro 27
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 27, West Perry 25: Couple of battle tested 4-1 teams that are rolling. Panthers level competition overall is just a notch or two better than the Mustangs and that will show up over the course of 48 minutes. Toss up game for sure, though.
Andy Sandrik: West Perry 35, East Pennsboro 28: West Perry’s leading rusher, Evan Jutba, slid into the QB role last week. The man who replaced him at RB, Adam Yoder, piled up 254 yards and two TDs in an impressive win over Middletown.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 24, West Perry 21: Hard not to love this even match-up. Both teams can gash you on the ground with explosive plays from multiple players. Easily could see the Mustangs on top at the end of the night if they win the turnover battle.
Juniata 48, Susquenita 0
Andy Shay: Juniata 30, Susquenita 7: Three times this season Susquenita has allowed 48 or more points including the last weeks running. Indians are not overpowering, more like a slow burn that sucks the air out of your offense.
Andy Sandrik: Juniata 34, Susquenita 12: After a 1-2 start, Juniata’s stock has been rising in recent weeks. Expect for that trend to continue against a Susquenita squad that has been allowing points in bunches.
Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 41, Susquenita 7: Slowing opponents has been Susquenita’s achilles heal. Not sure that changes this week.
Trinity 35, Greencastle-Antrim 0
Andy Shay: Trinity 21, Greencastle-Antrim 6: Never know how much productivity is going to come from the T-Rock offense on a weekly basis.
Andy Sandrik: Trinity 17, Greencastle-Antrim 10: A win at COBO Field is possible for Greencastle, but it will require confidence and execution.
Adam Kulikowski: Trinity 28, Greencastle-Antrim 14: After not posting a single sack in the first three weeks of the season, the Shamrocks have applied the pressure in back-to-back weeks with five total sacks.
Line Mountain 36, Steel-High 34
Andy Shay: Steel-High 27, Line Mountain 26: Not sure whether this game will be a wild track meet or a defensive struggle that comes down to the wire. Both are very capable of happening. Both teams will believe they are the better team and have fewer holes. It will take 48 minutes to figure that out, but give me the Rollers.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 30, Steel-High 28: Max Johnson has always been a game-wrecker on defense, but now that he’s contributing as a running back, Line Mountain is putting up some superb numbers on the offensive side of the ball.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 31, Line Mountain 28: Eagles had a let down game last week against Upper Dauphin but still came out on top. A sharper performance will be needed to earn a ‘W’.
Mechanicsburg 14, Red Land 7
Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 27, Red Land 24: There is not a blemish on the Red Land dance card this season and the Wildcats have one speed bump to their credit in an upset loss to Lower Dauphin. First real big game for the Patriots in a long time. See how they handle the stage.
Andy Sandrik: Red Land 34, Mechanicsburg 28: A year ago this would be an easy game to pick. Not so much this season.
Adam Kulikowski: Mechanicsburg 28, Red Land 27: Perhaps the most intriguing match up on the docket this week. Patriots have earned the right to be favored in this tussle, but the Wildcats have the experience winning close games.