Andy Shay 16-3; 125-37
Andy Sandrik: 13-6; 121-41
Adam Kulikowski 14-5; 119-43
Bishop McDevitt at CD East
Andy Shay: Bishop McDevitt 42, CD East 0: Doesn’t get any easier for the Panthers, who are on a four-game slide and struggling to put points on the board. McD is playing arguably its most solid ball of the season these days.
Andy Sandrik: Bishop McDevitt 37, CD East 7: The Crusaders got a good push from Central Dauphin last week. Not sure the same can be expected from the Rams’ intra-district counterpart at East.
Adam Kulikowski: Bishop McDevitt 49, CD East 7: Crusaders simply are on another level from their Harrisburg counterpart.
Greencastle-Antrim at Boiling Springs
Andy Shay: Greencastle-Antrim 35, Boiling Springs 7: Make it three in a row for the surging Blue Devils after that one-point upset of Juniata last week.
Andy Sandrik: Greencastle-Antrim 42, Boiling Springs 16: The Blue Devils have found a rhythm behind the running of RB Blake Reuter, who has a good chance to record his fourth 100-yard game in six weeks.
Adam Kulikowski: Greencastle-Antrim 33, Boiling Springs 13: While the Bubblers didn’t win last week, the team did score a season-high 21 points. Sometimes progress isn’t measured in wins and losses.
Cumberland Valley at Chambersburg
Andy Shay: Cumberland Valley 27, Chambersburg 7: Full credit to the Eagles for giving the Cougars 60 minutes of their very best a week ago. As long as that effort doesn’t come with a heavy price, expect the Eagles to perform well against a Trojans squad that has won two straight.
Andy Sandrik: Cumberland Valley 14, Chambersburg 7: I was this close to taking the surging Trojans, who actually rank ahead of CV in the district power rankings, but then I remembered the elite defensive unit possessed by the Eagles. It’s that defense that should make the difference in what I expect to be a tightly-contested game.
Adam Kulikowski: Cumberland Valley 21, Chambersburg 14: The Eagles showed plenty of potential last week against powerhouse Harrisburg, but taking the Trojans lightly would be unwise.
Milton Hershey at West Perry
Andy Shay: West Perry 30, Milton Hershey 16: Feel like a game where the Mustangs have to mind their P’s & Q’s and don’t get caught napping cause the Spartans have huge holes but have also won two straight. The better team is West Perry.
Andy Sandrik: West Perry 34, Milton Hershey 14: After a winless start to the season, the Spartans have been playing confident football in recent weeks. West Perry, however, represents a big jump in competition from what Milton Hershey has seen in recent weeks.
Adam Kulikowski: West Perry 41, Milton Hershey 21: The Mustangs match up well with the Spartans defense which is yielding 30 points per game on average.
State College at Carlisle
Andy Shay: State College 42, Carlisle 0: That’s just the way it is this season for the Thundering Herd.
Andy Sandrik: State College 44, Carlisle 7: If you’re a Carlisle fan, it was encouraging to see the Herd erupt for 19 points last week after managing just 14 over the first seven games combined. There are signs of life in Carlisle, but it will take much more than that to knock out this heavyweight of the Commonwealth Division.
Adam Kulikowski: State College 55, Carlisle 6: No one likes to make predictions like this, but the Thundering Herd are a crew building for next season in Week 9.
Lower Dauphin at Waynesboro
Andy Shay: Lower Dauphin 34, Waynesboro 20: Remember when the Falcons were 0-2 and we were all wondering what was going on. Five wins in six games later – the only loss was by a FG to Shippensburg – and LD has put its stake in the playoff seeking ground.
Andy Sandrik: Lower Dauphin 36, Waynesboro 18: I really like the grit of this LD team, which keeps coming back no matter how hard it gets punched in the mouth. This resilience has turned into momentum for the Falcons, who now have a great opportunity to win for the sixth time in seven weeks.
Adam Kulikowski: Lower Dauphin 28, Waynesboro 21: Half of the Falcons games have been decided by one score or less. Don’t expect LD to be flustered by a tight battle.
Camp Hill at Line Mountain
Andy Shay: Line Mountain 49, Camp Hill 7: The winless Lions have surrendered 43 or more points in all but one game. It’s hard to remain competitive with those numbers. Eagles roll.
Andy Sandrik: Line Mountain 48, Camp Hill 0: A true David vs. Goliath matchup when the 0-8 Lions visit the 8-0 Eagles. It’s going to take much more than a small stone, however, for Camp Hill to slay this giant.
Adam Kulikowski: Line Mountain 45, Camp Hill 13: Lions defense has been susceptible to giving up chunk plays all season. Expect the Eagles to take full advantage.
Trinity at Susquehanna Twp.
Andy Shay: Susquehanna Township 21, Trinity 13: This is the matchup we’ve all waited for because it’s so crystal clear that it’s all about the Hanna Tribe high-octane offense vs. the T-Rocks stingy defense. Three touchdowns is the number I see as enough for the Tribe. It will NOT be easy to get there, though.
Andy Sandrik: Susquehanna Township 28, Trinity 21: I expect a close contest, but I’ll take the turbo-charged Tribe offense over the stout Trinity defense.
Adam Kulikowski: Susquehanna Twp. 24, Trinity 21: Look, if anyone can knock off the Tribe, I think the Shamrocks pose a huge threat. Having said that, the Tribe are the favorites coming in and should be treated as such.
Juniata at Halifax
Andy Shay: Halifax 22, Juniata 21: Why do I already regret making this pick. But I’m gonna ride the Wildcats defense to be a difference maker and stick to my guns.
Andy Sandrik: Juniata 24, Halifax 18: I think Juniata’s loss to a run-based Greencastle squad may actually pay dividends this week in a crucial Capital Division tilt with Halifax, another team that thrives on running the ball.
Adam Kulikowski: Juniata 28, Halifax 21: The Wildcats enter this fray on a four game heater–surrendering no more than 13 points per game during the streak. Indians raise the bar on the level of competition this week.
Susquenita at Steel-High
Andy Shay: Steel-High 46, Susquenita 0: Find me a bad loss on the Rollers schedule. This is still the best small-school team in District 3 by a long shot. And the Blackhawks have exactly one touchdown the last 12 quarters.
Andy Sandrik: Steel-High 36, Susquenita 0: With everything going on around Steelton – the least concerning of which is the lack of a true home field for the Rollers – you have to appreciate how well Andrew Erby’s squad has rolled with the punches and stayed locked in this fall.
Adam Kulikowski: Steel-High 41, Susquenita 7: I’m predicting a late ‘Nita touchdown to break that 12-quarter scoreless streak. The outcome, however, is not in question.
Northern York at Shippensburg
Andy Shay: Shippensburg 31, Northern York 0: Pretty sure there will be some extra fire in the Greyhounds’ belly after taking one on the chin from Red Land. Clear the Polar Bears are starting over this season under new management.
Andy Sandrik: Shippensburg 28, Northern York 7: A Mid-Penn insider once told me that Eric Foust-coached Ship teams never lose back-to-back games. There’s some truth to that, as the Hounds have experienced losing streaks in just three of the last 10 seasons.
Adam Kulikowski: Shippensburg 34, Northern York 6: Not sure what is happening inside the walls of the Polar Bears complex, but it’s clear this is a team rebuilding.
James Buchanan at East Pennsboro
Andy Shay: East Pennsboro 28, James Buchanan 14: Been a rough ride for these Panthers, who have dropped three straight by a touchdown or less each time. That ends in this one to inch a game over the .500 mark.
Andy Sandrik: East Pennsboro 35, James Buchanan 13: You’ve got to feel for this JB squad that has had one of its more competitive seasons in recent history, but only has two wins to show for it. Breaking out of a six-game losing streak will be an uphill battle for the Rockets against a quality East Penn side that is eager to snap its own losing skid.
Adam Kulikowski: East Pennsboro 31, James Buchanan 24: A few different bounces and we’re talking about a Panthers team that is 7-1 heading into this Week 9 tussle. Panthers feel more equipped to snap their 3-game skid.
Altoona at Cedar Cliff
Andy Shay: Cedar Cliff 28, Altoona 3: Points have really dried up for Altoona, and the Colts just seem to have more pieces of the puzzle.
Andy Sandrik: Cedar Cliff 30, Altoona 17: With a 4-4 record the Colts sit comfortably at No. 6 in the District 3-6A power rankings. Winning this game, a contest Cedar Cliff is favored to win, will only improve the playoff landscape for the Colts.
Adam Kulikowski: Cedar Cliff 34, Altoona 14: There’s a bulletin board in Altoona somewhere that these picks get pinned up on. I simply see more options for the Colts to win than the Mountain Lions.
Newport at Upper Dauphin
Andy Shay: Newport 29, Upper Dauphin 26: I expect this one to be a tight squeeze all the way in a clear toss-up game in my book.
Andy Sandrik: Upper Dauphin 28, Newport 21: The Trojans are winners of three straight, but extending that streak to four games against the Buffs will be a difficult assignment. This appears to be a 50-50 game, but I’m rolling with UD because of the momentum and home-field advantage.
Adam Kulikowski: Upper Dauphin 34, Newport 27: It took the Trojans four weeks of play to score 21 points. Over the last four weeks, UD’s offense has scored no less than 35. While strength of opponents is a factor, it’s clear the Trojans have found a rhythm.
Red Land at Palmyra
Andy Shay: Red Land 28, Palmyra 14: Granting the Cougars have over performed this season and have every right to feel good about where they climbed to this season. Red Land is simply the overall better team and that still matters.
Andy Sandrik: Red Land 24, Palmyra 18: I think I’m back on the Red Land bandwagon after the Patriots’ convincing win over Shippensburg. A win over a much-improved Palmyra squad is expected, but won’t be easy.
Adam Kulikowski: Red Land 21, Palmyra 14: If anyone was wondering if the shine wore off the Patriots after two straight loses, the answer was a resounding no. Just ask Shippensburg.
Mechanicsburg at Hershey
Andy Shay: Mechanicsburg 28, Hershey 21: Give me the Wildcats defense against one of the more explosive and elusive quarterbacks in the MPC. Key for Mechanicsburg will be the offense just doing its part.
Andy Sandrik: Mechanicsburg 38, Hershey 28: Classic matchup of Man vs. Machine, with the man being Hershey QB Cam Sweeney and the machine being Mechanicsburg, particularly the Wildcats’ defense.
Adam Kulikowski: Hershey 31, Mechanicsburg 28: Would this truly be considered an upset? Trojans posses the biggest X-factor in the game and a supporting cast that won’t allow Mechanicsburg to sell out to stop HIM (Cam Sweeney).
Big Spring at Middletown
Andy Shay: Middletown 14, Big Spring 10: All I know is when you play the Blue Raiders you better show up because what they lack in overall talent gets more than made up for in next level grit and effort.
Andy Sandrik: Middletown 18, Big Spring 14: I’m unclear on the extent of Grady Hope’s injury, but I do know the Bulldogs have gone 1-2 since his departure from the lineup. Middletown may have turned the corner after a big win over East Pennsboro.
Adam Kulikowski: Middletown 21, Big Spring 20: Recency bias is a dangerous beast, but I’m tempting fate here after the Blue Raiders took care of East Penn last week in what might have been the team’s best win of the season.
Gettysburg at Mifflin County
Andy Shay: Mifflin County 37, Gettysburg 21: Two ships heading in opposite directions as they cross paths with MC running white hot and the Warriors on a slide in the wrong direction. Ahhhhh the ebbs and flows of a season.
Andy Sandrik: Mifflin County 33, Gettysburg 28: With three wins over the last four games, the Huskies have a little more traction and confidence than the Warriors, who are trying to snap a four-game losing streak.
Adam Kulikowski: Mifflin County 41, Gettysburg 31: Difference to me in this one is a Warriors defense who is yielding more than 30 points per game this season. Plenty of opportunities for the Huskies to light up the scoreboard.
Saturday, October 18, 1
Central Dauphin at Harrisburg
Andy Shay: Harrisburg 33, Central Dauphin 14: Cougars will ask questions of the Rams they simply are not capable of answering this season over the course of 48 minutes. CD will require Harrisburg to earn what it gets, though. Easy street is closed.
Andy Sandrik: Harrisburg 32, Central Dauphin 18: CD put up quite the fight with Bishop McDevitt last weekend. It’s good to see the Rams making a return toward being competitive in the Commonwealth, but I think they’re just a few pieces short to knock off the big dogs in the division.
Adam Kulikowski: Harrisburg 41, Central Dauphin 21: Coach Cal will want to see the Cougars play a clean four quarters after turning the ball over far too many times last week. Accomplish that mission and Harrisburg should continue its undefeated season.