Class AA All-State

Trinity made a run at pulling even with Camp Hill in terms of postseason football honors but failed to pull it off.

The Associated Press announced the Class AA All-State football team Tuesday evening and two Trinity seniors made the cut.

West Virginia-bound lineman Nick Kindler was selected as a first-team offensive lineman while Christian Kuntz, headed to Penn State, made it as a first-team defensive specialist.

Kuntz, who was lost for the season Oct. 11 after suffering a knee injury, had 17 total tackles and a team-high five interceptions that he returned for 123 yards.

At 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, Kindler was a force on the both the offensive and defensive lines for the Shamrocks, who finished the regular season 7-3. Trinity was the only team to beat Lancaster Catholic prior to the Crusaders' loss to West Catholic in the PIAA Class AA semifinals.

Trinity ended in a tie with Camp Hill for second in the Mid-Penn Patriot Division behind Steelton-Highspire and fell to Middletown, the eventual district runner-up, in the District 3 Class AA playoffs.

Wilmington's Terry Verrelli, who led the Greyhounds to the PIA Class AA title, was named coach of the year. Curtis Drake, quarterback for state runner-up West Catholic, is the player of the year.

Class A All-State

For having a mere 22 players on its varsity football roster, Camp Hill sure made a dent on the Associated Press Class A All-State team.

Quarterback Tyler Shover, who passed for 2,368 yards, rushed for 986 more and accounted for 44 total touchdowns, is the first-team quarterback. Shover's numbers were good for 83 percent of the Lions' offense, up from his junior year when he put up 71.3 percent of the team's offense in his first year under center.

Shover is also The Sentinel's Player of the Year on offense for the second straight season. Complete All-Sentinel teams will be released in the coming weeks.

Joining Shover on the first team is wide receiver Jordan Weber. The senior led the area with 898 receiving yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Weber added 543 rushing yards and six scores.

Making an appearance on the second team is receiver Trevor Polly, who caught 49 passes for 804 yards and eight touchdowns.

Camp Hill finished the regular season 7-3 and earned the No. 3 seed in the District 3 Class A tournament. The Lions, who fell to eventual state champion Steelton-Highspire in the district final, rallied from a 21-7 deficit in the semifinals on the road against Reading Holy Name and stole a 42-41 win after the hosts missed an extra point in the third quarter to go up, 41-35.

In the days following that victory, veteran Camp Hill coach Frank Kindler called it one of the more satisfying wins of his 14-year career.

Class AAAA All-State

Chad Christen, Red Land's senior kicker/punter, is the first area player to earn first-team All-State this year.

Christen, who verbally committed to the University of Connecticut earlier this month, made the team as a placekicker on offense after recording 24 touchdowns. Christen hit seven field goals, tied for the most in the area with Cumberland Valley's Andrew Reiersen, and made 17 of 20 extra points.

Christen's longest field goal was a 49-yarder against Susquehanna Twp. on Sept. 5 and he accounted for all nine of Red Land's points with three field goals against Shippensburg in a 9-7 win Oct. 24.

As for the second team, Cumberland Valley placed a pair of seniors on the offense with running back Mike Frenette and lineman Brandon Morris. Running behind the 6-foot-2, 260-pounder, Frenette led the area with 1,759 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns to help the Eagles finish 12-2 and advance to the District 3-AAAA final where they lost to Wilson, 35-7.

CV won its first district game in five years and returned to the final for the first time since 2003.

Red Land, playing in Class AAAA for the first time in five years, went 6-4 in the regular season and qualified for the 3-AAAA field for the first time in program history before falling to York William Penn, 21-7.

Class AAA All-State

Friday night the Associated Press released this year's Class AAA All-State team. Mechanicsburg seniors Jake Zeigler, a defensive back, and Tyler Bullock, a lineman, were named to the second team while East Pennsboro senior center Matt Couch found a spot on the second team offense.

Mechanicsburg went 10-0 in the regular season, won the Mid-Penn Colonial Division outright and advanced to the District 3 Class AAA semifinals where the Wildcats lost to Manheim Central, 26-21, to finish 12-1.

East Pennsboro was Mechanicsburg's first-round victim in the 3-AAA field and suffered a 35-7 loss to the top seed. The Panthers ended 5-6.

Thomas Jefferson senior running back Brian Baldridge, a vital part of the Jaguars' run to their second straight state title, was the Player of the Year while first-year Selinsgrove coach Dave Hess picked up Coach of the Year. Hess led the Seals to the state semifinals where they lost to Archbishop Wood, 13-7.

All-Sentinel, All-State football information

Keep an eye out over the holiday season as media publications release their all-star football teams.

We'll have updates here as the Associated Press releases the All-State selections, which should include numerous area players spread out over the four classifications.

The All-Sentinel football teams will also be released at the end of this month or early next month. For an early look at who made the first- or second-team on offense and defense check back here frequently. We'll post the teams here the night before they appear in The Sentinel.

What's wrong with District 1?

Until recently, everyone in this half of the state knew that the road to Hersheypark Stadium, site of the PIAA football championships, ran through District 1 in terms of the big schools.

From 1996 through 2004 not a state finals weekend went by that District 1 wasn't represented in either Class AAAA or Class AAA. Starting in 1996, the suburban Philadelphia district took home AAAA gold four straight years while Strath Haven, beginning in 1999, played for four straight AAA titles and won two.

Since the Panthers' last appearance -- a 21-10 loss to Hopewell in 2002 -- the only District 1 school to reach the AAA final was Garnet Valley, which fell to Thomas Jefferson last year. In its place stepped Manheim Central, which split two title games, and Pottsville, a District 11 team that went 0-for-2.

The last AAAA team from District 1 to find its way to Hershey was Neshaminy in 2004, when the Redskins lost to Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 49-14. The year before North Penn beat Central Catholic, 37-10. The District 1 trophy case has been void of golden footballs since.

In the meantime District 11 has thrived at the AAAA level with four straight showings, including this year. Bethlehem Liberty (left) will try to snap a district-wide three-game AAAA finals losing streak and capture the district's second AAAA crown Saturday when the Hurricanes meet Bethel Park at 7 p.m.

PIAA semifinal projections

There aren't any area teams playing football this weekend but that doesn't mean there aren't football games this weekend. For the sake of changing things up, we're going to list the projections in the order that the state finals will take place next week at Hersheypark Stadium.

Class A
Clairton 18, Farrell 7 -- Both defenses have been outstanding but it's the Bears who get the edge and halt Farrell's 12-game winning streak.
Steelton-Highspire 28, Schuylkill Haven 17 -- We've been picking on the Rollers this postseason. First it was a Riverside state title pick. Then it was a projection that had Bishop McCort downing Steel-High. Not this week. Natural grass won't slow Steel-High.

Class AAA
Thomas Jefferson 31, West York 14 -- The Bulldogs haven't seen a team like this all year. We've said all along woe is the District 3-AAA champion. We aren't changing our tune now.

Archbishop Wood 24, Selinsgrove 16 -- Where did the Vikings come from? They've been overlooked all year but after taking out the Seals, there will be no more sleeping on the Philadelphia Catholic League rep. (Not to beat our chests but we picked a TJ-Wood final when districts started).

Class AA
Aliquippa 39, Wilmington 6 -- Karns City beat Wilmington, 22-21. Aliquippa beat Karns City, 42-14, and led, 35-0, early in the second quarter. You do the math.

West Catholic 30, Lancaster Catholic 19 -- Burrs are too quick, too athletic and too finely-tuned for the Cruasders to handle. Take a bow for 13 straight wins, Lancaster Catholic, but all good things must come to an end.

Class AAAA
Wilson 17, Bethel Park 9 -- Wilson has a nasty defense that might not give up a touchdown to the Black Hawks, who haven't exactly destroyed people in the postseason. The good vibrations continue in Sinking Spring for one more week until the Knights come calling.

North Penn 28, Bethlehem Libery 19 -- Doesn't matter what the Hurricanes say, they don't want North Penn right now. The Knights will be state champions in two weeks and haven't been tested in quite a long time. Liberty's a nice team but North Penn is a runaway freight train.

Looking for the next

Cumberland Valley's 35-7 loss Saturday night to Wilson in the District 3 Class AAAA semifinals officially ended the high school football season in The Sentinel coverage area.

Before we seek input and break down stats for the All-Sentinel teams, let's take a moment and glimpse ahead to next year.

Early indications are it could be a light one on the West Shore.

History is on the side of at least one area school playing for a district title. Only once since the turn of the century, 2005, has an area team not made the journey to Hersheypark Stadium.

But there are a lot of holes to fill around the area.

Cumberland Valley will lose 20 of 22 starters while Mechanicsburg will need to totally restock its offensive and defensive lines, not to mention a slew of skill people are leaving both CV and Mechanicsburg.

Camp Hill will be without big-name offensive stars Tyler Shover, Jordan Weber, Trevor Polly and Alex Patchin but the Class A field should come back down to earth as Steelton-Highspire, the four-time defending champion, will be without the bulk of its star players.

Trinity should reload but won't have Ted Spinelli, Christian Kuntz, Nick Kindler and Billy Phillipy back.

There's always the chance a team or two will surprise (Northern and West Perry come to mind), but the names and faces that won't be back will leave a void.

One also has to remember the power in other areas of the district. Bishop McDevitt, a semifinalist in 3-AAAA, welcomes back nearly every skill guy. Manheim Central, the 3-AAA finalist, brings a ton back. Lancaster Catholic, the 3-AA champion that is still playing in the state semifinals this weekend, brings back 15 starters.

Class A might be the best chance for an area team to step up and make something happen. But until someone proves otherwise, that road runs through Cottage Hill.

Weather report for Saturday

Will Hersheypark Stadium again resemble a winter wonder land when Cumberland Valley meets Wilson at 6 p.m. Saturday as it did Friday afternoon during the District 3 Class A title game (right)?

That game started with overcast skies before snow moved in during the second quarter, covering the field with a layer of white stuff by halftime. In the third quarter, the sun came out and melted the snow. By the time Steelton-Highspire beat Camp Hill, 49-16, the field was again covered and it felt like a January blizzard in Hershey.

It's still Tuesday night but it looks like there's an outside shot we'll have more winter weather Saturday. According to weather.com, there's a 30 percent chance of rain/snow showers during the afternoon and a high of 42 degrees. When the sun goes down, that chance of precipitation drops to 10 percent and the low dips to 30.

PIAA semifinal sites still up in the air

The good news is that when Cumberland Valley and Wilson take the field at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday night to decide the District 3 Class AAAA championship, the site for their PIAA semifinal game the following week will be known.

The bad news is that the site won't be known until the State College vs. Bethel Park game goes final Friday night.

PIAA assistant executive director Mark Byers confirmed Monday afternoon that the site depends on what State College, a District 6 school, does. If the Little Lions win, they must travel to Hersheypark Stadium to meet the District 3 winner. This fall, District 3 is at the top of the bracket and thus hosts that game.

If State High falls, the District 3 champion would be sent to Mansion Park in Altoona to meet Bethel Park, the District 7 winner. In cases such as District 7 vs. District 3, the PIAA attempts to find a geographic midway point for the game, Byers said.

In Class AAA, the District 3 winner will head to Altoona next weekend if Thomas Jefferson beats Erie Strong Vincent. If Strong Vincent wins, the District 3 rep, either Manheim Central or West York, will be sent to DuBois or Brockway. Both sites are considered midway between the respective districts, Byers said.

For more on the potential sites, see the District 3 Class AAAA championship notebook in The Sentinel on Thursday.

Class AAAA bracket

Class AAA bracket

Wilson Bulldogs

Here's an early look at Wilson, Cumberland Valley's opponent in the upcoming District 3 Class AAAA football championship game, set to be played at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium. The following information, only part of the preview capsule, can be found in The Sentinel on Saturday along with the complete capsule and preview story. Later this week, a story will run each day starting on Thanksgiving and leading up to CV's 13th appearance in the 3-AAAA final.

Wilson facts: Only school not affiliated with the Mid-Penn Conference to win a 3-AAAA title. Program won championships in 1989, ‘90 and ‘99. Beat Cedar Cliff for first title and CV for other two. ... As the No. 12 seed last November, beat Altoona and York William Penn on the road before taking eventual district champion Harrisburg to overtime before losing, 17-14. ... First-team defense, which has allowed one touchdown in its last 11 games, limited Bishop McDevitt to one first down through three-plus quarters in the semifinals Friday. ... Also advanced to semifinals in 2006 before losing to rival Governor Mifflin. ...Vaunted defense has forced 33 turnovers and averages 154.1 yards against. ... The offense, which averages 349.3 yards per game, has totaled at least 151 points in every quarter but the fourth. ... 7-0 record in Section I of the Lancaster-Lebanon League was good for a two-game advantage over Penn Manor. ... 18 of 22 starters are seniors. ... Weaver broke school career tackles record in first round with 320. ... Huber has completed 74 of 136 passes for 1,115 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions ... Groff is leading rusher with 1,488 yards on 166 attempts. Stopper is second at 527. ... Fegley leads receivers with 668 yards on 36 catches for an 18.5 average.

District 3 = Blowout Central

Through this afternoon there have been 42 games in this year's District 3 postseason.

If you've been to one of the close ones, consider yourself fortunate.

For the purpose of this update, we're going to label a 'close' game as one decided by single digits (nine points or fewer).

Of those 42 games, a total of seven have met our criteria for a close game. That's an impressive 16 percent of games decided by single digits.

This weekend, Steelton-Highspire took the Class A title by 33 points (49-16) and Lancaster Catholic captured AA gold via a 41-0 whitewash of Middletown.

In AAAA, Wilson and Cumberland Valley advanced with 48-6 and 44-0 routs of Bishop McDevitt and Governor Mifflin, respectively.

The only close game of the weekend was Manheim Central's 26-21 squeaker over Mechanicsburg on Saturday in the AAA semifinals. The other AAA game was West York's 20-0 win over Garden Spot.

Here's a look at the close games of this year's postseason:

Class AAAA
First Round
Muhlenberg 41, Hempfield 38
Central York 24, Harrisburg 21
Governor Mifflin 31, Central Dauphin 28

Class AAA
First Round
Greencastle-Antrim 42, Kennard-Dale 39
Semifinals
Manheim Central 26, Mechanicsburg 21

Class AA
Quarterfinals
Middletown 19, Trinity 15

Class A
Semifinals
Camp Hill 42, Holy Name 41

Governor Mifflin Mustangs

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football playoffs. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Governor Mifflin facts: This team has started to make a name for itself in the last four years. Following three straight losing seasons the Mustangs went 7-5 in 2004 and followed that with an 8-4 record before going 12-2 and reaching the 3-6 final in 2006 and ‘07. In those title games Gov. Mifflin lost to State College, 20-0, and Harrisburg, 49-7. ... Dropped out of Lancaster-Lebanon League Section I after ‘03 season and moved into Section I of the Inter-County League. Only year team hasn’t won Section I since joining the ICL was ‘05 ... Program’s first district win came in ‘06 when it beat Penn Manor, 14-13. ... Posted 29 winning seasons in 55 years of football. ... Went 3-1 against AAAA schools this fall, only loss was 35-14 setback to unbeaten Wilson in season opener. Other loss was to 3-AAA qualifier Conrad Weiser, 24-23. ... Garipoli has completed 30 of 60 passes for 634 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in the veer offense while Hughes has hit on 16 of 24 for 194 yards, four touchdowns and one pick. Garipoli was injured in the first-round win and Hughes took over at QB. ... Haggerty, who played through a neck injury earlier this season, is the leading rusher with 789 yards on 140 attempts. ... Schmidt and Ruffner have totaled 399 and 394 rushing yards, respectively. ... Leading receiver, in terms of yardage, is Hughes with 290.

Manheim Central Barons

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football playoffs. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Manheim Central facts: Won 15 District 3-AAA titles, including 10 straight from 1992-01. ... Only loss in 3-AAA championship game was 33-7 setback to Middletown in 1988. ... Beat Mechanicsburg, 27-6, in 2004 3-AAA final on way to state runner-up finish. ... Played six playoff teams and beat four. Lost to 3-AAAA top seed Wilson and 3-AA No. 1 Lancaster Catholic. Started 1-2 following those losses. ... Beat Cocalico twice, including the district quarterfinal. ... Won Section II of the Lancaster-Lebanon League by one game over Cocalico. ... Lowest-scoring output was eight points in loss to Lancaster Catholic. ... Riding a nine-game winning streak, including a 24-19 win over 3-AAA semifinalist Garden Spot on Oct. 31. ... Fell in first round, 16-6, to Red Land last season. ... Knosp completed 102 of 185 passes for 1,802 with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, Knosp is second on the team with 414 yards and seven touchdowns, which is tied for the team lead ... Leading rusher Gruber has 731 yards and seven touchdowns. ... Royer leads the Barons with 1,045 receiving yards and five touchdowns. ... Trafford also has caught five touchdown passes.

Steelton-Highspire Steamrollers

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football playoffs. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Steel-High facts: Defending District 3-A and PIAA champion. ... Of its seven 3-A titles, four have come in the last four years. ... Won its first 3-A title in 1997 after formerly competing in Class AAAA. ... Captured the Mid-Penn Patriot Division outright. ... Young is 65 yards shy of the state rushing record of 8,432 held by former East Stroudsburg star James Mungro. ... Has scored more than 50 points once and broke at least 40 seven other times. ... Played three games decided by one possession — wins over Susquehanna Twp., 16-14; Central Dauphin East, 21-14 and Camp Hill, 28-20. ...Other than Camp Hill, played only one Class A school, Scotland. ... Regular season opponents included two AAAA teams, three AAA teams and three AA teams. ... Young has 1,961 yards on 185 carries and 23 touchdowns this year. ... Campbell has completed 44 of 86 passes for 806 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. ... Smith leads the team with 538 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

Back to the drawing board

It was only two days ago that we heaped praise on the York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association for advancing at least one of its members in three of four classifications to the second week of postseason play.

In hindsight, we probably should have waited a week to see if last weekend was a fluke or statement.

With West York as the only YAIAA team left, that first weekend was no doubt a fluke. Or maybe the teams just took advantage of weak opponents and wilted when the going got tougher Friday night.

In Class AAAA, Central York and William Penn were smoked by a combined 74-13 to Governor Mifflin and Bishop McDevitt, respectively.

In Class AA, defending District 3 champion Delone Catholic was routed by Middletown, 35-0. Excluding West York's 56-30 win over Conrad Weiser, that's a cumulative beating of 109-13.

Penn Manor Comets

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football playoffs. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Penn Manor facts: Has beaten only two teams with a winning record, Hempfield and Dallastown. ... First season with at least eight wins since 1986. ... 5-2 record in Lancaster-Lebanon Section I was first winning section mark and good for second behind unbeaten Wilson. ... Mealy is a 1997 graduate of Bishop McDevitt. ... Won three games decided by three points or fewer including two 1-point wins. ... First postseason win in program’s history came Friday over Dallastown. ... Losses to Warwick and Wilson. ... Only games against a Mid-Penn program came in 1983 and ‘84 when Comets split with Milton Hershey. ... Rehm has completed 56 of 121 passes for 766 yards in the Comets’ option offense. The senior has thrown seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. ... Noll is the leading rusher in terms of yardage with 770 on 128 attempts. ... Rehm has seven rushing touchdowns, Noll owns six. ... Frederick is leading receiver with 276 yards on 15 receptions with five touchdowns. ... Booth is only other player with a touchdown reception. ... Employs a 4-4 defense.

Daniel Boone Blazers

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football playoffs. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Daniel Boone facts: The team held to form in the first round win over Northern in that it simply outscored its opponent. The defense, again, wasn’t overwhelming but it did enough to get by in the second half. ... The advantage Boone has week after week is that it is usually the most potent offense its opponent has seen all season. That holds true again this week. ... Scored at least 27 points in all but one game and has eclipsed the 40-point plateau five times. ... Reached the semifinals as a No. 9 seed last year after wins at Greencastle-Antrim and Northern. ... Losses to Columbia, Governor Mifflin and Muhlenberg. ... Placed third in Inter-County League Section I. ... Monteiro has completed 174 of 278 passes for 2,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. ... Greene needs 106 rushing yards for 1,000 on the year. ... Keeley has caught 78 passes for 1,189 yards and 20 total touchdowns. ... Bodolus is the program’s winningest coach in its 50-year history.

Holy Name Blue Jays

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football playoffs. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Holy Name facts: In the district semifinals for second straight year. Lost to runner-up Millersburg last season. ... Scored at least 100 points in every quarter except the third. ... Reached at least 40 points five times but hasn’t scored more than 28 since Oct. 11. ... Has not been in a game decided by one possession. ... Losses to Conrad Weiser and Wyomissing, both of which are still alive in the 3-AAA and 3-AA playoffs, respectively. ... Finished second, behind Wyomissing, in the Inter-County Section II race. ... Opponents are a combined 54-62. ... 4-0 record against Class A foes. ... Marrero has completed 45 of 85 passes for 715 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. ... Ciabattoni is the leading rusher with 1,399 yards and receiver with 362 yards. The senior has 23 total touchdowns. ... Figura has chipped in 753 rushing yards.

No tradition? No problem

Cumberland Valley owns eight District 3 Class AAAA trophies.

The Eagles opponent Friday night in the 3-AAAA quarterfinals, Penn Manor, has one playoff win to its credit in the program's history.

It's no doubt a battle of a tradition-rich program versus one that is looking to make its mark on the district map following a season that saw it win more games (nine) than it had since 1986.

The Comets (9-2) will be led into battle against CV (10-1) behind 1997 Bishop McDevitt graduate Todd Mealy, who is in his second year at the Millersville school after serving as an assistant at Lancaster McCaskey for eight seasons.

To read more on this game and how Mealy has started to turn the Penn Manor program around, check out Football This Week in The Sentinel on Thursday.

Warwick Warriors

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football players. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Warwick facts: Riding a two-game losing streak and has been outscored 59-7 against Hempfield and Wilson in those games. ... Garden Spot and Manheim Twp. also beat Warriors. ... Third straight postseason trip. Lost to Central Dauphin in previous two years. ... Trailed 3-AAAA top seed Wilson, 10-0, late in the third quarter of an eventual 24-0 loss Friday. ... Yost has completed 73 of 94 passes for 784 yards, six touchdowns and two picks. ... Resch has 1,196 yards on 228 attempts and 18 touchdowns. ... Finished fourth in Lancaster-Lebanon Section I.

York William Penn Bearcats

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football players. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

William Penn facts: Highest-scoring team in the state. ... Finished second to Central York in YAIAA Division I. ... Third straight trip to the postseason after reaching the 3-AAAA quarterfinals last year. ... Played three teams with a winning record and lost once. ... Opponents are a combined 36-64. ... Before loss in Week 10, slipped by South Western, 32-27, the week before. ... Scored at least 48 points eight times, reached at least 53 twice and at least 61 two other times. ... Davis has completed 96 of 155 passes for 1,655 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Generette leads the receivers with 657 yards on 33 catches and nine touchdowns. ... Doby has 13 rushing scores and 791 yards on 75 carries.

Daniel Boone Blazers

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football players. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Daniel Boone facts: This team looks a lot like Muhlenberg of last year in that it can score with the best of them, especially through the air, but the defense is a little suspect as is evidenced by that 48-47 overtime loss to Columbia, a 3-7 Class A school. ... This could be the most potent offense Northern has faced all season. The Blazers have scored at least 27 points in all but one game and have eclipsed the 40-point plateau four times. ... Monteiro has completed 160 of 260 passes for 2,575 yards, 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions. ... Keeley has 1,147 receiving yards, 1,384 total yards and 20 total touchdowns. ... Greene is the leading rusher with 793 yards on 121 attempts. ... Finished third in Inter-County Section I. ... Bodolus became the winningest coach in the program’s 50-year history via his team’s 46-33 win over Exeter on Friday.

Middletown Blue Raiders

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football players. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

Middletown facts: Mid-Penn Liberty champions. ... Did not allow an opponent to reach double digits in first four weeks. Has not kept an opponent in single digits the last five weeks. ... Clinched first non-losing season since 2005 and first winning season since ‘01. ... 1-2 record against teams with winning records. ... Opponents are a combined 49-51. ... Has not been held to single digits. Lowest offensive output was 14 points in back-to-back losses to Steelton-Highspire and Trinity.

York Catholic Fighting Irish

Here's some quick facts on the out-of-area-teams our schools will be playing this weekend in the District 3 football players. For the complete preview capsules, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday.

York Catholic facts: Outscored 84-3 in its last two games, losses to Delone Catholic and Bermudian Springs. ... Also played, and lost to, 3-AA qualifiers Biglerville and York Suburban. ... Played only two other Class A teams this year. ... Last winning season was a 6-4 campaign in 2004. ... First playoff appearance since 2002 when lost in 3-A final to Camp Hill. ... Full’s 339 rushing yards lead the young team, which finished fourth in the rugged YAIAA Division III. ... Sentz has hit on 56 of 122 passes for 698 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.

Lucky No. 6?

Jaws dropped around the Mid-Penn on Friday night when word spread that Trinity lost, 16-13, to Milton Hershey.

The loss moved the Shamrocks (7-3) from fourth to sixth in the District 3 Class AA power rankings, which will likely force Trinity to win two road games if it wants to get back to Hersheypark Stadium and play for a district championship. The Spartans, for the record, finished the season 4-6.

If Trinity coach Jeff Boger is looking for a silver lining, it's this: Not only have the Shamrocks already beaten Middletown, their quarterfinal opponent, but last year Delone Catholic started the playoffs No. 6 before downing Columbia and Lancaster Catholic on the road before nailing Trinity, 25-0, in the district final.

If history repeats, it will be the Shamrocks waiting for the District 4 champion in the PIAA quarterfinals later this month.

District 3 Playoff Pairing Predictions: Class AAA and Class AAAA

Class AAA
Upper Bracket
East Pennsboro (No. 16 seed) at Greencastle-Antrim (No. 1 seed)
Susquehanna Twp. (9) at Daniel Boone (8)
ELCO (13) at Cocalico (4)
Lebanon (12) at Manheim Central (5)

Lower Bracket
Kennard-Dale (15) at Mechanicsburg (2)
Northern Lebanon (10) at Northern (7)
Hershey (14) at West York (3)
Garden Spot (11) at Conrad Weiser (6)

Class AAAA
Upper Bracket
Warwick (16) at Wilson (1)
Muhlenberg (9) at Hempfield (8)
Red Lion (13) at Bishop McDevitt (4)
Elizabethtown (12) at Penn Manor (5)

Lower Bracket
Red Land (15) at York William Penn (2)
Central Dauphin (10) at Governor Mifflin (7)
Harrisburg (14) at Cumberland Valley (3)
Dallastown (11) at Central York (6)

District 3 Playoff Pairing Predictions: Class A and Class AA

In 48 hours we'll know the true pairings for the upcoming District 3 football playoffs. Before the teams settle everything on the field, we'll take a look at the current standings and attempt to predict how Week 10 will play out and which teams will meet in elimination games starting next Friday. First up is Class A followed by Class AA. Check back later for the upper classifications.

Class A
Columbia (No. 8 seed) at Steelton-Highspire (No. 1 seed)
Reading Central Catholic (5) at Millersburg (4)
York Catholic (6) at Camp Hill (3)
Upper Dauphin (7) at Reading Holy Name (2)

Class AA
Littlestown (8) at Lancaster Catholic (1)
Middletown (5) at Trinity (4)
Biglerville (6) at Delone Catholic (3)
Bermudian Springs (7) at Wyomissing (2)

Crunching the numbers

There's more local teams alive for a berth in the upcoming District 3 football playoffs than some may realize.

Maybe the best story of the year, Cedar Cliff's turnaround under new coach Jim Cantafio, will officially end after the Colts' trip to Landis Field to meet Central Dauphin East on Friday at 7 p.m. in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division game.

A victory against the winless Panthers will help Cedar Cliff to its first non-losing season since 2001. The Colts, as they did in 01, have a shot at finishing 5-5 with a win.

Unfortunately for Cantafio's boys, there will be no bonus points from the win, making it nearly impossible to catch Red Lion and Manheim Twp., a pair of teams with at least 20 more bonus points than Cedar Cliff. If both lose, they'll still likely snare enough bonus points to hold off the Colts.

A quick look at where the local teams stand heading to Week 10:

Class AAAA

In: Cumberland Valley (8-1)

In with a win: Red Land (6-3)

In with a loss and help: Red Land

Class AAA

In: Mechanicsburg (9-0) and Northern (6-3)

In with a win and some help: East Pennsboro (4-5)

In with a win and lots of help: West Perry (3-6) and Shippensburg (4-5)

Class AA

In: Trinity (7-2)

Class A

In: Camp Hill (7-2)

A Tornado watch

Without question, the most anticipated bracket in the upcoming District 3 football playoffs is the Class AA one. We've said in the past how deep this field is, which should make for very exciting football games.

The survivor of this minefield won't get much reprieve in the quarterfinals of the PIAA playoffs. The District 4 champion will venture to Hersheypark Stadium on Nov. 28 or 29 to meet the District 3 king in that round of states.

For how deep 3-AA is, 4-AA is right with it. The top eight teams all have winning records -- Troy and Wellsboro round out the field with 5-3 marks -- but it appears most teams are chasing Mount Carmel.

The Red Tornadoes (8-0) blew out previously unbeaten Lewisberg, 30-13, Friday night to take over the top spot in the district. The team opened the season with a convincing 14-0 win over Selinsgrove. The Class AAA Seals have not lost since.

Before it can focus on the 3-AA champion, Mount Carmel will likely have to beat Montoursville, a team that hasn't allowed double digit points since a 23-20 loss to Southern Columbia on Sept. 5. In the last six games, the Warriors (7-1) have allowed a total of 24 points and posted two shutouts.

Division races nearly settled

Bishop McDevitt, via a 42-21 win over Carlisle on Saturday, clinched the Mid-Penn Keystone Division title. The Crusaders finished divisional play 4-0. McDevitt, ranked No. 2 in Class AAAA according to the Pennsylvania Football News, ends the season with a pair of home games against State College (8-0) and Erie McDowell (5-3).

The only other outright division champion so far is Greencastle-Antrim (8-0), who staked its claim to the Capital thanks to its 24-16 win over Northern on Friday.

Three other unbeaten teams have clinched at least a share of their respective divisions. State College, Mechanicsburg and Steelton-Highspire all need to win their division finales in order to win the Commonwealth, Colonial and Patriot divisions outright.

None of the three are in division play this week. All will be at home Oct. 31 to try and wrap up the outright titles. State College hosts Chambersburg (0-8); Mechanicsburg welcomes Red Land (5-3) to John H. Frederick Field and Steel-High meets an always-dangerous Camp Hill team. The Lions enter Week 9 at 6-2.

The Mid-Penn took a lot of heat for the new six-team alignment but the conference might get the last laugh as far as the Liberty Division is concerned. Both Middletown and Palmyra will enter Week 10 with 4-0 records in the division. The two square off for the outright title at Middletown's War Memorial Field on Halloween night.

Stepping out of Cumberland County

Well, we're officially two weeks from the close of the regular season of high school football. All but one area team took the field Friday night -- Carlisle travels to Market Street this morning to square off with undefeated Bishop McDevitt at 10:30-- so when the sun comes up in a few hours, the playoff picture will be a little clearer.

With that in mind, let's take a moment to switch gears, look at some teams that aren't in our coverage area and see what they proved Friday night.

The first thing that stood out Friday was Cumberland Valley's inability to stop Harrisburg's offense. The Cougars ran the ball straight at CV's respected front eight and were rewarded with chunks of yardage each time. Had it not been for a missed extra point, a pair of failed 2-point conversions and two lost fumbles, Harrisburg likely walks out of Harry C. Chapman Field a winner. The Cougars (4-4) need to beat Central Mountain and Altoona in the final two weeks to have a shot at the playoffs but you heard it here first: Harrisburg will not be a team any top seed wants to face.

Heading down to the YAIAA, we now wonder, following a 22-0 punishing loss at the hands of Biglerville, if Delone Catholic really deserved that statewide praise the young Squires received after upending Trinity in overtime Sept. 5. Delone, which was out gained 342-219 Friday, was leading the ultra-deep District 3 Class AA power rankings. There are now zero unbeaten teams in that classification and there could be a new leader. Lancaster Catholic (No. 2) and Wyomissing (No. 4) both won. Trinity (No. 3) lost to Steelton-Highspire. Don't look now but thanks to a win over Camp Hill, Middletown (No. 5) is right back in the thick of the race for the top seed or at least a home game.

Moving up to Class AAA, we know the love has been flowing for Mid-Penn unbeatens Greencastle-Antrim and Mechanicsburg and that's great, they deserve it. But look at the numbers West York is putting up. That offense is simply scary. The Bulldogs (6-1) are averaging 50 points per game. In the team's only loss, it scored 47 points and lost to Dallastown on Sept. 5. That was the Dallastown prior to eight starters being booted for allegedly breaking a behavioral contract student-athletes sign. FYI: West York isn't winning shootouts. The team averages 13.3 points against and has allowed double-digits three times.

Now, to wrap things up, we're heading out of District 3. A lot of time and money may be saved by conceding at least the District 3 Class A championship to Steelton-Highspire. A Middletown team the Rollers beat, 40-14, cruised by Camp Hill - likely Steel-High's only real competition in the district - 38-21 tonight.

In the first round of the PIAA tournament, the Rollers might not, well, roll over their opponent. There appears to be three teams that could win District 6 and contend with this team. Bishop McCort, the two-time defending 6-AA champs, moved down this year and have dominated in starting undefeated. The Crimson Crushers are most likely to dance with Steel-High the day after Thanksgiving. But don't sell short an unbeaten Portage team that was the second highest scoring team in the state headed to Week 8. And then there's Bellwood-Antis, the reigning two-time 6-A champion that has five shutouts and seven wins after opening the season with a loss at Class AA power Tyrone. The winner of that district should offer a test to Steel-High.

Now for some predictions. First, the future District 3 champions (subject to change by Nov. 1):

AAAA - Wilson
AAA - Manheim Central
AA - Trinity
A - Steelton-Highspire

This year's PIAA champions:

AAAA - Gateway
AAA - Thomas Jefferson
AA - West Catholic
A - Riverside

Week 7 winners and losers

At this point in the season, most teams know whether they're serious contenders to qualify for the District 3 playoffs or not. There are a few, however, that still sit on the fence as to whether they'll sneak in or be left in the cold come November.

A trio of Class AAA teams made frantic comebacks Friday night to help their playoff cause.

Biggest winners:

West Perry -- These guys vaulted into the Class AAA field of 16 with a surprising 28-21 win over Red Land. The Mustangs (3-4) trailed 14-0 and 21-14 before doing what they did to Waynesboro a week earlier: scoring the final 14 points. After a tough September schedule, West Perry does not meet another team with a winning record this season. Junior fullback Chaz Sheaffer (left) leads the Mustangs with 462 rushing yards on 118 attempts.

Shippensburg -- Still recovering from early-season woes and a pair of wins over Class A teams, the Class AAA Greyhounds have some work to do if they want to play an 11th game. Shippensburg (3-4) made a big leap Friday by scoring the final 28 points of the game for a 28-21 win over Waynesboro.

East Pennsboro -- Another Class AAA team with work remaining. Defending District 3 and PIAA Class A champion Steelton-Highspire is on the schedule, which makes a playoff berth unlikely for the Panthers (3-4), who scored 13 fourth-quarter points in a wild 26-21 win over Milton Hershey on Friday. A win Friday at West Perry sure would help the cause.

Cedar Cliff -- Another win for the Colts has this program eyeing a playoff appearance. The 4-3 Colts, following a 24-7 rout of Altoona, sit in the 16th and final spot in the Class AAAA field. Just being in the discussion at this point is new territory for Cedar Cliff.

Biggest losers:

Trinity -- Word came down Monday that halfback/safety Christian Kuntz, a Penn State recruit, will likely miss the rest of the season with a torn MCL. The loss deals a serious blow to the Shamrocks, who were eyeing a Class AA district title after falling short last year. In the minefield that is 3-AA, Trinity needed to be at full strength come November.

Red Land -- After a 28-21 loss at West Perry, the Class AAAA Patriots are assured of nothing the rest of the way. At 4-3, Red Land will likely need to win out to make the field. With a season-ending date at undefeated Mechanicsburg, that seems unlikely. Still, if Red Land regroups and goes, at worst, 6-4, there might be a spot in the postseason party for this bunch.

Week 6 winners and losers

There weren't a multitude marquee matchups in Week 6. Arguably, the biggest game was Saturday night's clash between Cumberland Valley and Lower Dauphin. In that one, the Falcons proved once again that they might be the team with the hardest luck in the Mid-Penn.

Coming into Week 6, this team had a close loss to Cedar Cliff (21-14) and another that got away in the second half of a loss to Bishop McDevitt (42-20). In that game, Lower Dauphin (2-4) was down, 21-20, at halftime before letting it get away at McDevitt Field.

Saturday was another hard-luck loss as the Falcons, after recovering a fumble at midfield late in the fourth quarter of a 31-28 game, handed the ball, and the game, right back to CV with a fumble of their own. Oh, the humanity.

Biggest winners:

West Perry -- Don't look now but the Mustangs (2-4) are still alive for a berth in the District 3-AAA playoff field. West Perry scored the last 14 points - Dayne Abeling's extra point in the fourth quarter was the difference - to keep a glimmer of postseason hope alive for a young, experienced team.

Mechanicsburg -- This team is starting to master the final piece of the puzzle. Early in the year, the Wildcats (6-0) couldn't seem to put anyone away. A 56-6 blitzing of Shippensburg one week after a 45-6 rout of Waynesboro proves that they can now do that.

Boiling Springs -- It's going to be extremely tough but if the Bubblers (2-4) keep winning, 6-4 might be enough to sneak into the 3-AA postseason party. Jake Grove stepped into the limelight Friday and gashed Milton for 243 yards on 19 carries in the 22-0 win.

Trinity -- This has as much to do with Steelton-Highspire's rout of Middletown, which previously held the top seed in 3-AA, than of Trinity's 24-0 win over East Pennsboro. The Shamrocks (5-1) keep climbing up the standings following an early loss to reigning District 3 champion Delone Catholic.

Biggest losers:

Red Land -- Talk about not taking advantage of a golden opportunity. The Patriots (4-2) lost out on 50 bonus points and dropped near the bottom of the 3-AAAA standings with a 31-7 loss at home to Greencastle-Antrim. That inability to stop a good running team could come back to haunt Red Land.

Northern -- This was a surprise. The Polar Bears (4-2) should have cruised against a rebuilding Hershey team. Instead, Northern failed to a hold a 10-point lead and turned the ball over three times in a 23-16 loss at Hersheypark Stadium.

Cumberland Valley -- A win's a win but that young secondary may have been exposed late in the fourth quarter of the 31-28 win over Lower Dauphin. If the Eagles (5-1) are to live up to the expectation of being one of the district's best, they'll need to succeed at stopping the run and the pass.

Carlisle -- Central Dauphin hadn't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard in recent weeks but the Rams poured 38 points on Carlisle in a 31-point win. The Thundering Herd (1-5) is reduced to playing for pride at this point. A .500 season is still attainable but the road is tough.

Don't miss these games

The second half of the high school football season is upon us. Leaves are changing, the weather is getting cooler and everyone is starting to look ahead to the second season, normally referred to as the playoffs.

Before we delve into brackets and win-or-go-home games, let's take a look at the can't-miss games that dot the schedule over the final four weeks of the regular season. All listed games are on Friday unless noted. Team records are in parenthesis.

Week 7
Trinity (5-1) at Middletown (5-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.: A battle for seeding in the District 3-AA playoffs. Middletown coming off an ugly 40-14 loss at Steelton-Highspire.

Week 8
Harrisburg (3-3) at Cumberland Valley (4-1): Eagles looking more and more like a District 3-AAAA contender. Harrisburg just wants into the 16-team field.

Steelton-Highspire (6-0) at Trinity (5-1): Another big game in terms of playing positioning. Trinity, which won 31-7 last year, can make a move up the table if it beats Middletown and Steel-High.

Week 9
Susquehanna Twp. (4-2) at Northern (4-2): This could be a must-win for the Polar Bears if they lose to Greencastle-Antrim in Week 8. If Northern wants a playoff game at Bostic Field, it can't afford to lose many more.

Week 10
Camp Hill (5-1) at Steelton-Highspire (6-0): Teams split last year. This could be a preview of the District 3-A final a week before Thanksgiving.

Central Dauphin (4-2) at Cumberland Valley (4-1): Loser here might be on the road in the playoffs. For CV, that might not be a bad thing.

Red Land (4-2) at Mechanicsburg (6-0): Wildcats could be trying to secure top seed in 3-AAA bracket and a perfect season. Red Land might be fighting for its playoff life for a spot in the 3-AAAA field.

Perched at the top of the table

Mechanicsburg's dream football season got a lot better in the moments following the Wildcats' 45-6 rout of Wayensboro on Friday night.

The same evening, Garden Spot beat Lebanon, 35-21. Why was that result important? The Cedars were the only team ahead of Mechanicsburg (5-0) in the District 3 Class AAA playoff power rankings. Thanks to that loss, the Wildcats head into Week 6 as the top dog and one of only two unbeaten teams in the district -- Greencastle-Antrim is the other.

Mechanicsburg has a healthy 90-point edge on the Blue Devils, who have a difficult assignment this week at Red Land, and are 150 points in front of West York, which checks in at No. 3.

That doesn't mean a district title and a spot in the PIAA semifinals is certain for Mechanicsburg. The biggest threat to a team that has won every conceivable way so far could be a team seeded way down at No. 12: Manheim Central.

The Barons, which own 15 District 3-AAA titles, have lost twice this year but neither team was in Central's classification. Wilson, a favorite in 3-AAAA, squeaked out a 20-15 win Sept. 5 and Class AA Lancaster Catholic beat the Barons, 21-8, a week later.

In Mechanicsburg's second appearance in the 3-AAA final, Manheim Central beat the Wildcats, 27-6, in 2004. Mechanicsburg has never won a 3-AAA football championship.

The unofficial District 3 rankings can be found here, courtesy of the Pennsylvania Football News.

Week 5 winners and losers

The tide is slowing starting to shift in Lower Allen Twp.

It was seven years since Cedar Cliff had won three straight football games. Friday night, the Colts did what they hadn't done since consecutive wins over Chambersburg, Harrisburg and Lower Dauphin in 2001 when they won their third straight via a 24-3 rout of Carlisle.

Cedar Cliff and coach Jim Cantafio (right) polished off Chambersburg in overtime Sept. 19 and downed Carlisle without the services of quarterback Jake Troutman, who tore an ACL in the second half against Chambersburg. Sophomore Tim Kelly, who led both wins, will be under center the rest of the season. The Colts (3-2) travel to Mid-Penn Commonwealth leader State College (5-0) on Friday.

Biggest winners (including Cedar Cliff):

Mechanicsburg -- After a couple of close calls in recent weeks, the 45-6 pounding of visiting Waynesboro was exactly what Mechanicsburg (5-0) needed. Thanks the Lebanon's loss to Garden Spot, the Wildcats took the top spot in the District 3 Class AAA power rankings.

Red Land -- It wasn't easy but Ethan Noss scored twice in the second half to help the Patriots (4-1) down Hershey, 24-8. Dan Yenger, who rushed for 99 yards on 20 carries, will need another big game as Red Land hosts Greencastle-Antrim (5-0) on Friday. Win that and we'll see the Patriots back here next week.

Shippensburg -- The forward pass made an appearance Saturday in Bangor as the Greyhounds (2-3) eclipsed 200 yards through the air in a nice 43-28 win over Pius X. Shippensburg needs that momentum to carry over this Friday when Mechanicsburg comes to town.

Biggest losers:

Carlisle -- For much of the game, Carlisle (1-4) looked like the better team against Cedar Cliff. Unfortunately, the Thundering Herd simply couldn't finish its long drives and fell victim to the big play in a surprising 24-3 loss.

Boiling Springs -- The offense was better as it accumulated 288 yards but the result was the same for the fourth week in a row. This time it was a 21-15 setback to East Pennsboro on homecoming. The good news is that this team (1-4) isn't getting run out of the stadium. Its last two losses were by a combined 13 points. Hope for the future?

PIAA Bracketology

Other than a few stragglers who are playing at teams whose fields don't offer lights -- looking outside, the portable brand might be needed today -- Week 5 is in the books and we're halfway through the regular season.

A big topic of conversation through the offseason and early this season was that of how the PIAA state playoff brackets were restructured.

The biggest change for area teams is in Class AAA. The District 3 champion will participate in the western bracket and meet the WPIAL (District 7) champion in the state semifinals. In previous years District 3 qualified for the state semifinals out of the eastern bracket.

Another change involving the Mid-Penn comes in Class AAAA. No longer will Mid-Penn affiliates Altoona and State College, who call District 6 home, qualify for the District 3 field. Rather, those two are in a subregional with Erie McDowell, Allderdice, DuBois and Central Mountain. The winner of that meets the WPIAL champion in the quarterfinals with the survivor there taking on the District 3 champion. Those games are in the western bracket.

But that's all far down the road. If you're headed to a Saturday matinee, enjoy the rain.

Early playoff power rankings

Can you believe this Friday marks the halfway point of the regular season for high school football? It hasn't even felt like fall yet for crying out loud. Regardless, with said midway point visible on the horizon, it's time to take a look at the District 3 power rankings, which determine the playoff pairings.

Rather than regurgitate the names and numbers, you can browse them at your own pace by clicking the link above. The rankings are courtesy of the Pennsylvania Football News.

We would, however, like to take a minute and point something out. As it stands, Camp Hill is exactly where it needs to be. Frank Kindler's Lions (3-1) are sitting in second place, 40 average points below Steelton-Highspire and a slim five over Holy Name.

Why do we bring this up? Because it's imperative for Camp Hill to avoid the same side of the bracket as the defending District 3 and PIAA Class A champion Rollers. The way the eight-team bracket is set up, Camp Hill can fall to third (or sixth or seventh) and avoid Steel-High until the final, assuming the Rollers remain at No. 1. But a finish of fourth or fifth will doom the Lions to travel to Cottage Hill in the semifinals, where they lost, 33-0, last year in that round. It should be pointed out that, after a 7-3 regular season a year ago, Steel-High was the No. 2 seed behind Millersburg and Camp Hill was No. 3.

The other positive to steering clear of the Rollers, other than the fact that the two close the season against each other Oct. 31, is that anything can happen once you get to Hersheypark Stadium. Look at last year. Lampeter-Strasburg surprised Gettysburg in Class AAA and, even more jaw-dropping, Delone Catholic hammered top-seeded, unbeaten and state-ranked Trinity in AA.

The key for Camp Hill is to get back to The Stadium, somewhere it hasn't been since 2004. Once there, who knows what can happen.

Week 4 winners and losers

Without question the biggest game of last weekend was the one between Mechanicsburg and Northern. We could put both of these teams under each category. Mechanicsburg could be considered a winner due to ending Northern's 31-game winning streak and staying undefeated. The 'Cats could also be in the loser category due to nearly blowing a 23-8 fourth-quarter lead.

Northern's in the same boat. The Polar Bears could be classified as winners after taking a very strong Mechanicsburg team to the limit without their top two running backs, Isaiah Hicks and Robbie Bleiler, at full strength. Or, Northern could be in the other category for losing said regular-season winning streak.

We'll make it simple and just keep both off the lists this week:

Biggest winners:

Camp Hill -- The Lions (3-1) responded on the road in a tough environment and blitzed rival East Pennsboro, 17-7, a week after losing to Trinity, another rival. Jordan Weber's four interceptions and one touchdown catch all but eliminated any chance the Panthers (1-3) had of winning.

Cedar Cliff -- Win No. 2 for Jim Cantafio came a week following the coach's first win at the school. On Friday, the Colts (2-2) needed Tim Kelly's 1-yard touchdown run in overtime to down Chambersburg, 30-27. Do we hear three straight for Cantafio? Colts host Carlisle (1-3) on Friday.

Cumberland Valley -- How do you erase bad memories from an upset a year ago? Beat that team 45-0 on its home field. That's exactly what the Eagles (3-1) did to Central Dauphin East on Friday. Mike Frenette, the area's leading rusher, pounded out 125 yards on 11 carries.

Biggest losers:

Carlisle -- The good news was that the Thundering Herd (1-3) held a 7-0 lead on Harrisburg. That's where the good news ends as Carlisle allowed 50+ points to the defending District 3-6 Class AAAA champion for the second year in a row via a 53-14 loss.

Boiling Springs -- The playoffs are slipping away. Last year's 13-7 loss to Milton Hershey finished off the Bubblers' playoff hopes. A 21-14 loss to the Spartans in Week 4 dropped Boiling Springs to 1-3 but didn't mathematically eliminate it. If the Bubblers can't score more, it'll be a long second half to the season.

Shippensburg -- What happened? A 42-12 loss to a previously winless foe is never good. An issue the Greyhounds (1-3) had was a lack of a passing game. Now, it appears the defense can't stop anybody. The holes need to be plugged quickly before a team with 18 returning starters watches its season slip away.

Week 3 winners and losers

Friday marked the first night that weather really made its presence felt. The rain rotated between steady and heavy most of the night, which is supposed to slow offenses down. Someone forgot to tell Cedar Cliff and Lower Dauphin, who rung up more than 500 yards on offense. Other teams (Northern, Camp Hill) weren't as good on offense in the third week of the season, which offered some edge-of-your-seats results.

Biggest winners:

Cedar Cliff -- The Colts handed new coach Jim Cantafio his first win and QB Jake Troutman threw for 197 yards as Cedar Cliff made a 21-14 halftime lead stand. Against a second-half team like Lower Dauphin, that stout defense after the break was a welcome sight.

Cumberland Valley -- Mike Frenette ran for 247 yards to help the Eagles do something Mid-Penn teams don't often do: win at Mansion Park in Altoona. CV hadn't won at Mansion since 1992 when the Eagles and coach Tim Rimpfel won the PIAA Class AAAA title. The win Friday, coupled with State College's 27-13 win over Central Dauphin, makes CV appear to be one of the better teams in the conference. If not for a late turnover, the Eagles could have beaten State College in a game the Little Lions won, 17-14, Sept. 5.

Mechanicsburg -- After two easy wins, the Wildcats proved they can win the close ones. A blocked extra point with 11.7 seconds left lifted the team to a 3-0 start. Considering Mechanicsburg played two of its first three on the road, this team is battle tested heading to Dillsburg on Friday.

Biggest losers:

East Pennsboro -- It's happening again. The Panthers simply cannot win the close games. This time it was a 41-40 double-overtime loss at Palmyra. If it can't win the close ones, it'll be another season at home during playoff time for East Penn.

Northern -- Sure, sure, the Polar Bears won. But 12-6 against winless Milton Hershey? If it weren't for two safeties, it's unclear who would have won this game. Let's just chalk this up to the Bears looking ahead to their game with Mechanicsburg on Friday. Two safeties, though, makes it imperative to give props to Northern's 'D'.

Week 2 winners and losers

This one's a day or so late (busy days in the fall) but there's a lot to discuss after the second weekend of high school football. It's said that the biggest improvement for teams comes between the first and second weeks. Some teams will be hoping that improvement shows up a week late.

Biggest winners:

Northern -- Again, the Polar Bears are making yours truly look bad. Picked behind Greencastle-Antrim and Shippensburg, Northern took to dispatching one of those teams (Shippensburg) Friday night, 14-3. Matt Murphy and the dominating defense (left, sacking Shippensburg quarterback Greg Boldosser) kept the Greyhounds bottled up and moved Northern a step closer to another division title.

Carlisle -- A win over Central Dauphin East boosted the team's confidence heading into Week 3 against a tough Hempfield team. Coach Brett Ickes moved running back Travis Mease from defense and the results were a career day for the junior, who sits atop the area leaderboard for rushing yards.

Mechanicsburg -- Another impressive win for the Wildcats, who beat Hershey worse than that 28-14 count indicates. Another test is on the horizon at Susquehanna Twp. but through two weeks, this is the team to beat in the Mid-Penn Colonial.

Biggest losers:

Trinity -- Another game against Delone Catholic, another loss. The Shamrocks did rally from a 14-0 hole to force overtime but the team needed this win at home. Still, it's early and Trinity needs to bounce back fast with rival Camp Hill coming to COBO this Friday.

Shippensburg -- Over two games the Greyhounds have thrown for 14 yards (negative 1 against Halifax in Week 1). It's imperative for this team to move the ball through the air to open running room for the stable of backs it has. If it can't pass, the opponents will simply crowd the box and bottle up the offense.

Susquenita -- A week after narrowly losing to Newport, the Blackhawks gave up 54 points in a loss to Middletown. The losing streak is at 13 and needs to end this week at winless James Buchanan.

Week 1 winners and losers

It's time to reflect on the first week of the high school football season. Some teams were better than we thought, others ... not so much. But it's a long season and those good (or bad) vibes from Week 1 can quickly be replaced by Week 5 or 6.

Biggest winners

Northern -- OK, coach Mauck, you got me. Worried about a stiff Bermudian Springs defense and a young backfield, Northern coach Rick Mauck stressed his concerns about the Polar Bears' opener. And I bought it. A tight 214 yards from RB Robbie Bleiler on 12 carries and a stout defense lifted Northern to a 30-13 destruction of the Eagles.

Mechanicsburg -- A big, physical offensive line dominated Carlisle and opened loads of daylight for RB Tarik Leftenant, who chipped in 173 yards and three touchdowns for the Wildcats. It never hurts to pitch a shutout right off the bat.

Trinity -- This is the new Redeem Team. A 25-0 loss in the District 3-AA final to a team it beat earlier in the year 34-13 left a bad taste in the Shamrocks' mouth. The road to redemption started Friday with a 20-0 whitewash of state-ranked Lancaster Catholic. Three forced fumbles and 10 tackles from Matt Connors paced the 'Rocks' suffocating defense. QB Ted Spinelli (above) rushed for 100 yards in the muck.

Biggest losers

Red Land -- Yes, the Patriots beat rival Cedar Cliff, 10-7, but there won't be many more of those favorable outcomes if the team, back in the Class AAAA ranks, continues to pile up over 100 yards of penalties.

Carlisle -- This was a team with high hopes of starting 3-0 and using that as a springboard to at the very least a .500 record. The reality is the Thundering Herd struggled against Mechanicsburg's skill people and will face an even faster team in Central Dauphin East on Friday. A week later a highly-touted Hempfield team that blasted Conestoga Valley, 41-13, comes to town. Then it's a trip to defending 3/6-AAAA champion Harrisburg before ... well, let's just take it one week at a time.

Week 1 projections

Well, it doesn't appear that MaxPreps, with a redesigned site, will have predictions ready for opening weekend. No worries, here are my personal picks for Week 1 with Market Street Madness thrown in to make it an even dozen:

Bermudian Springs 16, Northern 10
Camp Hill 22, Biglerville 9
Boiling Springs 29, Big Spring 12
Red Land 24, Cedar Cliff 10
Cumberland Valley 31, Red Lion 10
Mechanicsburg 19, Carlisle 14
Middletown 17, East Pennsboro 13
Susquenita 12, Newport 10
Shippensburg 26, Halifax 14
Lancaster Catholic 10, Trinity 7
Indian Valley 18, West Perry 0
Bishop McDevitt 23, Harrisburg 13

Rankings correction

In the initial Pennsylvania Football News preseason rankings, the publication inadvertently listed Wilson Area, out of District 11, as a Class AA school. In the offseason, the Warriors moved up to Class AAA.

In the updated rankings, Wilson checks in at No. 10 in Class AAA and bumped Selinsgrove from No. 10 to the Others to Watch list.


The AA rankings had a bit more movement as the Warriors were ranked No. 3. Everyone moved up one spot with local entrant Trinity jumping to No. 7. The Shamrocks' Week 1 opponent, Lancaster Catholic, appeared in the No. 10 spot.

Light(s) at the end of the tunnel

Unless you're Harrisburg or Bishop McDevitt, this Friday's scrimmages will offer a taste of what's ahead on Aug. 29. Most of the teams will meet an opponent under the lights for the first time in 2008 - Cumberland Valley has a jump on everyone after scrimmaging South Western at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Speaking of those Eagles, it might be smart to check out their scrimmage at Chapman Field on Friday at 7 p.m. against J.P. McCaskey from Lancaster. This will give CV a good idea of where it stands in terms of speed. The Red Tornado, despite last year's 3-7 mark, usually boasts its share of speed. With regular-season games against traditionally fast opponents State College, Altoona, Central Dauphin East, Harrisburg and Central Dauphin this scrimmage will be very useful.

Another safe bet is South Western vs. Red Land and head coach Frank Gay (above) at West Shore Stadium. Kickoff between the two, who met for the 2006 District 3 Class AAA championship, is at 7 p.m. Both teams were shuffled back to the AAAA ranks in the offseason, making a rematch in the district playoffs unlikely.

The complete scrimmage schedule for Mid-Penn teams:
Friday
Area
West Perry at Trinity, 4
Bermudian Springs at Boiling Springs, 6
Eastern York at Big Spring, 6
Elizabethtown at East Pennsboro, 6
Lebanon at Mechanicsburg, 6
Kennard-Dale at Shippensburg, 6:30
Carlisle at Red Lion, 7
Cedar Cliff at Reading, 7
Dover at Northern, 7
Lancaster McCaskey at Cumberland Valley, 7
Newport at Camp Hill, 7
South Western at Red Land, 7
Others
Harrisburg at Wyoming Valley West, 10 a.m.
State College at Bethlehem Liberty, 4
Greencastle-Antrim at Gettysburg, 6
Hershey at Mt. Carmel, 6
Bishop McDevitt at Manheim Township, 6
Lower Dauphin at Susquehanna Township, 6
Steelton-Highspire at Shenandoah Valley, 6
Central Dauphin East at Wilson West Lawn, 7
Erie Cathedral Prep at Altoona, 7
Governor Thomas Johnson (Maryland) at Chambersburg, 7
Lewistown at Milton Hershey, 7
Middletown at Littlestown, 7
Saturday
Area
Susquenita at Millersburg, 11 a.m.
Others
Boonsboro (Maryland) at Waynesboro, 10 a.m.
Scotland at Fairfield, 10 a.m.
James Buchanan at Schuylkill Valley, 1

Ready for some football?

Possibly the most intriguing scrimmage this Saturday is the one involving New Oxford at Carlisle.

For the Thundering Herd, this scrimmage will christen Year 3 of the Wing-T offense under coach and offensive coordinator Brett Ickes.

Carlisle, which calls the Mid-Penn Keystone home, has high expectations that include a winning record and an appearance in the District 3 Class AAAA playoffs for the first time since 2005.

How the Herd fares against New Oxford, a YAIAA Class AAA school that went 4-6 in 2007, could tell a lot about how the team will do in games that count.

None of Carlisle's first three opponents (Mechanicsburg, Central Dauphin East and Hempfield) had a winning record last season. Starting in Week 4 with reigning District 3-6 Class AAAA king Harrisburg, the Herd meets five 2007 playoff teams over the final seven games.

A fast start is vital to a Carlisle team that will be breaking in a new quarterback and is a tad thin depth-wise on the offensive line.

Here's a list of the other scrimmages involving Mid-Penn teams this Saturday:

Area
Big Spring at Scotland, 10 a.m.
Boiling Springs at Newport, 10 a.m.
Camp Hill at Kennard-Dale, 10 a.m.
Cumberland Valley at South Western, 7
East Pennsboro at Cedar Cliff, 10 a.m.
Huntingdon at Shippensburg, 10 a.m.
Lebanon at Susquenita, 10 a.m.
Mechanicsburg at West Perry, 10 a.m.
New Oxford at Carlisle, 10 a.m.
Northern at West York, 10 a.m.
Red Land at Northeastern, 9 a.m.
Trinity at Halifax, 10 a.m.
Others
Central Dauphin at Lancaster McCaskey, 10 a.m.
Chambersburg at York , 10 a.m.
Conestoga Valley at Bishop McDevitt, 10 a.m.
Donegal at Steelton-Highspire, 9:30 a.m.
Gettysburg at Susquehannock, 10 a.m.
Hanover at Greencastle-Antrim, 10 a.m.
Indian Valley at Central Dauphin East, 11 a.m.
Palmyra at Milton Hershey, 9:30 a.m.
Pottstown at Middletown, 11 a.m.
Reading at Harrisburg, 10 a.m.
Red Lion at Hershey, 10 a.m.
Spring Grove at Lower Dauphin, 9:30 a.m.
Susquehanna Township at Shamokin, 10 a.m.
Waynesboro at Dover, 11 a.m.

Top recruits for 2009

In the Aug. 4 edition of Sporting News, the national weekly announced the top recruits for 2009 by state. Pennsylvania ranked seventh of 10 and of the five names mentioned, none were from District 3.

The only two seniors from the western portion of the commonwealth come from the same school. Dorian Bell and Corey Brown, a linebacker and athlete, respectively, both hail from Gateway, a suburban Pittsburgh school in Monroeville. The duo have verbally agreed to join 2007 recruiting darling and former Jeannette quarterback Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State University.

The Gators, who went 11-1 last year, lost to eventual state champion Pittsburgh Central Catholic in overtime in the District 7 (WPIAL) final and were ranked No. 2 in the state by the Pennsylvania Football News in the final rankings.

SN's list of top 2009 recruits:

1. Dorian Bell, Gateway, linebacker, 6-foot-0/226 pounds, Ohio State

2. Eric Shrive, Scranton West, offensive line, 6-7/285, Penn State

3. Je'Ron Stokes, Philadelphia Northeast, wide receiver, 6-1/178, Tennessee

4. Corey Brown, Gateway, athlete, 6-1/180, Ohio State

5. Tom Savage, Cardinal O'Hara, quarterback, 6-4/217, Rutgers

SN's list of top high school football states:

1. California

2. Texas

3. Florida

4. Ohio

5. Louisiana

6. Georgia

7. Pennsylvania

8. North Carolina

9. Alabama

10. South Carolina

Trio to be ranked or watched

Early indications from Pennsylvania Football News headquarters are three area teams will be mentioned in the publication's preseason polls.

Almost a lock to crack the Class AA top 10 is Trinity. The Shamrocks, who open at Lancaster Catholic on Aug. 29, have a solid nucleus back from last year's District 3 runner-up team that finished 12-1. Lineman Nick Kindler has committed to West Virginia University while split end/safety Christian Kuntz has verballed to Penn State University.

Two other teams should start 2008 on the PFN's Others to Watch List. In Class AAA, East Pennsboro, led by speedy senior running back Tyler Rivera and senior quarterback Wes Strayer, should make some noise after going 4-6 last year. An important note is that half of those losses were by four points or fewer.

In Class A perennial district challenger Camp Hill will appear just outside the top 10. The Lions have the same issue a very good Millersburg team had the last two years. To make it out of Distirct 3, one has to beat defending state champion Steelton-Highspire. Last fall, Camp Hill beat the Rollers, 28-21, in the regular season before losing, 33-0, in the district semifinals. Quarterback Tyler Shover, The Sentinel's Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, is back to lead offensive coordinator Steve Shover's dynamic attack, which appears to grow a new set of legs each week.