National champion crowned in football

It's not a team from Texas, Florida, California or Ohio that captured the Rivals.com national championship for high school football.

Rather, this year's top team hails from nearby New Jersey. In the final poll, Don Bosco Prep tops the charts at No. 1 with a 12-0 record. The team that finished second, Division I Class AAAA champion Lake Travis of Texas, would have been our choice. The Cavaliers finished 16-0 and defeated three Class AAAAA teams.

Pennsylvania had an awful showing with only one team ranked in the top 100. LaSalle College, at No. 48, was the lone team ranked from Pennsylvania. LaSalle (right) beat State College, 24-7, on Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium for the PIAA Class AAAA title. The Explorers finished the season 14-1.

Also released earlier this week was the final Pennsylvania Football News poll. Cumberland Valley, the District 3-AAAA champion, finished No. 4 behind LaSalle College, State College and Ridley. CV dropped a 35-13 decision to State College in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals Dec. 12.

Three teams crack regional rankings

People are taking notice of Manheim Central.

The Barons, with a mammoth line and numerous weapons, have made short work of almost every postseason opponent with the exception of Daniel Boone and Susquehanna Twp. Now, Manheim Central has garnered national respect. The Barons check in at No. 10 in the latest USA Top Super 25 regional rankings. Pennsylvania falls under the east region.

The Barons (15-0) meet Selinsgrove (15-0) on Friday at Hersheypark Stadium in the Class AAA state title game at 7 p.m.

LaSalle College (13-1) and State College (12-2) are ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, and will meet in the Class AAAA title game at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m.

State College beat Cumberland Valley, 35-13, in the semifinals Saturday at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona.

Cumberland Valley holds strong

Despite a 22-point loss Saturday afternoon, Cumberland Valley remained No. 4 in Class AAAA of the Pennsylvania Football News rankings.

The Eagles, who finished their year 12-3 following a 35-13 PIAA semifinal loss to State College on Saturday, didn't crack the rankings until they beat Wilson in the District 3 Class AAAA semifinals. CV came in at No. 7 and jumped to No. 4 with a 34-27, double-overtime victory against then-No. 2 Bishop McDevitt in the 3-AAAA final.

State College remained No. 2 with a 12-2 record. LaSalle College, a 35-7 winner over Ridley on Saturday, stayed in the top spot with a 13-1 mark. The Green Raiders (13-2) are No. 3.

Not one other area school broke the state's top ten rankings this season.

State High keeps trucking

Winless in its three previous trips to the state semifinals, State College broke through in a big way Saturday.

The Little Lions played nearly flawless football in squashing Cumberland Valley, 35-13, at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona. State College (12-2) is the first District 6 school to play for a PIAA Class AAAA title. The Little Lions meet LaSalle College (13-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.

State College, which shared the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division title with Central Dauphin before capturing the District 6-8-9-10 subregion, fell in the 1992, 2003 and 2006 state semifinals. In their first trip to the semifinals, the Little Lions lost to Upper St. Clair, 42-13. Ironically, a week later USC fell to Cumberland Valley, 28-12, in the state final.

State College lost to Pittsburgh Central Catholic, 30-0, in 2003 and dropped a 28-20 decision to Upper St. Clair in 2006.

As for CV, the Eagles fell to 1-3 in state semifinal games and closed the books on a 12-3 season. Saturday was the first time for CV playing in the western half of the bracket for PIAA action. Since moving to the west for Class AAAA in 2004, traditional Mid-Penn Conference teams are now 0-5 in the state semifinals and District 3 is 0-6.

As a parting shot from Altoona, we tip our hats to the Altoona Area School District crew. We don't know how they did it but the field was in great shape. The Altoona area had between 5-6 inches of snow and ice dumped on it Tuesday night but the field was ready for Friday night's PIAA Class AAA semifinal game. The field was lined with a large wall of snow and ice, which was far enough out of bounds to not cause any issues. Nice work, guys.

Now, if only the 3-AAAA champion can figure out a way to get this semifinal monkey off its back.

(Photo courtesy of Craig Houtz/Centre Daily Times)

Is Mansion Park really that bad?

It's been called the place where Mid-Penn Conference teams go to die.

Altoona's Mansion Park Stadium has garnered that reputation not only because it was tough to beat the host Mountain Lions during the season when they were members of the WPIAL but because of what happened to Mid-Penn teams in the very game that Mansion hosts this afternoon.

Since 2004 when the PIAA moved the District 3 Class AAAA champion to the west, the conference is 0-4 in PIAA semifinal games at Mansion. That will change today becuase both Cumberland Valley (12-2) and State College (11-2) are members of the Mid-Penn. It must be noted, however, that State College is located in District 6 and only a charter member of the Mid-Penn for football only.

But, really, Mansion Park hasn't been that bad to Sentinel-area teams. Cumberland Valley knocked off Upper St. Clair, 28-12, for the 1992 PIAA Class AAAA title at Mansion Park. The victory remain's CV's only state title in football.

In 2004, Camp Hill ventured to Mansion Park and beat District 6 champion Bellwood-Antis, 27-14, in a PIAA Class A quarterfinal, which makes area teams 2-0 at the Blair County venue in state playoff games.

State College information

Below is a preview of the State College football team. For complete preview capsules of both PIAA Class AAAA semifinal games, pick up a copy of The Sentinel on Thursday. Joining the capsules is a story about State College and its postseason dilemma. A complete preview story and a sidebar will wrap up our coverage before Saturday's 1 p.m. kickoff. Due to the early start time and the length of drive for CV fans, all preview information will run a day early this week.

State College notes: Kenney led Little Lions with 85 rushing yards on 15 carries against Woodland Hills and scored the team’s first touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Mills. ... on the final play of the first half, Kenney, who added two interceptions, tackled Wolverines quarterback John Yezovich at the goal line to preserve a 7-0 halftime lead. ... out-gained Woodland Hills, 249-229. ... quarterfinal win was first against a WPIAL program since 1987 and the first ever against the league in postseason play. ... last trip to the PIAA semifinal was in 2006 when program won the District 3-6 Class AAAA championship. In the state semifinal, lost to Upper St. Clair, 28-20, at Mansion Park. ... defense was suspect in the regular season when it allowed at least 20 points four times and 19 another but has turned over a new leaf in the playoffs by limiting teams to a total of 27 points in three games. ... losses are to Central Dauphin and Bishop McDevitt, teams that finished a combined 21-4. ... Mills and Mazzara have similar numbers at QB but the latter was injured early in Friday’s game and did not return. Mills has completed 34 of 60 passes for 423 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Mazzara is 38 of 66 for 368 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. ... Kenney, a Penn State University recruit, has speed to burn with 1,104 yards on 138 carries with 20 touchdowns. ... Mazzara, who had a game-high 205 rushing yards against CV in September but is not expected to play Saturday, has rushed 99 times for 785 yards and seven touchdowns. ... Kenney is also the leading receiver with 255 yards and three touchdowns. ... Porter has a team-high 3.5 sacks and Kenney has reeled in a team-leading 10 interceptions. ... offense averages 334.8 yards per game and 261.2 on the ground. ... averages 32.1 points per game and 14.8 against. ... led CV, 21-2, after one quarter in first meeting before holding on for a narrow win. ... attempted only five passes and rushed 52 times against CV in September. ... ranked No. 2 in Class AAAA by the Pennsylvania Football News. ... finished 4-1 in Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division and shared the title with Central Dauphin.

Read up on the Little Lions

Below are a few links to stories about the State College Area High School football team:

Game stories from State College's 14-3 win over Woodland Hills on Friday:

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

From the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

From the Altoona Mirror

A preview story for the Woodland Hills vs. State College PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinal from the Centre Daily Times.

A feature story about State College running back/defensive back Alex Kenney (above), who has verbally committed to Penn State University, from the Centre Daily Times.

(Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Tribune Review)

More surprises for Saturday?

The way things are going in the Class AAAA bracket of the PIAA playoffs this weekend, don't count out a Cumberland Valley victory Saturday night against Bishop McDevitt.

Two quarterfinal games Friday night provided stunning results. North Penn, the No. 1 team in the state according to the Pennsylvania Football News, was physically man-handled by Ridley, 19-10, in the District 1 championship game. The Knights led, 10-6, late in the first half after a trick play for a touchdown but the Green Raiders dumped the defending district champs thanks to a 96-yard return of the ensuing kickoff for a back-breaking touchdown.

Ridley (13-1) awaits either LaSalle College (11-1) or Easton (13-1) next week in one semifinal at a site and time to be announced.

In another quarterfinal, State College controlled Woodland Hills in a 14-3 victory. The Little Lions, who compete in the Mid-Penn Conference during the regular season and won the 6-8-9-10 subregional two weeks ago, knocked out the WPIAL champion. Woodland Hills, it must be noted, was battling numerous injuries and could never get on track offensively.

State College (11-2) awaits Cumberland Valley (11-2) or Bishop McDevitt (12-0) at a site and time to be announced next week.

The PIAA Class AAAA title game is set for Hersheypark Stadium at 7 p.m. Dec. 19.

Bishop McDevitt information

Below are a few nuggets about Cumberland Valley's opponent in Saturday night's District 3 Class AAAA title game, Bishop McDevitt. Game time is 6 p.m. at Hersheypark Stadium.

The following will appear in an entire preview capsule in Friday's edition of The Sentinel. Along with the 3-AAAA preview capsule, The Sentinel will also preview the PIAA quarterfinal between Woodland Hills and State College, which is set for Friday at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona at 7 p.m. The winners meet at week later in the state semifinals at a site and time to be announced.

Bishop McDevitt notes: has not played for district title since 2005 when it beat State College, 20-17. A year prior, beat Carlisle, 48-21, for district gold. ... won 3-AAA titles in 1985 and 1987. ... won 3-AA titles in 1995, 1996 and 1997. ... was tied with Penn Manor, 21-21, in the second quarter when Johnson hit Sye for a 25-yard touchdown on an untimed down with no time left in the half. A personal foul on Penn Manor preceded the score. ... after allowing a season-high 17 points to State College in regular-season finale, defense has given up 24 points to Harrisburg and 21 to Penn Manor in the playoffs. ... average final score is 45-12. ... Williams is a University of Pittsburgh recruit. .. Cornelius is a Purdue University recruit. ... scored at least 41 points in all but the State College game. ... Johnson has completed 133 of 195 passes for 2,491 yards, 31 touchdowns and three interceptions. ... Poteat has rushed for 1,504 yards on 237 carries with 21 touchdowns. All categories lead the team. ... dangerous trio of receivers is led by Williams (895 yards, 18 touchdowns) and complemented by Cornelius (430, 4) and Sye (392, 6). ... leading tackler is Duckett with 66. ... Spence has a team-high six sacks. ... Brandon True and Ford lead the team with four interceptions each. ... invoked mercy rule against eight opponents. ... ranked No. 2 in Class AAAA by the Pennsylvania Football News behind District 1 finalist North Penn. ... Mid-Penn Keystone Division champion.

Eagles vanguish ghosts

No matter how badly Cumberland Valley football coach Tim Rimpfel tried to downplay what happened last season, it was obvious he wanted to beat Wilson this time around.

Almost a year ago to the day, the Bulldogs took advantage of eight CV turnovers and routed the Eagles, 35-7, in the District 3 Class AAAA semifinals at Hersheypark Stadium. During the lopsided contest, Wilson was apparently taunting the Eagles and being all-around sore winners. During the week senior fullback/linebacker Travis Friend went as far as to say it was and still is obvious Wilson has zero respect for CV.

Before Friday night's 3-AAAA semifinal in Wilson's backyard - John Gurski Stadium in West Lawn - CV was met with unprintable jeering from the Wilson student section before taking the field. Rimpfel said after the game the section even commenced to chanting the score of last year's game moments before CV took the field.

So beating the Bulldogs, 28-21, on a last-second touchdown in their own house had to feel great. But it doesn't mean the work is done. It's true that CV finally rectified what happened in last year's final, but the Eagles must be on guard that it doesn't happen again.

Likely waiting for CV is Bishop McDevitt, which is ranked No. 1 in most statewide polls. The top-seeded and unbeaten Crusaders meet No. 5 Penn Manor (10-2) at Severance Field in Harrisburg today. Kick is set for 1 p.m.

The District 3 champion will then enter PIAA play at the semifinal round against either Woodland Hills (12-1) or State College (10-2). Those two are set to play at 7 p.m. Friday at Mansion Park in Altoona. Woodland Hills captured the District 7 title with a 10-0 win over Gateway on Friday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. State College won the 6-8-9-10 subregional last Saturday, 16-7, over Erie McDowell at Mansell Stadium in DuBois.

If Woodland Hills wins, the semifinal will be at a midway point between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. If State College wins, the game will played at District 6 site. Either way, we'd be surprised if the site is none other than Mansion Park.

BPI predictions for Class AAAA

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen in the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs:

First Round

Easton by 6 over Parkland (District 11 championship)

LaSalle College by 22 over George Washington (District 12 championship)

North Penn by 10 over Avon Grove

Ridley by 8 over Downingtown East

State College defeated Erie McDowell, 16-7, Saturday

Gateway by 7 over Woodland Hills (District 7 championship)

Bishop McDevitt by 24 over Penn Manor

Cumberland Valley by 3 over Wilson

Quarterfinals

LaSalle College by 3 over Easton

North Penn by 7 over Ridley (District 1 championship)

Gateway by 21 over State College

Bishop McDevitt by 12 over Cumberland Valley (District 3 championship)

Semifinals

LaSalle College by 3 over North Penn

Gateway by 7 over Bishop McDevitt

Championship

Dec. 19 at Hersheypark Stadium, 7 p.m.

Gateway by 11 over LaSalle College

Note: Helmets for each class are courtesy of Pennsylvania High School Helmet Project

BPI predictions for Class AA

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen in the PIAA Class AA playoffs:

First Round

Loyalsock by 5 over Lewisburg (District 4 championship)

Lancaster Catholic by 13 over Delone Catholic (District 3 championship)

North Schuylkill by 9 over Northern Lehigh (District 11 championship)

West Catholic by 7 over Dunmore

Forest Hills by 4 over Tyrone (District 6 championship)

Wimington by 16 over Sharon (District 10 championship)

Karns City by 11 over Bedford

Greensburg Central Catholic by 2 over Aliquippa (District 7 championship)

Quarterfinals

Lancaster Catholic by 10 over Loyalsock

West Catholic by 12 over North Schuylkill

Wilmington by 6 over Forest Hills

Greensburg Central Catholic by 21 over Karns City

Semifinals

West Catholic by 3 over Lancaster Catholic

Greensburg Central Catholic over Wilmington in OT

Championship

Dec. 19 at Hersheypark Stadium 1 p.m.

Greensburg Central Catholic by 4 over West Catholic

BPI predictions for Class AAA

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen in the PIAA Class AAA playoffs:

First Round

Archbishop Wood defeated Simon Gratz, 42-6, Friday (District 12 championship)

Pottsgrove by 3 over Interboro (District 1 championship)

Selinsgrove by 19 over Greater Johnstown

Allentown Central Catholic by 3 over Abington Heights

Manheim Central by 19 over Conrad Weiser

Susquehanna Twp. by 16 over West York

Hopewell by 3 over West Allegheny (District 7 championship)

Erie Cathedral Prep by 31 over Schenley

Quarterfinals

Pottsgrove by 2 over Archbishop Wood

Selinsgrove by 8 over Allentown Central Catholic

Manheim Central by 8 over Susquehanna Twp. (District 3 championship)

Erie Cathedral Prep by 9 over Hopewell

Semifinals

Selinsgrove by 17 over Pottsgrove

Erie Cathedral Prep by 9 over Manheim Central

Championship

Dec. 18 at Hersheypark Stadium, 7 p.m.

Erie Cathedral Prep over Selinsgrove by 4

BPI predictions for Class A

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen in the PIAA Class A playoffs:

First Round

Millersburg by 9 over Upper Dauphin (District 3 championship)

Bishop McCort by 14 over Bellwood-Antis (District 6 championship)

Tri-Valley by 3 over St. Pius X

Southern Columbia by 18 over Northwest Area

Farrell by 10 over Sharpsville (District 10 championship)

Coudersport by 1 over Clarion (District 9 championship)

Clairton by 15 over Rochester (District 7 championship)

Conemaugh Twp. defeated Windber, 21-20, Friday night (District 5 championship)

Quarterfinals

Bishop McCort by 24 over Millersburg

Southern Columbia by 17 over Tri-Valley

Farrell by 15 over Coudersport

Clairton by 35 over Conemaugh Twp.

Semifinals

Bishop McCort by 12 over Southern Columbia

Clairton by 17 over Farrell

Championship

Dec. 18 at Hersheypark Stadium

Clairton by 13 over Bishop McCort

Read up on Wilson

Looking for some information on Cumberland Valley's next opponent? The Eagles head to suburban Reading on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff against Lancaster-Lebanon Section I champion Wilson at Gurski Stadium in the District 3 Class AAAA semifinals. Below are some links to recent articles about the second-seeded and defending champion Bulldogs (11-1).

Game story from Wilson's 34-7 quarterfinal victory over Central York from the Reading Eagle.

Preview story for the Central York at Wilson 3-AAAA quarterfinal game from the Reading Eagle.

Game story from Wilson's 31-7 first round victory over York William Penn from the Reading Eagle.

A story explaining how Wilson went 9-1 in the regular season after losing 19 seniors from last year's team that won the district and went to the state semifinals from the Reading Eagle.

Team statistics for Wilson from the Reading Eagle.

CV saves the area

We'll admit: the expectations for the area football teams were a little down this year. Before getting all hot and bothered, hear us out. Mechanicsburg had only one starter back from its 12-1, District 3-AAA semifinalist outfit; Trinity was losing a truck load of high-profile athletes and Camp Hill bid farewell to three Associated Press Class A all-state selections.

The only team that had a legitimate shot to qualify for the PIAA playoffs was Cumberland Valley and even the Eagles had to replace more than a few key parts from last year's team that went 12-2 and played for the 3-AAAA championship. Most of the teams in the area, although there were some squads we thought could surprise, were filled with question mark after question mark. So when seven of our teams qualified for the postseason and six lost their first games, we weren't overly shocked.

As we sit here a little more than a day before the PIAA officially releases its playoff brackets, to have even one team in the field can be considered an accomplishment. That team is CV, which bounced Central Dauphin, 24-21, at Landis Field on Friday to advance into the 3-AAAA semifinals against Wilson on Friday at 7 p.m. at Gurski Stadium. The winner of that game plays the winner between Penn Manor and Governor Mifflin or Bishop McDevitt on Dec. 5 in the 3-AAAA title game. The winner there moves into the state semifinals against the District 7 champion or State College or Erie McDowell.

It's the second straight year CV has graced the state bracket and is the fourth year in a row The Sentinel has at least one team in the state field. The last year all of our teams were eliminated before the PIAA filled out its brackets was 2005.

So the Eagles are back in and will be gunning for their ninth 3-AAAA title against a team that they have played three times in the district final, including last year's 35-7 rout by the Bulldogs. With the schedule pushed back a week, this game will fall nearly one year to the day after Wilson's easy win last season on Nov. 29 at Hersheypark Stadium.

Mid-Penn Conference at the bottom

Through one round of the District 3 football playoffs, the Mid-Penn Conference is the only league with an overall losing record.

That could be viewed one of two ways. The first is that the MPC qualified the most teams for district play and thus has a wider margin for error. With 17 schools, the conference had five more than the YAIAA, which is second with 12. Berks and the Lancaster-Lebanon League each advanced eight. Millersburg, in Class A, is the lone representative in the District 3 field from the Tri-Valley Conference.

The other way to look at the conference's 7-10 record is to say maybe the other leagues have caught up. In big school play, the MPC was only 5-7 while the L-L was 4-3 and Berks 4-1 - Muhlenberg's 42-7 loss at Cumberland Valley (right) was the lone blemish on Berk's big-school record. The YAIAA finished 2-4.

Overall, the L-L posted the best record from the first round with a 5-3 mark while the YAIAA and Berks each finished at .500. Central York hosts Dallastown on Saturday night in a YAIAA Division I rematch in the 3-AAAA field.

Ultimately, the leagues will be judged by their overall body of work, not just the first round.

Shippensburg University football crystal ball

We know the discussion of NCAA Division II football isn't a high school sport, but it's worthy of taking a look at what could happen to Shippensburg over the next few days.

Before a sub-par showing at Cheyney, the Red Raiders were No. 2 in the Super Regional 1 rankings. Shippensburg dropped a spot after a 31-10 win against Cheyney that helped them clinch the PSAC East Division outright. But the win obviously wasn't impressive enough to hold off California, the same team Shippensburg hosts at 1 p.m. Saturday in the PSAC championship.

Here's the problem for Shippensburg: Not including California, only three other teams in top 10 of the rankings are playing an opponent with a winning record. That means if the Red Raiders lose, they're going to drop and probably miss out on hosting a national playoff game. If Shippensburg gets crushed, there's a chance the Red Raiders could miss the playoffs altogether. Frankly, we don't see that happening. It'd be tough to leave an outright division champion out of the field but losses to Shepherd and C.W. Post will hurt Shippensburg.

Below is a look at how we think the region will play out with comments about why we think each team will land where:

1. California (9-2 overall, No. 2 this week) -- It's tough to keep the PSAC champion from being the top seed. A big win over Shippensburg will give the Vulcans top billing. A close call and West Liberty State will remain No. 1.

2. West Liberty State (10-1, 1) -- Hilltoppers will beat Concord but the lack of strength the WVIAC provides will keep them from the top seed. Plus, West Liberty lost to Edinboro, 42-30, in Week 1. Keep that result in mind.

3. Bloomsburg (9-2, 5) -- Yes, the Huskies lost two straight. But losing to Shippensburg and West Chester isn't the end of the world. Plus, the team stayed in the top six despite the mini losing streak. Bloomsburg should erase any doubts by crushing Gannon.

4. Bentley (9-1, 4) -- There's probably a few PSAC teams more deserving than Bentley but the Northeast 10 has to be represented and here's the answer. What's worse, the committee will probably award Bentley with a home game for winning its conference.

5. Shippensburg (8-3, 3) -- Outside of a 63-0 loss to California, Shippensburg should make the field. We'd argue the Raiders deserve a home game (a game at Bentley is winnable but scary) that they won't get. A way to avoid a long trip and play at Seth Grove Stadium next week: Beat California.

6. Edinboro (8-3, 7) -- Follow along if you can. The Fighting Scots enter this week just outside the playoff picture and travel to Millersville (3-7) while East Stroudsburg, which is currently No. 6, hosts Slippery Rock (6-4). We think both teams will win but have Edinboro with the last spot. Why? Becuase the Scots handed West Liberty its only loss. Edinboro might be doomed by its loss to Clarion (7-3) last week. East Stroudsburg's best win: 21-20 over a sub-par West Chester team. But the Warrios beat Clarion this fall. If the committee is forced to choose between these teams, we think it will select Edinboro because of that win over West Liberty.

Near misses: East Stroudsburg (8-3), Charleston (9-2), Clarion (8-3), Bowie State (7-4).

Here's how we see this field playing out:

First Round (winning team bolded)

Shippensburg at Bentley

Edinboro at Bloomsburg

Second Round

Shippensburg at California

Bloomsburg at West Liberty

National Quarterfinals

Bloomsburg at California

The winner of Super Regional 1 will play the winner of Super Regional 2 in the national semifinals. That will be a bad draw for California, which will be making its third straight semifinal appearance. The likely opponent is unbeaten and top-ranked North Alabama. The Lions, who have a slew of Division I-A transfers, are coached by former Auburn boss Tommy Bowden and would likely host this game. North Alabama plays its home games at Braley Stadium, which is the site of the national championship game. The NCAA determines the semifinal host by which facility is better. Plain and simple.

Playoffs arrows: Up or down?

Boiling Springs (even) -- Even with the victory at Camp Hill, the arrow is neither up nor down. The Bubblers still need a lot of help to crack the playoffs and Milton Hershey's victory over Middletown won't help. Regardless, five straight wins after an 0-4 start is a nice accomplishment and six would be even better. The Bubblers host James Buchanan on Friday in the regular-season finale Friday at 7 p.m.

Cedar Cliff (down) -- Only because a 35-14 loss to anybody is disheartening. Still, the Colts can crack the playoffs for the first time since 1996 with a win over Central Dauphin East at Landis Field in Week 10. If Cedar Cliff can claw into the top 12, don't be surprised with a first-round Cedar Cliff win.

Cumerland Valley (up) -- CV should move into the top three after Penn Manor's last-minute, 24-20 loss to Wilson. The Bulldogs will stay second (behind Bishop McDevitt) with the Eagles moving to third. The key is to try and avoid McDevitt until the district final, which will happen if CV wins at Central Dauphin in Week 10.

Mechanicsburg (up) -- A 2-point win over James Buchanan should never be cause for celebration but if that victory is a team's fifth-straight after an 0-4 start, it's a big relief. A win at Red Land on Thursday will send the Wildcats back to the District 3 Class AAA tournament with only one returning starter from last year's 12-1 team.

Northern (down) -- Polar Bears fell apart in the second half of a 35-14 loss at Susquehanna Twp. The Polar Bears hung tough against a good opponent on the road and can still boast a nice 21-0 victory over Greencastle-Antrim. Problem is, the loss to 'Hanna will hurt Northern's playoff seed in a loaded bracket.

Trinity (up) -- Heading into a huge game with Milton Hershey on Friday at 7 p.m., the Shamrocks are riding high. Middletown, one of the teams ahead of Trinity, lost to Milton Hershey on Friday. The result, coupled with Trinity's 21-3 victory at Palmyra, will lift Trinity into the top three for the moment. Everything will change when the Spartans come calling. A win for the 'Rocks is a must.

Week 9 predictions: Born Power Index

If last week is any indication, the following picks by the Born Power Index will likely pick the winner but not the spread of the game. Last week, the BPI was 11-3 overall but a measly 4-10 against a spread that it submits. That isn't good but for the sake of fun, here's the predictions for this, the ninth week of the high school football season:

Friday
Non-division
Altoona by 10 over Central Dauphin East*
Bishop McDevitt by 18 over State College*
Boiling Springs by 6 over Camp Hill*
Central Dauphin by 20 over Lower Dauphin*
Chambersburg by 12 over Carlisle*
Cumberland Valley by 25 over Cedar Cliff*
Gettysburg by 8 over West Perry*
Greencastle-Antrim by 32 over Waynesboro*
Hershey by 28 over Big Spring*
Mechanicsburg by 23 over James Buchanan*
Shippensburg* by 4 over Red Land
Steelton-Highspire* by 22 over East Pennsboro
Susquehanna Twp.* by 13 over Northern
Trinity by 20 over Palmyra*
Non-conference
Line Mountain by 7 over Susquenita*

Saturday
Non-conference
Harrisburg* by 13 over Central Mountain

CV can make a move

Assuming Cumberland Valley can take care of business Friday night - the Eagles have a tough assignment with a trip to West Shore Stadium to meet Cedar Cliff (5-3) - it should gain ground in the District 3 Class AAAA power rankings.

The Eagles (7-1) are currently fourth behind Bishop McDevitt (8-0), Wilson (7-1) and Penn Manor (7-1). At the same time CV is battling Cedar Cliff, Penn Manor will be locked in a fight with defending district champion Wilson.

The loser of that Lancaster-Lebanon Section I game will likely fall behind CV, which would then move into third place.

This is important because a top three seed for the Eagles will keep them on the opposite side of the bracket of McDevitt, which is considered the team to beat in 3-AAAA. A game against McDevitt before the district final means a Saturday afternoon date with the Crusaders at either Landis Field or Walter E. Severance Field. McDevitt's home field is not suitable to host postseason games due to the district rule that venues without lights must have artificial turf to host games.

Power Rankings (Week 8)

Not a ton of surprises in this week's power rankings, which came out Sunday afternoon. There's a few teams to note as Mechanicsburg (right) has grabbed the No. 16 spot in District 3-AAA while Milton Hershey sits in the eighth and final 3-AA seed. Of course, there's still time for these teams to drop out and/or move up.

In Class A, winless programs Carson Long Military, Columbia and Halifax have opted to not participate in the 3-A field. Fairfield, the other winless Class A team, has until Monday afternoon to indicate what it plans to do.

Now here are what the pairings would look like if the postseason began Friday night:

Class A

Fairfield (8, 0-8) at Upper Dauphin (1, 7-1)

York Catholic (5, 5-3) at Holy Name (4, 5-3)

Central Catholic (6, 4-4) at Millersburg (3, 5-3)

Camp Hill (7, 2-5) at Steelton-Highspire (2, 5-2)

Class AA

Milton Hershey (8, 5-3) at Lancaster Catholic (1, 7-1)

York Suburban (5, 6-2) at Trinity (4, 6-2)

Littlestown (6, 6-2) at Middletown (3, 6-2)

Wyomissing (7, 5-3) at Delone Catholic (2, 7-1)

Class AAA

Upper Bracket

Mechanicsburg (16, 4-4) at Manheim Central (1, 8-0)

Eastern Lebanon (9, 7-1) at Greencastle-Antrim (8, 6-2)

Kennard-Dale (13, 4-4) at Northern (4, 7-1)

New Oxford (12, 4-4) at Conrad Weiser (5, 6-2)
Lower Bracket

Northern Lebanon (15, 5-3) at West York (2, 8-0)

Cocalico (10, 6-2) at Conestoga Valley (7, 6-2)

Lampeter-Strasburg (14, 5-3) at Susquehanna Twp. (3, 7-1)

Daniel Boone (11, 6-2) at Hershey (6, 6-2)

Class AAAA

Upper Bracket

Dallastown (16, 4-4) at Bishop McDevitt (1, 8-0)

York William Penn (9, 6-2) at Muhlenberg (8, 6-2)

Reading (13, 4-4) at Cumberland Valley (4, 7-1)

Governor Mifflin (12, 5-3) at South Western (5, 7-1)

Lower Bracket

Chambersburg (15, 4-4) at Wilson (2, 7-1)

Manheim Twp. (10, 5-3) at Central York (7, 6-2)

Spring Grove (14, 5-3) at Penn Manor (3, 7-1)

Cedar Cliff (11, 5-3) at Central Dauphin (6, 6-2)

Week 8 predictions: Born Power Index

Below are the Born Power Index predictions for the Mid-Penn Conference. Last week the Index went 16-3 straight up and 9-8 against its own spread.

Friday
Commonwealth
Central Dauphin by 2 over Chambersburg*
State College* by 22 over Altoona

Keystone
Bishop McDevitty by 56 over Carlisle*
Lower Dauphin by 13 over Central Dauphin East*

Colonial
Mechanicsburg* by 17 over Gettysburg
Susquehanna Twp. by 10 over Hershey*
Red Land by 15 over Waynesboro*

Capital
Greencastle-Antrim by 20 over Northern*
Shippensburg by 8 over Big Spring*

Liberty
Boiling Springs by 4 over Susquenita*

Patriot
Steelton-Highspire* by 11 over Trinity

Non-division
Middletown* by 19 over Camp Hill
East Pennsboro* by 17 over West Perry

Saturday
Commonwealth
Cumberland Valley* by 21 over Harrisburg

Winter storm awaiting Cedar Cliff

Talk about being up against it.

When Cedar Cliff treks to Altoona for a 7 p.m. kick Friday night, the Colts will not only need to beat a much-improved home team, but Cedar Cliff will also need to battle the weather.

According to the National Weather Service, the game-time temperature for Altoona is 34 degrees with snow showers. The chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

The National Weather Service also has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Altoona area, with several inches of heavy, wet snow expected by Friday morning.

A complete story on what the Altoona area is facing can be found here.

While the weather isn't great in the Harrisburg area, temperatures are expected to hover around the low 40's with a 70-percent chance of rain.

Cedar Cliff hauls a 3-3 record into this game and likely needs a win to qualify for the District 3 Class AAAA playoffs. Altoona is 2-1 at home with impressive victories over Central Dauphin (4-2) and Chambersburg (4-2). The only other team to beat Central Dauphin this season is unbeaten, state-ranked Bishop McDevitt while Chambersburg's only other loss was at perennial power Cumberland Valley (5-1).

The Colts are coming off a 40-28 loss to State College in a game that was tied, 28-28, into the fourth quarter. Cedar Cliff has not won in two trips to Mansion Park since Altoona joined the Mid-Penn Conference in 2004.

Week 7 predictions: Born Power Index

Below is a look at who the Born Power Index thinks will win each game this weekend in the Mid-Penn Conference.

Non-division
Bishop McDevitt by 28 over Chambersburg*
Cedar Cliff by 3 over Altoona*
Cumberland Valley by 48 over Carlisle*
Greencastle-Antrim by 2 over Susquehanna Twp.*
Harrisburg by 7 over Lower Dauphin*
Hershey by 12 over Palmyra*
Mechanicsburg by 13 over Big Spring*
Milton Hershey* by 7 over East Pennsboro
Northern by 14 over Gettysburg*
Red Land* by 22 over West Perry
Shippensburg* by 23 over Waynesboro
State College by 39 over Central Dauphin East*
Steelton-Highspire* by 48 over James Buchanan
Susquenita* by 1 over Camp Hill
Trinity* by 3 over Middletown

Non-conference
Boiling Springs* by 18 over Reading Central Catholic
Central Dauphin* by 7 over Williamsport (Saturday)

Power Rankings (Week 6)

Below is a look at what the District 3 playoffs would look like if the postseason began Friday night. There's a few would-be interesting matchups.

In Class AAA, the only area team to crack the top 16 is Northern and the Polar Bears would host a very good two-loss Cocalico team.

In Class AAAA, Cumberland Valley would receive a raw deal and be seeded on Bishop McDevitt's side of the bracket as the No. 5 seed. Also in that bracket would be Reading and its coach, Preston McKnight, who guaranteed the Knights would be in the postseason.

The big-ticket game would be Cedar Cliff at Wilson. Current Cedar Cliff coach Jim Cantafio (left) was formerly the coach of Wilson and still resides in Sinking Spring, which is in the Wilson School District. A very fun first-round pairing, indeed.

Class A

Carson Long (8, 0-5) at Upper Dauphin (1, 6-0)

York Catholic (5, 3-3) at Holy Name (4, 3-3)

Millersburg (6,3-3) at Central Catholic (3, 4-2)

Camp Hill (7, 2-3) at Steelton-Highspire (2, 4-1)

Class AA

Bermudian Springs (8, 4-2) at Lancaster Catholic (1, 5-1)

Littlestown (5, 5-1) at Delone Catholic (4, 5-1)

Middletown (6, 4-2) at York Suburban (3, 5-1)

Wyomissing (7, 4-2) at Trinity (2, 5-1)

Class AAA

Upper Bracket

Kennard Dale (16, 3-3) at West York (1, 6-0)

Daniel Boone (9, 5-1) at Eastern Lebanon (8, 5-1)

Palmyra (13, 4-2) at Conestoga Valley (4, 5-1)

Twin Valley (12, 4-2) at Hershey (5, 5-1)

Lower Bracket

Northern Lebanon (15, 4-2) at Manheim Central (2, 6-0)

Conrad Weiser (10, 4-2) at Susquehanna Twp. (7, 5-1)

New Oxford (14, 3-3) at Greencastle-Antrim (3, 6-0)

Cocalico (11, 4-2) at Northern (6, 5-1)

Class AAAA

Upper Bracket

Hempfield (16, 3-3) at Bishop McDevitt (1, 6-0)

Chambersburg (9, 4-2) at Penn Manor (8, 5-1)

Reading (13, 3-3) at York William Penn (4, 6-0)

Governor Mifflin (12, 4-2) at Cumberland Valley (5, 5-1)

Lower Bracket

Red Lion (15, 3-3) at South Western (2, 6-0)

Central Dauphin (10, 4-2) at Muhlenberg (7, 5-1)

Cedar Cliff (14, 3-3) at Wilson (3, 5-1)

Central York (11, 4-2) at Manheim Twp. (6, 5-1)

Fallout from Week 6

What jumps off the page immediately comes from the Class AAA ranks. Shippensburg, with a resounding 31-14 loss at Mechanicsburg, is squarely a playoff bubble team. The Greyhounds had a chance to hike their record to 4-2 but instead fall to 3-3. Two of those wins being against Class A schools will not help Shippensburg reach the postseason.

The other thing that sticks out is Northern's disasterous 21-0 loss against visiting Hershey. The Polar Bears gained a mere 77 yards and turned the ball over five times. While we think Northern will no doubt be in the playoffs, it probably won't host a first-round game with minefields against Greencastle-Antrim and Susquehanna Twp. on the horizon.

Others things to note from around the Mid-Penn:

• Cedar Cliff hung tough with State College until the fourth quarter when the Little Lions pulled away. State High can't keep allowing teams to hang around if it wants to reach its fullest potential.


• Chambersburg trailed Susquehanna Twp., 29-6, at one point before rallying for a 36-32 win. The Trojans, despite that loss at Altoona, might be a serious contender to host a playoff game and maybe even reach the quarterfinals. Chambersburg hasn't been in the District 3-AAAA field since 1998.

Power Rankings (Week 4)

Below are what the playoff pairings would look like if the District 3 playoffs started this weekend:

Class A
Carson Long (8, 0-3) at Upper Dauphin (1, 4-0)
Holy Name (5, 2-2) at York Catholic (4, 2-2)
Millersburg (6, 2-2) at Steelton-Highspire (3, 2-1)
Camp Hill (7, 1-2) at Central Catholic (2, 3-1)

Class AA
Wyomissing (8, 2-2) at Lancaster Catholic (1, 3-1)
York Suburban (5, 3-1) at Delone Catholic (4, 3-1)
Littlestown (6, 3-1) at Trinity (3, 3-1)
Schuylkill Valley (7, 2-2) at Middletown (2, 3-1)

Class AAA
Upper Bracket
Kennard-Dale (16, 2-2) at Manheim Central (1, 4-0)
New Oxford (9, 3-1) at Daniel Boone (8, 4-0)
Susquenita (13, 3-1) at ELCO (4, 4-0)
Northeastern (12, 3-1) at Susquehanna Twp. (5, 4-0)
Lower Bracket
Twin Valley (15, 3-1) at West York (2, 4-0)
Cocalico (10, 3-1) at Conestoga Valley (7, 3-1)
Palmyra (14, 3-1) at Greencastle-Antrim (3, 4-0)
Hershey (11, 3-1) at Northern (6, 4-0)

Class AAAA
Upper Bracket
Governor Mifflin (16, 2-2) at Bishop McDevitt (1, 4-0)
Cumberland Valley (9, 3-1) at Manheim Twp. (8, 3-1)
Cedar Cliff (13, 2-2) at Chambersburg (4, 3-1)
Spring Grove (12, 3-1) at Wilson (5, 3-1)
Lower Bracket
Lower Dauphin (15, 2-2) at Penn Manor (2, 4-0)
Muhlenberg (10, 3-1) at South Western (7, 4-0)
Central York (14, 2-2) at York William Penn (3, 4-0)
Warwick (11, 3-1) at Central Dauphin (6, 3-1)

What we learned: Week 4

First off, Big Spring is a legimate threat. Maybe not for a division or a district title, but if any team sleeps on Brent Stroh's Bulldogs, they'll bite. Big Spring came up short to Red Land on Friday, 23-20, in overtime. That result is more impressive than the 56-7 rout of West Perry last week. It wasn't a win but the boys from Newville represented well.

We only have one thing to say for Central Dauphin East: wow. We understand the program is in a downward cycle but allowing 73 points is just awful. Knowing the type of person, not just coach, that CV's Tim Rimpfel is, we can promise you he wouldn't deliberately run up the score. East might just be that bad this year.

Another area feel-good story, Susquenita, took one on the chin tonight in a 47-7 loss to Trinity. How the Blackhawks respond is key with a trip to Palmyra on the horizon.

Arrow up: East Pennsboro and Northern. The Panthers took a rivalry win from Camp Hill (26-7) while the Polar Bears did likewise against Mechanicsburg in a 26-22 win. Being the victor in these emotional games means good vibes all week.

Arrow down: Boiling Springs, Carlisle, Cedar Cliff, West Perry. We'll start with Carlisle and Cedar Cliff. Tough losses tonight as both teams were looking to start 3-1. That makes next week's collision at Ken Millen Stadium between the two huge.

Boiling Springs showed heart in a seven-point loss to Milton Hershey but it's unlikely that four losses will allow the Bubblers to make the 3-AA palyoffs.

As for West Perry, this might be Al Ream's toughest assignment yet. How he convinces this team to show up every day and compete is vital after losing its last three games by a combined 166-32. Even worse news is that the team has allowed more points and scored fewer in consecutive games since Week 2. Short memories on key with a trip to Northern on tap Friday.

Week 4 Predictions: Born Power Index

Below are the predictions for this weekend's area games courtesy of the Born Power Index.

Non-division

Camp Hill* by 2 over East Pennsboro

Cedar Cliff by 3 over Chambersburg*
Cumberland Valley* by 46 over Central Dauphin East

Harrisburg by 11 over Carlisle*

Milton Hershey by 21 over Boiling Springs*
Northern by 13 over Mechanicsburg*
Red Land* by 11 over Big Spring

Shippensburg* by 2 over Gettysburg

Susquehanna Twp.* by 55 over West Perry

Trinity* by 15 over Susquenita

Some other big games across Pennsylvania:

Upper St. Clair* by 11 over Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Thursday)

Central Dauphin* by 1 over Bishop McDevitt

Erie Cathedral Prep* by 4 over Erie Strong Vincent

Hopewell* by 2 over New Castle

LaSalle College by 2 over St. Joseph's Prep*

Manheim Central* by 25 over Cocalico

Neshaminy by 3 over Abington*

Parkland* by 17 over Nazareth

Pennsbury* by 14 over Council Rock South

A meaningless weekend?

Need proof that the six-division format doesn't work for the Mid-Penn conference?

Look at this weekend's schedule. There are more a few games that should always be division affairs. Bishop McDevitt at Central Dauphin; Harrisburg at Carlisle and Milton Hershey at Boiling Springs come to mind. Unfortunately, the only thing that these games will help determine is playoff positioning.

That, in our opinion, is a shame. It's the second year of this format and Year 2 hasn't been any easier to stomach. Last week wasn't an issue as division games were all over the docket. But weeks like this, it's simply tough to get excited about a game that has no bearing on any regular season race.

Week 3 Predictions: Born Power Index

We're hoping that this becomes a weekly post. We used to publish predictions each week that MaxPreps provided. That site has changed and no longer offers predictions. So we're using the Born Power Index. Below are the spreads for area games.

For our staff picks, capsules on each game and our take on each game pick up Football This Week in Friday's edition of The Sentinel.

*-denotes home team

Mid-Penn Commonwealth
Cumberland Valley* by 37 over Altoona

Mid-Penn Keystone
Lower Dauphin by 2 over Cedar Cliff*

Mid-Penn Colonial
Red Land by 6 over Gettysburg*
Susquehanna Twp. by 16 over Mechanicsburg*

Mid-Penn Capital
Greencastle-Antrim* by 8 over Shippensburg
West Perry* by 9 over Big Spring

Mid-Penn Liberty
Middletown by 14 over Boiling Springs*
Palmyra by 8 over East Pennsboro*
Susquenita* by 14 over James Buchanan

Mid-Penn Patriot
Trinity by 5 over Camp Hill*

Non-division
Northern* by 6 over Milton Hershey

Non-conference
Hempfield* by 3 over Carlisle

And now for a few other games we deem to be fairly big this weekend.

Berwick by 27 over Wyoming Area
Bethlethem Freedom* by 6 over Emmaus
State College by 11 over Central Dauphin*
Manheim Central by 4 over Lancaster Catholic*
Parkland* by 23 over Easton
Harrisburg* by 17 over Chambersburg (Saturday)
North Penn by 4 over St. Joseph's Prep* (Saturday)

Warwick still smarting from loss to CV

Glancing through the preview tab for the Lancaster-Lebanon League revealed a few mentions of Cumberland Valley. The Eagles ended the seasons of L-L Section I members Warwick and Penn Manor before falling to Wilson in the District 3 Class AAAA final.

CV's first victim, Warwick, used a 49-13 setback in the first round of the playoffs at Chapman Field for motivation heading into this season.

Gordie Jones, a correspondent who wrote the season preview on the Warriors, stated that CV is a "perennial power and the type of team Warwick (among many others) hopes to become."

Dimitri Gerard, a guard-defensive end told Jones that playing CV was "an eye-opener."

Fullback-middle linebacker Chris Schaffer went a step further when recounting the season-ending loss: "It shows that you're not as good as you think you are," Schaffer told Jones. "We went in thinking, 'All right, we can give these guys a game.' We thought we were prepared. Obviously, they play some good ball up there. We got handled."

Week 1 projections

It's that time of year again. The first football tab of year doesn't include the Week 1 game capsules, which are accompanied by predictions for each area game. So this is the only place to find what we're thinking about the opening-week game. Our staff picks are available in our season preview tab (page D47) but if you can't wait for Friday, here's an early look:

MID-PENN LIBERTY DIVISION
Middletown 21, East Pennsboro 16 -- Might be the de facto Liberty Division title game. Rodney Ramsey's presence in the backfield gives the Blue Raiders the edge. If the Panthers can respond from this early loss, good things could be ahead.

NON-DIVISION

Boiling Springs 33, Big Spring 6 -- The goal of Big Spring's new offense is keep its defense off the field by running the Wing-T and making the game shorter. That's all well and good but we like the Bubblers to cruise past the rival 'Dawgs on the new carpet at Ecker Field.

Mechanicsburg 27, Carlisle 8 -- Both teams are young and inexperienced but Mechanicsburg isn't as woeful as you'd expect for a team with just one returning starter, which is running back Tarik Leftenant (above). Carlisle will rely on Travis Mease to pound the ball but one man can only do so much. On the other side, Mid-Penn meet Mechanicsburg QB James Rusenko. The name will be familiar soon enough.

Red Land 12, Cedar Cliff 0 -- Those defenses of Frank Gay sure are something. With Cedar Cliff QB Tim Kelly out with a broken collarbone, Gay's defense will go crazy and Cedar Cliff will lose its ninth straight to Red Land. If this score comes to fruition, it will be the second time in three years the Patriots hung a shutout on their rival.

NON-CONFERENCE

Biglerville 19, Camp Hill 14 -- It's a tough opener for the fresh-faced Lions, who replace just about everybody from last year's District 3 Class A runner-up squad. One thing that didn't change was the fact that Frank Kindler coaches the team. Anytime that name is involved, the team will come to play. Don't be surprised if Camp Hill wins this game.

Cumberland Valley 31, Red Lion 14 -- Another home game for CV and another blowout. Red Lion might come around as the year goes along but this is a rough opener. CV, on the other hand, is gearing up for a return to the postseason party and the Lions are simply victim No. 1.

Indian Valley 21, West Perry 9 -- A perennial power in District 6 -- what are there, five AAA schools up there? -- Indian Valley has had West Perry's number recently. A win sure would be good for the confidence in Elliottsburg but we just don't see it this week.

Lancaster Catholic 29, Trinity 14 -- A good measuring stick for the new-look Shamrocks. We're fairly confident that if Trinity can stay within two scores of a high-powered Lancaster Catholic side, better things will soon follow.

Northern 35, Bermudian Springs 12 -- Joe Tuschak starts his second year under center and promptly lights the Eagles up. Not many are talking about Northern but they will be soon enough.

Shippensburg 22, Halifax 6 -- The Greyhounds have some big, experienced boys in the trenches. Halifax? Not so much. Shippensburg should be able to do whatever it wants in this one.

Susquenita 18, Newport 7 -- A good start for new coach Bart Miller at Susquenita. Key is keeper QB Derec Sauve, who threw for over 2,000 yards last year, happy as a Wing-T quarterback.

Three teams named to PFN's rankings

Cumberland Valley, Northern and East Pennsboro all made the ‘Others to Watch’ list in the Pennsylvania Football News preseason rankings, which were officially released Wednesday. The complete rankings can be found here.

CV returns eight starters from last year’s 12-2 team that appeared in the District 3 Class AAAA championship game. It was the Eagles’ first trip to a district final since 2003.

In Class AAA, Northern is looking for a return trip to at least the District 3 quarterfinals after being bounced by Daniel Boone in the first round last fall.

Northern has nine starters returning, including junior quarterback Joe Tuschak, who will be expected to take control in his second year as a starter.

Just like CV, East Pennsboro is coming off a resurgent season that saw the Panthers make the district field for the first time since 2002.

After a 5-5 regular season, Mechanicsburg trounced East Penn, 35-7, in the first round of the 3-AAA playoffs.

East Penn welcomes back 12 starters, including seven on defense.

The Sentinel’s season preview edition will be released Sept. 4.

Four for 2010 (Part II)

Here are the final two teams we're looking at to make runs next spring. After this post, we'll likely turn the page and begin to focus on high school football, which starts with camps in about a month. Before focusing on the gridiron, here's one last high school baseball post to hold you over until the spring.

Susquenita (13-5 in 2009; District 3-AAA first round)
We’re going to say it right now: Susquenita will win the Mid-Penn Colonial Division in 2010. The Blackhawks return everyone except Josh Baer to a team that split with Northern and threw two major scares into Waynesboro.

This team has some nasty pitching in Taylor Nace (2.11 ERA, 50 SO, 23 BB and 36 hits in 53 innings) and Justin Malehorn (5.13, 36, 34, and 45 in 45). Malehorn needs to work on his control to become a solid No. 2, something that is necessary for a team to go on a long postseason run.

On offense, Bobby Kohl (.414), Malehorn (.379), Mike Magaro (.339) and Josh Shearer (.322) will be tough outs as the Blackhawks look for a third-straight district appearance.

An area of concern is that loss to No. 26 seed Eastern York in the preliminary round of the 3-AAA playoffs. Any run this team could have made would have helped in the long run. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks will not have much postseason experience to fall back on when district play rolls around next May.

Camp Hill (23-3 in 2009; PIAA Classs A champions)
Really? A team that loses all but three starters is on a list of what should be the four best teams next year?

The reason Camp Hill makes the list is that this team has potential to make a deep run in the District 3 Class A playoffs and possibly qualify for the state field. There are other good Class A teams in District 3 out there but Camp Hill’s coaching and never-say-die attitude will be evident next spring.

Plus, the cupboard isn’t totally bare. The Lions return shortstop L.K. Thompson, who will be asked to pitch, second baseman Parker Marsh and speedy outfielder Matt Robertson. All three were key parts on Camp Hill’s back-to-back state title teams.

We’re still worried about pitching (in all honesty, a pair of arms like Matt Spiegel and Matt Boyd at a school the size of Camp Hill don’t come around often) but if the offense shows up, it might be able to cover up the questionable pitching.

Four for 2010 (Part 1)

As is the case each year, it's time to look ahead at what to expect next spring from the area baseball scene.

Taking a page from Baseball America's Eight for Omaha feature, we're selecting four teams we think will do some damage next year. If we're right, look for these four to make a run through the district playoffs and possibly qualify for the state field.

Last year we said to watch out for Camp Hill (PIAA Class A champion), Trinity (District 3-AAA quarterfinalist), Northern (District 3-AAA first round) and Susquenita (District 3-AAA preliminary round).

Because we know you're waiting, here are two teams from this year's crop. Check back later this week for the other two.

Red Land (12-9 in 2009; District 3-AAAA first round)
For a team that lost nearly every starter from the 2008 PIAA Class AAAA quarterfinalist, the Patriots shocked everyone and won the Mid-Penn Commonwealth for the third straight year.

Red Land also took Lancaster-Lebanon League champion Penn Manor to the brink the 3-AAAA playoffs before falling short, 2-1, in the first round. Next spring, look for the Patriots to be back in the district quarterfinals.

The most notable returnee is Nick Chester, who went 10-2 with a 2.74 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 25 walks in 72 2/3 innings and was named first-team All-Sentinel.

Adam Keller (.348), Brad Medellin (.305) and Jeff Scaramuzzino (.294) will pace the offense, which needs to improve. For Red Land to notch its fourth straight division title, it will need to do better against top-of-the-line pitching and cut down on the errors that cost it too many games this year.

West Perry (8-10 in 2009)
A young team in Elliottsburg took its lumps this year and ended up missing the playoffs one year after the Mustangs reached the District 3 Class AAA quarterfinals as a No. 22 seed.

Next year, the Mustangs should be back in the postseason party. The team’s offensive leader and first-team All-Sentinel first baseman, Devin White, has graduated but West Perry welcomes back shortstop Kenny Baum, who batted .400, and Jade Wilson, a .308 hitter.

In terms of pitching, the team’s ERA leader, Cody Richard (3.33), returns but the X-factor may be how much Brandon Dupert improves. This year, Dupert had a 5.75 ERA with 15 strikeouts and 11 walks. To do damage once the postseason rolls around, it’s vital to have at least two quality starters.

Pictured: Kyle Zimmerman, who will be a sophomore next spring, started Red Land's Mid-Penn Tournament loss to Northern in May.

All-Sentinel Baseball Team

With early July comes another edition of the All-Sentinel baseball team. This year's crop appears in The Sentinel on July 3.

Camp Hill ace Matt Spiegel is the Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The Lions' coach, Brad Shover, picked up his second Coach of the Year award for delivering the school its third baseball title. Cumberland Valley's Mike Whitehead Jr., with three Coach of the Year awards, is the only area coach with more than Shover.

Taking a look inside the roster, we only have four juniors on the first team. The Northern tandem of Sam Crater and Jake Warner are joined by Jeff Goyette of Trinity and Red Land ace Nick Chester. Power-hitting Bobby Kohl of Susquenita is the only sophomore to make the first team. (We omitted Kohl from the initial post. Kohl's year is correct in both the print version and below).

Juniors on the second team include L.K. Thompson and Matt Robertson of Camp Hill and Joey D'Agostino of Cumberland Valley. Susquenita pitcher Taylor Nace is the lone sophomore on either rosters.

Robertson and second team designated hitter Hank Sanders moved from first-team picks last year to the second team. Robertson suffered through a wrist injury that limited his production while Sanders was hurt by switching positions. Sanders likely would have been named first team as a first baseman but moved to catcher, arguably the deepest position in the area.

First Team
Player of the Year - Matt Spiegel, sr., Camp Hill (above)
Catcher – Tyler Shover, sr., Camp Hill
First Base – Devin White, sr., West Perry
Second Base – Jake Warner, jr., Northern
Shortstop – Sam Crater, jr., Northern (below)
Third Base – Joey Murphy, sr., Cedar Cliff
Outfield – Jeff Goyette, jr., Trinity
Outfield – Ben Anderson, sr., Mechanicsburg
Outfield – Ted Spinelli, sr., Trinity
Designated Hitter – Bobby Kohl, soph., Susquenita
Pitcher – A.J. Weaver, sr., Trinity
Pitcher – Mike Hnatuck, sr., Trinity
Pitcher – Nick Chester, jr., Red Land

Second Team
Catcher – Nico Delerme, sr., Red Land
First Base – Seth Crossley, sr., Camp Hill
Second Base – Joey D’Agostino, jr., Cumberland Valley
Shortstop – L.K. Thompson, jr., Camp Hill
Third Base – Andrew Fowler, sr., East Pennsboro
Outfield – Matt Koveleski, sr., Mechanicsburg
Outfield – Eric Ort, sr., Cedar Cliff
Outfield – Matt Robertson, jr., Camp Hill
Designated Hitter – Hank Sanders, sr., Northern
Pitcher – Taylor Nace, soph., Susquenita
Pitcher – Aaron Jones, sr., Mechanicsburg
Pitcher – Quin Taylor, sr., Northern

Shover will return for a 10th year

Speaking with veteran Camp Hill coach Brad Shover on Wednesday night for the forthcoming All-Sentinel Baseball Coach of the Year story, the conversation turned toward the future.

With the bulk of his team already graduated, the question was whether Shover would tuck his two state titles in his back pocket and ride off into the sunset -- the Lions beat Serra Catholic, 7-4, June 12 at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona to become only the fifth team in the 32-year history of the PIAA baseball playoffs to go back-to-back. Camp Hill beat Carmichaels, 2-0, in 2008.

"To be honest, at the beginning of the season I thought this might be my last year," Shover said moments after his team joined him at the Doubleday Farm in Elliottsburg to celebrate their most recent title together. "By the time the year was over, there was no question I wanted to coach.

"We're going to be young and make mistakes (next year) but we have a lot of talent coming through the system."

In nine full years guiding the state power, Shover compiled a record of 135-74 (.645 winning percentage) and led the Lions into the PIAA playoffs five times.

Camp Hill boasts two District 3 titles (2002 and 09) and two state titles (2008 and 09) under Shover. In his first year, Camp Hill fell to DuBois Central Catholic, 8-7, in the 2001 state final.

Shover was also The Sentinel's Coach of the Year in 2002. Only Mike Whitehead Jr. of Cumberland Valley, who owns three, has more Coach of the Year honors than Shover.

Kuntz the talk of the town

Among those preparing for the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star game at Mansion Park on Friday are two record-setting running backs.

Jeremiah Young of Steelton-Highspire holds the career rushing record among Pennsylvania backs while Schuylkill Haven's Zach Barkett set the single-season record last year.

Despite those names and achievements, the player commanding the most attention this week in Altoona is Trinity running back Christian Kuntz.

One of the reasons has to be that Kuntz will suit up at wide receiver this fall for Penn State University. If you've ever been to Blair County, it's all Penn State all the time.

Earlier this week, the Altoona Mirror ran a feature story on Kuntz and Wednesday night, local television station WTAJ in Altoona aired a 63-second feature on Kuntz.

Friday night at 6 p.m., Kuntz will step on a football field in a game situation for the first time since suffering a season-ending knee injury Oct. 11 at Middletown.

Problems and respect at CWS

Let's take a break from high school sports for a moment and pay tribute to the NCAA Division I College World Series.

This event has blown up recently and while we love the fact that ESPN televises all of the games, the network has made two changes we don't care for. First off, the CWS now begins on a Saturday instead of a Friday. We can live with that but the second is the worst of the two.

There is no longer an 'Elimination Day' at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium. Until last year, each Tuesday four teams in the losers' bracket took the field in a do-or-die day. Unfortunately, they've split these two elimination games over two days. We miss the drama of an elimination doubleheader.

Speaking of elimination games, that Arkansas-Virginia matchup was insane. If nothing else, Virginia has earned our respect. An SEC snob, yours truly isn't one to give props to any team outside of the conference, but what the Cavaliers did this postseason was amazing.

First, Virginia won the 'Regional of Death' by beating San Diego State and eventual No. 1 draft pick Stephen Strasburg. From there, the Cavs beat No. 1 UC Irvine twice on the Ant Eaters' home field to reach the Super Regionals against SEC co-champion Mississippi.

In Oxford, the Cavs rallied after losing the first game in extra innings to win the next two and reach Omaha. To start things off, Virginia took the other SEC co-champion, LSU, to the brink before falling, 9-5. Then, in an elimination game Tuesday, Arkansas took advantage of a lack of clutch hitting from Virginia to win, 4-3, in 12 innings and send the Cavs back to Charlottesville.

There won't be a national title this year but here's our respect, Virginia. You've earned it.

Serra Catholic awaits Camp Hill

It's not Carmichaels but it's close.

Serra Catholic, the District 7 champion with a 22-2 record, will face Camp Hill on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the PIAA Class A final at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona.

The Eagles beat Carmichaels, 7-1, in the WPIAL final and beat Bishop McCort, which eliminated Carmichaels in the opening round, 5-4 Monday to punch their ticket.

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat tells the story of Serra's dramatic victory.

(Pictured: Chris Miller (left) celebrates with Oliver Girman after beating Carmichaels for the WPIAL Class A title on May 29. Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Historical look at Old Forge

We're not even six hours removed from Camp Hill's thrilling 2-0, eight-inning win over Williams Valley in the PIAA Class A quarterfinals yet it's time to check out the next foe: Old Forge.

While we haven't tracked down a ton of information of the District 2 champion Blue Devils, we've located a few nuggets for you to digest.

First of all, Old Forge (11-8) is the three-time defending District 2 Class A champions. While the Blue Devils have enjoyed a nice run in the district, the next level has been unkind to boys from just south of Scranton.

Old Forge will enter Monday's showdown against the Lions with a 1-1 record against District 3 champions during their record three-year stretch of PIAA playoff appearances.

In 2007 the Blue Devils knocked off 3-A winner Holy Name, 8-2, before bowing to eventual state champion Minersville, 4-3, in the semifinals. Last year Holy Name, just days after dispatching Camp Hill for district gold, slid past Old Forge, 6-4.

There's only been one baseball champion from District 2 and that disctinction belongs to none other than Old Forge. It was in 1992 that the Blue Devils claimed the PIAA Class AA crown with a 12-2, six-inning pasting of Ridgway.

The only team from District 2 to have appeared in a state final since was Elk Lake in 2003. In that Class A final, Bellwood-Antis took home a 2-1 victory.

Crimson Crushers live on the edge

We all vividly recall that Cumberland Valley baseball team from 2007. Remember? The one that survived wild extra-inning games with Governor Mifflin and Wyoming Valley West to eventually reach the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals.

Well, there's a team out in Johnstown that is winning in much the same fashion as those let's-give-everyone-one-heck-of-a-show Eagles.

Convential wisdom says Bishop McCort, the District 6-A champion, should not be preparing for a PIAA Class A quarterfinal game tomorrow against District 7 third-place finisher Neshannock at the Burkett Complex in Robinson Twp. outside of Pittsburgh.

In the district final against Homer Center on Friday, the Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth before Bishop McCort (19-4) wiggled out of the jam to gain the district's top spot in the PIAA field and avoid District 7 winner Serra Catholic (21-2), which ripped Homer Center, 7-1.

Still the Crushers had a date with District 7 runner-up Carmichaels (18-4), the team that lost to Camp Hill in last year's state final.

In that first-round game, Bishop McCort committed seven errors, stranded 15 runners and fell behind in the eighth inning. After tying it at 5-5 to force a ninth inning, Matt Kastelic knocked in his brother, Mike, with a single to win the game and keep the dream season alive.

“We made enough mistakes, like I told the kids, to choke a horse,” Crushers coach Denny Altimore to the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. “To beat a quality team like that, in spite of all of those mistakes, maybe that says something about our team.”

Overall, the Class A field provided the most fireworks from the first round. Old Forge worked eight innings to beat Sayre, 10-9, and Berks Christian survived a late-inning rally from Northern Bedford to win, 3-2.

The bottom half of the bracket saw Clarion dispatch Villa Maria, 11-9, in 11 innings. That game lasted over three hours while Neshannock and Coudersport combined for 34 runs in the former's 22-12 victory.