All-state football returnees

Yesterday we posted a list of the returning Mid-Penn all-star football players. Today's list is going to be a lot shorter. And we mean a lot.

This evening we're going back over the selections for all-state football and talking about who is returning.

Let's start at the Class AA level. Trinity, the defending District 3 champion, returns a pair of second-team defensive players. Nick Slonac is back at end and Jack Miller (left) returns at linebacker.

These two will anchor a stout defense that led the area in points against per game this year with 9.5. The Shamrocks, who finished 12-2, allowed only 133 points all year with five shutouts.

As a junior, Slonac recorded 54 total tackles, including 40 stops and a team-high seven sacks. Miller, also a junior, led Trinity with 86 total tackles (68 solo) and added four sacks.

The Shamrocks won their second district football title in November but lost to Lewisburg in the PIAA quarterfinals, 31-21.

In Class AAAA, Cumberland Valley welcomes back two all-state defensive selections.

Jeremy DiPietro, a junior speedy defensive back, was named to the first team as an athlete and junior punter Lance Geesey made the second team.

In back-to-back District 3 playoff games, DiPietro returned turnovers for touchdowns. Against Central Dauphin in the semifinals, DiPietro returned an interception 57 yards and, one week later against Red Lion in the final, ran back a fumble 84 yards.

DiPietro, also a standout running back, made 45 total tackles this year and added three interceptions plus the aforementioned fumble recovery.

Geesey, who doubles as a reliable placekicker, attempted 40 punts this year and ended up with an average of 34.3 yards per punt. Geesey, who will be a three-year starter next fall, pinned nine opponents inside their 20-yard line.

CV won its 10th 3-AAAA title this fall before falling to eventual state champion North Allegheny, 35-17, in the state semifinals. The Eagles, who finished 12-3, held a 10-7 lead at halftime in that game.

The top returning players

We've gone over the Mid-Penn Conference all-stars and have compiled a list of the area players that garnered either first- or second-team honors and will return in 2011. This list is arranged by school and then alphabetically by player. The player's year is his current class standing.

Big Spring
Magarron Frey, sophomore (second-team defensive back)
Dakota Matthews, junior (first-team offensive line)

Boiling Springs
Logan Murphy, junior (second-team linebacker)

Camp Hill
Teddy Ramsey, sophomore (second-team linebacker)

Cedar Cliff
Adam Breneman, sophomore (first-team flanker)
Matt Sowers, junior (second-team offensive line)

Cumberland Valley
Jeremy DiPietro, junior (first-team running back; first-team return specialist)
Kyle Friend, junior (first-team offensive line; first-team defensive line)
Lance Geesey, junior (first-team kicker)

East Pennsboro
Ryan Forry, junior (second-team offensive line)
Jesse McCallister, junior (first-team defensive line)
Kevin Stago, junior (second-team running back)

Mechanicsburg
Bryton Barr, junior (second-team tight end; second-team punter; first-team linebacker)

Northern
Zack Barber, junior (second-team offensive line)
Ryan Hoffman, junior (first-team punter)
Dominic Salomone, junior (second-team linebacker)
Travis Saylor, sophomore (second-team flanker)
Dylan Tamecki, junior (second-team offensive line)

Red Land
Bret Neiderreither, junior (first-team offenisve line; second-team defensive line)

Shippensburg
Shane Witmer, junior (second-team defensive end)

Susquenita
Dakota weiland, junior (second-team defensive line)

Trinity
Patrick Dill, junior (second-team quarterback; second-team punter)
Adam Geiger, sophomore (first-team running back)
Alex Kramer, sophomore (second-team kicker)
Chris Lenz, junior (second-team flanker)
Jack Miller, junior (first-team running back; first-team linebacker)
Vikram Shenoy, junior (second-team offensive line)
Nick Slonac, junior (first-team defensive end)

West Perry
Chase May, freshman (second-team flanker)
Bryce Stambaugh, junior (second-team punter)

Good run for CV ends

Another season came to an end on the sun-splashed Mansion Park Stadium turf Saturday afternoon.

For the second year in a row, Cumberland Valley lost in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals. This season, North Allegheny dumped the Eagles, 35-17.

CV held a 10-7 lead at the break but the second half was all North Allegheny.

The Tigers easily pulled ahead, 21-10, with two touchdowns in the third and the Eagles couldn't answer.

CV, which finished 12-3 and won its 10th District 3 Class AAAA title, will lose a huge amount of seniors from this team but the future isn't totally bleak.

The Eagles won't be the 3-AAAA favorite next year -- then again, who is the early front-runner to unseat the two-time defending champions? -- but with star running back/defensive back Jeremy DiPietro and two-way lineman Kyle Friend back, CV might have a few surprises up its sleeve.

Season ends for Trinity

If anything, the Trinity football team went down swinging Saturday.

Down 28-0 early in the third quarter to Lewisburg on Saturday afternoon at Hersheypark Stadium in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals, the Shamrocks battled back.

Two touchdown runs from Adam Geiger pulled Trinity within 28-14 but an interception stopped Trinity's next drive.

In all, Lewisburg scored 17 points off turnovers in the 10-point win.

But it was a nice ride for Trinity, which came into this postseason on a three-game losing streak in the playoffs. The Shamrocks won the school's second football title and played in the state tournament for only the second time.

The 12-2 season also bodes very well for the future: a good chunk of the players who set foot on the A-Turf on Saturday will be back next year.

In all, it was a season of learning and growing for the Shamrocks. In a year where football was relatively down in the area -- only Cumberland Valley and Trinity were alive after the first round of the playoffs -- the small private school in Shiremanstown stood out as being one of the best.

For that, the players can hold their heads high.

District 3-AAAA champ to Altoona

The PIAA announced a few sites for next week's state semifinals, including the game that will involve the District 3 Class AAAA champion.

Red Lion (10-3) meets Cumberland Valley (11-2) tonight at 6 p.m. in the 3-AAAA championship at Hersheypark Stadium. The winner will play District 7 winner North Allegheny (13-1) at Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona next Saturday at 1 p.m.

North Allegheny beat State College, 21-6, last night.

CV, Trinity shoot up rankings

In the latest Pennsylvania Football News state rankings, both Cumberland Valley and Trinity moved up. The poll for all classes can be found here.

CV, on the strength of a 28-7 victory over Central Dauphin in the District 3 Class AAAA semifinals, moved from seventh to sixth and enters the 3-AAAA final with an 11-2 record.

The Eagles will be playing Red Lion, which entered the PFN rankings for the first time this year at No. 7 and come into Saturday night's 6 p.m. game with a 10-3 record.

In Class AA, Trinity jumped from eighth to fifth after it beat Wyomissing, 28-0, for the 3-AA title Friday night. The victory was Trinity's second district football title.

The Shamrocks (12-1) play unbeaten Lewisburg (13-0), ranked No. 2 by PFN, in the PIAA quarterfinals at Hersheypark Stadium on Saturday at noon.

Early glimpse at next week's games

The final two area football teams still playing will invade the same stadium Saturday.

Cumberland Valley and Trinity will play their next game at Hersheypark Stadium. The Shamrocks open the day's doubleheader at noon against Lewisburg in a PIAA Class AA quarterfinal before CV meets Red Lion in the District 3 Class AAAA final at 6 p.m.

Here's a closer look at the games.

Class AAAA

Red Lion (8, 10-3) vs. Cumberland Valley (7, 11-2) at Hersheypark Stadium -- In a rematch of Week 1, these two teams meet to decide the District 3 Class AAAA title.

Much like the first meeting, this one won't be pretty.

Sure, Red Lion is an improved bunch but so is CV. That's bad news for a Red Lion team that dropped a 45-6 decision at Chapman Field back in September.

CV is dealing with a few injuries but even if star running back/linebacker Kevin Snyder isn't at full strength, the Eagles should still roll.

CV came out of the more difficult bracket and will win its second straight 3-AAAA title and 10th overall.

Warm up the charter buses for a return trip to Altoona next week.

Class AA

Lewisburg (13-0) vs. Trinity (12-1) at Hersheypark Stadium -- The Shamrocks are rolling right along with 12 wins in a row and another shutout -- their second of the playoffs and fifth overall.

Lewisburg, the District 4 champion, is more battle-tested than the Shamrocks, who haven't been forced to play an entire 48 minutes this year. That's a major concern, especially if this game is close late.

The Green Dragons also force other teams to make mistakes. Lately, Trinity has made mistakes without any added help. It's going to take a special effort from the Shamrocks -- and this team is capable of that -- to keep their season going.

At this stage, we hate to say a team's season is over but the Green Dragons are our pick to reach the state semifinals.

BPI Projections: Class AAAA

First Round

North Penn by 12 over Council Rock South

Neshaminy by 2 over West Chester Rustin

LaSalle College defeated Northeast, 35-0, Nov. 20 (District 12 championship)

Easton by 6 over Whitehall (District 11 championship)

Red Lion by 7 over Daniel Boone

Cumberland Valley by 4 over Central Dauphin

North Allegheny by 6 over Woodland Hills (District 7 championship)

State College by 14 over Perry Traditional Academy

Quarterfinals

North Penn by 13 over Neshaminy (District 1 championship)

LaSalle College by 7 over Easton

Cumberland Valley by 15 over Red Lion (District 3 championship)

North Allegheny by 23 over State College

Semifinals

LaSalle College by 7 over North Penn

North Allegheny by 8 over Cumberland Valley

State Championship

Dec. 18 at Hersheypark Stadium, 5 p.m.

North Allegheny over LaSalle College in OT

BPI Projections: Class AA

First Round
Northern Lehigh by 19 over GAR Memorial

West Catholic defeated Bok Vo-Tech, 34-6, Nov. 20 (District 12 championship)

Trinity over Wyomissing by 30 (District 3 championship)

Danville by 7 over Lewisburg (District 4 championship)

Aliquippa by 2 over South Fayette (District 7 championship)

Brockway over Oliver by 45

Sharon over Hickory by 3 (District 10 championship)

Forest Hills over Tyrone by 6 (District 6 championship)

Quarterfinals

West Catholic by 5 over Northern Lehigh

Trinity by 7 over Danville

Aliquippa by 7 over Brockway

Forest Hills by 6 over Sharon

Semifinals

Trinity by 3 over West Catholic

Aliquippa by 7 over Forest Hills

State Championship

Dec. 18 at Hersheypark Stadium, noon

Aliquippa by 2 over Trinity

BPI Projections: Class AAA

First Round

Allentown Central Catholic by 11 over Abington Heights

Clearfield by 12 over Shikellamy

Strath Haven over Pottsgrove in OT (District 1 championship)

Archbishop Wood defeated Dobbins-Radolph Vo-Tech, 44-7, on Nov. 20 (District 12 championship)

Erie Cathedral Prep by 5 over Grove City (District 10 championship)

Montour by 4 over Central Valley (District 7 championship)

Bishop McDevitt by 16 over Lampeter-Strasburg

Cocalico by 4 over Conrad Weiser

Quarterfinals

Allentown Central Catholic by 16 over Clearfield

Archbishop Wood by 14 over Strath Haven

Erie Cathedral Prep by 6 over Montour

Bishop McDevitt by 24 over Cocalico (District 3 championship)

Semifinals

Allentown Central Catholic by 2 over Archbishop Wood

Bishop McDevitt by 3 over Erie Cathedral Prep

State Championship

Dec. 17 at Hersheypark Stadium, 7 p.m.

Bishop McDevitt by 2 over Allentown Central Catholic

BPI Projections: Class A

First Round

Bishop McCort by 1 over Bishop Carroll (District 6 championship)

Holy Name by 11 over Millersburg (District 3 championship)

Southern Columbia by 15 over Riverside

Schuylkill Haven by 16 over Calvary Christian Academy

North Star defeated Northern Bedford, 36-20, Nov. 19 (District 5 championship)

Clairton by 12 over Rochester (District 7 championship)

Curwensville by 11 over Port Allegheny (District 9 championship)

Mercyhurst Prep by 1 over Farrell (District 10 championship)

Quarterfinals

Bishop McCort by 6 over Holy Name

Southern Columbia by 21 over Schuylkill Haven

Clairton by 35 over North Star

Mercyhurst Prep by 10 over Curwensville

Semifinals

Southern Columbia by 15 over Bishop McCort

Clairton by 14 over Mercyhurst Prep

State Championship

Dec. 17 at Hersheypark Stadium, 1 p.m.

Clairton by 12 over Southern Columbia

CV back in rankings; Trinity moves up

The Pennsylvania Football News released its latest state rankings Sunday night and two area teams are now in the top 10 of their respective classes.

Trinity, which entered the Class AA rankings for the first time last week at No. 10, improved to eighth with its 48-12 victory over Bermudian Springs in the District 3-AA semifinals.

Cumberland Valley spent a few weeks unranked following a 28-21 loss to Harrisburg in Week 8 but the Eagles are back thanks to a win over then No. 3 Wilson, 28-14, in the District 3-AAAA quarterfinals.

Neither area teams will play ranked foes this week -- Trinity (11-1) meets Wyomissing (9-3) in the 3-AA final at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. while CV (10-2) heads to Landis Field for a rematch with Central Dauphin (10-2) on the same night and time.

Overall, it was a bad week for ranked teams in District 3. Dallastown and Wilson, in Class AAAA, losted to unranked foes Red Lion and CV, respectively. The same fate befell Greencastle-Antrim and Lancaster Catholic in AAA and AA, respectively.

The top-seeded and previously unbeaten Blue Devils lost to Conrad Weiser, 34-20. Lancaster Catholic, also an unbeaten top seed, dropped a 21-14 decision to Wyomissing.

The only District 3 teams, excluding Trinity, that won while ranked were Bishop McDevitt and Holy Name. The Crusaders slammed Hershey, 63-0, in 3-AAA and Blue Jays hammered Steel-High, 42-7, in 3-A.

Projections update

Before the start of the playoffs, we made our annual bold state playoff predicitions. These included picking District 3, region and state champions. Here's an update on how we're doing. Classes listed in order of when the state finals will be played next month.

Class A
Actual teams alive: 15
Correct teams picked: 10
District 3: Had only half of the York Catholic vs. Holy Name final. Millersburg beat the Fighting Irish, 13-12, in the semifinals.
Sleeper update: Bishop McCort (8-4) slipped by second-seeded Bellwood-Antis, 30-29, in the District 6 quarterfinals and will play for district gold next week.
Breakdown: Three of our final four teams are still alive. The only miss was Sharpsville, which lost to Mercyhurst Prep on Friday in the District 10 semifinals.

Class AAA
Actual teams alive: 15
Correct teams picked: 11
District 3: Missed badly on Susquehanna Twp. Had the Indians playing for district gold but they fell to Cocalico in semifinals. Penciled Manheim Central into semifinals also but Barons fell to Lampeter-Strasburg last week. Bishop McDevitt, our district champion, is still alive.
Sleeper update: Cardinal O'Hara lost to Archbishop Wood in last week's Philadelphia Catholic League final. But really, the Lions are probably one of the top five AAA teams in the state. It's brutal to survive the PCL.
Breakdown: Our final four teams and six of the last eight are alive and well.

Class AA
Actual teams alive: 15
Correct teams picked: 11
District 3: Ouch. We liked two-time defending district Lancaster Catholic, who fell hard to Wyomissing. We didn't even have the Spartans winning a game in the postseason and now they face Trinity in the district final Friday.
Sleeper update: Tyrone rolled past Penn Cambria but had to work for a 17-7 victory over Central in the District 6 semifinals. Up next is powerful Forest Hills, who we have in the state semifinals.
Breakdown: Final four are still playing as are six of the last eight.

Class AAAA
Actual teams alive: 15
Correct teams picked: 12
District 3: We only nailed half of the semifinalists. Harrisburg and Governor Mifflin let us down. Plus, we had the Cougars playing for the district title -- they lost to Daniel Boone on Saturday.
Sleeper update: We said to watch out for Ridley but only had them going as far as the District 1 semifinals. In reality, the top-seeded Green Raiders lost their first playoff game, 14-13, to Henderson.
Breakdown: The final four teams are still alive as are seven of the final eight. One of our best picks so far: North Allegheny over Pittsburgh Central Catholic. We have the Tigers in the state final and they're now the favorite to come out of the west.

Looking ahead to Week 13

Both area teams, Cumberland Valley and Trinity, cruised Friday night in winning their playoff games be a combined score of 76-26 to keep their respective seasons alive.

CV jumped out to a 28-0 lead over rival Wilson in an eventual 28-14 victory in a District 3 Class AAAA quarterfinal at John Gurski Stadium. Trinity somehow danced around six turnovers and throttled Bermudian Springs, 48-12, in a 3-AA semifinal at COBO Field.

So now, both continue playing football the day after Thanksgiving. CV is at Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division rival Central Dauphin at 7 p.m. in a 3-AAAA semifinal while Trinity heads to Hersheypark Stadium for the 3-AA title game against upstart Wyomissing at 6 p.m.

Here's an early look at what we expect will happen.

Class AAAA

Cumberland Valley (7, 10-2) at Central Dauphin (6, 10-2) -- At the start of the playoffs, we said Conrad Weiser would not only beat East Pennsboro in Round 1 but also knock off 3-AAA top-seeded Greencastle-Antrim in the quarterfinals.

That came to pass and so will this: the winner at Landis Field on Friday will capture the 3-AAAA title eight days later and punch its ticket to the state semifinals.

The first game between these two teams, a 30-17 CV win Oct. 8, was much closer than the score indicated. If the Eagles play like they did at Wilson (one turnover and zero penalties until six minutes remained) it's going to be awfully tough for Central Dauphin to knock this team off.

It's the fourth meeting between these two teams in 12 months. We thought the Rams were too young to beat Governor Mifflin but their line play took over. This week, we're confident Central Dauphin is just too young at the skill positions to beat the defending champions.

Cumberland Valley wins its 10th 3-AAAA title in what turns out to be a close one.

Class AA

Wyomissing (5, 9-3) vs. Trinity (3, 11-1) at Hersheypark Stadium -- This one is quite simple for the Shamrocks. If they eliminate the foolish mistakes, they will win their second 3-AA crown.

That will be easier said than done against the physical Spartans, who are riding a huge wave of momentum following their 21-14 win over two-time defending district champion and defending state winner Lancaster Catholic.

That was a huge win for Wyomissing but can the Spartans play to that level two weeks in a row? We have our questions about that.

To beat a Trinity team that is averaging more than 40 points per game and allowing fewer than 10, it's going to take an outstanding effort. Wyomissing is certainly capable of that but the Shamrocks seem destined to win this thing.

They put in long hours of work in the early morning during the spring to get the Spread down and they wanted to be a legitimate threat to win the state championship with it. Mission accomplished.

Wilson information

Cumberland Valley travels to Berks County on Friday at 7 p.m. to face rival Wilson in a District 3 Class AAAA quarterfinal at Gurski Stadium.

WILSON NOTES:

Four-time District 3-AAAA champion. ... last loss was in the final seconds to Cumberland Valley in 2009 semifinals. ... suffered three straight hard-to-swallow postseason defeats — 2007 lost in overtime to Harrisburg in district semifinals; 2008 lost in triple overtime to Bethel Park in state semifinals and lost to CV with six seconds to play last year in district semifinals. ... outscored opponents 322-55 in first half. ... went 4-0 against teams with winning records. ... opponents have a combined record of 53-64. ... Zweizig, who missed four games with a dislocated throwing shoulder, has completed 55 of 97 passes for 767 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. ... Gillin leads the team with 1,704 yards and 27 touchdowns. ... Carabello paces the Bulldogs with 504 receiving yards. ... Simcox and Matt Tietbohl are the team’s leading tacklers with 53 each. ... posted four shutouts this year and allowed an average of 10 points against per game. ... offense scored an average of 40.7 points per game and scored at least 34 points in eight of 11 games. ... finished first in Section I of Lancaster Lebanon League.

Bermudian Springs information

Below are some facts about the Bermudian Springs football team. Trinity faces the upstart Eagles in Friday's semifinal round of the District 3 Class AA playoffs.

The below information is part of the complete preview capsule for the game that will run in Friday's edition of The Sentinel along with a complete preview for the other semifinal between Wyomissing and Lancaster Catholic. We're also previewing two Class AAAA games: Cumberland Valley at Wilson and Central Dauphin at Governor Mifflin.

Information on the Wilson Bulldogs will be posted Monday or Tuesday.

BERMUDIAN SPRINGS NOTES

Won three of its last four games. ... lost to Littlestown, 43-23, on Oct. 29 before beating the Bolts, 37-0, two weeks later in 3-AA quarterfinals. ... 3-2 record against teams with winning records. ... defeated Northern, 24-7, in Week 1. ... runs the Wing-T and averages 29.6 points per game. ... allows an average of 16.2 points against with two shutouts. ... operates out of the 4-4 on defense. ... Fitzkee leads the team with 1,247 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Keller is a close second with 1,198 yards and 13 touchdowns. ... Fitzkee also has a team-best 102 total tackles. .. Thoman has completed 57 of 120 passes for 840 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. ... Spahr is the team’s leading receiver with 305 yards and four touchdowns. ... three-time 3-AA champion but hasn’t won the title since 1998, which was also the last season the program made the championship game and the last time the team won a playoff game before Friday. ... finished fourth in YAIAA Section III with 5-4 record.

Shamrocks find way into rankings

The Pennsylvania Football News released its latest state rankings Sunday evening and Trinity (10-1) checked in at No. 10 in Class AA.

The Shamrocks, winners of 10 straight, routed Boiling Springs for the second week in a row Friday to move into the District 3 Class AA semifinals opposite upstart Bermudian Springs (8-3) at COBO Field in Lower Allen Twp.

It was due to the Eagles' surprise 37-0 win over second-seeded and previously unbeaten Littlestown that the Shamrocks are in the top 10. Littlestown was ranked No. 8 in the state until it fell apart against YAIAA foe Bermudian in the weekend's most surprising result in District 3.

"I was surprised by the score but not shocked that (Bermudian) won the game, I really wasn't," Trinity coach Bill Ragni said Sunday afternoon. "I'm glad we get another home game because I thought we'd be going to Littlestown."

Trinity is hoping for a rematch with defending 3-AA and PIAA champion Lancaster Catholic, the top seed that PFN has ranked fourth in the state. The Crusaders (11-0) slammed Trinity, 35-7, in the first week of the season.

Lancaster Catholic, which hosts Wyomissing (8-3) on Friday, is gunning for its third 3-AA title in a row.

Trinity snapped a three-game postseason losing streak Friday night and is looking to play in the district final for only the third time in the program's history.

The pairings: an early look

Some random thoughts as we prepare for Week 12 of the high school football season. At this point, we're down to a pair of area teams still playing: Trinity and Cumberland Valley.

District 3 Class AA

Bermudian Springs (7, 8-3) at Trinity (2, 10-1) -- This isn't the team Trinity expected to see but Bermudian Springs is hardly a pushover.

The Eagles routed previously unbeaten Littlestown, 37-0, Friday night. This team reminds us a bit of Delone Catholic in 2007. Remember, that was the sixth-seeded Delone team that upset top-seeded Trinity in the 3-AA final.

It's a tricky spot for the Shamrocks but they have two things in their favor: 1, they've been playing head and shoulders better than their competition for 10 straight weeks (that isn't a fluke) and 2, we can't see Bermudian pulling off back-to-back stunners. Expect the Shamrocks to be in the Hershey for the 3-AA final Nov. 26.

District 3 Class AAAA

Cumberland Valley (7, 9-2) at Wilson (2, 11-0) -- There really isn't much to say about this one other than the obvious. There's definitely bad blood between these teams.

In the 2008 district final, CV felt Wilson was less than classy during the latter's 35-7 win. The bad vibes returned in the semifinals last year when vulgarities were allegedly tossed from the Wilson student section toward CV as it entered Gurski Stadium.

That said, these teams have been above playing dirty and last year's 35-28 CV win was a classic.

We're not sure how good Wilson is (it feasted on the weak Lancaster-Lebanon I teams) and we wonder how the Bulldogs will respond if the game is close. The Eagles need to be more disciplined than last week and if it is, CV should handle Wilson and reach the semifinals for a third year in a row.

And then there were two

Unlike last fall, there's more than one area football team playing in Week 12. Cumberland Valley and Trinity are the only two teams that will be holding practice this week and playing a game Friday.

The Eagles (9-2) head to Berks County for a game against rival Wilson (11-0) in the District 3 Class AAAA quarterfinals. Last year, CV beat the Bulldogs at Gurski Stadium with a last-second pass from Eric Sawyer to Trevor Harman.

CV punched its quarterfinal ticket by beating a physical Spring Grove side, 35-21.

In Class AA, Trinity is in the semifinals for the first time since 2007 thanks to a 42-0 rout over Boiling Springs. The Shamrocks (10-1) will host upstart Bermudian Springs (8-3) on Friday at COBO Field.

Bermudian dumped previously unbeaten and second-seeded Littlestown, 37-0. This might be a trap game for the Shamrocks, who no doubt expected to see the Bolts next week. Will coach Bill Ragni have his teams ready for the less heralded Eagles? Time will only tell.

Dallastown cracks the state rankings ... sigh

We'll start by saying the York Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association has shown some improvement in recent years regarding Class AAAA football.

And for that, we give that league credit.

The problem is, the YAIAA hasn't done enough to deserve either the top seed in the upcoming District 3 Class AAAA playoffs or a spot in the Pennsylvania Football News state rankings. Unfortunately, undefeated Dallastown has both.

Similar to last year when we said District 5 shouldn't be allotted a berth in PIAA Class AA playoffs and used Bedford as an example, this post would be written if the team were Dallastown, Red Lion, South Western or any other YAIAA school.

It's nothing personal, Dallastown but this is what we have to talk about.

Sure, Dallastown played and beat three teams - Warwick, Red Land and Penn Manor - outside of the YAIAA and two of those teams made the playoffs but just beating Warwick was a struggle and, once in league play, it struggled to beat Class AAA West York in overtime.

The Wildcats also had close calls with 4-6 South Western (21-7 win), 4-6 Central York (21-0 win) and 6-4 Spring Grove (21-0 win). What's more, the same Red Lion team that Cumberland Valley drilled, 45-6, pushed Dallastown to the brink in a game it eventually won, 38-36.

We will say that the Wildcats earned an undefeated season but they should not be the top seed or ranked No. 10 in the state. Not when Mid-Penn powers Central Dauphin, Cumberland Valley and Harrisburg all dropped from the state rankings at one time or another this year because of the depth and strength the Mid-Penn Conference offers.

In terms of the district, Dallastown has a nice draw and might not see a Mid-Penn team until the district final, if at all. The only one in the top half of the bracket with the Wildcats is Harrisburg and the Cougars are hurting after do-everything quarterback Jalen Fitzpatrick was injured against Bishop McDevitt on Saturday. Fitzpatrick's status for the rest of the season is unknown.

That said, if any team other than a moderately healthy Harrisburg side comes out of the top half of the 3-AAAA bracket (there's not much beef up there) to meet Central Dauphin, Cumberland Valley or L-L Section I power Wilson in the 3-AAAA final, don't bother showing up at Hersheypark Stadium on Dec. 4. It's not going to be pretty.

Early look at playoff pairings

District 3 hasn't officially announced the football playoff brackets, but the unofficial final power ratings are posted at the district's site.

By using those numbers, we're going to take a peek at the first round and how we think the area teams will fare. These aren't the official projections that will run in the tab but merely an early look at what the pairing looks like.

Class AAAA

Spring Grove (10, 6-4) at Cumberland Valley (7, 8-2) -- A good draw for the Eagles, who regained some swagger by demolishing rival Carlisle on Friday. CV hasn't lost a playoff game since 2007 and this game will serve as a warm-up to next week's trip to rival Wilson.

Cedar Cliff (12, 7-3) at Daniel Boone (5, 9-1) -- If the Colts show up, don't be surprised to see them dump the Blazers, who were moved up to AAAA this season. This game is truly a wild card. Neither team played a AAAA schedule so it's only fitting they find each other.

Class AAA

Hershey (11, 6-4) at Shippensburg (6, 8-2) -- Trojans are a hard-nosed, physical bunch that can knocked the 'Hounds sideways if they aren't careful. Not a great draw for the first home playoff game in Shippensburg's history.

East Pennsboro (9, 7-3) at Conrad Weiser (8, 7-3) -- Scouts are surely fuming after falling into a late-season slump. To be honest, we like Conrad Weiser to not only win this game but also dump top-seeded Greencastle-Antrim in the quarterfinals.

Big Spring (15, 5-5) at Lampeter-Strasburg (2, 9-1) -- Their hopes of an unbeaten season dashed by Conestoga Valley on Friday, the Pioneers now have to focus on the goal of winning the 3-AAA crown. Shouldn't find must resistance from the Bulldogs, who are in the postseason for the first time.

Class AA

Boiling Springs (6, 7-3) at Trinity (3, 9-1) -- These two met Friday with Trinity taking a 33-0 victory at Ecker Field. Can't see anything different this time.

Cumberland Valley falls from rankings

Thanks to a 28-21 loss to Harrisburg on Saturday, the Cumberland Valley football team is no longer ranked in the Class AAAA top 10 by the Pennsylvania Football News. The complete poll can be found here.

The Eagles (7-2) came into Saturday afternoon's game against the Cougars ranked No. 7. Harrisburg, which wrapped up the Commonwalth Division title with the win, was ranked No. 10. The Cougars (8-1) now inhabit the No. 7 spot.

The latest poll marks the first time CV, the defending District 3-AAAA champion, is not ranked by the PFN this season.

CV wasn't the only team to fall from the Class AAAA rankings. WPIAL power North Allegheny, which was No. 6, lost to unranked North Hills, 21-16. The Indians are now No. 9.

In District 1, No. 8 Council Rock South dropped a 45-35 decision to unranked Abington and tumbled from the top 10. The Ghosts (7-2) are not ranked.

Wilson, undefeated at 9-0, is the highest ranked District 3 team. The Bulldogs check in at No. 3.

Defending PIAA Class AAAA champion LaSalle College (8-1) is No. 1.

Cumberland Valley concludes the regular season against Carlisle at 7 p.m. Friday night at Ken Millen Stadium.

CV/Harrisburg: What they said

Legendary high school football coaches Tim Rimpfel (left) and George Chaump had a few memorable quotes Saturday following Harrisburg's 28-21 win over Rimpfel and the CV Eagles.

Enjoy.

Tim Rimpfel

When asked why he elected to go for the first down on fourth-and-2 from his own 38 in the second quarter: "I thought, 'Heck, we should be able to get 2 yards.' But, there we made a mistake and missed a (linebacker). That was frustrating."

Talking about the offense's inability to move the ball consistently: "We just made fundamental mistakes that we should not make. Certain linemen had to block down on a linebacker and they blocked out. Why? I don't know."

George Chaump

In regards to the third quarter when the Cougars drew half of their 14 penalties: "We had some bad breaks and penalties. The third quarter was a mess. My heavens, if it was like that the whole game we would have had 1,000 yards in penalties. I've never seen so many penalties."

Reaction to CV going for it on fourth down in the second quarter: "I was a little surprised. That's uncharacteristic of Rimpfel. He's a conservative fellow. He doesn't like to gamble. He still has the first nickel he earned. I don't know what got into him."

PIAA makes a good move

Recently, we've been heaping praise on the PIAA for making smart decisions.

Earlier this month, the sport's high school governing body made another good move. The PIAA announced, in its Football Championships Telecast/Cablecast Memorandum that the state finals played on Saturday, classes AA and AAAA, will begin at noon and 5 p.m., respectively.

The PIAA changed from those traditional Saturday start times in 2005 when they made the switch to 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. kickoffs. Two years later, the games began at noon and 5 p.m. due to an approaching winter storm.

Last season, the games were bumped up to 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. because of a winter storm that had already hit the area in the early morning.

But the weather issue we can potentially be dealing with Dec. 17 and 18 is beside the point. We're glad the PIAA moved the games back to noon and 5 p.m. At that point in the season, it's best to get the games in as early as possible. If we aren't talking about potential blizzards, there's always the biting cold, so why wait until 7 to start a game when it can be just as easily started at 5?

As for the 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. times for Friday, we don't have a problem with that due to schools being in sessions and people traveling from work.

Again, we say good job to the PIAA for making another smart move.

Mustangs will be back

While pouring over the weekly high school football stats and compiling the preview capsules, something jumped out at us Monday night.

West Perry, which has been in a four-year funk since its last trip to the playoffs in 2006, could be building toward a big season in the next year or two.

Since going 9-2 and hosting a District 3-AAA playoff game in 2006, coach Al Ream's teams have won only nine of their last 37 games and are assured of a fourth-straight losing season this fall.

Despite the lean years in Elliottsburg, the future could be looking up. Consider that West Perry's three leading rushers - Steve Reynolds, Aaron Rahn and Jake Weber - are all juniors plus the team's leading receiver, Chase May, is a freshman and the second-leading pass catcher, Dalton Smeigh, is a junior points toward sunny skies ahead.

And we can't forget that reliable quarterback Zach Smith, who hasn't thrown an interception since Sept. 24 and has passed for over 100 yards in his last two games, is only a sophomore.

With three games left on the schedule - James Buchanan, Northern and Susquenita - the Mustangs have time to build confidence in anticipation of what could be a special 2011 season.

The last couple of years have no doubt been tough on Ream, who was thrown for a loop in late July when the school board voted to not pay coaches before relenting one day into fall sports practice, but the times could be changing for a program that has become an afterthought on the District 3-AAA level.

BPI Predictions: Week 8

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

Last week, the BPI went 13-3 straight up and 6-10 against the streak. For the year (since Week 2), the BPI is 83-23 straight up and 53-52-1 against the spread.

*-denotes home team

Friday
Commonwealth Division
Central Dauphin by 22 over Carlisle*
Harrisburg by 29 over Central Dauphin East*
State College by 19 over Chambersburg*

Keystone Division
Bishop McDevitt by 23 over Hershey*
Cedar Cliff* by 9 over Lower Dauphin
Susquehanna Township by 24 over Mechanicsburg*

Colonial Division
Gettysburg by 17 over West Perry*
Big spring* by 35 over James Buchanan
Greencastle-Antrim* by 27 over Northern
Shippensburg by 39 over Waynesboro*

Capital Division
East Pennsboro by 10 over Milton Hershey*
Boiling Springs* by 8 over Middletown
Steelton-Highspire by 27 over Camp Hill*
Trinity by 30 over Palmyra*

Non-division
Cumberland Valley* by 41 over Red Land

Saturday
Non-conference
Pius X* by 23 over Susquenita

District 3 Power Ratings: The Pairings

Here is our weekly glance at what the District 3 playoffs would look like if the postseason began this weekend. The pairings are based on the official District 3 power ratings.

Class AAAA
Cedar Cliff (16, 4-3) at Dallastown (1, 7-0)
Central Dauphin (9, 5-2) at Governor Mifflin (8, 5-2)

Spring Grove (12, 4-3) at Cumberland Valley (5, 6-1)
South Western (13, 4-3) at Harrisburg (4, 6-1)

Central York (11, 4-3) at Red Lion (6, 5-2)
McCaskey (14, 4-3) at Daniel Boone (3, 7-0)

Manheim Township (10, 4-3) at Warwick (7, 5-2)
Exeter (15, 4-3) at Wilson (2, 7-0)

Class AAA
Kennard-Dale (16, 3-4) at Lampeter-Strasburg (1, 7-0)
Manheim Central (9, 4-3) at Hershey (8, 5-2)

East Pennsboro (12, 4-3) at Shippensburg (5, 6-1)
Solanco (13, 3-4) at Bishop McDevitt (4, 5-2)

Big Spring (11, 4-3) at West York (6, 5-2)
Garden Spot (14, 3-4) at Conrad Weiser (3, 6-1)

Gettysburg (10, 4-3) at Susquehanna Township (7, 5-2)
Cocalico (15, 3-4) at Greencastle-Antrim (2, 7-0)

Class AA
Hanover (8, 4-3) at Littlestown (1, 7-0)
Boiling Springs (5, 6-1) at Trinity (4, 6-1)

Delone Catholic (6, 6-1) at Wyomissing (3, 6-1)
Bermudian Springs (7, 5-2) at Lancaster Catholic (2, 7-0)

Class A
Upper Dauphin (8, 1-6) at Holy Name (1, 6-1)
Columbia (5, 2-5) at Millersburg (4, 4-3)

Halifax (6, 3-4) at York Catholic (3, 4-3)
Camp Hill (7, 1-6) at Steelton-Highspire (2, 4-3)

Dallastown, Boone living on borrowed time

Who could have foreseen Dallastown and Daniel Boone holding the top two spots in the District 3 Class AAAA power ratings after six weeks of football?

While it’s true that if the postseason began this weekend, the Wildcats and Blazers would be the top two seeds but we’re pretty sure neither would make it to Hersheypark Stadium for the district championship.

The reason is simple: both teams are taking advantage of sub-par schedules.

Dallastown has beaten only two teams – Warwick and West York – that currently have winning records and they’ve also played three Class AAA opponents. What’s more, in those two games against winning foes Wildcats struggled to narrow wins.

Dallastown, a member of YAIAA Division I, trailed Warwick, 14-0, in the season-opener against Warwick before rallying for a 17-14 win. Three weeks later, the Wildcats needed overtime to beat West York, 21-14.

Now, the schedule ramps up a bit with William Penn (3-3), Central York (4-2), Spring Grove (3-3) and Red Lion (5-1) as the remaining opponents.

If they navigate that stretch, the Wildcats will likely be the top seed but expect a deep run into December no matter what seed Dallastown nabs.

Now, for Daniel Boone.

In the past, the Blazers have been a blast to watch in the postseason, but that’s always been the AAA field when Boone routinely went on the road and produced wins in November. Now that it’s up to AAAA, the weak Inter-County Conference Section I schedule won’t help the Berks County school.

To date, Boone has played one other AAAA school, woeful Reading, and needed two overtimes to subdue the Red Knights, 39-33, last week.

Including Reading, Boone’s opponents through Week 6 have a cumulative record of 13-23 and it’s played one AAAA school, four AAA schools and one from Class A.

That’s not a schedule that will prepare Boone for the postseason and, for some reason, the Blazers sit ahead of teams like Central Dauphin (5-1), Cumberland Valley (5-1) and Wilson (6-0).

We give credit to both Dallastown and Boone for having such great seasons but let’s not fool ourselves. Both teams are going to qualify for the big-boy playoffs and if either is around for the semifinals, we’re going to be very surprised.

BPI Predictions: Week 7

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

Last week, the BPI went 14-2 straight up and 12-4 against the spread. For the year (since Week 2), the BPI is 70-20 straight up and 47-42-1 against the spread.

Friday
Commonwealth Division
Carlisle by 5 over Chambersburg*
Cumberland Valley by 31 over Central Dauphin East*

Keystone Division
Susquehanna Twp.* by 9 over Cedar Cliff
Hershey by 12 over Red Land*

Colonial Division
Gettysburg* by 3 over Big Spring
Greencastle-Antrim by 67 over James Buchanan*
Shippensburg* by 14 over Northern
West Perry by 9 over Waynesboro*

Capital Division
Boiling Springs by 1 over Steelton-Highspire*
Camp Hill by 10 over Susquenita*
Milton Hershey by 3 over Middletown*
East Pennsboro* by 2 over Palmyra

Non-division
State College by 33 over Lower Dauphin*

Non-conference
Trinity* by 41 over Donegal

Saturday
Commonwealth Division
Harrisburg by 5 over Central Dauphin*

Keystone Division
Bishop McDevitt* by 46 over Mechanicsburg

Nye makes his college choice

East Pennsboro senior Zach Nye confirmed to The Sentinel on Tuesday that he will continue his wrestling career at the University of Virginia next fall.

Nye was the runner-up at 215 in last year's PIAA Class AAA championships and won the District 3 and Section 2 tournaments.

Nye was 39-1 last year with 21 falls and five technical falls. The senior, who is also a standout pitcher on the baseball team, has a career record of 101-13.

District 3 Power Ratings: The Pairings

Here is our weekly glance at what the District 3 playoffs would look like if the postseason began this weekend. The pairings are based on the official District 3 power ratings.

Class AAAA
Spring Grove (16, 3-3) at Dallastown (1, 6-0)
Manheim Twp. (9, 4-2) at Warwick (8, 4-2)

Exeter (12, 4-2) at Harrisburg (5, 5-1)
McCaskey (13, 4-2) at Red Lion (4, 5-1)

Central York (11, 4-2) at Cumberland Valley (6, 5-1)
Cedar Cliff (14, 4-2) at Wilson (3, 6-0)

Governor Mifflin (10, 4-2) at Central Dauphin (7, 5-1)
William Penn (15, 3-3) at Daniel Boone (2, 6-0)

Class AAA
Dover (16, 3-3) at Lampeter-Strasburg (1, 6-0)
Big Spring (9, 4-2) at Hershey (8, 4-2)

Manheim Central (12, 3-3) at Shippensburg (5, 5-1)
Central Catholic (13, 4-2) at Bishop McDevitt (4, 4-2)

Cocalico (11, 3-3) at West York (6, 4-2)
Palmyra (14, 4-2) at Conrad Weiser (3, 5-1)

Garden Spot (10, 3-3) at Susquehanna Twp. (7, 4-2)
Gettysburg (15, 3-3) at Greencastle-Antrim (2, 6-0)

Class AA
Hanover (8, 3-3) at Littlestown (1, 6-0)
Boiling Springs (5, 5-1) at Trinity (4, 5-1)

Delone Catholic (6, 5-1) at Wyomissing (3, 5-1)
Bermudian Springs (7, 4-2) at Lancaster Catholic (2, 6-0)

Class A
Upper Dauphin (8, 1-5) at Holy Name (1, 5-1)
Columbia (5, 2-4) at Millersburg (4, 4-2)

Halifax (6, 3-3) at York Catholic (3, 4-2)
Camp Hill (7, 1-5) at Steelton-Highspire (2, 4-2)

BPI Predictions: Week 6

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

Last week, the BPI went 12-4 straight up and 9-7 against the spread. For the year (since Week 2), the BPI is 56-18 straight up and 35-38-1 against the spread.

*-denotes home team

Friday
Commonwealth Division
State College* by 18 over Carlisle
Cumberland Valley by 10 over Central Dauphin*

Keystone Division
Susquehanna Twp.* by 25 over Lower Dauphin
Red Land* by 7 over Mechanicsburg

Colonial Division
Greencastle-Antrim* by 18 over Gettysburg
Northern* by 30 over James Buchanan
Shippensburg by 25 over West Perry*
Big Spring* by 17 over Waynesboro

Capital Division
Trinity* by 29 over East Pennsboro
Steelton-Highspire by 2 over Milton Hershey*
Boiling Springs* by 33 over Susquenita
Palmyra* by 4 over Middletown

Non-conference
ELCO by 5 over Camp Hill*

Saturday
Commonwealth Division
Harrisburg* by 28 over Chambersburg

Keystone Division
Bishop McDevitt* by 25 over Cedar Cliff

Non-division
Hershey* by 18 over Central Dauphin East

District 3 Power Ratings: The Pairings

Here is our weekly glance at what the District 3 playoffs would look like if the postseason began this weekend. The pairings are based on the official District 3 power ratings.

Class AAAA
Carlisle (16, 3-2) at Dallastown (1, 5-0)
Cedar Cliff (9, 4-1) at Cumberland Valley (8, 4-1)

Central York (12, 3-2) at Red Lion (5, 4-1)
Warwick (13, 3-2) at Daniel Boone (4, 5-0)

Manheim Twp. (11, 3-2) at Governor Mifflin (6, 4-1)
South Western (14, 3-2) at Wilson (3, 5-0)

William Penn (10, 3-2) at Harrisburg (7, 4-1)
Spring Grove (15, 3-2) at Central Dauphin (2, 5-0)

Class AAA
Milton Hershey (16, 3-2) at Lampeter-Strasburg (1, 5-0)
Susquehanna Twp. (9, 3-2) at Central Catholic (8, 4-1)

Dover (12, 3-2) at Shippensburg (5, 4-1)
Lebanon (13, 3-2) at Hershey (4, 4-1)

Gettysburg (11, 3-2) at Bishop McDevitt (6, 3-2)
Big Spring (14, 3-2) at Conrad Weiser (3, 4-1)

Manheim Central (10, 3-2) at West York (7, 3-2)
East Pennsboro (15, 3-2) at Greencastle-Antrim (2, 5-0)

Class AA
Annville-Cleona (8, 3-2) at Littlestown (1, 5-0)
Boiling Springs (5, 4-1) at Delone Catholic (4, 4-1)

Trinity (6, 4-1) at Wyomissing (3, 4-1)
Bermudian Springs (7, 4-1) at Lancaster Catholic (2, 5-0)

Class A
Fairfield (8, 0-4) at Holy Name (1, 4-1)
Halifax (5, 3-2) at Millersburg (4, 3-2)

Columbia (6, 2-3) at York Catholic (3, 3-2)
Upper Dauphin (7, 1-4) at Steelton-Highspire (2, 3-2)

First time for everything

We'll post the projected District 3 power rating pairings later tonight but first, we wanted to applaud our area Class AAAA teams.

In what is now my fourth year of covering high school football at The Sentinel, today is the first time the power ratings have come out and all of our area Class AAAA teams are in the top 16.

Cumberland Valley checks in at No. 8 followed by Cedar Cliff at No. 9. Carlisle, on the strength of its stunning 28-27 overtime win against Susquehanna Twp., is the final team in at No. 16.

With five games remaining, the Thundering Herd likely needs to go 3-2 to crack the postseason. Before Friday's win, that seemed unlikely. Now, the sky is the limit for Carlisle and first-year coach Josh Oswalt.

PFN state rankings surprise

On the heels of a 17-14 loss to unbeaten Whitehall on Friday, previously top-ranked Easton fell completely out of the Pennsylvania Football News top 10 Class AAAA rankings.

The Red Rovers (4-1) are replaced at the top by defending PIAA Class AAAA champion LaSalle College, which blasted a good Roman Catholic side, 42-17, Friday night.

Thanks to Easton's exit, all other teams in the top 10 moved up one stop, including CV. The Eagles, who beat Chambersburg, 42-13, Friday, are now ranked ninth. CV has a 4-1 record. District 3 perennial powers Wilson (third) and Central Dauphin (seventh) also moved up one spot. The Bulldogs slammed Cedar Crest, 43-13, and Central Dauphin trashed rival CD East, 41-0, in Week 5.

Council Rock South (5-0) enters the rankings for the first time this year at No. 10. The Golden Hawks blanked Pennsbury, 24-0, Saturday.

Other classes

In Class AA, Trinity checks back in as a team to watch. The Shamrocks were listed in that category before the season started by fell out following a 35-7 season-opening loss to Lancaster Catholic. Since that game, Trinity hasn't scored fewer than 49 points and out-scored its opponents 203-14 and produced two shutouts. In a loaded District 3-AA bracket, the Shamrocks and their new spread offense might just be a sleeper team.

BPI Predictions: Week 5

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

Last week, the BPI went 12-4 straight up and was a disappointing 7-9 against the spread. For the year (since Week 2) the BPI is 44-14 straight up and 26-31-1.

*-denotes home team

Friday
Commonwealth Division
Central Dauphin by 17 over Central Dauphin East*
Cumberland Valley* by 42 over Chambersburg
Harrisburg by 2 over State College*

Keystone Division
Bishop McDevitt by 9 over Lower Dauphin*
Cedar Cliff by 27 over Red Land*
Hershey by 19 over Mechanicsburg*

Colonial Division
Big Spring by 18 over West Perry*
Shippensburg* by 40 over James Buchanan
Northern by 1 over Gettysburg*
Greencastle-Antrim by 49 over Waynesboro*

Capital Division
Boiling Springs by 26 over Camp Hill*
Milton Hershey by 20 over Susquenita*
Palmyra by 10 over Steelton-Highspire*
Trinity by 20 over Middletown*

Non-division
Susquehanna Twp. by 26 over Carlisle*

Non-conference
Lancaster Catholic by 18 over East Pennsboro*

District 3 Power Ratings: The Pairings

Because we absolutely love high school football playoffs at The Sentinel, we offer the first look at what the first-round pairings would be if the District 3 postseason began Friday night. These are based on the official District 3 power ratings that Bob Baker computes.

Class AAAA
Central Dauphin East (16, 2-2) at Dallastown (1, 4-0)
Warwick (9, 3-1) at Harrisburg (8, 3-1)

William Penn (12, 2-2) at Governor Mifflin (5, 3-1)
Manheim Twp. (13, 2-2) at Wilson (4, 4-0)

Cedar Cliff (11, 3-1) at Red Lion (6, 3-1)
Central York (14, 2-2) at Daniel Boone (3, 4-0)

Cumberland Valley (10, 3-1) at South Western (7, 3-1)
Spring Grove (15, 2-2) at Central Dauphin (2, 4-0)

Class AAA
Cocalico (16, 2-2) at Lampeter-Strasburg (1, 4-0)
Shippensburg (9, 3-1) at East Pennsboro (8, 3-1)

Bishop McDevitt (12, 2-2) at Conrad Weiser (5, 3-1)
Central Catholic (13, 3-1) at Hershey (4, 3-1)

Big Spring (11, 3-1) at Lebanon (6, 3-1)
West York (14, 2-2) at Susquehanna Twp. (3, 3-1)

Hamburg (10, 3-1) at Dover (7, 3-1)
Palmyra (15, 3-1) at Greencastle-Antrim (2, 4-0)

Class AA
Annville-Cleona (8, 2-2) at Littlestown (1, 4-0)
Boiling Springs (5, 3-1) at Delone Catholic (4, 3-1)

Bermudian Springs (6, 3-1) at Wyomissing (3, 3-1)
Trinity (7, 3-1) at Lancaster Catholic (2, 4-0)

Class A
Camp Hill (8, 0-4) at Holy Name (1, 3-1)
Steelton-Highspire (5, 2-2) at Halifax (4, 3-1)

Columbia (6, 1-3) at Millersburg (3, 3-1)
Upper Dauphin (7, 1-3) at York Catholic (2, 3-1)

BPI Predictions: Week 4

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

Last week, the BPI went 15-6 straight up and 11-9-1 against the spread.

*-denotes home team

Friday
Commonwealth Division
Chambersburg* by 5 over Central Dauphin East
Cumberland Valley* by 3 over State College

Keystone Division
Cedar Cliff by 6 over Hershey*
Lower Dauphin by 20 over Red Land*

Colonial
Gettysburg by 26 over James Buchanan
Shippensburg by 20 over Big Spring*
Northern* by 15 over Waynesboro
Greencastle-Antrim* by 40 over West Perry

Capital
East Pennsboro* by 15 over Middletown
Trinity* by 12 over Steelton-Highspire
Palmyra* by 16 over Susquenita

Non-division
Central Dauphin* by 41 over Mechanicsburg

Non-conference
Boiling Springs* by 20 over Columbia

Saturday
Commonwealth
Harrisburg* by 27 over Carlisle

Keystone
Bishop McDevitt* by 28 over Susquehanna Twp.

Capital
Milton Hershey* by 29 over Camp Hill

East Penn appears on rankings; CV falling

Earlier today we posted an entry detailing why Cumberland Valley shouldn't fall out of the top five in the Pennsylvania Football News' Class AAAA rankings following its 35-21 loss to Class AAA No. 2 Bishop McDevitt.

Unfortunately, a computer malfunction wiped that entry out and time constraints prevented us from posting it again. Well, the PFN released its new rankings this afternoon and the Eagles (2-1) tumbled all the way No. 10 in Class AAAA behind other District 3-AAAA teams Wilson and Central Dauphin. We still think CV is a top five team but now they'll have to prove it on the field and make the long and difficult climb back to the top.

In other rankings news, unbeaten East Pennsboro (3-0) is listed as a team to watch in Class AAA. Behind sensational quarterback Kelvin White, the Panthers are rolling and averaging 44 points per game during the unbeaten start.

White leads the area with 550 passing yards and nine touchdowns. The senior has completed 41 of 56 attempts.

The Panthers host Middletown on Friday before welcoming defending PIAA Class AA champion Lancaster Catholic to Saxon Memorial Stadium on Oct. 1 and heading to COBO Field for a date with Trinity on Oct. 8.

The next three weeks will say a lot about East Penn.

"We have some huge games coming up," East Penn coach Todd Stuter (above) said before Tuesday's practice session. "We've always preached one game at a time. We just play one play at a time. We play one play at a time and when we're done with that play we go on to the next play.
"We're breaking the game down, playing it one step at a time and enjoying what we're doing. Things could fall apart real quick but we're just staying with what we're doing."

Looking back at McDevitt vs. CV

In the rush that is a Friday night in The Sentinel, some vital pieces of information were left out of the story detailing Bishop McDevitt's 35-21 win over Cumberland Valley at Chapman Memorial Field.

That, and the fact that the game was arguably the biggest in Pennsylvania that evening we decided to take a quick lock back before completely turning the page to Week 4.

The first important fact is that both offenses eclipsed the 400-yard mark. Bishop McDevitt totaled 460 yards of offense (281 rushing, 179 passing) and CV went off for 402 (253 rushing, 149 passing). Due to the potency of the offenses, the teams combined for 40 first downs (21 for McDevitt, 19 for CV).

The game itself lasted two hours and 51 minutes but it wasn't because incomplete passes from McDevitt quarterback Matt Johnson (above), who completed 8 of 14 for 179 yards, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Johnson and running back Jameel Poteat, who rushed 35 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns (one receiving), were the two best players on the field.

McDevitt somehow overcame a whopping 11 penalties for 96 yards. CV drew only five flags for 40 yards.

As exciting as the game was Friday night - in truth, it could have gone either way despite the 14-point final - we'll have to wait another year for these two behemoths to meet again. McDevitt chose to compete at the Class AAA level for at least this year and next while CV remains in Class AAAA.

BPI Predictions: Week 3

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

*-denotes home team

Friday
Capital Division
Steelton-Highspire* over East Pennsboro in OT
Milton Hershey over Boiling Springs* by 6
Palmyra over Camp Hill* by 21
Trinity over Susquenita* by 27

Non-division
Bishop McDevitt by 6 over Cumberland Valley*
Chambersburg* by 28 over Gettysburg
Susquehanna Twp.* by 7 over Greencastle-Antrim
Middletown by 14 over James Buchanan*
Northern by 3 over Mechanicsburg*

Non-conference
Carlisle by 6 over Red Lion*
Lampeter-Strasburg* by 6 over Cedar Cliff
Hershey by 20 over Cedar Crest*
Kennard-Dale by 17 over Big Spring*
Shippensburg* by 28 over Northeastern
Dover* by 4 over Red Land
Central Dauphin East* by 13 over Susquehannock
Mount Carmel* by 24 over West Perry
South Western* by 10 over Lower Dauphin
New Oxford by 11 over Waynesboro*

Saturday
Non-conference
Central Dauphin by 60 over Delaware Valley Charter*
Harrisburg by 26 over William Penn

The best of the non-conference best

Of the games that involve coverage area teams stepping out of the Mid-Penn Conference this season, the one that will take place in Lampeter on Friday night is at the top of the list.

Cedar Cliff (2-0) takes its high-flying offense, powered by dual quarterbacks Tim Kelly (right) and Tyler Orris, into Lancaster-Lebanon League country to meet Section II member Lampeter-Strasburg (2-0) on Friday at 7 p.m.

This will be the Colts' final warm-up before they enter Mid-Penn Keystone Division play and the Pioneers should easily prepare Cedar Cliff for what it will face in the division.

L-S has blasted Class AAAA teams Hempfield and Penn Manor in the first two weeks of the season by a combined score of 82-7. The plus-75 point differential is second in the L-L and the Pioneers' total points are third behind Lancaster McCaskey's 92 and Lancaster Catholic's 84.

The game offers Cedar Cliff and coach Jim Cantafio a chance to make noise on the district level. If this weren't the weekend that Bishop McDevitt is playing Cumberland Valley, Cantafio's team might have been playing under the brightest lights in District 3. Regardless, the fact that the Colts are involved in a game that is generating a decent amount of buzz isn't something to be taken lightly.

"It's great that we're finally getting some respect," Cantafio said Monday night. "My hats off to my coaching staff, the players, the booster club ... everybody that worked together to get this program turned around. We have it turned around and it's great. Cedar Cliff hasn't had this type of excitement for football in many years."

Despite previous coaching stops at L-L schools Conestoga Valley and Wilson, Friday night will mark the first time Cantafio will coach at Pioneer Stadium.

"This will be the first test our kids have faced in a long time on the road," Cantafio said. "On the road in hostile, unfamiliar territory, this is where you really have to toughen up."

For more on this game, please pick up a copy of Football This Week in the Friday edition of The Sentinel.

Greener pastures?

Word broke in January of 2009 that the Altoona Area High School was applying, with neighbor Hollidaysburg Area High School, to join the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League for football.

The move also would guarantee that the Mountain Lions and Tigers would compete in the District 7 (WPIAL) playoffs in classes AAAA and AAA, respectively.

Both teams had been members of the Mid-Penn Conference since 2004 - Hollidaysburg bolted after two years of membership - but when word reached Harrisburg that Altoona approached the WPIAL for admittance it took the league by surprise. Altoona never bothered to inform the MPC that it was looking for a new home.

So when the MPC realigned, it decided to do so with the Mountain Lions, whether they were welcomed into the WPIAL or not.

What followed was a tough final act for Altoona in the MPC. The Mountain Lions won only two games in league play and were outscored 282-62 their other seven games. Those losses included a dud to Central Dauphin East (it was the Panthers' only win of 2009) and a 75-6 home defeat to Harrisburg.

Friday night, in its first true game as a member of the WPIAL - Altoona opened the season at Hollidaysburg - Altoona was blasted at home by McKeesport, 60-0. The Tigers held a 25-0 lead after one quarter and scored three defensive touchdowns. The Altoona Mirror's Jim Lane describes the horror from Mansion Park here.

What might be worse than that final score is the fact that McKeesport probably won't turn out to be the best team Altoona faces this year. The Mountain Lions have a trip to preseason top five Woodland Hills on Oct. 1 and also travel to honorable mention Erie McDowell on Oct. 29.

At home, the Mountain Lions play perennial power Penn Hills on Oct. 8 and Pittsburgh Central Catholic, which is ranked No. 7 in the Pennsylvania Football News state rankings, on Oct. 22.

Conversly, had Altoona remained in the MPC it would only play two teams - Cumberland Valley and Central Dauphin - that are either ranked or listed as honorable mention in the PFN rankings.

Statewide praise continues for CV

Thanks to a 45-6 rout of visiting Red Lion on Friday night, Cumberland Valley has risen into the top five of most statewide polls.

The Pennsylvania Football News has the Eagles ranked third behind defending PIAA Class AAAA champion LaSalle College and Easton. RodFrisco.com has CV even higher. The former Patriot-News high school football writer slots the Eagles at No. 2 behind defending District 1 champion Ridley.

The highest praise of all comes from Easternpafootball.com where Joshua Funk has the Eagles as the top-ranked Class AAAA team in the state.

Cumberland Valley, which went 12-3 last year and won the District 3 Class AAAA title, travels to Central York (0-1) on Friday night at 7 p.m. before a huge showdown at Chapman Field on Sept. 17 against rival Bishop McDevitt, which is ranked in the top five of most Class AAA polls.

BPI Predictions: Week 2

Below is a look at what the Born Power Index thinks will happen this weekend in Mid-Penn football.

*-denotes home team

Thursday
Non-division
South Western by 3 over Cedar Cliff*

Friday
Capital Division
Boiling Springs over Palmyra* in OT
Trinity* by 30 over Camp Hill
Steelton-Highspire by 12 over Middletown*
East Pennsboro* by 6 over Susquenita

Non-division
Bishop McDevitt by 24 over Central Dauphin*
Mechanicsburg* by 4 over Gettysburg
Lower Dauphin over Carlisle* in OT
Milton Hershey by 24 over West Perry*
Chambersburg* by 22 over Waynesboro

Non-conference
Cumberland Valley by 27 over Central York*
Dallastown by 21 over Red Land*
Hershey* by 14 over Elizabethtown
Harrisburg by 10 over Pennsbury*
Muhlenberg by 4 over Northern*
Susquehanna Twp. by 22 over Spring Grove*
Solanco* by 11 over Central Dauphin East
Greencastle-Antrim by 18 over New Oxford*

Saturday
Non-conference
Big Spring by 11 over Octorara*
Shippensburg by 10 over Kennard-Dale*
James Buchanan by 47 over Carson Long*

CV ranked in PFN preseason poll; Trinity honorable mention

Cumberland Valley, the defending District 3 champion and PIAA Class AAAA semifinalist, checks in at No. 6 in the Pennsylvania Football News preseason rankings, where were released Monday evening.

The Eagles, who went 12-3 last season, are two spots below nemesis Wilson, which is ranked fourth. The two rankings are curious only because CV beat Wilson, 28-21, on a last-second pass last November in the 3-AAAA semifinals. Both teams return a slew of players this year, including CV running back/linebacker and Rutgers recruit Kevin Snyder (left), and could be on a collision course in the 3-AAAA final at Hersheypark Stadium on Dec. 3.

The only other District 3 teams mentioned in the AAAA poll is Central Dauphin and Manheim Twp., both of which are listed as others to watch.

Trinity didn't make the top 10 in Class AA but the Shamrocks are listed as a team to watch. Trinity, which is dumping the Wing-T offense for the Spread, lost to Middletown in the 3-AA quarterfinals last season. Defending District 3 and PIAA Class AA champion Lancaster Catholic is ranked seventh. Trinity opens this season at Lancaster Catholic on Sept. 3.

North Penn (AAAA), Bishop McDevitt (AAA), Philadelphia West Catholic (AA) and Dunmore (A) are the top-ranked teams for 2010.

Mid-Penn Conference football divisions

Commonwealth
Carlisle, Central Dauphin, Central Dauphin East, Chambersburg, Cumberland Valley, Harrisburg, State College

Keystone
Bishop McDevitt, Cedar Cliff, Hershey, Lower Dauphin, Mechanicsburg, Red Land, Susquehanna Twp.

Colonial
Big Spring, Gettysburg, Greencastle-Antrim, James Buchanan, Northern, Shippensburg, Waynesboro, West Perry

Capital
Boiling Springs, Camp Hill, East Pennsboro, Middletown, Milton Hershey, Palmyra, Steelton-Highspire, Susquenita, Trinity

2011 All-Sentinel Baseball Team

After a one-day delay, we release the annual All-Sentinel baseball team. A complete story on player-of-year Sam Crater and another on coach-of-the-year Brett Livingston plus other historical goodies that are only available in the print edition can be found Wednesday, July 14 in The Sentinel.

FIRST TEAM

Player of the Year -- Sam Crater, senior shortstop-pitcher, Northern

Catcher -- Bobby Kohl, jr., Susquenita

Infield -- Tyler Weary, jr., Carlisle

Infield -- Jake Warner, sr., Northern

Infield -- L.K. Thompson, sr., Camp Hill

Infield -- Kenny Baum, sr., West Perry

Outfield -- Quinn Bower, jr., Cedar Cliff

Outfield -- Joe Tuschak, jr., Northern

Outfield -- Max Miller, sr., East Pennsboro

Designated Hitter -- Jeff Goyette, sr., Trinity

Pitcher -- Heath Singer, jr., Big Spring

Pitcher -- Eric Sawyer, jr., Cumberland Valley

Pitcher -- Sal Purpura, jr., Mechanicsburg

SECOND TEAM

Catcher -- John Bixler, sr., Boiling Springs

Infield -- Brad Medellin, sr., Red Land

Infield -- Joe D'Agostino, sr., Cumberland Valley

Infield -- Will Kerr, sr., Trinity

Infield -- Jimmy Spanos, jr., Mechanicsburg

Outfield -- Tyler Carns, sr., Big Spring

Outfield -- Michael Palkovitz, jr., Cumberland Valley

Outfield -- Nick Slonac, soph., Trinity

Designated Hitter -- Ryan Steele, sr., Northern

Pitcher -- Nick Chester, sr., Red Land

Pitcher -- Taylor Nace, jr., Susquenita

Pitcher -- Jordan Lawson, soph., Cedar Cliff

Four for 2011 (Part 2)

A day after we revealed two teams that we think are capable of causing serious trouble in the playoffs, we're adding two more to the list.

Carlisle (10-10 in 2010; District 3-AAAA participant)
The Herd made some great strides this spring by finishing the regular season with a winning record (10-9) for the first time since 2005 and placing fourth out of seven teams in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division.

Now, the key for coach Brett Livingston is to build on the momentum. With the exception of John Blank, Zeb Thorson and Kyle Scott, the team will return largely intact next spring.

That's great news for a program that hadn't been to the District 3-AAAA playoffs since 2005 and had seemingly grown comfortable in the Commonwealth's basement.

Livingston should have a sunny outlook with standout Tyler Weary (.426 average, nine RBIs) back for his senior year and a quality group of young players that includes Eric Dukes (junior in 2010), Harris Glenn (junior) Brian Goodling (freshman) and Kyler Brown (freshman).

Dukes batted .273 this spring with 14 RBIs, three home runs and two doubles while Goodling, Brown and Glenn were reliable on the mound. Brown (above) compiled a 4-1 record with 30 strikeouts against 18 walks in 36.2 innings and finished with an ERA of 4.64. Goodling went 2-2 with 26 strikeouts, 26 walks and a 5.12 ERA in 28 innings while Glenn was 2-4 with 23 strikeouts, 28 walks and a 4.54 ERA win 26.2 innings.

Improvement is a must if this team hopes to win at least one playoff game, but Carlisle is on the right track.

Plus, Livingston said after the season that he has some other players ready to move up from the junior varsity and contribute in 2011.

The Commonwealth, as always, will be anything but easy so if the Herd can escape the regular season, this could be a team to keep your eye on not just in 2011 but for the next few years.

Mechanicsburg (13-8 in 2010; District 3-AAAA participant)
Over the last two years, coach Clay McAllister's team has compiled a record of 29-15, won a Mid-Penn Keystone Division title and played for a Mid-Penn Conference title.

But, for how successful the Wildcats have been lately, they only have a 2-2 record in the District 3-AAAA playoffs with hard-to-swallow first-round losses to Hempfield in 2009 and Cedar Crest in 2010.

Next spring, Mechanicsburg will return to the Class AAA level and might have a shot to do some damage. McAllister needed to replace six seniors from the 2009 team that won the division and pushed Northern to the limit in the MPC championship. This time, the number of seniors graduating is nine.

Picking the Wildcats here is a risk, to be sure.

But consider: this team returns its top offensive threat in Jimmy Spanos (.452 average, six doubles, two triples, three home runs, 24 RBIs) and three of its top four. Justin Tate (.400, five doubles, two triples, 10 RBIs) and Alex Holbert (.373, two doubles, 11 RBIs) will join Spanos as the catalysts for the offense.

Tate is also reliable as a pitcher (2.44 ERA in 17.2 innings) and will help solidify the rotation behind ace Sal Purpura, who compiled a 3.03 ERA in 53 innings with 51 strikeouts and 22 walks.