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.