We’re officially into the second half of the regular season in high school football.
Yes, already.
Now almost every game has an impact, either on conference title races or in the chase for District 3 playoff berths. There are plenty of juicy matchups on the docket this week.
Here are five games we’re keeping an eye on, starting with the FOX43 High School Football Frenzy Game of the Week:
GAME OF THE WEEK
York (4-1) at Spring Grove (1-4)
The Bearcats rebounded from a 31-14 loss to Red Lion on Sept. 22 with a 26-16 victory over Dallastown last week, keeping them within shouting distance of the leaders in the YAIAA Division I title chase and in the hunt for a District 3 Class AAAAA playoff berth.
York is currently a game behind Central York and Red Lion in the division and is currently ranked No. 6 in the District 3 power rankings. The Bearcats can’t afford to falter here.
They’ll be heavy favorites against Spring Grove, which snapped a four-game losing streak last week with a 41-21 victory over winless New Oxford.
The Rockets will have their hands full containing York running back Khalid Dorsey, who leads York County with 959 rushing yards at the season’s midway point. Dorsey is averaging just over 10 yards per carry, and is second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 10.
State College (5-0) at Cumberland Valley (4-1)
State College is tied for first place with Harrisburg in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth race, while CV is one of four teams just a game behind.
The Little Lions have arguably the most prolific offense in the Mid-Penn. No one has held them to less than 45 points this season, and they just put up a season-high 70 in a rout of Carlisle last week. Quarterback Tommy Frieberg runs the show, with 419 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. Isaiah Edwards (23-321, seven TDs) is State College’s top rusher.
Cumberland Valley suffered its first loss of the season last week, falling 20-14 to Central Dauphin. The Eagles could try to slow down State College’s scoring frenzy by playing keep-away, relying on workhorse running back Jake Palmer (74-470, five TDs) to carry the load.
Middletown (5-0) at Palmyra (5-0)
It’s a showdown for sole possession of first place in the Mid-Penn Capital Division AND a battle of unbeatens. Oh, and don’t forget about positioning in the District 3 power rankings. Yep, this is a big one.
Middletown’s most recent victory was last week’s 45-35 shootout win over Trinity. The Raiders’ prolific ground attack is paced by the lethal combination of Jose Lopez (70-692, eight TDs) and Brady Fox (61-692, 12 TDs).
Palmyra’s offensive numbers aren’t quite as gaudy, but the Cougars have been getting the job done. Quarterbcak Grant Haus has completed 45 of 79 pass attempts for 561 yards and five touchdowns, and chipped in 440 rushing yards and seven scores.
Elizabethtown (3-2) at Manheim Central (5-0)
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Bears in this one. E-town’s Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 title hopes to a major hit with last week’s 28-27 loss to Solanco, their second straight loss after a 3-0 start to the season. Now the Bears find themselves two games out of first place in the section race, and they’re also on the wrong side of the bubble in the District 3 Class AAAAA power rankings at No. 9 (only eight teams make the field).
Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier for E-town, since tonight’s opponent is undefeated Manheim Central. The Barons are loaded, and rolling. Their 17-7 victory over arch-rival Cocalico last week kept them in a first-place tie with Cedar Crest in the section race, and solidified their position in the District 3 power rankings at No. 3.
Central quarterback Evan Simon has completed 41 of 70 passes for 859 yards and 10 touchdowns, while running back Tyler Flick is the league’s second-leading rusher, with 816 yards and eight touchdowns on 81 attempts.
This game also features two of the league’s stingiest defenses; the Barons have given up just 60 points through five games, which ranks second in the league, while the Bears have surrendered just 61.
Cocalico (4-1) at Cedar Crest (5-0)
The Falcons are looking more like the real deal every week, having dispatched Garden Spot 60-30 last week for their fifth straight win. Quarterback Logan Horn is Cedar Crest’s biggest offensive weapon, with 792 yards and 7 TDs on 53-of-81 passing and 300 rushing yards and seven scores on 34 attempts.
Cocalico’s four-game winning streak was snapped by a 17-7 loss to Manheim Central last week, but the Eagles are still in the hunt for both a section title and a District 3 Class AAAAA playoff berth. As is usually the case, Cocalico’s ground game is the engine that powers the offense, with dual-threat quarterback Noah Palm (78-415, five TDs) and fullback Brandon Brubaker (44-296, five TDs) doing most of the heavy lifting.
