YORK, Pa. — The District 3 playoffs enter their second week, and there's no shortage of titanic matchups on the schedule this week.
There will be one championship on the line Friday night -- and that will be the FOX43 High School Football Frenzy Game of the Week. We'll be live from Annville as the Annville-Cleona Little Dutchmen host Trinity in a battle for the District 3 Class 2A title.
Here's a preview of that clash, plus four other epic showdowns. It's the Frenzy Five!
FOX43 FRENZY GAME OF THE WEEK
Trinity (7-4) at Annville-Cleona (8-3)
Update, 9 a.m. (Friday, Nov. 11): The game has been postponed to Saturday night due to the rainy weather in the forecast.
Our Game of the Week is the Class 2A championship clash between the Shamrocks and the Little Dutchmen, both of whom are coming off impressive victories in last week's semifinals. Trinity knocked off Delone Catholic 56-17 in one semi, while A-C blasted Camp Hill 42-13 in the other.
The top-seeded Little Dutchmen finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 race behind section winner Lancaster Catholic. The Crusaders defeated A-C 14-13 back in Week 7; the Dutchmen's other losses came to Hamburg (39-26 on Sept. 16) and Elco (22-19 on Sept. 1).
A-C's offense revolves around L-L League rushing champ Phoenix Music, who eclipsed the 2,000-yard plateau with a 169-yard, three touchdown performance against Camp Hill in the semifinals. Music is the fifth player in L-L League history to run for more than 2,000 yards in a season; his current total stands at 2,062 yards and 26 touchdowns on 296 carries.
While Music is the Dutchmen's workhorse, he's far from the only threat. Cael Harter (52-485, five TDs) racked up 137 yards and scored on a 80-yard run for the Dutchmen against Camp Hill last week, while QB Gavin Keller (95-348, seven TDs) is an effective rusher as well.
A-C averages 374 yards per game on the ground, but has only passed for 532 yards this season.
Trinity collected its first playoff win since 2011 with last week's rout of Delone. The Shamrocks wasted little time building a lead, as RB Messiah Mickens raced for a 60-yard touchdown on Trinity's first offensive play.
Mickens, who finished with 141 yards and four touchdowns against the Squires, is Trinity's primary offensive weapon. His backfield mate, Max Schlager, had 81 yards and a touchdown against Delone, while QB Caleb Wray threw for 198 yards and three scores.
Trinity has won six of its last seven games. The Shamrocks are making their 10th district playoff appearance and have two championships to their name. Trinity's overall playoff record stands at 10-7.
A-C, in the playoffs for the ninth time, has a 2-8 overall record. This is the Dutchmen's first appearance in a district final.
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
West Perry (10-1) at Lancaster Catholic (10-0): The second-seeded Crusaders earned a bye through the quarterfinals after completing an undefeated regular season and capturing the L-L League Section 5 title. Now they'll host West Perry, a 45-21 winner over Schuylkill Valley last week, in the Class 3A semifinals.
The Mustangs came within a game of an undefeated regular season, but fell 53-34 to Steelton-Highspire in Week 10. That loss cost West Perry the Mid-Penn Capital division title.
But the Mustangs rebounded against Schuylkill Valley, riding strong performances from QB Marcus Quaker (152 yards rushing, 98 yards passing, three combined TDs), Trent Herrera (81 total yards, TD) and Ian Goodling (four catches, 65 yards and three field goals, including a school-record 48-yarder) to an easy win.
Quaker has 2,112 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air and 1,060 yards and 22 scores on the ground this season for West Perry. Herrera has 927 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, while Goodling -- who does a little bit of everything for the Mustangs -- has a team-high 68 catches for 1,247 yards and 15 scores.
Catholic relies on the trio of QB Will Cranford, RB Elijah Cunningham, and WR Jaevon Parker. Cranford has completed 108 of 169 passes for 1,805 yards and 21 scores, while Parker has 44 catches for 918 yards and 14 TDs. Cunningham has 940 yards and 13 TDs on 124 carries.
The Crusaders are chasing their first district title since 2011 and their sixth overall. Catholic has a 25-12 record in 18 district playoff appearances.
West Perry is in the playoffs for the seventh time in program history and has a 3-6 record. The Mustangs have never won a title.
York Suburban (7-4) at Manheim Central (9-1): The Barons' 21-17 loss to Exeter in Week 10 cost them an undefeated regular season and a shot at the top seed in the Class 4A bracket, and a first-round bye gave them an extra week to stew on it. They'll host the battle-tested Trojans, who are coming off a 41-6 drubbing of Donegal in the first round.
It was the second win of the season over Donegal for Suburban, which has won five in a row after slouching to a 2-4 record at the season's midpoint. Last week, the Trojans got another huge performance from RB Mikey Bentivegna, who racked up 382 yards and scored all six touchdowns.
Bentivegna is the YAIAA rushing leader, with 2,270 yards and 38 touchdowns on 221 attempts. Stopping him will be the No. 1 priority for the Barons, who were seventh in the L-L League against the run in the regular season (139.8 yards per game).
Of course, Suburban will have to figure out a way to slow down Central, too. The Barons were second in the league in total offense in the regular season, averaging 437.5 yards per game.
Central's arsenal of QB Zac Hahn (109-179-3, 1,895 yards, 26 TDs), RB Brycen Arnold (191-1,723, 25 TDs) and WRs Aaron Enterline (32-877, 11 TDs) and Bode Sipel (34-513, six TDs) has been very difficult to stop through 10 games.
The Barons are the district's most successful program, with a record 18 championships. They are making their 35th playoff appearance (another record) and have a 59-15 record in Districts.
Suburban is in the playoffs for the ninth time and has a 4-7 overall record. The Trojans have never won a title.
Shippensburg (8-3) at Solanco (10-0): The Golden Mules earned a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the Class 5A playoffs after completing their first undefeated regular season in program history. Solanco captured the L-L League Section 3 title, winning their first outright crown since 1990.
The Mules' reward is a quarterfinal matchup with Shippensburg, which survived a rematch with Cedar Cliff in the quarterfinals, clipping the Colts 32-14 for its fourth win in five games. The Greyhounds, who finished third in the Mid-Penn Colonial division race in the regular season, got a huge combined effort from Tucker Chamberlain and Trae Kater, who combined for four of Shipp's five touchdowns against Cedar Cliff.
Chamberlain threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-15 passing, while Kater had five catches for 108 yards and a TD and added 125 yards and a score on the ground.
Chamberlain has 1,400 yards and 15 TDs this season, while Kater has rushed for 1,040 yards and six scores. Amari Kerr (91-622, 12 TDs) is another player to watch on the ground for Shippensburg.
Solanco's ground-and-pound offensive philosophy accounts for 314 yards per game, which ranked third among L-L League squads in the regular season. The Mules' trio of RBs Cole Harris (173-880, eight TDs) and Josiah Forren (96-804, 10 TDs) and QB Brody Mellinger (155-704, 17 TDs) will be a stiff test for the Greyhound defense.
The Mules are in the playoffs for the seventh time and have a 3-6 overall record. They have never won a district title.
Shippensburg is 7-14 in 15 playoff appearances. The Greyhounds are also seeking their first title.
NOTE: Due to Friday's rainy weather forecast, District 3 announced Thursday afternoon that this game has been moved to Saturday night.
William Penn (6-3) at Central York (9-1): This Class 6A quarterfinal matchup is the second meeting in three weeks for these YAIAA Division 1 rivals, and the second time they've met in the playoffs since 2020.
Central York completed its fourth straight undefeated run through the division with a 43-38 victory over York in Week 10, handing the Panthers their fourth straight title.
Central York won the Week 10 matchup behind RB Juelz Goff, who stepped in at quarterback for Nasir Still, who was unexpectedly unavailable for the game. Goff, taking direct snaps for the entire game, piled up 255 rushing yards and four touchdowns, including a decisive score in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winner.
Panther coach Gerry Yonchiuk told reporters after the game that Still, who passed for 1,200 yards and rushed for 500 during the season, "wasn't allowed" to play in Week 10, and did not elaborate on why. His status for Friday remains uncertain.
But if he can't go, the Panthers will turn again to Goff, who now has 1,390 yards and 24 touchdowns in 10 games.
To win Friday's rematch, York High will need a huge game from RB Jaheim White, who has 1,590 yards and 34 touchdowns on the ground this season. White rushed for 108 yards and two touchdowns and had five catches for 49 yards and a score in the first matchup with Central.
Central York is seeking its second district championship in three years. The Panthers are 11-14 in 15 previous playoff appearances.
York High has never won a district title and is 5-13 in 13 playoff appearances.