YORK, Pa. — The postseason is upon us in high school football, as the District 3 playoffs get underway this week.
A total of 44 teams will be vying for gold in the district's six classifications.
Here's a look at how the brackets break down.
CLASS 6A
The district's big-school class has a 10-team field, with the top six teams receiving byes through the first round.
That means only four teams will be in action this week when the playoffs begin.
No. 8 Cumberland Valley (5-5) hosts No. 9 Governor Mifflin (5-5) Friday at 7 p.m. at Chapman Field in Mechanicsburg. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals, where they'll get a date with top-seeded Manheim Township (9-1) in Neffsville.
In Friday's other first-round game, No. 7 Cedar Crest (7-3) hosts Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 neighbor Hempfield (4-6) at 7 p.m. in Lebanon. The winner advances to a quarterfinal matchup against No. 2 Wilson (9-1), which knocked top-seeded Township from the ranks of the unbeaten in the final week of the regular season to capture the Section 1 title.
The bracket's other quarterfinal matchups are already set. Defending champion Harrisburg (8-2), the No. 4 seed this year, will take on No. 5 Dallastown (9-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Severance Field in Harrisburg, while No. 3 Central York (8-2) hosts No. 6 Central Dauphin East (7-3) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 in York.
The semifinal round is scheduled for Nov. 15-16, while the championship game will be held either Nov. 21-22 at a site and time to be determined.
CLASS 5A
The district's most-crowded classification sends 12 teams to the postseason, with the top four seeds earning first-round byes.
Two-time defending champion Cocalico is back in the field, but the Eagles will have their hands full vying for a third straight title as the No. 7 seed this year.
Undefeated New Oxford (10-0) earned the top seed in this year's bracket and have a bye to the quarterfinals. The Colonials will await the winner of Friday night's first-round clash between No. 8 Exeter Township (9-1) and No. 9 South Western (7-3).
Elsewhere in the bracket's top half, No. 5 Shippensburg (9-1) hosts No. 12 Warwick (5-5), with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal matchup against No. 4 Conestoga Valley (10-0), the second of four undefeated teams in the Class 5A field.
Cocalico (7-3) will host No. 10 Hershey (7-3) Friday night in Denver in another first-round clash; the winner takes on No. 2 Mechanicsburg (10-0) in the quarterfinals.
The final first-round matchup pits No. 6 Bishop McDevitt (8-2) against No. 11 Lower Dauphin (6-4) at 7 p.m. Friday at Rocco Otenzio Stadium. The winner takes on No. 3 Conrad Weiser (10-0) in the quarterfinals.
The quarterfinal round is set for Nov. 8, with the semifinals to follow on Nov. 15 and the title game on Nov. 22.
CLASS 4A
It's a wide-open field in Class 4A this year, as three-time defending champ Bishop McDevitt bumped up to Class 5A in the offseason. Moreover, perennial district powerhouse Manheim Central, the runner-up in the 4A final in each of the last two seasons, did not make the playoffs this year after going through a rare sub.-500 campaign.
So it feels like almost anyone out of this year's 10-team field could make a case for being title contenders. The top six teams are all idle on Friday, which means there are only two first-round matchups to discuss.
In the first matchup, No. 8 Elco (5-5) hosts No. 9 Octorara (5-5) Friday at 7 p.m. in Myerstown. The winner advances to a quarterfinal matchup with top-seeded Lampeter-Strasburg (10-0) on Nov. 15 in Lampeter.
Friday's other first-round clash pits No. 7 East Pennsboro (7-3) against No. 10 Susquehannock (4-6) at 7 p.m. at East Pennsboro. The winner of that game faces No. 2 Wyomissing (8-2) in the quarterfinals at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9.
The bracket's other quarterfinal matchups are already set. No. 4 Susquehanna Township (8-2) hosts No. 5 Twin Valley (8-2) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, and No. 3 West York (8-2) hosts No. 6 Eastern York (8-2), also at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.
The semifinals will be held Nov. 15-16, with the finals to follow on Nov. 21-22, sites and times to be determined.
CLASS 3A
The six-team field in Class 3A is also probably breathing a little easier now that Wyomissing, which has won the last five titles, also moved up a class in the offseason. The playoffs begin Friday with two quarterfinal matchups.
No. 4 Biglerville (7-3) hosts No. 5 Berks Catholic (6-4) in one quarterfinal; the winner advances to take on top-seeded Bermudian Springs (9-1) in the semifinals on Nov. 8.
In the other quarterfinal, No. 3 Schuylkill Valley (8-2) hosts No. 6 Littlestown (6-4) Friday at 7 p.m. The winner moves on to face No. 2 Trinity (8-2) in the semifinals.
The title game will be played Nov. 15 at a site and time to be determined.
CLASS 2A
The four-team 2A field jumps right into the semifinals Friday night.
In one matchup, top-seeded Steelton-Highspire (8-2) hosts No. 4 Upper Dauphin (5-5) at 7 p.m. Friday in Steelton. The Rollers moved up to Class 2A after winning the district and state titles in Class 1A last year.
In the other semifinal matchup, defending 2A champ Camp Hill (6-4) hits the road to face Lancaster Catholic (6-4) Friday night at Rossmere Stadium in Lancaster.
Friday's winners move to the championship game, which will be held Nov. 8 at a site and time to be determined.
CLASS 1A
There are only three schools in the district's smallest classification, and only two of those made the postseason. So that makes things pretty simple: Top-seeded Delone Catholic (8-2) will take on familiar rival York Catholic (4-6) in the championship game on Nov. 8 at Sheppard-Myers Stadium in Hanover. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
