YORK, Pa. — We're already approaching the halfway mark of the regular season in high school football.
Yes, we can't believe it, either.
It will be an interesting week for the FOX43 High School Football Frenzy. Our game of the week is the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 clash between Manheim Central and Warwick.
We'll preview Friday's action at 6 p.m., and wrap it all up on the expanded Frenzy Post-Game Show at 11 p.m.
In addition, we'll have a special Saturday afternoon showdown, which will be livestreamed on Antenna TV and FOX43+ through our partnership with High School Sports Live, featuring Mid-Penn Commonwealth foes Cumberland Valley and Harrisburg.
Here are five of the games we're featuring in Week 5:
High School Football Frenzy Game of Week
Warwick (2-2) at Manheim Central (4-0)
This L-L League Section 2 battle features a pair of neighborhood rivals as the Warriors head to Manheim to try to knock the host Barons from the ranks of the unbeaten and shake up the section race.
Warwick has stacked a pair of wins together after opening the season with back-to-back losses to Cocalico (42-27) and Ephrata (29-21). The Warriors dusted Cedar Crest 26-20 in Week 3 to get into the win column, and followed that up with a 21-10 triumph over Conestoga Valley last week. The tandem of quarterback Jack Reed and wideout Brendon Snyder are the players to watch for the Warriors; Reed has completed 71 of 118 passes for 880 yards and seven touchdowns, while Snyder ranks first in the league in catches (26), second in receiving yards (402) and is tied for third in touchdowns (4).
Manheim Central rolled to its fourth straight victory with a 49-0 drubbing of Susquehanna Township in its final non-conference tuneup last week. The Barons have the L-L League's No. 2 offense, averaging 438.5 yards and 46 points per game. Quarterback Zac Hahn spearheads attack with 791 yards and 10 touchdowns on 43-of-82 passing, while RB Brycen Arnold ranks fifth among the league's rushing leaders with 605 yards and eight scores on 77 carries.
Other Games to Watch:
Cumberland Valley (4-0) at Harrisburg (2-1)
It's a special Saturday afternoon showdown in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth, as Cumberland Valley visits Harrisburg in a clash of traditional conference powerhouses.
The undefeated Eagles have already notched impressive victories over Manheim Township (31-27), Central York (35-33), Spring-Ford (28-16) and CD East (45-14). Quarterback Isaac Sines had a big game in last week's win over CD East, racking up 112 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Sines has a team-high 439 yards and six touchdowns on the ground this season to go with his 417 passing yards and seven scores. Bryce Staretz (63-239, four TDs) is a threat on the ground as well for CV, which is looking to return to prominence in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth after a few down years.
Harrisburg was idle in Week 1, but has won two of three games to start its season, including a 44-15 rout of Carlisle last week. The Cougars' only loss was a 24-20 thriller against Manheim Township in Week 3. Temple recruit Kyle Williams was the offensive star last week for Harrisburg, racking up 161 yards and three touchdowns, including three plays of 40+ yards. But he's just one standout among a bevy of talented stars on the Cougar sideline.
Greencastle-Antrim (4-0) at East Pennsboro (3-1)
The Blue Devils put their unbeaten record on the line in a Mid-Penn Colonial showdown Thursday night at East Pennsboro. (There are three Mid-Penn games on the docket Thursday night due to the prevailing shortage of referees in Central PA.)
G-A snapped an eight-game losing streak against arch-rival Waynesboro last week, riding a big night from running back Tavon Cooper to a 35-21 victory. Cooper's 229 yards and three touchdowns proved to be the difference as the Blue Devils snapped a 21-21 third-quarter tie to put the game away.
East Pennsboro is looking to rebound from its first loss of the season, a 27-11 setback at Gettysburg last Friday. The Panthers had previously beaten York Suburban, Palmyra, and Milton Hershey in their non-conference tuneups. Quarterback Keith Oates is a two-way threat for East Pennsboro, leading the team in rushing yards (51-202, 4 TDs) while throwing for 164 yards and two scores.
Hempfield (3-1) at Manheim Township (3-1)
The latest chapter in one of the L-L League's best rivalries will be written in Neffsville Friday night, as Hempfield takes on the host Blue Streaks. The Black Knights shook off a 30-20 loss to Central York in Week 3 with an impressive 42-7 rout of McCaskey in their Section 1 opener last week. Quarterback Jackson Landis is the main cog in Hempfield's offense; he's rushed for 128 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns on 32 carries and completed 39 of 68 passes for 483 yards and three scores. But Hempfield really hangs its hat on its defense, which generated three turnovers, a pair of touchdowns and two sacks against McCaskey last week and allows just 258 yards per game.
Manheim Township's air attack will test the Knights, though. The Streaks have the league's second-best passing attack, averaging 253 yards per game through the air. Quarterback Hayden Johnson has thrown for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns on 92-of-126 passing, spreading the ball to nine different receivers. Township has won three straight since dropping a 31-27 decision to Cumberland Valley in its season opener.
South Western (3-1) at Central York (3-1)
It's an early-season showdown for two York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 contenders as the Mustangs take on the host Panthers Friday in York.
Central York opened division play with a 42-7 victory over Spring Grove last week, the Panthers' second straight win after a heartbreaking 35-33 loss to Cumberland Valley in Week 2. Nasir Still threw a pair of touchdown passes and added a 46-yard touchdown run for the Panthers, who led 35-0 at halftime and put it in cruise control from there. The Central defense also picked off two passes in the first half to help contain the Rockets.
South Western enters Friday's game looking to shake off its first loss of the season, a 20-14 setback against Dallastown that was decided in the game's final minute. The Mustangs' three-game winning streak to open the season included victories over Susquehannock (35-3), Dover (41-13), and New Oxford (24-7). QB Max Wisensale is a two-way threat for South Western; he's second on the team in rushing (238 yards and 3 TDs on 46 attempts) and has completed 40 of 67 passes for 459 yards and three TDs.