It's the second week of the season for high school football in Central Pennsylvania.
Well, unless your team is a member of the Mid-Penn Conference. Or one of a handful of York-Adams teams that was idle last week. Or poor Conestoga Valley in the Lancaster-Lebanon League, which has yet to play a game and is off again this week.
Oh, and we forgot to mention a handful of games scheduled for Friday night have already been cancelled.
Isn't high school football in the COVID-19 era a blast?
At any rate, we're glad the fall sports season is still a thing in Central Pennsylvania, and this week's slate of high school football games have a ton of juicy matchups.
Let's take a look at five games to watch this week, leading off with the FOX43 High School Frenzy Game of the Week:
Chambersburg at Central Dauphin
The Rams take the field for the first time since their run to the Class 6A state finals last season, opening defense of their District 3 title with a Commonwealth Division game against a team many think could be a darkhorse contender in Chambersburg.
CD brings back a ton of talent from last year’s championship team, most notably quarterback Max Mosey and running back Timmy Smith, and looks primed for another playoff run.
Chambersburg made a brief appearance in Districts last year and finished a game over .500 at 6-5. The Trojans bring back a talented, experienced group of seniors from that squad to build around. It’s tough to make a big jump in the Commonwealth Division with so many perennial powerhouses stacked at the top, but this might be the group to do it. Quarterback Malaki Blair will have a pair of talented wideouts, Kevin Lee and Samuel Vessah, to sling it to.
Cumberland Valley at Altoona
Former Central York Coach Josh Oswalt will make his debut on the Cumberland Valley sidelines in this one, inheriting a team that will have to replace its two top rushers from last season while learning the new tweaks Oswalt brings to his alma mater from his time with the Panthers.
The Eagles do have second-year QB Alex Kovach back under center, but he only threw 83 passes last year while running CV’s Wing-T. Gabe Hayes, Derik Sauve, and Kellan Walker will be Kovach’s primary weapons. Sauve, a linebacker, is a huge piece on defense as well.
Altoona has managed just two wins in two seasons since its return to the Mid-Penn Conference after an eight-year hiatus in the WPIAL. If there’s a bright spot to going 1-9 last season, it’s that the Mountain Lions at least have a hungry, experienced group coming back. Whether that translates to wins remains to be seen.
Juniata at Middletown
The host Blue Raiders begin Life After Lopez on Friday -- all-time leading rusher Jose Lopez is now at the University of Albany after leaving Middletown with 6,197 rushing yards and 75 career touchdowns.
But the cupboard is far from bare for the Raiders, who have incumbent starting quarterback Tony Powell (1,400 passing yards, 20 TDs), 1,200-yard rusher Tymir Jackson, and tight end Tajae Broadie, the team’s top receiver, back in the fold.
Juniata is one of seven new members of the Mid-Penn, joining the newly minted Liberty Division from the now-defunct Tri-Valley League. They’ll have their hands full with Middletown, but with junior QB Jacob Condo (1,699 yards from scrimmage, 21 combined TDs) back to lead an up-tempo, wide-open offense, the Indians will probably be able to put up some points.
Manheim Central at Cocalico
It’s one of the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s fiercest rivalries, and more often than not goes a long way toward deciding the Section 2 championship. They’ve battled it out in the regular season and squared off in the District 3 playoffs four times in the last five years. And now Manheim Central and Cocalico will meet again Friday in Denver.
Both teams are coming off convincing wins in Week 1. Central flattened Cedar Crest, 41-6, riding a 188-yard, two-touchdown passing performance from Jake Novak in his debut at quarterback. Larry Marley and Jaden Weit added touchdowns on the ground for the Barons.
Cocalico blasted Garden Spot 49-21 behind Anthony Bourassa and Carson Nash, both of whom were making their starting debuts. Bourassa rushed for 120 yards and two scores on five carries, while Nash scored twice on the ground and added a 79-yard TD bomb to Steven Flinton.
York High at Spring Grove
Both teams are coming off impressive wins in their season openers. The Bearcats dusted Dover 45-7 behind sophomore running back Jaheim White, who racked up 177 yards and three scores on 21 carries.
Spring Grove knocked off Northeastern 31-14 for their first win over the Bobcats since 2013.
The Rockets are led by junior twin brothers Zyree and Tyree Brooks, who combined to score three touchdowns last Friday.
York and Spring Grove are both expected to battle with preseason favorite Central York in the Division I race. Friday’s winner will have a nice leg up in that effort.