YORK, Pa. — There's big action ahead in the two smallest classifications in the District 3 playoffs.
In Class 2A, there are a pair of good semifinal matchups on the slate for Friday night, as Trinity (6-3) opens defense of its district crown with a semifinal matchup against Delone Catholic (6-4). In Friday's other semifinal, top-seeded Annville-Cleona (7-3) hosts Camp Hill (5-5). The winners advance to the district championship game, which will be held on Nov. 10 at the home of the highest remaining seed.
There are only three teams in Class 1A, and two of them advance directly to the final. Defending district and state champion Steelton-Highspire (9-0) begins what is expected to be a deep postseason run against Halifax (3-6) Saturday at 1 p.m. in Steelton.
Here's a preview of each matchup.
CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS
Camp Hill (5-5) at Annville-Cleona (7-3)
ABOUT ANNVILLE-CLEONA: The Little Dutchmen finished the regular season in a three-way tie with fellow playoff qualifiers Lancaster Catholic and Schuylkill Valley in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 title race. A-C won its head-to-head with Catholic (35-21) in Week 7, but fell to Schuylkill Valley in a 14-13 heartbreaker in Week 9.
The Dutchmen rely almost entirely on their rushing attack, averaging just 24.4 passing yards per game through the air. Quarterback Cameron Connelly has attempted just 43 passes all season, completing 19 for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Connelly is also third on the team in rushing, with 669 yards and 13 touchdowns on 130 attempts. Cael Harter is A-C's top rusher with 1,087 yards and 13 TDs on 147 carries, while Bryce Keller has 758 yards and six touchdowns on 159 attempts. Jonathan Shay has caught 13 of Connelly's 19 completions for 187 yards and two TDs.
The Dutchmen are trying to get back to the district final for the second straight season; they fell 58-27 to Trinity in last year's championship game.
ABOUT CAMP HILL: The Lions snapped a three-game skid with a 35-27 victory over Boiling Springs in Week 10. After starting the season with three straight wins, Camp Hill went on to drop five of its next six decisions before righting the ship in the final week of the regular season. As a result, the Lions finished in a three-way tie with Middletown and Boiling Springs at the bottom of the Mid-Penn Capital Division race. Camp Hill is the only one of those three teams to qualify for the playoffs.
Camp Hill's offense is a complete contrast to Annville-Cleona's; where the Dutchmen stick almost exclusively to the rushing attack, the Lions spend most of their time airing the football out. Junior quarterback Drew Branstetter has completed 186 of 301 passes for 2,150 yards and 25 touchdowns and is also second on the team in rushing, with 212 yards and three scores on 41 carries. Senior Kobe Moore leads the Lions with 364 yards and two TDs on the ground, while the duo of Alex Long (53-748, 8 TDs) and Noah Doi (47-681, 9 TDs) are Camp Hill's top wideouts.
Camp Hill has a rich program history with 10 district titles, the most recent coming in 2020.
Delone Catholic (6-4) at Trinity (6-3)
ABOUT TRINITY: The Shamrocks finished third in the Mid-Penn Capital Division behind Steelton-Highspire and West Perry, both of whom defeated them in the regular season. Trinity's other loss came against Wyomissing, the top seed in Class 3A. Those three losses came by a combined total of nine points. One of the Shamrocks' six victories this season came at Delone's expense; Trinity rolled to a 49-12 triumph over the Squires in its season opener.
Coached by Steelton-Highspire grad Jordan Hill, a former Penn State star who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks during his four-year stint in the NFL, Trinity has a balanced offense that is powered by standout sophomore Messiah Mickens, who has already committed to Penn State. Mickens has racked up 961 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground and caught 13 passes for 173 yards and three scores. He is ranked as Pennsylvania's No. 1 prospect for the Class of 2026 by several recruiting websites. Senior QB Caleb Wray has completed 75 of 127 passes for 1,278 yards and 20 scores for the Shamrocks.
Trinity is seeking its second straight district title and the fourth in program history.
ABOUT DELONE CATHOLIC: The Squires finished in a three-way tie for first in the York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3 title race, shaking off a 0-3 start to the season by winning six of its last seven games. In addition to its season-opening loss to Trinity, Delone also fell to district playoff qualifiers Lancaster Catholic (28-21) and Greencastle-Antrim (35-21) before righting its ship. The Squires' only loss since their slow start was a 28-20 setback against Bermudian Springs in Week 8 -- a win that cost them sole possession of the Division 3 crown.
Delone's offense is powered by its ground game, which averages 263 yards per game. The Squires have potent 1-2 punch in their backfield, as seniors Gage Zimmerman (147-1,041) and Brady Dettenburn (119-921) have combined for nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. Senior QB Denver Ostrom has attempted just 63 passes all season, completing 37 for 620 yards and 10 scores.
Delone Catholic has won eight district championships, the most recent a Class 1A title captured in 2012. The Squires made back-to-back appearances in the Class 2A title game in 2018 and 2019, but came out on the losing end of both games.
CLASS 1A CHAMPIONSHIP
Halifax (3-6) at Steelton-Highspire (9-0)
Saturday, 1 p.m.
ABOUT STEEL-HIGH: The Steamrollers are the three-time defending Class 1A champions and have won two state titles in three years, including last year. Steel-High rolled to the Mid-Penn Capital Division championship in the regular season, knocking off West Perry 33-12 in Week 10 for its 22nd consecutive victory dating back to least season.
The Rollers have one of the state's most potent offenses, led by senior QB and recent U.S. Naval Academy commit Alex Erby, who this season became Pennsylvania's all-time leader in career passing yards and career passing touchdowns. In a Week 7 victory over Camp Hill, Erby eclipsed the previous state career passing mark of 11,084 passing yards set by South Fayette's Brett Brumbaugh in 2014. Six days later, Erby broke the state's career passing TD mark of 146 set by Central Martinsburg's Jeff Hoenstine last season.
In his senior season, Erby has completed 171 of 213 passes for 3,227 yards and 38 touchdowns. His top target is Durell Ceasar, who leads the Mid-Penn with 69 catches for 1,452 yards and 12 touchdowns and earlier this season became Steel-High's all-time leading receiver. Jaeion Perry (43-853, 15 TDs) is a dangerous playmaker on the flanks as well. The ground game is powered by senior Ronald Burnette, who has 807 yards and seven touchdowns on 115 carries.
ABOUT HALIFAX: The Lynx finished a distant fifth in the Mid-Penn Liberty Division during the regular season, losing five of their last six games. The only victory over that span was a 46-22 victory over Newport in Week 9 (Steel-High knocked off the Buffaloes 67-12 a week earlier). Halifax and Steel-High both faced Trinity in the regular season as well; the Rollers won 42-37 in a rivalry game on Oct. 21, while the Lynx fell 45-8 six days later.
Sophomore QB Teegan Carroll and senior RB Isaac Miller are the two main cogs of Halifax's offense. Carroll accounted for 271 yards — 153 rushing, 118 passing — and five touchdowns in the Lynx's Week 9 victory over Newport, while Miller ran for 114 yards and a touchdown and collected a sack in the triumph.
Halifax is seeking its second district title; the Lynx won the Class 1A crown in 2018.
