YORK, Pa. — While Central Pennsylvania's bigger football classifications are still competing in the District 3 playoffs this week, the two smallest classes are already in the thick of the state playoffs.
That means newly crowned District 3 Class 2A champion Camp Hill is joining Class 1A kingpin Steelton-Highspire in PIAA playoff action this week.
The Rollers, who opened the state playoffs last week with a 49-28 rout of Belmont Charter in a District 3/12 subregional, face undefeated District 5 champ Northern Bedford Friday night, while the Lions will face District 1/12 subregional winner Philadelphia West Catholic in the first round of the 2A playoffs.
Here's a look at both matchups.
PIAA Class 1A First Round
Northern Bedford (12-0) vs. Steel-High (12-0)
Friday, 7 p.m. at Claysburg Kimmel HS (Blair County)
ABOUT NORTHERN BEDFORD: The Black Panthers won their third District 5 Class 1A title in four years with a 27-7 victory over Windber last Thursday. Running back Adam Johnson rushed for 167 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the way for Northern Bedford, which avenged a 14-7 loss to Windber in the 2022 district final.
Northern Bedford quarterback Eion Snider also had a 14-yard touchdown run in the title game, and Ashton Detterline added a short TD plunge for the Panthers, who are 12-0 for the first time in program history.
Johnson's effort last week was enough to lift him over the 1,000-yard milestone for the season, the senior RB now has 1,016 yards and 17 touchdowns on 130 carries. Snider has completed 113 of 185 passes for 1,732 yards and 20 touchdowns and has been intercepted nine times. He also has 599 yards and 13 scores on the ground.
The top receivers are senior Ben Gable (40-623, 10 TDs) and junior Aaron Bowers (40-624, seven TDs).
Northern Bedford averages 36.9 points per game, while opponents have scored 12.3 points per game.
The Panthers are seeking their first-ever state title. Northern Bedford High School is located in Loysford, Bedford County.
For directions from Steel-High to Claysburg Kimmel High School in Blair County, go here.
ABOUT STEEL-HIGH: The Rollers are coming off a 49-28 triumph over Belmont Charter in a District 3/12 subregional game last Saturday in Steelton. Steel-High improved to 12-0 this season and won its 23rd straight game dating back to last year.
QB Alex Erby passed for 117 yards and three touchdowns, while RB Ronald Burnette rushed for 100 yards in nine carries and also found the end zone for the Rollers. James Evans III rushed for one score and hauled in a TD pass, while WRs Durrell Caesar, Jr. and Taevon Lagrande also caught TD tosses for the Rollers, who put up 49 points in the first half and sat their starters for the rest of the game.
Erby, a Navy commit, is Pennsylvania's all-time leader in career passing yardage and career passing touchdowns -- records he set during the regular season. His totals for this year astounding; he's completed 174 of 223 pass attempts for 3,405 yards and 42 touchdowns. He's 15 TD passes short of setting the state record for TD passes in a single season.
Burnette is closing in on the 1,000-yard milestone for the year; he's got 975 rushing yards and 10 scores on 131 carries.
Caesar is Steel-High's career receiving leader and has 79 catches for 1,664 yards and 17 scores this season. Perry has caught 49 passes for 939 yards and 15 scores.
And they're still not the only players you have to contain on the Roller roster; James Evans III has scored four touchdowns in two postseason games for Steel-High.
Steel-High won the state championship last year and is seeking its third title in four years. The Rollers' highly decorated group of seniors could potentially graduate with four district titles, three state titles and a 48-4 record if they go all the way this season.
PIAA Class 2A First Round
West Catholic (1-9) at Camp Hill (7-5)
Friday, 7 p.m. at Siebert Park, Camp Hill
ABOUT WEST CATHOLIC: The Burrs went 0-9 in the regular season, but got to compete in the District 1/12 subregional last week by virtue of being the only Class 2A member of the Philadelphia Catholic League.
And wouldn't you know it? West Catholic picked the perfect time to earn its first win of the year, blasting District 1 champ Bristol 48-0 to book a ticket to States.
So here come the Burrs, who have the chance to compete for a state title despite having been shut out in five of their nine regular-season contests and scoring just once in two others.
But Camp Hill probably shouldn't overlook West Catholic, if such a thing is possible in the state playoffs,
The Burrs and the Lions share one common opponent this season: Steelton-Highspire, who defeated West Catholic 29-22 in Week 2 and hammered Camp Hill 55-7 in Week 7. The Rollers, who are the defending state Class 1A champions, needed a late touchdown to pull out a victory over the Burrs. They had little trouble subduing Camp Hill.
Little else is known about West Catholic this season, given the lack of high school football coverage in Philly-area media. One thing we're sure of: their biggest player to watch is quarterback Kal-El Durham, a 5-11, 165-pound junior described as a "human highlight reel" by one publication during the season.
Durham has a huge arm, but his scrambling prowess and ability to juke defenders is what makes him so dangerous.
ABOUT CAMP HILL: The Lions captured the District 3 Class 2A title last week with an emotional 20-14 victory over crosstown rival Trinity, avenging a heartbreaking 14-13 loss to the Shamrocks in the regular season. Camp Hill captured its first district title since 2020 and completed a shocking run through the district bracket. The Lions also knocked off top-seeded Annville-Cleona 35-14 to earn their rematch with Trinity.
It's been an emotional playoff run for the Lions, who entered the postseason with a chip on their shoulders after a 5-5 regular season campaign. Camp Hill's players felt they were better than their record indicated, and they proved it by winning the district crown.
The Lions are led by quarterback Drew Branstetter, who threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another in Camp Hill's victory over Trinity last week. This season, Branstetter has 2,609 yards and 31 touchdowns after completing 17 of 24 passes for 160 yards against the Shamrocks.
RB Kobe Moore has rushed for 464 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Camp Hill rushing attack, while Alex Long (62-845, 9 TDs) and Noah Doi (59-803, 11 TDs) are the top receivers.
Camp Hill lost five of six games at one point during the regular season, but has now won three in a row. The Lions won the inaugural PIAA Class 1A state championship in 1988 but have never made it back to the title game since. They have 11 district titles on the ledger.