After Passing McCaskey Quiz, Wilson Looks Towards Final Exam As Bulldogs Prepare For Manheim Township, Section Title Game Next Week In Regular Season Finale
If we were to handicap the projected Section One race inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League heading into the 2024 season, there’s more than enough ample evidence to suggest this is essentially the place we figured to find ourselves right here inside of mid-October. That of course being Manheim Township and Wilson largely running away from the […]
Despite Healthy Start, Manheim Township’s Palate Leaves Room For Improvement As Blue Streaks Prevail In Divisional Road Tilt Against Cedar Cres
Exactly nine weeks ago, when the assembled masses convened and descended upon the LNP headquarters in Lancaster city for the outlet’s hosting of the annual media day festivities prior to signify the official, unofficial start of the campaign, the season at large figured to of course be somewhat hard to predict at the time, and […]
Lampeter-Strasburg Keeps Pace With State’s Elite As Pioneers Add Shutout Victory At Octorara To Already Stellar Resume
There’s no contesting that football is inherently an exciting sport. Let’s be honest, if baseball didn’t already trademark the phrase eons ago, the game played with the oblong ball would probably be “America’s Pastime.” And hey, maybe it is in all reality, even without that moniker having to go along with it officially. But for […]
After High-Flying Start, Conestoga Valley Is Forced To Get Gritty As Buckskins Stave Off Stern Spring Grove Effort In Final Seconds To Keep Perfect Record Intact
Somehow, we’ve done it. We’ve reached the halfway point of the season. Probably not much of a surprise in all honesty, however. After all, you can usually set your watch to the masses eventually proclaiming just fast the high school football season moves once everyone gets out of the starting blocks, similar to that of […]
State-Ranked Twin Valley Lands Early Knockout Blow, Yet Leaves Plenty Of Homework Behind, As Raiders Make Quick Work of ELCO In Conference Opener
Across the 360-miles of which it spans, there are 36 exits located along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Not all of these are created equal though. Some serve as a direct dive into the largest and most vital cities in the state. Others meanwhile divert into other key arteries, like the Northeast Extension for example, that make […]
Donegal Runs Past Tough Week One Defeat, Runs Over Columbia In Response As Indians Claim Inaugural ‘Battle of the Rock’ In Latest Chapter Of Longtime Series
In some respects, the game of high school football is a bit of an oddity and an outlier. For example, are there any other sports in the known free world where the number of months that make up the offseason actually compare, if not totally outweigh, the number of opportunities found in the number of […]
Avon Grove’s Patience Pays Off As Red Devils’ Persistent Defensive Peskiness Paves Way For Fourth Quarter Flurry In Season Opening Victory Over Warwick
For most everyone, this is the best week of the entire high school football season. Sure, aside from the old cliché that it’s the only time during the campaign that quite literally everyone has a 0 beside their name under the loss column on the season ledger, it’s the promise that a new season, a […]
Lancaster County All-Stars Lean On Home Cooking As Outgoing Manheim Central Seniors Steal The Show In Final Game At Elden Rettew, Help Blank Berks/Lebanon In 22nd Tri-County All-Star Game
For a state where some may consider high school football to be a religion of sorts, it’s somewhat surprising perhaps to look around the state and realize that there isn’t a bountiful feast of postseason all-star games played to try and satisfy the appetite. But that isn’t exactly the case in south central Pennsylvania if […]
Harrisburg Does It ‘The Hard Way’ As Cougars Erase 21-Point Second Half Deficit To Stun Manheim Township, Earn Third-Straight District 3-6A Title In The Process
It might sound like a crazy premonition on the surface, but is it totally out of the realm of possibility that the two teams pegged at #1 and #2 respectively entering the District 3-6A tournament field with a combined record of 23-1 between them could possibly still have a massive chip residing on each of […]
Bishop McDevitt Beast Shows Its Teeth As Crusaders Gobble Up Lampeter-Strasburg, Stalk Another District 3 Title
By any objective measure, it’d be safe to say that it’s been yet another successful football season as far as Lampeter-Strasburg had to be concerned. And that’s not for nothing either. To be sure, for a program that routinely finds itself at the head of the class both in terms of their own respective Lancaster-Lebanon […]
Manheim Central Withstands Susquehanna Township’s Best Punch As Barons Remain Standing, Head To District 3-4A Semifinal Round Following Wild 45-34 Triumph
The last time we ran into the Manheim Central Barons in person, it was quite a while ago. In fact, it was so long ago that they were found in an entirely different state altogether. Okay, maybe it wasn’t all that long ago in the traditional calendar-sense, but in football terms, it’d be fair to […]
Schuylkill Valley Rides Explosive Plays, Dominic Giuffre’s All-Everything Exploits, Into District 3-3A Semifinal Round As Panthers Run Away From Littlestown To Set Date With Top-Seeded Wyomissing
Without much in the way of any real dispute, the District 3 footprint in the landscape of Pennsylvania high school sports has to be considered nothing if not massive. Not a hard argument to make I suppose considering it spans all of 11 counties within the southcentral region of the Commonwealth that reaches all the […]
Cocalico Completes Sweep Of Section Four Competition, Gears Up For Postseason Run As Eagles Hold Off Stern Conrad Weiser Challenge In Regular Season Finale
At this time a year ago, no one was thinking about the Cocalico Eagles. Okay, that’s really nothing more than a bad hyperbole that isn’t 100% accurate, but it’s not as if you could have found fault with those who may have given the team from Denver nothing more than just a passing glance last […]
Wilson Passes Its 600th Test As Bulldogs Bite McCaskey, Ready Themselves For Final Exam Against Manheim Township In Section Title Game
It’s Week 9 of the high school football season this week which means only one thing—We are just a handful of days away from Week 10. Okay, okay. Yes, while most everyone has their eyes set on the final week of the regular season slate next weekend, especially inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League where either by […]
Twin Valley Uses Recipe Of Big Plays, Mental Fortitude, And Old-Fashioned Guts To Cook Up Improbable Come-From-Behind Victory Against Solanco As Raiders Remain Unbeaten, Hungry To Continuing Fight Towards Section Crown
We all know this is a game that by its nature is woven in a very fine cyclical fabric. I dunno about you all, but maybe that’s why we all love it so much. It certainly is for me at least. And how could you not? What’s not to enjoy about the constant ebb and […]
History-Making Mounts Continue Torrid Start As Ephrata Locks Up Daniel Boone, Moves To 5-0 For First Time In 28 Years
It’s Week 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League high school football slate this week which (somehow) means we are already halfway home through the regular season gauntlet in 2023. In some cases, we’re halfway home towards a section title. For others, halfway home towards a potential playoff berth. And yes, for some, we’re halfway home towards […]
Annville-Cleona Gets Its Groove Back With Old-Fashioned Muscle As Dutchmen Dictate Terms, Ground High-Flying Hamburg To Begin Divisional Play
Over the totality of an entire high school football season, every week is precious in its own way. Hard to argue that I suppose given that you only have a finite number of games in which you can play, short of taking matters into your own hands and playing beyond that allowed allotment and into […]
Cedar Crest Waits 16 Hours (Plus A Little Extra) To Keep Perfect Record Intact As Falcons Move To 3-0, Outduel Warwick In Walk-Off Fashion After Three Overtime Affair
Full disclosure here. We know this is a space solely dedicated to pigskin. But if you’re a fan of the high school sports scene in and around the Lancaster-Lebanon League, the truth of the matter is that if we get Cedar Crest and Warwick going against one another on the hardwood this winter in the […]
Manheim Central Takes Show Across State Lines, Pulls One Out Of The Fire As Enterline’s Slam Dunk Reception Propels Barons Past Defending Delaware State Champs In Miraculous Fashion
First of all, no matter how the eventual outcome of the game itself would play itself out, Manheim Central’s Labor Day weekend excursion of 2023 would almost certainly prove to be memorable for those involved regardless. Shoot, how could it not? After all, it’s not every day you see two prominent high school football programs […]
Manheim Township Authors Successful First Chapter In What They Hope Becomes Storybook Season As Blue Streaks Open Season, Handle Cumberland Valley In 29-Point Victory
On Friday night, in stadiums dotting high school campuses dotting all corners both near and far from around the state and every which way in between, hope sprang eternal. It was on this night that the renewal of a time-honored tradition –the high school football season- was ushered into existence for the 2023 calendar year. […]
No. 12 Seed Cocalico Looks Anything But, Dismantles #1 Solanco En Route To Third District 3-5A Championship Game In Five Years
Undeniably, one of the most fun and unique parts about this weekend in particular –the weekend that is the semifinal and final rounds of four of the six classes in the District 3 ranks – is that tantalizing matchups would likely abound given the sheer breadth of high-quality high school football volume that the mid-state […]
Manheim Township ‘Redemption Tour’ Begins With Thrilling Heavyweight Victory Over Cumberland Valley As Blue Streaks Set Sights On Hempfield In District 3-6A Semifinal Round
Typically, the start of postseason play brings with it a renewal of sorts. A fresh start if you will. True enough, yes, but maybe that wasn’t exactly the case across the entire board on Friday night when it came time for the onset of the District 3-6A playoffs to get underway. Well, at least for […]
Warwick Flips The Script, Reverses 28-Point Playoff Loss As Warriors Topple Governor Mifflin In Regular Season Finale
In some ways, it’s almost funny. Yes, for as dynamite as the Week 10 slate across the Lancaster-Lebanon League ended up being considering this week given that it featured games with head-to-head divisional title implications nearly the entire way down the gamut from Sections One thru Five respectively, there was one matchup hiding in the […]
Hamburg Shows Off Offensive Weaponry As Hawks Notch Divisional Road Win At Northern Lebanon In High-Scoring Affair
When you get to the ninth week of the year come to the marathon — yet somehow also a sprint oddly enough — that is the high school football season, there are almost always storylines aplenty to go around on the slate, regardless of what the matchup between the two opposing sides may be. Granted, […]
Early Successes Ignite The Spark As Manheim Township Notches 35-Point Divisional Road Win Over Reading
It’s the eighth week of the high school football season which means that while the temperature outside will only continue to plummet, the stakes and implications that await a great number of teams from around the state will only continue to ramp up and intensity with a level of high heat that would make even […]
Manheim Central Suffocates Muhlenberg Amid Scoring Explosion As Barons Roll To 70-Point Shutout Victory
In some ways, particularly if you fancy yourself as a religious reader of these postgame recaps that I type up and submit on a weekly basis for the viewing pleasure of one and all (god bless your brave soul by the way), but if you know that I am going to be recapping a Manheim […]
Cocalico Looks The Part, Begins Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Four Gauntlet With Dominating Win Over Octorara
As crazy as it may be to say this out loud –or rather type it out loud as it were I suppose — Friday night somehow marked Week 4 of the high school football season in Pennsylvania. What does all that mean you ask? Well, short of trying to figure out where exactly it was […]
Rudy, Cummings Take High-Wire Act To Hersheypark As Elizabethtown Leaves With Perfect Record Intact Following Triumph Over Lower Dauphin
In many ways, the setting and surroundings that enveloped the Week 3 collision course matchup between Elizabethtown and Lower Dauphin could not have been any more apropos. Firstly, the location. For years, nay, generations even, every high school football team that handed out uniforms and pads in the month of August dreamed of the possibility […]
Hempfield Refuses To Flinch As Black Knights Earn Walk-Off Win, Stun York High In Final Seconds For Key Nonconference Victory
It’s Labor Day weekend which usually means one of two things. First, it’s time –begrudgingly for some folks – to put the boogie boards, umbrellas and coolers away for good as it marks the unofficial death of summer. Secondly, while this long weekend may signify an untimely passing unless of course, you’ve been itching to […]
ELCO ‘Brotherhood’ Proves Vital As Raiders Overcome Fourth Quarter Deficit To Storm Past Annville-Cleona
There’s an old adage floated around in football circles that goes something along the lines of this. “The greatest improvement a team can make is between Week 1 & 2.” Fair point no doubt, but man alive. If the season openers for Annville-Cleona and ELCO respectively last week were to serve as any sort of […]
Falcons Refuse To Yield As Cedar Crest Stymies Lincoln, Opens Promising Campaign With Intriguing Nonconference Victory
If you’re a high school football fan living in central Pennsylvania unless of course you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years I suppose, you’ve probably already heard the news by now that the 13 football programs that as of just this past season who had made up the Berks County […]
Lampeter-Strasburg Gets Defensive, Stymies Kennard-Dale As Pioneers Await Date With Bishop McDevitt In District 3-4A Title Game Black Friday Night
In sports, much like in life, there’s an old familiar phrase that says, “Water eventually finds it level.” Yeah, true enough in terms of the earth science technicalities of things I suppose, but that’s not always the case in the world of playoff-era sports. Well, at least not particularly in the case of Friday night’s […]
Singleton’s Historic Night Fuels Governor Mifflin As Mustangs Gallop Past Warwick, Into District 3-5A Semifinal Round
At this time one year ago, this was the matchup everyone would’ve crawled across broken glass to see. And for good reason too. Last season, Warwick, bringing with them the best collection of talent that the school had ever seen in the history of its football program, was slated to head up to Shillington play […]
Garden Spot Finishes Strong, Rides Strong Second Half Performance As Spartans End With A Statement Win Over Ephrata
In some ways, it was rather fitting that Ephrata and Garden Spot happened to match up against one another on Friday night. You see, in this contest, perhaps more so than other games that either the Mounts or Spartans had played all year long up until this point respectively, did either squad probably feel as […]
Manheim Township Overcomes Early Hiccups, Screams Past McCaskey As Blue Streaks Set Their Sights On Pivotal Regular Season Finale
Funny how time can change and shift your outlook around on things every now and then. Yes, sometimes even a week can alter things quite dramatically, especially in the sport of high school football no less. Just look at Manheim Township and McCaskey for example. As of seven days ago, the general storyline and buzz […]
Lampeter-Strasburg Starts Slow, Erases Ten-Point Deficit As Pioneers Zoom Past Garden Spot In Key Divisional Tilt
Let’s start off with a question this week. What’s the best athletic department currently operating these days in the Lancaster-Lebanon League? If someone were to stop you in the street and ask that question, there are probably a few names that would immediately bubble up to the surface. Hempfield? Sure, having the second biggest enrollment […]
Second Quarter Surge Propels Crimson Tide As Columbia Takes Care Of Northern Lebanon In Section Four Tussle
Without fail, each and every season brings with it those feel good stories that emerge from the early portion of the regular season slate regarding programs that appear to have finally turned a corner and put those dark and dreaded days of losing behind them once and for all. Well, far be it from me […]
Wilson Sends A Message, Dismantles Penn Manor As Bulldogs Prevail In Section One Lid-Lifter
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Along the first leg of our journey, I want you all to recall the years of 2012 and 2013. What do you remember doing back then? Well, if you were associated with the Penn Manor Comets football program, life was pretty sweet in those days. After […]
Manheim Township Handles Early Punches, Uses Second Quarter Surge To Push Away Cocalico In Key Crossover Clash
It’s Week 5 inside the Lancaster-Lebanon League this week which can mean only one thing—it’s crossover week. Ah yes. The beloved crossover week. The one week each year where you either find yourself firmly entrenched on one side of the fence or the other. For fans and players, it’s hard not to get excited about […]
Lancaster Catholic Hangs On, Notches Second Consecutive Victory As Crusaders Get Past Archbishop Carroll
In football, much like in life, sometimes all you really need is a spark. Well, Week 2 of the 2021 high school football season just happened to provide that very opportunity for two programs that were both in search of a jolt, Archbishop Carroll and Lancaster Catholic. For the Crusaders of Lancaster Catholic, finding momentum […]
Cocalico Explodes Past Cedar Cliff, Into State Semifinal Round As Eagles Claim District 3-5A Championship
No matter what the sport and no matter what the competition level, there are always some undeniable truths that always come to light when talking about the postseason. Chief among them, and perhaps the most tantalizing of all, is the prospect of rematches. And if we’re talking about the 5A level within District 3, there […]
Wyomissing Rumbles Past Annville-Cleona, Into District 3-3A Title Game As Spartans Turn Away Dutchmen
For most every high school football player, there is simply nothing that can rival nor replicate the sheer joy and excitement that comes along with wearing the hometown colors and playing in front of your classmates underneath the bright Friday night lights. In fact, the atmosphere in and of itself is arguably just as instrumental, […]
Lampeter-Strasburg Holds Off Valiant York Suburban Charge As Pioneers Conquer Trojans, March Into District 3-4A Semifinals
When the leaves on the trees start to turn colors and the howling, brisk winds of autumn begin to reappear into our little slice of heaven here in the state of Pennsylvania, it usually means that our oldest nemesis, dreaded winter, is hot on our heels. But thoughts of freshly, laid white powder and slippery […]
Top-Seeded Wilson Embarks On District 3-6A Playoff Quest In Emphatic Fashion As Bulldogs Bite Chambersburg
As hard it may be to believe, ten weeks of regular season high school football across the state of Pennsylvania have now come and gone, all seemingly within the blink of an eye. Now sure, while the regular season features plenty of thrills and heart-stopping moments to offer in its own right, the simple fact […]
ELCO Completes Frantic Comeback, Locks Up Playoff Big In Wild Regular Season Finale Against Columbia
It’s funny sometimes how life has a way of meandering its way back around full circle. In many ways, high school football is also quite capable of providing a prevailing sense of deja vu. Should you need proof, just look back 364 days ago to when ELCO and Columbia last met up against one another […]
Harley, Lancaster Catholic Motor Past Donegal As Crusaders Capture Share Of Section 3 Title In Shutout Victory
When high school football coaches, players, and fans alike look up and see that the penultimate week of the regular season has suddenly arrived, seemingly out of nowhere, it’s far from hyperbole to suggest that time is of the upmost essence. For both the Donegal Indians and Lancaster Catholic Crusaders, Friday’s night affair between the […]
Lampeter-Strasburg Answers Challenge, Reclaims Milk Jug As Pioneers Race Past Solanco
For as many rivalries as the Lancaster-Lebanon League has to offer, only a very select few have the attractiveness of having a trophy up for grabs. Yet for those that do, there is simply none better than “The Milk Jug.” In a sense, it signifies two of the most fundamental elements of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: […]
Manheim Township Suffocates Warwick, Remains Undefeated As Blue Streaks Prevail In Heavyweight Fight
The Hatfield family versus the McCoy family. The Montagues versus the Capulets. The Yankees versus the Red Sox. Red versus blue. Good versus evil. Alright, alright. Maybe that last one is a tad bit excessive, but depending on which side of the Lancaster Airport you find yourself living on, you might find it rather hard […]
Northern Lebanon Picks Up First Win As Vikings Ransack Pequea Valley
If you’ve followed sports for any length of time, chances are that you’ve probably heard a phrase somewhere along the lines of, “Each team and each year is different.” And yes, while that is fundamentally and undeniably true at its core, there are always exceptions to any rule. In that regard, please do not find […]
Wilson Overcomes Sluggish Start, Soars Past Penn Manor To Keep Perfect Record Intact
They are most commonly referred to as “trap games.” You know, they’re those sometimes mysterious, anxiety-filled games that tend to crop up on the schedule often sandwiched somewhere in between two Titanic-like contests that serve as monumental bookends. The scariest part of the matter? Undoubtedly it’s the fact that not any one program is truly […]
Warwick Follows Up Landmark Victory With An All-Out Assault Against Hempfield To Remain Undefeated
For any performer, being called upon for an encore is something that everyone strives for no matter what the profession. After completing the original set in such a dramatic fashion that leaves the fans in attendance begging for more, it’s understandable why so many equate it to the highest levels of an adrenaline rush. A […]
Ephrata Makes A Statement, Creates Shockwaves As Mounts Trounce Annville-Cleona To Remain Atop Section 3 Standings
They often say that the world of high school sports is a cyclical one. In other words, most every program is never truly immune to the peaks and valleys that many often experience and ultimately go through as various waves of students work their way through the hallways and onto the athletic fields over the […]
Manheim Township Flashes Style And Substance As Blue Streaks Decimate Dallastown
Death, taxes and preseason predictions. Okay, maybe that isn’t exactly the same phrase, but in the world of high school football, it still rings true. This year, when speaking on the topics of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 and the District 3-6A field most specifically, the conversation begins and ends with the Manheim Township Blue […]
Eagles Flex Their Muscle As Cocalico Lassos Cedar Cliff In Key Early Season Tilt
In high school football, there are teams and then there are programs. When speaking on the Cocalico Eagles, rest assured that they comfortably fall into the “program” category. Every year, the narrative surrounding the program from Denver largely feels the same. A tough-as-nails, no-nonsense team that seems to enter the starting blocks surrounded by a […]
Red Lion Devours McCaskey En Route To Impressive Opening Night Victory
To say that every high school football team that plays in the state of Pennsylvania was looking forward to Friday night would be nothing if not a gross understatement. After all, this is the time of the season when the bright rays of eternal optimism shine their brightest given the dawn of a season while […]
North All-Stars Light Up The Sky, Exert Dominance In 18th Annual Tri-County All-Star Game
Chances are that when most think of Memorial Day weekend, they often think of barbeques and a much-deserved three-day weekend which marks the unofficial kickoff of summer with plenty of versions of “Old Glory” hanging proudly all over town. To football fans in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties however, don’t fault them if they also associate […]
Explosive Plays Help Penn Hills Achieve Immortality As Indians Hold Off Manheim Central To Claim PIAA-5A Crown
It’s funny how things sometimes have a way of perfectly coming together full circle isn’t it? Take a moment right now and reflect back to a not-too-distant, much warmer time earlier this year. Say August 6thfor example? You see, back on that very day amidst the sweltering early August heat, every scholastic football team from […]
Manheim Central Conquers Upper Dublin As Barons Advance To 4th State Championship Game In Program History
When most people hear the phrase “Final Four,” chances are that their minds automatically envision the conclusion of the month-long festival of college basketball known as “March Madness.” However, if you were to travel around the state, you may stumble upon a few isolated pockets within the commonwealth that could just as easily interpret the […]
New Year, Same Ole Barons: Manheim Central Handles Cocalico For Second Consecutive District 3-5A Crown To Advance To Eastern State Final
No matter what the time and no matter what the place, there is just something inherently special that goes along with rivalry games. However, when you raise the stakes and put a championship on the line, the excitement and fervor admittedly gets ratcheted up to an entirely different level. For both the Cocalico Eagles and […]
Cocalico Shrugs Off York To Clinch Berth In District 3-5A Championship Game
It seems to happen so routinely that you can almost set your watch to it. Yes, without fail, each and every season consistently brings with it those inspiring tales of extra special individuals and teams that take shape and become transcendent above all others. When talking about the state of the union as it relates […]
Cocalico Muscles Past Solanco En Route To District 3-5A Semifinals
Chances are that you’ve probably heard postseason play to be referred to as the “second season.” Or, in layman’s terms, a chance to start anew and wipe the slate clean following a successful regular that was deemed worthy of advancement into the playoffs. In even simpler words, obtaining a second chance with a new lease […]
Grizzled Blue Streaks Find A Way As Manheim Township Holds Off Chambersburg In Opening Round Of District 3-6A Playoffs
In sports, it is unanimously accepted that the defending champion earns the right to consider themselves kings of the mountaintop unless another group of adversaries comes along later on down the line to knock them off their proverbial lofty perch. When speaking of District 3-6A high school football more specifically, the team that has won […]
ELCO Mows Down Columbia, Secures Playoff Bid In Regular Season Finale
It has often been said that whenever you get squeezed, what ultimately comes out of you is who you truly are. In other words, when adversity strikes, how you act and respond when the chips are down is how you are ultimately defined for all to see. Well, when talking Lancaster-Lebanon League Football this season, […]
Manheim Central Shows Off Its Weaponry In Shutout Victory Over Garden Spot
Upon entering the quaint and homely town of Manheim, Pennsylvania, travelers are met with a sign just outside of the city limits that lists the various churches and organizations contained within this small town that oozes the essence of old-school Americana. And while those groups are certainly essential members of the community fabric at large, […]
McCracken-Glass Duo Proves Lethal As Warwick Scores Historic Win Over Wilson
Sometimes, the football gods can have a peculiar way of behaving. On occasion, their methodology is clear and concise. On the other hand, it can sometimes feel like Lucy pulling the football away from a hard-charging Charlie Brown at the last possible second, forcing him to fall flat on his back. Just take the Wilson and Warwick series as a prime example. For years, […]
Golden Mules Regain Their Footing In Dominating Fashion By Dismantling McCaskey
Without question, each and every offseason brings with it some interesting themes and storylines to follow that often tantalize the palate. Well, as it relates to the Lancaster-Lebanon league football community, this past offseason was perfectly defined by just one word—Change. You see, when the Octorara School District officially applied for full membership status and was welcomed aboard with open […]
At Long Last, Northern Lebanon Tastes Sweet Victory As Vikings Stymie Pequea Valley For First Win Of The Season
As hard as it may be to believe, last week in Pennsylvania high school football marked the midway checkpoint of the regular season. And as is the case each and every season when the temperatures start to drop, the action on the field only continues to heat up with teams from all around the commonwealth trying to chase those precious few playoff bids. In fact, Friday […]
Manheim Township Makes Another Statement With Resounding Win Over Cocalico
No matter what the sport and no matter what the competition level, all coaches will tell you that every team they lead is different in the sense that no two teams are ever truly alike. And while the very notion of the word “different” has the ability toconjure up nothing but negative connotations, there are certain teams that are simply transcendent above all […]
Lancaster Catholic’s Perfect Record Remains Intact As Crusaders Roar Past Ephrata
It’s often been said that those who do not learn from history are likely doomed to repeat it. Well, in the case of Lancaster Catholic first-year head coach Todd Mealy, “doom” may not exactly be the term that applies in this specific example, but he and the Crusader faithful are certainly hoping that his previous coaching acumen translates into this his new gig of leading the esteemed purple and gold inside the Red Rose city. A […]
Central York Continues Scintillating Start With Dramatic Comeback Win Over Hempfield
When a crisp autumn breeze returns to the air and the leaves begin to crunch underneath your feet, that can mean only one thing to high school football fans around the commonwealth ofPennsylvania—Playoff football is right around the corner. Sure,it may seem sacrilegious to even fathom the idea of playoffs considering the 2018 season began just three short weeks ago, but the fact of the […]
Cedar Crest Shines Under Bright Lights As Falcons Hold Off Hershey
It’s a phrase that coaches have said to their players seemingly seem the dawn of the time. “It’s a privilege, not a right to play.” And while that is undoubtedly true across the expansive sports landscape, playing high school football in the great state of Pennsylvania, especially within District 3 in particular, takes that saying to a whole different level. Perhaps […]
Annville-Cleona Crashes The Party As Dutchmen Knock Off Octorara In Braves’ L-L Debut
In football, much like in life, there are new beginnings and then there are truly new beginnings. For the Octorara Braves, this year in athletics will bring with it a drastic in change in scenery. Why? Well, perhaps it’s best to rewind the clock back to October 20, 2016 in order to investigate further. On that October […]
E-Town Shows Their Claws As Bears Get Pass Donegal In Season Opener
Let’s talk for a second about rivalry games. Better yet, let’s focus on the topic of backyard rivalry games. Typically when one thinks about such contests that pit coworker against coworker, neighbor against neighbor, and even family member against family member, chances are they often think of the end of the season with either championships […]
K-D Lands A KO In Season Opening Victory Over Pequea Valley
At this time a year ago, they were the darlings of the preseason. And rightly so. Yes, for the summer months of 2017, one of the most prevailing questions surrounding Lancaster-Lebanon League football that kept rising to the surface was whether or not that this would be the year? Would this be the year that the Pequea Valley Braves, the L-L’s […]
North Lancaster-Lebanon League All Stars Reign Supreme For Third Straight Year
MANHEIM – When people typically think of Memorial Day Weekend, chances are they generally associate the much-anticipated long weekend with a sense of optimism and forward-thinking rather than looking back out the rearview mirror. Fair enough, considering this weekend has long been recognized as the unofficial start of the summer. So forgive Lancaster-Lebanon League football fans if this holiday weekend in particular gives them an added pause as they […]
Dream Comes True For Manheim Township As Blue Streaks Sink Cumberland Valley For First Ever District Title
The saying goes that opposite attract. Well, in the case of the 2017 District 3 6A championship game, that phrase rang true in spades. Just in terms of history, the Manheim Township Blue Streaks and Cumberland Valley Eagles could not be placed at further ends of the spectrum if they tried. For Township, Saturday night’s tussle at Hersheypark Stadium […]
Late Game Heroics Lift Manheim Central
Late Game Heroics Lift Manheim Central To State Semifinals As Barons Capture 17th District Title, Upend Governor Mifflin In Instant Classic They weren’t supposed to be here. No, Black Friday night at Hersheypark Stadium was originally supposed to serve as just another speedbump for the Harrisburg Cougars to overcome on their way towards a possible return trip back to the “Concrete Palace” in their […]
Bishop McDevitt Races Past Lampeter-Strasburg As Crusaders Return To District Title Game
When discussing the top high school football programs from Central Pennsylvania, there’s no denying that the Bishop McDevitt Crusaders are among the first names mentioned once the conversation begins. Without question, McDevitt’s historic resume stands alone. Besides annually sending a laundry list of talented players to various levels of college football following their time with the high school just east of the capital city, not to mention an even more select […]
Cocalico Surges Past Cedar Crest As Eagles Set Their Sights On Manheim Central In Semifinal Round
35 days. That’s how long it had been since the Cocalico Eagles and Cedar Crest Falcons last saw each other on the football field. And if you were to ask Cedar Crest, those 35 days probably felt more like 35 years. Why? Well, let’s just say the first matchup between these two birds of prey […]
Keeley-Wolfrum Trophy Remains At Berks Catholic As Saints Claim Shutout Victory Over Wyomissing In Backyard Brawl
The hype surrounding this one was undeniable. All season long, much like it does every season, Berks Catholic and Wyomissing appeared to be on a collision course. And a collision course it promised to be. Undefeated Wyomissing going head to head against unbeaten Berks Catholic. Finally, after an entire year of waiting eagerly with anticipation, […]
Wilson Starts Anew As Second Half Surge Pushes Bulldogs Past Hempfield
The last time that the Wilson Bulldogs traveled to Landisville to take on the Hempfield Black Knights, history was on the line. The type of history that can solidify a dynasty. Back on the evening of October 9th 2015, the Bulldogs were on the verge of immortality. The gang from West Lawn entered the contest […]
Warwick Regains Their Winning Ways As Warriors Post Shutout Victory Over Penn Manor
When looking at the 2017 high school football season to date, it’s fair to say that this year has not gone as well as both Penn Manor and Warwick had hoped for back in the summer. Take a deeper look inside the overall records however and you’ll discover two teams that came into Friday night’s […]
Donegal Rides Strong Defensive Performance As Indians Travel Northward To Topple Hazleton
Not all road trips are created equal. In some instances, a road game means nothing more than slinging a duffle bag over your shoulder and walking a few blocks to take on your opponent. Let’s just say the Donegal Indians would not be so fortunate on Friday night. Plug a trip into the GPS leaving […]
Cocalico Gets Rid of Last Week’s Frustration In Dominating Road Win At Cedar Crest
When the latest version of the District 3 power rankings were released this past week, there was an undeniable theme that encapsulated the 5A field. The 5A bracket was littered with Lancaster Lebanon League flavor. More specifically, Lancaster Lebanon League Section 2 flavor. In fact if the postseason were to start at this very moment, […]
Berks Catholic Spoils Opening Night Festivities As Saints Roll Past Lancaster Catholic
Sometimes in life, things don’t turn out exactly the way we plan. In many ways, the game of football can be quite similar. Case in point: this year’s matchup between Berks Catholic and Lancaster Catholic. Coming into the season, this game was arguably one of the more intriguing nonconference tussles across the District 3 landscape. […]
Godwin’s Big Night Fuels Red Tornado As McCaskey Picks Up First Win Of The Season At Reading
Chances are we’ve all had this phrase posed to us before. “Do you want the good news, or the bad news?” If ever that question applied to a football game, it was Friday night at Albright College when Reading welcomed McCaskey to their home turffor the annual meeting between the two city schools. The bad […]
Lebanon Fends Off Pesky Ephrata As Cedars Rebound From Disappointing Cedar Bowl
When the Cedar Crest Falcons and Lebanon Cedars begin their offseason training and winter conditioning programs, the collective focus for both squads is undoubtedly centered on the opening week of the season. And for good reason. Sure, the opening week of the season is met with great anticipation regardless, but around Lebanon County, particularly around […]
Octorara Picks Up Much Needed Road Win Over Rebuilding Columbia
When Octorara unloaded the buses Friday night high atop “The Hill” in Columbia after a road trip across Lancaster County, there was a definite sense of newness in the air. Newness because the hometown Crimson Tide were on the brink of starting a fresh chapter in their storied history. New head coach Bud Kyle, a York County native, came across the Susquehanna River to lead a […]
Schuylkill Valley Defense Shines In Season Opening Win Over Pequea Valley
They’re on a mission to do something around these parts that’s never been done before. A playoff mission. For 20 years, the Pequea Valley Braves have been lacing up the cleats and putting on the shoulder pads, but have yet to play beyond the regular season. Don’t be mistaken however, this isn’t your older brother’s […]
Late Defensive Stand Lifts North L-L All Stars To Hard-Fought 14-7 Triumph In Tri County All Star Game
More often times than not, the mere thought of All Star games tend to conjure up images of shall we say less than inspired defense with more offensive fireworks than some 4th of July displays. Maybe it was the fact that the 16th Annual Tri County All Star Game was played over Memorial Day weekend […]
Pittsburgh Central Catholic Slams The Door On Wilson
There’s no denying that Pittsburgh Central Catholic is a behemoth when it comes to Western Pennsylvania high school football. The Vikings have the size, speed, depth, and talent to compete with the best in the state and nationally as well. Needless to say, the Vikings cause a lot of sleepless night for the offensive and defensive coordinators that line […]
Middletown Earns Return Trip To Hershey For State Finals After Resounding 49-14 Victory Over Notre Dame
During the high school football regular season, the Lower Dauphin Falcons and Hershey Trojans are the two tenants that call Hersheypark Stadium home. Better make way for an unofficial third team, at least for this year. By virtue of their dominant 49-14 victory over Notre Dame Green Pond on Friday night in Hershey, the Middletown Blue Raiders clinched their spot in the PIAA […]
Don’t Call It A Comeback. Call It A Championship. Wilson Uses 28-0 Second Half To Win District 3 6A Title
Cumberland Valley and Wilson. Their names are synonymous with success in South Central PA high school football. Both have laid claim to numerous District titles while Cumberland Valley has an additional line on their resume that reads State Champion. Their success has not only been limited to the Friday night lights as well. Several notable […]
Cougars Leave No Doubt As Harrisburg Races Past Manheim Central For District Crown
Often times when playoff brackets are unveiled, fans will scour the page and look for intriguing later round contests or blockbuster-type championship games. In the case of the 2016 District 3 5A Playoffs, one matchup that caught nearly everyone’s attention was a possible championship game that would pit Harrisburg against Manheim Central. And why not? […]
New Class, No Problem. Berks Catholic Tames Lampeter-Strasburg To Advance To District 4A Title Game
Last year on Black Friday, the Berks Catholic football program spent the day in the Hershey winning the District 3 AA title game. Fast forward to Thanksgiving weekend 2016 and the Saints will attempt to do the same when they head back to Hersheypark Stadium to claim District gold with one notable difference. Instead of […]
Cocalico Goes Big and Doesn’t Go Home With Dramatic 25-24 Win At Northeastern
Coming into this year’s newly renovated District 3 playoffs featuring six classes, it was hard to find a team playing much better than Northeastern, regardless of classification. After all, the Bobcats came in riding a five game winning streak, including a trifecta of shutout performances back to back to back the last three weeks of […]
Wilson Rolls Into Playoffs
Nine years. That’s a pretty long time if you sit down and think about it. A lot of things can change over that length of time.Given a window of that many years, surely one of those things that must change is who the head of the class is when talking about Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 […]
Muhlenberg Uses Dominating Rushing Attack To Withstand Elco 41-27
When Elco and Muhlenberg return home to their native Lancaster-Lebanon and Berks County Leagues next week, section titles won’t be on the line, but the final game of the regular season will still loom large for both the Muhls and Raiders. Why? The biggest reason is that both squads have the opportunity to ride momentum […]
McCaskey Uses Godwin’s Four TDs and Two Defensive Scores To Rally Past Lebanon 42-21
For some teams, a four game losing streak coupled with getting down early in the fifth game in soggy conditions after an hour long bus ride could lead to an early night in terms of effort and what the scoreboard has to say at the end of the game. Luckily for first year McCaskey head […]
Lampeter-Strasburg has the Final say in Dramatic 31-30 Victory over E-town
When Lampeter-Strasburg took over with just 1:57 left on the clock down 30-24, the Pioneers needed to rally. They did just that when quarterback Todd Shelley found Cam Niemeyer for the TD combined with Peyton Denlinger’s crucial extra point to push LS over the top and give the visiting Pioneers the hard-fought 31-30 victory on […]
Cocalico Tops Cedar Crest in Battle of the Birds For Section Lead
Pound for pound, it’s hard to find a much tougher division in South Central Pennsylvania high school football than Lancaster Lebanon Section 2. It’s one of the very few divisions around where you could say any team can be beat on any given Friday night and not have it come out as a cliché as it is […]
Hempfield Outlasts Penn Manor 31-24 In Overtime Duel
Sure, in most cases a game featuring two teams bringing in combined records of 1-7 wouldn’t generate much fanfare or excitement, especially when the team sporting the lone victory got their first since 2014 last time out, but this is Penn Manor and Hempfield. In the last couple of years, the Comets and Black Knights […]
Wilson Prevails As Warwick Pushes Bulldogs To The Brink 14-10
George W. Bush in the White House, flip phones, and Myspace. Three things that on the surface look like they have nothing in common. On the contrary if you’re talking about Lancaster Lebanon League football however, they do go together. You see, those things were prevalent in October 2007 which happens to be the last time […]
Warwick Strikes Early and Often For Eleventh Straight Victory Over Rival Ephrata
It’s hard to find a more tradition-rich rivalry in the Lancaster-Lebanon League than Warwick and Ephrata. The Mounts and Warriors, or Pretzels if we are going back that far, have been going up against each other since 1930 and in that time, the series has seen ebbs and flows between the two schools as they have battled it […]
Pequea Valley Uses Memorable 4th Quarter Flurry To Nab 2nd Straight Brave Bowl
They call it the Brave Bowl. Although it might not be the most popular rivalry around, don’t bother telling that to Pequea Valley and Octorara. Make no mistake about it, this is a big deal in these parts. When these two schools square off representing Lancaster and Chester counties respectively, the atmosphere in and around the community of Gap, PA is electric. As Pequea Valley […]
Solanco Runs Over Pottstown 36-6
2015 was a great year for Solanco football. Historically great to be exact. The Golden Mules enjoyed their best season in school history by going 9-1 in the regular season with an 11-2 mark overall, with no margin of victory any closer than 17 points. The only two losses the Mules suffered last year came […]
State College Holds Off McCaskey Third Quarter Rally, Prevails 24-13
It’s the dawn of a new day for the McCaskey football program as first year head man Eric Spencer takes over the head duties of the Red Tornado program. McCaskey didn’t exactly tippy-toe around the competition for the first game of a new era, but rather dove head first into it by squaring off with […]
Coach McNamee Earns 100th Victory as Central Dauphin Handles Manheim Township
If ever there was a night where you could say the first play set the tone for the entire game, Thursday night’s contest between Manheim Township and Central Dauphin would be that night.On said play, junior Micah Parsons, already a Penn State verbal, came off the edge with a tremendous rush and forced a fumble. Just for good measure, […]
Daub’s 4 TD Night Helps Propel Northern Lebanon Past Pine Grove
There’s a new force in Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3. For years, it was Lancaster Catholic running roughshod over the competition in the Section, however their move up to Section 2 a few years ago created a void for someone to fill. Enter the Northern Lebanon Vikings. For the last two seasons, the Vikes have laid claim to […]
