Gotta tell you that Reinhart’s Rankings gets a little tougher to do the deeper we get into the season.
I do this fun – I tried to reward some teams early on for solid play. But now that we’re in the home stretch, I’m trying my hardest to really nail this top 5.
And it ain’t easy.
Had to flip a few coins and chuck a few darts for this week’s poll, which looks a little something like this …
1. Wilson (4-0, 7-0) – Bulldogs spotted cross-town rival Reading a quick 6-0 lead, then held the Red Knights to (get this) 34 rushing yards, 9 passing yards and 5 first downs. Ugh. Wilson won 46-6, and saw its defense vault to the top of the L-L League ranks: 158.0 yards per game. Scary, scary, scary. And now that senior QB Steve Huber has settled in under center (after a knee ailment earlier this season), Wilson’s O has been efficient, and is humming right along. When’s that Penn Manor game? NEXT: Friday at home against Manheim Township, which is coming off a gut-wrenching 20-19 loss to Penn Manor. Blue Streaks’ three losses are by a grand total of (gulp) five points. And now they have to go on the road to take on Wilson. Hey, maybe we’ll get a ‘Bulldog Punt’ on Friday? You know Township is going to pull out all the stops in this one, because nobody has had much luck with Wilson through the first seven weeks. Hang a star next to this game. Township beat Wilson up pretty good in the rain last year in Neffsville. Seems like something nutty always happens when these two get together.
2. Penn Manor (4-0, 7-0) – Yeah, yeah. I’ll admit it: I picked Township to beat the Comets in Week 7. And you have to admit: That pick was looking pretty good for a while there, wasn’t it? Don’t fret, Millersville. I’m still a Comet believer. The Hempfield win got my attention, and the Township win sealed it. These guys are most definitely for real, and continue to get it done on D. I know Township piled up some yards, but the Comets are giving up just 169.3 yards a game – third-best in the league; which is still really, really good. And Penn Manor has allowed just 55 points – least in the league. So yeah, I’m a believer. NEXT: Friday at Warwick, which is coming off back-to-back squeaker victories – 16-15 against Reading and 21-19 over McCaskey. Can the Comets keep it up? Circle this game for sure.
3. Lancaster Catholic (4-0, 6-1) – Crusaders laid the smackdown on Northern Lebanon, rolling the Vikings 61-0 to get some serious redemption for last year’s 17-13 Week 10 loss in Fredericksburg. I had a goofy feeling that Catholic might, um, you know, put up a big number against Northern Lebanon. And, um, yeah, the Crusaders sure did. I’m still digging what the Vikings are doing, by the way. But to have to go on the road and face the first-place team with the second-ranked D in the league and a red-hot QB (Kyle Smith) plus a team that has had you circled for a year … do the math. Catholic held Northern Lebanon to 0 passing yards and three first downs. The Crusaders are still tied for first with gritty Annville-Cleona, which continues to win (A-C 35, Columbia 0). Crusaders and Little Dutchmen will do battle in Week 9. I’m going to dig up Smith’s passing numbers this week. I don’t think he’s thrown a pick since like Week 2 or something crazy. Stay tuned for that. NEXT: Friday at Columbia in a rivalry game. Crimson Tide is hurting defensively.
4. Manheim Central (4-0, 5-2) – Barons took care of old rival Conestoga Valley 34-7. Thought there might be some more points in that one, if you know what I mean. But Central won and continued its torrid stretch; that’s four wins in a row since the losses to Lancaster Catholic and Wilson, and the Barons have definitely picked up a ton of speed. Granted, the last two wins were over Ephrata (0-7) and CV (0-7), but you still have to block and tackle and execute. Running out of superlatives for Dakota Royer. Stud. Monster. Freak. Pick a word, any word. He’s just a special player. Oh yeah, Barons are alone in first place in Section 2. Been a few years since I’ve typed those words. NEXT: Friday at home against Elizabethtown. Let the hype begin. Hoping this game won’t lose much luster since Cocalico knocked off the Bears 35-34 in Week 7. This should still be a beauty. Don’t forget: E-town waxed Central 56-14 last year in E-town, and it wasn’t pretty. The Bears scored late, and let’s just say that didn’t go over very well with all parties involved. This one has been circled in Central’s weight room the last 11 months (in great big, bold letters), so there could be some serious sparks flying in this one. Three stars.
5. Cocalico (3-1, 6-1) – The Eagles continue to amaze me. Their rushing attack is just incredible with Kyle Fisher, Austin Hartman and Matt Carty back there. Fisher is incredible. Like Royer over at Central, I’ve run out of words to describe Cocalico’s fleet running back. His 75-yard TD run at E-town in Week 7 was jaw-dropping. He was like a flash. The kid is averaging like 13 yards a carry, and he’s a threat to score every single time he touches the ball. Every time. Hartman has chiseled himself into quite the durable, pick-up-the-tough-yards back. He got a bulk of the carries against E-town, and did not disappoint. And Carty has been making great reads in the Veer at QB. He’s really, really good in the option game, and it seems like he always knows when to stick it in Hartman’s gut, when to pitch it to Fisher, and when to pull it and take off. Scary, scary offense here, folks. D has bent a bunch, but hasn’t completely broken. Cocalico has given up some points (56 to Central, 38 to Lebanon, 34 to E-town), but this O has had an answer every single time. NEXT: Friday at home against Garden Spot. Another week, another key Section 2 game. Spartans are also 3-1 in the section, so the winner here stays right in it. The loser will need some major help down the stretch.
