JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
THE GAME: No. 5 Manheim Central Barons (11-2 overall) vs. No. 3 West York Bulldogs (12-1), Friday 7 p.m., District 3 Triple-A championship game, Hersheypark Stadium.
LIVE BLOG: I’ll be blogging live from this game on the L-L League Insider at lancsports.com. Can’t make it to Hersheypark? Come and find me online and I’ll give you instant updates, post your comments, answer your questions and pass along scores from around the district and state.
LAST WEEK: Manheim Central rallied past No. 1 Mechanicsburg 26-21. … West York blanked No. 10 Garden Spot 20-0.
WINNER GETS: District 10 champ Erie Strong Vincent (13-0) or District 7 champ Thomas Jefferson (12-1) in a PIAA Triple-A state semifinal (Western final; District 3 champ goes west). … And yes, Thomas Jefferson is the team that squashed Manheim Central 56-20 in the 2004 Triple-A state title game.
THE SERIES: This is the seventh time Manheim Central and West York will meet on the gridiron – the third time in the District 3 Triple-A playoffs. Here’s a fun stat for you – Manheim Central has played 62 different teams in 60 years of varsity football, and West York is one of just 15 teams with a winning record against the Barons. The Bulldogs lead the series 3-2-1. Here is a look at the first six meetings:
1948 – West York 32, Manheim Central 0
1949 – West York 7, Manheim Central 0
1950 – West York 13, Manheim Central 13
1951 – West York 13, Manheim Central 12
2000 (District 3 first round) – Manheim Central 42, West York 7
2006 (District 3 first round) – Manheim Central 57, West York 13
THE COACHES: Manheim Central’s Mike Williams is in his 28th season and he is 287-58-3. He has the most victories by any football coach in the history of District 3 football. … West York’s Ron Miller is in his 3rd season and he is 22-3 overall.
MANHEIM CENTRAL RESULTS: Susquehannock (W 32-10), @ Wilson (L 20-15), Lancaster Catholic (L 21-8), @ Cocalico (W 56-33), Solanco (W 24-14), @ Ephrata (W 61-14), Conestoga Valley (W 34-7), Elizabethtown (W 28-19), @ Lebanon (W 33-28), @ Garden Spot (W 24-19), Elco (W 45-14), @ Cocalico (W 26-7), @ Mechanicsburg (W 26-21). … Six of the Barons’ 10 regular-season opponents qualified for the District 3 playoffs, and Central’s lone losses were to Wilson (which is undefeated and in the District 3 Quad-A title game) and to Lancaster Catholic (the District 3 Double-A champ). Wilson and Catholic are a combined 25-1. … Central’s winning streak is at 10.
WEST YORK RESULTS: @ Central York (W 28-3), @ Dallastown (L 48-47), Red Lion (W 28-6), Hanover (W 68-7), @ Eastern York (W 54-17), @ Northeastern York (W 73-6), York Suburban (W 47-13), Kennard-Dale (W 53-7), Susquehannock (W 55-14), @ Littlestown (W 28-14), Hershey (W 38-0), Conrad Weiser (W 56-30), Garden Spot (W 20-0). … Winning streak is up to 11 games, with lone loss – by one narrow point – coming in a non-league game at Dallastown way back in Week 2. … Five of 10 regular-season opponents made the District 3 playoffs.
COMMON OPPONENTS: A pair of them – Susquehannock: Manheim Central won that game 32-10 way back in a non-leaguer in the season-opener in Manheim; West York drilled Susquehannock 55-14 in a YAIAA Section 2 game in Week 9 at home. … Garden Spot: Manheim Central survived the Spartans 24-19 in the regular-season Section 2 finale to clinch the outright section crown; West York blanked the Spartans 20-0 in the District 3 Triple-A semifinals.
MANHEIM CENTRAL STAT PACK: Leading rusher – Joe Gruber (139 carries for 769 yards, 5.5 avg., 9 TDs); Leading passers – Jeremy Knosp (102-of-185 for 1,802 yards, 13 TDs, 6 picks), Justin Gorman (50-of-86 for 781 yards, 5 TDs, 4 picks); Leading receiver – Dakota Royer (52 catches for 1,065 yards, 20.5 avg., 5 TDs); Team offense – 380.2 yards per game (4th in the L-L League); Team defense – 245.7 yards per game (5th in the L-L League).
WEST YOR STAT PACK: Leading rusher – Brandon Real (252 carries for 2,607 yards, 10.4 avg., 41 TDs); Leading passer – Alex George (75-of-136 for 1,447 yards, 16 TDs, 5 picks); Leading receiver – Nate Jacobs (31 catches for 800 yards, 25.8 avg., 11 TDs); Team offense – 392.7 yards per game.
MANHEIM CENTRAL NOTES: Barons have won a record 15 District 3 Triple-A championships, including a mind-boggling 10 in a row from 1992-2001. … Outscored opponents 412-227. … Minus-5 in turnover ratio with 24 giveaways and 19 takeaways, including a head-scratching low three fumble recoveries in 13 games. … 94 penalties (most in the L-L League) for 789 yards (ditto). … Averaging 38.3 yards per punt on 36 boots. … 219 first downs.
REAL-LY TOUGH BREAK: West York senior scatback Brandon Real suffered a broken collarbone in the district semifinals against Garden Spot, and he’s done for the season – and what a season for Real. He rushed for 2,607 yards and scored 41 rushing touchdowns. Tack on 10 scores on defense and special teams, and he scored 51 TDs this season. It goes without saying that the Bulldogs are going to miss him.
WEST YORK NOTES: Program is no stranger to the District 3 playoffs, with multiple trips (and titles) in Double-A and Triple-A. This is the Bulldogs’ 10th trip to the District 3 playoffs, and here are their results: 1988 (Double-A) beat Delone Catholic 33-14 in championship game; 1991 (Double-A) beat Bermudian Springs 29-15 in championship game); 1992 (Double-A) lost to Bermudian Springs 38-0 in the first round; 1994 (Double-A) lost to Juniata 29-22 in the first round; 1997 (Double-A) lost to Bishop McDevitt 35-14 in the championship game; 1998 (Double-A) lost to Littlestown 33-14 in the first round; 2000 (Triple-A) lost to Manheim Central 42-7 in the first round; 2006 (Triple-A) lost to Manheim Central 57-13 in the first round; 2007 (Triple-A) lost to Gettysburg 33-28 in the quarterfinals. … Outscoring opponents 596-165, including 114-30 in the postseason, with two shutouts. … RB Corey Harris, who played well in reserve in the Garden Spot game, will be the Bulldogs’ feature back with Real out. He’s carried 71 times for 388 yards (5.5 avg.) and five TDs.
QUOTABLE: Garden Spot coach Matt Zamperini, whose team took Manheim Central to the wire before falling in an L-L League Section 2 game in Week 10, and fell to West York in the District 3 Triple-A semifinals – “West York will be put to the test without Real, but he is definitely not their only athlete. … I think West York and Manheim Central should be a pretty good match-up; both teams are very strong up front on both sides of the ball, and both defenses are very good. … Both teams have quality players, good tacklers and good fundamental schemes. And both teams are well coached. I really like this match-up.”
MORE MULTI-MEDIA LINKS:
Manheim Central DE Dakota Royer on youtube.com
My D3 preview for Elco game with Coach Williams interview
My D3 preview for Cocalico game with Coach Williams interview
My D3 preview for Mechanicsburg game with Coach Williams interview
