Halfway home … that was about the fastest first five weeks of an L-L League football season that I can recall in quite a while.

But here we are: Five down and five to go before the postseason gets kicked off. That’ll be here before you know it.

Time to trot out another top-5 for you … which I do for fun, by the way (if you haven’t heard that one before).

Had to do some thinking this week, what with Penn Manor going down to Reading and all three section races starting to take shape and whatnot.

While I have your attention: Thanks for the birthday wishes (the big 4-0!) and yes, the cold is about out of me, and I’m feeling a little more friskier as Week 6 approaches.

Rankings-wise, here’s what I came up with …

1 – Manheim Central (2-0 Section 2, 5-0 overall; last week – 1st) – Barons throttled Solanco 45-0 and kept on zooming right along, so they’ll stay atop my poll for yet another week. And why not? Superb start for Central, which survived that grueling three-week gauntlet with wins over Wilson, Lancaster Catholic and Cocalico, and now the Barons and hunkering in for a run at a repeat Section 2 championship. Tons to like here – on both sides of the ball and particularly in the trenches and special teams. Sensing a long run for these cats. UP NEXT: Friday at home vs. Ephrata (0-2, 0-5).

2 – Elco (2-0 Section 3, 5-0 overall; last week – 2nd) – Pound-for-pound the MVP of the league in the first half of the season, QB Arron Achey was up to his old tricks vs. Columbia, torching the Crimson Tide’s D for six TD passes in the Raiders’ 46-20 Week 5 win in Myerstown. Elco has now piled up a league-leading 222 points. The Raiders have been equally stingy on D with a league-leading plus-11 turnover ratio after forcing Columbia to turn the ball over seven times last Friday. Should get an even better feel for these guys this week: Big, big tester in Week 6. UP NEXT: Friday at Lampeter-Strasburg (1-1, 2-3).

3 – Lancaster Catholic (2-0 Section 3, 4-1 overall; last week – 4th) – Bumped the Crusaders up a spot after previously unbeaten Penn Manor fell to Reading and Catholic held off L-S at the wire, 14-13. Stop the presses – Kyle Smith actually threw two picks in the win over the Pioneers (his first two interceptions this season). But the Crusaders showed some moxie, got another big night on the ground from Jordan Stewart (128 yards), and Smith had a pair of TD tosses – giving him 13 this season – and Catholic remained tied atop Section 3 with Elco … which visits Catholic in Week 10 by the way. I’m just saying. UP NEXT: Friday at home vs. Pequea Valley (0-2, 1-4).

4 – Cocalico (1-1 Section 2, 4-1 overall; last week – 5th) – Eagles bounced back after the gut-wrencher 17-14 loss at Manheim Central with a 28-10 triumph over backyard rival Ephrata in Denver. That score might have been a tad closer than some people thought, but the Mountaineers, who dropped their 15th game in a row, forced a couple of turnovers and hung in there. Still, a win for Cocalico, which gouged out 300-plus rushing yards – 237 yards from FB Austin Hartman, who also had three TD runs. Still features No. 1 rushing attack and top-ranked O in the league. UP NEXT: Friday at Lebanon (2-0, 2-3).

5 – Manheim Township (2-0 Section 1, 4-1 overall; last week – not ranked) – Warm greetings and salutations to the Blue Streaks, who are making their first appearance in my poll this season. Glad I got to see Township on Friday, when the Streaks wiped out host Warwick 34-14 behind Brian Sourber, who rushed for 205 yards and four TD for Township, which won its third game in a row and remained tied atop the Section 1 pile with Wilson. Picked these guys to finish second in the section, and here they are, right in the race at the midway point. Keep an eye on Neffsville, won’t you. UP NEXT: Friday at Cedar Crest (0-2, 2-3).

HONORABLE MENTION: Conestoga Valley (2-0 Section 2, 4-1 overall), Penn Manor (1-1 Section 1, 4-1 overall), Wilson (2-0 Section 1, 4-1 overall).