Four L-L League football teams will be in action in the third week of the District 3 playoffs set for this weekend.
Here’s a quick rundown of the four games involving L-L League teams …
THE GAME: No. 5 Penn Manor Comets (10-2 overall; Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1) @ No. 1 Bishop McDevitt Crusaders (11-0 overall; Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division), Saturday, 1 p.m., at Severance Field, Harrisburg, District 3 Quad-A semifinal.
WINNER GETS: No. 2 Wilson or No. 6 Cumberland Valley in the District 3 Quad-A championship game, Saturday, Dec. 5 in Hersheypark Stadium, 6 p.m.
THE COACHES: Penn Manor is coached by Todd Mealy (3rd season; 20-13 overall). … Bishop McDevitt is coached by Jeff Weachter (12th season with Bishop McDevitt; 99-38 overall with Crusaders).
PENN MANOR SEASON REVIEW: Solanco (W 47-21), Lampeter-Strasburg (W 14-10), Exeter (W 49-14), Hempfield (W 34-6), Reading (L 32-27), McCaskey (W 41-12), Manheim Township W 28-18), Warwick (W 14-12), Wilson (L 24-20), Cedar Crest (W 36-35), Chambersburg (W 35-14), South Western (W 34-12).
BISHOP McDEVITT SEASON REVIEW: Harrisburg (W 41-16), Cedar Cliff (W 49-7), Central Dauphin East (W 49-16), Central Dauphin (W 48-13), Lower Dauphin (W 42-6), Altoona (W 49-0), Chambersburg (W 47-7), Carlisle (W 43-6), State College (W 28-17), Harrisburg (W 42-24), Governor Mifflin (W 49-7).
COMMON OPPONENTS: None.
PENN MANOR DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: Comets have won three district playoff games – one last year, and two this season, making this Penn Manor’s deepest postseason trip ever. The Comets bowed out to eventual runner-up Cumberland Valley in last year’s quarterfinal round.
BISHOP McDEVITT DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: Pull up a chair. The Crusaders won District 3 football championships in 1985 (Triple-A over Conestoga Valley), 1987 (Triple-A over Elizabethtown), 1995 (Double-A over Cocalico), 1996 (Double-A over Conrad Weiser), 1997 (Double-A over West York), 2004 (Quad-A over Carlisle), 2005 (Quad-A over State College) and 2006 (Quad-A over Harrisburg). The eight titles are fourth-most in District 3 history (Manheim Central 15, Cumberland Valley 10, Steel-High 9). Bishop McDevitt also won the PIAA Double-A state championship in 1995 with a win over Burrell. Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy was on that team.
NOTABLE: Brotherly love – Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy’s brother, Tom Mealy, is Bishop McDevitt’s athletic director and is an assistant football coach for the Crusaders. Should be an interesting Thanksgiving Dinner in the Mealy house on Thursday. … Jeff Weachter is the former head coach for Lebanon Catholic, which dropped football after the 2000 season. Weachter was the Beavers’ coach from 1993-97, and Lebanon Catholic compiled a 10-29-1 record in Section 3 over that span. … Bishop McDevitt has scored at least 41 points in 10 of its 11 games; its only ‘struggle’ was a 28-17 win over Mid-Penn power/District 6 kingpin State College.
THE GAME: No. 6 Cumberland Valley Eagles (10-2 overall; Mid-Penn Conference Commonwealth Division) @ No. 2 Wilson Bulldogs (11-1 overall; Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 outright champ), Friday, 7 p.m., District 3 Quad-A semifinal.
WINNER GETS: No. 1 Bishop McDevitt or No. 5 Penn Manor in the District 3 Quad-A championship game, Saturday, Dec. 5 in Hersheypark Stadium, 6 p.m.
THE COACHES: Cumberland Valley is coach by Tim Rimpfel (31st season; 274-90-3 overall). … Wilson is coached by Doug Dahms (4th season; 45-8 overall).
CUMBERLAND VALLEY SEASON REVIEW: Red Lion (W 35-0), State College (L 21-17), Altoona (W 35-0), Central Dauphin East (W 73-12), Chambersburg (W 33-15), Lower Dauphin (W 35-6), Lower Dauphin (W 35-6), Carlisle (W 48-6), Harrisburg (W 35-28), Cedar Cliff (W 35-14), Central Dauphin (L 38-35), Muhlenberg (W 42-7), Central Dauphin (W 24-21).
WILSON SEASON REVIEW: Governor Mifflin (W 42-7), Manheim Central (L 29-27), Downingtown East (W 40-35), McCaskey (W 24-14), Cedar Crest (W 31-0), Hempfield (W 28-7), Reading (W 61-19), Manheim Township (W 35-16), Penn Manor (W 24-20), Warwick (W 31-13), York High (W 31-7), Central York (W 34-7).
COMMON OPPONENTS: None.
CUMBERLAND VALLEY DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: In a word, impressive. The Eagles have won eight District 3 Quad-A championships and a pair of District 3 Triple-A championships for 10 overall – second most in District 3 history behind Manheim Central (15). Steel-High is third with nine championships. The Triple-A titles were in 1982 (over Steel-High) and 1984 (over Hempfield) and the Quad-A titles were in 1991 (over McCaskey), 1992 (over Harrisburg), 1993 (over Chambersburg), 1994 (over Gettysburg), 1998 (over Central Dauphin), 2000 (over South Western), 2001 (over McCaskey) and 2003 (over Reading). Cumberland Valley also won the PIAA Quad-A state championship in 1992 with a win over Upper St. Clair.
WILSON DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: Not too shabby, either. The Bulldogs have four District 3 Quad-A titles – 1989 (over Cedar Cliff), 1990 (over Cumberland Valley), 1999 (over Cumberland Valley) and last year (over Cumberland Valley). Wilson also reached the PIAA Quad-A state title game in 1989, falling to Upper St. Clair.
NOTABLE: This is a rematch of last year’s championship game, won handily by Wilson, 35-7. The Bulldogs feasted on eight Eagles’ turnovers – six in the first half alone. … Cumberland Valley’s two losses are by a grand total of 7 points. … Wilson is riding a 10-game winning streak, and outscored its two postseason foes 65-14.
THE GAME: No. 4 Conrad Weiser Scouts (10-2 overall; Berks Inter-County League Section 1) @ No. 1 Manheim Central Barons (12-0 overall; Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 outright champ), Friday, 7 p.m., District 3 Triple-A semifinal.
LIVE BLOG: I will be blogging live from this game at LancSports.com.
WINNER GETS: No. 2 Susquehanna Township or No. 3 West York in the District 3 Triple-A championship game, Friday, December 4 in Hersheypark Stadium, 7 p.m.
THE COACHES: Conrad Weiser is coached by Alan Moyer (7th season; 45-30 overall). … Manheim Central is coached by Mike Williams (29th season; 299-59-3 overall).
CONRAD WEISER SEASON REVIEW: Whitehall (L 28-14), Cedar Crest (W 43-14), Reading Holy Name (W 35-7), Governor Mifflin (L 31-13), Pottsville (W 33-14), Daniel Boone (W 47-26), Muhlenberg (W 6-5), Blue Mountain (W 36-15), Exeter (W 34-16), Twin Valley (W 42-21), Lampeter-Strasburg (W 30-28), Hershey (W 28-27).
MANHEIM CENTRAL SEASON REVIEW: Susquehannock (W 58-0), Wilson (W 29-27), Lancaster Catholic (W 42-12), Cocalico (W 17-14), Solanco (W 45-0), Ephrata (W 64-23), Conestoga Valley (W 36-0), Elizabethtown (W 27-0), Lebanon (W 47-0), Garden Spot (W 49-0), Shippensburg (W 49-8), Daniel Boone (W 24-20).
COMMON OPPONENTS: One – Daniel Boone. Conrad Weiser topped the Blazers 47-26 in a Berks I-C League Section 1 game in Week 6; Manheim Central held off the Blazers 24-20 in a District 3 Triple-A quarterfinal game last Friday.
CONRAD WEISER DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: No District 3 championships for the Scouts, who are appearing in their first Triple-A semifinal game. Conrad Weiser was in one District 3 finale, falling to Bishop McDevitt in the Double-A title game in 1996.
MANHEIM CENTRAL DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: District 3-record 15 championships, all in Triple-A - 1989 (over Elizabethtown), 1990 (over Central York), 1992 (over Conestoga Valley), 1993 (over Gettysburg), 1994 (over Conestoga Valley), 1995 (over Garden Spot), 1996 (over New Oxford), 1997 (over Cocalico), 1998 (over Muhlenberg), 1999 (over West Perry), 2000 (over Conestoga Valley), 2001 (over Spring Grove), 2003 (over Lower Dauphin), 2004 (over Mechanicsburg) and 2005 (over Muhlenberg). Barons also won the PIAA Triple-A state championship in 2003 with a double-OT win over Pine-Richland.
NOTABLE: Manheim Central has more postseason wins than any other District 3 team with 40; Barons are 40-6 with 15 District 3 Triple-A titles. … Barons are one of just two undefeated teams still standing in District 3. The other is Bishop McDevitt in Quad-A. … Conrad Weiser has survived a pair of squeakers to get to the semifinals – Scouts blocked a last-second field goal to edge Lampeter-Strasburg, then needed OT and a PAT kick to oust Hershey in the quarterfinals. … Manheim Central coach Mike Williams has 299 career wins; one more win and he’ll be the 10th coach in PIAA history with 300 victories.
THE GAME: No. 2 Delone Catholic Squires (11-1; York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3) vs. No. 1 Lancaster Catholic Crusaders (11-1 overall; Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 outright champ), Friday, 7 p.m., District 3 Double-A championship in Hersheypark Stadium.
LIVE BLOG: Keith Schweigert will be blogging live from this game at LancSports.com.
WINNER GETS: District 4 champion Lewisburg (11-1) or Loyalsock (9-3) in a PIAA Double-A Eastern semifinal.
THE COACHES: Delone Catholic is coached by Steve Wiles (3rd season; 31-7 overall). … Lancaster Catholic is coached by Bruce Harbach (8th season; 74-23 overall).
DELONE CATHOLIC SEASON REVIEW: Millersburg (W 21-6), Trinity (L 7-6), Dover (W 40-0), Biglerville (W 54-7), Fairfield (W 52-0), York Vo-Tech (W 55-8), Littlestown (W 25-13), Bermudian Springs (W 23-14), York Catholic (W 35-6), Hanover (W 42-14), Wyomissing (W 49-28), Littlestown (W 27-24).
LANCASTER CATHOLIC SEASON REVIEW: Trinity (W 42-0), Ephrata (W 35-7), Manheim Central (L 42-12), Donegal (W 45-0), Lampeter-Strasburg (W 14-13), Pequea Valley (W 62-7), Northern Lebanon (W 59-17), Columbia (W 48-0), Annville-Cleona (W 49-7), Elco (W 51-28), York Suburban (W 48-21), Middletown (W 48-14).
COMMON OPPONENTS: One – Trinity. Delone Catholic’s lone loss this season was to Trinity, by one skinny point, 7-6, in Week 2; Lancaster Catholic blitzed Trinity 42-0 a week earlier in the season opener on Sept. 5.
DELONE CATHOLIC DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: The Squires have won six District 3 Double-A championships – 1989 (over Donegal), 1990 (over Donegal), 1999 (over Lancaster Catholic), 2000 (Wyomissing), 2003 (over Wyomissing) and 2007 (over Trinity).
LANCASTER CATHOLIC DISTRICT 3 HISTORY: The Crusaders have won four District 3 Double-A championships – 1982 (over York Suburban), 1983 (over Bishop McDevitt), 2005 (over Littlestown) and last year (over Middletown). This is the Crusaders’ fifth finals appearance in the last six years.
NOTABLE: Delone Catholic beat Lancaster Catholic 28-18 in a District 3 Double-A semifinal game in 2007. … After thumping York Suburban 38-0 in a quarterfinal game last year, Delone Catholic lost to eventual runner-up Middletown 35-0 in the semifinals.











