And then there were four.

And one of them will go for gold.

Four Lancaster-Lebanon League football teams advanced in the District 3 playoffs Friday night.

Wilson and Penn Manor in Quad-A.

Manheim Central in Triple-A.

And Lancaster Catholic in Double-A.

The Crusaders clinched a spot in the Double-A championship game with a 48-14 romp over Middletown in a semifinal game Friday night in Lancaster.

Another game, another ridiculously huge night for QB Kyle Smith, who continues to put up crooked numbers.

Against Middletown, in a rematch of last year’s district championship game, Smith completed 16-of-18 passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns. Don’t have the ‘official’ numbers yet, but according to what I have in front of me, Smith will need 159 passing yards in the district championship game to pass former Downingtown East standout Pat Devlin for career passing yards in state history.

Lancaster Catholic will take on Delone Catholic - a 27-24 winner over Littlestown - in the title game, set for Friday at 7 p.m. in Hersheypark Stadium. Early plug alert: Keith Schweigert blogging live from that game at LancSports.com.

Meanwhile, Wilson won and advanced rather easily, cruising past Central York 34-7 in a Quad-A quarterfinal game in West Lawn.

Penn Manor also pushed through to the semifinal round in Quad-A compliments of a 34-12 win at South Western.

Wilson will take on Cumberland Valley - a 24-21 winner over Mid-Penn rival Central Dauphin - in a semifinal game in West Lawn; the Bulldogs clipped the Eagles 35-7 in last year’s Quad-A title game.

Penn Manor will take on the winner of Saturday’s Bishop McDevitt-Governor Mifflin game in next week’s semifinals.

Three L-L League teams were in action in the Triple-A bracket Friday night, but just one advanced - No. 1 seed Manheim Central, which improved to 12-0 overall with a hard-fought 24-20 home victory over Daniel Boone, which led 14-10 at the half, but couldn’t put the Barons away.

Every quarterfinal game in the Triple-A bracket was a barn-burner:

Conestoga Valley, fresh off its 35-0 wipeout over No. 5 seed Northern York in the first round, led defending champ West York 20-6 in the second half. But the Bulldogs rallied and forced overtime, and won, 35-34, on a 2-point conversion play in the second OT. Heart-breaker for the Buckskins.

Cocalico got in the shootout everyone was expecting at Susquehanna Township, and the Indians survived, topping the Eagles 50-32 behind senior QB Ben Dupree, who rushed for 341 yards and three TD and passed for another 154 yards and two scores as Susquehanna Township piled up 622 yards and sent Cocalico packing.

In the fourth Triple-A quarterfinal, Conrad Weiser held off Hershey 28-27 in overtime.

What a night in the Triple-A bracket.

In the semifinals, Manheim Central will host Conrad Weiser (a Barons’ win would be No. 300 all-time for coach Mike Williams) and Susquehanna Township will host West York. Those are the top 4 seeds, by the way, so that bracket has been chalk.

Another early plug alert: I will be blogging live from the Conrad Weiser at Manheim Central semifinal game at LancSports.com.

In Single-A, No. 1 seed Upper Dauphin, fresh off a bye week, topped York Catholic 26-14, and Millersburg edged Steel-High 14-13 in semifinal games Friday night, setting up a District 3 championship game of Upper Dauphin vs. Millersburg next Friday afternoon in Hersheypark Stadium.

That will be a double-dip with the Double-A finale.

Steel-High’s run as two-time state champ has ended. What a ride for the Rollers.

NEWS AND NOTES – Kevin Kelley rushed for 242 yards in Conestoga Valley’s gut-punch 35-34 double-OT loss at West York. Unofficially, Kelley finished his outstanding senior season with 2,332 rushing yards (and 26 TD runs). That’s at least the fourth 2,000-yard season for an L-L League back. Lebanon Catholic’s Tommy Long (1996), Cocalico’s Randy Hall (1994) and CV’s Brady Myers (1991) also hit that milestone. … Wilson QB Zach Zweizig has been lights out in the postseason. The Bulldogs’ junior torched Central York for 306 passing yards in Wilson’s 34-7 quarterfinal victory. In two playoff games, Zweizig is 33-for-49 (a sizzling 67 percent) for 526 yards and six TD passes. He’s thrown three TD passes in each of the first two playoff games, and through 12 games, Zweizig has passed for 2,231 yards and 21 TD. … Cocalico knew all about Susquehanna Township senior QB Ben Dupree coming into Friday’s Triple-A quarterfinal. And the Indians’ multi-purpose threat didn’t disappoint, rushing for 341 yards as Susquehanna Township piled up 622 total yards against Cocalico, which brought the L-L League’s fourth-ranked defense into the game. Dupree had TD runs of 82, 60 and 73 yards, respectively, against the Eagles, who jumped out to an early 12-0 lead, but simply couldn’t stop Dupree and his mates. … First 10-win season in school history for Penn Manor, which whacked South Western 34-12 and advanced to a district semifinal for the first time ever behind senior QB P.J. Rehm, who completed 17-of-24 passes for 324 yards and three TD. … Manheim Central K Taylor Groff booted a 37-yard field goal in the Barons’ 24-20 win over Daniel Boone. He’s now 8-for-8 in field goal attempts this season. … Manheim Central QB Justin Gorman remained hot with a pair of TD keepers (that’s seven TD runs in his last three games), including a dazzling 43-yard sprint, when he zigzagged through Daniel Boone’s secondary on the way to the house. Boone actually out-gained the Barons 311-286. But Central, thanks to two picks from DB Casey Ebersole, took advantage of some short fields and held off the pesky Blazers. I think a little birdie told you last week that the key matchup would be Ebersole on Boone WR Kelly Saylor. Saylor, who led Berks I-C in receptions coming into the game, had 10 catches, but most of them came in the first half. In the second half, Ebersole jumped Saylor once for a pick, and intercepted an overthrown pass headed to Saylor and keyed the Barons’ comeback. … Daniel Boone QB Jon Monteiro, an All-State pick last year, went over 5,000 career passing yards. He finished his fine career with the Blazers with 5,070 passing yards. … Bit of a scare for Manheim Central in the second half when Penn State recruit Dakota Royer limped off and missed a couple of plays. He later returned, and I was told he had a bit of a hyperextension in his left knee, but that he was fine. … Manheim Central coach Mike Williams is up to 299 career victories. If the Blazers beat Conrad Weiser in the semifinals, he’ll become the 10th coach in PIAA history to hit 300 wins.

PODCASTS COMING – Check back Monday for audio Podcast interviews with Manheim Central coach Mike Williams and Barons’ players Justin Gorman and Casey Ebersole.

Keith’s picks from The Huddle Blog here.

Another week, more football picks.

Six Lancaster-Lebanon League teams are still cutting the proverbial rug in the District 3 playoffs.

And one of the fun parts of my gig is predicting their fate.

So I’m either a stinking genius, or people pin up this column in the locker room and draw squiggly beards on my face or poke my eyeballs out. Hey, it’s all in good fun, right?

My selections …

Central York @ Wilson – CY’s Kyle Baublitz, a Penn State recruit, is a monster. But Wilson keeps finding ways to win. And the ‘Dawgs would love to defend their crown. So I’m going Wilson here. This is why you play your guts out during the regular season: to get a top-2 seed and get home games. Bulldogs tame Panthers, 28-13.

Penn Manor @ South Western – At the risk of sounding like a complete homer, I’m really, honestly leaning Penn Manor here. South Western is enjoying a super season, found a wild way to win last week, and definitely gets a home-field edge here, with this game being contested at the very cool Corral. But I have a hunch about this Comets’ team. For all the second-half turnovers and digging out of trouble, I think going through those things has toughened up this group. Penn Manor clears a hurdle and gets to the semis. Comets tame Mustangs, 31-24.

I’m going to see if I can use the word ‘tame’ in all my picks this week. Let’s see how I do …

Daniel Boone @ Manheim Central – Blogging live from this game at LancSports.com. Thought I’d go ahead and drop in that shameless plug right out of the chute. This will not – repeat: will not – be a 56-0 romp for the Barons. That said, I think Manheim Central wins and advances here, but this won’t be anything like the Barons’ last 5-6 games, which were all ridiculously lopsided and titanic blowouts. Not this week. Boone is tricky. Not big. But tricky. And speedy. And QB Jon Monteiro is quite good. So the Blazers will put up some points – and put up a good fight. But nobody is in Central’s stratosphere at the moment. Barons tame Blazers, 38-14. (3-for-3; I’m definitely on a roll here).

Cocalico @ Susquehanna Township – Put some new light bulbs in the scoreboard. Might be some major points in this game. There was last year, when Cocalico topped Susquehanna Township 49-30 in a first-round game in Denver. Eagles have to go on the road this time and will play on the Indians’ turf field. Two prolific offenses in this one: ST averages a tick under 430 yards a game; Cocalico 398 yards a game (tops in the L-L). And the Eagles are coming off a (gulp) 589-yard rushing effort in first-round win over Elco. Looking at this game three ways – my gut says Susquehanna Township; my head says Cocalico. My heart? Wow. Been struggling with this one all week. I think, in the end, ST QB Ben Dupree might be too much to curtail. Indians (wait for it) tame Eagles, 40-34.

Conestoga Valley @ West York – Buckskins are the darlings of the Triple-A bracket, coming off a 35-0 romp over No. 5 seed Northern York – in a game CV’s D held the Polar Bears (couldn’t resist typing ‘Polar Bears’ one last time this season) to 38 yards and two first downs. And Kevin Kelley went over 2,000 rushing yards in the process. West York? Well, they’re a completely different animal (just realized the Buckskins went from Polar Bears one week to Bulldogs the next; love District 3 nicknames). West York is the defending Triple-A champ, is 10-1, and is feeling a tad frisky after losing in Week 10 to Littlestown, and then having to hold off Mechanicsburg in the first round last week. Bulldogs are ready to unleash (I am King of the bad pun, sorry). Can CV’s defense do it two weeks in a row? No reason to believe they can’t, but West York has a ton of firepower. And the Bulldogs have been here before. Kudos to Kelley and the Buckskins for a marvelous season. But the pick here is West York. Bulldogs (you got it) tame Buckskins, 28-14.

Middletown @ Lancaster Catholic – A trip to the District 3 Double-A title game is riding on this one. And if the Crusaders didn’t have enough to play for, now they have a fallen comrade (Trevor St. Clair broke his ankle last week) to play for. Catholic with more motivation? Um, yeah. That’s not what you want. Saw a poster in Catholic’s locker room the other day about smelling chocolate. Take a big whiff, boys. You’ll be smelling the real thing next week. Catholic cruises here. Crusaders (one more time) tame Blue Raiders, 42-7. Reminder: Keith blogging live from this game at LancSports.com. Thus ends the shameless plugs.

Yay, I did it.

MORE PICKS: Because you just can’t get enough, and while I’m at it, here’s who I like in the other District 3 playoff games in Round 2 – Quad-A: Bishop McDevitt over Governor Mifflin (McD slips down to Triple-A next year; somewhere Mike Williams, mumbling something inaudible under his breath, is devising plays on a chalkboard); Cumberland Valley over Central Dauphin (Eagles would love a rematch with Wilson and make amends for last year’s title-game turnover fest) … Triple-A: Conrad Weiser over Hershey (I had L-S over Weiser last week and the Scouts blocked a field goal at the horn to win it; not picking against these guys two weeks in a row) … Double-A: Delone Catholic over Littlestown (setting up a Delone Catholic-Lancaster Catholic finale) … Single-A: Upper Dauphin over York Catholic (UD had a first-round bye so they should be refreshed, although sometimes that backfires – not many bye weeks in prep football, come to think of it); Millersburg over Steel-High (ending Rollers’ superb reign).

Podcast time.

This week, Round 2 of the District 3 football playoffs.

Wilson, Penn Manor, Manheim Central, Cocalico, Conestoga Valley and Lancaster Catholic are all very much still alive in the brackets.

Lancaster Catholic, in fact, can advance to the Double-A championship game with a win Friday over Middletown.

Quad-A and Triple-A are in the quarterfinal round.

So settle in; still a long way to go.

In this Podcast I break down Friday’s games and share any news, notes, stats or factoids I can scrounge up.

Oh yeah – thought I heard rain in the forecast for Friday, so hunker down for that.

And while I have your attention, another cheap plug alert for our live blogs: Keith will be at the Middletown @ Lancaster Catholic game and I’ll be at the Daniel Boone @ Manheim Central game. Those links are at LancSports.com.

Alrighty … here’s your handy-dandy District 3 playoff Round 2 Podcast …

You can listen to the Podcast by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.

Wilson is still alive in its quest to defend in Quad-A.

Penn Manor pulled off a comeback in Round 1 and is looking to get past the quarterfinals for the first time ever in Quad-A.

No. 1 seed Manheim Central saw its shutout streak end in Round 1, but the Barons are still undefeated and the team to beat in Triple-A.

Cocalico has a rematch against Susquehanna Township in Triple-A.

Conestoga Valley is the darling of the Triple-A bracket after knocking off No. 5 seed Northern York (on the road) in Round 1.

And No. 1 seed Lancaster Catholic can advance to the Double-A title game with a win over Middletown – the team the Crusaders housed 41-0 in last year’s championship.

It’s Round 2 of the District 3 football playoffs. Win and advance. Lose and report directly to basketball or wrestling practice on Monday.

Oh yeah, rain is in the forecast for Friday. Yay.

Here’s my breakdown …

THE GAME: No. 7 Central York (8-3 overall) @ No. 2 Wilson (10-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
WINNER GETS: No. 3 Central Dauphin (9-2) or No. 6 Cumberland Valley (9-2) in the semifinals. Central Dauphin topped Spring Grove 37-13 in the first round; Cumberland Valley cruised past Muhlenberg 42-7. … Central Dauphin and Cumberland Valley are Honorable Mention picks in Quad-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … Without looking too far ahead, Wilson waxed Cumberland Valley 35-7 in last year’s District 3 Quad-A championship game. The Bulldogs cashed in on eight turnovers that night in Hersheypark Stadium.
THE COACHES: Central York is coached by Brad Livingston (28th season; 173-124-4 overall). … Wilson is coached by Doug Dahms (4th season; 44-8 overall).
LAST WEEK: Central York dropped YAIAA foe Dallastown 28-10. … Wilson held York High to 141 yards of total offense in a 31-7 win over the Bearcats – York High’s fifth loss in a row to end the season.
NOTABLE: Wilson is an Honorable Mention pick in Quad-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings.
KEY STATS: Central York’s key stat is 103 – LB Kyle Baublitz, a 6-5, 260-pound Penn State recruit, has 103 total tackles, tops on the team. … Wilson’s key stat is 23 – the Bulldogs have 23 giveaways and are a puzzling minus-9 in turnover ratio. That might have a little something to do with Wilson’s seven come-from-behind victories this season.
CENTRAL YORK STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Charles Anderson (240 carries for 1,790 yards, 7.5 avg., 19 TD); Leading passer – QB Brandon Baker (73-of-135 for 1,059 yards, 10 TD, 8 picks); Leading receiver – WR Parrish Fells (20 catches for 305 yards, 15.3 avg., 2 TD).
WILSON STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Kriss Brown (110 carries for 932 yards, 8.5 avg., 10 TD); Leading passer – QB Zach Zweizig (130-of-229 for 1,932 yards, 18 TD, 10 picks); Leading receiver – TE Tyler Beck (29 catches for 566 yards, 19.5 avg., 7 TD).
ABOUT CENTRAL YORK: Panthers have outscored their opponents 300-118 and are averaging 293.7 yards per game – 2,158 rushing yards and 1,073 passing yards total. … Central York has given up just 49 points in its eight victories. … K Aaron Goodyear has 37 extra points and five field goals. … Baublitz has 35 solo stops, an interception, four passes defended, a forced fumble and a blocked punt for the Panthers. … Central York has appeared in two District 3 championship games, and lost in both of them – to Hershey in the 1984 Double-A title game, and to Manheim Central in the 1990 Triple-A title game. … Central York lost to Governor Mifflin in last year’s quarterfinal round.
ABOUT WILSON: Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 374-167 and have 182 first downs. … 18 punts for 32.6 average. … 66 penalties for 494 yards. … Wilson is cranking out 356.1 yards per game and giving up 221.8. … RB Nick Greth has been a solid 1-2 punch with Brown; Greth has 501 yards on 94 carries (5.3 avg.) and a team-leading 11 TD runs. … DB Connor Mathias has a team-best 76 total tackles; LB Cody Simcox has 50 total tackles and a team-high five sacks. … Wilson won District 3 Quad-A championships in 1989 (over Cedar Cliff), 1990 (over Cumberland Valley), 1999 (over Cumberland Valley) and last year (over Cumberland Valley). Wilson also fell in District 3 Quad-A title games in 1996 (to Cedar Cliff) and 2002 (to Central Dauphin).

QUOTABLE: Wilson coach Doug Dahms – “Central York is a team much like ourselves. They have a few very talented players and they run a whole host of offensive and defensive sets hoping to cause some mismatches and confusion. … Kyle Baublitz is a very nice TE/LB who causes a lot of problems because of his size. They’ll use him a lot at the point of attack. … Their tailback, Charles Anderson, is a very versatile player, and he runs their outside zone, isolation and counter game very well. … Central York will run a lot of heavy formations to create mismatches for the defense, and when you compensate, they’ll run the counter at you. The quarterback (Baker) has a nice touch and he throws enough to keep you honest. … Defensively they’ll run a 4-3 and blitz – a lot. With our passing game, this will obviously be a key.”

THE GAME: No. 5 Penn Manor (9-2 overall) @ No. 4 South Western (10-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
ON THE RADIO: Two radio stations will be broadcasting this game live – WPDC-AM 1600 and WOYK-AM 1350.
WINNER GETS: No. 1 Bishop McDevitt (10-0) or No. 9 Governor Mifflin (7-4) in the semifinals. Bishop McDevitt knocked off next-door neighbor Harrisburg 42-14 in the first round; Governor Mifflin blanked Manheim Township 14-0. … Bishop McDevitt is No. 1 in Quad-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … And without looking too far ahead, Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy’s brother is the athletic director and an assistant football coach at – ta-da – Bishop McDevitt.
THE COACHES: Penn Manor is coached by Todd Mealy (3rd season; 19-13 overall). … South Western is coached by Don Seidenstricker (24th season; 183-78-1 overall).
LAST WEEK: Penn Manor trailed 14-0 early but roared from behind for a 35-14 win over Chambersburg. … South Western coughed up an early 19-0 lead and then rallied for a wild 41-34 win over Cedar Cliff.
NOTABLE: South Western is an Honorable Mention pick in Quad-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … South Western’s home stadium is dubbed The Corral. Sweet place to watch a game.
KEY STATS: Penn Manor’s key stat is 22 – the Comets have 22 takeaways on defense and are a plus-8 in turnover ratio. … South Western’s key stat is 132 – the Mustangs have given up just 132 points; 12.0 points per game through 11 weeks.
PENN MANOR STAT PACK: Leading rusher – QB P.J. Rehm (140 carries for 678 yards, 4.8 avg., 3 TD); Leading passer – QB P.J. Rehm (57-of-117 for 1,219 yards, 16 TD, 3 picks); Leading receiver – RB LaRonn Lee (25 catches for 480 yards, 19.2 avg., 5 TD).
SOUTH WESTERN STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Levi Sager (100 carries for 782 yards, 7.8 avg., 13 TD); Leading passer – QB Ian Smith (84-of-168 for 1,328 yards, 15 TD, 10 picks); Leading receiver – WR Mike Felton (20 catches for 312 yards, 15.6 avg., 5 TD).
ABOUT PENN MANOR: Comets have outscored their opponents 345-198 and have 163 first downs. … 42 punts for 40.2 average. … 72 penalties for 523 yards. … Lee has 1,153 yards from scrimmage (673 rushing, 480 receiving) and he’s accounted for 14 TD. … LB Ande Olson leads the team with 101 total tackle points along with 59 solo stops, three sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pair of QB hurries. … DT Bryan Weaver has a team-high 4 ½ sacks. … Rehm is the second-ranked passer in the L-L League with 16 TD against just three picks. He also leads the team in rushing. … FB Jared Shearer rushed for 108 yards and a TD in the win over Chambersburg. He’s the team’s third-leading rusher with 476 yards and nine TD.
ABOUT SOUTH WESTERN: Mustangs have outscored their opponents 359-132 and are averaging 348.2 yards per game – 2,453 rushing yards and 1,377 passing yards total. … Smith, the QB, also handles the kicking chores; he has 36 extra points and a field goal. … FB J.R. Mummert is very dependable: 173 carries for 741 yards, 4.3 avg. and eight TD. … LB Jake Myers has been a busy boy: 119 total tackles (72 solos), five sacks and three interceptions. … Felton’s interception and pick-6 sealed South Western’s win over Cedar Cliff in the first round.

MULTIMEDIA:

Audio Podcast interview with Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy here.

Audio Podcast interview with Penn Manor’s LaRonn Lee here.

Audio Podcast interview with Penn Manor’s Jared Shearer here.

Audio Podcast interview with Penn Manor’s P.J. Rehm here.

THE GAME: No. 9 Daniel Boone (9-2 overall) @ No. 1 Manheim Central (11-0 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LIVE BLOG: I will be blogging live from this game at LancSports.com. So if you can’t make it to Manheim, kindly join me online for scoring updates, analysis, scores from around the district and your questions and comments.
ON THE TUBE: This game will be broadcast live by Blue Ridge TV-11.
ON THE RADIO: This game will be broadcast live by WEEU-AM 830.
WINNER GETS: No. 4 Conrad Weiser (9-2) or No. 5 Hershey (9-2) in the semifinals. Conrad Weiser blocked a last-second field goal in its 30-28 escape over Lampeter-Strasburg in the first round; Hershey edged Kennard-Dale 24-21 in the first round. … Conrad Weiser is an Honorable Mention pick in Triple-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings.
THE COACHES: Daniel Boone is coached by Dave Bodolus (7th season; 58-23 overall). … Manheim Central is coached by Mike Williams (29th season; 298-59-3 overall).
LAST WEEK: Daniel Boone drilled Greencastle-Antrim 35-7. … Manheim Central had its shutout streak snapped, but the Barons still disposed of Shippensburg 49-8.
NOTABLE: Manheim Central is No. 4 in Triple-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … Daniel Boone is an Honorable Mention pick in Triple-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … This is a rematch from a 2006 District 3 Triple-A quarterfinal game, won 26-19 in overtime by Manheim Central in Birdsboro. Muddy, muddy night, if my memory serves me correctly.
KEY STATS: Daniel Boone’s key stat is 191.6 – the Blazers are giving up 191.6 yards per game, tops in the Berks I-C League through 11 weeks. … Manheim Central’s key stat is 84 – the Barons have given up just 84 points in 11 games – a scant 7.6 points per game.
DANIEL BOONE STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Brian Evans (161 carries for 859 yards, 5.3 avg., 13 TD); Leading passer – QB Jon Monteiro (135-of-235 for 1,871 yards, 25 TD, 10 picks); Leading receiver – WR Kelly Saylor (43 catches for 761 yards, 17.7 avg., 11 TD).
MANHEIM CENTRAL STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Joe Gruber (138 carries for 989 yards, 6.1 avg., 15 TD); Leading passer – QB Justin Gorman (116-of-195 for 1,620 yards, 13 TD, 8 picks); Leading receiver – RB Dan Trafford (31 catches for 541 yards, 17.5 avg., 5 TD).
ABOUT DANIEL BOONE: Blazers have outscored their opponents 317-113 and they’re averaging 332.0 yards per game – 1,710 rushing yards and 1,942 passing yards total. … Plus-3 in turnover ratio with 18 takeaways. … Saylor leads the Berks I-C League in catches (43), receiving yards (761) and TD grabs (11). … Monteiro, an All-State pick last year after finishing second in the state in passing yards (behind Lancaster Catholic’s Kyle Smith), is the top-ranked passer in the Berks I-C League (150.9), and his 25 TD passes are also most in the Berks I-C League. Monteiro is also a pretty smart cookie. … Top defensive player is NG Mitchell Stead. He has some tasty numbers: 42 solo stops, 45 assisted tackles, 13 tackles for losses, four forced fumbled, a fumble recovery, four blocked kicks and 12 sacks.
ABOUT MANHEIM CENTRAL: Barons have outscored their opponents 463-84 and have 187 first downs. … 25 punts for hefty 47.6 average – helped out by Dan Trafford’s 67-yard punt in the first round against Shippensburg. … 72 penalties for 629 yards. … Plus-9 in turnover ratio with 19 giveaways and 28 takeaways. … Including their 49-8 first-round win over Shippensburg, the Barons have won 39 District 3 playoff games, the most ever. … Manheim Central has outscored its last five opponents 208-8. … Gruber needs 11 rushing yards for 1,000 this season. … No. 1 defense in the L-L League giving up 174.0 yards per game. Ringleaders include LB Lowen Johnson (141 tackle points, 45 solo stops, 5 ½ sacks), LB Brett Barber (116 tackle points, 48 solo stops), LB Dakota Royer (6 ½ sacks, three fumble recoveries). … Williams needs two victories to join the 300-career-win club. Only nine coaches in the state have eclipsed that number. … Manheim Central has won 15 District 3 titles – 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). The Barons also lost in District 3 Triple-A title games in 2002 (to Lower Dauphin) and last year (to West York).

MULTIMEDIA:

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central coach Mike Williams here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Justin Gorman here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Dakota Royer here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Dan Trafford here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Derek Hart here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Joe Weaver here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Taylor Groff here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Brett Barber here.

Audio Podcast interview with Manheim Central’s Lowen Johnson here.

THE GAME: No. 7 Cocalico (9-2 overall) @ No. 2 Susquehanna Township (10-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LIVE BLOG: There will be a live blog from this game. If you can’t make it to Susquehanna Township, you can find the live blog link right here.
WINNER GETS: No. 3 West York (10-1) or No. 11 Conestoga Valley (7-4) in the semifinals. West York held off Mechanicsburg 35-28 in the first round; Conestoga Valley pulled off the first-round shocker in any bracket, blanking Northern York 35-0. The Polar Bears were the No. 5 seed.
THE COACHES: Cocalico is coached by Dave Gingrich (6th season; 42-23 overall). … Susquehanna Township is coached by Joe Headen (7th season; 41-33 overall).
LAST WEEK: Cocalico gouged out 589 yards – all, amazingly, on the ground – in its 56-31 shootout win over Elco. … Susquehanna Township knocked off New Oxford 42-7.
NOTABLE: Susquehanna Township is an Honorable Mention pick in Triple-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … This is a rematch from a first-round District 3 Triple-A game last year, won by then-No. 4 seed Cocalico, 49-30, in Denver.
KEY STATS: Cocalico’s key stat is 398.5 – the Eagles are averaging 398.5 yards per game, tops in the L-L League through 11 weeks. … Susquehanna Township’s key stat is 3,097 – cat-quick QB Ben Dupree has 3,097 total yards; 1,192 rushing and 1,905 passing.
COCALICO STAT PACK: Leading rusher – FB Austin Hartman (220 carries for 1,499 yards, 6.8 avg., 19 TD); Leading passer – QB Matt Carty (25-of-61 for 422 yards, 4 TD, 1 pick); Leading receiver – WR Kyle Rissell (23 catches for 437 yards, 19.0 avg., 5 TD).
SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP STAT PACK: Leading rusher – QB Ben Dupree (133 carries for 1,192 yards, 9.0 avg., 13 TD; Leading passer – QB Ben Dupree (116-of-176 for 1,905 yards, 19 TD, 6 picks); Leading receiver – WR Tajh Turner (44 catches for 683 yards, 15.5 avg., 5 TD).
ABOUT COCALICO: Eagles have outscored their competition 357-171 and have 192 first downs. … 21 punts for 34.5 average. … 46 penalties for 302 yards. … Plus-3 in turnover ratio with 17 giveaways and 20 takeaways. … The 589 rushing yards against Elco in the first round were a single-game school record, breaking the previous mark set in last year’s district-playoff game against – ta-da – Susquehanna Township. … Eagles have 3,717 rushing yards, tops in the L-L League. … Cocalico won District 3 Double-A championships in 1985 (over East Pennsboro) and 1994 (over Juniata) and also lost in District 3 Double-A championship games in 1992 (to Bermudian Springs) and 1995 (to Bishop McDevitt). Cocalico also lost to Manheim Central in the 1997 District 3 Triple-A title game. Cocalico also lost to Littlestown in the 1984 District 3 Single-A championship game. … Eagles ran 46 plays from scrimmage against Elco in the first round - all runs. Carty attempted 0 passes against the Raiders.
ABOUT SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP: Indians have outscored their opponents 408-147 and are averaging an eye-popping 429.4 yards per game. … D is giving up just 190.6 yards per game. … Plus-5 in turnover ratio with 22 takeaways. … Lone loss was a 36-32 setback to Quad-A qualifier Chambersburg in Week 6. … While Dupree will get gobs of yards on keepers, RB Adrian Arp is tough to tackle out of the backfield with 743 yards on 121 carries (6.1 avg., 12 TD). … While Turner is Dupree’s go-to guy, he also has a couple of home-run hitter wideouts in Josh Grafton (30-526, 17.5 avg., 5 TD) and Kody Mills (17-317, 18.6 avg., 6 TD). … Susquehanna Township has appeared in one District 3 title game, falling to York Suburban in the 1986 Double-A championship.

MULTIMEDIA:

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico coach Dave Gingrich here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Jon Smoker here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Andrew Prevoznik here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Ben Brugger here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Kyle Rissell here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Shiron Hudson here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Matt Carty here.

Audio Podcast interview with Cocalico’s Austin Hartman here.

THE GAME: No. 11 Conestoga Valley (7-4 overall) @ No. 3 West York (10-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
WINNER GETS: No. 2 Susquehanna Township (10-1) or No. 7 Cocalico (9-2) in the semifinals. Susquehanna Township steamrolled New Oxford 42-7 in the first round; Cocalico out-gunned Elco 56-31 in the first round.
THE COACHES: Conestoga Valley is coached by Tom Nichols (1st season; 7-4 overall). … West York is coached by Ron Miller (4th season; 40-9 overall).
LAST WEEK: Conestoga Valley pulled off the upset of the District 3 playoffs so far with a 35-0 whitewash over No. 5 seed Northern York. … West York held off Mechanicsburg 35-28.
NOTABLE: West York is an Honorable Mention pick in Triple-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … West York is the defending District 3 Triple-A champ; Bulldogs beat Manheim Central 15-7 in last year’s finale.
KEY STATS: Conestoga Valley’s key stat is 38 – the Buckskins’ stingy defense held Northern Lebanon to 38 yards of total offense (and just a pair of first downs) in first-round victory. … West York’s key stat is 358.8 – the Bulldogs are cranking out 358.8 yards per game through 11 weeks.
CONESTOGA VALLEY STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Kevin Kelley (340 carries for 2,085 yards, 6.1 avg., 25 TD); Leading passer – QB Alex Dienner (58-of-95 for 770 yards, 5 TD, 6 picks); Leading receiver – WR Stefan Sensenig – (30 catches for 346 yards, 11.6 avg., 2 TD).
WEST YORK STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Corey Harris (198 carries for 1,351 yards, 6.8 avg., 24 TD); Leading passer – QB Alex George (94-of-168 for 1,468 yards, 15 TD, 4 picks); Leading receiver – WR Dan Gay (42 catches for 528 yards, 12.6 avg., 5 TD).
ABOUT CONESTOGA VALLEY: Buckskins have outscored their opponents 266-201 and have 161 first downs. … 31 punts for 35.8 average. … 50 penalties for 361 yards. … Plus-11 in turnover ratio with just 11 giveaways and 22 takeaways. … Kelley ran for 173 yards against Northern York, upping his season total to 2,085. He’s the first L-L League rusher to eclipse 2,000 yards since Lebanon Catholic’s Tommy Long did the trick in 1996. Kelley leads the L-L League in rushing yards and rushing TD (25). … LB Danny O’Shea sparks the D with 84 total tackles and three sacks; DB Adam Heiselman has a team-high five picks – two last week vs. Northern York. … Buckskins average 321.4 yards per game and give up 266.5 yards per game; Conestoga Valley held Northern York to 11 rushing yards and 27 passing yards in the first round. … Conestoga Valley won the District 3 Triple-A championship in 1991 (over Middletown), and the Buckskins also lost in District 3 Triple-A title games in 1985 (to Bishop McDevitt), 1992 (to Manheim Central), 1994 (to Manheim Central) and 2000 (to Manheim Central).
ABOUT WEST YORK: Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 436-191 and are averaging 358.8 yards per game – 2,454 rushing yards and 1,493 passing yards total. … Harris, who subbed for injured star RB Brandon Real in the District 3 Triple-A championship game victory over Manheim Central last season, also averages 31 yards per kickoff return. … K Blake Shaffer has 37 extra points. … George can also beat you on the ground: 106 keepers for 518 yards, 4.9 avg. and six TD runs. … LB Austin Whitehead has 69 total tackles (31 solos), six sacks, two picks and a fumble recovery to spark the D.

MULTIMEDIA:

Audio Podcast interview with Conestoga Valley coach Tom Nichols here.

Audio Podcast interview with Conestoga Valley’s Alex Dienner here.

Audio Podcast interview with Conestoga Valley’s Kevin Kelley here.

Audio Podcast interview with Conestoga Valley’s Stefan Sensenig here.

Audio Podcast interview with Conestoga Valley’s Leonard Williams here.

THE GAME: No. 5 Middletown (8-3 overall) @ No. 1 Lancaster Catholic (10-1 overall), Friday, 7 p.m.
LIVE BLOG: Keith Schweigert will be blogging live from this game at LancSports.com. So if you can’t make it to Rossmere Stadium, please join Keith online for analysis, scoring updates, scores from around the district and your questions and comments.
WINNER GETS: No. 2 Delone Catholic (10-1) or No. 3 Littlestown (9-2) in the championship game, a week from Friday in Hersheypark Stadium. Delone Catholic whacked Wyomissing 49-28 in the first round; Littlestown nipped Milton Hershey 24-22 in the first round. … Delone Catholic is an Honorable Mention pick in Double-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings.
THE COACHES: Middletown is coached by Roy O’Neill (6th season; 28-36 overall). … Lancaster Catholic is coached by Bruce Harbach (8th season; 73-23 overall).
LAST WEEK: Middletown topped Trinity by a funky 11-3 score. … Lancaster Catholic rolled York Suburban 48-21.
NOTABLE: Lancaster Catholic is No. 5 in Double-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … Middletown is an Honorable Mention pick in Double-A in the latest Harrisburg Patriot-News state rankings. … This is a rematch of last year’s District 3 Double-A championship game, won by Lancaster Catholic 41-0.
KEY STATS: Middletown’s key stat is 217.7 – the Blue Raiders are giving up 217.7 yards per game. … Lancaster Catholic’s key stat is 203.0 – the Crusaders are giving up 203.0 yards per game. Couple of stingy defenses on display here.
MIDDLETOWN STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Rodney Ramsey (249 carries for 1,310 yards, 5.3 avg., 19 TD); Leading passer – QB Aaron Lupia (113-of-189 for 1,318 yards, 10 TD, 4 picks); Leading receiver – WR Mike Lupia (42 catches for 639 yards, 15.2 avg., 6 TD).
LANCASTER CATHOLIC STAT PACK: Leading rusher – RB Jordan Stewart (156 carries for 1,218 yards, 7.8 avg., 17 TD); Leading passer – QB Kyle Smith – (118-of-186 for 1,982 yards, 38 TD, 4 picks); Leading receiver – WR Tyler Purvis – (43 catches for 797 yards, 18.5 avg., 13 TD).
ABOUT MIDDLETOWN: Blue Raiders have outscored their opponents 294-175. … Middletown averages 283.9 yards per game on O. … Plus-12 in turnover ratio with 11 giveaways and 23 takeaways. … Ramsey is also dangerous in the passing attack: 15 catches for 165 yards and a TD. … QB Aaron Lupia and his favorite target, WR Mike Lupia, are brothers. … Also keep an eye on WR/converted QB Aaron Williams (19-177, 1 TD). … Middletown has appeared in three District 3 Triple-A championship games, beating Elizabethtown in 1986 and Manheim Central in 1988, while falling to Conestoga Valley 43-14 in 1991.
ABOUT LANCASTER CATHOLIC: Crusaders have outscored their opponents 465-142 and have 198 first downs, tops among L-L League teams still dancing. … 21 punts for 38.7 average. … 70 penalties for 503 yards. … Plus-5 in turnover ratio with 15 giveaways and 20 takeaways. … How’s this for balance – Crusaders have 2,118 rushing yards and 2,116 passing yards through 11 weeks. … Stewart’s 1,218 rushing yards are a single-season school record, topping the previous mark of 1,198, set by current Lancaster Catholic RB/DB coach A.J. Cunningham in 1998. Stewart has played in nine of the Crusaders’ 11 games. … Purvis leads the L-L League in receiving yards (797) and TD grabs (13). … Lancaster Catholic won District 3 Double-A titles in 1982 (over York Suburban), 1983 (over Bishop McDevitt), 2005 (over Littlestown) and last year (over Middletown). The Crusaders also lost in the District 3 Double-A title game in 1999 (to Delone Catholic), 2004 (to Littlestown) and 2006 (to Wyomissing).

Kyle Smith record-chase update here.

MULTIMEDIA:

Audio Podcast interview with Lancaster Catholic coach Bruce Harbach here.

Audio Podcast interview with Lancaster Catholic’s Tyler Purvis here.

Audio Podcast interview with Lancaster Catholic’s Kyle Smith here.

Audio Podcast interview with Lancaster Catholic’s Jordan Stewart here.

Audio Podcast interview with Lancaster Catholic’s Andrew Heise here.

Audio Podcast interview with Lancaster Catholic’s Hans Kessler here.

Another year, another trip to the District 3 Quad-A quarterfinals for Penn Manor’s football team.

This is the round the Comets’ bowed out in a year ago, falling to eventual runner-up Cumberland Valley. It was Penn Manor’s deepest trip over in the postseason, a feat the Comets have now matched this season.

Penn Manor must go on the road Friday night and take on South Western, a 10-1 team that would also love to make the Final Four in Quad-A.

The Comets have more than proved that last year was certainly no fluke.

But can they clear this hurdle and make the District 3 Quad-A semifinals?

That was the topic of conversation Tuesday at Penn Manor’s practice, when I chatted with coach Todd Mealy, multi-purpose back LaRonn Lee and thumper Jared Shearer.

You can listen to those audio Podcast interviews here …

 

Penn Manor coach Todd Mealy is a history buff.

He’s only been coaching the Comets for three seasons, but he’s well aware of the program’s history.

For instance, did you know that Friday’s game, which will be played on Nov. 19, is the latest in any season that a Penn Manor football team has played a game?

Good stuff.

But will the Comets have a game a week from Friday – on Nov. 27?

That is the question – and I chatted with Coach Mealy about Penn Manor’s come-from-behind win over Chambersburg in Round 1, about the last couple of weeks – losing a late lead in a gut-punch loss to Wilson, rallying from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Cedar Crest in Week 10, and falling behind 14-0 to Chambersburg before rallying – and about keys to the South Western game, which will be played in The Corral, the Mustangs’ cool home stadium.

You can listen to the interview with Coach Mealy by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.

 

Pick a position, any position – wideout, running back, slot guy, wingback – heck, even quarterback in the wildly popular ‘Wildcat’ package.

LaRonn Lee wears a lot of hats for Penn Manor’s offense – and he wears them all quite well, thank you.

The McCaskey transfer has been a perfect fit for the Comets, who will line him up at any of the aforementioned spots. And Lee has delivered as a multi-purpose threat time and time again.

Through 11 weeks, Lee is second on the team with 673 rushing yards, and he leads the Comets with 25 receptions for 480 yards (19.2 yards per grab). He has accounted for 1,153 yards from scrimmage, he has scored 14 touchdowns and he averages 10.4 yards every time he gets his paws on the football.

I chatted with Mr. Lee about his multi-purpose ability, about what it’s like to play all those positions, about Penn Manor’s run to back-to-back district quarterfinal appearances, and about the matchup with South Western.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.

 

While quarterback P.J. Rehm and super-back LaRonn Lee get a ton of touches out of Penn Manor’s spread-you-out-attack, fullback-type Jared Shearer does a lot of the dirty work … the third-and-2 and fourth-and-goal-at-the-1 carries. And he blocks, giving up his body so Rehm, the team’s leading rusher (678 yards) and Lee can squeak through holes.

Shearer has filled that role quite splendidly for the Comets this season.

Last Friday, in Penn Manor’s 35-14 win over Chambersburg, Shearer had a bust-out game of sorts, rushing for 108 yards and a TD in the Comets’ come-from-behind win. That upped his season totals to 476 rushing yards and nine TD.

Shearer is also a major slugger at LB for a Penn Manor defense that has flown under the radar a bit this season. The Comets are allowing 256.5 yards per game – ninth-best in the L-L League. Plus, Penn Manor has 22 takeaways on D and is a plus-8 in the all-important turnover ratio department.

I chatted with Mr. Shearer about Penn Manor’s O and D, about the Comets’ penchant for coming from behind the last two weeks in a row, about clearing the district quarterfinal hurdle, and about prepping for South Western.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.

Extremely large game sitting on Lancaster Catholic’s football docket Friday night.

A trip to Hersheypark Stadium for the District 3 Double-A championship game will be on the line when the Crusaders host a familiar foe – Middletown – in a semifinal game.

Lancaster Catholic mauled Middletown 41-0 in last year’s District 3 Double-A title game in Hersheypark Stadium. And now the Crusaders must get past the Blue Raiders to earn a return trip to the championship tilt.

Middletown, fresh off an 11-3 (yeah, 11) win over Trinity in the quarterfinals, will likely come to Rossmere Stadium breathing fire and wanting some payback from last year’s debacle.

The Lancaster Catholic-Middletown survivor gets the Delone Catholic-Littlestown winner in the district championship game a week from Friday in good ol’ Hersheypark Stadium.

I popped in on Lancaster Catholic’s practice Tuesday evening and chatted with coach Bruce Harbach, QB Kyle Smith and WR Tyler Purvis about Friday’s matchup against Middletown.

You can listen to those audio Podcast interviews here …

 

Bruce Harbach really likes his team.

He knows his Crusaders are coping with some injuries – Andrew Foltz, an anchor on the o-line, has missed some time, and multi-purpose threat Trevor St. Clair snapped his ankle (and had emergency surgery at 2 a.m. last Saturday) in the York Suburban game last Friday.

He knows the o-line has been shifted around and some new kids have filled in – quite well, Harbach is quick to point out.

And he knows his team had a couple of uncharacteristic turnovers and let York Suburban hang around in the quarterfinals last Friday.

Still, Harbach likes his team, he likes his team’s focus and drive and determination to get back to Hersheypark Stadium and play for another district championship.

I chatted with Coach Harbach about overcoming injuries to win their district opener, about prepping for the rematch with Middletown, and about the state of his program, which, if you haven’t noticed, is in a really good place at the moment.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.

 

The numbers, quite frankly, are staggering – 7,771 passing yards and 106 touchdown passes.

The 106 TD passes are the most ever by any Pennsylvania prep quarterback.

The 7,771 yards are second-most ever by any Pennsylvania prep quarterback – and with two really good games (if his team can win and advance Friday), he should/could break the current record.

What a career for Kyle Smith, Lancaster Catholic’s senior quarterback, who has completed 118-of-186 passes (a sizzling 63 percent) for 1,912 yards and 38 TD – against just four picks – this season for the Crusaders, who are set to host Middletown in a District 3 Double-A semifinal game Friday.

As if all the passing stats aren’t fancy enough, Smith recently did two things that he’d never done while playing for the Crusaders:

He rushed for more than 100 yards in a game – 119 in the first-round victory over York Suburban.

And in Week 10 against Elco, Smith played defense in a game for the first time, getting some time at free safety – and registering his first career tackle.

I chatted with Mr. Smith about those two factoids, about the career marks he’s set and is chasing, about his college recruiting trail (Akron and Richmond have offered scholarships and he’s interested in Harvard and Princeton and no, he probably won’t make a decision until next spring, after he throws the javelin), and about prepping for the rematch showdown with Middletown.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.

 

As far as I know, he’ll be the last Purvis to pass through Lancaster Catholic’s athletic program. Although I’ve been told there is one more Purvis (believe it or not) in the pipeline. Stay tuned.

Tyler Purvis, whose bigger brothers Kyle and Ryan were also standout performers in multiple sports for the Crusaders, has definitely carved out his own niche in Lancaster Catholic’s football program.

The three-year starter is the Crusaders’ leading receiver with 43 grabs for 797 yards (18.5 avg.) and 13 TD. The yards and the TD catches are tops in the L-L League.

Purvis has also been a ringleader of a defense that is allowing just 203.0 yards per game – second-best in the L-L League. He’s picked off three passes and returned two of those for touchdowns, most by any D player in the L-L League.

Purvis is also one of the top punters in the league, averaging more than 38 yards per boot.

And Friday, Purvis and his mates will try and get back to Hersheypark Stadium yet again.

I chatted with Mr. Purvis about all things Crusaders’ football.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.

UP JUMP THE BUCKS – Just one L-L League football team will shift classifications for the 2010-2011 cycle – Conestoga Valley, which will bump up from Triple-A to Quad-A. According to the updated PIAA list, CV will have 545 boys in the high school during that span, and the Bucks will be the seventh-smallest school in Quad-A during those two football seasons.

SOURBER SETS MARKS – Manheim Township senior RB Brian Sourber had a sensational season toting the football for the Blue Streaks. Through 11 games, he carried 246 times for 1,546 yards, had 21 touchdown runs and 24 total TD for 146 points scored. He broke Justin Stull’s single-season rushing mark (1,542 in 2001); he broke Stull’s single-season TD rushing mark (18 in 2001); he broke George Eager’s single-season total TD mark (22 in 2004); and he broke Eager’s single-season scoring mark (132 in 2004).

COMEBACK KIDS – If you thought Wilson steamrolled through its second straight 7-0 run through Section 1, look again. The Bulldogs came from behind to win seven times during the regular season. And they nearly made it eight, but came up 2 points shy and a wide-left field goal from rallying past Manheim Central.

STEWART SURPASSES SINGLE-SEASON MARK – Lancaster Catholic junior RB Jordan Stewart’s 1,218 rushing yards are a single-season school record, topping the previous mark of 1,198, set by current Lancaster Catholic RB/DB coach A.J. Cunningham in 1998. Stewart has played in nine of the Crusaders’ 11 games, making his new mark a little sweeter.

LIVE BLOGS - For Friday’s District 3 playoffs, Keith will blogging live from the Middletown @ Lancaster Catholic Double-A semifinal game, and I will be blogging live from the Daniel Boone @ Manheim Central Triple-A quarterfinal game. You can find those links at LancSports.com.

The Eagles ran 46 plays against the Raiders – all 46 calls were of the rushing variety.

Senior QB Matt Carty attempted exactly zero passes against Elco.

The end result of those 46 running plays – a school single-game record 589 yards … and a trip to the district quarterfinals this Friday against No. 2 seed Susquehanna Township, whom Cocalico topped in the first round last year when (get this) the Eagles set their previous record for rushing yards in a game.

I popped in on Cocalico practice Monday and chatted with coach Dave Gingrich, RB Jon Smoker – who smoked Elco for a career-best 256 yards and five TD runs – and LB Andrew Prevoznik.

You can listen to those audio Podcast interviews here …

Dave Gingrich makes no bones about it.

We’re a Veer option team.

These are the plays we run.

We’re very good at the plays we run.

And if it ain’t broke, we certainly aren’t going to fix it.

Hence his all-run attack against Elco in the first round of the District 3 Triple-A playoffs, when Gingrich called 46 running plays in the Eagles’ 56-31 triumph over the Raiders.

Cocalico pumped out an eye-popping 589 rushing yards, and the Eagles hope to keep that up Friday when they visit tricky No. 2 seed Susquehanna Township (10-1), which features speedy dual-threat QB Ben Dupree.

I chatted with Coach Gingrich about the lights-out rushing performance against Elco, about how the Eagles will prep for Dupree and Susquehanna Township, and about the sudden resignation of his friend and coaching comrade, Northern Lebanon’s Jack Beidler.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.

Oh, what a night.

Jon Smoker has been sort of the forgotten guy in Cocalico’s backfield.

With sturdy FB Austin Hartman cranking out back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard seasons, QB Matt Carty gobbling up scads yards on keepers, and guys like Shiron Hudson and Roman High sharing some carries, Smoker has kind of quietly just kept plugging away.

In Cocalico’s first-round District 3 Triple-A playoff game against Elco last Friday, the spotlight found Smoker – in a big way.

The senior slugger gouged out a career-high 256 yards and scored a career-high five touchdowns in the Eagles’ 56-31 romp. It was, he says, the greatest game he’s every played.

Smoker’s big night not only propelled Cocalico into the second round of Districts, but it upped his numbers to 494 yards (10.3 yards per carry) and eight TD this season – and gave the Eagles another super reliable back in their Veer option attack.

Oh by the way, Smoker’s third cousin is – ta-da – former Manheim Central standout Jeff Smoker. So he’s got that athleticism in his genes.

I chatted with Mr. Smoker about his big performance against Elco and about this week’s game against Susquehanna Township.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and listen to it on your favorite mp3 player by clicking here.

If you know anything at all about Cocalico’s football program, you probably know all about the Eagles’ Veer option attack and gaudy offensive numbers – like the 3,717 rushing yards and 398.5 yards per game – both tops among L-L League teams still dancing in District 3 playoff brackets.

Cocalico’s defense has flown under the radar this season.

Bet you didn’t know the Eagles own the fourth-ranked total team D in the L-L League, yielded 237.0 yards per game.

Yes, Elco put up some crooked numbers last Friday in the first round of Districts, piling up 467 yards and 23 first downs. Dual-threat QB Arron Achey did a lot of that damage through the air, chucking it for 341 yards.

Take away that epic night by Achey, and Cocalico’s D has been quite stingy.

One of the ringleaders of that unit has been LB Andrew Prevoznik. Known early on perhaps more for his kicking prowess, Prevoznik has had a dynamite season stuffing ball-carriers and chasing quarterbacks.

Through 11games he leads Cocalico with 126 total tackle point, which including a team-best 72 assisted tackles and a big 15 tackles for losses.

The aforementioned Jon Smoker is second on the team wit 113 total tackle points, including 31 solo stops.

Prevoznik, who still handles the extra point and field goal duties, Smoker and the rest of Cocalico’s D will be tested mightily in the district quarterfinals against dual-threat QB Ben Dupree and a Susquehanna Township offense that averages 429.4 yards per game.

I chatted with Mr. Prevoznik about the big win over Elco, about Cocalico’s defense, and about prepping for Mr. Dupree and the Indians.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 device by clicking here.

Pick a receiving or all-purpose mark in Franklin & Marshall’s storied football record book, and you’ll see George Eager’s name there – multiple times.

The former Manheim Township standout – and former Lancaster New Era Male Athlete of the Year – has had an incredible three-year run playing wideout for the Diplomats.

After spending his freshman season playing for Millersville University, Eager transferred cross-town to F&M and he’s been climbing the school’s statistical chart since the day he landed on campus.

Through 10 regular season games this season, Eager has 79 catches for 1,043 yards and 11 TD grabs. He’s averaging 13.2 yards per catch. This is the third season in a row he caught at least 70 balls, and after catching 10 passes for 162 yards in F&M’s 33-23 win over rival Gettysburg last Saturday, Eager moved up a couple of more charts - and had his named called over the PA several times.

Eager and the Diplomats will play one last game Saturday, when F&M (8-2) hosts Wilkes University (6-4) in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl at high noon.

It will give F&M a shot to go out with a postseason win – and for Eager one last shot to move up the charts a little more.

“George has outworked everybody,” F&M coach John Troxell said last Saturday after the Diplomats topped Gettysburg in Lancaster. “When you talk about leaders, George will be the first guy in every sprint, he’ll be the first guy in the weight room and he’ll be the last guy out. He’s an incredible person, and that’s what makes him a great player. The guys respect him so much. He brings everyone’s level way, way up. It’s very hard to find a George Eager. You get blessed to have maybe one guy like him in your program every so often in your career.”

A sampling of some of Eager’s marks – His 1,483 all-purpose yards this year are a single-season record; he’s first in program history with three kickoff returns for scores; he’s first in career all-purpose yards with 3,986; he has 1,371 yards in kickoff returns, good for second-best in program history; he has 25 career TD catches, second-most in program history; his 79 catches this year are second-most in a single-season; his 11 TD grabs this year are second-most in a single-season; he’s third in program history in receiving yards (2,446), catches (200), points scored (172) and touchdowns scored (28).

It goes on and on and on – and Eager compiled all those numbers in just three seasons. And when he left MU for F&M, the Diplomats were still in a bit of rebuilding phase with Troxell coming on board.

“When you talk about turning a program around, it takes a pretty special person to jump on board and say, ‘I’m going to help you win,’” Troxell said. “That’s the kind of person George is. He’s a special person.”

I chatted with Eager after Saturday’s win over Gettysburg about all these records (and getting his name called over the PA a bunch of times during the Gettysburg game), about F&M’s shot at a postseason bid – which turned out – and about his legacy in a Diplomats’ uniform.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the ‘play’ button above.

You can also download the Podcast and play it on your favorite mp3 listening device by clicking here.