After a slow start in the opening week, I bounced my way back to respectability with my performance in Week 2: a 15-4 record, moving me up to 25-11 this season. I think my strategy of actually thinking about the picks beforehand may have helped me a bit, so we’ll do the same for Week 3.
Lots of good games on the docket this week, and the action starts a night early. Tonight, Annville-Cleona makes the long trip to Denver to take on Cocalico in a Thursday Night Special. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. If you don’t feel like making the hellish drive up Rt. 222 (through all that one-lane construction), why don’t you stay home and visit LancSports.com? My colleague, Jeff Reinhart, will be blogging live from the game. You can check out his live blog here.
And you can see his Week 3 picks here.
On to the picks, starting with tonight’s game…
Annville-Cleona (0-2) at Cocalico (2-0):The Little Dutchmen have gotten off to a rocky start, scoring just seven points in the first two games (a 44-0 loss to Palmyra and a 23-7 setback against Hamburg last week). Cocalico, on the other hand, is flying high. The Eagles dusted Lampeter-Strasburg 34-21 in Week 1 and blasted Exeter 35-10 last week. Look for more of the same this week. The Eagles and their prolific ground attack (352 yards per game) will roll. I’ll take Cocalico.
As for Friday’s games…
Manheim Central (2-0) at Lancaster Catholic (2-0):If you haven’t heard about this one, it’s time to get out of your cave. Two district and state title contenders in their respective classes locking horns in Week 3 — you’ve got to love that, unless you’re being asked to pick a winner. Central, which is ranked No. 5 in the state in Class AAA by the Harrisburg Patriot-News, is certainly more battle-tested; the Barons held off AAAA powerhouse Wilson 29-27 in a classic game last week, while Catholic, the Patriot’s No. 1 Class AA team, crushed Ephrata 35-7. That’s why I’m giving the slight edge to the Barons in this one. I’ll take Central to win a squeaker. (NOTE: Jeff Reinhart will be blogging live from this one, providing up-to-the-minute updates and scores from around the league. Click here to join him.)
Exeter (1-1) at Penn Manor (2-0): Quietly, the Comets are off to another strong start in Section One. After years of struggling, it looks like they’re starting to develop a consistent winner under coach Todd Mealy. Will it be enough to eclipse Wilson this year? Who knows…but I can tell you that Penn Manor will be 3-0 heading into next week’s Section One opener. Exeter has some weapons on offense, but not enough to scare the Comets, who will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their football program in their home opener. I’ll take Penn Manor. (Shameless plug alert: I’ll be blogging live from this one. So if you’re one of the few people not watching the Catholic-Central game or reading Jeff Reinhart’s live blog, be sure to stop in and say hello.)
Carlisle (2-0) at Hempfield (1-1):The Black Knights bounced back last week with a rout of Garden Spot after getting upended by upstart Conestoga Valley in Week 1, but this week should provide a stiffer test. Carlisle is coming off back-to-back wins against Mechanicsburg and Central Dauphin East. Sure, those teams are both 0-2, but it looks like the Herd is rolling. Look for that to continue this week. Give me Carlisle.
Cedar Crest (1-1) at Conestoga Valley (2-0):Is there a better early-season story than CV? I think not. In his first year at the helm, former Coatesville coach and CV alum Tom Nichols has the Buckskins feeling great about themselves. They’ve sprung back-to-back upsets on a pair of Section One teams — Hempfield and Warwick — and have one of the league’s top talents in RB Kevin Kelley. Who would’ve thought CV would be 3-0 heading into Section Two play? Not me, but that’s the way it’s going to shake out. Give me CV over the Lebanon County invaders.
McCaskey (0-2) at Coatesville (1-1): The most interesting thing about this one could be what’s happening on the sidelines. Former McCaskey coach Scott Feldman, who resigned last spring, is an assistant with the Red Raiders under one of his former staffers, Matt Ortega. McCaskey has gotten off to a rough start under new coach David Given, but there are still some encouraging signs. The Red Tornado has a good ground game with “Moose and Juice” — fullback Demarcus Sumpter and tailback Markeith Williams. The problems are on defense, where McCaskey is missing several starters due to academic issues. They won’t be back until next week, which means it could be another long night for McCaskey this week. I’ll take Coatesville.
Ephrata (0-2) at Warwick (1-1): The Mountaineers have lost 12 straight dating back to last year, and 16 of their last 17 going back to 2007. So it’s safe to say the program is struggling. Those struggles should continue this week. Warwick hasn’t taken good care of the ball this year — the Warriors are minus-8 in turnovers through two games — but their defense is strong. That will be enough to lift them here. I’ll take Warwick.
Wilson (1-1) at Downingtown East (2-0): The Bulldogs nearly pulled off a miracle in Manheim last week, rallying from a 26-7 deficit with 20 straight points to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter. Sure, they wound up losing, but what a fight they put up. Clearly, the loss of 20 starters from last year’s District 3 championship team hasn’t affected the Bulldogs the way it would a mere mortal program. Look for them to bounce back this week. Give me the ‘Dawgs.
Governor Mifflin (1-1) at Reading (0-2):The Red Knights, fresh off their loss to Pottsville in the Lump of Coal game (couldn’t they think of a better trophy — or a catchier name — for this rivalry game?), will have their work cut out for them against Mifflin. The Knights are great at forcing turnovers, but have just 13 first downs in two games. That’s not a recipe for success. I’ll take Mifflin.
Elizabethtown (1-1) at Manheim Township (1-1):Tough to get a read on this one. Is E-town the solid team that ran through McCaskey in Week 1, or the below-average group that couldn’t manage 50 rushing yards in last week’s 28-7 loss to Muhlenberg? We’ll get a better idea this week, when the Bears visit Neffsville. The last two games in this series went down to the wire, and that should be the case again this time around. Township is still looking to hit its stride offensively, but I’ll take the Blue Streaks in this one.
Lampeter-Strasburg (0-2) at Garden Spot (0-2):My vote for the league’s biggest hard-luck team in the early season goes to L-S, which has lost two straight to a pair of quality programs — Cocalico and Penn Manor. But the Pioneers should finally taste a victory this week. Garden Spot has been outscored 59-13 in its first two games and has managed just 12 first downs. I like the Pioneers to roll in this one.
Lebanon (0-2) at Elco (2-0): Great side note to this game — the two teams have combined to sell white T-shirts promoting and raising funds for autism awareness. All proceeds from the sale of the $8 shirts goes to local autism organizations. Since my son’s on the autism spectrum, this strikes a chord with me. I’d like to salute both programs for participating. As for the game itself, Elco has the look of a team that could make Lancaster Catholic sweat a little bit in Section Three. QB Arron Achey is a dual threat on offense and a key cog on defense. I like the Raiders to knock off Lebanon, which is suffering through some growing pains. Give me Elco.
Interboro (2-0) at Donegal (0-2): It hasn’t been a good start for Jeff Polites’ tenure at Donegal; the former E-town coach has watched his team get off to an 0-2 start after losing an overtime heartbreaker to Eastern York last week. The Indians are near the bottom of the league in total offense and total defense, and I can’t see those numbers improving much this week. Interboro, the three-time Delaware Valley League champion, is rolling. And the Buccaneers will continue to do so against Donegal. Give me Interboro.
Pequea Valley (0-2) at Fleetwood (0-2): This could be the week it happens for PV, which has lost 29 straight games since 2006. Who did they beat for their last victory? Fleetwood. The Tigers don’t look very fierce this season — through two games, they’ve yet to score a point. Scoring hasn’t been the problem for PV — stopping teams has. So this plays into the Braves’ hands. I like PV to bring Curtis Waltman his first triumph at the Braves’ helm.
Northern Lebanon (1-1) at Hamburg (1-1): The Vikings struggled against the run in last week’s loss to New Oxford, which churned out more than 400 yards on the ground. That’s going to have to improve if the Vikes want to stop the Hamburglers. And I think it will — The Vikes aren’t nearly as bad as they appeared last week. Give me Northern Lebanon.
Daniel Boone (2-0) at Columbia (0-2): There are ominous signs that this could be a long season for the Crimson Tide, which has watched its defense get shredded in back-to-back losses to Eastern York and York Suburban. Columbia has given up 536 rushing yards and has been outscored 88-26 in the last two weeks. If they want to avoid their first 0-3 start since 1977, those stats need to improve in a hurry. Unfortunately, I don’t see it happening. Give me Boone.
And the last game on the docket — a Saturday Night Special…
Oxford (1-1) at Solanco (1-1):Jeff Reinhart will be blogging live for those folks reluctant to make the long haul to Quarryville. The Golden Mules are coming off a 28-7 drubbing of Kennard-Dale last week and appear to be on the right track as they prepare for the third of their seven home games on the schedule. The Hornets dropped a 48-21 decision to Avon Grove last week and are coming off an 0-10 campaign in 2008. I like Solanco in this one.
