Week 4 Lightning Round
Divisional play has arrived and the forecast calls for clear skies. The games are more important than ever and the temperature is supposed to drop low enough to feel like football weather.
It sounds like it's going to feel right out there this week.
Below are a few quick takes leading up to the Week 4 contests.
Most impressive legacy to uphold: Susquehannock. The Warriors have only lost a total of one Division II game in the last four seasons. That's a 23-1 mark in divisional contests. Not too shabby. But this year, the Warriors enter their Division II opener against upstart Northeastern with an 0-3 record after a tough opening slate. Senior quarterback Patrick Miller (above) has the skills to produce, but has been less than impressive this year, going 17-of-47 for 302 yards and one touchdown to three interceptions. The rushing attack and the defense haven't been much to write home about either. But now the Warriors are entering territory where they have been almost perfect for the last four years. It's a lot to live up to, but it has to make Susquehannock feel a little more confident than your average 0-3 team.
Best way to get a wake-up call: Dallastown. It looks like it must have not been pretty for the Warriors during their 14-7 victory over Kennard-Dale last week. Dallastown couldn't even successfully run out the clock, as quarterback Chris Hunt coughed the ball up on the Rams' 1-yard line and gave the visitors a chance to take the lead. The Wildcats still pulled out the win and improved their record to 3-0, so there was no real damage. As long as the sloppy game "got some heads back down level" as Dallastown coach Kevin Myers suggested it did, than the Wildcats should be better off for it.
Most impressive two-headed running attack: Eastern York's Andy Siple and Jared Smeltzer. Siple has 313 yards in three games this season and Smeltzer has covered even more real estate, tallying 344 yards. That's two players on the same team averaging more than 100 yards per game. It's going to be a tough pace for the duo to keep up, but so far so good -- especially for an Eastern team that has already doubled its win total from last year, jumping out to a 2-1 start going into Saturday's showdown at Kennard-Dale.
Least likely to throw the football: Biglerville. I still have a hard time believing that the Canners decided not to run a single pass play against Spring Grove last week in a 34-12 victory. I'm just as surprised that the Rockets couldn't use that to their advantage, packing nine men in the box since they knew the ball wasn't likely to be thrown. It probably won't be as easy this week against Delone Catholic, but as far as Biglerville is concerned, if it's not broken, well, keep handing off the ball.
Fastest show on turf: William Penn. They have a ton of speed. They run a no-huddle offense. If you're a frequent blinker, the William Penn football team is hard to keep track of. On the field turf at Small Athletic Field, the Bearcats are even more dangerous. They face their toughest defensive test of the season so far against Red Lion at home this week, but it seems like even the disciplined Lions will be hard-pressed to slow down the Bearcats.
Anything else worth noting going into this week's slate? The comments section below awaits your input.
