I still don't really understand what's happening in this video (why does the bride die?), but I do know that the forecast calls for a wet night on Friday. So let Axl Rose's scratchy voice open the soundtrack to the second round of the district playoffs.
Nothing lasts forever in the cold November rain, but a quartet of strong performances at home could extend the season for Central York, Delone Catholic, West York and William Penn. Never mind the darkness. They still can find a way.
A few quick takes without any more Guns N' Roses lyrics are below. Jump in with your own thoughts in the comments section. Also, you can find the district tournament brackets here: Class AAAA, Class AAA and Class AA.
Most likely to keep expectations sky high: West York. Coach Ron Miller is talking about more than just a successful team. In his third season at the school, he sees the beginnings of a consistently successful program: "We're still a work in progress as a football program and since Day 1 we have tried to establish ourselves like a Manheim Central has done and that doesn't happen overnight," Miller said. "Each step we take forward is going to put us in position." Manheim Central, in case you didn't know, has won 15 District 3 Class AAA titles since 1989. In order for West York to take at least one step forward, they will have to win tonight at home against Conrad Weiser and get into the semifinals a year after losing in the quarterfinals.
Most important full recovery from injury: Brandon Walker. The William Penn fullback/linebacker suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 9 against South Western and hasn't been at full strength since, according to coach Matt Ortega. He only played a few minutes of the first quarter in the Week 10 loss to Central York and primarily stuck to defense last week in a win over Red Land. With traditional power Bishop McDevitt coming to town Friday in a moment of truth game, Ortega said Walker will be back at 100 percent and the Bearcats plan to use him as such. In addition to being a monster on defense, Walker can provide William Penn with a huge boost on offense with his blocking and ball carrying.
Most underrated coaching performance of the season: Steve Wiles. It seems the Delone Catholic coach has already laid the foundation for a string of successful seasons in only his second year on the job. He led a senior-laden team to a Division III crown and the District 3 Class AA title last year and then found a way to steer a young group to a 9-1 regular season and a semifinal berth in the district playoffs. Beat Middletown at home on Friday and they are one victory away from repeating as district champs.
Most eager to make history: William Penn and Central York. According to Ortega, there has never been a YAIAA school that has won two playoff games in Class AAAA. Part of the reason for that was it only took two wins to win a district title for a long time before the playofffs expanded a few years ago, but it's still a notable stat. Those three clowns on Gridiron TV all picked at least one of the two to win. This one dude actually predicted both YAIAA squads would earn victories. Crazy.
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