It's all about playing well at the right time.
Central York and Dallastown sport identical 5-1 records after six games, but it's the Panthers that have the best shot at the Division I title after taking down the Wildcats on the road Friday night.
Kennard-Dale has lost just as many games as it has won this season, but a recent surge has put them atop the Division II standings with West York with a 2-0 mark against divisional opponents.
Finish reading 'Week 6 Wrap Up' »
It's October. Time to get serious.
Most of the most intriguing games of the season come in the second half of the year when it feels like football season. The leaves haven't really started to change yet, but there is a chill in the air and I imagine there will be plenty of blankets in the stands Friday night.
Enjoy a few quick takes on this week's games below. Let your voice be heard in the comments section.
Best chance to salvage a season: Dover. The Eagles have lost all five of their games so far, but may be the only winless Class AAA team in the area -- maybe even the state -- that can still say it has a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Well, maybe legitimate is a stretch, but it's definitely possible. Because four of Dover's next five games are against Class AAAA opponents, the Eagles can rack up enough bonus points with victories to potentially sneak into the 16-team district tournament field with a 5-5 record.
Newest longest scoreless streak: York County Tech. Northeastern went 13 quarters without a point, but ended up registering a respectable 14 in a loss to York Suburban last week. After last week's shutout loss to Bermudian, the Spartans haven't scored in three and a half games (14 quarters). Tech also extended its losing streak to 14 games, dating back to last season. It doesn't get any easier this week: the Spartans host undefeated Delone Catholic.
Finish reading 'Week 6 Lightning Round' »
The Susquehannock football team has lost four of its five games to start the season, including only its second Division II defeat in the last 26 games, falling 42-14 at home to Littlestown on Friday.
So what's the deal with this year's Susquehannock team? They are perilously close to failing to finish the regular season above .500 since coach Tom Waranavage arrived in Glen Rock in 2004.
I asked Waranavage a few minutes after Friday's loss and he had a theory:
"We have not not played hard," Waranavge said. "We have played hard, but we haven't played smart. I think we have guys getting frustrated because not everybody on the field is toeing the line and doing the job that needs to be done. And it's a team game. And if you're not doing your job on the field, you can't hide -- somebody's going to find you.
"That's what's frustrating. It's not that we don't play hard. We give good effort. We just don't play very smart.. We're just not a naturally football-intelligent football team right now. We're just not a smart football team. I guess some of that is we need to have kids play more, but some of it is, I don't know, I think you're born with a little bit of football IQ.
Finish reading 'Susquehannock's football IQ' »
William Penn coach Matt Ortega was not happy with the officiating of his team's game at Dover Friday night.
It wasn't exactly a sabotage, considering the Bearcats still scored 66 points and had a comfortable 43-point margin of victory. But Ortega believes there were some problems and he had seen these things happen before. In the coach's own words:
"It's a concern, but it's not," Ortega said. "I just think at some point in time the York County refereeing committee, they have to look at things and watch what's going on."Every week it's just three to four questionable calls that just never went our way. Something's got to be done about it. It's a shame for our poor kids. We just want fair officiating. The offsides were definitely on us, but a couple of the clips were very, very questionable, and the pass interference -- they were horrible calls."
Is Ortega right? Do some officials just assume the kids who play at William Penn are more inclined to commit penalties and blow the whistle a little too often? Do some teams have it easier than others? Any players or fans out there, chime in by utilizing the comments section and let us all know what you think.
Where are the upsets?
The top seven teams from last week all emerged as winners, further separating themselves from the rest of the YAIAA. When that happens, it makes compiling this list easier, but it also makes things less exciting.
Nonetheless, the question remains, are my rankings fair? Accurate? Both? Neither? Let your opinions be known in the comments section.
1. William Penn (5-0): The Bearcats set a new season-high for points by putting up 66 at Dover and show no signs of slowing down going into Friday's contest at New Oxford.
2. Dallastown (5-0): A shutout victory over South Western may be evidence that the Wildcats are hitting their stride at the right time before hosting red-hot Central York on Friday night.
3. West York (4-1): The Bulldogs barely had any trouble on the road against Eastern York, scoring 28 consecutive points in the second quarter to build a sizeable lead and cruise to another victory. The rest of Division II is once again in trouble.
Perfection is plentiful in the YAIAA.
The season is halfway over, but William Penn, Dallastown, Littlestown and Delone Catholic have still been untouchable this year. Not too shabby.
The only close contest of the week was the inter-divisional tilt between Kennard-Dale and York Catholic, which the Rams pulled out by three points. Otherwise, it was all big wins from favored teams, with Central, West York, York Suburban and Biglerville, among others joining their perfect brethren in the win column.
Finish reading 'Week 5 Wrap Up' »
More rain. Of course.
If you like it messy, these expected Week 5 conditions are for you. No matter what the weather, there are multiple intriguing matchups. A few quick takes below. Jump in with your own thoughts in the comment section.
Most desperate for points: Northeastern. The Bobcats have now gone three games in a row without scoring after it's opening its first season of varsity football with a blowout victory over East Juniata. Now Northeastern is in division play and travels to face York Suburban on Saturday. Before the Bobcats can even thing about winning again they have to focus on finding the end zone again.
Toughest next three games: Dallastown. The Wildcats are one of four Division I teams to start 1-0 in league play. The three others play Dallastown over the next three weeks, starting with South Western tonight before following with Central York next week and William Penn on Oct. 10.
Finish reading 'Week 5 Lightning Round' »
A high school football team in New Mexico that has played in the state title game for three straight seasons won't have a chance to make it four in a row because of a "shocking" hazing incident involving broomsticks and sodomy.
It's certainly a disturbing story, but not very surprising. Hazing is not an uncommon practice in high school and college sports and strangely often turns to homo-erotic activity, as The Big Lead observes.
Here's the most fascinating part about all this to me: According to the Associated Press report, "Police did not find out about it from school officials; instead, a state police officer whose son is on the team learned of the allegations through his wife, a camp volunteer."
Nobody spoke up and coaches turned a blind eye. If that's what usually happens, how widespread is hazing on the high school level? Does it happen in York County? Have you heard or seen or experienced any sort of hazing in this area? Is hazing ever justified? The comments section is open for your thoughts and observations.
The top four remains the same after a week where upsets were hard to come by. South Western and York Catholic nudge their way into the rankings with impressive victories, while Biglerville and Red Lion fall off the grid.
Below are the rankings and the rationale. That's two of the three r's. All that's missing is the reaction. That's where you come in. The comments section awaits.
1. William Penn (4-0): The Bearcats are on pace to score more than 500 points this regular season, and with the way Division I defenses have been playing so far this year, I wouldn't be the least surprised if they do it. These young men know how to play the game of football.
2. Dallastown (4-0): While the Bearcats are winning games with relative ease, the Wildcats have played relative nailbiters the last three consecutive weeks. Most recently, Dallastown led by only two points with New Oxford possessing the ball midway through the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, Dallastown has proved it know how to perform in the clutch and close out games.
3. West York (3-1): Which sounds better: Highlight Real or Realdiculous? Brandon Real scored six touchdowns in the first half of last week's game at Hanover and will no doubt continue to be a weapon for a squad that looks poised to defend its Division II title.
Finish reading 'Week 5 Power Rankings' »
The lines in the sand are starting to become clear.
In the first week of play for Division I, three of the four games were decided by 25 points or more, with South Western pummeling Dover, William Penn trouncing Red Lion and Central York pulling away in the fourth quarter against Spring Grove. Dallastown only won by eight points against New Oxford, but it was on the road against a legitimate program, so it still has to be a big positive for the Wildcats.
So there they sit at the top of the division. There's the seemingly unstoppable Bearcats, who cruised to another easy victory, the Panthers, who have discovered new life after getting thumped at home by West York to open the season, the Wildcats, who seem to always find a way to win, and the Mustangs, who have labeled themselves the Redeem Team after last year's last-place finish.
They all think they have a shot at the top-spot. For at least one more week they have reasons to believe.
Finish reading 'Week 4 Wrap Up' »
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.
Finish reading 'Week 4 Lightning Round' »
The award for the 2-1 YAIAA team creating the least buzz goes to Eastern York.
Part of that is the Golden Knights' two victories have come against Columbia and Fairfield squads that have combined for only a single victory this year. And they're loss was a 36-7 blowout at home against Donegal. Plus, Eastern finished 1-9 last season and struggled in Division II play.
Nonetheless, there are reason to believe this year might be different. Below are three of them.
Finish reading 'Under the radar: Eastern York' »
Three of the YAIAA's biggest schools played three of the league's smallest schools in football last week. The smaller programs, all in Class AA went a perfect 3-0.
There was Bermudian Springs taking down big Class AAAA South Western at The Corral. There was Delone Catholic handling Class AAA Dover with ease at home. And there was Biglerville laying a big-time hurting on Class AAAA Spring Grove. That's three victories for Division III and zero for Division I.
Maybe those three small schools are just that good. Maybe South Western, Spring Grove and Dover will be able to improve greatly as the season moves on. But if not, the teams that will likely be hurt the most are William Penn, Dallastown and Central York.
Finish reading 'How deep is Division I?' »
Preseason college football rankings are about as silly as a professional sports reporter using the word silly. It's pure guesswork when you rank teams before they even take the field.
That's why I've shown a little more restraint than the Associated Press and waited until 30 percent of the season had passed before even trying to rank the top 10 football teams in the YAIAA. Below I have them listed in order of best to worst based on what I have seen, heard and read so far this season.
1. William Penn (3-0): The Bearcats have been nearly untouchable this season, averaging more than 50 points a game over the first three contests. They have speed, they have savvy, they have a solid coaching staff -- William Penn is clearly the team to beat in this area.
2. Dallastown (3-0): A 14-7 victory against Kennard-Dale doesn't do much in the way of style points, but the Wildcats came through in the clutch against a strong West York club in Week 2 and is still perfect on the season going into Division I play, which definitely counts for something.
3. West York (2-1): The Bulldogs are only a play or two short of going into Week 4 with a perfect record. West York overcame a scoreless first half to deliver a 28-6 victory over Red Lion last week and are poised to defend its Division II title from last season.
Finish reading 'Week 4 Power Rankings' »
William Penn manages to outdo itself every week.
First it was 49 points in the opener against Reading. Then the Bearcats racked up 57 the next week against McCaskey. On Friday night, they traveled to Susquehannock and put up 61. What's next for this no-huddle scoring machine? Will they crack triple-digits in a single game by Week 7?
Maybe not, but the Bearcats and their no-huddle offense are making waves in District 3 heading into Division I play next week and were among several area powers to take care of business Friday night. Dallastown, Delone Catholic and Littlestown all remained undefeated with victories and West York rebounded from last week's narrow defeat.
Finish reading 'Week 3 Wrap Up' »
The last week before league play begins in Division I, there are a ton of inter-divisional contests. Division III schools like Delone Catholic, Biglerville and Bermudian Springs are playing Division I teams like Dover, South Western and Spring Grove.
Some Division II squads like Kennard-Dale, Susquehannock and Northeastern and are battling the big boys above them like Dallastown, William Penn and Central York. Others like York Suburban, Littlestown and Eastern York are taking on challengers from Division III like York Catholic, Hanover and Fairfield.
It's absolute craziness! Or something.
A better way to describe it is a fun week for the fans to see how their teams match up against other area squads after a couple of weeks full of opponents from all around the region. It's also time for squads to get their acts together before the division race begins.
Below are a few quick takes leading up to this weekend's action.
Worst timing to play West York: Red Lion. Not that this is the Lions' fault, but it's probably not the greatest week to play a West York squad that must still be smarting from a narrow overtime loss at Dallastown last week and will be eager to take that frustration out on somebody. The Bulldogs will be facing a Red Lion squad that shut out Manheim Township last week, but still managed only three points. West York scored more than 15 times that last week.
If none of the YAIAA teams went undefeated in the regular season last year, how many finished without a single win at all?
Zero. All 22 squads ended up pulling out a victory at some point last season, even if York County Tech, Hanover and Eastern York finished the season with only one win. After two games, 16 of the 22 YAIAA squads have registered at least one victory, leaving only six remaining who have a chance at reaching the ultimate low point.
All of these six squads have plenty of time to turn things around -- Dallastown lost its first three games last season and still managed to make the playoffs and finish second in Division I. Mathematically, there can be no more than three teams that end the season without a win because so many of them will be playing each other.
Below are the six squads, listed in order of most likely to least likely of finishing 0-10.
1. York County Tech: The Spartans have their work cut out for them the rest of the seaosn. Their two best chances to win came in the season's first two weeks, but Tech could not come up with a victory against either Jenkintown or Harford Tech. The Spartans do have Hanover and Eastern York left to play and has a reasonable chance of emerging with a 'W' against one of those squads.
Finish reading 'Avoiding ultimate futility' »
Here's a bit of trivia for you: How many of the 22 YAIAA football teams finished the 2007 regular season with an undefeated record? I'll give you a hint: It's less than the number of YAIAA teams that won district titles.
That's right, the answer is zero. And only two weeks into the football season, 17 of the YAIAA's 22 squads have at least one loss. The evidence seems to suggest regular season perfection is hard to come by. Still, there are five teams left that remain undefeated and at least three of them have the chance of winning the next eight. Below they are listed in order of most likely to least likely of finishing 10-0.
1. William Penn -- When you score 106 points with your backups on the field for more than half of your first two games, it's hard not to take notice. Matt Ortega's Bearcats have quickly adapted to the fast-paced, no-huddle version of the spread offense that has been implemented for this year's group. Ortega said he has some concerns about the defense, but the offense performing at such a high level gives the defense a greater margin of error. The Bearcats' only loss in 2007 came to Harrisburg, which isn't on this year's schedule. Dallastown and Central York will be tough opponents, but William Penn looks like it is in good position to run the table if it continues to stay healthy.
Finish reading 'Searching for perfection' &raqu
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