Weekly Rewind (Nov. 19-23)
Well, not much happened during the week of Thanksgiving. Really, we'll be talking about three football teams in this space: Delone Catholic, West York and Bermudian Springs.
Both Delone and West York won their District 3 playoff games Friday and advanced deeper into the state field. West York is gunning for the District 3 Class AAA title Friday night at Hersheypark Stadium vs. two-time defending champion Bishop McDevitt in a game that doubles as a state quarterfinal.
Delone will be a little further from home. The Squires, who won the District 3 Class A title, head to Mansion Park Stadium in Altoona to meet District 6 champion Bellwood-Antis on Friday.
Bermudian saw its season end in the District 3 Class AA final, 44-0, to Berks County power Wyomissing.
West York Bulldogs (13-0)
Coach Ron Miller's crew punched their ticket to Hershey for the first time since 2008 with an eye-opening 31-7 rout of Susquehanna Township.
The Bulldogs were simply too physical for their Mid-Penn conference opponent despite the fact that Indians burner Colby Grant rushed for a game-high 133 yards.
West York, on the other hand, spread the wealth on the ground as Brock Snellbaker (122 yards), James Johnson (89) and Steven Wilson (85) found room behind their veteran offensive line.
Now, the Bulldogs face another Mid-Penn team. This time, they will go up against state power Bishop McDevitt (13-0). The Crusaders beat Lancaster Catholic, 27-7, Friday night and are not only looking for their third straight 3-AAA title, they're also gunning for a third straight trip to the PIAA title game.
The winner gets either District 10 champ Erie Cathedral Prep (12-0) or District 7 (WPIAL) champion West Allegheny (12-1) in the PIAA Class AAA semifinals Dec. 7 or 8.
Delone Catholic Squires (9-3)
The Squires, unlike West York, don't have a perfect record as the calendar flips to December later this week.
What they do have is a District 3 Class A football title.
Delone made short work of Steelton-Highspire on Friday at Hersheypark Stadium in a 28-13 win. The Squires held a 21-0 halftime lead, but had to hang on as the Rollers scored two touchdowns in the third quarter.
Brett Smith sealed the deal with a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown with 6:58 to go.
Now, the Squires have both a long trip and a difficult opponent ahead. Delone's opponent, Bellwood-Antis, pounded Bishop McCort on Saturday night, 54-3, and hauls an impressive 12-1 record into Friday's PIAA Class A quarterfinal.
The winner faces either District 2 champion Dunmore (12-1) or District 1-12 champion Bristol (9-1) in the semifinals Dec. 7 or 8.
Bermudian Springs Eagles (12-1)
A great year came to a sudden close at the hands of one very powerful opponent.
Wyomissing continued to barrel down the tracks with a 44-0 win vs. Bermudian on Friday night at Hersheypark Stadium.
The Spartans gashed the Eagles' vaunted defense like no other team had this year. Bermudian allowed 86 points all year entering Friday. Wyomissing not only scored 44 points but it gained 449 yards of total offense, including 417 on the ground.
Wyomissing (13-0) plays District 4 champ Danville (11-2) at noon Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals. The winner meets either District 11 champ Pen Argyl (11-2) or District 12 champ Imhotep Charter (12-0) in the semifinals Dec. 7 or 8.
Around the state
Two defending state champions went down Friday night.
And, honestly, neither can be considered a major upset.
As previously mentioned, Lancaster Catholic fell to Bishop McDevitt, 27-7, in the District 3 Class AAA semifinals. The Crusaders won the PIAA Class AA title last year before voluntarily moving up to Class AAA. Catholic also moved from Section III of the Lancaster-Lebanon League to the big-school Section I and held its own.
The state's defending Class AAAA champion is also done. Central Dauphin lost to Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division rival Harrisburg, 27-21, Friday at Ebersole Stadium in the 3-AAAA semifinals.
The Cougars, who lost to the Rams in OT last month, held a 27-0 lead at halftime before the Rams came roaring back.
Now for a result that was surprising: Southern Columbia is out. The defending PIAA Class A runner-up last year was bounced by Dunmore, 35-29, at Valley View.