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At halfway point, West York in good shape


Success can often be a relative thing. Were I a betting man, I'd wager West York coach Ron Miller would stop short of calling his team's 3-2 record during its first five games a "success." His program is to the point where losses -- no matter who the opponent -- are rarely considered part of something positive. But make no mistake, emerging from this stretch -- five quad-A teams in five weeks -- with a winning record is nothing to scoff at. West York is now well-positioned heading into its Division II schedule, where it will be a heavy favorite in pretty much every game it plays. Last week's 34-19 win against South Western was a swing game of sorts for the Bulldogs. West York darted out to a 27-0 lead by the third quarter. "It was huge," Miller said of the game this week. "I was nervous with how physical South Western was. And make no mistake, this taxing stretch will pay dividends come the postseason. In the latest District 3 Class AAA power rankings, West York checked in with a OWWP rating of .584. For you non-geeky types, OWWP is essentially a strength of schedule measure which counts for one-third of a team's district power rating. The current Bulldogs' OWWP is second best among the top 16 Class AAA teams (16 squads make the triple-A playoffs). Only Bishop McDevitt (.677) is above them. The reason for that high rating is obvious. All of West York's first five opponents would make the district quad-A playoffs if the season ended today. The Bulldogs went 3-1 against YAIAA Division I teams in a year where that divisions may be a strong as it's been in recent memory. In that one loss, to Dallastown, West York coughed up a fourth-quarter lead. So that 3-2 record might not satisfy Miller and his team. But all signs point to this team being one tough out come postseason time.