Hard to believe, but Week 9 of L-L League football is staring us directly in the face.
That means the section races are coming to a head, and the race for District 3 playoff power points is reaching a fevered pitch.
Seems like pretty much every game this week has a must-see tag of some sort hanging from it.
Here are five L-L football Week 9 games we have circled…
Conestoga Valley (2-3 Section 1, 3-5 overall) vs. Cedar Crest (2-3 Section 1, 3-5 overall), Friday, 7 p.m., Earl Boltz Stadium, Lebanon— Buckskins and Falcons, oh my, won’t factor in the Section 1 race. But there’s a lot riding on this game.
What’s at stake: For a couple of 3-5 squads, a bunch. CV (No. 19) and CC (No. 17) are dangling around the cut line for the District 3-AAAA playoff bracket, and if the Bucks or the Falcons run the table and get to five wins, they’d be in the postseason picture for sure. So this is basically a de-facto playoff game. It’s been a while since either club has made a playoff appearance; CV lost to Dallastown in a 3-AAAA first-round game in 2010, while Cedar Crest fell to Section 1 foe Wilson in the 3-AAAA semifinal round back in 1999. Safe to say the Bucks and the Falcons would love to end their playoff droughts, and the winner here should stay in line to do just that.
Key kids: In the last two games, Cedar Crest multi-purpose threat Evan Horn has rushed for 290 yards and three TDs and caught four passes for 58 yards with a TD grab. … CV RB Connor Brinton has been a terrific dual-threat with a team-best 462 rushing yards with seven TD runs, plus 21 catches — two for TDs — out of the backfield in the Bucks’ Air Raid scheme.
Key stat: CV is dead last in the league in total team D, yielding 447 yards per game.
- College kid: Cedar Crest senior TE-DE Raymie Ferreira has made a verbal commitment to accept a full athletic scholarship from Delaware State, which competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The pick: We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again: Cedar Crest has got to be one of the best 3-5 teams in the district; Falcons have been in seemingly every game, and they gave Section 1 front-runners Hempfield and Manheim Twp. major scares. So we’ll go Cedar Crest, which is angling for its first .500 or better season since 2004, at home here. No postseason bid for these guys since 1999? Wow. Falcons clip Bucks, 34-20.
Hempfield (4-1 Section 1, 7-1 overall) vs. Warwick (1-4 Section 1-4 Section 1, 2-6 overall), Friday, 7 p.m., Grosh Field, Lititz— Black Knights and Warriors are set to square off, with Warwick feeling better about things after snapping a 4-game losing skid with a 41-point outburst in a win over Penn Manor last week.
What’s at stake: For Hempfield, still an outside shot at a tie in the Section 1 race, but the Knights need wins and for winless Penn Manor and/or Warwick (in Week 10) to knock off the Bulldogs. With just one loss, Hempfield is thinking a 9-1 regular-season finish and building momentum toward what should be a first-round home game in the 3-AAAA playoffs. As for Warwick, well, not many teams in D3 have a trickier finish that the Warriors; Hempfield and Wilson are a combined 14-2 with sweet district rankings.
Key kids: Hempfield RB Will Blair is second in the L-L in rushing yards (1,116) and TD runs (15), so Warwick’s D must keep tabs on him. … Warriors’ RB Isaac Rissinger has rushed for 100 or more yards the last three games in a row. Can he make it four against a Hempfield D unit that is No. 4 in the L-L?
Key stat: Hempfield’s O has rushed for 2,466 yards, No. 2 in the L-L. Warwick’s rush D must be on its toes for Knights’ spread option attack.
The pick: Trap game for Knights, who welcome uber rival Manheim Twp. in Week 10. But we don’t think Hempfield will get caught looking ahead. Too much firepower here. Knights knock off Warriors, 42-14.
Solanco (5-0 Section 2, 8-0 overall) vs. Cocalico (3-2 Section 2, 4-4 overall), Friday, 7 p.m., Eagles Stadium, Denver— Golden Mules are the lone undefeated team in the L-L, and they get an Eagles squad that we picked to win Section 2 back in August.
What’s at stake: Solanco sits alone atop the Section 2 charts, and a win here gives the Mules at least a tie for the section championship. Solanco hasn’t won a section title since a co-gold in 2007, so you know they’re jonesing for a crown in Quarryville. Mules are also battling it out with Bishop McDevitt for the No. 1 seed in the District 3-AAA bracket. What a ride for Solanco, which hosts Manheim Central in Week 10. Cocalico is hoping to do two things: Throw a monkey wrench into the Section 2 proceedings before the Mules and Barons square off in Week 10. And clinch a postseason spot; remember: Eagles went to the 3-AAA title game last fall, so they at least want a return trip to the playoffs.
Key kids: Solanco QB Noah McCardell leads the L-L with 20 TD runs, while Cocalico RB D.J. Fabiani is averaging 10.1 yards per carry with eight TD runs. Couple of option-oriented squads in this one. Best run D, wins.
Key stat: Solanco leads the league in total team offense (406.9), total team defense (203), rushing yards (2,813), fewest rushing yards against (666) and scoring differential (plus-246).
The pick: We were hoping back in August that this game would have a winner-takes-all kind of feel to it. Alas, Cocalico has slipped to the middle of the pack and is in spoiler mode, while Solanco has dominated all comers and is perched atop the standings. Eagles won’t roll over here, especially not at home, and especially with district playoff power points to be had. Still, this is a tall task against a rampaging Solanco outfit. Mules drop Eagles, 31-14.
Garden Spot (2-3 Section 2, 4-4 overall) vs. Manheim Central (4-1 Section 2, 6-2 overall), Friday, 7 p.m., Elden Rettew Field, Manheim— Spartans beat the Barons for the first time in program history last season, a 21-14 Week 9 win in New Holland. Manheim Central got some payback, however, steamrolling Garden Spot 72-14 in the first round of the District 3-AAA playoffs. It was the third year in a row the Barons beat the Spartans in the first round of the playoffs. Ouch.
What’s at stake: Classic trap game for Manheim Central, which is at Solanco in Week 10. So the Barons will look to take care of business against Garden Spot, while cheering on Cocalico, whom Manheim Central rallied past, 21-15, last week to remain on the Mules’ heels. For Garden Spot, a shot to foul up the section race, and for more playoff power points; if the Spartans do go postseason dancing, you know they’d love to avoid a fourth first-round meeting in a row with the Barons.
Key kids: Garden Spot WR Mack Focht is second in the L-L with 36 receptions — he’s averaging 19.7 yards per grab, with seven TD catches — and he’s popped a pair of kickoff returns for scores, including an 80-yarder last week in a win over Lebanon. … In the last four games, Manheim Central RB Damon Camacho has rushed for 528 yards and 10 TDs.
Key stat: Keep an eye on the turnover battle in this one; Garden Spot has 18 takeaways, second most in the L-L, while Manheim Central — which is breaking in four new starters because of a rash of late-season injuries — has 17 takeaways and is tied for the league lead with Manheim Twp. with a plus-10 in turnover margin. Fewest mistakes, wins.
The pick: Spartans and Barons are mega familiar with one another, so there are no secrets in this one. Line play here is key, with a couple of rugged rushing attacks on display. And when it comes to line-of-scrimmage play, we almost always side with Manheim Central, which will be tested by Garden Spot’s vet trench kids. Still, we like the home team here. Barons bounce Spartans, 35-21.
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With a win Friday at Donegal, coach Roy Wall and Northern Lebanon would clinch at least a tie for the Section 3 title. (Mark Palczewski | For PennLive)
Northern Lebanon (4-0 Section 3, 6-2 overall) vs. Donegal (3-1 Section 3, 5-3 overall), Friday, 7 p.m., Indians Stadium, Mount Joy— How did the Vikings respond after finding out they had to forfeit a pair of victories for using an ineligible player earlier this season? By drubbing Annville-Cleona 58-36 as QB Isaac Wengert went bananas for the second week in a row. Don’t forget about Donegal; Indians, who have slid under the radar a tad since that big Week 4 win over Annville-Cleona, are still very much in this race.
What’s at stake: Pretty simple scenario in this one: With a win, Northern Lebanon clinches at least a tie for the Section 3 championship heading into its Week 10 game at Columbia. If Northern Lebanon wins and Elco falls to Ephrata, the Vikes would clinch the title outright. If Donegal hands the Vikings their first section loss this season, the Indians would force a tie heading into their Week 10 game at Ephrata. Northern Lebanon is the defending champ, and wants to repeat. Both teams are also still chasing District 3-AAA power points; those two forfeit losses knocked Northern Lebanon back a few pegs, and the Vikes will likely have to win out to clinch a postseason spot. Stay tuned.
Key kids: Wengert earned PennLive L-L Player of the Week honors for the second week in a row after he torched A-C to the tune of 222 rushing yards, 226 passing yards and seven combined TDs. Donegal simply must defend Vikes’ speed option. … Indians’ D-ends Ben Sweigart (37 tackles, 11 stops for losses, 6 sacks), Brooks Bear (31 tackles, 7 stops for losses, 6 sacks) have been in the backfield. A lot. They’ll need to be again against Northern Lebanon’s punishing ground attack.
The pick: Head says Donegal — which we picked to finish third in the section race — is going to spring one here and make a mess of things in the section chase. But heart says Northern Lebanon is focused and now ultra motivated — after the forfeit fiasco — to finish the job. So we’ll go heart here. But this could be an instant classic. Vikes trump Indians, 43-34.
OTHER GAMES
Section 1
Manheim Twp. (4-1, 6-2) at McCaskey (2-3, 3-5), Friday, 7 p.m. — Blue Streaks looking to bounce back after last week’s stinger setback vs. Wilson — and Manheim Twp. can’t get caught looking ahead to Week 10 trip to Hempfield. Can Red Tornado muster enough O to keep this one close?
Penn Manor (0-5, 0-8) at Wilson (5-0, 7-1), Friday, 7 p.m. — Bulldogs clinch a tie for eighth Section 1 title in a row with a win here. Injury riddled Comets — Penn Manor is minus leading rusher/tackler Carter Kinser and three O-linemen, which is a crusher — are riding an 11-game losing streak. Honestly, we didn’t see that coming.
Section 2
Lancaster Catholic (2-3, 3-5) at Elizabethtown (0-5, 0-8), Friday, 7 p.m. — Crusaders’ QB Bryan Downey needs 56 rushing yards to join 1,000-1,000 club this season, against a Bears’ squad aching to snap this 21-game losing skid.
Lampeter-Strasburg (4-1, 6-2) at Lebanon (0-5, 2-6), Friday, 7 p.m. — Rampaging Pioneers will have an eye on that Solanco at Cocalico score. You think L-S, winners of four in a row, would love another crack at the Mules?
Section 3
Columbia (1-3, 1-7) at Annville-Cleona (1-3, 5-3), Friday, 7 p.m. — Tide, Dutchmen back to the drawing board after tough losses last week; A-C would love a first-round home game in 3-AA playoffs, so it needs a fast finish.
Ephrata (0-5, 0-6) at Elco (4-1, 4-4), Friday, 7 p.m. — A loss here would make it 30 in a row for the Mounts. Their No. 1 priority in this one: Stopping Raiders’ RB Tyler Horst, the league’s leading rusher (1,128 yards).
Nonleague
Hamburg (3-2 Berks Section 2, 4-4 overall) at Pequea Valley (2-3 Section 3, 4-4 overall), Friday, 7 p.m. — Hawks won three in a row before running headfirst into unbeatens Berks Catholic and Wyomissing the last two weeks. Still, Hamburg is hoping for a postseason bid, and is led by RB Iggy Reynoso (703 rushing yards, 19 TDs). PV’s D has been stingy; Braves feature No. 3 defense in the L-L, and have 17 big takeaways.
