Mid-Penn Conference football picks for District III Round One

Seven Mid-Penn teams are in action on Friday night for the beginning of District playoffs.

It’s already playoff time in Pennsylvania high school football, and throughout the postseason I’ll have my picks for the slate of local games on Friday nights and occasionally Saturday afternoons. Eight Mid-Penn teams are in action, with seven Mid-Penn games on the docket.

This week, I’m joined by Mick Reinhard, a sports writer at The Carlisle Sentinel and Mike Drago Sports, covering high school sports for over a decade.

6A

#8 Cumberland Valley vs #9 Governor Mifflin (Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

The Eagles finished the regular season with a 38-14 win over Cedar Cliff, a win bringing the team back to .500, just enough for Chapman Field home advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Luke Brown: Cumberland Valley, 24-21

Mick Reinhard: Cumberland Valley, 16-13

5A

#5 Shippensburg vs #12 Warwick (Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

The Greyhounds were perfect up until their week ten loss to 10-0 Mechanicsburg, a really strong track record coming into the playoffs. Both are playing for the right to visit Conestoga Valley, another undefeated opponent that holds a bye into the quarterfinals.

Luke Brown: Shippensburg, 35-10

Mick Reinhard: Warwick, 31-25

#7 Cocalico vs #10 Hershey (Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

Hershey lost to Mechanicsburg and Shippensburg in the regular, who combine for a record of 19-1. Their weak spot is a Red Land in week seven. Cocalico is also 7-3 but faced a tougher schedule. The Eagles come in with major District III momentum, winning the title last year as a 3-seed, and winning two years ago despite being the lowest seed.

Luke Brown: Cocalico, 49-42 (OT)

Mick Reinhard: Cocalico, 23-21

#6 McDevitt vs #11 Lower Dauphin (Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

McDevitt is a stranger to a 6-seed in District play, but it’s harder to dominate a regular season in the Commonwealth than it is in the Keystone, where Lower Dauphin resides. Two losses, one to Harrisburg and the other to State College, have landed the Crusaders in a position to go on the road in order to win a District title, but they’ll began at home against an old foe.

Luke Brown: McDevitt, 38-21

Mick Reinhard: McDevitt, 45-27

4A

#7 East Penn vs #10 Susquehannock ((Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

Winner earns the right to play a state powerhouse Wyomissing next week. Panthers have been hot this season, going 8-1 since their pair of L’s in weeks one and two. They get a 4-6 Susquehannock squad in their first playoff meeting.

Luke Brown: East Penn, 42-12

Mick Reinhard: East Penn, 27-10

2A

#1 Steel-High vs #4 Upper Dauphin (Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

Rebuilding year? Guess not, as the Rollers once again hold a top playoff seed, this time in Class 2A. They’ll face Upper Dauphin for the second time this season, beating them the first time around, 34-28.

Luke Brown: Steel-High, 35-28

Mick Reinhard: Steel-High, 42-16

#2 Lancaster Catholic vs #3 Camp Hill (Friday, Nov 1, 7 PM)

The Lions found themselves as the bottom seed in last year’s 2A bracket, but upset the one seed Annville-Cleona and two seed Trinity for an unlikely title. Now, they get another crack at Lancaster Catholic after a 42-41 shootout loss in double-overtime of a week one showdown.

Luke Brown: Camp Hill, 31-28

Mick Reinhard: Camp Hill, 38-35