Top-ranked Wyomissing, No. 2 Exeter ready to defend District 3 titles

Lancaster-Lebanon League section champs Exeter and Wyomissing head into the postseason highly ranked in the state and as favorites to repeat as District 3 champs.

The Eagles (10-0), who had a bye last week, remained ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 5A by PennLive.com. The Eagles won their first district title last season. They begin their chase for another Friday at home against Dover.

The Spartans (10-0), who also enjoyed a bye week, remained ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A. They will begin pursuit of their fourth straight district title Saturday at home against Hamburg.

Other than in Class 6A there was very little movement in the rankings as district tournaments opened across the state. Coatesville, ranked No. 4 last week, was eliminated by unranked Downingtown East 31-15; the Cougars are now ranked No. 10. Nazareth, ranked No. 5, saw its season end with a 42-14 loss to unranked Parkland.

No. 6 Harrisburg, the defending champ in District 3 Class 6A, is joined in the Top 10 by Central York, at No. 8. The Cougars, No. 8 a week ago, host Wilson Saturday at 1 in the opening round of districts.

Section 2 champ Exeter remains one of four unbeaten Class 5A teams in the state, along with Upper Dublin, Strath Haven and Solanco.

Section 4 champ Wyomissing is one of just three unbeatens in 3A, along with Lancaster Catholic and Danville.

CLASS 6A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)        – 7-1 – 1 

2. Garnet Valley (1)              – 10-0 – 2 

3. State College (6)               – 10-0 – 3 

4. Emmaus (11)            — 10-1 – 6 

5. North Allegheny (7) — 9-1 – 7 

6. Harrisburg (3)          — 7-2 – 8 

7. Downingtown West (1)     — 9-1 – 10 

8. Central York (3)                — 9-1 – NR 

9. Perkiomen Valley (1)        — 10-1 – NR 

10. Downingtown East (1)    — 8-3 – NR 

Teams to watch: Bethlehem Freedom (11) 9-2, Hempfield (3) 8-2, McDowell (10) 9-2, Northampton (11) 11-0, Parkland (11) 7-4. 

CLASS 5A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Upper Dublin (1)               – 11-0 – 1 

2. Exeter (3)          – 10-0 – 2 

3. Imhotep Charter (12)         – 6-2 – 3 

4. Strath Haven (1)                — 11-0 – 4 

5. Bethel Park (7)                  — 10-1 – 5 

6. Cathedral Prep (10)           — 8-2 – 6 

7. Solanco (3)                        — 10-0 – 7 

8. Roman Catholic (12)         — 8-2 – 9 

9. Chester (1)                         — 10-1 – 8 

10. Upper St. Clair (7)           — 9-2 – 10 

Teams to watch: New Oxford (3) 8-2, Pine-Richland (7) 8-3, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 9-2, Southern Lehigh (11) 8-2, West Chester Rustin (1) 9-1. 

CLASS 4A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Aliquippa (7)            – 9-0 – 1 

2. Bishop McDevitt (3)         – 8-1 – 2 

3. Jersey Shore (4)                 – 11-0 – 3 

4. Meadville (10)         — 10-1 – 4 

5. Central Valley (7)              – 9-1 – 5 

6. Manheim Central (3)         — 9-1 – 6 

7. McKeesport (7)                 – 10-1 – 7 

8. Armstrong (7)          — 10-1 – 8 

9. Pope John Paul II (1)         — 10-1 – 9 

10. Lampeter-Strasburg (3)   — 8-2 – 10 

Teams to watch: Bonner-Prendergast (12) 9-1, Crestwood (2) 10-1, Thomas Jefferson (7) 7-3, Valley View (2) 9-2. 

CLASS 3A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Wyomissing (3)                 – 10-0 – 1 

2. Danville (4)              – 10-0 – 2 

3. Belle Vernon (7)                – 7-2 – 3 

4. Loyalsock (4)           — 10-1 – 4 

5. Avonworth (7)                   — 9-1 – 5 

6. Lancaster Catholic (3)       — 10-0 – 6 

7. Elizabeth Forward (7)       – 9-1 – 7 

8. Penn Cambria (6)              — 9-1 – 8 

9. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 9-2 – 9 

10. Freeport (7)            — 9-1 – 10 

Teams to watch: Central Martinsburg (6) 9-2, North Schuylkill (11) 9-2, Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 9-2, Western Wayne (2) 9-2, West Perry (3) 10-1. 

CLASS 2A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Farrell (10)                        – 8-1 – 1 

2. Mount Carmel (4)              – 11-0 – 2 

3. Richland Township (6)      – 11-0 – 3 

4. Lakeland (2)             – 11-0 – 4 

5. Steel Valley (7)                 — 9-0 – 5 

6. Berlin Brothersvalley (5)  — 11-0 – 6 

7. Beaver Falls (7)                 — 9-1 – 7 

8. Westinghouse (8)              — 10-0 – 8 

9. Sto-Rox (7)                        — 8-2 – 9 

10. Central Clarion (9) — 9-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Neshannock (7) 10-1, Sharpsville (10) 8-2, Southern Columbia (4) 8-3, Trinity (3) 7-4, Troy Area (4) 9-2. 

CLASS 1A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Canton (4)                         – 10-1 – 1 

2. Steelton-Highspire (3)       – 9-1 – 2 

3. Bishop Canevin (7) – 10-1 – 3 

4. Reynolds (10)           – 9-1 – 4 

5. Muncy (4)                          – 10-0 – 5 

6. Eisenhower (10)                — 10-0 – 6 

7. Northern Lehigh (11)        — 10-1 – 7 

8. Northern Bedford (5)        — 11-0 – 8 

9. Tri-Valley (11)                  — 10-1 – 9 

10. Redbank Valley (9)         — 9-1 – 10 

Teams to watch: Lackawanna Trail (2) 7-4, Laurel (7) 10-1, Penns Manor (6) 10-1, Port Allegany (9) 9-1, South Side Area (7) 10-1, Windber (5) 10-1.