Unbeaten Twin Valley reaches new heights in state football rankings
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
After 28 seasons, nearly 300 games and a program-first 6-0 start the Twin Valley Raiders have set foot in new territory: The state rankings.
The Raiders are No. 10 in the PennLive.com Class 4A rankings, the first time they have appeared in the Top 10. They have been listed as a Team To Watch in the rankings for the past several weeks; they earned that distinction in just one other season, and for only one week.
They had never cracked the Top 10 before. They become the 12th Berks program to earn such status. The only current Berks programs that havenβt been ranked in the Top 10 by PennLive.com are Fleetwood, Kutztown, and Schuylkill Valley.
Gov. Mifflin and Wyomissing are the only Berks programs to reach No. 1.
The Raiders join Wyomissing and Exeter in the rankings.
The unbeaten Spartans remain at No. 2 in Class 3A, where they began the season. The unbeaten Eagles remain at No. 3, where they were ranked last week. Exeter spent six weeks at No. 2 last season.
Twin Valley will be challenged to remain in the rankings. The Raiders face their sternest test of the season Friday with a home game against unbeaten Garden Spot. The Spartans are listed as a Team To Watch in Class 5A.
Elsewhere, there was little movement in the rankings. Peters Township jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 in Class 5A β leapfrogging Exeter β after improving to 6-0 with a 49-6 win over Baldwin. The Indians take the place of West Chester Rustin, which tumbled to No. 10 after a 28-0 loss at Coatesville.
Other than Exeter No. 8 Cocalico is the only other Berks team in the 5A rankings. Cocalico meets Wyomissing Friday at Denver with first place on the line in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Twin Valley joins No. 1 Bishop McDevitt and No. 9 Manheim Central in the Class 4A rankings; a fourth District 3 team, Lampeter-Strasburg, is listed as a Team To Watch.
CLASS 6A
Rank β Team β District β Record β Previous
1. St. Josephβs Prep (12) — 4-1 β 1
2. Pittsburgh C.C. (7) — 6-0 β 2
3. Parkland (11) — 6-0 β 3
4. Central Bucks West (1) — 6-0 β 4
5. Manheim Township (3) — 6-0 β 6
6. Central York (3) — 6-0 β 5
7. Downingtown East (1) — 6-0 β 7
8. North Allegheny (7) — 5-1 β 8
9. Nazareth (11) β 5-1 β 9
10. Downingtown West (1) — 6-0 β 10
Teams to watch: Central Bucks South (1) 6-0, Garnet Valley (1) 5-1, Harrisburg (3) 5-1, Spring-Ford (1) 5-1, State College (6) 4-1.
CLASS 5A
Rank β Team β District β Record β Previous
1. Imhotep Charter (12) — 6-0 β 1
2. Peters Township (7) — 6-0 β 5
3. EXETER (3)Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β — 6-0 β 3Β
4. Roman Catholic (12) β 5-1 β 4
5. Strath Haven (1) β 6-0 β 6
6. Southern Lehigh (11) — 6-0 β 8
7. Penn Hills (7) β 5-1 β 9
8. Cocalico (3) — 5-1 β 10
9. West Chester Rustin (1) — 4-1 β 2
10. Upper St. Clair (7) — 5-1 β NR
Teams to watch: Cedar Cliff (3) 5-1, Garden Spot (3) 6-0, Springfield-Delco (1) 5-1, Whitehall (11) 4-2.
CLASS 4A
Rank β Team β District β Record β Previous
1. Bishop McDevitt (3) β 6-0 β 1
2. Aliquippa (7) β 5-0 β 2
3. Thomas Jefferson (7) β 6-0 β 3
4. Pope John Paul II (1) β 6-0 β 4
5. Jersey Shore (4) β 5-0-1 β 6
6. Selinsgrove (4) β 5-0-1 β 7
7. Allentown C.C. (11) β 4-2 β 5
8. McKeesport (7) β 5-1 β 8
9. Manheim Central (3) — 5-1 β 9
10. TWIN VALLEY (3)Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β — 6-0 β NRΒ
Teams to watch: Bethlehem Catholic (11) 5-1, Bonner-Prendergast (12) 4-1, Central Valley (7) 5-1, Lampeter-Strasburg (3) 5-1, Meadville (10) 5-1.
CLASS 3A
Rank β Team β District β Record β Previous
1. Belle Vernon (7) β 4-1 β 1
2. WYOMISSING (3)Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β β 6-0 β 2Β
3. Avonworth (7) β 6-0 β 3
4. Neumann-Goretti (12) β 4-1 β 4
5. North Schuylkill (11) β 5-1 β 5
6. West Perry (3) — 6-0 β 6
7. Danville (4) — 5-1 β 7
8. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 6-0 β 8
9. Central (6) — 6-0 β 9
10. Elizabeth-Forward (7) — 6-0 β 10
Teams to watch: Lancaster Catholic (3) 6-0, Loyalsock (4) 4-2, Mt. Pleasant (7) 5-1, Palmerton (11) 6-0, Scranton Prep (2) 5-1, Sharon (10) 5-1.
CLASS 2A
Rank β Team β District β Record β Previous
1. Southern Columbia (4) β 6-0 β 1
2. Farrell (10) β 6-0 β 2
3. Westinghouse (8) β 5-0 β 3
4. Richland (6) β 6-0 β 4
5. Bald Eagle Area (6) — 6-0 β 5
6. Central Clarion (9) — 6-0 β 6
7. Washington (7) — 6-0 β 7
8. Troy (4) — 6-0 β 8
9. Trinity (3) β 4-2 β 9
10. Mercyhurst Prep (10) — 6-0 β NR
Teams to watch: Berlin Brothersvalley (5) 5-1, Chestnut Ridge (5) 6-0, Mount Carmel (4) 4-2, Sharpsville (10) 5-1, Steel Valley (7) 4-1.
CLASS 1A
Rank β Team β District β Record β Previous
1. Steelton-Highspire (3) — 6-0 β 1
2. Canton (4) — 6-0 β 3
3. Northern Bedford (5) — 6-0 β 4
4. Lackawanna Trail (2) β 6-0 β 5
5. Fort Cherry (7) — 6-0 β NR
6. Bishop Canevin (7) — 4-1 β 2
7. Redbank Valley (9) — 6-0 β 6
8. Cornell (7) — 6-0 β 7
9. Lakeview (10) — 6-0 β 8
10. South Side (7) — 6-0 β 9
Teams to watch: Minersville (11) 5-1, Muncy (4) 5-1, Northern Cambria (6) 5-1, South Williamsport (4) 5-1, Union Area (7) 5-1.