Streaking Schuylkill Valley earns spot in state rankings for first time in 20 years

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2023 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

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Twin Valley fell out of the Class 4A Top 10 after its first loss as another Berks team makes its first appearance in the state rankings in 20 years.

Schuylkill Valley, which has won seven straight since a season-opening 44-13 loss to Twin Valley, appears as a Team To Watch in Class 3A. The Panthers had appeared in the rankings just four previous times, the last on Dec. 9, 2003, following an 8-3 season which saw them set the program record for victories.

Schuylkill Valley has never cracked the Top 10. A win Friday at Annville-Cleona and a season-ending win over Lancaster Catholic could boost them into that stratosphere for the first time.

The Raiders, meanwhile, reached 7-0 for the first time in program history before losing 52-33 at Ephrata last week. They had been No. 10 in the state the previous two weeks; they are now listed as one of five Teams To Watch.

Exeter and Wyomissing, meanwhile, held their spots. The unbeaten Eagles remain at No. 3 in Class 5A; the Spartans are No. 2 in Class 3, where they began the season.

Exeter is one of five unbeaten Class 5A teams in the state. That record  will be put to the test Friday against Conestoga Valley (6-2) and in the regular season finale against Manheim Central (7-1), which is ranked No. 8 in the state in Class 4A.

Exeter is one of three District 3 teams in the Class 5A rankings: Cocalico is No. 6 and Cedar Cliff is No. 10. Ephrata is a Team To Watch.

Twin Valley had cracked the rankings just once before this season, last November after beating Milton Hershey 43-29 in the opening round of districts.

CLASS 6A 

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous 

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12)          — 6-1 – 1 

2. Parkland (11)                       — 8-0 – 2 

3. Central Bucks West (1)        — 8-0 – 3 

4. Manheim Township (3)       — 8-0 – 4 

5. Central York (3)                   — 8-0 – 5 

6. Pittsburgh C.C. (7)               — 7-1 – 6 

7. Downingtown East (1)        — 7-0 – 7 

8. North Allegheny (7)            — 7-1 – 8 

9. Nazareth (11)                      – 7-1 – 9 

10. Harrisburg (3)                    — 7-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Central Bucks South (1) 8-0, Northampton (11) 7-1, Souderton (1) 8-0, Spring-Ford (1) 7-1. 

CLASS 5A 

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous 

1. Imhotep Charter (12)          — 8-0 – 1 

2. Peters Township (7)            — 8-0 – 2 

3. Exeter (3)            — 8-0 – 3 

4. Roman Catholic (12)           – 6-1 – 4 

5. Southern Lehigh (11)          — 8-0 – 6 

6. Cocalico (3)                         — 7-1 – 8 

7. West Chester Rustin (1)      — 6-1 – 9 

8. Springfield-Delco (1)           — 7-1 – 10 

9. Chester (1)                          — 7-1 – NR 

10. Cedar Cliff (3)                    — 7-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Cathedral Prep (10) 4-3, Ephrata (3) 7-1, Marple-Newtown (1) 7-1, Penn Hills (7) 6-2, Pine-Richland (7) 5-3, Strath Haven (1) 7-1. 

CLASS 4A 

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous 

1. Bishop McDevitt (3)            – 8-0 – 1 

2. Aliquippa (7)                       – 7-0 – 2 

3. Pope John Paul II (1)           – 8-0 – 3 

4. Jersey Shore (4)                   – 7-0-1 – 4 

5. Selinsgrove (4)                    – 7-0-1 – 5 

6. Allentown C.C. (11)             – 6-2 – 6 

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

8. Manheim Central (3)          — 7-1 – 8 

9. Thomas Jefferson (7)          – 7-1 – 9 

10. Lampeter-Strasburg (3)     — 7-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Dallas (2) 8-0, East Pennsboro (3) 7-1, Montour (7) 7-1, Twin Valley (3) 7-1, Wyoming Area (2) 8-0. 

CLASS 3A 

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous 

1. Belle Vernon (7)                  – 6-1 – 1 

2. Wyomissing (3)                   – 7-1 – 2 

3. Avonworth (7)                     – 8-0 – 3 

4. Neumann-Goretti (12)        – 6-1 – 4 

5. West Perry (3)                     — 8-0 – 6 

6. Danville (4)                          — 7-1 – 7 

7. Northwestern Lehigh (11)  — 8-0 – 8 

8. Palmerton (11)                    — 8-0 – NR 

9. Central (6)                           — 8-0 – 9 

10. Elizabeth-Forward (7)       — 8-0 – 10 

Teams to watch: Knoch (7) 7-1, Loyalsock (4) 6-2, North Schuylkill (11) 6-2, Schuylkill Valley (3) 7-1, Scranton Prep (2) 7-1. 

CLASS 2A 

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous 

1. Farrell (10)                           – 8-0 – 2 

2. Westinghouse (8)                – 7-0 – 3 

3. Richland (6)                         – 8-0 – 4 

4. Central Clarion (9)               — 8-0 – 5 

5. Washington (7)                   — 8-0 – 6 

6. Southern Columbia (4)        – 7-1 – 1 

7. Mount Carmel (4)               — 6-2 – NR 

8. Troy (4)                               — 8-0 – 7 

9. Trinity (3)                             – 6-2 – 8 

10. Mercyhurst Prep (10)        — 8-0 – 9 

Teams to watch: Bald Eagle Area (6) 7-1, Berlin Brothersvalley (5) 7-1, Chestnut Ridge (5) 7-1, Steel Valley (7) 6-1, United Valley (6) 8-0. 

CLASS 1A 

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous 

1. Steelton-Highspire (3)         — 8-0 – 1 

2. Canton (4)                           — 8-0 – 2 

3. Northern Bedford (5)          — 8-0 – 3 

4. Lackawanna Trail (2)           – 8-0 – 4 

5. Fort Cherry (7)                    — 8-0 – 5 

6. Bishop Canevin (7)              — 6-1 – 6 

7. Redbank Valley (9)              — 8-0 – 7 

8. South Side (7)                     — 8-0 – 9 

9. Muncy (4)                            — 7-1 – 10 

10. Union Area (7)                  — 7-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Clairton (7) 6-2, Lakeview (10) 7-1, Minersville (11) 7-1, Northern Cambria (6) 7-1, South Williamsport (4) 6-2.