Twin Valley back in Top 10 after winning district playoff opener

By mikedragosports Last updated Nov 15, 2023

2023 Berks football coverage presented by

Utilities Employees Credit Union

It has been an historic football season for Twin Valley. The Raiders have set a program record for victories, shared a league title and earned their highest seed ever in the District 3 Tournament.

They rose to No. 10 in the state in Class 4A after a 7-0 start. A Week 8 loss to Ephrata knocked them out but a month later they’re back at No. 10 in the latest PennLive.com rankings.

This is the first season in the program’s 28-year history that the Raiders have cracked the Top 10. Prior to this season Twin Valley had spent all of one week as a Team To Watch; it joined that list again several weeks ago.

The return to the Top 10 makes Twin Valley’s District semifinal Friday against Manheim Central loom even larger: The Barons are No. 6 in the state.

Wyomissing, which remains at No. 2 in Class 3A, is the only other Berks team listed in the rankings. The Spartans have been in that spot since the preseason.

Exeter spent much of the season in the Class 5A Top 10 before some late-season losses. Wilson and Schuylkill Valley have appeared in the Team To Watch category in their respective classes.

PennLive.com rankings

CLASS 6A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) — 9-1 – 1

2. Parkland (11) — 12-0 – 2

3. Manheim Township (3) — 11-0 – 4

4. Central Bucks West (1) — 12-0 – 3

5. Central York (3) — 11-0 – 5

6. Pittsburgh C.C. (7) — 10-1 – 6

7. Downingtown East (1) — 11-0 – 7

8. North Allegheny (7) — 10-1 – 8

9. Nazareth (11) – 11-1 – 9

10. Harrisburg (3) — 10-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Central Bucks South (1) 11-1, Cumberland Valley (3) 7-4, Downingtown West (1) 10-2, State College (6) 7-3.

CLASS 5A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Imhotep Charter (12) — 11-0 – 1

2. Peters Township (7) — 12-0 – 2

3. Cocalico (3) — 10-1 – 3

4. Roman Catholic (12) – 8-2 – 4

5. West Chester Rustin (1) — 10-1 – 5

6. Springfield-Delco (1) — 11-1 – 6

7. Chester (1) — 11-1 – 7

8. Cedar Cliff (3) — 10-1 – 8

9. Pine-Richland (7) — 9-3 – NR

10. Cathedral Prep (10) — 7-3 – 10

Teams to watch: Delaware Valley (2) 9-3, Ephrata (3) 11-1, Hershey (3) 9-3, Strath Haven (1) 11-1, Whitehall (11) 8-4.

CLASS 4A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Bishop McDevitt (3) – 11-0 – 1

2. Aliquippa (7) – 10-0 – 2

3. Pope John Paul II (1) – 12-0 – 3

4. Selinsgrove (4) – 11-0-1 – 5

5. McKeesport (7) – 10-1 – 7

6. Manheim Central (3) — 10-1 – 8

7. Dallas (2) — 12-0 – 9

8. Montour (7) — 10-1 – 10

9. Lampeter-Strasburg (3) — 9-2 – NR

10. Twin Valley (3) — 10-1 – NR

Teams to watch: Bethlehem Catholic (11) 7-5, Juniata (6) 7-5, Mars (7) 10-2, Meadville (10) 9-2, Valley View (2) 10-2.

CLASS 3A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Belle Vernon (7) – 9-1 – 1

2. Wyomissing (3) – 10-1 – 2

3. Avonworth (7) – 11-0 – 3

4. Neumann-Goretti (12) – 10-1 – 4

5. Danville (4) — 11-1 – 5

6. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 12-0 – 6

7. Palmerton (11) — 12-0 – 7

8. Central (6) — 11-0 – 8

9. Elizabeth-Forward (7) — 10-1 – 9

10. West Perry (3) — 11-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Clearfield (9) 8-3, East Allegheny (7) 9-2, Hickory (10) 9-2, Loyalsock (4) 9-3, Scranton Prep (2) 11-1, Sharon (10) 9-2.

CLASS 2A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Farrell (10) – 10-1 – 1

2. Westinghouse (8) – 10-0 – 2

3. Central Clarion (9) — 11-0 – 3

4. Southern Columbia (4) – 11-1 – 4

5. Troy (4) — 12-0 – 6

6. Steel Valley (7) — 9-1 – 7

7. Richland (6) – 11-1 – 8

8. Mercyhurst Prep (10) — 10-0 – 9

9. Williams Valley (11) — 10-2 – NR

10. Bald Eagle Area (6) — 11-1 – NR

Teams to watch: Beaver Falls (7) 7-5, Camp Hill (3) 7-5, Dunmore (2) 10-2, Mohawk (7) 10-2, Washington (7) 11-1.

CLASS 1A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Steelton-Highspire (3) — 12-0 – 1

2. Lackawanna Trail (2) – 12-0 – 2

3. Northern Bedford (5) — 12-0 – 3

4. Fort Cherry (7) — 12-0 – 4

5. Bishop Canevin (7) — 10-1 – 5

6. South Side (7) — 12-0 – 6

7. Muncy (4) — 10-1 – 7

8. Clairton (7) — 10-2 – 8

9. Cambridge Springs (10) — 11-1 – 9

10. Redbank Valley (9) — 10-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Lakeview (10) 9-2, Minersville (11) 10-2, Port Allegany (9) 10-2, Purchase Line (6) 9-3, South Williamsport (4) 9-2.