Exeter will need strong finish, and a little help, to secure top district seed in Class 5A

Exeter plays in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League but the Eagles have a vested interest in the Section 3 race.

The Eagles enter Week 7 ranked No. 3 in the District 3 Class 5A power ratings, directly behind Section 2 leaders Solanco and Elizabethtown. Those unbeaten squads meet Friday in Quarryville; the Eagles should be rooting for Elizabethtown.

The Mules are currently No. 1 in Class 5A, nearly 60 points ahead of the Eagles. The Bears’ lead over Exeter is just 14 points. It’ll be easier for Exeter to eventually move up to No. 1 with a Solanco loss this weekend.

If Solanco wins Friday it’ll likely finish the season unbeaten and secure the top seed, a key factor now that the higher seeded team plays at home throughout the four-round tournament, including the championship game.

The Eagles were true road warriors last season, winning their final three games of the District 3 Class 5A Tournament as visitors, including the championship game at Gov Mifflin.

With a month of regular season remaining Exeter (6-0) is one seven Berks teams in playoff position, within the bubble. Several others are outside the bubble, but lots can — and will — change over the remaining weeks.

Wyomissing (6-0) remains No. 1 in Class 3A, where the top six qualify. Hamburg (5-1) is No. 4, Schuylkill Valley (4-2) No. 5 and Berks Catholic (2-4) No. 7.

The Hawks and Panthers meet in Week 8 — an earlier-than-usual rendition of the “Frost Bowl,” and one that will mean a lot in Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League.

The Saints have bounced back from an 0-4 start to win their last two but still have a challenging road ahead, beginning Friday with Lampeter-Strasburg (5-1), the No. 2 team in Class 4A. Berks Catholic needs to win out to avoid its first non-winning season and needs to three of its remaining four games to have a chance to qualify for districts.

Wilson (5-1) has won five straight but has made up little ground in Class 6A, where it remains No. 5. The Bulldogs have a chance to knock off one of the teams ahead of it, No. 2 Hempfield (5-1), Friday at Gurski Stadium. Even a win might leave them behind the Black Knights, who currently own a 56-point power ratings edge.

Exeter has anything but a smooth path the rest of the way. It plays Hempfield in a non-leaguer in Week 8 and unbeaten and state-ranked Manheim Central in the regular season finale, at Manheim. That game likely will decide the Section 2 title.

Fleetwood (2-4), at No. 11, is just outside the bubble in Class 4A, where the top 10 qualify. It will be a struggle for the Tigers, who face Ephrata (3-3) this week and Elizabethtown and Solanco directly after that. They just missed the district field last year.

Twin Valley (3-3), despite back-to-back losses, remains No. 5 in Class 4A; it faces Garden Spot (5-1) this week. Conrad Weiser (3-3) is at No. 8 in 4A and ends the season against Wyomissing, Lampeter-Strasburg and Cocalico (3-3), a true Section 4 gauntlet.

Gov. Mifflin (2-4) will likely need to win out to crack the 12-team Class 5A field, where it stands No. 19. Closing 4-0 will require a win over Manheim Central in Week 9.

District 3 no longer uses Hersheypark Stadium for its championship games. The higher-seeded team hosts in each round, which makes earning a top seed valuable come November.

The District 3 playoffs begin Nov. 4, with games in the five smallest classes; Class 6A play begins Nov. 11.

The Class 1A championship game will be played Nov. 4-5.

The Class 2A championship will be played Nov. 11-12.

The Class 3A championship will be Nov. 18-19.

The Class 4A, 5A and 6A games will be played Nov. 25-26.

The PIAA championships are Dec. 8-9-10.