Exeter, Wyomissing hold lofty state rankings heading into districts

Exeter and Wyomissing used big Week 10 wins to complete perfect regular seasons and hold their spots in the in the PennLive.com state rankings.

The Eagles, No. 2 in Class 5A, won 21-17 at Manheim Central to claim the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 2 title.

The Spartans, No. 1 in Class 3A, beat state-ranked Lampeter-Strasburg 21-0 to nail down the Section 4 title.

There was very little movement in the rankings as the top teams mostly held serve in several key season-ending meetings.

St. Joseph’s Prep, ranked No. 1 in 6A, crushed state-ranked Roman Catholic 42-0.

Aliquippa, ranked No. 1 in 4A, held off Central Valley 35-24; Central Valley slipped from No. 4 to No. 5 in 4A.

Belle Vernon moved up one spot to No. 3 in 3A with a 48-14 win over previously unbeaten Elizabeth Forward, which had been No. 3 in 3A. Belle Vernon opened the season at No. 1 before a Week 3 loss to McKeesport opened the door for Wyomissing.

Pople John Paul II took its first loss, falling to Perkiomen Valley 21-14 in the Pioneer Athletic Conference championship game. Pope John Paul slipped from No. 7 to No. 9 in Class 4A.

Harrisburg, the defending champ in District 3 Class 6A, is the lone District 3 team ranked in the top classification. The Cougars are No. 8. Central York in listed as a Team to Watch. Hempfield, the No. 1 seed in the district tournament, is not listed.

Exeter is one of four unbeaten Class 5A teams in the state, along with Upper Dublin, Strath Haven and Solanco, the top seed in the District 3 Tournament.

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)              – 9-0 – 2 

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

4. Coatesville (1)          — 8-1 – 4 

5. Nazareth (11)           — 9-1 – 5 

6. Emmaus (11)            — 9-1 – 6 

7. North Allegheny (7) — 9-1 – 7 

8. Harrisburg (3)          — 7-2 – 8 

9. Pennsbury (1)           — 9-1 – 10 

10. Downingtown West (1)   — 8-1 – NR 

Teams to watch: Bethlehem Freedom (11) 8-2, Central York (3) 9-1, McDowell (10) 8-2, Northampton (11) 10-0, Perkiomen Valley (1) 9-1. 

CLASS 5A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Upper Dublin (1)               – 10-0 – 1 

2. Exeter (3)          – 10-0 – 2 

3. Imhotep Charter (12)         – 5-2 – 3 

4. Strath Haven (1)                — 10-0 – 4 

5. Bethel Park (7)                  — 9-1 – 6 

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

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

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

9. Roman Catholic (12)         — 7-2 – 5 

10. Upper St. Clair (7)           — 8-2 – NR 

Teams to watch: Franklin Regional (7) 7-3, Pine-Richland (7) 7-3, Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) 8-2, New Oxford (3) 8-2. 

CLASS 4A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

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

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

3. Jersey Shore (4)                 – 10-0 – 3 

4. Meadville (10)         — 9-1 – 9 

5. Central Valley (7)              – 9-1 – 4 

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

7. McKeesport (7)                 – 9-1 – 5 

8. Armstrong (7)          — 9-1 – 10 

9. Pope John Paul II (1)         — 9-1 – 7 

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

Teams to watch: Bonner-Prendergast (12) 8-1, Crestwood (2) 9-1, Highlands (7) 9-1, Thomas Jefferson (7) 7-3, Valley View (2) 8-2. 

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 – 4 

4. Loyalsock (4)           — 9-1 – 5 

5. Avonworth (7)                   — 9-1 – 6 

6. Lancaster Catholic (3)       — 10-0 – 7 

7. Elizabeth Forward (7)       – 9-1 – 3 

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

9. Northwestern Lehigh (11) — 8-2 – NR 

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

Teams to watch: General McLane (10) 9-1, North Schuylkill (11) 8-2, Notre Dame-Green Pond (11) 8-2, Oil City (10) 7-2, Western Wayne (2) 8-2, West Perry (3) 9-1. 

CLASS 2A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous

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

2. Mount Carmel (4)              – 10-0 – 2 

3. Richland Township (6)      – 10-0 – 3 

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

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

6. Berlin Brothersvalley (5)  — 10-0 – 6 

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

8. Westinghouse (8)              — 9-0 – 8 

9. Sto-Rox (7)                       — 7-2 – 10 

10. Williams Valley (11)       — 8-2 – NR 

Teams to watch: Central Clarion (9) 9-1, Neshannock (7) 9-1, Sharpsville (10) 8-2, Trinity (3) 6-4, Troy Area (4) 8-2. 

CLASS 1A 

Rank – Team – District – Record — Previous 

1. Canton (4)                         – 9-1 – 1 

2. Steelton-Highspire (3)       – 8-1 – 2 

3. Bishop Canevin (7) – 9-1 – 3 

4. Reynolds (10)           – 9-1 – 5 

5. Muncy (4)                          – 9-0 – 6 

6. Eisenhower (10)                — 10-0 – 8 

7. Northern Lehigh (11)        — 9-1 – 9 

8. Northern Bedford (5)        — 10-0 – 10 

9. Tri-Valley (11)                  — 9-1 – 4 

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

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