Who’s in, who’s almost in and who’s out of the playoff picture
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
For District 3 power ratings, click here:
With one game left in the regular season nine of 14 Berks teams have a realistic shot at a postseason game.
Players from Conrad Weiser (2-7), Daniel Boone (1-8), Kutztown (2-7), Muhlenberg (1-8), and Reading High (1-8) will hand in their equipment after Friday night but a bunch of others will be back at practice Monday, getting ready for a District 3 or Eastern Conference games.
Here’s a team-by-team look at the contenders:
(PhilMarPhoto)
Berks Catholic (4-5)
The Saints are just outside the bubble in District 3 Class 3A, No. 7 in a six-team field.
To make it they’ll need to beat Elco (6-3) and see No. 6 Bermudian Springs (6-3) lose to No. 5 Littlestown (7-2). That’s a rivalry game, and Bermudian has won six straight.
It’s possible Berks Catholic, with a win, could squeeze past Littlestown – it trails by 46 points in the power ratings.
Failing that the Saints will get a berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs, even with a loss. With a win or a Hamburg loss they’ll open at home.
By the way: The Saints could be playing in 2A next year.
Exeter (8-1)
The Eagles have locked up a spot in the 12-team Class 5A field. A win Friday over Manheim Central (8-1) will lock up a first-round home game.
It’s possible the Eagles, currently No. 7, could lose and get a home game, but that’ll take losses by at least two of the three teams directly behind them: No. 8 South Western (6-3), against Spring Grove (3-6); No. 9 Hershey (6-3), against Palmyra (2-9); or No. 10 Lower Dauphin (6-3), against Bishop McDevitt (9-0).
(PhilMarPhoto)
Fleetwood (4-5)
The Tigers are No. 12 and unlikely to move up enough to crack the 10-team field in 4A, even by beating Daniel Boone. It’s possible, but the explanation would crash the internet, so we’ll move on.
A win should get the Tigers into the Eastern Conference 4A finals.
They made the EC field in 2021 and beat Boyertown in the championship game.
Gov. Mifflin (4-5)
The Mustangs are on the proverbial bubble, No. 13, trying to squeeze into a 12-team 5A field. It’ll be a tough fit. Mifflin is 51 points behind No. 12 Dover (6-3) and 52 points behind No. 11 Greencastle-Antrim.
The Mustangs need a win over Warwick (3-6); a loss by either Dover, against West York (0-9), or Greencastle against Shippensburg (4-5); PLUS season-ending wins by some of its non-league opponents: Spring-Ford (8-1), Carlisle (1-8), Boyertown (2-7) or Wilson (7-2).
Long odds, indeed.
Failing that the Mustangs will host the Eastern Conference 5A championship game with a win over Warwick and will make the finals and still possibly host with a loss.
Mifflin finished 3-7 last season so ending the season playing for a trophy would be a win.
Former head coach Mick Vecchio credits Mifflin’s 2004 Eastern Conference championship for sparking a resurgence in the program that led to 18 straight playoff appearances.
(PhilMarPhoto)
Hamburg (5-4)
Making the six-team District 3 Class 3A field is a longshot for Hawks, who enter Week 10 at No. 8.
It could happen but it would take Neil deGrasse Tyson 30 minutes to explain it. So, we’ll move on to things less confusing . . . such as the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Hawks are currently No. 2, behind Berks Catholic, and will make the cut by beating Columbia (2-7).
If Berks Catholic beats the odds and qualifies for districts the Hawks could host the EC final.
Not what they were hoping for after such a successful district run last season but they still have a chance to finish with seven wins, which is a good season by any measure in Hamburg.
Schuylkill Valley (8-1)
The Panthers have clinched a return trip to the District 3 Class 3A Tournament; they could enter as the No. 1 seed.
They’re No. 3 right now. To finish on top three things need to happen: They must beat Lancaster Catholic (8-1); No. 2 Wyomissing (8-1) must lose to Lampeter-Strasburg (8-1); and No. 1 West Perry (9-0) must lose to Steel-High (9-0).
That’s not a 100-to-1 trifecta. Each of those three results could occur and no one will be shocked.
Seeing the Panthers open the tournament as the No. 1 seed? Well, yes, that would, in retrospect, be shocking.
(PhilMarPhoto)
Twin Valley (8-1)
The Raiders have already sewn up a first-round bye and quarterfinal home game in Class 4A.
If they close with a win over Hatboro-Horsham (5-4) they should hold onto the No. 2 seed, though No. 3 Manheim Central could conceivably pass them.
At No. 2 they would have home field until the championship. At No. 3 they would play the semifinal at No. 2.
The Raiders have been so convincing this season its easy to forget that the program didn’t earn its first district win until last season and that they had never won more than seven games in a season until a couple weeks ago.
Wilson (7-2)
The Bulldogs are No. 4 in 6A but its anyone’s guess where they’ll end up. If they upset unbeaten Manheim Township they’ll hold the No. 4 spot and open districts at home. Easier said than done.
If they lose . . . they could fall to No. 5, 6 or even 7.
At No. 7 they could be headed back to Harrisburg again. That’s where their season ended last season. And the year before. The Cougars ended their season in 2019 and 2018, also.
You could even make a case that Harrisburg ended Wilson’s season in 2020 when it squeezed in a Monday game just before the cutoff deadline to sneak into the playoffs, then dropped out the next day due to a COVID outbreak. The Bulldogs were sitting at No. 5 but the District 3 Committee didn’t allow them to fill Harrisburg’s open spot in the bracket.
Some in West Lawn are still chafing over that clumsily handled episode.
(Tim Macrina photo)
Wyomissing (8-1)
The four-time defending champs can earn another No. 1 seed by closing with a win over a very strong Lampeter-Strasburg team Friday. The Pioneers have the league’s No. 1 defense and are fighting for a home playoff spot.
If the Spartans win and Steel-High, as expected, beats West Perry Wyomissing will be the top seed in Class 3A for the fourth time in five years and will have a chance to win a championship at Bob Wolfrum Field.
If the Spartans lose they could be passed by No. 3 Schuylkill Valley, should it win at Lancaster Catholic.
If West Perry AND Schuylkill Valley each lose Wyomissing will do no worse than No. 2 and could move up to No. 1 if its non-league opponents – Kennard-Dale (2-7), Pottsville (3-6) and Trinity (6-3) – each win. Strength-of-schedule could be the determining factor in who ends up No. 1.