Who’s in and who’s out of the postseason picture
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
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There’s one game left in the regular season and as many as 10 Berks teams still have a chance to play in Week 11.
That could mean the District 3 playoffs or, failing that, in an Eastern Conference championship game.
The District 3 Tournament starts Oct. 31. The top 12 teams, by power rating, qualify in Class 5A; the top 10 make it in 6A and 4A; the top six qualify in 3A.
For those that miss the district cut there are the Eastern Conference playoffs. (Think of it as the NIT Tournament of high school football.) There are four classifications – 5A/6A, 4A, 3A and 1A/2A – and teams qualify by power rating.
Power ratings factor in a team’s won-loss record and its strength of schedule.
There’s only a championship round in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Nov. 1-2.
Reading (1-8), Fleetwood (2-7), Daniel Boone (1-8), and Kutztown (1-8) appear to be out of postseason contention, barring unforeseen circumstances.
The District 3 and Eastern Conference fields will be announced Sunday.
Here’s a look at each Berks team’s chance for the postseason. Click on the classification number to see the bracket.
Class 6A
Wilson (8-1)
The Bulldogs are No. 4 in the district power ratings and should move up one spot by beating No. 3 Manheim Township (8-1).
No. 2 Central York (8-1) will have a tough game against York High (7-2) but is expected to win. No. 1 Harrisburg (9-0), the four-time defending champ, is expected to blow past C.D. East and secure home-field advantage through the first two rounds. The numbers are close, and its mathematically possible Central York overtakes Harrisburg if each win.
With a loss Wilson could slip one spot should No. 5 York beat Central. That would cost the Bulldogs a quarterfinal home game. They’re locked into a first-round bye.
It’s also (remotely) possible Wilson could win and not move past Township. Cheltenham, which lost to Wilson in Week 1, had its final game canceled; that could cost the Bulldogs points because Cheltenham was expected to beat Truman this week, which would have added points to Wilson’s power rating.
Governor Mifflin (3-6)
To return to districts the No. 12 Mustangs, who have lost four of their last five, must beat Ephrata (5-4) and . . . pray for divine intervention.
That would come in the way of No. 10 Cedar Crest (4-5) losing to Lebanon (0-9) and No. 11 Dallastown (4-5) losing Red Lion (3-6).
The Mustangs (.554) aren’t that far behind the Falcons (.565) or Wildcats (.558) in the power ratings, and those points could be made up if all or most of Mifflin’s opponents win this week while all or most of Cedar Crest’s and Dallastown’s lose. So its possible Mifflin could lose and move past the other two, if they each lose . . . or if all three win. It’s too close to call.
If that falls through Mifflin is in the lead for an Eastern Conference 5A/6A berth. If it beats Ephrata it’ll host the championship game. If it loses it could be knocked out by Conrad Weiser (4-5), should the Scouts win at Unionville (4-5).
Class 5A
Muhlenberg (8-1)
The Muhls are No. 7 in the district power ratings and have essentially (though not officially) clinched their first district playoff berth since 2013.
A win over Conestoga Valley (9-0) will clinch a first-round home game or possibly even one of the four first-round byes.
A loss could conceivably drop them to No. 9 or lower, which would mean they would open the playoffs on the road.
Exeter (7-2)
The Eagles are No. 8 and could move up several spots, maybe as many as three, if they beat Elizabethtown (5-4) and any of the teams above them lose.
No. 7 Muhlenberg faces No. 2 Conestoga Valley (9-0); No. 6 Mechanicsburg (8-1) faces No. 10 Shippensburg (7-2); No. 5 Warwick (7-2) faces Manheim Central (5-4). Some distinct possibilities there.
A win assures the Eagles of a first-round home game; a first-round bye appears to be out of reach.
Conrad Weiser (4-5)
The Scouts are out of the running in districts but have a chance for an Eastern Conference berth should they snap their five-game losing streak and win at Unionville (5-4). That, coupled with a loss by Governor Mifflin to Ephrata (5-4) or a loss by Pocono Mountain West (5-4) to Pocono Mountain East (6-3), could open the door for the Scouts to play for an EC championship.
Class 4A
Twin Valley (9-0)
The Raiders are No. 2 and likely won’t move any higher. No. 1 Susquehanna Township (9-0) closes against Milton Hershey (2-9).
With district championship games now played at neutral sites the No. 2 seed is just as good as the No. 1. It will give the Raiders a week off and a home quarterfinal against the winner of the 7/10 game. If they win their playoff opener the Raiders will play again at home.
Wyomissing (8-1)
The Spartans are No. 4 in the power ratings and will need to beat No. 5 Lampeter-Strasburg (7-2) to hold that spot. It’s important because the No. 4 seed will earn both a first-round bye and a home game for the quarterfinals. At No. 5 they would get the bye but open on the road.
The way the numbers are stacked it seems almost certain that Wyomissing and Lampeter will meet in a 4/5 playoff opener regardless of this week’s outcome.
Hamburg (2-7)
The Hawks are outside the bubble for an Eastern Conference berth. With a win at Columbia (4-5) and a loss by Honesdale (3-6) to West Scranton (2-7) they might have a slight chance to sneak in.
Class 3A
Berks Catholic (7-2)
The Saints will be the top seed if they beat Annville-Cleona (8-1). That would mean a first-round bye and a home semifinal. The week off would be big as it would give Owen Schalk, their most explosive back, an extra week to recover from a shoulder injury.
Even with a loss its possible the Saints could hold onto No. 2, which would be key since only the top two finishers earn a bye. No. 3 Trinity (6-3) is 59 points behind in the power ratings, which is a lot to make up in one week.
Schuylkill Valley (5-4)
The Panthers are No. 6 in the power ratings and unofficially guaranteed a spot in the six-team field. If they win at Lancaster Catholic (5-4) they could move up if No. 5 Big Spring (5-4) loses to East Pennsboro (5-4) or possibly if No. 4 Bermudian Springs (6-3) loses to rival Littlestown (4-5).
At No. 5 or No. 6 Schuylkill Valley open the playoffs on the road; if they climb to No. 4 they will get a home game.
