District Champs

[Crimson's Ghost]

D5A- Don't know too much...but I will guess Blue and white team to finish at top...Berlin I think still has a stud RB coming back next year. He I guess could take them over the edge. -or- Windber to rebound back to the top. Still the litmus program of D5 IMHO...In states I am not too optimistic about them vs. whoever wins D-7 this year. It may be a While before I feel a D-5 team can take a D-7 team...As I have said many times before North Star should and could have beaten Serra and although the Duquesne Dukes were my team I knew Windber could hang in '05...It was 1 or two broken plays that won it for the Dukes...there was no domination.

D5,8AA- I guess TM is not AA? Any how I can see a high scoring victory over a D-8 Westinghouse...whom is the only AA school I believe, close to A cutoff...Most "city league" teams in states seem to lose shoot outs...they are teams engineered to score but get trucked in the trenches and the grind wears them down.

D6A- Can't seem to go against BA...My dark horse is Blairsville who will continue the trend of high scoring, but when it comes time for D will lose either deep in play offs or the championship games...Always felt bad the bobcats most balanced years coincided with BC best years...I think in States D6 lose to SH whom I picking to come out of the "true" east to face the west in Hershey.

D6AA- Tyrone...Richland is a program now and FH has been a king, but it seems Tyrone may still have a little more over both the rangers and Richland...of all of western PA this seems to be the district/classification that is toe to toe with the WPIAL AA champs...Tyrone and FH have won many a spot in Hershey taking down D-7 gold winner...BUT I think South Fayette is at another level right now as this is probably their last year in AA before AAA...That said though I believe one of these programs (tyrone?) beat a similar high flying Seton La Salle team a few years ago.

D5 can be a little wide open. Windber loses all of their skilled players. Berlin has a leg up on them, and Tussey Mountain has a 1,000 yard back themselves as the defending champs. Plus a QB that can make plays.

D6A Neither of those teams are Bishop Guilfoyle caliber. Not even close. Bellwood will figure a way to hang but otherwise it's Guilfoyle's district to lose.

D6AA I'm leery of Tyrone with a new QB and RB starting this year. They relied a lot on James Oliver. Forest Hills has a 3 year starter at QB with Joe Donoughe, and a dynamic player in Shareef Blough. Richland has to take a step back somewhat. 18 of the 22 starting spots will be new guys.

D6AAA Somerset has this one in the bag I think. Johnstown's line play really worries me, and Clearfield will be good but not that quite as good as they were. University Prep is an unknown.

[Manfred]

IKE, Forest Hills has NEVER been to Hershey. Been in the Western final a couple times, but has only been in 1 state final, when it was played in ALTOONA, as it should be every year due to being closest to geographic center of the state. And that one was 20 years ago vs Mt. Carmel, in what many consider to -still- be the greatest final game ever. The Rangers will be better this year, depending on injuries and depth on the line. The 'skill' positions are fine, and scoring points won't be an issue, but the question is how the defense has matured and can they be a shut-down D?

[D6sports101]

Forest Hills won't only not be the district champion, they will have some trouble in the LHAC

[crfball]

BG, Somerset, and Bedford are the only really "strong" teams in LHAC. The only other team that could really be a threat is Central Cambria, who could really be a dark horse.

[D6sports101]

Exactly a 7-3 record in the conference won't get you anywhere past the district or maybe not even into the district championship

[House]

Keep an eye out for Mt. Union in D6AA. A lot of talent returning from a team that gave forest hills all they could handle and they have a lot of speed at their skill positions.

[D6sports101]

What are your thoughts for the defending champs in D6AA. The scarlet dragons

[DragonsDoExist]

Agree 100% with keeping an eye on Mount Union.

As far as my Dragons go the leadership will be impossible to replace but last years 9th and 10th grade classes bring a very athletic group. JV team went 8-1 and 9th grade team went 8-1 and only gave up a combined 6 points in Mountain League competition. OL and DL will be young but very quick and athletic. Will definitely be a completely different team from last year with a very different offensive mindset. Finding athletes will not be an issue but I'm sure there will be some rookie mistakes as the young guys get used to the big stage. But many of these youngsters just played on a state runner up in baseball so not sure how much the big stage will really affect them. Will be an interesting year in the Cove.

[D6sports101]

Just don't think central has enough

[DragonsDoExist]

Just don't think central has enough

A lot will depend on the line play. Several believe next years soph class is the best group of lineman they've seen in years.

Anxious to see what JR QB Noah Benton can do with more snaps under center. He's got all the tools to be a very good one and has been hitting the camp circuit pretty heavy with invites to Rivals, Nike Elite 11, and recently at Pitt and PSU camps.

This past group at Central was awesome and may be years until we see anything like it again but I love what I've seen from the young kids.

Will be an interesting year and I'm looking forward to it!