Here's an in-depth preview of L-L League Section 3 football for upcoming 2024 season [video] (2024)

Here’s everything and anything you need to know about Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3 football for the upcoming 2024 season.

Changes galore to the landscape in this race, with the addition of Cocalico, Manheim Central and Warwick, who are all on the move — giddy-up — after the latest round of league realignment modifications. That trio will join familiar L-L League foes Garden Spot and Solanco in this hunt, which will have a decided Lancaster County look to it.

By the way, Manheim Central was actually supposed to land in Section 4, but the Barons flip-flopped with Daniel Boone to finalize the new-look section formats.

Section 3 was a dandy last fall, with Ephrata, Garden Spot and Twin Valley sharing the title. Two of those teams will have new homes this season — Ephrata in Section 2; TV in Section 4.

Ch-ch-ch-ch changes.

That’s a David Bowie reference for the younger generation in the crowd, by the way. Look it up on YouTube. Or Tik-Tok. Or whatever the popular social media sites are these days.

Here’s a Section 3 preview. Teams are listed alphabetically …

COCALICO EAGLES

PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A.

PROGRAM HISTORY: 411-344-3 overall, dating back to 1953, and the Eagles have won 15 L-L League section championships, the last one in 2023, when Cocalico captured the outright Section 4 crown last fall, snapping Wyomissing’s 41-game regular-season winning streak along the way. They’ll vault to Section 3 this time around — the Eagles’ first Section 3 appearance since 2003. Welcome back, old friend; 11 of Cocalico’s 15 section championships came in Section 3, including four in a row from 1994-97.

COACH: Bryan Strohl (5th season, 32-16 overall; he bagged Section 4 Coach of the Year honors last fall).

2023 RECAP: 7-0 Section 4 (champs), 12-2 overall (beat Conestoga Valley 42-10 in the District 3 Class 5A quarterfinals; beat Cedar Cliff 31-13 in the D3-5A semifinals; beat Ephrata 23-7 in the D3-5A championship; lost to Peters Township 14-9 in the PIAA Class 5A state semifinals. That’s back-to-back D3-5A crowns — but back-to-back PIAA setbacks — for Cocalico).

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 @ Wyomissing, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 Elizabethtown, 7 p.m.; 8-30 @ New Oxford, 7 p.m.; 9-6 @ Lampeter-Strasburg, 7 p.m.; 9-13 Garden Spot, 7 p.m.; 9-20 Warwick, 7 p.m.; 9-27 @ Manheim Central, 7 p.m.; 10-4 @ Ephrata, 7 p.m. (Review Cup trophy game); 10-11 Solanco, 7 p.m.; 10-18 Conrad Weiser, 7 p.m.; 10-25 @ Fleetwood, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: A lot to unpack here, as Cocalico departs that Section 4 meat-grinder and crash-lands in Section 3, where a lot of familiar faces are back on the Eagles’ slate. Like league matchups vs. Warwick, Garden Spot, Manheim Central and Solanco. It will be like old times with those tilts. Three more longtime foes pop up in the nonleague portion, with matchups against E-town (in the opener), Ephrata (in a rematch of last year’s D3-5A finale and in the return of the Review Cup) and L-S (a section foe the last two years). New Oxford, a Class 5A club out of York/Adams, is new. Week 6 at Manheim Central is an absolute must-see. Never a dull moment when those two collide. A fun, going-back-in-time schedule for Cocalico, which should also get a ton out of its scrimmage vs. Wyomissing; Eagles will certainly be chiseled and battled-tested come late October, when they’ll potentially go for a 3-peat in D3-5A — which will include Manheim Central and Bishop McDevitt in that class this time around, FYI.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Flexbone.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 4-3.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: K Todd Becker, C Derek Brubaker, OL-DE Logan Brubaker, P Trent Dickson, WR Andrew Ensinger, OG-DT Hunter Frable, OL-DL Cole Hooper, OL Ja’Den Hudgens, C-DT Adam Laudenslager, RB-DB Aaryn Longenecker (Section 4 Defensive Back of the Year), DB Bryce Nash, DB Tim Porter, WR Connor Sola, RB-LB Sam Steffey, TE-DE Owen Weaver, TE Aiden Williams.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: WR-DB David Betz, RB-LB Dane Bollinger, C-DT Thomas Dattoli, RB-DB Brayden Eppinette, RB-LB Dane Horning, OT-LB Jerry McArdle, OG-DE Nick McArdle, QB Josh Myer, K Talen Popolis.

KEY NEWCOMERS: OG-DT Derrick Belzince, RB-DB Chase Breneman, RB-LB James Himelright, TE-DE Rylan Jenkins, OT-DE Nathan Laudenslager, OT-DT Sawyer Martin, WR-LB Dylan Perera, OT Keegan Rendon, RB-LB Rocco Rigney, DE Wesley Sickmeier, OG-DT Aiden Sola, WR-DB Zach Weik, QB-RB-DB Brendon Zimmerman.

OUTLOOK: Happy days in Denver, where Cocalico has captured consecutive district 5A championships. Is a 3-peat in the cards? It won’t be easy, not after the Eagles lost (gulp) 20 seniors — and 13 all-stars — from last year’s team. Cocalico’s key-players-lost list is a who’s who of standouts and all-state performers. Skipper Bryan Strohl’s first order of business is putting together an entirely new O-line from scratch. That group will block for some strong returning talent, including pitch-man Josh Myer back at QB, Dane Bollinger (a D ringleader at LB) and Dane Horning — the great Danes — up the gut, and speedster Brayden Eppinette off the wing. After that, a lot of fresh faces. But it usually doesn’t take Cocalico very long to reload, so there’s no widespread panic in Denver.

CRYSTAL BALL: A return to Section 3 for the first time since 2003, and some terrific matchups against a lot of old foes for the Eagles, who will have plenty of bull’s-eyes on their backs after mining Section 4 gold and going back to the state semifinals last fall. But a good chunk of that crew is gone. There is a nice nucleus back to lead the charge. But Cocalico will need a quick retool on the fly if it wants another extended postseason run. Still, never, ever sleep on this bunch. Way too many good vibes flowing in the Eagles’ program.

CONRAD WEISER SCOUTS

PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A (up from 4A).

PROGRAM HISTORY: 341-235-4 overall, dating back to 1969, and the Scouts have no L-L League section championships. This is Conrad Weiser’s third year in the league, and the Scouts spent their first two seasons in Section 4. They’re on the move this fall, settling into Section 3 and moving up a PIAA classification.

COACH: Alan Moyer (22nd season, 138-95 overall).

2023 RECAP: 2-5 Section 4, 2-8 overall.

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 Schuylkill Valley, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 Abington, 7 p.m.; 8-29 @ Elco, 7 p.m. (Thursday); 9-6 @ Lebanon, 7 p.m.; 9-13 @ Fleetwood, 7 p.m.; 9-20 Manheim Central, 7 p.m.; 9-27 Solanco, 7 p.m.; 10-4 @ Garden Spot, 7 p.m.; 10-11 Warwick, 7 p.m.; 10-18 @ Cocalico, 7 p.m.; 10-25 Unionville, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: Out of the Section 4 frying pan and into the firestorm that should be a heck of a Section 3 race for the Scouts. A couple of newbies on the non-con slate, which will bookend the season: Week 1 vs. Abington and Week 10 vs. Unionville, a couple of District 1 outfits. Weiser will post a final section record in Week 9. There is a Thursday game (Week 2 at neighboring Elco) sprinkled in there, as the Scouts prep for a bunch of Lancaster County squads they haven’t seen very often over the years.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Pro Style.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 4-4.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: RB Ousmane Conde, C Aiden Fitzgerald, LB Ryan Horack, WR Josh Miller, RB-LB Sevon Parham, OG Isiah Solario.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: DT Eugene Booth, OT Kaleb Britting, OT Josh Collela, TE-DE Mason Gechter, QB Donovan Gingrich, OG Jack Heckman, OG Kaleb Holl, DL Ashton Keibach, DB Kaiden Leonard, K Alex Malone, RB Jonathan McQuillen, TE-DE Evan Miller, LB Brody Morgan, WR-DB Evan Rittle (Section 4 Receiver of the Year), RB Javien Rivera, LB Na’Air Robinson, OT Charlie Shimp, DE Adam Williams.

KEY NEWCOMERS: DB Joe DePrince, C Ryan Kase, DB Owen Kerns, DB Jordan Leed, DE Gio Messersmith, WR Dylan Parr, OG Cody Sayers, LB Conner Sellars, OG Colin Schrum, LB Brayden Sweitzer, LB Luke Walter.

OUTLOOK: Weiser flashes one of the longest key-players-returning lists in the league, with 18 full-timers due back from last year, including the vet pitch-and-catch combo of Donovan Gingrich and Evan Rittle, and a lot of beef up front. This time around, the Scouts find themselves in the rough-and-tumble Section 3 race, chock-full of longtime Lancaster County powerhouses. Weiser also goes up to Class 5A this fall, and it will do so with plenty of returning talent on both sides of the ball. The Scouts will need it in this demanding schedule.

CRYSTAL BALL: Plenty of reason for optimism in Scouts’ camp with so many familiar faces back in tow. A fast start in the nonleague slate is a must for this crew, because once the section docket commences, it will be one slobber-knocker after another.

FLEETWOOD TIGERS

PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A (up from 4A).

PROGRAM HISTORY: 59-177 overall, dating back to 2001, and the Tigers have no L-L League section championships. They’ve only been here for two years; the program itself has only been on the books for 23 years.

COACH: Steve Pangburn (3rd season, 8-13 overall).

2023 RECAP: 2-4 Section 3, 6-5 overall (beat Shamokin 42-41 in the riveting Eastern Conference Class 4A championship).

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 @ Reading, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 @ Kutztown, 7 p.m. (Hall of Fame trophy game); 8-30 @ Upper Perkiomen, 7 p.m.; 9-6 Schuylkill Valley, 7 p.m.; 9-13 Conrad Weiser, 7 p.m.; 9-20 @ Garden Spot, 7 p.m.; 9-28 Kennard-Dale, 7 p.m. (Saturday); 10-4 @ Warwick, 7 p.m.; 10-11 Manheim Central, 7 p.m.; 10-18 @ Solanco, 7 p.m.; 10-25 Cocalico, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: Hall of Fame trophy game right out of the chute at Kutztown will get everyone’s blood pumping, as Fleetwood should hit the ground running after a postseason victory last fall. Nonleague slate remains the same; Conrad Weiser is now a section tilt. Annual homecoming Saturday game is Week 6, a non-con vs. Kennard-Dale. That wicked closing stretch — at Warwick, Manheim Central, at Solanco, Cocalico, oh brother — is no walk in the park. The Tigers, who move up to Class 5A this season, should have a say in who survives this wicked section race.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Multiple Gun.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 4-2-5.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: RB-LB Zion Brickle, OG-DT Hunter Leister, K Will Maurek, WR-DB Mason Musitano, QB Jack Riffle, OT Hunter Svoboda.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: OT-DT Brandon Delgrosso, QB-WR-DB Chase Domenech, OG Cody Harders, RB-DE Landon Hare, RB-LB Trey Killian, QB-WR-LB Tristan McFarland, WR-DB Davyan Moore, WR-DB Brody Nowotarski, RB-LB Jason Petion, OG Noah Rothermel, C-DT Ryan Shay.

KEY NEWCOMERS: WR-DB Chase Adams, OT Shane Pekuri, TE-DE Bryce Ryan.

OUTLOOK: A graduation haymaker, when the QB, 1,500-yard feature back, deep-threat receiver, two O-line grinders and the reliable kicker all exited stage right. But the cupboard is not bare in Tigers’ camp. Brandon Delgrosso, Cody Harders, Noah Rothermel and Ryan Shay know their way around a line of scrimmage. Trey Killian is a ball-hawker ‘backer. Jason Petion is ready for more carries. And sleek athletes Tristan McFarland and Chase Domenech are vying for QB duties, and they’re both flank threats. Plenty of good vibes percolating after last year’s Eastern Conference playoff win, as Fleetwood moves up to Class 5A this season.

CRYSTAL BALL: The good news is that there is plenty of momentum in the program. But there are some key skill-kid positions to plug. Pronto. And this section — jam-packed with Lancaster County power punchers — will be a real tester for the Tigers.

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GARDEN SPOT SPARTANS

PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A.

PROGRAM HISTORY: 245-304-5 overall, dating back to 1970, and the Spartans have won six L-L League section championships, the last one in 2023, when Garden Spot shared the Section 3 crown with Ephrata and Twin Valley last fall. The Spartans are back to defend that title, while Ephrata (Section 2) and Twin Valley (Section 4) switched sections when the enrollment realignment numbers were revealed.

COACH: Matt Zamperini (15th season, 79-77 overall; he was tabbed co-Coach of the Year in Section 3 last fall).

2023 RECAP: 5-1 Section 3 (tri-champs with Ephrata and Twin Valley), 9-2 overall (lost to eventual runner-up Ephrata 31-10 in the District 3 Class 5A quarterfinals).

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 @ Elco, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 @ Notre Dame-Green Pond, 7 p.m.; 8-30 Lebanon, 7 p.m.; 9-6 @ Ephrata, 7 p.m.; 9-13 @ Cocalico, 7 p.m.; 9-20 Fleetwood, 7 p.m.; 9-27 @ Warwick, 7 p.m.; 10-4 Conrad Weiser, 7 p.m.; 10-11 OPEN DATE; 10-18 @ Manheim Central, 7 p.m.; 10-25 @ Solanco, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: As of this post, Garden Spot was still searching for a Week 8 game. There are some irons in the fire but nothing concrete yet; stay tuned. Digging the playoff rematch in a nonleague scrap at Ephrata in Week 3, before a tricky section opener at Cocalico in Week 4. Notre Dame-Green Pond out of District 11 is a new non-con matchup; last year Garden Spot had to trek to Central Mountain near Lock Haven for a nonleague game. This season the Spartans will bus it to Easton to take on ND-GP, which won a D11-3A playoff game last fall. Garden Spot will see a lot of familiar faces in this new-look Section 3 configuration, including old pals Cocalico, Warwick, Manheim Central and Solanco. It will be like an old-school Section 2 class reunion, with the Spartans, Eagles, Warriors, Barons and Golden Mules — oh my — getting the band back together.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Spread.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 4-2-5.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: OT-DE Reed Gruber, QB Kye Harting (Section 3 Outstanding Back of the Year; Section 3 Offensive Back of the Year; Section 3 Lions Club MVP), C Zach Miller, WR-DB Diego Portales, TE Jayden Redcay, WR Nick Smucker.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: WR Jace Conrad, TE-DE Kyle Denlinger, WR-DB Trenton Hoober (Section 3 Receiver of the Year), LB Cole Humphreys, QB-WR-DB A.J. Hurst, RB Gabe Martin, K Zach Martin, OT-DT Tommy O’Neil, OG-DE Cullen Witmer.

KEY NEWCOMERS: OT-DL Cam Barton, C-LB Miguel Candelaria, OG Brycen Clark, DT Hunter Fry, C-DE Ryan Miller, RB Andrew Pemberton.

OUTLOOK: Key pieces aplenty due back in New Holland — including 10 all-stars; five of them first-teamers from 2023 — where the Spartans are coming off a section tri-title and a postseason trip. The most glaring loss is at QB, where dual-threat Kye Harting departed after back-to-back 1,000-pass/1,000-rush seasons. Enter A.J. Hurst, a flank burner and all-star DB who will take over the signal-calling duties. He’ll have plenty of weapons, like all-star wideouts Jace Conrad and Trenton Hoober — they combined for 79 catches for 1,307 yards with 21 TD snags last fall — and Gabe Martin coming out of the backfield. More good news: Kyle Denlinger, Tommy O’Neil and Cullen Witmer are back to anchor the line, and the D is in good shape with Cole Humphreys at ‘backer, Hurst and Hoober patrolling the secondary, and Witmer — who missed some time last year with an injury — bringing the heat off the edge. There’s a lot to like here.

CRYSTAL BALL: The quicker A.J. Hurst can master the passing game the better for Sparty Nation, which should have plenty to cheer about this fall. That section slate is a beast, but there is more than enough veteran presence on Garden Spot’s depth chart to maneuver through it.

MANHEIM CENTRAL BARONS

PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A (up from 4A).

PROGRAM HISTORY: 605-229-18 overall, dating back to 1947, and the Barons have won 28 L-L League section championships, the last one in 2023, which was an outright crown in Section 2 last fall. The 28 titles are second-most in league history — Wilson has 29 — and they all came in Section 2. This is the first time since the inception of the L-L in 1972 that Central will not play in Section 2. And yes, the 605 victories are most in league history; Wilson is at 600 on the dot, and in hot pursuit.

COACH: Dave Hahn (10th season, 91-21 overall).

2023 RECAP: 6-0 Section 2 (champs), 11-2 overall (beat Susquehanna Township 45-34 in the District 3 Class 4A quarterfinals; beat Twin Valley 65-28 in the D3-4A semifinals; lost to Bishop McDevitt 23-17 in the D3-4A championship. It was the second year in a row the Barons fell to McD in the D3-4A finale. They both shimmy up to 5A this fall, trying to unseat back-to-back champ Cocalico).

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 @ Manheim Township, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 West Philadelphia, 7 p.m.; 8-30 @ Ephrata, 7 p.m.; 9-6 @ Dallastown, 7 p.m.; 9-13 Martin Luther King, 7 p.m.; 9-20 @ Conrad Weiser, 7 p.m.; 9-27 Cocalico, 7 p.m.; 10-4 @ Solanco, 7 p.m.; 10-11 @ Fleetwood, 7 p.m.; 10-18 Garden Spot, 7 p.m.; 10-25 Warwick, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: A really funky slate for the Barons, who will host a pair of Philadelphia teams — West Philadelphia (the Speedboys!) and Martin Luther King, both out of the American Division of the Philly Pub League — and also play old foe Ephrata (for the first time in seven years) and YAIAA-6A bruiser Dallastown in nonleague scraps. Hang a star next to Week 6 vs. Cocalico; that one should be fantastic. And Central will renew some rivalries in section games vs. Solanco and Garden Spot, and start some new rivalries vs. Conrad Weiser and Fleetwood. FYI: Barons have squared off against Weiser exactly one time — a 42-7 win over the Scouts in the D3-3A playoffs back in 2009 — and they’ve never faced Fleetwood. Manheim Central? In Section 3? Believe it.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Spread.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 4-2-5.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: RB Brycen Armold, WR-DB Sonny Callahan, WR-DB Aaron Enterline (Section 2 Receiver of the Year; LNP Male Athlete of the Year), TE-LB Owen Eichelberger, K Drew Greiner, QB-P Zac Hahn (Section 2 Outstanding Back of the Year; Section 2 co-Offensive Back of the Year; Section 2 Lions Club MVP), C Ethan Jones, DE Xander Kolk (Section 2 Defensive Lineman of the Year), LB Luke Miller, WR-DB Bode Sipel (Section 2 Defensive Back of the Year), DT Yancey Turner.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: HB-LB Brodie Daugherty, OT-DT Jason Dougherty, OG Hunter Garber, OG-DT Tyler Groff, WR-DB Cody Hess, WR-DB Jayvior Morales, HB-LB Zion Rolon, HB-DE Noah Templin.

KEY NEWCOMERS: OT Adrian Cruz, WR-DB Asher Cook, WR-DB Kadin Dabich, RB-DB Logan Geib, TE-LB Logan Hamill, OT-DE Dylan Ingold, QB-DB Gavin Jahnigen, QB-DB Ray Lewis, OT-DL James Magot, RB-LB Caleb Moyer, OG-LB Cooper Nied, DB Lynkin Quigley, OG-DT Matt Stephens,TE-DE David Thies, WR-DB Dylan Werner.

OUTLOOK: A big graduation gut-punch for the Barons, who watched a 5,000-yard passer (Zac Hahn), a 4,000-yard rusher (Brycen Armold), a couple of home-run hitter flank threats (Aaron Enterline, Bode Sipel) and a D stick-machine (Xander Kolk) check out. But there are some familiar names due back, like Jason Dougherty, Hunter Garber and Tyler Groff to anchor the line; Jayvior Morales, a ball-hawker safety; and two of the best ‘backers in the L-L biz in Brodie Daugherty and Zion Rolon. There will be new skill kids aplenty — including a fresh triggerman behind center and a new feature back — plus some new section foes, and Central goes up to Class 5A this fall. Some winds of change blowing around in Baron Nation, yes. But never, ever count this crew out. Seriously, don’t.

CRYSTAL BALL: Central reloads. No secret, there. And while that key-players-lost list is pretty daunting, it’s time for the next gen of Barons to step in and do their thing. It’s going to look a little different — think razor-sharp D and a more balanced, perhaps run-heavier, ball-control offense — but Central will be there in late October. Take that to the bank.

SOLANCO GOLDEN MULES


PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A.

PROGRAM HISTORY: 272-435-11 overall, dating back to 1951, and the Mules have won five L-L League section championships, and the last one was an outright Section 3 crown in 2022.

COACH: Tony Cox (11th season, 57-57 overall).

2023 RECAP: 2-4 Section 3, 3-7 overall.

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 Lancaster Catholic, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 Lampeter-Strasburg, 7 p.m. (Milk Jug trophy game); 8-30 @ Octorara, 7 p.m.; 9-6 Penn Manor, 7 p.m.; 9-13 @ Warwick; 7 p.m.; 9-20 @ Eastern York, 7 p.m.; 9-27 @ Conrad Weiser, 7 p.m.; 10-4 Manheim Central, 7 p.m.; 10-11 @ Cocalico, 7 p.m.; 10-18 Fleetwood, 7 p.m.; 10-25 Garden Spot, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: L-S. Milk Jug. Week 1. Boom. Be there. Bit of a new non-con look with Octorara and Eastern York on board. And it’s probably safe to say that the Week 7 vs. Manheim Central/Week 8 at Cocalico gauntlet will go a long way in determining the Section 3 chase. We’re expecting Solanco to be right smack dab in the middle of it.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Triple Option.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 4-3.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: C-DT Gavin Cox (Section 3 Outstanding Lineman of the Year; Section 3 Offensive Lineman of the Year), OG-DE Landon Dunlap, DT Jordan Kephart, WR-DB Donovan Peters, RB-LB Landon Steele, WR-DB Bradley Weder, WR-DB Austin Wenger.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: RB-DB Kris Burgos-Wise, OG-DT Desmond Ferguson, RB-DB Gabe Forren, RB Johnny Garcia, OG-DE Noah Gote, QB Austin Jarabak, OT Tyler Kreider, DE Evan Kurtz, LB Thomas Leibley, WR-LB Brighton Lenhart, DT Frank Lucarino, OT Joey Murry.

KEY NEWCOMERS: WR-P-K Tristan Brown, C Chase Chapman, RB-LB Vincent Henry, RB-LB Kali Himes, WR-DB Eric Koch, WR-DB Schneider Lenhart, RB-DB Anderson Miller.

OUTLOOK: Solanco came back to the pack last fall, one year after hoisting the Section 3 gold trophy. Can the Mules climb back to the top of the mountain? With a lot of familiar faces back in the fold — bell-cow FB Johnny Garcia, pitch-man QB Austin Jarabak, stick-meister LB Thomas Leibley, and some rugged trench troops — the short answer is yes. But this new-look section race will not be a stroll in the park. Skipper Tony Cox loves his team’s physicality, and if the Mules are winning the hand-to-hand combat battles along the line of scrimmage, watch out, because there are some jitter-bug playmakers here, like Gabe Forren and Kris Burgos-Wise.

CRYSTAL BALL: Dastardly section slate includes Manheim Central, Cocalico and Garden Spot down the stretch — oh man — so Solanco should have a major say in who survives this fracas. Will the Mules be there at the tape? If they’re dominating in the trenches and nobody is stopping slugger FB Johnny Garcia, just maybe. Pack your lunch pale and buckle your seat belts against this crew, because Solanco will keep throwing roundhouses until the bitter end.

WARWICK WARRIORS

PIAA CLASSIFICATION: 5A.

PROGRAM HISTORY: 420-483-33 overall, dating back to 1925, and the Warriors have won seven L-L League section championships, the last one in 2021, when Warwick shared the Section 2 title with Cocalico and Manheim Central. That capped a run of three section crowns in four years for the Warriors.

COACH: Bob Locker (24th season, 121-119 overall).

2023 RECAP: 2-4 Section 2, 3-7 overall.

2024 SCHEDULE: 8-17 @ Hempfield, 10 a.m. (scrimmage); 8-23 @ Avon Grove, 7 p.m.; 8-30 @ Lampeter-Strasburg, 7 p.m.; 9-6 Cedar Crest, 7 p.m.; 9-13 Solanco, 7 p.m.; 9-20 @ Cocalico, 7 p.m.; 9-27 Garden Spot, 7 p.m.; 10-4 Fleetwood, 7 p.m.; 10-11 @ Conrad Weiser, 7 p.m.; 10-18 New Oxford, 7 p.m.; 10-25 @ Manheim Central, 7 p.m.

CIRCLE IT: Warwick’s first venture into Section 3 — the Warriors have only played in Section 1 or Section 2 since 1972 — with plenty of familiar faces on the slate, like Solanco, Cocalico, Garden Spot and that tasty Week 10 slugfest at Manheim Central to cap it. Some new nonleague matchups for Warwick; Avon Grove, L-S and New Oxford are on the slate. Only bummer: No Ephrata, which means no George Male game for at least the next two years. The Mountaineers will happily hog the trophy for the time being.

OFFENSIVE SCHEME: Pistol 1-back.

DEFENSIVE SCHEME: 3-4.

KEY PLAYERS LOST: OT-DT Aaron Cash, OT-DE Luke Detter, QB-DB Trevor Evans, WR-DE Thomas Jeanes, RB-LB Jack Koons, C-NG Nick Maher, RB-LB Andrew McClune, DB Jack Mitchell, TE-LB Aiden Richey, RB-LB Mahkel Tate.

KEY PLAYERS RETURNING: C-DT Calvin Bent, OT-DT Wes Brunken, WR-DB Quinn Care, RB-DB Reece Harper, TE-DE Owen Hursh, OT-DE Preston Landis, WR-DB Bode Madara, RB-LB Malachi Rodriguez, OG-DT Owen Rowe, RB-LB Gabe Sanchez, TE-LB Jackson Shelby, K Tyler Schoffstall, WR-DB Judah Willard.

KEY NEWCOMERS: RB-LB Jace Conrad, C-DT Ty Eckert, WR-DB Koen Glass, QB Thomas Myers, QB-WR-DB Tyler Musser, WR-LB Ryan Strathmeyer, WR-DB Vincent Yacoviello.

OUTLOOK: A lot of key players back in the saddle for the Warriors, including O-line stalwarts Calvin Bent, Wes Brunken, Preston Landis and Owen Rowe. That’s a terrific start. Quinn Care and Judah Willard are experienced route-runners, and Gabe Sanchez and Reece Harper have varsity carries under their belts. Warwick will have a new QB — juniors Thomas Myers and Tyler Musser were taking reps in camp — at the controls. Bode Madara is one to watch in the secondary; he had a pair of pick-6 INT returns in a win over Muhlenberg last fall. Owen Hursh, off the edge, and active ‘backers Sanchez and Jackson Shelby should be the hit machines, as Warwick preps for a new-look schedule.

CRYSTAL BALL: Warwick is in Section 3 for the very first time, and the Warriors will see plenty of familiar faces on the league slate, with a bunch of former Section 2 foes getting the gang back together. Horses are here to push, especially if the new QB hits the ground running. Do not sleep on Warwick. You’ve been warned.

TWITTER-X: @JeffReinhart77

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