York Daily Record

Week 2 preview: West York and Red Lion face off, Central York travels to Manheim Township

By Jack Gleckler, York Daily Record,

3 days ago

The opening of the 2024 YAIAA football season is over and done with, and now the regular schedule can truly begin. Teams are now in a groove; preparation is over and the schedule doesn't stop until October from here on out.

As the second week of the year creeps up, it's time to break down some of the bigger games going on around the area. Here's a rundown for some of the top matchups going on in the YAIAA this week, plus the complete schedule for every game on the conference's docket.

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West York at Red Lion

The Bulldogs' losing streak is over. They routed Elco in a home opener last Saturday to win their first game since 2022 and put themselves at 1-0 to start a year for the first time since 2020. Breaking a losing streak is a win in and of itself, and the Bulldogs did so in blowout fashion.

Red Lion, on the other hand, is looking for a quick rebound after its season opening loss to Ephrata. There were bright spots − Zyaire Selby and Octavius Thompson both rolled out touchdowns on a combined 133 yards, and a forced fumble killed an Ephrata drive early in the third quarter. But the Lions also had to deal with fatigue in Saturday's heat and were worn down by the Mountaineers.

That problem doesn't present itself this week. Both teams get their first real taste of Friday night football in Week 2. A rivalry bout for the Principal's Cup will also stoke the fires a bit.

"A lot of people don't know this, but there's something called the Principal's Cup that has been traveling between our two schools since 1949," Red Lion coach Jesse Shay said after the loss to Ephrata on Saturday. "They know it's a big rivalry game. Especially on a Friday night, this place is going to be a lot different."

Red Lion does hold the advantage. It's won four of the last five meetings between the two teams, and three of those wins came by 13 points or more. West York's last win in the series was a 44-27 win back in 2014. That was another year that the Bulldogs began the season 1-0.

Central York at Manheim Township

The gauntlet for Central York continues another week. It got an easy win after crushing Central Dauphin in a 47-0 shutout last week, but Manheim Township is no pushover either. Any team that holds its opponents to 12 points per game on average and shutout Dallastown 56-0 last year is a tough nut to crack.

Goods news: the Blue Streaks graduated 18 seniors last year, including starting all-state quarterback and Michael Payton Award winner Hayden Johnson. The bad news? Another 20-man senior class has taken the reins this year, with Declan Clancy leading last week with 201 all-purpose yards.

That's not to discredit the Panthers. Their defense was rock solid last week, and could be the X-factor when they travel to Lancaster on Thursday.

York Suburban at Bermudian Springs

Both the Trojans and the Eagles are looking to bounce back after losing to opponents in higher divisions on their respective home fields last week.

York Suburban, in the second game of the York Rose Bowl, took a loss on the chin against a heavy-handed South Western offense. The Eagles put in a solid first half against New Oxford but got tripped up by turnovers and a few stalled drives in the second half.

But this week should be a better contest for both sides. Bermudian Springs can let Eddie Sebright do what he does best and run rampant, all the while letting Lane Hubbard work under center. Plus, Carter Storm is bound to have a good night on the defensive line no matter where he goes. He did fish out a fumble recovery right before halftime that set the Eagles up at New Oxford's 12-yard line.

York Suburban didn't get the night it wanted on offense last week, but Week 2 offers a chance at redemption. Rylan Bratton set them up early with a good 1-yard punch on their opening drive. South Western's offense is no joke, and the Trojans' defense had a hard time keeping up. Still, it might be able to keep in step with the Eagles.

Dover at South Western

Lincoln Decker and Malik Dickens carried the Eagles to a high-scoring, heavy-hitting win over Northeastern last week, with Decker accounting for two passing touchdowns on 119 yards, while Dickens averaged over 10 yards per carry and scored once along the way. Will it be enough to match South Western, though?

The Mustangs had their own big night after roughing up York Suburban in the Rose Bowl. If Austin Rollman breaks out again, or if the defense can put pressure on Decker, the Mustangs might have another big night ahead of them.