LANCASTER, Pa. — As we enter Week 4 of the high school football season, the majority of Central Pennsylvania teams will be entering conference play when the games kick off Friday night.
The matchups only get bigger from here.
The FOX43 High School Football Frenzy Game of the Week is the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 5 clash between arch-rivals Lancaster Catholic and Columbia, which will kick off Friday at 7 p.m. from the top of the hill in Columbia.
The game will be streamed live on FOX43+ and Antenna TV, thanks to our partnership with High School Sports Live.
The FOX43 sports team will get you ready for the action with the High School Football Frenzy, beginning at 6 p.m.
After the final gun sounds, we'll have all the highlights, interviews and insights from an action-packed Friday night in the High School Football Frenzy Post-Game show at 11 p.m.
Here's a look at this week's top games to watch.
GAME OF THE WEEK
Lancaster Catholic (3-0) at Columbia (2-1): This L-L League Section 5 opener between two arch-rivals pits one of the division's top passing combinations against its stingiest defense.
Lancaster Catholic's tandem of quarterback Will Cranford and wideout Jaevon Parker has hooked up 11 times for for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the Crusaders' first three games. Cranford has completed 29 of 48 passes for 403 yards and five scores overall.
But the Crimson Tide can't just focus on Parker. Wideout R.J. Gonzalez has hauled in nine passes for 111 yards and two scores in his first three outings.
Catholic has won its first three games, defeating York Catholic (22-14), Delone Catholic (33-21) and Octorara (41-7).
Columbia is coming off its first loss of the season, a 21-12 setback against Elco last week. The Crimson Tide previously defeated Eastern York (34-7) and Hanover (30-7) in its first two outings. Elco built a 21-0 lead against Columbia, jumping ahead with a 95-yard TD return on the game's opening kickoff.
But the Tide fought back, drawing close with a pair of second-half touchdown passes from Daezjon Giles to Dominic Diaz-Ellis.
Giles has thrown for 640 yards and seven TDs in his first three games, finding Diaz Ellis (8-265) three times for scores.
The Tide defense leads all Section 5 units, allowing just 195 yards per game.
OTHER GAMES TO WATCH
Hamburg (3-0) at Annville-Cleona (2-1): The Hawks and Lancaster Catholic are the only undefeated teams in Section 5, but they'll have their hands full this week against the host Little Dutchmen, who rebound from a three-point loss to Elco in Week 2 with a 42-14 rout of Littlestown last week.
A-C has one of the league's most prolific (and epically named) running backs in Phoenix Music, who has racked up a league-high 619 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his first three games.
Hamburg also has a runner to watch out for in Pierce Mason, who has rushed for 450 yards and found the end zone nine times in his first three outings.
The Hawks' defense has yielded a league-low 250 rushing yards so far this season, and its offense has looked unstoppable in the early going. Hamburg has put up a league-high 177 points in its first three games, including a 75-21 beatdown of Warrior Run in Week 2 and a 54-34 rout of Eastern York last week.
East Pennsboro (3-0) at Gettysburg (2-1): The undefeated Panthers will try to make it four straight wins when they travel to Adams County to take on the Warriors in a Mid-Penn Colonial showdown.
East Pennsboro held off Milton Hershey 17-8 last week to notch its third straight victory. The Panthers won despite being outgained 192-142 in total yardage, thanks in part to a huge two-way effort from quarterback/defensive back Keith Oakes, who rushed for a pair of touchdowns and led the defense with 15 tackles, a sack, and an interception.
Oakes leads the team with 186 rushing yards and four touchdowns and has completed 7 of 20 passes for 133 yards and two scores.
Gettysburg rebounded from its Week 2 loss to New Oxford with a 35-20 triumph over Boiling Springs last week. Jayden Johnson led the way with 137 rushing yards and a touchdown, while QB Brady Heiser accounted for 111 yards — 88 passing, 23 rushing — and scored on runs of 4 and 10 yards.
Central Dauphin East (2-1) at Cumberland Valley (3-0): CD East was supposed to be rebuilding this year after losing a ton of talent to graduation, but the Panthers look to be in great shape as the open Mid-Penn Commonwealth play against the undefeated Eagles. They rebounded from their Week 2 loss to Cedar Crest with a 34-7 romp over Northeastern last week.
QB Terrence Jackson-Copney was the hero against Northeastern, returning an interception for a touchdown and throwing a touchdown pass to lead the Panthers to victory.
Cumberland Valley rolled to its third straight win under coach Tim Rimpfel, knocking off Spring-Ford 28-16 last week. The Rams' previous wins came against Manheim Township (31-27) and Central York (35-33).
Last week, QB Isaac Sines threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for another as CV pulled away from Spring-Ford. He had 197 total yards in the effort.
Red Lion (2-1) at Elizabethtown (3-0): A final non-league tuneup for both teams, as the Lions visit western Lancaster County to take on the undefeated Bears.
Red Lion suffered its first loss of the season last week, falling 42-35 to Reading. The Lions had previously defeated Ephrata (24-21) and West York (45-32).
The Lions have a decent passing game, but their running game is really what makes them go. RB LaDanian Strausbaugh and the QB platoon of Mason Hollingshead and Chris Price are the key figures there, combining for 649 yards on the ground. Hollingshead, a sophomore, has thrown for 112 yards on 13-of-21 passing, while Price has completed 21 of 32 attempts for 291 yards. Both have connected for three touchdowns. Garrett Coppersmith has caught eight passes for 192 yards and five TDs.
E-town notched its third straight win with a 41-28 triumph over Lower Dauphin last week in the Frenzy Game of the Week. The Bears got three touchdowns from running back Logan Lentz, who rushed for 155 yards on 23 carries. Lentz is E-town's top rusher, with 482 yards and seven scores in his first three games.