It took some last-second heroics in one game and overtime in another, but the top four seeds in the two big-school classifications in District 3 all advanced.
The same blueprint holds true in Class AA and A as the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds advanced to their respective championship games Saturday.
In Class AAAA, No. 2 seed Cumberland Valley and No. 3 seed Dallastown each advanced to the semifinal round by edging a couple double-digit seeds.
For each of the higher seeds advancing was dicey proposition, though. Cumberland Valley needed several goal-line stands in the second half to eliminate No. 10 Hempfield 17-10 in overtime.
And Dallastown used a touchdown in the dying seconds of regulation to escape No. 11 CD East 21-20
No. 2 Class AAA seed Manheim Central needed a pair of goal-line stands to hold off No. 10 Susquehanna Twp. 17-14. The undefeated Barons have struggled in each of their two postseason games.
Cumberland Valley QB Chris Galbraith delivers: The Eagles’ first-year signal caller showed his development by marching Cumberland Valley 56 yards in 75 seconds for a late first-half field goal and a 10-7 halftime lead.
Galbraith used timeouts and the clock wisely, completing his final four passes for 42 yards to get sophomore Connor Long in range for his 27-yard kick just four ticks before intermission.
“We are a run-oriented team, but we can throw the ball,” CV head coach Michael Whitehead said. “It’s been a process for Chris to learn my passing offense. That drive right before the half was huge. He managed that 2-minute drill to perfection and we came up points.”
The significance of those three points had a huge impact on this game. That field-goal lead hung around as the difference on the scoreboard almost the entire second half and forced Hempfield to make some tough decisions and gamble.
WPIAL semifinals feature a couple upsets: Our preseason Class AAAA No. 1 team, Woodland Hills, bombed out of the gate with a couple early losses and disappeared from the big picture.
Woody High is back in the spotlight, and is headed to Heinz Field Saturday for the WPIAL championship game after pulling off a 28-21 upset of former No. 1 Upper St. Clair.
It was the second consecutive year the Wolverines ended the USC season in the WPIAL semifinal at Baldwin HS.
In Class AAA, Central Valley used a strong defense to stifle a previously undefeated Thomas Jefferson that came in averaging nearly 41 points a game.
The Warriors jumped out to a 14-0 lead and made it stand up in taking out the Jaguars 23-13.
District 1-AAAA up for grabs: With defending District 1 champion and PIAA runner-up Coatesville being eliminated, a sure-fire bet when Penn State recruit Daquan Worley was lost to a knee injury late in the season, the suburban Philadelphia region is wide open.
Even North Penn in a down year has reached the semifinal round along with Perkiomen Valley, Neshaminy and Abington. Not exactly household names at this stage of the game.
SHAY ON TWITTER: @APShay
High School Football Essentials:
Sign up for our High School Football Insider newsletter
Get your scores with the iPhone or Android app
More: Rankings | Brackets | Stats | Teams | Scores and schedules
Don't miss all five parts of The Program: Susquehanna Township football