Friday at Parkland, 6A top 10 tilt on tap

Throughout the offseason when football people talked about the top two teams in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference this season, the conversation began with Parkland and Nazareth.

Through the first three weeks of the season, nothing has changed. The Trojans and Blue Eagles have lived up to their billing and they have also garnered statewide attention. The latest Pennlive.com Pennsylvania rankings have Parkland No. 4 in Class 6A and Nazareth at No. 6. Those two are not the only area teams getting attention from Eric Epler, who compiles the rankings each week. Allentown Central Catholic has moved from sixth to fourth in 4A. Here’s a look at the latest rankings:

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) — 2-1– 1

2. Pittsburgh C.C. (7) — 3-0– 2

3. North Allegheny (7) — 3-0– 3

4. Parkland (11) — 3-0– 4

5. Central Bucks West (1) — 3-0– 6

6. Nazareth (11) – 3-0– 7

7. Central York (3) — 3-0– 9

8. Manheim Township (3) — 3-0– NR

9. Downingtown East (1) — 3-0– 10

10. Mount Lebanon (7) — 3-0– NR

Teams to watch: Central Dauphin (3) 2-1, Garnet Valley (1) 2-1, Harrisburg (3) 2-1, Spring-Ford (1) 3-0, State College (6) 1-1.

CLASS 5A Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Imhotep Charter (12) — 3-0– 1

2. West Chester Rustin (1) – 2-0– 3

3. Penn Hills (7) – 3-0– 5

4. Roman Catholic (12) – 3-0– 4

5. Cathedral Prep (10) – 1-1– 6

6. Exeter Township (3) — 3-0– 9

7. Plymouth-Whitemarsh (1) — 2-0– 8

8. Strath Haven (1) – 3-0– 7

9. Peters Township (7) — 3-0– 10

10. Pine-Richland (7) – 1-2– 2

Teams to watch: Cocalico (3) 2-1, Southern Lehigh (11) 3-0, Upper St. Clair (7) 3-0, Whitehall (11) 2-1.

CLASS 4A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Bishop McDevitt (3) – 3-0– 1

2. Aliquippa (7) – 2-0– 2

3. Thomas Jefferson (7) – 3-0– 3

4. Allentown C.C. (11) – 3-0– 6

5. Pope John Paul II (1) – 3-0– 5

6. Jersey Shore (4) – 2-0-1– 9

7. Selinsgrove (4) – 2-0-1– 10

8. McKeesport (7) – 2-1– 7

9. Manheim Central (3) — 2-1– 4

10. Lampeter-Strasburg (3) — 3-0– NR

Teams to watch: Armstrong (7) 2-1, Bethlehem Catholic (11) 3-0, Bonner-Prendergast (12) 1-1, Central Valley (7) 2-1, Twin Valley (3) 3-0. CLASS 3A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Belle Vernon (7) – 2-0– 1

2. Wyomissing (3) – 3-0– 2

3. Avonworth (7) – 3-0– 4

4. Neumann-Goretti (12) – 1-1– 5

5. Scranton Prep (2) – 3-0– 6

6. Loyalsock (4) – 2-1– 3

7. North Schuylkill (11) – 2-1– 7

8. Danville (4) — 3-0– 8

9. West Perry (3) — 3-0– 9

10. Central (6) — 3-0– 10

Teams to watch: Beaver Area (7) 3-0, Elizabeth-Forward (7) 3-0, Northwestern Lehigh (11) 3-0, Sharon (10) 3-0, St. Mary’s (9) 3-0.

CLASS 2A

Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Southern Columbia (4) – 3-0– 1

2. Farrell (10) – 3-0– 2

3. Westinghouse (8) – 2-0– 4

4. Trinity (3) – 2-1– 3

5. Richland (6) – 3-0– 6

6. Mount Carmel (4) — 2-1– 7

7. Central Clarion (9) — 3-0– 8

8. Bald Eagle Area (6) — 3-0– 9

9. Washington (7) — 3-0– NR

10. Troy (4) — 3-0– NR

Teams to watch: Dunmore (2) 2-1, Executive Education (11) 2-1, Imani Christian (7) 2-1, Steel Valley (1-1), Williams Valley (11) 2-1.

CLASS 1A Rank – Team – District – Record – Previous

1. Steelton-Highspire (3) — 3-0– 1

2. Bishop Canevin (7) — 2-0– 2

3. Canton (4) — 3-0– 3

4. Northern Bedford (5) — 3-0– 4

5. Lackawanna Trail (2) – 3-0– 6

6. Brockway (9) — 3-0– 7

7. Windber (5) — 3-0– 8

8. Minersville (11) — 3-0– 9

9. Redbank Valley (9) — 3-0– 10

10. Cornell (7) — 3-0 NR

Teams to watch: Greensburg C.C. (7) 2-1, Lakeview (10) 3-0, Muncy (4) 2-1, Rochester (7) 2-0, South Side (7) 3-0.