YAIAA football: Who is on track to make the playoffs? That plus other questions for Week 7

We're hitting the stretch run of the high school football season.

With four weeks to go, here's seven questions that will have to be answered in the YAIAA this week.

Can York High bounce back from the bye?

York High had a statement 30-6 win over Red Lion in Week 5, but were idle this week due to an inability to find a fourth non-divisional opponent for its schedule. The Bearcats seem to be sitting their stride with four straight wins, but will a week off give them any rust? It didn't affect them last year as they scored 66 points in a shootout with Dallastown. Speaking of the Wildcats ...

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Can Dallastown pull off the upset this week?

Yes, the Wildcats are 2-4, but York High shouldn't pencil this game in as an easy win. Dallastown gave Central York everything it could handle last week in a 23-13 loss. And Wildcats coach Levi Murphy made clear after the game his players weren't happy with a morale victory. Dallastown is known for junior wideout and Division I recruit Michael Scott, but the Wildcats have a deep array of skill position players including Jalen Cook and Shamar Smith. And they made Central's superstar running back Juelz Goff work for his 219 yards with a ridiculous 45 carries last week. Can they contain York High's budding star back Shavane Anderson. This game also features an intriguing matchup of sophomore quarterbacks in Dallastown's Kody Kissner and York High's Najee Still.

Will Juelz Goff break Central York's all-time rushing record?

The University of Pitt commit needs 200 yards to set the school mark. Goff has topped 200 yards twice this season so he's certainly capable of doing so again at home against winless Northeastern. The biggest question is how many carries will he get in a game Central York will likely win by multiple scores.

Can Eastern York compete with a 5A school?

The Golden Knights are off to a stunning 5-1 start a year after going 2-8. They're looking for their first winning season since 2014 and are still tied for first place in YAIAA Division II. However, their lone loss was a 55-13 shellacking to Spring Grove two weeks ago. They now face Dover (4-2), another 5A school with a better record. Spring Grove rushed for nearly 200 yards against the Knights, and Dover's Garon Quillen is coming off consecutive 150-yard performances. The Eagles also have one of the league's best passing offenses. This will be quite a test for Eastern.

Can Red Lion get back on track?

Two weeks ago, the Lions were 3-1 and looked like a legitimate District 3 Class 6A playoff team. Now they're coming off two straight losses — including an eye-opening 30-7 road defeat to South Western last week in which they committed five turnovers. The Lions are at home this week against Spring Grove (2-4) and are probably the more talented team. Still, the Rockets are coming off two straight wins and are playing well on both sides of the ball. Red Lion needs to reclaim its momentum if it wants to salvage what was supposed to be a promising season.

Can Susquehannock get back in the win column?

The Warriors are coming off three straight losses, but they've played well each time against strong opponents (Manheim Central, Dover, New Oxford). Last week, they had the ball for nearly 70% of the game and moved the ball on a strong New Oxford defense, but couldn't get in the end zone. The Warriors have winnable games the next four weeks and could make a surprise run at the playoffs, but it will need to start with a home game against York Suburban Friday. The Trojans are talented but lost, 42-0, to Dover last week.

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Which teams are on pace to make the District 3 playoffs?

This won't be answered this week, but it's a good time to check in. Right now there are just six, which would be down from nine last season.

Class 1A (two teams qualify): Zero

Fairfield (0-5) doesn't seem to have a shot to supplant No. 2 Halifax for a chance to face Steel-High in the title game.

Class 2A (four teams qualify): No. 4 Delone Catholic (3-3)

The Squires will be favored in each game the rest of the way but could face juggernaut Trinity in the playoffs after losing to the Shamrocks, 49-12, in Week 1.

Class 3A (six teams qualify): Zero. On the bubble: No. 7 Littlestown (4-2)

The Bolts are well-within striking distance of current No. 6 Upper Dauphin. Bermudian Springs (3-3) is currently ranked ninth but could make a run if it wins out. The Bolts and the Eagles will play a pivotal game Week 10.

Class 4A (10 teams qualify): No. 6 Eastern York (5-1)

The Golden Knights are trying to make their first playoff berth since 2014 but have a very difficult schedule the rest of the way. Still, three teams made the bracket with 4-6 records last season. Kennard-Dale (No. 12), Susquehannock (No. 13) and York Suburban (No. 17) are all 2-4 but have winnable games and could make a run.

Class 5A (12 teams qualify): No. 1 New Oxford (6-0); No. 11 Dover (4-12). On the bubble: No. 13 South Western (3-3)

New Oxford will have a tough test in Week 9 against Maryland's Fort Hill, but that out-of-state game won't count toward the power rankings. The Colonials are just slightly ahead of Garden Spot (also 6-0) for the top seed.

Class 6A (eight teams): No. 3 Central York (6-0); No. 5 York High (4-1)

These two teams play at Central York Week 10. It won't be surprising if Central is 9-0 and York High is 7-1. The Panthers are one of two undefeated teams in Class 6A but remain below fellow unbeaten Manheim Township and 5-1 Harrisburg due to having a handful of 5A schools on their schedule. Could the Panthers and Bearcats end up playing in the playoffs for the second straight season?

Matt Allibone is a sports reporter for GameTimePA. He can be reached at 717-881-8221, mallibone@ydr.com or on Twitter at @bad2theallibone.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Which YAIAA football teams could make the District 3 playoffs?