With three league games left in the regular season, Lancaster Catholic is still the only Lancaster-Lebanon League team to clinch a section title. ManheimTownship assured that it will finish the regular season with at least a first-place tie after the Blue Streaks' 68-44 victory over Penn Manor Thursday night.

Three other teams clinched playoff berths, though whether they'll be in the bracket as a section champ or as a runner-up remains undetermined in some cases.

Here's an update on the races in each section.

SECTION 1

The section's two playoff participants are set in stone. Township (13-0 league, 16-2 overall) can finish no worse than tied for first; the Blue Streaks are three games up on Hempfield (10-3, 14-4) with three to play. One more win – or a Hempfield loss – will clinch a third straight section crown for Township, which hosts Hempfield next Friday.

The Black Knights, meanwhile, are three games up on Cedar Crest with three to play. But since Thursday night's 47-33 victory over the Falcons gave Hempfield a season sweep, there's no way the Knights can lose on tiebreakers. Hempfield will join Township in the league playoffs, which get underway Feb. 11.

SECTION 2

Cocalico maintained its slim lead in the league's most competitive section race with a 61-25 rout of Conestoga Valley on Thursday; the Eagles (11-2, 14-3) stayed a game up on second-place Ephrata (10-3, 14-5), whom they host next Friday. While that game could determine the section championship, Cocalico could clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Lebanon on Tuesday.

Ephrata is two games up on Solanco (8-5, 10-8) and three up on Elizabethtown (7-6, 9-9) -- both of whom are mathematically alive in the playoff chase, but would need near-miraculous stumbles by both Cocalico and Ephrata to get in. Ephrata has swept the season series with both teams, and would essentially have to go winless in its last three games to give either a shot at catching up.

SECTION 3

Lampeter-Strasburg (12-1, 16-1) is in the playoffs; the Pioneers can't finish worse than second. They are two games ahead of Northern Lebanon (10-3, 13-5) with three to play. The Vikings moved closer to clinching a berth themselves with Thursday's 47-38 win over Garden Spot; they are two games up on Elco (8-5, 11-8) and three ahead of Garden Spot (7-6, 8-9).

A home win over the Raiders on Tuesday would clinch a playoff berth for Northern Lebanon.

SECTION 4

Lancaster Catholic (13-0, 17-0) has the section title wrapped up, so the only race here is for second. Annville-Cleona (8-5, 11-8) clinched at least a tie for the runner-up spot with Thursday's 44-28 triumph over PequeaValley. They need one win – or one loss by Lebanon Catholic (5-8, 9-9) – in the final three games to wrap up the playoff berth.