Tamaqua will try to remain undefeated against a Pottsville team that is coming off back-to-back impressive performances.

Pleasant Valley had its scheduled opener against Pocono Mountain East canceled due to positive COVID-19 cases within the district. The high school will be closed through Oct. 12. All high school sports will be canceled through this time.

Tamaqua at Pottsville

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

COLLISION COURSE

... The Blue Raiders (3-0) enter the contest coming off a 51-20 win over Riverside last week. Pottsville has won back-to-back games, including a 48-0 triumph against Lehighton this past Saturday. “They’re definitely a solid team,” said Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner. “I think a lot of people wrote them off after they lost to Nativity in that first game of the year. But obviously Nativity is a better team than they’ve been in the past. The first game of the year, you never know what’s going to happen. You can get caught off guard really fast, and all of a sudden get upset by a team that you think you should be able to go in and beat. But if you watch them from that first game of the year against Nativity to the last game against Lehighton, they’ve obviously improved a lot; they have a little bit more of their swagger back, a little bit more confidence back. They have two solid running backs, a quarterback that’s getting better, and they always play tough defense. They’re obviously a team that’s improved, and playing with a little chip on their shoulder after some people wrote them off after that first week.”

ROLL TIDE

... Pottsville has bounced back with big wins over Minersville (52-18) and Lehighton since a 31-21 loss to Nativity in the opener. Against the Tribe, Pottsville put up 446 yards of total offense - with 301 coming on the ground - and surrendered just 97 to an Indians’ squad averaging 397 coming into the contest. Quarterback Jazce Carabello-Snowell had 145 yards passing on four completions - all to Raeff Dicello - for the Tide. On the ground, Bobby Walchak had nine carries for 110 yards.

POWER PLAY

... While Pottsville impressed against Lehighton, Tamaqua was no less dominant against Riverside. Nate Curvey rushed for 159 yards and four touchdowns, Logan Hess carried 16 times for 120 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards and a score, and Lucas Schickram carried 10 times for 79 yards and two TDs as the Blue Raiders dominated up front, piling up 436 yards on the ground.

NO LETUP

... Despite graduating a significant amount of players from a team that won a District 11 title and made a run in the state playoffs a year ago, Bonner’s group has maintained the program’s high level of play. “We have some young guys that are definitely coming around,” said Bonner. “I really talk a lot about my seniors that were returning this year, and they’ve really been doing a good job of bringing some of these young guys around. And every week, especially when you’re getting wins, it brings a little bit more confidence. But at the same time, the competition gets better. So as the competition gets better, we have to make sure we continue to improve and not just be satisfied with winning our first couple of games and getting off to a good start; we have to make sure that we continue to improve every week.”

UNDER THE RADAR

... Bonner signaled out junior Jacob Wasserleben and senior Jerome Balliet for their solid play so far this season. “Jerome Balliet has been doing a great job for us at defensive end and offensive tackle,” said Bonner. “He’s been a really pleasant surprise for us, especially being his first year back out since his sophomore year. And another guy that’s been understated is Jake Wasserleben. He started for us all 15 games last year on offensive line and played a lot of defense as well. Both of those guys are starting at defensive end as well as starting at tackle.”

OR LETDOWN

... Bonner knows all too well the challenges a Pottsville team can bring to the table. The Tide handed the Blue Raiders their first loss of the season - 34-17 - a year ago, a result that was followed by a 28-17 setback against North Schuylkill the following week. Tamaqua didn’t suffer another loss until the state semifinal against Wyoming Area.

I KNOW YOU

... Tamaqua also scrimmaged Pottsville before the start of the season.

Nativity at Marian

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME

... Marian and Nativity - the only two Catholic high schools in Schuylkill County - have had an outstanding rivalry in many sports over the past few decades, especially basketball and volleyball. But this will be the first time the two schools will meet in football since 1986. The first meeting between the programs took place in 1956. Overall, Marian has gone 17-14 against Nativity.

SUNDER BOLT

... Marian defensive lineman Robert Sunder had an outstanding game against Shenandoah according to Colt coach Stan Dakosty. Dakosty said the Colts moved him all over the field Friday to create matchup problems for the Blue Devils. “We were treating him like a checker ... just jumping him all over the place,” Dakosty said. “We used him at both end positions, and played him right over their center at nose guard as well. He was a dominant force, and really disrupted Shenandoah’s offense. They had five or six fumbles, and he was responsible for most of them,”

FAMILIAR NAME

... Nativity has a high scoring offense that has averaged over 30 points game this season in victories over Pottsville (31-21) and Pequea Valley (27-23), and last week’s loss to Williams Valley (35-34). The Green Wave are led by quarterback Cody Miller, who drew plenty of praise from Dakosty. “Their quarterback is really good,” said Dakosty. “He’s extremely athletic and can make plays passing and running the ball. He’s the straw that stirs their drink.” Dakosty said he’s very familiar with Cody’s father, Brad Miller, who was a star receiver at Panther Valley when the Colts and Panthers met in some classic games during the early 1990s. Brad Miller went on to play Division 1 football at Army.

BUILDING THE WAVE

... This is Pat Mason’s fourth season as Nativity’s head coach. In his first three years, the Green Wave have had a pair of 7-4 seasons and one 6-5 campaign. In the two years before his arrival, Nativity went a combined 2-19. “Pat Mason has done a great job with that program,” said Dakosty. “They are a fast, athletic football team. They aren’t extremely big, but they spread the field and put their athletes in space. They have made a lot of big plays during the first three weeks of the season.”

GAME NOTES

... Dakosty said the Colts will need to get off to a good start against Nativity and try to control the tempo with long drives ... Defensively, the key for the Colts will be to prevent or at least limit the Green Wave’s big plays ... Marian starting halfback Xavier Ocasio missed last week’s game and is questionable for this week. With Ocasio out, Jacob Fenstermaker and Owen Brady did a nice in the Colts backfield ... Marian started three freshmen on defense and two on offense last week.

Southern Lehigh at Northern Lehigh

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

INTO THE UNKNOWN

... While the Bulldogs opened their season last Friday against Palisades, the Spartans postponed their opener earlier this month after a member of the school’s varsity football staff tested positive for the coronavirus. “We have the advantage that Palisades had last week,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout, referencing the opener against a Pirates’ team playing its third contest of the season. “Southern Lehigh hasn’t scrimmaged anyone, so we have nothing on them.”

INTO THE UNKNOWN, PART II

... Not only has Southern Lehigh not played a game, but the Spartans also have a brand-new coaching staff this season. Former Saucon Valley head coach Phil Sams takes over a program that had its best season in program history in 2019. The Spartans won their first District 11 title and competed in the state playoffs for the first time. Southern Lehigh finished the season with a 12-2 record after losing in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals to eventual state champion Archbishop Wood. Sams, who spent a season as an assistant in Center Valley, takes over for coach John Toman, who resigned in January after 14 seasons at the helm. Toman had a 108-54 record with the Spartans. “He (Sams) brought over the offensive coordinator from Saucon Valley, so we’re thinking and prepping that they’re going to run Saucon Valley’s offense,” said Tout. “So it’s just been different, watching film on Saucon Valley, rather than watching Southern Lehigh. They ran more or less kind of that spread Wing-T at Southern, and now you’re kind of expecting something else. But in part it’s good, because we just kind of worry more about ourselves.

BUILDING BLOCK

... Despite falling to Palisades 35-27 in last week’s season opener, Tout was encouraged by what he saw from his squad, which hung with the Pirates for four quarters. “I thought our kids competed,” said Tout. “There were a lot of positives; little corrections, but overall, I thought we had a good effort. We need to tackle better, but our offensive line, for having three sophomores upfront, I thought those guys played pretty well. I thought our pass blocking was pretty good, solid. But we’re excited for this week. Hopefully we make those improvements and we’ll see a big difference.”

GROUND WORK

... Northern Lehigh’s Mike Repsher (11 carries, 89 yards) and Matt Frame (15 carries, 69 yards) accounted for 158 of the team’s 179 rushing yards last week. Repsher had a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, while Frame added a three-yard plunge to make it a one-point game in the fourth.

AIR RAID

... The Bulldogs also found success through the air, with quarterback Dylan Smoyer throwing for 133 yards, including a 43-yard score to Trevor Amorim. More success on the ground and through the air should bode well for the Bulldogs moving forward.

Palmerton at Notre Dame Green Pond

Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

GOOD START

… The Bombers (1-0) got off to a good start last week against Catasauqua, defeating the Rough Riders 56-14. The Palmerton offense was working nicely, especially in the rushing department with Times News Player of the Week Cole Serfass rushing for 227 yards and four touchdowns. As a team, the Bombers rushed for 319 yards at 7.6 yards per carry with six rushing scores. “A lot of the credit from last week has to go to our offensive line. They played physical at the point of attack and opened up some nice holes for Cole and our other runners. We’re going to need a repeat performance of that this week. If we can run the ball, we can control the clock and keep Notre Dame off the field,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

IN THE ZONE

… The Bombers were highly efficient in the red zone last week. In fact, Palmerton was a perfect six-for-six in that department.

EXPLOSIVE BALANCE

… Notre Dame Green Pond (3-0) has been both balanced, and explosive, on the offensive side of the ball this season. Quarterback Collin Quintano has thrown for 567 yards and six touchdowns, while running back Matt Frauen Jr. has rushed for 457 yards and an impressive 10 touchdowns. The Crusaders have five players with 100 or more yards receiving as well. “Our goal is to make them earn every yard offensively, and not give up the big play. They have the type of offense and playmakers where they’re going to make some plays, but we want to keep them from making the explosive play; that’s the key for us,” said Walkowiak.

HIGH SCORING

… The Bombers scored 56 points in their Week 1 victory, and Notre Dame is averaging 48.6 points per game in its past three contests. The Crusaders also have a margin of victory of 28 points per game.

Schuylkill Haven at Lehighton

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

REGROUP THE TROOPS

... After a fourth-quarter loss to Tamaqua, followed by a 48-0 drubbing from Pottsville last week, Tribe coach Tom McCarroll is determined to get the Tribe (1-2) to regroup to be competitive for four quarters. “We are taking a different approach this week,” he said. “We’re focusing less on the Xs and Os and more on mindsets and attitudes. We physically competed with Tamaqua right until the end, but after a decent first quarter against Pottsville, we seemed to lose our confidence.”

STOP THE RUN

... After giving up 301 rushing yards to the Crimson Tide a week ago, the Indians will need to control the line of scrimmage to stop Haven’s 1-2 punch of Chris Reber and Connor Goehring. Goehring ran for 248 yards, mostly on jet sweeps, in the Hurricanes’ win over Panther Valley last Friday.

TAKE ADVANTAGE

... Tribe QB Richard Fronheiser has thrown for 576 yards and six TDs in the first three games. His favorite targets are wideouts Zack Hunsicker and Hunter Crum, who have totaled 31 catches for 427 yards and four touchdowns. “We need to take what their defense will give us and develop a game plan to get mismatches with our wide receivers, and also get JJ McDowell going in the backfield. He can be dynamic,” said McCarroll.

CHIPS ON THEIR SHOULDERS

... “Of course, we’re not happy losing two out of three games,” said McCarroll. “Whether you win or lose, you have to play doing it the right way. When you have a bad game, you take it personally. Coaches have to coach better. Players have to play better. Once the whistle blows, we have to have the right mindset to compete for all four quarters.”

Panther Valley at Minersville

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

ROSTER DECLINE

... Due to injuries and academic ineligibility, the Panthers will play this week with very low numbers to try to end their two-game losing streak. “We went from a roster of 35 to 17,” said coach Rick Jones. “We have a few players in concussion protocol, a few others with assorted injuries, and then some who won’t play because they’re not meeting their requirements in the classroom. We’re strapped, but we have to stay positive and go to battle with who we have. There will certainly be more playing time for the kids we bring to Minersville.”

TRIPLE THREAT

... The Panthers have had running and throwing from quarterback Michael Pascoe, and the big-play talent of Louis Clauser on misdirections and kick returns. The duo has accounted for 418 rushing yards and six of the team’s seven touchdowns so far this season. Julian Matula adds some pop from his wide receiver position, where his five catches have totaled 107 yards.

‘BIG’ CHALLENGE

... Minersville is led by freshman quarterback Connor Schwaim, who threw for 112 yards last week against Mahanoy and averaged nearly six yards a carry running the ball. “They are a big and physical team,” said Jones. “Schwaim can throw (over 50% completion rate) and Gabe Davis is an excellent receiver (10 catches for 196 yards) and a threat to score whenever he gets the ball.” The Panthers hope to do some scoring of their own against a Minersville defense that has given up 100 points in their first two games, both losses.

BUILDING BLOCKS

... Jones understands that changing the culture of Panther Valley football is going to take time for a program that has not had a winning season in 15 years. “We have a good core of players,” he said, “We’ve had a good practice week, and there’s a solid middle school program in place now, too. Right now, we have to get the kids to understand that to be able to turn things around, they need to be responsible in the classroom and commit to the team so we can get to where we want to be, and that’s to be able to compete every week.”

Wilson at Northwestern

Friday October 2 - 7 p.m.

THEY’RE BACK

… After having to cancel its game last week against Bangor because of a positive coronavirus test among the football program, Northwestern was given the all clear to return to practice this week and play. Initially, the game against Wilson was in jeopardy because it wasn’t clear how long the football program would need to be shutdown. But, health officials gave the go-ahead over the weekend, and the Tigers are back on their usual schedule for this week. For his part, Snyder was not happy with his weekend off. “I think this was the first fall weekend that I had nothing to do since the ‘80s,” he said. “It was a weird feeling that I wasn’t used to and didn’t really like.”

WILD WARRIORS

… Snyder will be taking Wilson very seriously after the Tigers “had their hands full” in their 49-20 win over Wilson last season. If that wasn’t enough to open Snyder’s eyes, a come-from-behind win that Wilson pulled off against Pen Argyl last week certainly got his attention. The Warriors came back from a 26-0 deficit by scoring three touchdowns in the final 49-seconds of the first half. In the end, they scored 33 unanswered points to down Pen Argyl 33-26. “They’ve got a quarterback [Cayden Stem] and a couple of really good receivers [Dylan Goldsworth and Damon Simpson],” said Snyder. “Our defense is going to have to really step up to keep those guys in check.”

THE GAME PLAN

… While the win over the Green Knights will have Wilson coming to town on a natural high, there are some holes that Northwestern may be able to exploit. The Pen Argyl offense was able to pick up nearly 150 yards of total offense in the first half by using a strong ground game, and then mixing in play-action passes to punish the Wilson defense. “We’ve been able to put up some points [71 in two games], and with Justin Holmes settling in at quarterback for us and Nick Henry able to run the ball, we may be able to do some things offensively,” Snyder said. “The big difference has to come from our defense because they’ve given up some points [84], and we’ve allowed some plays that were contained to turn into something bigger for our opponent.”

PROGRESS REPORT

… The Northwestern defense has been anchored primarily by three players. Nick Henry and Owen Coffield lead the team with 11 tackles. Henry also has 10 assists on tackles and Coffield has six assists. Taylor Wikert not only has 10 tackles, but also pulled in three interceptions in the season’s opening game against Palisades. Northwestern’s offense has been used just the way Snyder envisioned it coming into the season. With an experienced running back in Henry, Snyder wanted to keep to the Northwestern tradition of run first. Of their 113 plays on offense this season, 67 of them have come on the ground. The Tigers offense has averaged 170.5 yards per game on the ground, and Holmes has put up an average of 187.5 yards per game through the air.