Northwestern and Northern Lehigh enter this week’s contests on a roll. The Tigers will try to secure their fourth straight victory when they host Saucon Valley, while the Bulldogs will try for their third straight win at home against Salisbury.

Salisbury at Northern Lehigh

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

QUICK START

... A week after a big second half led the Bulldogs to their first win of the season against Wilson, Northern Lehigh jumped on Pen Argyl early Saturday, racing out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter en route to a 35-14 victory.

STEPPING UP

... Bulldogs’ head coach Joe Tout praised Joe Abidelli, who carried the ball 11 times for 76 yards with one touchdown, for playing a key role in keeping the Bulldogs’ running game on track against Pen Argyl after Frame left the game in the second quarter with a leg injury. He then returned in the second half, carrying the ball six times for 35 yards and a score and continued to deliver punishing blocks. “I thought Joe Abidelli was huge,” Tout said after the game on Saturday. “Matt Frame gets banged up, our backup fullback, AJ Jimenez, had a bone bruise and didn’t dress today, and we like putting AJ in there. So Joe had to jump in, and he really was big for us today.”

AIRING IT OUT

... Salisbury’s (1-3) Quintin Stephens finished with 168 yards passing and three touchdowns in last week’s 39-28 loss to Northwestern. Chad Parton had 11 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown on the night for the Falcons. Stephens has completed 49 of 93 pass attempts this season for 728 yards, 11 scores and six interceptions, while Parton has 27 grabs for 541 yards and six scores. Stephens is also the team’s leading rusher with 385 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries. “Now it’s a different beast than anything we’ve seen,” said Tout. “They’re scary. Their quarterback, Stephens, you could have pressure on him and they’ll have some breakdowns upfront and then he scrambles for five, six seconds. And Parton is tough, because the play can break down, and they go into a scramble drill. We’ll teach our guys what routes, but then the play breaks down (and it’s hard to defend). That’s the animal we’re going to face.”

CLOCK CONTROL

... Abidelli, Mike Repsher and Frame, who accounted for 254 rushing yards against the Green Knights, have been dynamic running the ball and in the passing game, along with receiver Evan Zambo, for quarterback Dylan Smoyer. “Our best defense might be offense this week,” said Tout. “We have to have quality possessions. If we can kind of do what we did at Pen Argyl, and own the clock and kind of set the tempo. And on defense, we have to make them drive, and hopefully they make a mistake.”

BANGED UP

... Senior running back Gio Hines, who serves as a compliment to Stephens for the Falcons offense, left the game early in the second quarter with an ankle injury and didn’t return. Hines is the team’s second leading rusher with 249 yards on 47 carries with one score.

Saucon Valley at Northwestern

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

BIG TEST

... The Tigers have been facing tough quarterbacks the past few weeks. This week will be no different as they face the Saucon Valley Panthers (2-1 Colonial League, 2-1 overall) and junior quarterback Dante Mahaffey at Tiger Stadium.

HOW GOOD IS MAHAFFEY?

... Starting as a freshman, Mahaffey has amassed just under 2,000 yards passing and over 1,100 yards rushing in his three seasons. He benefits from having an offensive line with good size and some experience at a number of spots. Last week against Palmerton, Mahaffey threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more, including one sprint of 78 yards.

RODDA A NOTTA

… The Tigers (3-0 Colonial, 4-1 overall) will be without Justin Rodda, who left last week’s game with a cracked clavicle and will miss at least a couple of games. Rodda has been a key component playing in the slot for Northwestern and has also been a big contributor defensively. With Rodda out, Cade Christopher will move into the slot position and Snyder may experiment with some different sets. “Last week we used some new looks and we may do that again this week,” said Tigers’ coach Josh Snyder said. “We may go with some double tight-end sets and just shift some guys around. We had some success with that last week and with Justin out, we may go that way again.”

TOUCHDOWN CHRISTOPHER

… Coming into last week, Christopher had caught six passes - all for touchdowns – in the first four games of the season. Last week against Salisbury, the sophomore receiver had two catches, but neither wound up in the end zone. On the season, Christopher’s eight catches rank third on the team, while his 330 yards of receiving are tops among the Northwestern offense. With Rodda out, Christopher could become a bigger player in the offensive attack as a top target for Holmes.

DOWN AND DIRTY DEFENSE

… While Mahaffey has the ability to put up big numbers, he’ll have to do it against a defense that has made big strides since the first week of the season. There have been some changes in positions and personnel which have served to make the defense a stronger unit that gets better with every game. “Our defense is getting stronger after we had to move a lot of guys around,” noted Snyder. “Owen Coffield has been a chaos maker in the backfield for us and Taylor Wikert moved from cornerback to safety this season and has been really good in that role and Michael Rader only became a starter in week three but he’s already becoming one of our stronger players defensively.”

Pen Argyl at Tamaqua

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

CHANGE OF PLANS

... The Blue Raiders originally scheduled contest against North Schuylkill was canceled for precautionary reasons because of COVID-19. Their replacement, Pittston Area, announced Wednesday it was shutting down the football program for the rest of the season because of COVID-19 concerns within the school district. Enter Pen Argyl, a Colonial League team that is 1-3 and coming off a 35-14 loss to Northern Lehigh on Saturday.

LOCKED IN

... Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner knows that his team needs to be fully focused against the Green Knights, who have dropped back-to-back games since a 36-13 win over Catty in Week 2. “They have a couple of good athletes,” said Bonnner. “And we know they always play tough, hard-nosed football.” Senior quarterback Gavin Amerman, who wears No. 44, has completed 43 of 82 pass attempts for 632 yards with five touchdowns and seven picks. Amerman is also the team’s leading rusher with 48 carries for 225 yards and four TDs. Seniors Collin McKeague (19 catches, 330 yards, two touchdowns) and Matt Ragozino (seven catches, 181 yards, two TDs) have been Amerman’s top targets in the passing game.

ROAD WARRIORS

... Tamaqua has not played a home game since Sept. 25 against Riverside. That was also the Blue Raiders last victory. Tamaqua has dropped three straight on the road against Pottsville (21-12), Blue Mountain (28-0) and Jim Thorpe (27-18), who are a combined 12-5 this season. “We’re excited to get a chance to get a win,” said Bonner. “And to get a chance to play at home. Those are two things that we’re happy to get the opportunity to do, and we have to make the most of it. Just the fact that we’re getting a chance to play a game, I think our kids are excited to be playing a football game, and I think they want to get out of this slide that we’ve been in. We’ve had some tough losses, and this is an opportunity to get back on the winning side of things.”

HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE

... Bonner praised several of his players for their effort in last week’s loss to the Olympians, including senior Nate Wickersham. “Wick had an amazing week,” said Bonner. “He had 16 tackles on the defensive side of things. Offensively, he caught a touchdown, he ran for a touchdown. He had over 100 yards rushing (130), a big reception; he’s doing a bit of everything for us. I can’t say enough about what he’s doing. And (Nate) Curvey continues to do a lot of things for us, (Lucas) Schickram continues to do a lot of things for us. Brayden Hess is another guy that’s been under the radar. I thought he also had a real good game on both sides of the football. I think he made a touchdown-saving tackle about 25 yards down field. When you see a defensive lineman making plays downfield like that, that’s a big thing.”

RECENT HISTORY

... Pen Argyl defeated Tamaqua 31-21 in a district playoff game in 2016. In 2012, the Green Knights knocked the Raiders out of the postseason again with a 30-14 victory.

ES North at Pleasant Valley

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

WORTH THE WAIT

... Pleasant Valley’s season was delayed two weeks after numerous setbacks in dealing with COVID-19. The Bears finally took the field for the first time last Friday against fellow Eastern Pennsylvania Conference North opponent Pocono Mountain West. Despite falling 21-7, Bears’ head coach Blaec Saeger was just happy to take the field for the first time. “We had a great practice today, and having that game under our belt helps. It’s good to be doing things the way we’re accustomed to be doing them,” said Saeger. “Just trying to get back on par with everybody else.”

WORK IN PROGRESS

... While Saeger was pleased to be able to finally play a game, he quickly turned his focus to what his team needs to do to get better. Three fumbles lost and an interception late in the game during desperation time kept their offense from being able to generate any real consistency or momentum. But he was happy with much of what he saw on opening night. “We took a lot of positives from that game,” he said. “Just our physical appearance. Our kids have grown, our kids have matured ... and they put a lot of work and effort into it and it showed. We were just a much more physical football team than we were last year and it was nice to see. It showed especially in our O-line play; even though the offense struggled, the O-line was tremendous. They did a really nice job blocking. And then the defense, obviously showed the massive improvements holding a really good, athletic offense to 21 points. A lot of things to look forward to coming from that.”

SLOW START

... The Timberwolves fell to 0-3 with a 34-0 loss to Pocono Mountain East last week. Quarterback Noah Fathy was 3-of-11 passing for 34 yards and three interceptions. ES North’s leading rusher was JD Awuah, who had 27 yards on four carries. The team finished with four yards rushing and 46 yards of total offense.

LAST TIME

... East Stroudsburg North snapped a 29-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 28-21 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference win over Pleasant Valley last season. The Timberwolves last triumph had come in a 40-38 win over Pocono Mountain West on Oct. 21, 2016. Win or lose, the game will always have a special meaning for Saeger. “Teaching there for 17 years and coaching there for 15, it’s one that matters to me,” said Saeger. “Not that others don’t, but this is obviously one I look forward to. I know all the guys there, I know all the coaches; I’m good friends with them and I respect them a lot. They are struggling on the scoreboard but (first-year) Coach (Ricrado) Altreche is doing the right things there. You can see the turnaround there is beginning.”

Marian at Minersville

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

DUAL-THREAT

… The Colts (1-5) will need to contain Minersville’s dual-threat quarterback Connor Schwalm, who has accounted for much of the Miners’ offense this season. Schwalm has thrown for 494 yards and five scores, while rushing for 283 yards and five touchdowns.

SCOREBOARD

… This season’s young Colts squad have struggled to put points on the board, averaging just 6.3 points per game. However, this week Marian does have an opportunity to try and help out that average, playing a Minersville (2-3) team that is giving up 34 points per game.

SIMILAR OPPONENTS

… Marian and Minersville have played three of the same teams in Shenandoah Valley, Panther Valley and Nativity. Both the Colts and Miners defeated the Blue Devils, but the Miners have the edge in this department, defeating Panther Valley. The Colts lost to the Panthers 28-7. Both teams were handed a lopsided loss by Nativity.

Palmerton at Palisades

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

DIG IN

… The Bombers (1-3) defensive front will need to dig in come Friday night against a hard-charging Palisades’ offense. There are no secrets in what the Pirates (4-2) want to do offensively, and that will be to establish the run game. They have one of the top running backs in the Colonial League to do so in Mason Smeland, who has rushed for 906 yards and 13 touchdowns. Palmerton will need to be better against the run this week as it has let up 243.5 rushing yards per game this season.

GETTING OFF THE FIELD

… Palmerton’s defense has struggled on third down this season, and unfortunately at key times throughout games. Last week, against Saucon Valley, the Bombers battled a good Panthers team the whole way, but two Saucon Valley scores off third and long situations helped it come away with a narrow one-point victory.

“We have to be better defensively, especially when it comes to getting off the field on third down. We have to win third down this week,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. “Again, we also cannot give up the big play, we have to make them earn it. We had some assignments and missed alignments last week that led to their scores and we’re going to continue to work and get better, but at the end of the day we just need to be better defensively.”

YOUNG DUO

… There’s a saying in football, “Always put your best athlete at quarterback.” For Walkowiak, he has a luxury in that he has two good athletes that can play the position effectively. Sophomore Cole Serfass has rushed for an impressive 572 yards and eight touchdowns and has thrown for 186 yards and three scores. Freshman Matt Machalik, who has seen some time at quarterback as well has rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown and has thrown for 157 yards and three scores. “These guys are having success because of their dedication and preparation. You can see they are maturing each and every week. Their supporting cast has a done nice job as well and the offensive line is having a real solid season. There are a lot of positives to take away from our season, so far, we just need to continue to work,” added Walkowiak.

Lehighton vs Pine Grove

Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

UP AND DOWN

... The roller coaster season for the Tribe has been taking a down turn recently, with the team having lost its past two games by combined scores of 72-6. After an eight-day break, Coach Tom McCarroll and his staff have pinpointed specific areas of improvement in an effort to spark their team’s resurgence.

THE SNOWBALL EFFECT

... McCarroll has been trying to restore his team’s shaken confidence. “Against Blue Mountain last week, we threw a pick six on the first play of the game,” he said. “When we get behind early, we haven’t been able to battle back.” The approach at practices has been to regroup and execute after opponents’ scores.

A RECOVERY PLAN

... McCarroll believes his team has to learn what it takes to win again. He praised his senior leadership and now that has to trickle down to the younger players, noting that a few freshmen have been seeing significant playing time. “We’ll also make in-game adjustments and personnel changes depending upon the score and the situation,” he said.

THE ACE IN THE DECK OF CARDS

... This week’s key for the Maroon and White is to contain the Cardinal’s outstanding quarterback Josh Leininger, who has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season - and that’s without playing against Panther Valley last week due to COVID-19 restrictions. “In my opinion, he’s the most dangerous individual in the whole league,” said McCarroll. “He has a great arm and he runs their offense with perfection.” Leininger’s favorite target has been wide receiver Shea Morgan, who has the ability to catch and run to the house. Leininger is also a force to reckon with from his free safety position on defense.

“We have athletic linebackers so, if he plays, we think we can come up with defensive schemes against him to try and stop their big plays.”

LOCK THE ROCK

... Interceptions and fumbles were huge factors in the Tribe’s losses to Jim Thorpe and Blue Mountain. “Turnovers have been killing us,” said McCarroll. “We need to make better decisions with the ball. We’ve been doing ball security drills at practice, too. It’s a commonly known fact that teams who win the turnover battles usually win more games.”

Panther Valley at Shenandoah

Here’s what you need to know:

Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.

WINNER WINNNER

... The Panthers will face a Blue Devils’ team that defeated Columbia Montour Vo-Tech 37-34 on Tuesday night. The win was Shenandoah’s first in its last 27 games, covering a time span of four years.

SPEED KILLS

... Coach Rick Jones says that his 1-5 Panthers have struggled against teams with speed. “We play these teams aggressively, but we just don’t matchup well.” he said. “Against Pine Grove, they broke containment on us and scored twice in the last four minutes of the first half.

A HEAVY DOSE OF THE DYNAMIC DUO

... All season long, PV’s duo of Michael Pascoe and Louis Clouser have provided much of the offensive attack. “We’ve run the ball pretty well against everybody,” said Jones. Against the Devils, Pascoe will be asked to make the tough inside yards and Clouser can be a game-breaker if he gets to the edge and out into space. “This game is a better matchup for us. They have an athletic quarterback and a stud defensive tackle, but no great team speed,” Jones explained.

TRYING TOO HARD

... Turnovers are never good for a football team, especially if they happen as the result of carelessness in securing the ball. In the Panthers’ case, however, Jones contends losing the ball has been due to trying to hard to make that extra yard. “We can’t fault the kids for trying to make plays, but many of our fumbles have come from trying to extend a play. The only time that should happen is when you’re trying to stretch the effort to get into the end zone,” he said.

CHECK BOX FOR IMPROVEMENT

... Jones likes his team’s effort and attitude, and that their football savvy is improving each week. He says they are not over-pursuing on defense and are getting better at being in position to make plays, which was not the case three weeks ago. The Panthers are improving their understanding of the game, and along with their great attitude, this is a solid formula for building a winning culture at PV. “We accentuate the positive every time we play,” said Jones.

Brad Hurley, Rich Strack, Chuck Hixson and Patrick Matsinko contributed to this report.