Normally the Overtime column focuses on a game or games that were recently played.

This week, we will focus on games that were not played.

There are 47 schools playing high school football in District 11, and heading into this weekend, there is only one team that still hasn’t played a football game - Panther Valley.

The Panthers were hit with COVID on the eve of the season opener with Northern Lehigh two weeks ago. It cost them that game, as well as their contest the following week against Schuylkill Haven.

As of Tuesday, the Panthers still had five of their 28 players in COVID protocol, but head coach Rick Jones said they were hoping to get three more players cleared to start practicing on Wednesday.

Barring another breakout, Panther Valley is on course to finally open its season Friday night against Palmerton.

“It’s been frustrating for our kids, especially our seniors,” said Jones. “When you see all the other teams with a couple of games under their belts already and we’re still waiting to playing our first game, it’s impossible not to feel for what they are going through.

“We’ve been practicing every day, and our kids have been great about it, but they are obviously extremely disappointed.”

Jones said the Panthers started with a single case of COVID that was confirmed when they were doing their Thursday walk through in preparation for the following night’s scheduled season opener against Northern Lehigh.

“We were on the field and our trainer, athletic director and principal all showed up and informed us that a player who had missed the last couple practices because he was sick had tested positive for COVID,” said Jones. “All our unvaccinated players then had to be tested, as well as any vaccinated players who wanted to get a test.”

Jones said the Panthers had 10 players test positive - and he tested positive as well.

“I’m fully vaccinated, but I wasn’t feeling great so I thought I should get tested as well and I came back positive,” Jones said. “I had a sore throat and a headache and just felt a little tired. It wasn’t a pleasant last couple weeks, but it wasn’t terrible either.”

Jones returned to practice for the first time on Tuesday after a 10-day forced absence due to COVID protocols.

“My assistants did a great job running practices, and keeping the kids engaged while I was out,” Jones said. “But I know I’m speaking for our entire team and coaching staff when I say we just want to get back to normal.

“It’s very difficult for young kids to stay positive, and not get a little down with what we’ve been through the last two weeks.”

Jones said the players’ disappointment in not being able to play games the last two weeks was obvious to him when he returned to practice on Tuesday.

“The kids were working hard and giving great effort, but I could see it in their eyes,” he said. “We have a lot of kids who absolutely love playing football, and the disappointment and frustration they are feeling was obvious. I felt bad for them.”

Jones is hopeful that the worst of the COVID issues the Panthers have been dealing with are now behind them.

“Our kids just want to play a football game,” Jones said. “Palmerton has already played a couple of games, and it has some great athletes so we might be a little undermanned, but that’s okay. We just want to compete to the best of our ability.

“Hopefully, we get some more kids cleared and we have almost our full roster, but even if that doesn’t happen, if we have enough to safely play a game, we are going to play. I know our kids are really anxious to get out there and play.”

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HUNTER’S SIX-PACK ... Lehighton’s Hunter Crum had a huge game last Friday to not only earn the Times News Player of the Week, but also tie a school record in the process.

Crum scored six touchdowns, four rushing and two receiving, in a 55-42 victory over Tamaqua to equal the Indians’ mark for TDs in a game. Other Lehighton players who have scored six touchdowns in a contest include Jacen Nalesnick (Nov. 4, 2011), Joe Semanoff (Sept. 15, 2000) and Chris Green (Oct. 25, 1991).

Over the past 30 years, only three other area players have recorded at least six touchdowns in a game. They are Panther Valley’s Rich Smith (seven on Sept. 14, 2012), Palmerton’s Mike Stasko (six on Oct. 16, 2015) and Northern Lehigh’s Ryan Hluschak (six on Nov. 1, 2002).

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PLENTY OF POINTS ... The 97 combined points in Friday’s Tamaqua-Lehighton game is tied for the most in a game involving two Times News area teams. The other contest with 97 was a 49-48 Panther Valley victory over Jim Thorpe on Sept. 21, 2012.

While the Indians were involved in a game that featured 102 points a year ago (when Lehighton defeated Schuylkill Haven 60-42), the 97 points were the most in a Tamaqua game since 1926. In that battle, the Blue Raiders scored all the points in a 97-0 win against St. Clair.

Unfortunately for Tamaqua, scoring 42 points didn’t result in a win. It marked the first time in Blue Raider history that they scored 40-or-more points in a game and lost. Prior to last Friday, they had been 92-0 when scoring at least 40 points.

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BULLDOG RETURN ... Among Times News area teams, Northern Lehigh had gone the longest without a kickoff return for a touchdown ... until Matt Frame took one 93 yards to the house against Northwestern last Thursday.

The last time the Bulldogs returned a kickoff for a score was Sept. 24, 2016 when Austin Hemingway raced 87 yards to the end zone against Wilson.

That was 47 games ago. Northern Lehigh had received about 243 kickoffs in between scores.

Frame’s long touchdown brought the Bulldogs within a point of Northwestern, but their two-point conversion in an attempt to take the lead failed and Northern Lehigh ended up suffering a 34-33 defeat.

The last time Nolehi suffered a one-point loss was Nov. 11, 2006 when it fell to Pen Argyl in overtime, 14-13. The last one-point defeat in regulation occurred all the way back on Sept. 23, 1994, falling to Wilson by a 22-21 score.

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RUN TIGERS RUN ... Back when Bob Mitchell coached Northwestern, the Tigers were known for their ground attack. But over the past decade, the program has become known for its ability to throw the ball.

So when the team threw for only eight yards this past Thursday against Northern Lehigh, it was a rarity.

The last time Northwestern had less passing yards in a game was Sept. 23, 2011 when it produced minus-five yards through the air. That was 110 games ago.

Since 2011, the Tigers are the only area team to throw for at least 1,000 yards every season. They have averaged 1,504 yards passing a year. Next closest is Lehighton at 1,409.

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PV BY LAND AND SKY ... Pleasant Valley quarterback Robert Papaleo pulled off a rare feat in the Bears’ 54-0 victory over East Stroudsburg North on Saturday.

The senior not only ran for a couple of touchdowns, but he also threw a pair of scoring passes.

The last time a PV player pulled off a similar performance was Oct. 16, 2009 when Anthony Bumbulsky also ran for two scores and threw for two others. That contest - which was 116 games ago - ended in a 30-25 Bears victory over Eastburg North.