Marian, Palmerton, Panther Valley and Pleasant Valley will all be looking to move to 2-0 on Friday night.

Elsewhere, Tamaqua travels to Lehighton in a matchup of area teams looking for win No. 1, while Jim Thorpe will travel to Bangor for a special Thursday night game in search of its first victory.

Marian at Minersville

When: Friday Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Can Marian extend its winning streak?

The Colts have been riding high since an overtime victory against Nativity in Week 8 last year, and have now won five straight games. During the five-game winning streak, Marian has outscored its opponents 127-40. In seven straight losses to open the 2021 season, the Colts were outscored 251-28 and shutout three times, including a 20-0 loss to Minersville in Week 2. Last week’s 21-7 win over Schuylkill Haven showcased the type of toughness this team brings to the field. Marian had just five passing yards, but controlled the line of scrimmage with a hard-nosed running game, led by Matt Martin’s 171 yards and three scores. “Matty deserves all the recognition he gets,” said Marian head coach Stan Dakosty. “He’s a hard worker, is one of our captains. He had a great game last week, and ran really well. You could see the maturity coming in. Joe Walko in front of him, and our offensive line did an outstanding job, they really did. Some of the holes we had were really nice. If we give our backs that opportunity again on Friday night, we should be in good shape. It’s a one-game sample. Now, let’s see if we can keep progressing the way we want to. But we’re certainly going from a good place. We’re still a young team; we’re only playing three seniors, and we only have one senior on the offensive line - he’s a great one, Rawlin Melendez. But we’re still a work in progress. We have a lot of kids that are underclassmen, and some first-time starters. But the offensive line really seems to be a strength of our team right now.” The defense held Haven to 2-of-11 passing, forcing pressure and disrupting the rhythm of the Hurricanes’ offense. The Colts were also disciplined, with four penalties for just 17 yards, while Haven was flagged 13 times for 85 yards. Minersville suffered a 20-13 setback in last week’s season opener to Tri-Valley. Freshman quarterback Dante Carr showcased his abilities on the ground and through the air. Carr completed 10-of-24 pass attempts for 151 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, and also had a long run of 64 yards among his eight carries with a touchdown. He finished with 65 yards rushing, while also losing a fumble. Carr will have to limit turnovers to keep drives alive for the Battlin’ Miners. “They’re a different type of team offensively,” said Dakosty. “They’re a spread offense. They threw the ball 30 times last week. They have a freshman quarterback, and he showed great poise, great athletic ability. He’s going to be a great one for them. Their running back is solid, they’re going to be tough upfront, and they’re well coached. So it’s a very good football team, a different type of team ... it’s a different approach for our kids this week.” Marian’s last win over Minersville was a 17-14 triumph in overtime in Week 6 of the 2018 season. It was a victory that also sparked a four-game winning streak for the Colts.

Players to Watch:

Matt Martin, Marian

Martin carved up the Schuylkill Haven defense last week, scoring three touchdowns while rushing for 171 yards on 27 carries. The Colts ran the ball 38 times for 223 yards, attempting just five passes in the win. Martin will likely be a focal point of the offense again this week. Martin also led the team with 14 total tackles (10 solo) and three tackles for loss, while also forcing a fumble.

Jesse Rodino, Marian

Rodino was tied for second on the team with 10 total tackles (five solo), and led the Colts with five tackles for loss. He also had one sack for a loss of 12 yards, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Carsyn Chambers, Marian

The junior punted twice on Friday, booming a 58-yarder and finishing with an average of 44 yards. Chambers could help the Colts flip the field on special teams against Minersville.

Dante Carr, Minersville

The freshman completed 10-of-24 pass attempts for 151 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in last week’s 20-13 loss to Tri-Valley. Carr also had a long run of 64 yards among his eight carries with a touchdown. He finished with 65 yards rushing, while also losing a fumble.

Panther Vy. at Tri-Valley

When: Friday Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Can the Panthers build on their momentum from a season-opening win?

Panther Valley entered the season having lost 10 straight games. PV dropped its final two games of the 2020 season and then went 0-8 a season ago. That streak is now history. A come-from-behind 20-13 victory over Salisbury in rookie head coach Mark Lavine’s first game at the helm has the Panthers 1-0 for the first time since 2018. Mike Pascoe and Austin Hadley combined for 259 of the Panthers’ 260 yards of total offense in the opener. Pascoe filled a couple of roles as he alternated between quarterback and halfback, while Hadley served as the fullback. While he didn’t impact the box-score, one of the unsung heroes in the Panthers victory was freshman quarterback Brody Breiner. Breiner carried the ball just one time and didn’t attempt a pass, but his ability to direct the offense allowed Pascoe the freedom to line up as a running back. “Brody did a great job for us,” said Lavine. “To step in and take snaps as a freshman quarterback in the first game, and run the offense as smoothly as he did was really huge for us. It gave us the flexibility to move Mike (Pascoe) and give Salisbury a different look with him at running back.” With the Panthers’ power run game as effective as it was, they only needed to attempt three passes against the Falcons. Lavine knows that same game plan probably won’t work against Tri-Valley. “Tri-Valley is a lot bigger, more physical football team than Salisbury, so we are going to have to be able to pass the ball this week,” said Lavine. “We have confidence in our passing game, but with the way we were running last week, we didn’t feel like we needed to open it up. This week, I think you’ll see a little more balanced attack from us.”

Players to Watch:

Trey McAndrew, Panther Valley

McAndrew came up with a pair of key second-half interceptions for the Panthers in the win over Salisbury. The senior’s first interception set up a second-half Panther Valley touchdown. His other pick ended a Salisbury drive with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and allowed the PV offense to run out the clock and preserve the victory.

Brad Jones, Panther Valley

Playing middle linebacker for the Panthers, Jones led the team in tackles and spearheaded a defensive effort that allowed Salisbury just 133 total yards and one offensive touchdown.

Kameron Wetzel, Tri-Valley

Wetzel, who rushed for over 1,500 yards a year ago in leading Tri-Valley to the District 11 Class 1A title, left last week’s season-opening victory against Minersville after being shaken up in the second quarter. Before leaving the game, Wetzel carried nine times for 91 yards and a touchdown. If he plays this week, the Panthers will have to be aware of him at all times. “He might be the best running back we see all season,” said Lavine. “He has great speed, he’s shifty in the hole, and he’s also powerful and can run you over. He’s the complete package of what you want in a running back.”

Catasauqua at Palmerton

When: Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week: Bombers offense looks explosive yet again this season.

Palmerton (1-0) didn’t waste any time getting its offense going to start the season, helping the Bombers get out to a 28-3 halftime lead over Lehighton last Friday night. In the first half, Bombers’ junior quarterback Matt Machalik threw for 187 yards and four touchdowns, and wide receiver Kendall Robinson hauled in five receptions and three touchdowns. Palmerton finished with 414 yards of total offense and 42 points in the matchup against the Tribe. The Bombers did have to fight off a strong second half from the Indians, who outscored Palmerton 26-14. The Bombers should have some opportunities on offense once again this week against Catasauqua (0-1), as the Rough Riders gave up 283 yards rushing to a strong Northern Lehigh rushing attack last week. “We had excitement about our offense coming into the season, and it was our offense that generated a lot of momentum for us last week, especially in the first half with the big plays in the passing game,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. “But I was more impressed by our offense late in the game running the football to take some time off the clock and then punching in a score. It was a good response to the momentum Lehighton was able to create.”

Players to Watch:

Matt Machalik, Palmerton

Machalik threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 111 yards and two scores against Lehighton.

Kendall Robinson, Palmerton

Robinson’s speed and route running caused a ton of issues for the Indians in the first half as he caught five balls for 99 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Jyzaiah Bonilla, Catasauqua

The Rough Riders had just over 200 yards of total offense against the Bulldogs, but Bonilla had a solid night, rushing for 107 yards on just 12 carries.

Allen at Pleasant Valley

When: Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Will experience continue to pay off for the Bears?

Pleasant Valley easily took care of East Stroudsburg North 62-0 in Week 1 to open the 2022 season. The run game attacked the East Stroudsburg North defense, and senior Jarod Moore recorded a 100-yard rushing game with 10 carries for 108 yards. The triple-option offense was in full swing behind junior quarterback Valentino Byers-Robinson, as the Bears rushed for 341 yards against North. Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger was pleased with how Robinson ran the offense in Week 1. “He ran the offense near flawlessly, put us in right spots, put the ball where it had to be and running a triple-option offense is not an easy thing and he ran it very well,” Saeger said about Robinson. The run game has been prominent at Pleasant Valley during Saeger’s time, and the Bears have made the district playoffs the last two seasons. This week, the Bears face Allen for their home opener Friday night, and will be a much bigger task than East Stroudsburg North. “It’ll definitely be a bigger test than what we just faced,” Saeger said about Allen. “There’s going to be an increase in everything than (East Stroudsburg) North. They are very big. They may be the biggest team we face all year. The offensive line has monstrous kids. They have some really good athletes, a quarterback that can really run and a spread offense puts a lot of pressure on us to cover the field. A lot of good athletes, and they are a Lehigh Valley team. They come with that pedigree, so we’re just excited to get after it.” PV beat the Canaries 42-2 in last year’s matchup, and the Bears will look to start 2-0 for the second straight year with another victory against Allen on Friday.

Players to Watch:

Jarod Moore, Pleasant Valley

Moore rushed 10 times for 108 yards against East Stroudsburg North, and along with fellow running back Fela Olaniyan and quarterback Valentino Byers-Robinson, the trio combined to rush for 215 yards in last Friday’s game. Saeger expects to keep the run game going unless the team gets tripped up by the opposing defense. “It’s there when we need it,” Saeger said about throwing the ball. “If we’re not forced to throw, then we’re not going to. We’re not going to do it just to do it. If the run game is struggling, then we’ll need it. We practice it everyday, and we have some kids that can run and catch. At some point, they’ll be unleashed. I guarantee it. “

Fela Olaniyan, Pleasant Valley

Like Moore, Olaniyan is once again a part of the Pleasant Valley run game for his senior season. Olaniyan had some key carries last season, and rushed for 78 yards against East Stroudsburg North in the season opener. Olaniyan expects to share the carries with Moore and Robinson in the triple-option Bears offense. Don’t be surprised if Olaniyan comes out with a big game, and the same goes for Moore.

Valentino-Byers Robinson, Pleasant Valley

Robinson took the reins at quarterback after Robert Papaleo graduated last year. He got accustomed to running the triple-option offense in Friday night’s contest against East Stroudsburg North, and it will be interesting to see how Robinson handles the first Lehigh Valley team he faces this season. After Allen, the Bears also face Dieruff, Parkland, Northampton and Freedom throughout the 2022 fall season.

Jim Thorpe at Bangor

When: Thursday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week:

Thorpe looking to bounce back after overtime loss to Blue Mountain in the opener.

The Olympians (0-1) lost a tough one last Friday in overtime to the Eagles after they decided to go for two and tried to end the game with a walk off. Thorpe, however, would never get a play off as the snap was fumbled and Blue Mountain was able to escape JT with a big-time early victory. That makes this week’s Thursday night game on the road against the Slaters (1-0) a must-win for the Olympians and their postseason hopes, as their schedule doesn’t get any easier the rest of the way. A positive early on for Thorpe was that its offense looked good, collecting 411 yards of total offense, including 285 yards on the ground. The “Red Swarm” defense was good as usual against the run last Friday, allowing just 2.46 yards per carry, but Thorpe’s young secondary needs to be better against the pass (309 yards passing, three scores). It will certainly be no walk in the park for the Olympians against the Slaters, who boast a strong running and passing game and are coming off a 27-7 victory over Palisades. “I was pleased with our offense last week, and I think we can even get better and more explosive in that department. It comes down to fundamental football for us,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger. “Assignment-wise, we just need to be better this week and improve. We know we have a tough challenge ahead of us again in Bangor, who has an explosive dual-threat quarterback and other weapons we’re going to need to slow down.”

Players to Watch:

Salvatore Capria, Jim Thorpe

Capria, who has been fighting injuries over the past two seasons, looked healthy and ran healthy. Capria rushed for an impressive 213 yards and two touchdowns.

Eric Striba, Bangor

To stop the Slaters, the Olympians need to stop Striba, who threw for 169 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 63 yards and a rushing score.

Tamaqua at Lehighton

When: Friday, Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Indians and Raiders looking to create momentum with first win.

Both Lehighton (0-1) and Tamaqua (0-1) showed fight last week, battling back in their respective games when things looked out of reach. The Tribe, down 28-3 at the half against Palmerton, outscored the Bombers 26-14 in the second half. A big reason for that was the Indians’ improved offensive attack, as they finished the game with almost 400 yards of total offense. Lehighton looked particularly impressive in the passing game, amassing 247 yards through the air. The key this week for the Indians will be cutting down on turnovers (three last week) and playing solid defense up front (177 rushing yards last week), as their opponent in the Raiders are known for running the football. “We know we’re going to be challenged up front by Tamaqua, which always seems to have big and strong guys up front every season,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll. “Last week, I think we were able to do a good job of getting pressure in the backfield. We will need to continue to do that again this week. Tamaqua is a team that likes to stay on schedule in the run game, so getting them off schedule will certainly be important for us.” Down 21-0 to Northwestern, the Raiders fought back to cut the Tigers lead to just 21-16 at the half. Young quarterback Luke Kane made some nice throws to get Tamaqua back in it, before Northwestern outscored the Raiders 21-0 in the third quarter to put the game away. Tamaqua does boast a strong backfield once again this season with power backs Warren Stewart and Isaac Curvey, which will be featured early and often against Lehighton, but look for Kane, who gained some confidence in the passing game last week, to make an impact. The Raiders will need to be better against the run this week, as they had a tough time taming the Tigers’ Cade Christopher and the Northwestern rushing attack (11.32 yards per carry). “We were able to run the ball pretty well in the second quarter, and Luke made some big throws to get us back in it before the half, but the wheels sort of fell off there for us in that third quarter,” said Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner. “The emphasis this week is playing four quarters of solid football. We can’t give up a lot of points early like that, or in third quarter like that and expect to come away with a win.”

Players to Watch:

Brady O’Donnell, Lehighton

O’Donnell finished with 247 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions against Palmerton, and also rushed for 56 yards and two scores.

Ian Rarick, Lehighton

Rarick did a nice job with the ball in his hands in open space. He caught eight balls for 138 yards at an impressive 17.25 yards per catch.

Luke Kane, Tamaqua

Kane did some nice things in his first start for the Raiders, throwing for 116 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Connor Dillon, Tamaqua

Dillon was explosive for Tamaqua in the passing game, catching four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.