Lehighton and Pleasant Valley will both try to bounce back from opening-night losses during Week 2 action tonight. The Indians travel to Bangor, while the Bears host Dieruff.

In Friday games, Jim Thorpe and Marian will try to ride momentum from early season wins and improve to 2-0.

Lehighton (0-1) at Bangor (0-1)

When: Thursday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Bangor and Lehighton are both trying to bounce back from Week 1 losses on a school night. The Indians fell 41-26 to Northern Lehigh despite Lukas Croizier putting together a stellar performance with 153 yards on 20 carries. That 7.65 yards per carry average shows the kind of explosive potential that can keep you in games. Bangor didn’t fare much better in its 42-21 loss to Saucon Valley, though Riley Waldron provided a bright spot with 90 yards on 14 carries. Turnovers did the Slaters in, as they threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Saucon Valley also racked up 296 yards on the ground.

Story of the Week

Thursday night high school football is a rarity in these parts, while Lehighton and Bangor are dealing with the challenges of a short week - less practice time, quicker film study, and a rapid turnaround. The Indians gave up 41 points to Northern Lehigh, while Bangor surrendered 42 to Saucon Valley. That’s a combined 83 points allowed between these two squads, which suggests fans could be in for an offensive showcase Thursday night. The team that can make a few key stops and force a turnover or two could pick up its first victory of the season. With both offenses showing they can move the ball effectively on the ground, this midweek matchup could come down to which defense makes the splash play.

Coach’s Corner

“I enjoy playing on Thursday nights just in general. We’ve done it for a long time, going back to when we played Panther Valley. And I’ll be honest with you, I like it a lot more this week because I’m pretty frustrated about the way last week turned out. In my mind, I want to get these kids back on the field as quickly as possible. We’ve got to kind of get rid of the bad taste in our mouths from last week’s loss. And in terms of preparation, again, the one thing I’ve been talking about is it’s not necessarily about preparing for the opponent, but it’s getting our kids to be in the best mindset, playing the best version of what they are. To me, it’s getting them back on the field as quickly as possible, trying to fix some of those mistakes, that’s what I’m looking forward to. When we say we can pull a lot of positives from last week, one of them was our run game in general. I thought our offensive line really played well. And that was what was kind of frustrating: I thought our offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, but then defensively, our defensive line did not. Certainly, Lucas ran well and hard behind that line, but then again, we weren’t able to transfer those skills on both sides of the ball. Even though we’re a little bit young, we know we have some size up front, so we’re going to look to do that again offensively this week, hopefully, and transfer it to the defensive side of the ball as well.” - Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll

Dieruff (0-1)

at Pleasant Valley (0-1)

When: Thursday, Aug. 28, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Despite their loss to Governor Mifflin last week, Coach Blaec Sager’s Bears displayed an array of offensive weapons that he believes will change the fortunes of a winless season of a year ago. Senior quarterback Jaxson Haines has “survived all the downfalls” and has become a capable leader of PV’s attack, according to Saeger. He’s an excellent game manager, and an accurate passer proven last week when he hit his receivers in stride eight times for 103 yards. Saeger likes to move the ball around to his skill position players. Junior running back Chris Ward displayed explosive power and speed last week with eight carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught two passes for 24 yards. “Chris is a special player,” said Saeger. “He does everything well.” Niko Payan also can get into space, as shown by his four carries for 33 yards and one TD. There are high expectations for senior Marcelus Solt, who was a downfield threat last week against Governor Mifflin, catching four balls for 49 yards. “Marcellus plays the wing in our offense, and we need to find more ways to get him the ball. He’s also an excellent blocker on the perimeter.” William Breuer is the tallest target for Haines, and has impressed with his toughness. Fullback Isaac Westerman averaged nearly four yards a carry last week running between the tackles against a very big Mifflin defensive line.

Storyline of the Week

The Dieruff Huskies come to Brodheadsville following their season opening 42-27 loss to Pocono Mountain East. The Huskies have a terrific big-play performer in junior wideout Derwyn Deris. Last week, Deris ran two kickoffs back for touchdowns, including one for 93 yards, and also caught a pass for a catch-and-run 80-yard score. “We gave up a kickoff score against Mifflin,” said Saeger. “It’s hard to figure what you have on special teams in the first game of the season. You can’t really tell in practices. You try to get kids in the game that may not be on offense or defense, so it’s something we have to definitely improve.” Saeger pointed out that they will have to be aware of Deris, and make sure he doesn’t get the ball on kickoffs. The Huskies like to throw the ball with quarterback Bruce Pillger from their spread offense in three and four receiver sets. Saeger thinks this team is a better matchup than last week’s very big Mifflin Mustangs. “We’re somewhat undersized, but we have some quickness and this week, we’ll have to get after their quarterback.”

Coach’s Corner

“We were down three scores last week, but we didn’t quit and got their lead down to eight points. And if we got one more stop, we had a chance to win. We’re a different animal now. We just need to play our game, and I’m confident that we’ll get some wins.” - Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger

Jim Thorpe (1-0) vs.

Pottsville (1-0)

When: Friday, Aug. 29 at 7:10 p.m.

Instant Replay

Thorpe came away with a Week 1 road win over Palmerton, 28-14. The Olympians forced key turnovers — two of them deep inside Palmerton’s own territory — that helped them come away with the victory. Senior QB Cole Lazorick was dynamic, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 65 yards and a score. He also had an interception on defense. Freshman Bobby Levins had a 65-yard touchdown reception, while senior RB/WR Josh Louk had 96 total yards of total offense and a score. The Crimson Tide had a tough opponent in Week 1 in Shamokin, the No. 6-ranked team in 4A in the state. The Indians defeated Pottsville 34-14, rushing for 192 yards at over six yards per carry. JuJu Bainbridge was a bright spot for the Tide with 174 all-purpose yards — 89 rushing, 33 receiving and a 52-yard kickoff return — scoring two rushing touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

Last season, Pottsville was dominant in the trenches against Thorpe in a 48-7 victory. Quarterback Andrew Allen and Bainbridge were both big contributors in that game, and JT will need to do a better job on them this time around. Thorpe’s play along the line of scrimmage will be key, especially on the offensive side of the ball to give Lazorick and company time to operate.

Coach’s Corner

“I was really happy with how we played defensively last week. Creating turnovers, and playing with a mentality to swarm around the football was big for us. Offensively, we spread it around and that’s what we’re going to look to do every week. Lazorick and Louk made plays, and it was great to see some of our younger guys like Levins make plays for us. Kiehl made some big plays for us as well. This week, we’re going to have to play faster. They have nice size up front. But it’s a group that is also quick up front. The quarterback hurt us last year, and their running back is a big and physical kid with speed. We’re going to need to really execute and get off blocks and make plays.” - Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.

Tri Valley (1-0) at Marian (1-0)

When: Friday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

It likely was the first episode of many ahead of the Rory Dixon show. The junior, who was the Times News Player of the Week, ran for 226 yards and scored five touchdowns in the Colts’ season-opening 42-24 victory at Hanover Area. Dixon also had one of the Colts’ five interceptions along with Jake Tom’s pair, while Dominick Rodino’s returned one 85 yards for a score. Jah Bushati converted all six extra-point attempts and led the Colts with 11 tackles. Tri-Valley also had an effective running game behind Parker Hatter, who rambled for 98 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 50-14 rout of York Catholic last week. The Bulldogs took control of the game at halftime with a 30-0 advantage. Starting quarterback Chase Gemberling left the game early with an injury, and wide receiver Trey Porter replaced him. Porter completed six of 10 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. Gemberling’s availability for this week is unknown at this time.

Storyline of the Week

This will come down to which team can run the ball more effectively. Marian ran for 283 yards, while Tri-Valley rushed for 231. Colts’ quarterback first-year starter Gregg Tirpak, who completed seven of 12 passes for 79 yards with a touchdown and an interception last week, could be the difference. Marian will look to avenge a pair of losses last season, a 24-0 regular-season shutout, and a 27-0 whitewash in a District 11 Class 1A semifinal.

Coach’s Corner

“I was really happy with our performance Friday because for many of the guys, it was their first significant varsity experience. We knew coming into this season that Tri-Valley would be a big matchup for our team. It’s going to be a great early season test. Looking at them, I really feel like we are similar in many respects. Both teams graduated multiple starting linemen and their quarterbacks, but return skill players and linebackers from last year’s team. Last year in both games, we had opportunities and that ended up hurting us.” - Marian head coach Billy O’Gurek

Tamaqua (0-1) at

North Schuylkill (1-0)

When: Friday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Tamaqua played Pen Argyl tough in a defensive slugfest before falling 14-6 at home, as the Green Knights scored two touchdowns in the final frame to earn an opening-week victory. The Raiders led 6-0 after the first quarter but couldn’t find the end zone again, managing just 180 total yards of offense. Terrence McDowell carried the load with 19 carries for 59 yards and their lone touchdown, but the team managed just 2.69 yards per carry overall. Chase Serfass completed 7-of-15 passes for 110 yards and an interception. North Schuylkill absolutely demolished Mount Carmel 62-20 in a game that was expected to be much closer. The Spartans turned what looked like a competitive game (leading 8-7 after one quarter) into a rout with a ridiculous 32-point second-quarter explosion.

Story of the Week

This game features two of the longest tenured coaches in Schuylkill County, as Tamaqua’s Sam Bonner has been at the helm for 19 seasons, and Wally Hall has led the Spartans since 2013. North Schuylkill’s 62-point outburst against Mount Carmel suggests they’re a typical Wally Hall-led program. When you’re putting up 32 points in a single quarter, you’re probably doing a few things right on both sides of the ball. The Raiders showed they can keep games close and grind out tough yards, but they might need more than 180 total yards of offense against the Spartans. Tamaqua will need to find some offensive rhythm beyond McDowell’s tough running between the tackles because this North Schuylkill squad looks like it’s ready to make some noise this season.

Coach’s Corner

“It felt like a couple of mistakes cost us. There were some penalties that cost us; you don’t want to make excuses, but we were in the game. Defense played tough, but the offense missed some opportunities, and hopefully, we will grow from it. There were some missed opportunities that cost us drives last week. We have to make sure that if we have an opportunity to get a good drive, we don’t hurt ourselves with penalties or missed assignments. There were a couple of times we had a couple of missed assignments that I thought really cost us, but they’re growing pains, and hopefully we’ll learn from that. Obviously, we’ve got to try and keep the ball away from them. They have two explosive athletes in the backfield, and we’ve got to try and do the most we can to try and control the pace of the game.” - Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner

Schuylkill Haven (1-0)

at Panther Valley (0-1)

When: Friday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Panther Valley saw a tight game with Salisbury slip away when quarterback Brody Breiner was intercepted late in the first half. The Falcons quickly responded with a three-play, 31-yard drive that game them a 21-6 halftime advantage. Salisbury then took the second-half kickoff down the field on a 6-play, 61-yard jaunt that sealed the game at 28-6. Breiner completed 10-of-19 attempts for 89 yards, and Marcus Rodriguez topped the ground gainers with 41 yards. Schuylkill Haven snapped a six-year losing streak to Blue Mountain with a 34-27 victory in the game’s closing seconds. Hurricanes’ quarterback Max Heim hit Connor Reber with a 27-yard scoring strike with 10.8 seconds remaining. Reber, though, was a workhorse with 205 yards rushing, and Nick Carestia added 145, as the Hurricanes recorded 381 yards rushing and 508 yards of total offense. Haven, which has nine starters back on both sides of the ball, was the District 11 Class 2A runner-up and finished with an overall 11-2 mark last season.

Storyline of the Week

The Panthers will need to slow the Hurricanes’ potent running attack, and they also need to improve in their own, which gained 129 last week. Panther Valley also needs to turn up its passing game, and play some ball control all evening in order to stay close. Schuylkill Haven won last year’s matchup, 57-0.

Coach’s Corner

“We did some nice things last week, but we weren’t consistent enough on either side to win a football game. I thought our passing game looked much improved, but we still need to get the ball into the end zone. Obviously, we know what we are going to see with Schuylkill Haven. They are big and physical on both lines, and have three good running backs who run hard and break tackles. We need to tackle better and come ready for a physical game.” - Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine

Palmerton (0-1) at Pen Argyl (1-0)

When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 1 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Bombers are coming off a 28-14 loss to Jim Thorpe in Week 1. Palmerton turned the ball over deep in its own territory twice in the game, which led to two JT touchdowns. The Bombers also had some difficulties defending the pass, giving up 231 yards through the air — including two passing scores of 46 and 63 yards. Rutgers commit Logan Anthony was the standout for Palmerton in the game with seven tackles, two for loss, and recovered a fumble. Pen Argyl got a win on the road against Tamaqua, 14-6. Quarterback Mason Soos provided much of the offense for the Green Knights in a game that didn’t feature much offense at all. Soos threw for 89 yards and rushed for 65. Pen Argyl defensive lineman Jakob Pietraszkiewicz came through with what would be the eventual game-winning play, intercepting a Tamaqua screen pass and rumbling 54 yards for a touchdown with 1:47 to go.

Storyline of the Week

Palmerton will need to cut down on the turnovers, and will need to establish the run early to keep the Pen Argyl offense off the field. The Green Knights boast a physical rushing attack that is always looking to grind out the clock.

Coach’s Comments

“Pen Argyl is a physical team with a big offensive and defensive line. They also have a good group of skill kids back from last year that can make plays. They come right at you, and they want to pound the ball. But they have the skill guys to throw the ball as well. Turnovers killed us last week. You can’t turn the ball over in your own territory multiple times and expect to win. That’s a lesson that I hope our guys learned this week. Establishing the run early in the game is always key for us, and it sets up everything we like to do offensively. We also have to clean up our play in the secondary. We need to communicate better there and do a better job of not allowing big plays. I want to see our guys more locked in mentally this week. We have some experienced guys, and we made some mistakes last week that shouldn’t be happening with the experience that we have.” - Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.