A pair of games this week features local team versus local team.

Lehighton and Tamaqua match up in a contest where both clubs enter with identical records. The winner will get back to the .500 mark.

At Jim Thorpe, undefeated and defending Class 3A state champion Northwestern will face the Olympians.

Meanwhile, Northern Lehigh will try to register back-to-back wins when it takes on Catasauqua.

Below are preview capsules for those games, as well as others in the Times News area.

Lehighton (3-4) at Tamaqua (3-4)

When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Indians showed plenty of offensive firepower in a 49-34 loss at Blue Mountain, but couldn’t quite keep pace with the Eagles’ explosive attack. Jayse Lawrence put together yet another impressive performance through the air, completing 15-of-23 passes for 227 yards and three touchdown connections with Caden Meek, who hauled in seven catches for 120 yards. Blake Roberts also contributed six grabs for 74 yards and a score.

Lehighton led 14-7 after one quarter, and stayed within striking distance at 28-21 at halftime — but Blue Mountain’s 21-point third quarter created separation the Indians couldn’t overcome.

The Blue Raiders faced a tall task against state-ranked Southern Lehigh and came up short in a 49-6 defeat. The Spartans’ speed and skill proved overwhelming, as Southern Lehigh built a 35-0 halftime advantage before Malachi Stewart finally got Tamaqua on the board with a 10-yard fourth-quarter TD run.

The Raiders managed just 86 rushing yards and 97 through the air against the Spartans’ stout defense. Stewart led the ground attack with 53 yards on 13 carries, while quarterback Chase Serfass completed 8-of-14 passes for 97 yards.

Storyline of the Week

Both programs would love to rebound with a win, and both are jockeying for playoff positioning.

Lehighton enters riding an unusual pattern — the Indians haven’t won or lost consecutive games all season. That’s the mark of a resilient team that refuses to string together defeats, but also hasn’t quite found the consistency to build real momentum. After falling to Blue Mountain, that reset button is ready to be pushed once again.

Tamaqua, meanwhile, is searching for answers after the Southern Lehigh game. The reality is that the Spartans present matchup problems for anyone in District 11. This week’s battle features two teams with very effective rushing attacks, who also want to move the opposition at the line of scrimmage.

Coach’s Corner

“There’s no secret to what they’re going to try to do. (Tamaqua) Coach (Sam) Bonner has done a great job year in and year out with his program. I certainly think he always gets the most out of his kids, and just the way that some of these younger kids or inexperienced kids are really kind of playing well for them certainly speaks volumes to that. So, we’re definitely going to have our hands full this week ... We get to press the reset button, and that’s the one thing I have to give a ton of credit to our kids this year. They’ve been able to do that every single week, where we’ve come off maybe a loss or just haven’t played as well as we wanted to. We’re going to try to put last week in the past and move forward and just try to attack the challenge that we have in Tamaqua.” — Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll

“That (Southern Lehigh) game is behind us, and we moved on starting Monday morning. We need to finish our drives offensively, and when we get a nice time-consuming drive, we need to come away with points ... We know those two guys in the backfield they have can make big plays; we need to try and contain those big plays that have gotten us in the past. Last year, I thought (Jayse) Lawrence played a great game against us. We had them in a lot of third-down situations that they converted, so we need to make sure we get our defense off the field when we have those opportunities.” — Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner

Northwestern (7-0)

at Jim Thorpe (3-4)

When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northwestern Lehigh continued its dominant march through District 11 with a 42-0 shutout of Pottsville last Friday night. The Tigers’ high-powered offense showed no signs of slowing down, with senior quarterback Shane Leh orchestrating another masterful performance through the air.

Through seven games, Northwestern has outscored opponents 327-87 while averaging 446.6 yards per game. The Tigers rank among District 11’s elite on both sides of the ball, allowing just 170 yards and 12.4 points per contest.

Jim Thorpe delivered its most impressive offensive performance of the season, overwhelming Catasauqua 49-13 in a statement victory that showcased the Olympians’ explosive potential.

Senior quarterback Cole Lazorick put on a show, rushing for 99 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries while adding 97 yards through the air. The performance included TD runs of 42 and 16 yards that showcased Lazorick’s dual-threat capabilities.

Storyline Of The Week

Northwestern arrives in Jim Thorpe as one of District 11’s most complete teams. The Tigers haven’t just won seven straight games — they’ve dominated opponents with a balanced offensive attack that averages 46.7 points per game, while their defense surrenders just 12.4 points per contest.

Leh is one of the area’s premier quarterbacks, completing 68.9% of his passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns to only one interception. His efficiency rating borders on video-game territory, and he’s surrounded by playmakers at every skill position. Brady Zimmerman leads a deep receiving corps with 19 catches for 495 yards and six touchdowns, while Mason Bollinger has 22 receptions for 289 yards and four scores. On the ground, Braxton Lakatosh (678 yards, 7 TDs) and Chase Sukanick (535 yards, 8 TDs) offer plenty of firepower.

The Olympians’ record doesn’t tell the complete story of their season. Last week’s 49-13 thumping of Catasauqua demonstrated what this team can accomplish when everything clicks.

Lazorick has shouldered an enormous offensive workload, accounting for 1,543 total yards through seven games. The senior, who broke Corey Cinicola’s career passing yard mark, has thrown for 1,167 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for 376 yards and five more scores.

Spencer Gothard provides another deep threat at 18.17 yards per catch with three scores. Bobby Levins serves as a versatile playmaker with 22 receptions, 280 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns, and six total scores on the season.

Coach’s Corner

“One of our goals (last week) was to make sure we try and get out to a quick start, which we were fortunate enough to score in the first series, and then the two kicks that we had, our players were able to recover. So, we got 21 points before they even got the ball, which is for sure a great, great way to start a football game ... Cole’s a special kid. Not just because of his stats on the field, but off the field. His work ethic, his leadership are top-notch, maybe the best we’ve ever had here. It’s that impressive. He is a high-quality kid.

“I think they (Northwestern) have a tremendous coaching staff. You can see how well coached they are on the field. I think their football intelligence as players is pretty strong. They have athletes all over the field. Their linemen are very physical, aggressive, and athletic. Their overall team speed and their toughness are all pretty evident.” — Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.

“I think just for us, our whole focus is on the quarterback; he’s a record-breaking passer for Jim Thorpe. It’s sort of tough to prepare for a kid like that because he makes so many off-platform throws, sort of like backyard football at its best in high school. We played Matt Machalik a couple of years ago in the district championship game, and we’re sort of using a similar approach to him. We don’t want to get in a situation where we’re chasing the kid all around the field. We want him to be in the pocket and try to throw the ball, and not be scrambling around and making a lot of plays with his feet.

“We’re really small-picture focused. And that’s just dealing with every opponent, every single week. Every team gives you a different set of issues and a different set of problems. There are no guarantees, and you only have a limited opportunity to play this game and play football, and you can’t hope or look for things down the road. You’ve got to enjoy it as you’re moving forward. And we’ve been able to take that approach and just enjoy each moment. And right now, that moment is Jim Thorpe.” — Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder

Palmerton (2-5) at Salisbury (2-5)

When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Palmerton will head back on the road this week to take on Salisbury after a 41-6 loss to Palisades last week. The Blue Bombers only trailed 13-6 at the half to the Pirates, but multiple turnovers hurt them once again. An interception by Palmerton late in the third quarter set up Palisades at the Bombers’ 16, which was converted into a score to make it 27-6, and then a big run play from the Pirates early in the fourth — a 72-yard touchdown — put the game away. Palmerton was able to rush for 211 yards, but only passed for 20 through the air.

Salisbury lost its fourth straight game last week in a 40-13 decision to Saucon Valley. Turnovers were an issue for the Falcons, as well as their passing offense threw three interceptions. Salisbury struggled defending the pass last week, giving up 283 passing yards and three passing scores. Dual-threat quarterback Keaton Frye leads the Falcons with 508 yards passing and 433 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

The Bombers once again will need to overcome the injury bug, which bit them in the game against Palisades. Palmerton has multiple starters out with likely season-ending injuries. It will be all about if Palmerton can establish the run early with its trio of Vincent Taglieri (455 rushing yards, 4TDs), Michael Garey (242, 2 TDs) and Caleb Sagastume (179, 3 TDs).

Coach’s Comment

“Coming into this week, obviously your attention needs to be on their quarterback. He’s really good at extending plays in the pocket. We need to make him feel uncomfortable, and take the proper angles and make sure we are disciplined in our assignments, because he can hurt you with his legs and his arm. They have a receiver, too, in Cruz, who is a playmaker as well, so we have to know where he is. For us, we always want our identity to be establishing the run early in the game. We have to be more consistent in that area. I know we have some injuries up front, but we’ve been working hard to get better at staying on blocks and our backs hitting the hole hard. I told our guys we’re going to need to get comfortable with winning ugly games by playing good defense and sustaining drives, moving the sticks and finishing off our drives. And we need to play clean football. Any time we’ve done that this season, we have played complementary winning football.” — Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

Shenandoah Valley (0-7)

at Panther Valley (2-5)

When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Panther Valley is coming off a 35-14 loss to state-ranked Williams Valley in which the Panthers were within 21-14 until the Vikings scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Brody Breiner threw for 172 yards – including a 53-yard touchdown pass to Ben Baneravage — and ran for 72. Breiner has thrown for 849 yards and rushed for 530. Chase McArdle caught eight balls against WV for 75 yards. The Panthers blanked Shenandoah 32-0 last season, and have won the last four meetings. Their last defeat to the Blue Devils was 28-21 in 2021.

Shenandoah Valley suffered a 53-8 trouncing by Tri-Valley last week, and it trailed 50-0 at halftime. The Blue Devils have scored only 77 total points this season. Quarterback Ethan Bench has thrown for 765 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, while running back Mike Elchisak leads the team with 492 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Shenandoah is mired in a 23-game losing streak.

Storyline of the Week

Panther Valley needs to jump out to take control of the game early. Shenandoah Valley played common opponents Pine Grove (28-26) and Nativity (14-6) tight, while Panther Valley won both games by a combined 31 points.

Coach’s Corner

“I was really happy how we played versus Williams Valley. We played with a lot of emotion, and had it as a seven-point game going into the fourth quarter. We were a couple of plays away from being tied late in the game versus a very good football team.

“Shenandoah played extremely tough against Pine Grove and Nativity and have some nice players who play hard. We have to take the positives from this past week, have a great week of practice and execute in all three phases Friday.” — Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine.

Catasauqua (3-4)

at Northern Lehigh (4-3)

When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northern Lehigh routed winless Wilson 42-8 last week, and the Bulldogs have won two of their last three games. Quarterback Garrett Smoyer connected on 10-of-13 passes for four touchdowns against Wilson. He has thrown for 983 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Chris Frame is the Bulldogs’ leading rusher with 481 yards and eight touchdowns, and also leads all receivers with 21 catches for 356 yards and four touchdowns. Northern Lehigh has won three of its last four matchups with Catty, winning in 2023 by a 48-22 margin. The Bulldogs have a plus-seven in turnover ratio, and have scored 140 combined points in the first half, as opposed to 62 in the second half.

Catasauqua endured its third straight defeat, as it fell to Jim Thorpe 49-13 last week. The Rough Riders trailed 35-0 at the end of the first quarter, falling victim to two recovered pooch kicks. Catty had just 86 total yards, and freshmen quarterback Gio Ojeda made the start for injured starter junior Aiden Reilly, who is questionable for the game. Tray Dunn leads the Roughies with 366 yards rushing to go along with four touchdowns. The Roughies have scored 49 points over their last four games after they posted 109 in their first four games.

Storyline of the Game

The Bulldogs are gaining momentum toward the postseason, and they will look to put together a complete game.

Coach’s Corner

“We were inconsistent on Saturday, and that is a key for us this week. We were happy with how our defense played on Saturday, forcing several turnovers in the second half. We played very well after being up only a score at halftime. We were really happy with (Garrett) Smoyer throwing four touchdown passes, and with our receiving core of (Ryan) Zambo, (Chris) Frame, and (Colin) Karetsky. They have really come along as the year has gone by. We were also very happy with the play of Landen Klimek. He has really come along as well.

“Catty has been using two quarterbacks, so we need to be prepared for both. They do have good skill athletes, so we have to focus on not giving up the big play. We did put the ball on the ground three times last week, so that is a focus for us this week. If we play consistent Friday, we feel like we should be in good shape to win the game.” — Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout.

Williams Vy. (6-1) at Marian (5-2)

When: Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Marian ran into state top-ranked Schuylkill Haven, and the Hurricanes’ recorded a 55-14 victory. Haven’s Colton Reber scored eight touchdowns, seven on the ground, and ran for 309 yards. The Colts were limited to 14 yards after halftime, and running back Rory Dixon was held to 19 yards overall. Dixon has rushed for 596 yards with 10 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Greg Tirpak threw for 171 yards and a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jake Tom. Rocco Griguoli opened the game’s scoring with a 38-yard interception return for a score, but Schuylkill Haven had a 35-14 lead at halftime. Marian has held its opponents scoreless in first quarters this season. The Colts have dropped eight straight to the Vikings, and their last win was in 2015 with a 35-7 victory.

Williams Valley defeated Panther Valley 35-14 last week. The Vikings broke open a close game with 14 fourth-quarter points. Steve Sedesse recently stepped down as head coach amid parent complaints, and athletic director and assistant coach Ben Acheff have taken over on an interim basis. Quarterback Brady Shomper and running back Fletcher Thompson didn’t enter the game until the fourth quarter. Shomper has thrown for 688 yards with 11 touchdowns, and has rushed for 607 yards with 10 touchdowns. Thompson has rushed for 766 yards with nine touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

Marian will need to establish its ground game and play a ball-control game.

Coach’s Corner

“We knew we would have our hands full with Schuylkill Haven. I was happy with our start, leading 7-0 after the first quarter and 14-13 halfway through the second. Rocco Griguoli made a couple plays to spark us, and Jake Tom broke a tackle for another long touchdown. But eventually their size just wore us down. When a team like that gets rolling, it’s tough to slow them.

“We will face another tough test this week in Williams Valley. They are similar to Haven with some big bodies on the line of scrimmage. We will need to slow down Shomper and Thompson, and get our running game going on offense. If we can do that, we will be in the game.” — Marian head coach Billy O’Gurek