It’s already the penultimate week of the high school regular season, and many teams are jockeying for position in the district ratings.

Northwestern hopes to remain undefeated and run its winning streak to 25 when it faces Tamaqua, while Northern Lehigh looks to capture its third victory in a row.

Marian can also assure itself of a winning record if it defeats Pine Grove.

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

North Schuylkill (5-3)

at Lehighton (4-4)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Indians established momentum from the opening kickoff during last week’s win over the Blue Raiders. Tamaqua fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, and Lehighton capitalized immediately with a touchdown just two plays later. The Blue Raiders’ next possession stalled quickly, and the Indians struck again — another score in a handful of plays. Senior running back Lukas Croizier ran for 122 yards on 17 carries, and scored on a 20-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Jayse Lawrence showcased his dual-threat capability, connecting on 9-of-16 passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 62-yard score on the ground. His touchdown passes went to Blake Roberts, who hauled in scoring receptions of five and 14 yards.

Storyline of the Week

Lehighton arguably faces its stiffest test of the season Friday night when North Schuylkill comes to town. The Spartans enter with a 5-3 record, but their three losses came against Northwestern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh and Notre Dame-Green Pond — three of District 11’s premier programs who have a combined record of 24-0. MaxPreps ranks North Schuylkill 113th in Pennsylvania, a testament to the quality of competition the Indians (who are 214th) will face. The Spartans’ offense revolves around senior running back Luke Miller, who has established himself as one of the state’s most productive rushers. Miller recently broke the school’s single-game rushing record with 383 yards against Blue Mountain, simultaneously becoming the school’s all-time leading rusher. For Lehighton’s defense, the challenge will be containing Miller while remaining disciplined against North Schuylkill’s other offensive weapons. The Spartans feature experienced skill players and a multi-year starting quarterback who can exploit any defensive breakdowns.

Coach’s Corner

“We have bounced back from every single week that we’ve had some adversity. With the exception of one of those losses, we’ve battled with everybody we’ve played. I’m proud of our kids’ efforts, certainly even in the games that we’ve lost. A ton of credit goes to this team, these kids, and the leadership. I’m excited. Hopefully, this week we can kind of break the up-and-down streak and put a full game together against a very good North Schuylkill team.

“They’re tough kids — that’s first and foremost. Anything or anybody that knows North Schuylkill certainly knows that they play a certain brand of football. A lot of the Schuylkill League teams are like that, and we were part of that, so we were familiar with that. But they’re big, strong physical guys. Even their skill kids are tough, very physical kids.” — Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll

Jim Thorpe (3-5) at Bangor (0-8)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Jim Thorpe will need to put last week in the rear-view mirror after a lopsided loss to the No. 2-ranked Class 3A team in the state in Northwestern. The Olympians gave up over 400 yards rushing in a 50-7 loss to the Tigers. Thorpe also wasn’t able to do much on the offensive end with just 143 yards. JT has been led by quarterback Cole Lazorick, who has thrown for 1,256 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and also rushed for 372 yards and five touchdowns. Freshman Bobby Levins has also put together an impressive frosh season with 311 yards receiving and four scores, along with 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Bangor has struggled this season, as the team is winless. The Slaters were defeated by Southern Lehigh last week, 48-0. Bangor is led by freshman quarterback Lincoln Rehrig, who has 637 yards passing with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Riley Waldron leads the team in rushing with 142 yards, and the Slaters have four players with 130-plus receiving yards on the season.

Storyline of the Week

Thorpe needs to get back to playing physical football along the line of scrimmage this week on both sides of the ball. The Olympians will also need to be sound on the back end defensively against Bangor’s passing attack.

Coach’s Corner

“We need to be way more fundamentally sound on the defensive end. Specifically, in getting off blocks and reading blocks. And then of course we need to play with a lot more physicality than we did last week. That needs to happen at every level. Offensively, we’re going to look to spread the ball around and be balanced. It can’t just be one or two guys making plays for us. We need other guys to make plays. We also need to get our run game going. That will be a priority this week. Bangor has good athletes, and their strength is inside, so we need to match their physicality at those spots.” — Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger

Northern Lehigh (5-3)

at Salisbury (2-6)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northern Lehigh ended its regular season home schedule with a 3-2 record after posting a 42-12 victory over Catasauqua. The Bulldogs will be on the road for their final two games. Last week on Homecoming, quarterback Garrett Smoyer had a solid game, finishing with 217 yards passing on 15-of-20. On the season, Smoyer is 79-for-133 with 1,200 yards through the air with 12 touchdowns. With Chris Frame sidelined for over half of last week’s contest, Grady Newhard stepped up with three touchdowns and ran for 114 yards. Newhard leads the Bulldogs with 547 yards rushing, and has scored nine TDs.

Salisbury looks to end a six-game losing streak, which continued last week when it suffered a heart-wrenching 26-25 setback to Palmerton. After winning two of their first three games, the Falcons have been outscored 161-70. The loss hurt even more when starting quarterback Keaton Frye sustained an injury late in the first half. Frye, who leads the Falcons with 490 yards rushing on 66 carries, managed to walk off on his own. Frye has also thrown for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore Jarrod Blunt stepped up when Frye went down, breaking free for a 57-yard TD – which unfortunately for him was wiped out by a Salisbury holding penalty. The Falcons gained a 19-13 lead when wide receiver Jamanni Cruz took a reverse and then threw an 85-yard TD pass to Jadiel Gonzalez. After the Bombers took a slim 20-19 lead, Cruz answered with a 63-yard touchdown run. After the Bombers went ahead again, a fumble ended a possible winning drive.

Storyline of the Game

“Control what we can control,” is the mindset of the Bulldogs right now, as they’re only focused on playing Salisbury this week. They’ll focus on playoff seeding when they get to that point.

Coach’s Corner

“Their quarterback left the game in the second quarter and did not return (last week against Palmerton). So, we will need to prepare for their offense with or without him. This is tricky because they ran a bunch of wildcat with multiple quarterbacks once he left. They also love reverses, and they will look to hit a reverse pass at least once a game. So, our preparation for multiple looks will be key. We want to continue to get off to a quality start this week. Our word to our team has been consistency. Last week was the most consistent game we played, and the first game since Lehighton that we put together a complete game. We strive to do that from this point forward.” — Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout

Marian (5-3) at Pine Grove (1-7)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Colts were corralled by top-10, state-ranked Williams Valley last week, 56-10, suffering their third straight defeat. Williams Valley outgained Marian 495-156 in total yards. Leading rusher Rory Dixon was held to 35 yards, and quarterback Gregg Tirpak was 7-of-10 for 57 yards and two interceptions. On the season, Dixon has rushed for 631 yards on 135 carries for a 4.67 average with 11 touchdowns. The Colts have won two straight over the Cardinals after they dropped a 14-6 decision in 2022. Marian continues to get off to fast starts, scoring 132 of their 198 points in the first half. With a win, Marian will secure its third straight winning season.

Pine Grove is coming off a 72-0 onslaught by top state-ranked Schuylkill Haven, which limited it to minus two yards rushing and 44 yards of total offense. Schuylkill Haven amassed 549 yards of total offense, 440 yards on the ground. Pine Grove has scored 68 points in eight games, and have lost three straight, suffering two consecutive shutouts. Logan Troup leads the Cardinals in rushing with 540 yards. Over the last five seasons, Pine Grove has won eight of its last 49 games.

Storyline of the Week

Marian will look to regain its winning ways, primarily by getting its running game back into gear, which played a pivotal role in their 5-0 start. The Colts need to take advantage early of a reeling Pine Grove team.

Coach’s Corner

“It was a tough stretch with three straight losses to top-10 ranked Class 2A teams in the state. But this was the worst we played all season. I’m disappointed with the results, but we move on to Pine Grove. We are focused on getting win No. 6 and securing a winning season. We need to get our offense back in gear, and think we found something last week with Tyler Price in the backfield with Rory Dixon. We will try to build off that.” – Marian head coach Billy O’Gurek.

Notre Dame (8-0)

at Palmerton (3-5)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Palmerton came up with a huge win on the road last week at Salisbury, edging out the Falcons 26-25. The Bombers had just 23 healthy bodies and five total linemen, so it was certainly a gritty effort. Trailing 25-20 with just over seven minutes to play, Palmerton put together a game-winning drive that was capped off by Michael Garey’s short touchdown run. Garey finished with 136 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. The Bombers also forced a key turnover on Salisbury’s last possession that helped them seal the win.

Notre Dame has been a juggernaut throughout the season, and defeated a tough Palisades team last week 34-22 to stay undefeated. The Crusaders actually trailed 22-21 with 10 minutes remaining, but pulled away late. Notre Dame’s heralded senior quarterback Matt Bodnar threw for 277 yards and two scores. On the season, Bodnar has thrown for 1,832 yards with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions. Jonathan Striba rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown, and also caught seven passes for 106 yards against the Pirates. Striba leads the team with 31 receptions for 482 yards and five touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

The Bombers gave up some big plays to the Falcons last week, but were able to recover. It will be much tougher to do that against the Crusaders. Palmerton must limit Notre Dame’s big plays, while sustaining long, clock-grinding drives on the offensive side of the ball.

Coach’s Corner

“I thought last week’s win was a great win for us. Our guys played really tough, and they were resilient. We made plays when we had to, and we converted critical third downs to move the sticks. We were also able to finish the game on our terms by forcing a turnover, and then later on converting a fourth-and-short to run out the clock. Those are the things you can build off. For the rest of the season, injuries are going to be a concern for us. We just have to continue to weather that storm and get better. Notre Dame is as athletic as they come. They have stud receivers everywhere, and they like to spread the ball around to their playmakers. We can’t give up the big play. We need to be disciplined defensively, and keep them in front of us and make them work for every yard. On offense, we’re going to need to take time off the clock. We need to be efficient, take care of the football and move the sticks.” — Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak

Tamaqua (3-5)

at Northwestern (8-0)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northwestern continued its dominant run through the 2025 season with a convincing 50-7 victory over Jim Thorpe last week. The Tigers established their ground game early and never looked back. Braxton Lakatosh led the charge with 175 yards on just six carries, including touchdown runs of nine and 72 yards. Mason Bollinger added an electrifying 85-yard scoring run, while Chase Sukanick contributed a 45-yard TD dash of his own. Northwestern’s offense found success through the air as well, with Shane Leh connecting with Shane Hulmes for a 7-yard touchdown pass in the opening quarter. The Tigers put the game away early, building a 42-0 halftime advantage. Northwestern has now scored 50-or-more points on four separate occasions this season.

Tamaqua, meanwhile, battled hard but came up short in a 27-16 loss to rival Lehighton. Terrence McDowell continued his outstanding campaign, rushing for 149 yards on 23 carries and scoring both Tamaqua touchdowns. The sophomore workhorse now has 1,160 yards and 14 touchdowns on the year, averaging 5.63 yards per attempt. The Raiders found themselves in an early hole, trailing 14-0 after the first quarter. Tamaqua responded with a strong second half, pulling within 20-8 on McDowell’s 19-yard TD run and a two-point conversion, but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Storyline of the Week

This week’s matchup features contrasting styles. Northwestern brings an explosive, balanced attack that can strike quickly through the air or on the ground. The Tigers have scored 377 points through eight games, with multiple offensive weapons capable of taking over a game. Quarterback Leh has orchestrated the offense efficiently, completing better than 68 percent of his passes for 1,315 yards with 16 touchdowns against just one interception.

Tamaqua counters with a physical, run-first approach built around McDowell’s outstanding season. The Raiders want to control the clock, wear down opponents in the trenches, and limit possessions. Tamaqua has shown resilience throughout the season, competing hard in every contest despite facing several quality opponents. The keys for Northwestern will be establishing its physical presence early, and forcing Tamaqua into obvious passing situations. If the Tigers can build an early lead, it could force the Raiders away from their preferred style of play. For Tamaqua, ball security and winning on first down will be critical. The Raiders need to sustain drives, control possession, and keep Northwestern’s explosive offense off the field. The game also carries added significance as one of the final meetings between these programs for the foreseeable future, with the current scheduling agreement coming to an end.

Coach’s Corner

“What they do isn’t real sophisticated, but it’s worked for them over the years. They want to run the football, they want to play action off of it. They want to play tough defense, and that’s what they’re doing this year. I’ve always enjoyed playing Tamaqua. I feel like it’s a good matchup for Northwestern. Pretty good, pretty close neighboring school districts, just with the Blue Mountain in between. And Sam (Bonner) has done a great job there over the years.” — Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder.

Pleasant Valley (3-5)

at Pocono Mountain West (5-3)

When: Friday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Pleasant Valley will look to get back to its winning ways after it was shut out by Pocono Mountain East, 28-0, committing five turnovers in the process. The previous week, the Bears mauled East Stroudsburg North, 56-14. Against East, Pleasant Valley running back Chris Ward had a team-high 63 yards. However, the Bears only recorded eight yards passing, and were outgained 392-161 in total yards. Ward leads the Bears with 430 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, and is also their leading receiver with 16 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears need to limit their opponents’ fast starts, as they have allowed 139 of their 233 points before halftime.

Pocono Mountain West snapped a two-game losing streak with a 49-25 victory over East Stroudsburg South. The Panthers were paced by sophomore running back Christian Stiehler, who ran for 269 yards and five touchdowns. West won last year’s battle by a 14-7 score. The Panthers have won the last two meetings between the two teams. Pleasant Valley’s last win was 26-14 in 2022.

Storyline of the Week

The Bears have been searching for consistency all season, and they can’t lose the turnover battle. They will need to force the Panthers to throw the ball, and limit Stiehler’s production.

Coach’s Corner

“Last week was a disappointing performance. The defense played well enough to win, but the offense did not hold up their end. Five turnovers hurt badly, and a large collection of errors and missed opportunities did us in. We hope to bounce back on Friday in another pivotal (EPC) Northern Division game. Pocono Mountain West is an excellent team, and we will have to play a very clean game to win.” – Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger.