The regular season is over.

The race for a district championship is now underway.

All nine Times News area football teams have qualified for the District 11 playoffs, which begin on Thursday.

Six teams, including undefeated and defending state champion Northwestern, will be in action Thursday, with one area club playing Friday, and the remaining two taking the field on Saturday.

The Tigers, one of five teams in the district that will enter the postseason without a loss, host Palmerton in the only battle that involves two TN squads. Despite being undefeated, Northwestern (10-0) only earned the No. 2 seed in Class 3A, as Notre Dame — also unbeaten — gained the top seed based on a rating system. The Blue Bombers (3-7) enter the tournament as the seventh seed.

Marian, participating in the Class 1A field, is also a No. 2 seed like the Tigers. The Colts will entertain No. 3-seeded Tri-Valley on Friday in a rematch of a game earlier this season — as well as a rematch from last season’s district playoffs. Marian (7-3) defeated the Bulldogs 17-14 during the second week of the season. A year ago, the Colts were defeated 27-0 by Tri-Valley in the 1A semifinals.

Class 1A is actually a sub-regional with District 2. Lackawanna Trail is the top seed in the field. Therefore, if the Lions top Nativity in their semifinal contest, the winner of the game between Marian and Tri-Valley will be the district champion.

The only other area team that will be hosting a game is Northern Lehigh in Class 2A. The Bulldogs, who finished 7-3, take on Palisades in the quarterfinal round on Saturday. Nolehi, seeded fourth, will try to gain some revenge on the fifth-seeded Pirates, who defeated the ‘Dawgs 28-14 in Week 5.

Besides Northwestern and Palmerton in Class 3A, other locals in the eight-team field are Tamaqua and Panther Valley.

The Blue Raiders (3-7) are the fifth seed and travel to Saucon Valley, while the Panthers (4-6) are seeded sixth and will be making a trip to North Schuylkill.

In Class 4A, the area will be represented by both Lehighton (5-5) and Jim Thorpe (4-6).

The Indians, by virtue of their win this past Friday over the Olympians, earned the fifth seed and will be on the road at Blue Mountain. The game will also be a rematch of this season’s match-up — a 49-34 Week 7 win by the Eagles. The two teams met last season in the district playoffs with Lehighton pulling out a thrilling 29-28 victory on Blue Mountain’s home turf.

Thorpe, meanwhile, enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Olympians meet third-seeded Central Catholic at J. Birney Crum Stadium. It’s believed this is the first-ever meeting between the two clubs.

Rounding out the area teams participating in the playoffs is Pleasant Valley. The Bears, who were winless last season but have improved to 5-5 this year, are the No. 3 seed in Class 5A. PV will take on Pocono Mountain East in Swiftwater on Saturday. The two met earlier in Week 8 with the Cardinals claiming a 28-0 win.

In addition to the district playoffs, the Eastern Conference will also hold its championship games this weekend. Of the eight teams involved there, only one — Pocono Mountain West — is from District 11. The Panthers face Governor Mifflin.

The brackets for all six district classes, as well as the Eastern Conference, follow below:

DISTRICT 11 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

Class 1A

(sub-regional with District 2)

Semifinals

Friday, Oct. 31

No. 4 Nativity at No. 1 Lackawanna Trail, 7 p.m.

No. 3 Tri-Valley at No. 2 Marian, 7 p.m.

Championship

TBA

Class 2A

Quarterfinals

Saturday, Nov. 1

No. 8 Catasauqua at No. 1 Schuylkill Haven, 6 p.m.

No. 5 Palisades at No. 4 Northern Lehigh, 6 p.m.

No. 6 Pen Argyl at No. 3 Minersville, 6 p.m.

No. 7 Executive Education at No. 2 Williams Valley, 6 p.m.

Semifinals and Championship

TBA

Class 3A

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Oct. 30

No. 8 Salisbury vs. No. 1 Notre Dame at Catasauqua, 6:30 p.m.

No. 5 Tamaqua at No. 4 Saucon Valley, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Panther Valley at No. 3 North Schuylkill, 7 p.m.

No. 7 Palmerton at No. 2 Northwestern, 7 p.m.

Semifinals and Championship

TBA

Class 4A

Quarterfinals

Thursday, Oct. 30

No. 8 Bangor at No. 1 Southern Lehigh, 6:30 p.m.

No. 5 Lehighton at No. 4 Blue Mountain, 6:30 p.m.

No. 6 Jim Thorpe at No. 3 Central Catholic (J. Birney Crum), 7 p.m.

No. 7 Pottsville at No. 2 Bethlehem Catholic (BASD Stadium), 7 p.m.

Semifinals and Championship

TBA

Class 5A

Semifinals

Saturday, Nov. 1

No. 4 East Stroudsburg South at No. 1 Whitehall, 6 p.m.

No. 3 Pleasant Valley at No. 2 Pocono Mountain East, 5 p.m.

Championship

TBA

Class 6A

Quarterfinals

Friday, Oct. 31

No. 8 Emmaus at No. 1 Easton, 7 p.m.

No. 6 Northampton at No. 3 Nazareth, 7 p.m.

No. 7 Stroudsburg at No. 2 Parkland, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 1

No. 5 Freedom at No. 4 Liberty, Noon

Semifinals and Championship

TBA

Eastern Conference Playoffs

(all games are championships)

Class 1A/2A

Friday, Oct. 31

Holy Cross at Upper Dauphin, 7 p.m.

Class 3A

Friday, Oct. 31

Mid Valley at Carbondale, 7 p.m.

Class 4A

Thursday, Oct. 30

Honesdale at Wallenpaupack, 6 p.m.

Class 5A/6A

Friday, Oct. 31

Governor Mifflin at Pocono Mountain West, 5 p.m.