The second week of the high school football season features rivalries — between both schools and family.

Marian and Panther Valley will tangle in Lansford on Friday, while tonight the McCarrolls — Lehighton’s Tom and Pocono Mountain West’s Jim — face off against each other in Pocono Summit.

In addition to those games, Palmerton and Pleasant Valley will look to win their second straight while Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua are seeking their initial win.

Lehighton (1-0) at

Pocono Mountain West (1-0)

When: Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Not since 2020 had Lehighton won a season opener, and that drought ended emphatically in a 44-20 handling of Tamaqua built on a lopsided opening half. Lukas Croizier picked up 128 rushing yards and two scores. Jack Lucykanish, a first-year starter, went 9-of-13 for 110 yards with two touchdown passes and ran for a third score. Carl Lingham finished with six catches for 82 yards, the longest a 42-yard score, and later went 85 yards with a kickoff for another. Ty Nansteel’s 10-yard TD catch stretched the lead, and a botched Tamaqua punt snap through the end zone handed Lehighton a safety. Tamaqua’s Terrence McDowell, meanwhile, was limited to a 3.5-yard average on the ground. For PMW, Christian Stiehler scored three times, while Scranton was shut out, 27-0.

Storyline of the Week

Two 1-0 teams, two exciting running games and a family subplot. The sideline matchup is a family affair, with Lehighton’s Tom McCarroll opposite his uncle Jim, who has led West since 2002. Lehighton also plays its first road game of the season, a physicality test against a bigger classification that begins with corralling Stiehler. The two schools, each 5-6 a season ago, have not met since 2013, the final season of the Mountain Valley Conference.

Coach’s Corner

“Last week was the first time we won an opener since 2020, so I’m huge on starting fast. The kids work so hard in the offseason, and they put in all the time, and then Week 1, if you don’t come out on top, sometimes there’s a big deflation in the mentality and momentum. I think the fact that we won Week 1 is huge for us going into Week 2...Defensively, we had nine, 10, 11 hats to the ball all the time, and we’re going to need that same kind of effort this week. Pocono Mountain West features a great back just like McDowell for Tamaqua, but he’s a different kind of back. Christian Stiehler is 6-4, 240. He’s a tank, and he’s a downhill runner, and really the only way we’re going to slow him down is playing the same way we played last week.” — Lehighton head Coach Tom McCarroll.

Marian (0-1) at

Panther Valley (1-0)

When: Friday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Panthers got off to a good start in Week 1 with a 34-25 win over Mahanoy Area. The talk of the offseason for PV was its size up front, and the Panthers’ big boys didn’t disappoint, clearing the way for 309 rushing yards. Junior quarterback Cy Maynard had an impressive debut, rushing for 139 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing for 97 yards. Sophomore running back Nathan Rolon also had a nice night, rushing for 101 yards on just 12 carries. Marian is coming off a heartbreaking 34-33 loss to Palmerton that saw the Colts leading 33-18 heading into the fourth quarter. There were some positives, however, as the Marian offense looked explosive. Tyler Price rushed for 115 yards and also hauled in five catches for 105 yards, scoring three total touchdowns. Tight end Rocco Griguoli, as expected, proved to be a matchup issue for Palmerton, catching five balls for 147 yards and two scores and quarterback Greg Tirpak put up some solid numbers, throwing for 255 yards and three touchdowns. The offense looked good for PV and Marian in Week 1, but the defenses will need to improve in Week 2 as both the Bears and Bombers were able to move the ball and generate big plays.

Coach’s Corner

“There was a lot of good stuff to take away from our Week 1 win. Offensively, anytime you can run for over 300 yards, you’re doing good things. We’re led by our offensive line, and those really showed. We had a bunch of guys carry the ball for us and make plays, which is also a great sign moving forward. We know what we want to do, and that’s play physical and to win the battle in the trenches. Defensively, we have to eliminate the mental mistakes. We gave up some big plays, so that will be a point of emphasis for us this week in practice. Marian has some playmakers, and they like to move those guys around, recognizing where those guys are at will be key for us and then we have to get to them before they get started. We have to make them work hard for every yard.” - Panther Valley head Coach Mark Lavine.

“Offensively, we played really well. I thought we ran the ball well with Tyler, and I was happy with how we played at the line of scrimmage. In the Upper Dauphin scrimmage, we didn’t look great there, so it was great to see that improvement. The passing game with Tirpak looked good as well. Overall, on that side of the ball we looked explosive. We have to improve defensively this week, especially in pass coverage. We lost four out of five starters in our secondary, and that showed for sure. It was for a lack of effort; it’s just stuff we need clean up and that we can correct. Panther Valley’s size up front will be a challenge. Our guys will have to acclimate to that as the game goes on, and we will need to match their physicality.” - Marian head Coach Billy O’Gurek.

Nanticoke (0-1) at

Palmerton (1-0)

When: Friday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Bombers escaped Hometown with a 34-33 comeback victory over Marian last week, scoring 16 unanswered points. Palmerton’s offense put together a solid showing with junior quarterback T.K. Gursky putting together a nice stat line, throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns and also rushing for a touchdown. As a team, the Bombers rushed for 148 yards at just over five yards per carry with Michael Garey and Carson Eckhart shouldering most of the touches. Defensively, the Bombers struggled to stop Marian’s top playmakers giving up nearly 350 yards of total offense, including 255 yards through the air. Nanticoke is coming off a 40-7 loss to Carbondale, and is riding a 17-game losing streak. The Trojans gave up 281 yards rushing last week, and turned the ball over three times on offense. Wide receiver Justin Johnson is the player the Bombers will need to key on. Johnson had 338 yards receiving a season ago, and came through with six catches for 56 yards against Carbondale.

Coach’s Corner

“The message this week is to capture the momentum and the fire that we played with in the fourth quarter last week. Our execution and mental toughness were great during that quarter, and we need to harness that mentality for all four quarters moving forward. I’m proud of the way our guys responded, making big plays to come away with the win on the road. But we need to clean up our tackling. We need to get in a better position and not tackle high. We just need to have a smarter approach there. Also, the mental focus and intensity need to be there from the opening kick. And we need to cut down on giving up big plays. Nanticoke has some good athletes, so if we don’t come out and play with intensity early on, we know we’re going to be in for a dog fight. Focusing on the fundamentals will be a really big emphasis at practice this week.” - Palmerton head Coach Chris Walkowiak.

Pleasant Valley (1-0)

at Dieruff (0-1)

When: Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Pleasant Valley overcame a slow start to roll past Saucon Valley 41-7 in its season opener. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears scored twice in the second and broke the game open after halftime. PV piled up 415 yards of offense, including 309 on the ground, while holding Saucon to 198 total yards. Chris Ward led the Bears with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and completed 3-of-4 passes for 82 yards and a score. Sean Cobb Jr. added 81 yards and a TD on seven carries, while Jacob George rushed for 75 yards and a score. William Breuer caught two passes for 73 yards, including a 63-yard TD from Ward. Dieruff is looking to bounce back after opening its season with a 42-0 loss to Pocono Mountain East. The Huskies return quarterback Bruce Billger, who threw nine TD passes last season, along with versatile Derwyn Deris, who contributed as a receiver, runner, returner and defensive back in 2025. PV won last year’s meeting 34-7.

Storyline of the Week

Pleasant Valley showed plenty of offensive versatility once it settled into its opener, but the Bears’ identity remains rooted in running the football, playing defense and being physical. PV will look for a quicker start Thursday after going scoreless in the opening quarter against Saucon Valley. Ward, Cobb and George give the Bears multiple options on the ground, while Breuer showed his big-play ability through the air. Pleasant Valley’s defense was steady from the start in Week 1, and will look for another strong performance against a Dieruff offense led by returning playmakers Billger and Deris.

Coach’s Corner

“We are who we are. We’re gonna run the ball, we’re gonna play defense. That’s the Pleasant Valley way. We are able to do some more things this year, but we are a defensive-first mentality, which is a little old school in today’s football. I get it, but I still believe that’s how you win football games. We want to be physical, we want to be tough and we want to play defense.” — Pleasant Valley head Coach Blaec Saeger.

Minerville (1-0) at

Jim Thorpe (0-1)

When: Friday, Sept. 4, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Jim Thorpe is coming off a 48-0 defeat to Blue Mountain in its opener. The Olympians managed just 82 yards of total offense, as they had just 17 yards rushing. They were further plagued by a lost fumble and two interceptions. Junior quarterback Tyler Hoherchak ran for 16 yards and threw for 49. Senior wide receiver Angel Rivera caught three passes for 18 yards. Ralph Clay had an interception for the Olympians. Blue Mountain scored on its first four possessions and amassed 346 yards of total offense. Minersville posted a 27-7 win over Halifax. Senior quarterback Derek Derenzo is a dual threat, as he completed eight of 12 passes for 136 yards with a pair of TDs, and ran for another 114 yards. Sophomore John Lutsky rushed for 81 yards with a touchdown, and senior wide receiver Jordan Bowers caught four passes for 94 yards with two scores. Derenzo, also a linebacker, and freshman linebacker Jose Farrell each recorded seven tackles. This is the first meeting between the two teams since 2017, when Jim Thorpe shutout Minersville, 43-0.

Storyline of the Week

Jim Thorpe has to find its footing on both sides of the ball after it couldn’t get on track against Blue Mountain. The Olympians’ running game will be a key, as they ran the ball 29 times last week. Minersville posted an impressive victory last week, and didn’t look like the team that lost 12 starters. It will be looking to further cement its non-league play games.

Coach’s Corner

“We struggled with the speed and physicality of Blue Mountain. We need to get better this week to be prepared for Minersville Friday night. Minersville had a big win in Week 1. They have several impressive athletes. Their quarterback is a dual- threat kid. They have a big wide receiver that makes big plays, and a physical running back. Defensively, they bring a lot of pressure and run well to the ball.” — Jim Thorpe head Coach Mark Rosenberger.

Schuylkill Haven (0-1) at

Tamaqua (0-1)

When: Friday, Sept. 4, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Tamaqua dropped its opener to Lehighton, 44-20. The Blue Raiders gave up plenty of short fields, and coach Sam Bonner noted multiple Indians touchdown drives had to travel less than 30 yards to reach the end zone. Ace Schickram, in his first year as the starting quarterback, found Ryder Holmberg on a 16-yard touchdown just before halftime, and freshman Jaxon Faneck came in late to hit both Chance Makovec (21 yards) and Ayden Kovalchick (53 yards) in the fourth quarter. Terrence McDowell was held under 4 yards a carry. Schuylkill Haven is also 0-1 after it dropped a 48-41 shootout to Mount Carmel, in which Colton Reber ran for a dazzling 311 yards and three touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

The Hurricanes have been running the ball hard for half a century, and this year is no different with Reber. Tamaqua’s first job is to gang-tackle at the line of scrimmage. Its second job is to hand the ball back to McDowell, Schickram and a young offense that finally moved late at Lehighton, and to do it without any more free points. Friday marks the first of four straight home dates for the Blue Raiders.

Coach’s Corner

“Haven hasn’t changed too much over the years. They may throw the ball a little bit more than they used to, but they’re still a power running team. They have a big running back, Colton Reber; he’s tough. We’ve got to make sure that we get a lot of guys around the ball, that we wrap up. He’s not the kind of guy you want to let loose in the secondary and expect our defensive backs to make tackles...Indirectly, we probably gave up a solid 24 points on special teams. Not to mention we also had four dropped snaps...You just can’t do that against anybody...We get a lot of support from the community. It’s nice to be home this week.” – Tamaqua head Coach Sam Bonner