The regular season concludes tonight but for several teams in the Times News coverage area this is not the ender - they have qualified for the playoffs next weekend.

I, unfortunately, have been eliminated from postseason play.

A mid-season slump - pretty sure it was too many ice cream references - did this column in. No playoffs for me, but I did throw the red challenge flag on the turf in the editor’s office, so stay tuned.

But as they say in the journalism world, “There’s always ‘Where We Live’ (usually on Page A2 of Saturday’s paper) that I can write a column for.” The Lifestyle section might be a little more welcoming to salted caramel references than sports.

Or I could write a weekly cooking column with a catchy title like “Passing for Pierogies” or “Blitzing for Bleenies.”

Let’s throw the last nine weeks into a mixing bowl, add some red-hot chili peppers and see what we can whip up.

No. 9 - Panther Valley

The Panthers are my soufflé. I opened the oven too soon (I was so excited after the Panthers’ big Week 1 victory) and it caused the entire dish to flop.

No. 8 - Lehighton

You’re scanning down the restaurant menu and come to the last item and think “Man, I wonder if anyone orders this?” Let’s hope the Indians aren’t an afterthought next season.

No. 7 - Tamaqua

You go out to dinner, the appetizer is pretty good and then the rest of the meal goes south and dessert doesn’t save it. Kind of like most of the Blue Raider games.

No. 6 - Jim Thorpe

If you take flour, add sugar, toss in barley, pour in milk, fold in eggs, enrich it with oats, and finally top it with curry powder, what is it? I have no idea, but it resembles the Olympians’ season.

No. 5 - Marian

The Colts are your favorite restaurant from 20 years ago when Stan Dakosty owned it and you and your friends would go, have a great meal and chew the fat for hours. After stepping away for a few years, Dakosty is back in the kitchen and grinding away again, Things are now getting better and you’re getting excited. Don’t order the filet mignon yet, but the blackened salmon, with a tangy mango sauce, is tempting.

No. 4 - Pleasant Valley

The 2022 Diner Team of the Year. A solid squad that beats the teams it’s supposed to and loses to the teams that are really good. In other words, not a fast-food restaurant but you’re not going to wear a tie to dine out.

No. 3 - Palmerton

Offense: A steady diet of Red Bull. Defense: A flat birch beer.

No. 2 - Northwestern

You wake up smack-dab early on a chilly October Sunday morning to make your Lehigh County-famous chili for the 4 p.m. Eagles game. House smells wonderful, you sit down with your favorite adult beverage and take a Jason Kelce-esque spoonful of your concoction at kickoff. Hmmm, something’s missing, a key ingredient. Take another taste and it hits you like a Brandon Graham sack - a win over Northern Lehigh.

No. 1 - Northern Lehigh

The Bulldogs are the South Dakota-raised, 16-ounce, prime-cut T-bone, Idaho baked potato with gobs of sour cream, lightly grilled asparagus and homemade tiramisu team of the season. Congrats Bulldogs.