Three Times News area teams will be in action Friday in the quarterfinal round of the District 11 basketball playoffs.

The Lehighton boys will travel to Allen to take on Central Catholic in a Class 4A contest. The Indians are seeded sixth while the Vikings are the No. 3 seed. The winner advances to the semifinals to take on either Salisbury or Wilson.

In a Class 5A subregional contest, Jim Thorpe meets Pottsville at Blue Mountain High School. The two teams met often when the Olympians were part of the Schuylkill League. Thorpe is the No. 8 seed in the class, while the Crimson Tide have earned the top seed. The winner will take on either Southern Lehigh or Athens in the semifinals.

The Northern Lehigh girls, meanwhile, won an opening round game against Lehigh Valley Academy on Tuesday and advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal contest against top-seeded Notre Dame-Green Pond.

BOYS BASKETBALL

District 11 Class 4A Quarterfinals

No. 6 Lehighton (13-10) vs.

No. 3 Central Catholic (12-11)

Friday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., at William Allen High School

LEADING OFF

A trip to the District 11 Class 4A Semifinals will be up for grabs in Allentown on Friday, as both teams are coming off league tournament losses. Lehighton has qualified for the D11 playoffs in three consecutive seasons under ninth-year head coach Trevor Miller, who inherited a program that went 3-19 in his first season in 2017-18 and has since turned the program into a consistent contender. Allentown Central Catholic, meanwhile, is the defending District 11 4A champion and has won the 4A title five times in the last six years. The Vikings have taken a step back record-wise after going 23-5 last season. Central Catholic sits at 12-11 overall and 3-5 in Eastern Pennsylvania Conference regular-season play. The winner advances to face the Wilson vs. Salisbury winner on Feb. 24.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lehighton — Cole Dietz (21.35 ppg), Blake Roberts (15.22 ppg), Talin Fairchild (9.00 ppg), Aiden Solt (4.74 ppg), Cash White (3.65 ppg), Caden Meek (3.35 ppg).

Allentown Central Catholic — Yariel Gonzalez (15.30 ppg), Cameron Hines (11.61 ppg), Jared Ford (8.87 ppg), Grayson Schmell (6.50 ppg), Di’Quiawn Leak (5.32 ppg).

BY THE NUMBERS

3 — Consecutive seasons Lehighton has qualified for the District 11 playoffs.

5 — District 11 Class 4A titles Central Catholic has won in the last six seasons (2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25). The Vikings are the recent, undisputed kings of 4A.

7 — Lehighton’s rotation. Miller dresses 10 but plays seven — his five seniors plus sophomore Cash White and freshman Aiden McCarroll.

55 — Three-pointers made by Lehighton’s Talin Fairchild, who ranks second on the team from beyond the arc. The Indians as a team have knocked down 169 treys compared to Central Catholic’s 114.

11.22 — Lehighton’s average scoring margin this season. The Indians average 61.09 points per game while holding opponents to 49.87.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Yariel Gonzalez is probably one of the best players in the area. He’s 6-4, he can shoot it a little bit. He’s physically impressive, and he has the opportunity to take over games, and we have to kind of limit that. They put two three-point shooters on the floor at all times, and we got to get to those guys and make Gonzalez’s life hard on the court, which is kind of what our goal is. But they play defense, they’re well coached, and they’re just a good all-around team.” — Lehighton head coach Trevor Miller

District 11 Class 5A Quarterfinals

No. 8 Jim Thorpe (10-12) vs. No. 1 Pottsville (18-7)

Friday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., at Blue Mountain

LEADING OFF

Jim Thorpe’s turnaround under second-year head coach Brian O’Donnell has been one of the better stories in the Colonial League this season. The Olympians were 1-21 two years ago and went 5-17 in O’Donnell’s first season. Now, they’re 10-12 and playing in the District 11 playoffs for the first time since 2022. It hasn’t been easy — Jim Thorpe went 9-9 in Colonial League play, competing in seven league games decided by single digits. But O’Donnell’s group learned how to finish games that got away from them a year ago, he noted. Pottsville, meanwhile, earned the No. 1 seed in 5A at 18-7 and brings the classic Coal Region style of tenacity. O’Donnell said the Crimson Tide plays man-to-man defense, pressures the ball, and runs their offensive sets with precision. The winner moves on to play the Athens Area/Southern Lehigh winner in the quarterfinals on Feb. 24.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jim Thorpe — Pierce Gothard (19.00 ppg), Brody Schrantz (11.09 ppg), Cole Lazorick (9.00 ppg), Ethan Moore (3.68 ppg), Michael Antignani (1.19 ppg).

Pottsville — Christian Alvarez (18.2 ppg, Sr.), Ryder Bowers (11.1 ppg, Sr.), David Kunstek (10.0 ppg, Sr.), Chris Hobbs (5.2 ppg, Jr.), Josh Kimber (3.4 ppg, Jr.), Colin McGinley (3.2 ppg, Jr.).

BY THE NUMBERS

1 — Jim Thorpe’s win total just two seasons ago in 2023-24 under a different coaching staff. O’Donnell has the Olympians at 10 wins in year two — a nine-win improvement in two years.

3 — Pottsville players averaging in double figures. Christian Alvarez (18.2 ppg), Ryder Bowers (11.1 ppg), and David Kunstek (10.0 ppg) give the Crimson Tide a balanced scoring attack that averages 58.2 points per game as a team.

6 — Seniors on Jim Thorpe’s roster, four of whom are returning starters from last season’s 5-17 team. O’Donnell credited that group’s experience with learning how to close out tight games this year.

9.8 — The per-game scoring advantage Pottsville holds over Jim Thorpe. The Crimson Tide averages 58.2 points per game compared to the Olympians’ 48.45. Jim Thorpe has actually been outscored by its opponents on the season (49.50 ppg allowed).

69 — Jim Thorpe’s three-point total this season. Brody Schrantz, a junior, leads the Olympians with 28 treys, while Pierce Gothard has added 22.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“We know what Pottsville is about. They don’t change from year to year. They are who they are, and they do what they do, and they do it very well. You’re going to get man defense right up in your face for four quarters. They’re going to pressure you, and then offensively, they’re going to run all their sets very well. In that sense, we’re pretty lucky that we at least have some familiarity with our opponent ... But it’s going to be a tough game for us. They’re a very physical team, and they play that Coal Region style of basketball, so hopefully we can match it ... Protecting the ball is going to be huge for us. Just not turning it over and giving them extra possessions or run-outs for layups. Just trying to manage that pressure that they’re going to bring to us.” — Jim Thorpe head coach Brian O’Donnell

GIRLS BASKETBALL

District 11 Class 3A Quarterfinals

No. 8 No. Lehigh (10-13) vs. No. 1 ND-GP (20-5)

Friday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., at Executive Education

LEADING OFF

A week ago, Northern Lehigh thought its season was over. Practices ended, jerseys were turned in, and exit meetings were held. But thanks to the district rating system, the Bulldogs ended up making the playoffs. Not only did Nolehi make the postseason, but they cruised to a 52-25 victory on their home floor over Lehigh Valley Academy in an opening-round contest. The Bulldogs’ reward for that victory — a quarterfinal contest against top-seed Notre Dame-Green Pond on Friday at Executive Education. The two teams met on Dec. 8 — Nolehi’s third game of the season. The Bulldogs held their own until the Crusaders pulled away down the stretch for a 51-33 Colonial League win. Notre Dame, which reached the league title game but fell to Lehighton, plays tough man-to-man defense and has some quality perimeter shooters. Northern Lehigh should have a height advantage but needs to take care of the ball against a team that likes to press. The winner moves on to the semifinal round and is guaranteed two more games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Northern Lehigh — Tegan Simms (16.87 ppg), Jaylene Ramos (6.30 ppg), Kylee Snyder (5.39 ppg), Ariana Williams (4.82 ppg), Ella Tosh (4.04 ppg).

Notre Dame-GP — Ava Shonk (9.00 ppg, Sr.), Brenna Hammerstone (8.72 ppg, Sr.), Riley Boyle (6.83 ppg, Jr.), Ella Schweitzer (6.61 ppg, Sr.), Ava Hobbie (6.04 ppg, Jr.), Brianna Beani (3.52 ppg, So.).

BY THE NUMBERS

.571339 — Northern Lehigh’s Opponent Weighted Winning Percentage, which is the second highest in the girls Class 3A. Only Executive Education had a higher one at .588087.

2 — The number of wins Northern Lehigh has this season against teams with a winning record. Those victories came against Wilson (42-41) and Kutztown (36-25). The Bulldogs are hoping to up that total on Friday.

7 — Northern Lehigh has now reached the district playoffs in seven consecutive seasons. The last time it missed was in 2019. In those seven seasons, the Bulldogs postseason record is currently 5-6.

14 — Notre Dame’s winning streak before losing to Lehighton in last Friday’s Colonial League championship game.

131 — The numbers of three-pointers Notre Dame has hit this season, an average of 5.24 per game. The Crusaders have three players who have at least 30 treys this season, led by Hammerstone’s 46. Boyle currently has 35, while Shonk has connected 30 times.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“(Notre Dame head coach) Josh (Kopp) and I are good friends ... Josh and Notre Dame are well-prepared. It’s a great challenge for us. We’re going to have to play as well as we did (Tuesday), if not better. Our kids are a much different team now (than when we played them); so are his kids. The kids are ready for the challenge. I think we match up well. I think we have a little bit of a size advantage and we have the second best player in the league (in Simms). Can we execute at a high level? I like our chances to be in a competitive game. We’re playing on a big floor, a neutral floor, and I think that will benefit us. It should be a great atmosphere. We’re playing with house money. Whatever happens now is gravy for us. I’m proud of our kids, the school and the community. The better team Friday is going to win and advance ... I think it’s two pretty even teams, although they have some more experience when it comes to big games. We’re going to give them all they can handle.” — Northern Lehigh head coach Brandon Hibbler