Four Times News area teams have made it through the opening two weeks without a blemish.

Lehighton, Northwestern, Palmerton and Pleasant Valley all carry 2-0 records into Week 3, with three of them putting their perfect starts on the line Thursday night.

The Indians, Tigers and Bears will each try to make it three straight before Palmerton gets its opportunity Friday. Elsewhere, several area teams will look to build on Week 2 victories or bounce back from their first losses as the season begins to take shape.

Pleasant Valley (2-0) at Pottsville (0-2)

When: Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Pleasant Valley continued its fast start with a 51-6 win over Dieruff last week. The Bears scored 30 first-half points and finished with 340 yards of offense on just 27 plays, including 275 yards on the ground. Chris Ward led the way with 152 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, including a 73-yard score. Jacob George added 49 yards and a TD on seven attempts, while Sean Cobb Jr. rushed for 43 yards and a score on three carries. Brandt Wines threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to William Breuer, and Cameron Ward connected with Zidan Moore for a 24-yard score. The Bears held Dieruff to 121 total yards and 35 on the ground. Pottsville fell to 0-2 with a 47-20 loss to Mount Carmel after opening with a 41-7 setback against Shamokin. Quarterback Andrew Allen has completed 16-of-22 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns, while Shay Strencosky has 132 receiving yards and two TDs. PV is 2-0 for the first time since 2022.

Storyline of the Week

Pleasant Valley talked throughout the preseason about taking another step after last year’s 5-6 season, and the Bears have done just that through two weeks. They have outscored Saucon Valley and Dieruff 92-13, while showing the physical running game and defense that have long been staples under head coach Blaec Saeger. That ground attack could be particularly important against Pottsville. The Crimson Tide have allowed 801 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 92 attempts through two games, an average of 8.7 yards per carry. PV has plenty of options to attack with Ward, George and Cobb, while its defense faces a Pottsville offense that has shown big-play ability through Allen and Strencosky. After allowing only 319 total yards over its first two games, the Bears will look to continue their strong start on the road.

Player’s Perspective

“We just try to keep stacking our days. Every day matters. I don’t think we should look forward to one certain game. We got to go game by game. Of course, we all want the bucket back (against Pocono Mountain East). That’s a big thing for this whole community, but we try to keep going game by game and be ready for every game.” — Pleasant Valley senior Brandt Wines, speaking during the preseason.

Lehighton (2-0) vs. Wilson (1-1)

When: Thursday, Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m. at Catasauqua

Instant Replay

Lehighton has kept its foot on the gas during a 2-0 start. The Indians handled Tamaqua 44-20 in their opener, then overcame an unusual weather interruption to finish off Pocono Mountain West 35-0 last week. The game began Thursday before being suspended with Lehighton leading 21-0, then resumed Friday. The Indians have scored 79 points, while allowing only 20, and have produced 583 yards of offense — 363 rushing and 220 passing. Senior Lukas Croizier has 196 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while new quarterback Jack Lucykanish has completed 20-of-29 passes for 220 yards, six TDs and no interceptions. Carl Lingham leads a balanced receiving group with 10 catches for 122 yards and two scores.

Storyline of the Week

Wilson is 1-1 after two very different games, opening with a 7-6 loss to Catasauqua before bouncing back with a 44-20 win over Palisades. The Warriors will not have a true home field this season while renovations continue at their stadium, making Thursday’s game an official Wilson home date at Catasauqua. Quarterback Connor Patterson presents the biggest concern for a Lehighton defense that has already faced several dangerous runners. His ability to escape pressure and extend plays will test an Indians defense coming off a shutout. Lehighton, meanwhile, will look to continue the offensive balance that has helped it average nearly 40 points through two games.

Coach’s Corner

“Anybody who thinks Wilson is the Wilson of the past few years is absolutely mistaken. That’s a huge compliment to their staff right now, because I’ve got a ton of respect for what I’m seeing on the field. Their quarterback is extremely exciting, very, very elusive. He’s going to be a problem. Fortunately for us, we’ve had to defend good runners in Week 1 and Week 2, and that was a big focus for us.

“Our mentality doesn’t have to shift. Instead of it being a running back, now it’s going to be a quarterback. We need to focus on details and make sure the little things matter to these kids. They need to understand that the little things can be big things if they’re not taken care of.” — Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll

Northwestern (2-0) vs. Bangor (1-1)

When: Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

After struggling to establish its rushing attack in a season-opening win over Valley View, Northwestern wasted little time getting it back on track against Northern Lehigh. Running back Chase Sukanick rushed for 103 yards on 12 carries in the first half as the Tigers rolled to a 48-0 victory. Northwestern finished with 250 yards on the ground.

Sophomore quarterback Trey Snyder continued his strong start, completing 12-of-15 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Snyder leads the Times News area with 454 passing yards, while senior Brady Zimmerman has an area-best 197 receiving yards.

Northwestern’s defense was dominant as well, holding Northern Lehigh to just 91 total yards.

Bangor has shown significant improvement after going 0-11 last season. The Slaters opened with a 49-0 victory over East Stroudsburg North, before falling to Pocono Mountain East 34-7 last week. Sophomore quarterback Lincoln Rehrig has thrown for 171 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, while sophomore Jude Martin leads Bangor with 113 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Storyline of the Week

Northwestern will put its 34-game winning streak on the line against an improved Bangor team. The Tigers have displayed plenty of balance through two weeks, with both Snyder and Zimmerman giving the passing game punch while Sukanick and the offensive line got the ground attack rolling last week.

Defensively, Northwestern will need to account for a Bangor offense that uses spread formations and RPO concepts behind Rehrig. The Tigers will look to control the line of scrimmage and continue their dominant start as they seek their 35th consecutive victory.

Coach’s Corner

“I thought we looked good up front last week. I liked the way that group stood up against Valley View. So, coming into last week we thought we had the advantage in the trenches, and our guys were able to come through there. We really wanted to get off to a good start in the run game. We’re a running team and a running program, so that was key.

“And then I thought our guys did a good job making their quarterback feel uncomfortable. We have five guys on the defensive line that we like to rotate, which keeps those guys fresh.

“This week, we have Bangor, and they’re an improved team from a year ago. They’re a spread team that’s going to mix in the RPO, so we need to be ready for that. For us, we’re going to just continue to play our brand of football. Play fast and aggressive, execute our alignment and our assignment, establish the run and take what the defense gives us.” — Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder

Palmerton (2-0) vs. Palisades (0-2)

When: Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Palmerton continued to build on the momentum from its fourth-quarter comeback against Marian in Week 1 with a 62-14 victory over Nanticoke last week.

The Blue Bombers have been strong in the trenches on both sides of the ball, helping junior quarterback T.K. Gursky put together a breakout start. Gursky completed 6-of-8 passes for 153 yards and five touchdowns last week, while Palmerton rushed for 350 yards and had four players finish with at least 50 yards on the ground.

The Bombers were equally strong against the run, allowing just three yards per carry.

Palisades is off to an 0-2 start after a 33-0 loss to Bristol, and a 44-20 setback against Wilson. The Pirates have been without 1,000-yard receiver and Northwestern commit Lincoln Cook because of an injury, and the offense has struggled in his absence. Palisades also had trouble stopping the run against Wilson, allowing 243 yards on the ground.

Storyline of the Week

Palmerton will look to continue controlling the line of scrimmage against a Palisades team searching for its first victory. The matchup favors a Bombers rushing attack that produced 350 yards last week against a Pirates defense that surrendered 243 yards on the ground to Wilson.

But Palmerton has also shown it doesn’t need to be one-dimensional. Gursky’s five touchdown passes against Nanticoke highlighted a passing game capable of capitalizing when defenses commit extra bodies to stopping the run. With Palisades expected to play aggressively, execution up front will again be central to Palmerton’s chances of improving to 3-0.

Coach’s Corner

“I’m really happy with the effort and the execution from our guys up front on both sides of the ball. Last week, they gave our quarterback time to throw and they opened up running lanes for our backs. And on defense, those guys were able to hold the line of scrimmage and eat up double teams so that our linebackers could run free and make plays.

“Their play will once again be the key for this week. We have to win the battle up front. Palisades is always a tough and aggressive football team, and although they’re playing a lot of younger kids, they’re going to be coming into our place hungry for a win. They’re fast to the ball and they fly downhill, so we have to execute and be mentally sound in all areas.” — Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak

Pen Argyl (1-1) at No. Lehigh (1-1)

When: Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northern Lehigh is looking to bounce back after a 48-0 loss to Northwestern last week. The Bulldogs managed only a handful of first downs in the setback after opening the season with a dramatic 17-14 win over Executive Education, when Anthony Hanna kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired. Colin Karetsky ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass from Garrett Smoyer in the victory. Pen Argyl is also 1-1. The Green Knights erased a 21-point deficit to defeat Old Forge 28-21 in their opener before being shut out by Saucon Valley 40-0 last week.

Storyline of the Week

Both Colonial League programs will be looking to get back on track after difficult Week 2 losses. Pen Argyl is breaking in junior Keegan Hettel as a first-year varsity starter at quarterback, and his dual-threat ability will give Northern Lehigh something to account for after he rushed for more than 100 yards through the first two weeks. Senior James Accatino gives the Green Knights another presence at running back and along the defensive front. For Northern Lehigh, the emphasis is on cleaning up the details after head coach Joe Tout pointed to penalties and big plays as problems through the first two games. The Bulldogs will also look to build depth as several younger players continue to work their way into the rotation.

Coach’s Corner

“Our biggest focus will be on practice and our fundamentals. We had a bit of a grind this year with our first two games, so we had a plan of focusing on our fundamentals. I would like to see us build depth this week. We have a couple of players that we like. However, we didn’t want to rush them into action. I’m hoping we can rotate a couple of players that have come along during our camp.” — Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout

Panther Valley (1-1)

at Shenandoah Valley (2-0)

When: Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Panther Valley is coming off a 26-6 loss to Marian in which the Panthers had trouble slowing running back Tyler Price, who rushed for 196 of his 250 yards in the second half. PV has allowed 38 of its 51 points after halftime, while scoring 34 of its 40 points in the second half. Quarterback Cy Maynard completed 10-of-15 passes for 147 yards against Marian, and has thrown for 244 yards through two games. He has added 166 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while Chase McArdle has 11 catches for 110 yards. Shenandoah Valley is 2-0 for the first time since 2007 after routing Columbia Montour 56-6 and Pine Grove 52-13. Quarterback Ethan Bench has thrown for 347 yards and six TDs with one interception, while Gene Sinkus has 119 receiving yards and three scores.

Storyline of the Week

Something will have to give when Shenandoah Valley’s passing attack meets a Panther Valley defense that has allowed only 108 yards through the air in two games. Bench threw for 251 yards last week, while the Panthers will look to generate more pressure and prevent the Blue Devils’ receivers from producing explosive plays. Offensively, PV will try to re-establish a running game that struggled against Marian while continuing Maynard’s development at quarterback. Shenandoah Valley enters with confidence after scoring 108 points in two games following consecutive 0-10 seasons. Panther Valley won last year’s meeting 35-8.

Coach’s Corner

“We were definitely disappointed with last week. We got pushed around on both sides of the ball and weren’t able to get anything going on either offense or defense. Cy Maynard continued to improve in his second start at quarterback.

“This week we face a confident Shenandoah team that is 2-0 and has put up a bunch of points in both games. We need to get back to being physical, get our run game going and play better on the defensive side of the ball. They have a few players who are tough — a physical running back, a tough tight end/outside linebacker, a quarterback with a big arm and a few receivers. We need to control their passing game.” — Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine

So. Lehigh (2-0) at Jim Thorpe (1-1)

When: Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Jim Thorpe bounced back from a season-opening loss to Blue Mountain with a 42-10 win over Minersville last week. The Olympians rolled up 463 yards after being held to 82 in their opener. Anthony Kiehl broke out with 137 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Tyler Hoherchak threw for 93 yards and ran for 46. Spencer Gothard had four catches for 107 yards, Kaden Hess recorded a game-high nine tackles and Dominic Kiehl added two sacks. Southern Lehigh has won the last four meetings between the teams, including a 47-27 victory last season. The Spartans followed a 55-0 rout of Quakertown with a 45-36 win over Blue Mountain, producing more than 490 yards in each game.

Storyline of the Week

Jim Thorpe’s ability to control the football and limit explosive plays will be critical against one of the area’s most productive offenses. Southern Lehigh has scored 100 points through two games, including 84 in the first half. Quarterback Colton Sams has completed 35-of-50 passes for 667 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception while adding 106 yards and a TD on the ground. Jack Pavis has 192 receiving yards and three scores. Jim Thorpe will look to counter with the ground game that emerged against Minersville behind Kiehl and Hoherchak. Southern Lehigh has surrendered 227 rushing yards through two games, making sustained drives one avenue for the Olympians to keep the Spartans’ high-powered offense off the field.

Coach’s Corner

“We are very excited about the growth from Week 1 to Week 2. We feel we played a complete game in all three facets of the game. Anthony Kiehl, Bobby Levins, Spencer Gothard and Tyler Hoherchak had great games. Defensively, we were led by Kaden Hess with nine tackles and Dominic Kiehl with two sacks.

“Southern Lehigh is the returning state champion, and they haven’t missed a beat. They are a very big team, both physically up front and with kids in their program. They are led by the big line and an outstanding quarterback with very athletic wide receivers.” — Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger