The second half of the season begins tonight and continues Friday and Saturday.

Palmerton looks to remain undefeated, while Lehighton and Northern Lehigh both hope to continue their winning ways.

Palmerton (5-0) at Salisbury (1-4)

When: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.

Instant Replay

A breakout performance from Connor Lawless helped the Bombers defeat Pen Argyl on the road last week 35-0. Lawless took his first carry of the game and of the season 28 yards to the house on his way to 113 yards rushing on only eight carries. Lawless also made an impact on the defensive end with a fumble recovery and a 41-yard pick six. Cale Young added 74 yards on the ground with a score, while quarterback T.K. Gursky rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, as the Bombers rushed for 236 yards on the afternoon at 8.1 yards per carry.

Salisbury dropped its fourth consecutive game in a 28-0 loss to Northern Lehigh last week in Slatington. The Falcons hung around for the first half, though, trailing 7-0 at the intermissions. Quarterback Keaton Frye came through with some big runs and throws, but was under constant duress, being sacked six times.

Storyline of the Game

The Bombers should be able to generate pressure on Frye to alleviate his ability to escape the pocket and make plays, but rush lane discipline will be key. Palmerton should also be able to pound the football against a Falcons’ defense that gave up over 300 yards rushing to Northern Lehigh last week.

Coach’s Corner

“I was very proud of the way our defense played last week. They gave our offense some short fields, and with the windy conditions at Pen Argyl we had to alter our offensive game plan. It was a bend-but-don’t-break-effort from the defense for sure. Mason Konze, Colson Ruzicka, and the rest of our defensive line are playing pretty good football right now. This week, we’re focused on Frye, who is a tough player, who make plays with his legs and his arm. He’s a tough runner who extends plays and if you’re not fundamentally sound or discipline, he’s going to make you pay.” - Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

Lehighton (4-1) at Bangor (1-4)

When: Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Lehighton looks to bounce back this week after a 35-0 loss to defending PIAA 4A state champion, Southern Lehigh. It was a tough day for the Indians on both sides of the ball, but especially defensively, giving up 158 yards through the air and three touchdowns to standout Colton Sams, along with 105 yards and two scores to Jackson MoDavis.

Bangor was able to get back in the win column after a three-game losing streak, defeating Palisades 14-12. Sophomore QB Lincoln Rehrig had a nice night through the air against the Pirates, throwing for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Storyline of the Game

The Indians need to get back to controlling the line of scrimmage and running the football with Lukas Croizier. Croizier ranks fourth in the Times News area in rushing yards with 556, at 7.51 yards per carry.

Coach’s Corner

“Southern Lehigh is a very talented team with 17 starters back from a state championship run and their experience showed last week, and I felt like some of our inexperience showed as well. We had some chances early in that game, but we didn’t take advantage of them. We also had some misalignments and some breakdowns, and you can’t make those kinds of mistakes against good football teams. This week, honestly, we’re really focused on fixing what we need to fix. We’re going to give Bangor all the attention and the respect that they deserve, but it’s more about us this week and getting better.” - Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll.

Northern Lehigh (4-1) at Catasauqua (1-4)

When: Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northern Lehigh enters Friday coming off a 28-0 shutout of Salisbury Township, its third straight victory since a Week 2 loss to Northwestern Lehigh. The Bulldogs have outscored their last three opponents 112-13, following a 46-6 win over Pen Argyl with a 38-7 victory at Palisades, and last week’s blanking of the Falcons.

The Salisbury win featured the latest example of Northern Lehigh’s growing balance. The Bulldogs recorded six sacks and held Salisbury scoreless, while their rushing attack delivered two touchdown runs of 50 or more yards. Garrett Smoyer led the way with three touchdowns, as Northern Lehigh controlled the line of scrimmage and avoided allowing the Falcons an opportunity to build momentum.

Northern Lehigh has produced 1,710 yards in five games, an average of 342 yards per outing. Its ground game accounts for 1,172 of those yards, and averages 6.7 yards per attempt. Smoyer has rushed for 329 yards and four touchdowns while also completing 43 of 77 passes for 528 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.

Catasauqua is coming off a 55-0 loss at Notre Dame-Green Pond. The Rough Riders’ lone victory was a 7-6 season-opening decision at Wilson Area, but they have lost their four games since.

Storyline of the Week

Northern Lehigh’s ability to establish its ground game early will be the primary storyline Friday. The Bulldogs have built their recent three-game surge around a physical front, an efficient rushing attack and a defense that has sharply limited opponents’ scoring opportunities.

Smoyer directs the attack, but Northern Lehigh doesn’t depend on one ball carrier. Mason Rothrock has added 207 rushing yards, Lukas Eck has gained 139 yards at 9.9 per carry, and Paul Porobenski has 108 rushing yards. That depth creates difficult problems for a defense: stopping the first runner doesn’t necessarily slow the next series, and the Bulldogs can use a successful run game to set up their passing concepts.

When Smoyer throws, Colin Karetsky is the leading big-play threat. Karetsky has 12 catches for 197 yards and three receiving touchdowns, while Kaiden Smith has eight receptions and three touchdowns. Ryan Zambo has 12 catches, and has also supplied a rushing touchdown.

For Catasauqua, senior tailback Ruben Concepcion leads the team with 196 rushing yards. Senior quarterback Aidan Reilly has tallied 338 yards, three touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Coach’s Corner

“Catasauqua is athletic; No. 4 (Jermaine Santiago) and No. 5 (Solomon Mosby) are both explosive players for them. They have both had nice kick returns and can score if in the open field. They have a senior quarterback with experience who also runs well. So we can’t take them lightly. After Palmerton, Catty is our longest-running series. So this game is a bit of a rivalry. They are also in the 2A bracket, so we need to take care of business against the other 2A teams ... Our biggest steps have been on the defensive side of the ball. We thought we had a solid defense, but knew we had to build depth. Right now our defense has taken huge strides, and our team is having a lot of fun on the defensive side of the ball. We knew our offense could be dynamic, and we are still building on that side of the ball. I also think our special teams have taken huge strides since the summer. Our specials are putting us in position to win games.” - Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout

Tamaqua (2-3) at Pottsville (2-3)

When: Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Tamaqua fell to 2-3 after Blue Mountain built a 42-0 halftime lead on the way to a 42-7 victory last week. The setback was the Blue Raiders’ second straight following a close loss to Executive Education two weeks earlier, ending a stretch in which Tamaqua had won consecutive games.

The Raiders will try to respond quickly against a Pottsville team coming off a 39-14 win over Berwick. The Crimson Tide’s other victory came in a 20-19 decision over Pleasant Valley, while they dropped a 44-14 game to Blue Mountain earlier this season.

Tamaqua’s offense has generated 1,339 total yards through five games, with 1,112 coming on the ground. Terrence McDowell returned in a limited role last week after missing time with an injury, carrying five times. He remains the Raiders’ featured runner with 497 yards on 79 carries, a 6.3-yard average, and seven touchdowns.

Ace Schickram and CJ Walker have both helped carry the rushing workload. Schickram has 271 yards and two touchdowns on 53 attempts, while Walker has 232 yards and two scores on 47 carries. Together, the three backs give Tamaqua a veteran, run-first foundation heading into Thursday.

Storyline of the Week

Can Tamaqua re-establish its running game against a Pottsville defense after last week’s difficult loss? The Raiders average 222.4 rushing yards per game and 5.6 yards per carry, but their success Thursday could partially depend on whether McDowell is ready for a larger workload, and if Schickram and Walker can continue to provide effective complementary production.

Pottsville brings a dangerous lead runner of its own in senior Donovann Durham. Durham has rushed 26 times for 218 yards, an 8.4-yard average, and three touchdowns. Senior quarterback Andrew Allen has passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Crimson Tide a different element to complement their ground attack.

For Tamaqua, controlling the line of scrimmage, avoiding an early deficit and limiting Durham’s explosive runs are the clearest paths to a rebound. The Blue Raiders have been strongest late in games, outscoring opponents 46-19 in the fourth quarter, but Thursday’s goal will be to keep the game within reach well before the final period.

Coach’s Corner

“They have three solid running backs. I think their quarterback is out, but the kid who stepped in and played against Berwick did a nice job ... They won a big game against Berwick last week. We have to tackle well, a lot better than we have the past two weeks, because they have three guys who can break tackles and make you pay if you don’t finish them off. When we are in position to make a tackle for a loss or no gain, we have to make that play. A lot of times, once we miss that first initial hit, it turns into a big play for the other team. We have to clean up our tackling defensively.

“We don’t have much of a turnaround, so you can’t mope around for long after a tough loss. You have to get back on the horse and work hard Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We had a full practice Monday. I told our guys we were going to treat Monday like a Tuesday and go full pads. I thought our kids did a pretty good job of responding to that.” - Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner

Marian (2-3) at Tri-Valley (4-1)

When: Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Marian couldn’t clamp down on Shenandoah Valley quarterback Ethan Bench, who threw for 355 yards and six touchdowns in its 45-26 victory over the Colts last week. Tyler Price gained 205 yards on the ground, with two touchdowns rushing and one receiving. Price has 855 yards with 10 touchdowns for the season. Marian ran for 251 yards rushing, and 411 overall. Colts’ quarterback Greg Tirpak was 12 of 19 for 160 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tirpak has completed 46 of 80 attempts for 819 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. Rocco Griguoli has 23 catches for 419 yards with four scores. The Colts have allowed just six points in the first quarter, and 111 overall. They have scored 51 points in the third quarter, and 144 overall for the season.

Tri-Valley posted a 31-16 victory over Minersville, and the Dawgs have won four straight. However, Parker Hatter, who has rushed for 671 yards with nine touchdowns, left the game with a shoulder injury. Landon Horoschak topped the Dawgs’ runners with 99 yards. Quarterback Trey Porter, who threw for 928 yards last season, has completed 17 of 36 attempts for 333 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. He didn’t complete a pass last week. Linebacker/wide receiver Robert Schwartz has 69 tackles. The two teams last met in the district playoff last year in which Tri-Valley won, 3-0. Marian won the regular-season meeting, 17-14.

Storyline of the Week

The Colts are searching for consistency, and need a win here for a possible stretch run. Price will need to have another big game on the ground to help set the pace, but the Colts are looking to get more possible playmakers involved. Marian’s defense has the Herculean task to slow the rising Dawgs, especially if Hatter plays.

Coach’s Corner

“We obviously had a hard time covering Shenandoah’s receivers. We started the game well, but a long touchdown catch in the second quarter gave them life. Offensively, we had over 400 yards and 26 points, which typically would be good enough to win, but our pass defense needs to be better to give us a shot.

“It won’t get any easier this week taking on Tri-Valley. We are familiar with them from our playoff battles the last few years. We need to cover Schwartz and (Doyle) Flory, and cannot allow Porter and Hatter to the edge on defense. Offensively, I thought Jason Ashfield played well with more touches for us. That is something we will continue to develop, as we need some more playmakers to take the load off Price and Griguoli.” - Marian head coach Billy O’Gurek.

Panther Valley (3-2) at Blue Mtn. (4-1)

When: Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Panther Valley jumped out to a 20-0 lead against Tunkhannock last week, and held off a late rally for its second straight victory, a 27-18 win. Quarterback Cy Maynard completed 8 of 11 passes for 177 yards with two touchdowns. Maynard is 34 of 59 for 495 yards with two touchdowns and one interception this year, and has run for 323 yards and scored six touchdowns. Troy Nunez ran for a pair of scores and 74 yards last week, and has 321 for the season. Chase McArdle had a big game with six catches for 158 yards, with a 29-yard touchdown catch and an 87-yard score. He has 22 receptions for 349 yards with three touchdowns this season. Defensively, Brody Vermillion had 15 tackles, and Carlos Maldonado 12. Vermillion has 52, and Maldonado 40 for the season. This will be the first meeting between the two teams, as the Panthers are opening their league play.

Blue Mountain jumped out to a 42-0 lead over Tamaqua in its 42-7 win last week for its third straight victory. The Eagles had a balanced attack of 164 yards rushing and 176 passing. Quarterback Cohen Kirby threw for 176 yards, and tossed three touchdown passes. Kirby is having a banner season with 1,017 yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception. His prime targets have been Chase Guers (23-425-6 TDs) and Kole Luckenbill (20-426-5). The Eagles are averaging 44 points per game. Sonny Amato has 31 tackles, while Landon Daubert has 3.5 sacks.

Storyline of the Week

The Panthers face their second biggest test of the season, and it’s on the road. Blue Mountain will apply pressure and likely look to shut down McArdle and their passing game. The Panthers need to play ball control and generate a running and play-action game. Blue Mountain is hitting on all cylinders.

Coach’s Corner

“We were very happy with our first-half performance last week, even though we felt like we had the opportunity for two more scores. We let them back in the game in the second half and had a dogfight until the end. I was happy we fought though some tough situations and came through with a win. Blue Mountain is the complete package. They are big and physical up front and have speed at every position. They also have a quarterback who can make all the throws.” - Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine.