There are several stops for teams on the road to Hersheypark Stadium.

Some happen to be right next door.

The PIAA football tournament will be in full swing this weekend, and two area schools will be at the center of the action.

Lehighton will host the showdown between undefeated Neumann-Goretti and Southern Columbia in a Class 2A quarterfinal this Friday at 7 p.m. Northern Lehigh will be the site of the Class 4A quarterfinal between Valley View and Imhotep Charter Friday at 7 p.m. before Archbishop Wood and Wyoming Valley West square off in the Class 5A quarterfinal Saturday at 1 p.m.

Construction at the district’s new elementary center prevented Lehighton from hosting any state playoff games at its new multipurpose stadium a year ago.

With full access to the stadium and its facilities this season, despite the ongoing construction nearby, Lehighton has been a hot spot for PIAA events this postseason.

“I think it’s been great, personally,” said Lehighton Director of Student Services and Facilities Planning Kyle Spotts. “We’ve been fortunate to get a game (Williams Valley and Old Forge) last week, and a game this week. And I think it’s been great for the school to kind of showcase the stadium at a state level. We’ve had some state soccer games here, as well. So we’ve had the ability to host state soccer and state football.

“So to show the area, the school, the stadium, the work that went into designing the stadium, it’s kind of now come full-circle, in some realm, to be showcased at a state-level.”

Lehighton was the site of two PIAA first round soccer games earlier this month after also hosting Schuylkill League and District 11 playoff games.

It’s an opportunity Spotts always hoped the school’s state-of-the-art complex would provide.

“That was one of our goals going in, was to design something that could be utilized at a state level for playoffs and be attractive enough to host some competitions,” he said. “We’ve really seen it in soccer, with getting the league playoffs the last two years, and we’ve gotten as many district games as we can get. And this year, we were fortunate enough to get a state soccer game, too, and now two football games.

“It’s definitely been an attractive area and stadium for the PIAA, it seems.”

Northern Lehigh is no stranger to hosting postseason action. Since the turf field was installed at Bulldog Stadium in 2012, Northern Lehigh has already hosted 13 state football playoff games and 10 state soccer contests. In 2014, Northern Lehigh was named “Best High School Sports Venue in the Lehigh Valley” by ESPN of the Lehigh Valley.

The stadium has been a staple for Colonial League and District 11 playoff games.

“I have outstanding game-help people who really care about how well they do their job,” said Northern Lehigh Athletic Director Bryan Geist. “I’m blessed with an outstanding staff.”

Such close proximity to the Pennsylvania Turnpike also makes both schools appealing options for hosting postseason competition.

“That was kind of our plan and hope that that would be an area they would look to put games if that was the case, and obviously that has been the case,” Spotts said of the school’s location. “In reality, we could have been hosting more games, too. But with our (football) team being involved, we didn’t have the ability of playing and hosting the same day. So with the success of our football team, it kind of eliminated some other opportunities to host events, which is always a good problem to have.

“But we knew going in that our location in District 11, our location in the state between some of the districts that are usually involved in the state playoffs, it was definitely going to be an attractive area and location for them to put events. So to see that come full-circle is definitely what we intended from the beginning, and it’s great to see that the time and the effort, and the facility that we planned, and some people in the area dreamed of, has come to host these great events.”

Requirements to host playoff games vary among sports. Any school interested in hosting a state football playoff game must complete a Request For Quotation (RFQ), which determines the cost of having an event at a particular venue prior to doing so. Lehighton completed its RFQ, which goes on a two-year cycle, last year.

“From that point, there’s really no lobbying or anything like that to get the venues,” said Spotts. “It just gets assigned from the individual who is responsible from the district, in which case our usual contact person is (Northwestern Lehigh Athletic Director) Jason Zimmerman for football. So he’s the person that dictates where it goes, and he does a great job of giving you a heads up.

“And that’s usually the biggest obstacle, is just getting the people in place. In the regular season and playoffs, you kind of know, hey if this happens we’ll be here. Or these are your regularly scheduled five home games. So it’s easy to plan and get everybody in place. A lot of times you find out on Sunday that you’re hosting Friday, but Jason does a great job of letting us know that these are the possibilities ahead of time so you can get some people in place and get everything planned.”

Spotts makes sure he has a pool of people to pick from to staff the games, though many are those who would typically work a Lehighton home game during the season.

Geist utilizes a checklist to make sure everything is taken care of before, during and after the game.

“There is an enormous amount of work that has to be done to prepare for a football game,” said Geist. “You have to be organized and over-communicate.

“The list doesn’t include anything that could go wrong or come about. However, we try to limit those factors by being prepared with the checklist.”

The parents’ clubs work the concession stands and are often a benefactor of the schools hosting extra games, as are any local businesses that might see increased foot traffic.

Geist also noted the school receives a rental fee for hosting the games.

Regardless of the outcome, the chance to see some of the best players and teams without having to venture too far from home is a victory for area football fans.

“From our standpoint, we love it,” said Spotts. “I think it’s great to have the venue showcase that, and bring some of the talent at a state level to our area.

“The talent that’s gonna be here on Friday is pretty exciting to see.”