Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua will put their undefeated records on the line Friday night. The Olympians host Kutztown, while the Raiders travel to Panther Valley.

Palmerton will look to get back on track after a loss to Saucon Valley last week. The Bombers visit Notre Dame Green Pond.

Pleasant Valley will look to pick up its first win of the season when it travels to Emmaus.

Northern Lehigh and Northwestern will both be in action on Saturday. The Bulldogs will try to bounce back from last week’s loss when they battle Pen Argyl, while the Tigers will look to extend their winning streak to three games against Wilson.

Kutztown

at Jim Thorpe

Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

ROAD GRADERS

… The Olympians (3-0) will be looking to establish the run early and often against Kutztown on Friday night. As a team, Thorpe has already rushed for 944 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 9.54 yards per carry. Expect the Olympians — as they have the first three weeks of the season — to depend on their big boys up front and tailback CJ Selby (491 rushing yards).

“It’s always our main goal to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and so far, we’re 3-for-3 in that area, so hopefully we’re saying next week that we’re 4-for-4 there. We have some strong, dedicated football players up front that we’ve been counting on, and they’ve done a great job of doing what they need to do to let our athletes make plays,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger. “Defensively, too, up front, we’ve been very good. Our guys have played physical and disciplined, allowing the guys in the middle and the back end to do their jobs as well.”

TOUGH STRETCH

… Kutztown (0-3) heads into Jim Thorpe after a rough losing streak. Kutztown has lost 23 straight games, dating back to the 2017 season. Kutztown went 0-10 in 2017, 0-10 last season and has started this campaign 0-3. The Olympians were able to come away with a 62-0 win at Kuztown a season ago.

ZERO TOLERANCE

… The Olympians “Red Swarm” defense is going for its third straight shutout after keeping Marian and Panther Valley off the scoreboard over the past few weeks. The only points Jim Thorpe have given up this season have come on a Kobe Brish 55-yard run in Week 1 against Schuylkill Haven in the first quarter.

Palmerton

at NDGP

Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

INJURY RIDDLED

… Notre Dame, a name usually associated with luck, was not quite so lucky last week in the injury department. The Crusaders (2-1) starting quarterback Collin Quintano went down against Southern Lehigh and did not return, while backup signal caller Nick Oligino also went down late in the game and didn’t return. Quintano has passed for 551 yards and seven touchdowns this season, while Oligino has thrown for 258 yards and three scores. If either quarterback cant’s go, it will be up to senior Andrew Darno, the Crusaders top receiver (277 yards), and freshman Conner Aquino to fill in. The two have thrown for a combined 100 yards and two touchdowns.

RUN LIABILITY

… Notre Dame struggled against the rush last week as most teams do against Southern Lehigh, giving up 451 rushing yards, with three different Spartans’ rushers going over the 100-yard mark. The Crusaders nearly gave up a first down each time Southern Lehigh ran the ball, as the Spartans averaged 10.1 yards per carry. Expect the Bombers to test the rushing waters after the Crusaders down week with top rushers Andrew Sabo (177 yards) and Jordan Nelson (109 yards). As a team, Palmerton (1-2) has done a nice job running the football, rushing for 671 yards, an average of 7.63 yards per carry.

“We always just try to take what the defense gives us, whether that’s on the ground or through the air. One thing we need to do this week offensively is play more physical up front, and establish that physicality from the opening whistle,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. “We always want to be balanced, but if something is working better than something else, then we’ll make the necessary adjustments.”

PASS HAPPY

… Under head coach Phil Stambaugh, a former standout quarterback at Lehigh University, the Crusaders like to throw the ball. Three games in, Notre Dame has attempted 113 passes, an average of 38 attempts per contest. With the Crusaders injuries at quarterback, it’s anyone’s guess what their offense will look like this week, but the Bombers must be prepared to defend a whole lot of passes.

“Getting pressure is key; if you can get pressure and make the quarterback make a quicker decision than he wants that always takes pressure off your secondary guys,” said Walkowiak. “The big thing though, this week we really worked on communication in our defensive backfield. Those guys need to talk, and we’ve been working on it; now we just need to execute.

Tamaqua

at Panther Valley

Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

ONE WEEK AT A TIME

... While Tamaqua (3-0) has started the season with three big wins – outscoring opponents 42.3-2.3 over the first three weeks of the season – head coach Sam Bonner knows there is still plenty of work to be done. “I think the big thing is that we started off well, and I think that we’ve improved on the little aspects of what we’re doing each week. After the first week, I thought we had to work on our run game, and our assignments in the run game. I thought we did a much better job in the second week when we went against Mahanoy, and then Mahanoy going into Schuylkill Haven, I thought that we had to improve on our rush defense, and we did that ... so we’re continuing to find stuff that we have to improve on, and we’re trying to do that every week. So far, I think our kids have been doing a good job. Even though the games that we’ve been in, unfortunately have been one-sided, I think our kids have been doing a good job of concentrating and getting better each week,” said Bonner.

The Raiders have steadily improved their run defense each week. After allowing 121 yards on the ground in a season-opening win over Line Mountain, and 217 yards on the ground in Week 2 against Mahanoy Area, Tamaqua responded by holding Schuylkill Haven to just 94 yards rushing last Friday.

TAKING IT AWAY

... Panther Valley and Tamaqua are the only teams in the area with a positive turnover margin. The Raiders lead the way at +5, while the Panthers are +2. It’s a trend both teams hope will continue moving forward. “We know each week it’s going to get harder. After PV we go to Blue Mountain; after Blue Mountain Pottsville; after Pottsville North Schuylkill. So it’s kind of a progression where each week, each team we play starts getting better and better. It’s important that we continue to improve as a team, and individually ... we have to make sure that we continue to improve, and that’s something we’ve been emphasizing. We’ve had a similar discussion now for the last couple years, and I think our kids realize that they have to (keep getting better). For us to be in the mix for a Schuylkill League championship, districts, all that kind of stuff, we have to make sure we get better each week,” said Bonner.

BETTER BALANCE

... The Raiders have the area’s leading passer in Brayden Knoblauch (31-for-35, 631 yards, seven touchdowns), top receiver in Matt Kistler (11 catches, 305 yards, five touchdowns) and second-leading rusher in Nate Boyle (26 carries, 295 yards, seven touchdowns). Tamaqua’s 399.7 yards and 42.3 points per game are the best in the area. “At this point and time, from an offensive standpoint, they’re probably the most balanced team that we’ll see. They throw the ball well, they run the ball well ... they’re well-coached, and they do everything well. Tamaqua always has tough kids; they happen to now also have tough kids that are good as well. I really don’t see a lot of similarities between anybody that we’ve played. This is by far the best – offensively the most well-rounded team that we’ve played, and you can’t really just focus on stopping the run game, or stopping a particular player. They have good receivers, they have a quarterback that’s an athlete, they have a nice fullback, and they have the tailback that’s probably the best player in the county. And they’re very aggressive defensively. They’re a nightmare matchup simply because they have athletes at every position, that you can’t take away one thing,” said Panthers’ head coach Rick Jones.

MOVING AHEAD

... Though the Panthers have opened the season 0-3, and are coming off a 67-0 loss to Jim Thorpe, Jones is working on establishing a foundation the program can build on in the future. “Right now, our approach is very simple. We can’t worry about anybody but ourselves. Our major objective at this point and time, and it probably will be throughout the course of the year, is to change the mindset, and the mental culture of this program. Until we get that point across, and get over that hump, it’s not going to matter who we’re playing. That’s our objective and our goal. Obviously, it doesn’t help from an emotional standpoint with the types of teams that we’re playing for the next couple weeks, but we have to worry about ourselves,” said Jones.

Pleasant Valley

at Emmaus

Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

QUICK STRIKE

... Emmaus bounced back from a 36-24 loss to Nazareth by jumping all over Whitehall last Friday. The Hornets (2-1) scored less than two minutes into the game on a 48-yard touchdown pass to Jameel Sanders. Emmaus led 42-14 at halftime, before going on to claim a 49-21 victory. For a Pleasant Valley team that has surrendered 174 points (58 ppg.) this season, the challenge of slowing the Hornets will be no small task. But Bears’ first-year head coach Blaec Saeger remained steadfast that the team will come ready to play, regardless or the opponent. “They are really, really good. We played Liberty Week 1, and this is a very comparable opponent. They’re two enormous schools, in one of the toughest leagues in the state. I was in that league the last two years (at Bethlehem Catholic), and I know what those battles are like. And every week, you’re facing another massive opponent down there. And we are not that. We are a very small 6A school, they are a very large 6A school, and we’ve got our work cut out for us. But the one thing I will say is we’re going to go out there and we’re not going to be afraid, and we’re not going to be deterred. We’re going to run our game, and the chips will fall where they may. But we’re going to go out there and give them everything we’ve got,” said Saeger.

GAINING GROUND

... Pleasant Valley’s (0-3) rushing attack has found its footing the last two weeks, averaging 177 yards per game after posting 107 in the season-opener against Liberty. Saeger was well aware there would be an adjustment period with the introduction of an option-style attack. But, he’s liked what he’s seen the past two games. “I certainly knew that it would be a process, and that it wouldn’t happen overnight. I said that right from the beginning. We’ve been playing some really good teams, and we’re fighting to get better, we really are. The kids are still upbeat and positive about what can happen, and we’re getting better. I see it everyday. The film sessions are more pointing out what we are doing right now that we couldn’t do a week ago. It’s cool to see those improvements. We’re definitely starting from the ground up, and I see it. There are spots where we definitely have to improve more, but the kids have never stopped working to get there. We’re just continuing to push it forward through some really tough opponents, and we’re using those games to get better and keep improving,” said Saeger.

PAVING THE WAY

... Saeger recently has been especially pleased with the play of the offensive line – Mason King, Mason DeMeglio, Cesar Estrada, Matt Kilmurray, Kyle Danny and Julian Gonzalez. “That was the biggest positive that I took out of Friday (against Northampton), was that we were able to go up against a very good opponent, a much bigger, stronger team than us, and we moved them. We were able to move them off the ball. This was the first Friday I could see that all six of them are grasping what we want, and they’re figuring it out. It wasn’t enough to win, but if I’m looking for steps in the right direction, they were the group that took the biggest jump Friday,” he said.

STATLINE

... Bears’ quarterback Jack Stephens has not thrown in interception this season, completing eight of his 14 pass attempts for 123 yards. While Stephens has yet to throw for a touchdown, his two rushing scores and 127 yards on the ground lead the team. Ryan Blass leads the team with eight catches for 113 yards. Jared Salazar has rushed for 110 yards on 28 carries, while Robert Papaleo has added 85 yards and a touchdown.

No. Lehigh

at Pen Argyl

Saturday, Sept. 14, 1:30 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

BOUNCING BACK

... After its first loss of the season to Bangor last week, Northern Lehigh (2-1) is ready to take out that frustration against Pen Argyl. “We feel we left a very winnable game get away last week,” Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout said. “We learned from it and we’ve moved on. Hopefully, we get off the bus on Saturday in a bad mood, ready to put that loss behind us.”

NO EASY FEAT

... Tout is aware of the challenges the Green Knights (1-2) present to opponents. “They run the single wing offense, something we haven’t seen in a decade,” he said. “We are spending time reading our keys with this offense, and we feel good about our preparation. Defensively, their strengths are their ends and linebackers, so we are emphasizing for our linemen to get to their linebackers.”

GETTING LOW

... The scouting report shows that Pen Argyl is big and physical, and can make teams pay if execution isn’t there. “When they are on offense, we need to tackle low,” Tout said. “If we tackle high, they will drag us for extra yards.”

SLOW STARTS

... In last week’s loss to Bangor, the Bulldogs fell behind by two scores in the first 14 minutes of the game, before battling back to tie it up twice. The ‘Dawg faithful are hoping for a more immediate impact out of the gates in Week 4.

THUS FAR

... Both teams picked up wins this season over Catasauqua, as the locals notched a 51-20 decision in week two. Meanwhile, the Green Knights got their only victory of the year last week against the Rough Riders, 49-7.

Northwestern

at Wilson

Saturday, Sept. 14, 1:30 p.m.

Here’s what you need to know:

THE EXTRA DAY

... For the second week in a row, Northwestern (2-1) will have an extra day between games. It happened coming into Week 3 after the team played its home opener on a Thursday night, and happens again this week with a Saturday afternoon trip to Wilson. Coach Josh Snyder used the extra day to put in a couple new looks for this week’s game.

“With the extra day of practice this week, we worked on putting in a couple new things that we can use this week,” said Snyder. “We had simplified some things defensively going into last week, and this week we were able to game plan a little more specifically for Wilson.”

FIGHT TO THE FINISH.

.. The Warriors are 1-2 on the season, but in every game they’ve played, they’ve shown that they don’t quit. Their two losses are by a total of seven points, falling to Northern Lehigh 14-10 in the season opener, and then to Salisbury in a 27-24 loss last week in overtime. In between was a come-from-behind win over Palisades that saw the Warriors score the winning touchdown with just 20-seconds left in the game.

THE GUY TO STOP

... Senior Alec Snyder played a key role in Wilson’s fourth-quarter comeback to beat Palisades, and last week against Salisbury, he carried the ball 29 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. The presence of Snyder in the backfield, and fellow senior Isaiah Casado at wideout, has helped sophomore quarterback Cayden Stem. Casado has become a favorite target, while Snyder has sustained drives with key runs.

AS LONG AS YOU’VE GOT YOUR HEALTH

... Justin Rodda missed the first week of the season with an injury, while fellow receiver Justin Holmes saw his first game action last week at Palisades. Both players were missed in the season opener against Notre Dame, but Rodda has come back to make an immediate impact. In his two games, he’s hauled in five touchdown passes. Meanwhile, Holmes had two catches last week.

The return of Rodda and Holmes has helped ignite senior quarterback Deven Bollinger, who has nine touchdown tosses in his last two weeks. Bollinger has also averaged six yards per carry through the first three games of the season.

NOT AS GOOD AS IT GETS

... The bad news for opponents is that while the passing game has recovered from a Week 1 letdown, the ground game still hasn’t hit its stride, at least as far as Snyder is concerned.

“We’ve done well running the ball, but Nick [Henry] really hasn’t had that big breakthrough week yet. Overall, we’re getting a lot of yardage, but we’re going to be even better as we go on. You always feel that with Nick, any week can be a big week, and Deven can beat teams with his passing and on the ground, so I think that offensively, we can do a little more than we have so far,” said Snyder.