After posting a pair of impressive wins to open the season, both Northern Lehigh and Palmerton will look to continue that momentum this week, as the Bulldogs travel to Pen Argyl Saturday while the Bombers visit Palisades on Friday.

Elsewhere, Tamaqua hosts Notre Dame Green Pond after earning its first win of the season a week ago.

In other action, Panther Valley hosts Mahanoy Area, Marian welcomes Catasauqua, Pottsville travels to Lehighton and Jim Thorpe meets Salisbury, while Blue Mountain travels to Northwestern.

No. Lehigh at Pen Argyl

When: Saturday, Sept. 10, 1:30 p.m.

Storyline to Watch

: Bulldogs building momentum.

Northern Lehigh has had some big wins recently, and last Thursday’s dramatic 34-27 win over rival Northwestern was certainly one of the biggest. It was the first for the Bulldogs’ seniors over the Tigers. The win also moved the defending District 11 Class 2A champions to 2-0 after a tough Week 1 win over Catasauqua. The loss to Northern Lehigh was the first for Northwestern since 2016. “We haven’t beaten them in years, and the previous two times we lost in heartbreaking manner,” said Bulldogs coach Joe Tout. “We were able to get over that hump of pulling out a close game against NW. I think this win gives us a lot of confidence. NW has been on a long winning streak against other public schools. So that was a confidence win, and it is great for our seniors to be on the winning side of this rivalry.” The Bulldogs finished with 343 yards of total offense, holding Northwestern to 241 after the Tigers put up 508 yards Week 1 against Tamaqua. “Our offense made strides from Week 1. However, we were far from perfect last week, and made a bunch of mistakes that could have cost us the game,” said Tout. “Once we are able to stop having exchange issues and putting the ball on the ground, we will be a really efficient offense. But again, we did take some big strides from our first to second game. Our defense was excellent on Friday. Northwestern struggled to consistently drive the ball against us. Our special teams put our defense in some bad positions with field position. During the preseason, we felt our defense would be really strong and we are happy with how they are progressing.” The Green Knights suffered their first loss of the season in a 20-14 setback to Mahanoy Area last week. Quarterback Brad Rissmiller completed 11-of-18 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown and two picks. Damian Tyminski caught six passes for 109 yards and one score. The ground game amassed 52 yards on 24 total attempts, a 2.2 yard per carry average, against Mahanoy. “Pen Argyl has really improved from last year, and had a chance to be 2-0 after having a late turnover that could have tied their game last week,” said Tout. “Their line has improved from last year, and No. 54 (Kael) Grim is a nice lineman both offensively and defensively. He is really quick on the defensive line. They throw the ball well, and No. 3 (Damian Tyminski) and No. 4 (Alex Moser) are two nice receivers. However, they are able to run the ball much better this year and are using multiple backs. Defensively, their linebackers are the strength of their defense. So our keys will be making sure we are picking up their linebackers when we have the ball. Defensively, we cannot give up the big play to No. 3 (Tyminski) and we have to keep their running game in check.” Northern Lehigh has won the last four meetings against Pen Argyl, including a 62-30 victory last season. It’s always a challenge to travel to Pen Argyl on Saturday afternoon, and the Bulldogs will be playing after a slightly extended break. “Well, it’s almost like a mini-bye in the NFL,” said Tout. “We played on a Thursday and don’t have another game until Saturday. So we gave our team off on Monday. Which is the first time we’ve ever done that. Northwestern was a physical game. So we wanted our team to be able to rest up for a couple days. But other than that we will be ready to play on Saturday.”

Players to Watch:

Nick Frame, Northern Lehigh

Frame completed 10-of-14 passes and finished with 182 yards last week against Northwestern. Frame also rushed for 52 yards and a score on nine carries last week against the Tigers.

Izaiah Ramos, Northern Lehigh

Ramos scored three rushing touchdowns and added five grabs for 67 yards in last week’s win over the Tigers.

Brad Rissmiller, Pen Argyl

Rissmiller completed 11-of-18 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown and two picks in last week’s loss to Mahanoy Area.

Damian Tyminski, Pen Argyl

Tyminski caught six passes for 109 yards (18.2 yards per catch) and one score last week.

Palmerton at Palisades

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Fast Starts have been key for the Bombers.

A big reason for Palmerton’s 2-0 start this season has been its explosive starts. The Bombers are outscoring their opponents 63-3 in the first half and 28-0 in the first quarter. Palmerton put the game into mercy rule last week in the first half against Catasauqua. A big reason for the explosive starts has been the Bombers passing attack, which has been efficient and versatile. Junior signal caller Matt Machalik has already thrown for 434 yards and seven touchdowns with four different receivers accounting for at least one touchdown catch. Palmerton’s opponent this week in Palisades is giving up an average of 146 passing yards per game, which bodes well for Machalik and his squadron of receivers. The Pirates (1-1) dropped a Week 1 contest to Bangor 27-7, and bounced back last week with a 31-6 win over Wilson. Palisades is predominantly a run-first team, which has struggled at times to run the football. Palmerton has been impressive against the run this season, giving up just 3.64 yards per carry. “We’ve had good play from both our fronts on offense and defense, and that’s where it all starts. Also, getting out to fast starts and getting out to big leads has been big for us, and has allowed us to execute our game plans,” said Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak. “And there’s no denying our passing has been clicking. The offensive line has given Matt time on most of this throws and if protection has broken down, Matt’s ability to scramble and make plays along with our speed at receiver is proving tough to match up with.”

Players to Watch:

Daniel Luckykanish, Palmerton

Lucykanish is a threat to both run and catch the football. So far this season, Luckykanish has caught five balls for 129 yards and two touchdowns, and has also rushed for a score.

Dalton Drake, Palmerton

Drake has showed promise this season as an option at receiver for Machalik. Drake has five catches for 89 yards and one receiving touchdown.

Notre Dame GP at Tamaqua

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline to Watch

: Defense key for Raiders, Crusaders.

The Blue Raiders posted their first win of the season last week with a 32-29 victory over Lehighton. Notre Dame, on the other hand, is coming off a 29-28 loss to Southern Lehigh after a 41-34 win over Saucon Valley in Week 1. The Crusaders moved the ball effectively against the Spartans, with junior quarterback Danny Darno completing 15-of-19 passes for 233 yards and one score with no interceptions. “They can chuck the ball. They still spread you out; they’re always going to have playmakers,” said Tamaqua coach Sam Bonner. “Obviously, we have to get some stops. In the past, when we had success against them, we did that by keeping them off the field. Obviously, we’re going to have to sustain drives; we’re going to have to limit the amount of times that we give them a chance to score, and that’s by keeping the ball, and hopefully being on the plus side as far as the turnover ratio goes. They’re the kind of team where, if you go down a score, you can’t turn the ball over and give them the ball right back. Before you know it, you’re down two scores, and then three scores. So we can’t let stuff snowball. We know they’re a potent offense that’s probably going to score some points, but obviously we have to make sure we limit that, and limit their opportunities.” Tamaqua’s Connor Dillon scored three touchdowns, making an impact in both the rushing and passing game to spark the Blue Raiders against the Indians. Dillon ran the ball nine times for 107 yards, including a 44-yard scoring run late in the third quarter to extend the lead. He also had over 100 yards receiving in the first half. Quarterback Luke Kane was 6-of-10 for 183 yards and two scores. “We’ve got a nice mix. We’ve got some senior leadership going now with guys like Ryan Snyder and Isaac Curvey. After the first loss, they bounced back and had a good week of practice last week, and a lot of times when you’re coming off a losing season and you lose your opener, sometimes it’s tough to get that going again,” said Bonner. “But I thought our seniors did a great job of staying positive last week. And Connor (Dillon), who is a junior, and they guy throwing him the ball, Luke (Kane), is a sophomore. And we’ve got Jacob Hehn, who is playing very well at defensive end for us, and he had to step in and run the ball a few times for us at tailback once Warren (Stewart) went down. So we have a good mix of guys like Isaac and Ryan, the seniors, to guys like Luke and Jacob as sophomores doing stuff for us. It’s always a good thing. And over the offseason and through the first couple of weeks, I think we have pretty good team chemistry, and kids that really stick with each other. A lot of guys made plays for us. Obviously Connor was a big playmaker for us, but Luke threw for over 185 yards, and that’s his second varsity start. Declan Coleman, he’s a big tight end for us. He made a couple of really big catches for us in that second half to keep drives going and to keep Lehighton off the field. We have a lot of different guys contributing in a lot of good ways.”

Players to Watch:

Connor Dillon, Tamaqua

Dillon, the Times News Football Player of the Week, had four catches for 134 yards two scores, and ran the ball nine times for 107 yards and one touchdown in Tamaqua’s 32-29 win over Lehighton Friday.

Luke Kane, Tamaqua

Kane was 6-of-10 for 183 yards and two scores in Friday’s win over Lehighton. He was 6-of-12 for 116 yards and a score in Week 1 against Northwestern.

Danny Darno, Notre Dame Green Pond

Darno completed 15-of-19 passes for 233 yards and one score with no interceptions in last week’s loss to Southern Lehigh. Darno also ran the ball 12 times for 35 yards with one touchdown.

Josh Ludlow, Notre Dame Green Pond

Ludlow hauled in five passes for 107 yards (21.4 yards per catch), and amassed 41 yards rushing with two scores against Southern Lehigh.

Mahanoy at Panther Valley

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Panthers return home.

After traveling to Allentown and Hegins the last two weeks, Panther Valley plays at home for the first time this season on Friday. “First of all, we started off with two away games. So, we’re excited just to be at home,” said first-year head coach Mark Lavine. “A lot of us coaches though, we have played here, and it means a lot to us. That stadium means a lot to Panther Valley, and we’re excited to play our first game at home.” After scoring his first career varsity coaching win against Salisbury in Week 1 before falling to Tri-Valley last week, the atmosphere of Panther Valley Stadium alone should help the Panthers bounce back from a tough loss. “After coming off a loss like that, we just want to see how we rebound and what our mentality is going to be like,” Lavine added. “So far, practice has been great this week. It’s about the idea of bouncing back and showing we’re better than what we showed last week.” The Bulldogs managed 462 yards of total offense against PV – 260 on the ground and 202 through the air, while the Panthers managed just 139 yards on offense. “We realize we need to get a lot more physical up front on both offense and defense,” Lavine stressed. “Tri-Valley took it to us on both sides of the ball. We came off the ball slow. We didn’t stay on blocks. We didn’t get off blocks. And that’s what Tri-Valley did the entire game.” The Panthers have stressed being more physical as they prepare for this week’s game against Mahanoy Area, which currently is 2-0 on the season. The Golden Bears run a triple option, leaning on Colm McGrowarty (No. 2, QB) and Ben Manley (No. 18, FB). “Their fullback is a physical kid, as he runs hard each time he touches the ball. He breaks tackles. Everything kind of goes through him,” Lavine said. “But, with the triple-option, their quarterback is shifty and fast. He’s a playmaker. He’s always looking for cutbacks and the option to break outside. So, being responsible on defense, and knowing our responsibilities against the option, are going to be absolute key this week. A strong, physical line kind of really makes the offense go as well.”

Players to Watch:

Brody Breiner, Panther Valley

Breiner has caught his coach’s attention with his play in recent weeks. “He’s a kid who’s being going in for us when we go in the Power-I formation,” Lavine said. “He goes in at quarterback and runs the offense for us. He also goes in for tailback. So, just to be able to put a freshman in at quarterback, as he did in game one, and get the snaps, and execute the offense and run the huddle – it’s been a really nice surprise.”

Brennan Kunkel, Panther Valley

Kunkel had two carries for seven yards before suffering a slight injury in Week 1. The Panthers’ wide receiver, tailback and defensive back may have missed some playing time, but Lavine hopes to see Kunkel back in action against the Golden Bears.

Jah Bushati, Panther Valley

Bushati is the Panthers’ place-kicker, while Trey McAndrew holds the ball each time for Bushati when he lines up for either a field goal or an extra point. But in Week 1, Bushati was a perfect 2-for-2. “He would have been 3-for-3 if we didn’t go for two on the third touchdown,” added Lavine.

Catasauqua at Marian

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Colts looking to limit big plays against Catty.

A couple of big plays against Minersville last week (77-yard pass, 52-yard run) that resulted in scores against the Colts (1-1) kept them from entering Week 3 with a 2-0 mark. However, there is still a lot to be positive about in Hometown. Senior running back Matt Martin looked good again, rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown. Martin has rushed for almost 300 yards on the season and four rushing scores. And until the big plays, the Colts defense, which has been stingy so far this season, looked stout yet again up front. Marian will need both its rush offense and rush defense to be on point again this week as an athletic Catasauqua (0-2) team visits. The Roughies are 0-2, but have shown glimpses of potential as they hung with a very good Northern Lehigh team in the first half in Week 1. Catasauqua didn’t look as good in Week 2 in a 42-16 loss to Palmerton, but the Rough Riders do possess size and speed and cannot be taken lightly. “Preventing the big play has been a definite emphasis and focus for us this week, and it was a big reason why weren’t able to come away with the win over Minersville last week. So, we need to have that mentality to finish every play this week, as Catasauqua has some nice size and impressive athletes that can take it the distance,” said Marian head coach Stan Dakosty. “I like the way we’ve been running the football and blocking up front, and I like the way we’ve played up front defensively as well. I think we’ve been playing some pretty solid football, and if we can limit big plays and stay healthy, I think we’ll continue down the path of winning some more football game.”

Players to Watch:

Matt Martin, Marian

Martin is the workhorse back for the Colts this season, and it has showed, as he has rushed for 293 yards on 58 carries, scoring four touchdowns.

Jyzaiah Bonilla, Catasauqua

Bonilla has rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries, and has scored on touchdown for the Roughies.

Blue Mtn. at Northwestern

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Which prevails, the Tigers ground game or the Eagles air game?

Junior Blue Mountain (1-1) quarterback Will Jacobson has thrown for just under 400 yards in the first two games and has done so by spreading the ball around to various receivers. Sophomore Gaige Guers (98 yards), junior Payton Fasnacht (86 yards), and senior Carson Kerstetter (66 yards) have been the primary weapons of choice for Jacobson. Guers leads the Eagles in catches with six for 98 yards, averaging just over 16 yards per catch and 49 yards per game this season. He is one of three receivers to pull in a touchdown catch for Blue Mountain. As a freshman, Guers had three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown. From his defensive back position, Guers has 13 tackles, good enough for fourth on the team. In six games last season, Guers had 14 tackles and an interception. Figure on Jacobson testing a young Northwestern Lehigh secondary that has been hit for just under 300 yards in two games and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 65% of their passes. “We have some young guys in the secondary, and they are going to be tested along the way this season until they show that they can shut down the pass,” said Tigers coach Josh Snyder. “Part of that is getting good pressure on their quarterback and not giving him a lot of time to get rid of the ball.” Meanwhile, Northwestern (1-1) is averaging 301 yards of rushing per game in the early going and will again look to put together a strong ground game behind an offensive line that was tested by Northern Lehigh last week. Northwestern quarterback Cade Christopher also has a team-leading 304 yards rushing this season for five touchdowns, and is well complimented by running back Dalton Clymer and his 155 yards. On special teams, Christopher will look to repeat his touchdown return of 66 yards from last week. Clymer has rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. He stepped in at quarterback last week when Christopher was battling leg cramps and hit on a 25-yard pass play to help the offense. He also has a 31-yard kick return to his credit, and a total of 220 total yards.

Players to Watch:

Cade Christopher, Northwestern

Christopher is still settling into his new role as the team’s signal caller, but he found his timing last week on a 48-yard connection to Seth Kern after just missing on a couple other longer attempts.

Dalton Clymer, Northwestern

While Clymer gets plenty of publicity for his ability to run the ball, he also deserves recognition for his play at linebacker. In the two games, Clymer has become a run-stopper, with eight solo tackles and eight assisted tackles, including four tackles for loss.

Salisbury at Jim Thorpe

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: The Olympians need to finish more drives to get first win.

Jim Thorpe hasn’t started a season 0-2 since 2012. After a heart-wrenching one-point overtime loss to Blue Mountain in Week 1, the Olympians were defeated by Bangor last week. Coach Mark Rosenberger and his staff have emphasized consistency this week in practice. Solid statistics do not always account for victories. The Olympians are averaging 339 yards on offense. Quarterback Brett Balliet has thrown for 326 yards and two TDs in two games. Seven running backs are averaging four yards per carry or better. Yet, all those numbers don’t tell the full story. “We haven’t been finishing individual plays, and we have too many breakdowns on both sides of the ball,” said Rosenberger. “Whether it’s a fumble in the end zone for a touchback instead of a touchdown, or a missed block on a pass that would have found a wide-open receiver for a long score, we have to get better at finishing drives, too.” On defense, the Red Swarm needs to amp up their game, according to Rosenberger. “We have to be better at tackling, and we need to have more players run to the ball be in on the tackle,” he said. Thorpe hosts the 0-2 Salisbury Falcons this week, but Rosenberger sees a team that is better than its record indicates. “They’re very athletic,” he said. “The quarterback is as an outstanding playmaker. He’s a scrambler, and he can make a big play when he’s on the move. We’ll have to keep him in the pocket.” On defense, Rosenberger said the Falcons have very physical linebackers and blitz packages that his defense will have to identify and communicate what they see them setting up to do. “We have to be hungry and then fight hard to get us a victory.”

Players to Watch:

Justin Yescavage, Jim Thorpe

The speedy sophomore receiver has caught 12 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. He is JT’s deep threat, and can put up a quick score on any given play.

David Fiorito, Jim Thorpe

The senior is a duel run and pass wide receiver, and has produced nice numbers in Thorpe’s first two games. He has three carries for 41 yards, and has caught five balls from Balliet for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Nicholas Beck, Salisbury

The Falcons’ senior signal caller can move the chains with his arm and his legs. Against Saucon Valley last week, Beck threw for 75 yards and ran for 69 more in a 27-7 loss.

Pottsville at Lehighton

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 7 p.m.

Storyline of the Week

: Can the Tribe’s defense get a game-changing stop?

Twenty-nine points. That’s how many points Lehighton has scored in a game this season. Not once, but twice. The Indians are 0-2, having lost to Palmerton 42-29 and Tamaqua, 32-29. “That certainly should be enough points to win any game,” said Lehighton coach Tom McCarroll. “And our respectable statistics could even be better. Against Palmerton, we have had three drives end early in the game, one in the red zone and another inside their 30.” McCarroll alluded to his defense, which has failed to get crucial stops that might have changed the outcomes of both games. “Against Tamaqua, we came back in the fourth quarter to be down only by three points, but with 5:30 to go, they had the ball and kept running for three, four yards every play, and kept moving the chains. We couldn’t get a stop, and they virtually ran out the clock.” McCarroll believes that his team presses too much in key situations, and their confidence needs a boost. “It’s been a while since we’ve won,” said McCarroll. “We don’t know how to win yet. We have great practices, but when the lights turn on, we seem to be trying to do too much rather than just play fast and do what we know we can do.” Lehighton hosts Pottsville, which has also lost its first two games, both against perennial playoff powerhouses in Wyomissing and Jersey Shore by a combined score of 104-12. “It’s tough to gauge them considering who they’ve played so far,” said McCarroll. “We shouldn’t see anything new. Their schemes are similar to Tamaqua’s. I also don’t believe they have the depth they’ve had in recent years. I know we can play with them. We just have to clean up the mistakes.” McCarroll’s team has responded well in the second half, outscoring their opponents 41-20 in the second halves of both losses. “We’ve made a 180-degree turn since last year” said McCarroll. “There’s no give up with our team. They will fight until the game is over.”

Players to Watch:

Brady O’Donnell, Lehighton

The Tribe’s junior quarterback has competed 38 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games. On the ground, O’Donnell has rushed for three TDs and is averaging over seven yards per carry. “We have a lot of trust in Brady,” said McCarroll. “When we give him time to throw and he’s not rushed and has time to make his reads, he’s made some big throws for us.”

Ian Rarick, Lehighton

Rarick has been a huge part of the Indians’ offensive attack. The wide receiver has caught 18 balls for 294 yards and is averaging 16 yards per catch. The O’Donnell-to-Rarick connection has also produced two touchdowns to add to an impressive passing game that has accumulated 502 yards and six scores so far this season.

Tejay Allen, Pottsville

The senior quarterback has completed over 60% of his passes in the Tide’s first two games. He’s thrown for 123 yards and is a threat to run once he gets outside the pocket.