Tamaqua will look to move to 4-0 this week against Jim Thorpe. Another matchup of area teams sees Palmerton travel to Lehighton as the two programs renew their rivalry.

Elsewhere, Northern Lehigh and Marian will be looking to post back-to-back wins when they take the field Friday.

Jim Thorpe (1-2)

at Tamaqua (3-0)

When: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Tamaqua went 85 yards in just 31 seconds last week to come back from a 21-17 deficit late in the fourth quarter to stay undefeated on the season against Pottsville with a 24-21 win. The big arm of Luke Kane, and the versatility of Victor Schlosser, has helped the Raiders stay unscathed. Kane threw for 155 yards and a touchdown, and has thrown for 405 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. Schlosser hauled in six passes for 100 yards last week, and also caught the winning touchdown. He also had a 65-yard pick six in the game. On the season, Schlosser has rushed for 176 yards and has caught 14 passes for 232 yards. Jim Thorpe has struggled since its Week 1 win over Palmerton. The Olympians were missing their starting quarterback in dual-threat signal caller Cole Lazorick against a very good Blue Mountain team, which downed them 49-0. Lazorick’s status is uncertain for this week as well.

Storyline of the Week

The Raiders are hot, and the Olympians are not. Tamaqua plays a punishing, physical style of offense and defense, which is something Thorpe has struggled with this season. If Lazorick can go for JT, it will certainly make the game more competitive.

Coach’s Corner

“It took us a little while, but we were able to get into a rhythm as the game went on last week, and we made some big-pass plays when we needed to. Coming into that game, we knew it was going to be tough with the type of athletes Pottsville has all over the field. This week, we have another tough opponent in Jim Thorpe. They have athletes as well on the outside, especially with Justin Yescavage at wide receiver. He has been one of the better receivers in our area for the past few years now and is a big target for them. I also thought their backup quarterback came in last week and threw the ball pretty well for them. We need to be prepared for anything though, so if Lazorick is back this week, that adds another running dimension to their offense with his ability to make plays with his legs.” - Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner.

“Again, we’re preaching just becoming a more physical football team. That is something we absolutely need to accomplish to get better. That’s being physical in every aspect of the game, whether that’s at the line of scrimmage or tackling. We’re going up against a Tamaqua team this week that plays hard, physical, and fast on every play. They have a quarterback with a huge arm, and he is often the best athlete on the field. They also run the ball very efficiently, and they’re going to come downhill at you. We just have to try and slow down the pace of the game, and be efficient and spread the ball around to our athletes. Kaiden Hess did a nice job for us last week at quarterback, and he will be ready to go if he’s called upon again if Cole can’t go.” - Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.

Palmerton (0-3)

at Lehighton (1-2)

When: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Lehighton and Palmerton are both coming off Week 2 road losses. The Indians were defeated by Southern Lehigh 34-3, while the Bombers were taken down by Saucon Valley 63-7. The Indians showed some good things against the Spartans, but their offense sputtered in the second half. Lukas Croizier led the way with 81 yards on 16 carries. The Bombers were tied 7-7 at the half with the Panthers, but turned it over three times in the second half and allowed numerous big plays. Sophomore running back Caleb Sagastume has been Palmerton’s go-to offensive player this season, as he’s rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown.

Storyline of the Week

Lehighton has looked like a team trying to take the next step this season, and features a trio of wide receivers in Blake Roberts, Joe Roth and Caden Meek who have combined for 22 catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns. The Bombers have struggled in their secondary on the season with good athletes on the outside. The battle in the trenches will also be key, with Palmerton looking to take time off the clock with its running game.

Coach’s Corner

“We have just been consistently inconsistent. We need to become a more consistent football team. That’s in tackling, protecting the football and converting on third downs. The message this week has been we have to be able to play four quarters of consistent football. Lehighton has some dynamic players on offense. They have a quarterback that can run it and throw it, and they have athletes on the outside. They also have a big offensive line unit. We have to win the battle up front this week, and we have to contain their playmakers.” - Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

“We were able to do some good things last week. I thought we controlled the first quarter. We were able to get some push up front, and we were able to run the football. But we had an untimely turnover late in the second quarter that led to a score, and then they were able to score on their first possession of the third quarter. I also thought our guys fought and competed for the whole game. Going into this week, Palmerton has done some good things against every opponent they have faced. We have to be disciplined on the defensive side of the ball and get stops, because they have some guys in the run game that can put you in a difficult spot. We like our athletes on the outside, but we have also been able to establish a good running game this season as well, which I think has made us more difficult to defend.” - Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll.

Palisades (0-3)

at Northern Lehigh (2-1)

When: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Call them the comeback kids. Staring at a two-score deficit entering the final quarter for the second time in three weeks, Northern Lehigh needed to respond. The Bulldogs answered emphatically, scoring on the first play of the fourth quarter en route to a 26-14 win over Pen Argyl on Saturday. Sophomore QB Garrett Smoyer, in his first start of the season, hit Chris Frame on a deep pass down the sideline for a 74-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Frame struck again on the third play of Pen Argyl’s ensuing possession, picking up a fumble and racing 43 yards for a score to cut the Bulldogs’ deficit to 14-13 with 10:04 to play in the fourth. Smoyer hit Zane Roth for a go-ahead score with 3:13 to play. Catasauqua rallied to beat Palisades, 22-14, to keep the Pirates winless.

Storyline of the Week

Can Northern Lehigh get off to a better start? The Bulldogs trailed Lehighton 14-0 in Week 1, but rallied to secure a 15-14 win. In addition to scoring 26 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, Northern Lehigh also shutout the Pen Argyl offense in the second half.

Coach’s Corner

“Our defense won the game for us on Saturday. We were happy with the efforts of our entire defense. Landon Moll and Kaden Quinones stood out defensively with the amount of tackles they had and their ability to make plays. Once we put Cyrus Kinchen in at defensive tackle, that seemed to make a difference as well. We challenged Landon to be the leader on our defense, and he responded. We were also happy with Ayden Oswald. We kept him off defense while he was starting at QB. This week he played more defensively, and came down hill from the safety position and was physical. Palisades has a nice team. I know they are young with only six seniors. Palisades played their first three games at home and are traveling for the first time. Their loss was a heartbreaker last week, and one I’m sure they feel like they should have won. We will see how they react to that loss this week.” - Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout.

Marian (2-1)

at Shenandoah Valley (0-3)

When: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Marian got back to what it does best last week, which was establishing the run game against rival Panther Valley in a 27-0 victory. Rory Dixon had a big night for the Colts, rushing for 175 yards and three touchdowns against the Panthers. On the season, Dixon has rushed for 459 yards and four touchdowns. Shenandoah Valley has struggled this season, especially against teams that can run the football. The Blue Devils have been outscored 169-17 in their three games.

Storyline of the Week

It will be all about the run game again this week for the Colts, as they certainly hold the advantage up front. However, as the season moves forward, Marian will need to develop a stronger passing attack to complement its rushing attack.

Coach’s Corner

“We were happy with how we played up front last week. We were able to establish physicality on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball early in the game. We do have some things we need to clean up, because we felt that we left some points out there in the first half. Shenandoah has played two very good football teams in the last two weeks. They have some good athletes who can do some good things, so we have to be aware and focused on that. Again, this week we like our matchup up front, but we also have to do a better job of getting the ball to our athletes on the perimeter in the passing game. That’s something we’ve been emphasizing this week at practice.” - Marian head coach Billy O’Gurek.

Pine Grove (0-3)

at Panther Valley (0-3)

When: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The winless Panthers failed to take advantage of a fumble recovery, an interception, and a blocked field-goal attempt in the opening half against Marian last week down 6-0, as they eventually suffered a 27-0 defeat. Quarterback Brody Breiner has thrown for 176 yards overall, and has a team-high 119 yards rushing. Brady Jones has been his prime target, with 12 receptions for 131 yards. Panther Valley has scored its lone six points this season in the fourth quarter. The winless Cardinals are coming off a 42-0 defeat to Tri-Valley, in which they had three turnovers and 79 total years. They have scored seven total points in three games. Quarterback Wyatt Dixon had thrown for 79 yards with six interceptions, while running back Logan Troupe has 96 total yards.

Storyline of the Week

Can the Panthers take advantage of turnovers and also get their offense in gear? It would also help if they could get on the scoreboard early to create some early momentum.

Coach’s Corner

“We had too many breakdowns in the Marian game on both sides of the ball to be successful. After our first drive, we couldn’t get anything going on offense and we weren’t able to stop the run on defense, which makes for a long night. I like that our kids fought even when we got down, but we still have a lot to fix. Pine Grove is going to come in hungry, and we need to have a great week and fix what we are not doing well and get better. They have some nice players, and do a lot of things on both offense and defense that we need to be ready for.” – Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine.

Parkland (2-1)

at Pleasant Valley (0-3)

When: Thursday, Sept. 12, 7 p.m.

Instant replay

Pleasant Valley is still seeking its first win of the season after a 49-0 loss to Exeter Township last Friday. The young Bears have another tough opponent coming up in Parkland, who lost to Freedom 30-13 in Week 2. It’s a long stretch for the Bears in the next few weeks, as they face East Stroudsburg South and Nazareth the next two weeks, teams that are currently a combined 5-1.

Storyline of the Week

How will the Bears stack up against a tough Parkland team at home? Pleasant Valley has put up 26 points in the first three games, and will hope to gain some early momentum against the Trojans.

Coach’s Corner

“Exeter is an extremely good opponent. No shame in the loss, but it’s really not our best performance. A lot of stuff to clean up, a lot of turnovers and poor tackling. It starts with us and me and getting them in better positions, and getting them a little more prepared apparently.” Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger.

Capsules compiled by Brad Hurley, Jeff Moeller, Kyle Magda and Patrick Matsinko.