Week 9 features a matchup of two of the area’s top teams as undefeated Northwestern travels to Tamaqua.

Elsewhere, Northern Lehigh is looking for its third straight win when it hosts Salisbury.

Northwestern (8-0)

at Tamaqua (6-2)

When: Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northwestern continued to roll last week in a 55-0 win over Jim Thorpe. Tamaqua suffered a setback with an upset loss to Lehighton on the road. The Raiders will now be fighting for their district playoff lives over the next two weeks as they currently sit just on the outside looking in on the fourth and final postseason slot in District 11 3A. The Tigers continued to show their physicality in the run game last week, rushing for 335 yards. Eli Zimmerman rushed five times for 105 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Zimmerman has rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns for a staggering 14.7 yards per carry. Northwestern is averaging 44.9 points per game, and giving up just 5.1 points per game. The Raiders struggled defending Lehighton’s passing attack last week, giving up 181 yards and two passing touchdowns. Quarterback Luke Kane was still able to do some damage on offense, throwing for 120 yards, while rushing for 135. On the season, Kane has thrown for 933 yards and eight touchdowns, and has rushed for 620 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

No team has been able to handle Northwestern in the trenches this season. The Tigers have been dominant, and their front seven on the defensive side of the ball plays a fast and physical brand of football. The Raiders will look to get their run game going early, and mix in some shots in the passing game if the opportunity presents itself.

Coach’s Corner

“Tamaqua is a team that is battle-tested. They’re also undefeated at home, and they’re fighting for a playoff spot. So, we know we’re going to get a team that is going to come out and play hard. Coach Bonner has been there for a long time, and they’re well-coached. They have a scheme that has worked for them, and they stick to it. They’re disciplined in what they do, and they like to also play aggressive on the defensive side of the ball in their 40 front. I can’t say enough about the mentality and the culture our guys have built here for the past few years. They play with a physical mentality, and they love to fly around and hit people. That starts in the weight room. You have to be physically strong to go out there and play that brand of football. It’s a mindset you have to play with, and our guys have that going good right now.” - Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder.

“The first thing you’re impressed with when you look at Northwestern is how fast they play. They also have a lot of skill kids. Zimmerman obviously stands out, but they have a lot of kids that make plays for them. Another thing that is impressive about them is how physical they play up front. Reichard is one of the bigger, athletic and physical kids you’re going to see along the line of scrimmage. A main focus for us is we’re not going to try and force anything. If you try and do that against this team, they more than likely are able to come away with a turnover. And they have been good at converting off turnovers as well. We have to be able to sustain drives, and then finish drives. Defensively, we have to be able to get off the field. We have to make plays, and make them work.” - Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner.

Salisbury (4-4)

at Northern Lehigh (6-2)

When: Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Northern Lehigh routed Catasauqua, 27-3, and the Bulldogs have won five of their last six games. The Bulldogs ran for 266 yards, with Chris Frame rushing for a team-high 121 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown scamper, and a four-yard dash for a score. Grady Newhard added 96 yards in the contest, and leads the team with 706 yards with eight touchdowns. Frame has 402 yards with four touchdowns. Quarterback Garrett Smoyer has completed 48 of 85 yards for 854 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Bulldogs are the third seed in the district Class 2A bracket.

Salisbury snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-28 victory over Palmerton. Running back Jason St. Leger ran for 251 yards with two touchdowns, and also caught a 17-yard pass for a score. The Falcons took advantage of six Palmerton turnovers, but had to hold off a late Blue Bombers rally. For the season, St. Leger has run for 600 yards with nine touchdowns, and has three 100-yard-plus rushing games.

Storyline of the Week

Northern Lehigh will look to continue to pound the ball, and its defense has been putting it together at the right time toward clinching the district third seed in the playoffs.

Salisbury will look to get the ball in St. Leger’s hands, and the Falcons’ run defense has to tighten.

Coach’s Corner

“We thought last week was one of our best defensive efforts of the year. To give up only a field goal to a talented Catty offense was impressive. Noah Herring, Reese Lipsky, Kaden Quinones, and Colin Karetsky all played excellent for us defensively. We felt it was a solid effort by our offense as well. We went into halftime with a 13-3 lead, and scored on our first two offensive possessions of the second half, including a 91-yard drive on our second drive. We felt like we came out very strong in the second half of the game and took control. Overall, it was one of our better performances of the year.

“This week will be a good challenge for us. Salisbury is well coached, and very athletic. They are a difficult team to prep for. They run a bunch of different formations, and use a lot of motions. They love to run counters, so you need to stay home and be disciplined. St. Leger runs hard, and is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. We have to be able to locate him at all times. Offensively, we are looking to continue to be balanced. Last week, Catty stayed in a two high safety look and kept an extra defender in the field flat area. So they were content to take away the pass, and we stayed in a lot of double tight formations. This week, we are hoping to be more multiple in our formations, and more balanced in our passing and throwing. We are excited to get a win this week. Winning on Friday should guarantee us a home playoff game and the third seed in districts, at minimum.” –Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout

Mahanoy Area (2-6)

at Panther Valley (2-6)

When: Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Panther Valley had a dominant 32-0 victory over winless Shenandoah Valley, snapping a three-game losing streak and recording its first shutout since it blanked Nativity, 28-0, Nov. 3, 2022. Brennan Kunkel ran for 128 of his 140 yards in the opening half, as the Panthers grinded out 300 yards rushing. Panther Valley’s defense limited Mahanoy to one total yard of offense. The Panthers will look to win their second consecutive regular-season game since they defeated Columbia Montour Vo-Tech (36-7) and Hamburg (14-0) in 2017.

Mahanoy suffered a 28-14 defeat to Tri-Valley, and the Golden Bears have lost two straight. Quarterback Levi Terry threw for 70 yards, and rushed for 107 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. The Golden Bears trailed 21-14 at halftime, but managed just 29 total yards and two first downs in the second half. Mahanoy’s last win was a 48-22 victory over Pine Grove Sept. 27.

Storyline of the Week

Panther Valley needs to control the line of scrimmage, and again generate its running game. Mahanoy Area will also look to rely in its running game in a similar script.

Coach’s Corner

“We were happy our kids put together a total team effort versus Shenandoah. We were able to run the ball, control the clock on offense, and our defense played aggressive and tackled better than we have all year. Offensively, Brennan Kunkel had a big first half with 140 yards rushing and went to quarterback in the second half, where we were able to spread the ball around getting a lot of our players involved. Our offensive and defensive lines did a great job controlling the line of scrimmage and have been getting better all year.

“Mahanoy Area is a very well coached team that has been getting better each week. Their triple -option offense is a lot to prepare for and replicate in practice, and their quarterback and fullback are really good players. We will need to be disciplined on defense and tackle well, and we want to establish our running game and control the clock to keep their offense off the field.” – Panther Valley head coach Mark Lavine.

Pine Grove (1-7)

at Marian (4-4)

When: Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Marian was throttled by Williams Valley, 33-0, in which the Colts were held to 109 yards of total offense, and its quarterbacks combined for six interceptions. Leading area rusher, Rory Dixon, was bottled up for 28 yards, but he should eclipse the 1,000-plateau with 946 yards and 10 touchdowns heading into the contest. Michael Gelatko lead the team in receiving with 19 catches, and has scored two touchdowns. The Colts have been saddled in a two-game losing streak, being outscored 69-0.

Pine Grove was plastered by Schuylkill Haven, 81-6, dropping its third straight. Schuylkill Haven amassed 463 of its 478 total yards on the ground, led by Niko Carestia, who ran for 222 yards and scored three touchdowns. The Hurricanes had a 69-0 halftime lead. Pine Grove’s Logan Troupe rushed for 78 yards.

Coach’s Corner

Going into the season, we knew the past two weeks would be the most challenging stretch on our schedule. Still, we are disappointed we weren’t more competitive against a very good Williams Valley football team. Offensively, we struggled to block their linebackers, and couldn’t get much going until the third quarter when we started to complete some passes downfield. Defensively, we were better against the run than we were the prior week, but big plays in the passing game got us in a hole. We still have all our goals as a team in front of us though, and need to regroup this week against Pine Grove. The return from injury of senior linemen Julian Hermany and Zach Holt, and our second leading rusher Jason Ashfield, should help boost our depth, and put us in a position to play well and hopefully continue to pursue a playoff opportunity down the stretch.

Palmerton (2-6)

at Notre Dame Green Pond (7-1)

When: Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

Turnovers were the issue in Palmerton’s 31-28 loss to Salisbury last week, which stopped a two-game winning streak for the Bombers. Six turnovers and critical penalties proved too much for Palmerton to overcome. The Bombers will be taking on a Notre Dame Green Pond squad that has one of the top offenses in all of District 11. Crusaders’ quarterback Matt Bodnar has thrown for 2,978 yards and 30 touchdowns. Notre Dame also has two receivers over the 700-yard mark. Carmine Diaz leads the team with 39 catches for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns. Alex Clark has hauled in 29 balls for 714 yards and seven scores.

Storyline of the Week

The Bombers once again will need to do a better job of protecting the football. Giving Notre Dame’s explosive offense extra possessions will certainly hurt Palmerton’s chances at staying competitive in the game. The Bombers must also put together long sustaining drives that chew up the clock.

Coach’s Corner

“We can’t afford to turn the ball over in any game, but we need to especially take care of the ball this week against an offense that is explosive and can score fast. We have to establish the run and move the chains. There is no doubt that we need to try and slow the game down and keep the clock moving. Notre Dame is always going to put up some yards, and they’re going to move the ball, but we have to limit their explosive plays. We have to be able to get pressure, and then make plays in space. Tackling will be a big focus and a key in the game.” - Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

Bangor (0-8)

at Jim Thorpe (2-6)

When: Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Instant Replay

The Olympians ran into a buzz saw last week in one of the best teams in the state in class 3A in Northwestern Lehigh, as they found themselves down 42-0 at the half. Bangor also ran into one of the top teams in the Colonial-Schuylkill League in Southern Lehigh, and was defeated 47-0 last week. Both Thorpe and Bangor have struggled to put points on the board, and have struggled to stop opposing offenses. The Slaters have yet to score over 14 points in a game this season. JT quarterback Cole Lazorick has kept the Olympians offense afloat, as he has thrown for 1,235 yards and 10 touchdowns. Justin Yescavage has also had some nice games for Thorpe with 503 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Storyline of the Week

JT comes into this game with a host of injuries. The turnover battle, along with the big-play battle, will be crucial in this one.

Coach’s Corner

“Bangor has had our number for the past few years, so we know they’re going to come in regardless of their record ready to play. We will have some new players in different positions this week with some of the injuries we’re currently dealing with, so we will need to grow up fast. We also need the play-makers that we do have out there to step up and make plays for us. We’re just going to continue to work to get better. We need to play more fundamental football, plain and simple.” - Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger

Pocono Mountain West (1-7)

at Pleasant Valley (0-8)

When: Friday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Instant replay

It was another close loss for Pleasant Valley in a 10-7 game to Pocono Mountain East in the Old Oaken Bucket game. The Bears got some big runs, but East came out on top with a late-game winning drive in a low-scoring contest. The line of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference North opponents continues this week for the Bears with Pocono Mountain West, yet another young team who has seen its struggles throughout the season. West’s only win came in Week Two against Belmont Charter, and both the Panthers and Bears will be hungry for another victory.

Storyline of the week

Will the Bears get into the win column against Pocono Mountain West in the last home game of the season?

Coach’s Corner

“Our defense played very well, by far their best performance. We saw a lot of good things, and a lot of things we’ve been waiting to see with a young group finally came to fruition. It was a matter of when we needed it most, we didn’t get it. We only had three or four plays that were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, they were major third and fourth downs when they came up. West is obviously struggling, much like we are. They’re a young team, and we’re in very similar situations.”- Pleasant Valley head coach Blaec Saeger