Four Times News area teams will be in action Friday when the District 11 playoffs continue.

The Weatherly boys return to Lehighton after their quarterfinal win there on Tuesday, while the Lehighton and Panther Valley boys will both begin their title quest with quarterfinal games.

The Northern Lehigh girls also take to the court following a decision victory in the opening round on Tuesday. The Bulldogs will take to the road to face New Hope-Solebury in a quartefinal contest.

BOYS BASKETBALL

District 11 Class 1A

No. 4 Weatherly (14-10) vs.

No 1 Bethlehem Christian (23-2)

Friday, Feb. 21 at Lehighton, 7 p.m.

LEADING OFF

Weatherly is coming off an emotional victory over Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday. The win was the first for the Wreckers in the postseason in 19 years. Luke Medico’s club will face a daunting task against top-seeded Bethlehem Christian, which has only lost twice this season — to Catasauqua and Nazareth — and defeated his team 83-49 on Jan. 25. The Panthers, led by Gabe Transue — who averages a double-double — recently captured the ACCAC (Atlantic Coast Christian Athletic Conference) championship, winning their three games by an average margin of 36 points. The winners advance to the championship game against either Nativity or Lincoln Leadership. The loser will play in a consolation game for the opportunity of a play-in game to the state playoffs.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bethlehem Christian - Gabe Transue (24.0 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 59 threes), Myles Harris (15.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Deion Swift (12.7 ppg), Roman Rex (10.9 ppg).

Weatherly - Ian McKeegan (18.33 ppg), Niko Saldukas (14.71 ppg), Corbin Wagner (10.92 ppg), John Donish (5.09 ppg), Chance Stauffer (4.83 ppg).

BY THE NUMBERS

2 - Weatherly and Bethlehem Christian only have two common opponents this season — Notre Dame-ES and Salem Christian. The Panthers defeated ND and Salem twice this season, while the Wreckers downed Salem in their only matchup.

8 - Bethlehem Christian averages eight three-pointers a game, led by Transue’s 59. Swift is next on the team with 38.

13 - Speaking of three-pointers, Weatherly hit 13 in its quarterfinal win over Notre Dame. Its previous high this season was just seven. The last time the Wreckers had that many threes in a game was Feb. 5, 2021 at Minersville.

70 - In reaching 70 points in its quarterfinal win, Weatherly has now had three games in which it has reached 70 in a game. In comparison, the Panthers — who average 73.7 a game — have reached 70 an impressive 17 times this season.

821 - The Wreckers’ leading scorer — McKeegan — upped his career total to 821 points. His 440 points this season are the most by a Weatherly boys player since 2020-21 when Scotty Zoscin tallied 442.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Being able to play on the (Lehighton) court and get used to the feel of the gym while coming out with a huge win has our momentum high for Friday. We plan to keep the same energy rolling right along. Bethlehem Christian is one of the toughest teams in all of District 11. They got us off our game, and we weren’t able to run the corner when we played them in January. We know what to expect from them, and we will be well-prepared to play our game.” - Weatherly head coach Luke Medico.

District 11 Class 4A

No. 2 Central Catholic (19-4) vs.

No. 7 Panther Vy. (12-10)

Friday, Feb. 21 at Whitehall, 7:30 p.m.

LEADING OFF

Allentown Central Catholic was upset in the first round of the EPC tournament by eventual champ Northampton. Panther Valley, playing in the always tough Schuylkill League Division 1, got some big wins during its non-league play in order to get to the postseason. The Vikings’ Jahrel Vigo was named the MVP of the EPC conference this season. The winner of this matchup goes on to face the winner of No. 3 Saucon Valley and No. 6 Salisbury in the semis.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Central Catholic – Jahrel Vigo (21.3 ppg), Lucas Mushrush (15.4 ppg, 57 three-pointers), Yariel Gonzalez (14.2 ppg).

Panther Valley – PV - Logan Fisher (13.05 ppg, 10.2 rebounds per game), Connor Penberth (12.45 ppg), Danny Wehr (8.41 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Brady Jones (7.73 ppg, 41 three-pointers)

BY THE NUMBERS

8 – The number of years in a row that the Panthers have qualified for the District 11 playoffs. They have made districts from 2017-2025. The longest streak in program history.

3 – PV lost three key pieces - two 1,000-point scorers and it’s all time leading three-point shooter - from a season ago. Still, the Panthers were able to put together a strong offseason and qualify for the district playoffs.

5 – The Panthers average five three-pointers per game. On the season, PV has 110 three-pointers.

12 – Central Catholic’s longest winning streak was 12 games this season in the always ultra-talented EPC.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Our number one priority is taking care of the basketball. We have to limit our turnovers, and we can’t allow them to get out in transition. They have a very talented team with a bunch of shooters. We have to make them take contested jumpers. We just have to make sure that every shot is as contested as it can be. And then we need to be able to knock down some shots. We we have an open look, we need to let it rip. And then obviously rebounding is going to be key. We have to try and limit them to one-and-done. If we give them multiple second chances, then that will certainly be an issue for us.” - Panther Valley head coach Pat Crampsie.

District 11 Class 4A

No. 4 Lehighton (16-7) vs.

No. 5 Wilson (15-8)

Friday, Feb. 21 at Catasauqua, 7:30 p.m.

LEADING OFF

Both Lehighton and Wilson put together solid seasons and qualified for the Colonial League playoffs. Both teams were not able to advance past the opening round. The winner of this matchup will face No. 1 seed and Colonial League champion Northwestern.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lehighton – Joe Roth (18.2 ppg, 8.7 rebounds per game), Cole Dietz (16.2 ppg, 75 three-pointers), Blake Roberts (11.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg).

Wilson – Lafayette Acree (15.3 ppg, 32 three-pointers), Marquise Acree (13.0 ppg).

BY THE NUMBERS

9 – That was Lehighton’s longest winning streak this season, which started with its win against Wilson. It stretched from Dec. 9-Jan. 11.

4 – The amount of points that Wilson lost by to Northwestern in the Colonial League quarterfinals. The Warriors looked like they might knock off the Tigers, leading by double digits, but Northwestern was able to come back to win the game.

8 – After starting the season 1-2, Wilson rattled off eight straight wins to get to 9-2, which propelled it to a playoff berth.

52 – The amount of points Lehighton scored in a 52-46 win over the Warriors earlier in the season. Lehighton was without one of its key players in Blake Roberts for that win as well. Dietz and Roth combined for 37 of the Indians’ 52 points.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“Wilson is a very talented team, and they have some guys that can get to the basket and can score the basketball. That’s something we’re really going to focus on, is trying to stop their dribble penetration. We can’t allow them to beat us off the dribble and get to the rim. We have dealt with some injuries this season, and this is really the first time we’ve had our core unit together all at once with some time to practice. It’s been great being at full strength, and being able to all work hard together. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to get on the court and compete.” - Lehighton head coach Trevor Miller.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

District 11 Class 3A

No. 6 Northern Lehigh (16-8) vs. No. 3 New Hope-Solebury (13-9)

Friday, Feb. 21 at New Hope, 6 p.m.

LEADING OFF

Northern Lehigh started off the season with a three-game losing streak — suffering losses to Northwestern, Palmerton and Notre Dame of Green Pond. All three teams made the Colonial League playoffs with Notre Dame taking the title. The Bulldogs also earned a berth in the league playoffs, falling in the quarterfinal round. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs began their district playoff run with a convincing win over Lehigh Valley Academy in the opening round, advancing to the quarterfinals. Sixth-seeded Northern Lehigh will now make an hour-and-a-half road trip to New Hope to take on the Lions, who are the No. 3 seed in the subregional. New Hope hasn’t played a game since Feb. 7 when it posted a commanding victory over Faith Christian Academy.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Northern Lehigh - Katelynn Barthold (21.17 points per game, 9.0 steals per game); Tegan Simms (20.63 ppg, 9.0 rebounds per game); Dekota Barthold (5.58 ppg, 9.0 rpg); Kylee Snyder (3.48 ppg, 6.0 rpg.); Ariana Williams (3.29 ppg).

New Hope-Solebury - Emily Wilson (Sr., SG, recent 1,000-point scorer), Isabella Elizondo (Sr., SF, recent 1,000-point scorer), Ella Dudock (Sr., C), Kayla Fennell (Jr., SG), Mary Tresler (Fr., SF).

BY THE NUMBERS

1 - The number of opponents that New Hope-Solebury played outside of District 1. The Lions took part in the Marian Christmas Tournament, and dropped a narrow 47-44 setback to the host Fillies in the tournament championship game on Dec. 28.

5 - The Lions lost five straight home games toward the end of the season before their final home contest against Faith Christian (a 66-46 win). Overall they were 4-5 at home this season, 6-4 on the road and 3-0 on neutral floors.

6 - The number of three-pointers Northern Lehigh’s Tegan Simms made against Lehigh Valley Academy in the Bulldogs’ opening-round victory. That wasn’t a season high for the sophomore, as she connected for seven earlier this season in a game against Jim Thorpe.

14.25 - During her four-year varsity career, Katelynn Barthold has scored 114 points in eight district playoff games, an average of 14.25. She upped her average with a 25-point performance against LV Academy. Barthold just missed her district-best of 27 points she netted during a winning consolation game against Minersville in 2023.

50 - New Hope-Solebury will hope to reach the 50-point mark against the Bulldogs, as all nine of its losses have come when they failed to hit that figure. The Lions are 6-0 when reaching 50, and 7-9 when they don’t.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

“I’m optimistic about our chances. I know they like fast-paced games like we do. They press full court like we do, and we’re hoping this is a good matchup for us. We will find out Friday night. They might be better at it than us, but we only have one speed, and it’s fast. They seem to like to play fast. So, it should be a fun game to watch. The team we played the other night — Lehigh Valley Academy — they were much bigger than us inside. I know New Hope does have some taller post players. We don’t have the height inside. So, we like to rely on that outside game, that outside pressure and our backcourt ... We think that matches up well for us. We will find out.” - Northern Lehigh head coach Chris Heery.

Capsules compiled by Brad Hurley, Rod Heckman and TJ Engle.