We all have things that wake us up in the middle of the night.

Some can be outside noises, but it’s usually our thoughts that crash our “slumber” parties.

Did I take the garbage out? Did I remember to pack my kid’s uniform for her junior high basketball game? Why does my boss want to see me first thing in the morning?

It’s a terrible feeling. Before the work week begins, there is a term for it: “The Sunday Scaries.”

I’ve had the “scaries” since last Friday night.

Up until Northwestern Lehigh pulverized the Southern Lehigh Spartans, it was pretty simple ranking the area football teams: Palmerton is No. 1 and until they lose they remain No. 1. But then ...

The Tigers became my boogeyman.

For two years I’ve ranked the teams from last to first, but not this time.

This week, we go first to last.

The District 11 Class AAA tournament starts tonight and Northwestern is the top seed and Palmerton is the second seed. Does that mean I need to follow the rankings and flip-flop my top two teams - demoting the Bombers?

That would be the easy way out, but seedings are based on wins and losses, power points and a bunch of other criteria that mean nothing when the whistle blows - and the same can be said of my power rankings, they mean nothing when heads start a knockin’.

Both teams are 10-0, so I can’t go on records.

Both teams have signature wins - Palmerton over North Schuylkill in Week 8 and Northwestern’s last Friday over previously unbeaten Southern Lehigh.

With the Colonial/Schuylkill League Gold Division title on the line, the Tigers not only grabbed the trophy, but never left a doubt who the best team in that division is with a 42-14 victory. Did I mention that Southern Lehigh was unbeaten entering the game?

The Tigers - two classes below Southern Lehigh in district play - made a strong statement to being the best team in District 11 that doesn’t play in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, which features powerhouses Parkland and Nazareth this year.

Northwestern, led by Dalton Clymer’s 249 yards rushing on 34 carries, flattened the Spartans.

So the question now becomes: Is Southern Lehigh better than Palmerton? We will never know because they can’t play each other.

What we do know is that Palmerton and Northwestern can meet in the district finals in two weeks.

There is something else we know.

Palmerton quarterback Matt Machalik is a magician who will go down in Carbon County history as one of the best players ever. The Lehigh University recruit is now the only player in Pennsylvania high school history to rush for more than 5,000 yards and pass for 5,000 yards in a career.

Here’s a math stat for you: 10,000 yards equals 5.18 miles.

And because Machalik has been the best player on the field the last two years when any Schuylkill/Colonial team squares off against the Bombers, Palmerton is still my No. 1.

But just because I wrote it down on paper, doesn’t mean I won’t loose sleep over it.

No. 1: Palmerton.

No. 2: Northwestern.

No. 3: Tamaqua. Winners of 5 of its last 6 games. Can avenge a mid-September 38-15 loss to North Schuylkill tonight in opening round of AAA playoffs.

No. 4: Jim Thorpe. Draws Palmerton tonight in the 3A playoffs. Take heart Olympian fans, last time you’ll play against Machalik.

No. 5: Marian.

No. 6: Lehighton.

No. 7: Northern Lehigh.

No. 8: Pleasant Valley.

No. 9: Panther Valley.

Sidenote: To all the area runners competing in the PIAA Cross Country Championships Saturday in Hershey, good luck to you. As a former cross country runner, I know you chuckled when I converted Machalick’s total yardage into miles: That’s an easy day’s run for you.