Sunday Six-Pack: District 11 football’s first-round playoff schedule set

Nazareth (6A), East Stroudsburg South (5A), Allentown Central Catholic (4A), North Schuylkill (3A), Palisades (2A) and Williams Valley (1A) earned top seeds in their classes through the power rankings system and will host either quarterfinal or semifinal round games whenthe District 11 tournament begins Friday and Saturday.

Thedefending Class 6Achampion Blue Eagles enter the postseason as one of five undefeated teams left in District 11. Emmaus, East Stroudsburg South, Notre Dame-Green Pond and North Schuylkill are also unbeaten.

All six of last year’s district champs return to the tournament — Nazareth (6A), Southern Lehigh (5A), Pottsville (4A), Tamaqua (3A), MahanoyArea (2A) and Williams Valley (1A).

Dueto the pandemic, the district decided to eliminate subregionals and increase qualifiers, meaning 36 of 46 eligible teams will advance to the tournament.

Classes 6A, 4Aand2Awill have eight-team tournaments and 5A, 3Aand1Awill feature four-team brackets. Thehomesite of the higher seed will be used in the early rounds, but District 11 is hopeful of finding neutral sites for the title games and mayuse one site for three championship games in one weekend.

District 11 opted out of the PIAAtournament so that it could hold its normal district playoffs. Teams knocked out of districts, along with those such as Liberty whodidn’t qualify, are still allowed to schedule games through Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 26-28.

Theschedule:

Class6A— All games 7 p.m. Friday: No. 8 Pleasant Valley

(1-2) at No. 1 Nazareth (6-0); No. 7 Easton (2-3) at No. 2 Emmaus

(5-0); No. 6 Pocono Mountain West (3-2) at No. 3 Freedom

(3-1); No. 5 Parkland (3-1) at No. 4 Stroudsburg (4-1).

Class5A— Gamesat 7 p.m. Friday: No. 4Pocono Mountain East (1-3) at No. 1 East Stroudsburg South (4-0); No. 3 Southern Lehigh (4-1) at No. 2 Whitehall (3-3).

Class4A— Gamesat 7 p.m. Friday unless otherwise noted: No. 8 Wilson Area (2-5) at No. 1 Allentown CCHS(3-3); No. 7 Lehighton (3-5) at No. 2 Pottsville (6-1); No. 6 Blue Mountain (4-4) at No. 3 Northwestern Lehigh (6-1); No. 5 Saucon Valley (2-2) vs. No. 4Bethlehem Catholic (3-3) at noon Saturday at Northwestern Lehigh.

Class3A— Gamesat 7 p.m. Saturday: No. 4Tamaqua(5-3) at No. 1 North Schuylkill (5-0); No. 3 Jim Thorpe (6-2) at No. 2 Notre Dame-Green Pond (6-0).

Class2A— Gamesat 7 p.m. Saturday unless otherwise noted: No. 8 Panther Valley (2-6) at No. 1 Palisades (5-2), 1 p.m.; No. 7 Schuylkill Haven (2-6) at No. 2 Northern Lehigh (3-3), at 12 noon; No. 6 Pen Argyl (2-4) at No. 3 Palmerton (2-4); No. 5 Catasauqua (1-5) at No. 4Minersville (4-3).

Class1A— Gamesat 7 p.m. Friday: No. 4MahanoyArea (4-4) at No. 1 Williams Valley (7-1); No. 3 Pottsville Nativity (5-3) at No. 2 Tri-Valley (4-1).

2. Dynamic Baby Blue Bombers: Palmer ton’ s roster reads: Matthew Machalik, freshman quarterback; Cole Serfass, sophomore quarterback.

Thetwoare playing like anything but varsity newcomers.

They combined for 264 rushing yards and three touchdowns Friday night in Palmerton’s biggest gameof the season – a 31-26 win over Northern Lehigh for the Battle for Blue Mountain trophy.

“[Serfass] missed a lot of time last year so they really are playing as first-year kids,” Blue Bombers coach Chris Walkowiak said. “It was Game6, and they really looked like veterans tonight.

“They were cool, calm, poised in pressure situations.”

Machalik took all the snaps at quarterback except a third-quarter series after he took a blow to the midsection and had the wind knocked out of him.

Hemissed only three plays because Serfass took over at quarterback and needed just 1 minute, 17 seconds to engineer what turned out to be the game-winning drive. Serfass capped it with a scintillating 44-yard touchdown run.

“We’re like best friends on and offthe field,” Machalik said. “I love us in the backfield together as quarterback and quarterback. We’re both seeing the same thing and just makethings happen.”

Palmerton secured a berth in the District 11 Class 2Apostseason with the win that cameon the heels of consecutive close losses to Palisades and Saucon Valley – and a heartbreaking overtime setback in last season’s meeting with rival Northern Lehigh.

The two young QBs were a big part of the growth.

“They are a nice tandem who complement each other well,” Walkowiak said. “I think it’s an added bonus that they are team kids. That’s the most important part that makes mehappyand helps our team.”

And now comes bonus football.

“Thepostseason is going to be a fun ride,” Machalik said.

3. Wildon eat White hall: If you go to a Northampton-Whitehall football game, don’t leave early. TheKonkrete Kids and Zephyrs played their third thriller in as manyyears Friday night with Whitehall pulling out a 36-35 win.

Quinn Wentling hit Bryce Bashore for a 2-point conver

sion with 20 seconds left for the game-winner. Wentling finished with more than 400yards of offense. Hepassed for 212 and two scores and ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns in continually bringing the Zephyrs back after they trailed 7-0, 14-7, 21-14, 28-21 and 35-28.

Theonly time Whitehall led was at the end.

“I told our offensive staff whenwegotthe ball for the final drive that if wescored, wewere going for two,” Zephyrs coach Matt Senneca said. “I wanted them to have a play ready. We wanted to go for it there because wewerehaving trouble stopping their running gameall night. I didn’t feel very confident stopping them four times from the 10 in overtime.”

Northampton had 366 yards on offense, including 313 rushing. Michael Cruz led the way with 124 yards on 17 carries.

TheK-Kids have been respectable in their return to a Northampton County schedule, losing three games by 10 points or less. However, they woke upSaturday morning to the likelihood they won’t makethe district playoffs.

4. Uncertain future: Saucon Valley and Notre Dame-Green Pond qualified for the District 11 playoffs, but COVID-19 concerns have clouded their participation.

TheCrusaders are 6-0andthe second seed in the Class 3Atournament. Coach Phil Stambaugh’s club is set to host Jim Thorpe (6-2) in next weekend’s semifinals. But it has not played the last two weeks because of separate positive tests.

Notre Dame-GPis scheduled to return to practice Tuesday.

ThePanthers (2-2) are fifth in the eight-team 4Abracket and set to visit No. 4seed Bethlehem Catholic (3-3) in next weekend’s quarterfinals.

Saucon Valley cancelled Friday’s gameagainst visiting Palisades less than two hours before kickoff because a second

COVID-19 case that week– neither of which involved the football program.

It is not clear whenthe Panthers can return to practice, but district football chairman Jason Zimmermansaid Saucon Valley indicated that it will be able to participant next weekend.

Coach Brad Trembler’s club had to cancel their only scrimmage– against the Golden Hawks– earlier last month whenit had a positive test within the program.

5.Thegoalisgold: It was a celebratory scene on the field at Parkland Friday night after Emma us held off Park land 13-6 to claim the Battle of Cedar Crest Boulevard trophy and the EPC’s Lehigh Division title.

It was the first time since the third gameof 2016 and a 14-6 loss to Liberty that the Trojans were held to as low as six points in a game.

But that accomplishment is not not what the Green Hornets are looking for. Emmaushas never wonadistrict title. Is this the year?

“That’s the goal,” coach Harold Fairclough said. “Wegot to the final in 2018 and got a taste of it. I knewit was going to be hard to get back to and it still is. Westill have a lot of tough games to get through to get there. That’s the main goal. Beating your rival is nice, winning the league is nice. But wewantthat gold.”

6.Laterun: Southern Lehigh quarterback J.C. Rizzuto’s role for most of this season was to hand the ball offto a stable of running backs. Hehad35yards and two TDson27carries in the first four games.

In Friday’s victory at Salisbury, the first-year starting senior ran for 210 yards and a score on just 11 carries.

Southern Lehigh’s win secured the No. 3 seed in the District 11 5Atournament. It will visit No. 2 Whitehall next weekend.