Teams eyeing playoffs in Week 8
Halloween decorations are popping up. Leaves are changing colors. Daylight exits earlier and earlier. Jackets and sweaters are coming out of closets. Homecoming ceremonies are planned at high schools everywhere.
Mid-October brings a variety of traditions, but in the world of Lehigh Valley high school football, it means crunch time.
Just three weeks remain in the regular season and just two teams — Williams Valley in Class A and Southern Lehigh in 5A — have clinched District 11 playoff berths.
Many more teams would secure their postseason berths this weekend and league races will crystalize with intriguing matches ranging from Pottsville-Jim Thorpe in Carbon County to Northern Lehigh-Palisades in Bucks.
Here are some things to keep an eye on in Week 8:
Home finale, perhaps
Freedom plays its final regular-season home game Friday when it hosts Emmaus. Before the game, the Patriots will honor a senior class that has gone 25-9 since the start of the 2017 season.
Freedom’s regular-season finale also will take place at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium, but the Patriots will be the road team for their rivalry matchup with Liberty. They are currently in position to host as many as two home playoff games; they sit second in the District 11 Class 6A power ratings.
Best bet
Nazareth will carry at least a share of the EPC South lead into its regularseason finale.
The Blue Eagles (6-1 overall, 5-1 EPC South) need to beat only winless Whitehall (0-7, 0-6) to bring a 6-1 league mark into a Week 10 game with Easton. They visit Allen for their second EPC crossover game next week.
Kid stuff
Northampton junior quarterback Joe Kerbacher has thrown 15 touchdowns passes, just three shy of the school record for TD passes in a season set by Craig Muschko in 2003. Kerbacher has thrown for 515 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions in the last three games.
Senior wide receiver Jared Russell has at least one TD reception in each of the last five games.
Broken records
It has been a special era for Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua football. Two of the leading men of those programs are set to shatter school marks, according to District 11 statistician Duke Helm.
The Olympians’ CJ Selby is within reach of the school’s all-time rushing mark of 3,403 yards set by Jason Figura from 2001-04. With 3,232 yards, Shelby needs 172, and that total won’t come easily against a quality Pottsville defense that is giving up than 12 points per game this season.
The Blue Raiders’ Nate Boyle needs 28 yards to set Tamaqua’s all-time receiving record currently held by Anthony Bumbulsky (2007-09) at 1,399 yards.
Boyle already has the school’s reception record with 89. Vince Boyer (199698) previously had the record at 86. Boyle also owns the single-season TD reception record of 27 set last year and is the school’s all-time TD reception leader with 64.
Games to watch
All games Friday at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted EPC South Emmaus (4-3 overall, 2-3 EPC South) at Freedom (6-1, 4-1)
Senior running back Jalen Stewart can become Freedom’s all-time leading scorer with one touchdown Friday. He has 180 career points, four behind Mike Lawrence (184 points, 1981-83).
Stewart also needs one touchdown to take sole possession of first place on Freedom’s career TD list. Stewart and Lawrence are tied with 30 career touchdowns each. Liberty (2-5, 0-5) at Central Catholic (4-3, 2-3), 7 p.m. Saturday
Central Catholic has a chance to boost
its District 11 Class 4A power rating against the reeling 6A Hurricanes. Liberty has lost five straight since division play began, averaging 12.8 points per game.
Central Catholic enjoyed its best offensive performance against an EPC South foe when it scored 35 points Friday at Emmaus. Easton (6-1, 4-1) at Bethlehem Catholic (5-2, 3-2), 7 p.m. Saturday
How does Easton respond after its first loss? The Red Rovers need to tighten up their execution after committing two turnovers and twice firing shotgun snaps over quarterback Cole Transue’s head Friday against Freedom.
Two of the division’s top running backs, Easton’s Nahjee Adams and Bethlehem Catholic’s Tavion Banks, will have a say in who wins this one. EPC North Allen (2-5, 2-4) at Northampton (6-1, 6-0)
The Canaries have lost four in a row but still have enough offensive firepower to keep most games competitive.
The Konkrete Kids, who haven’t who won a league championship since a Mountain Valley Conference crown in 1997, can clinch a share of the EPC North title with a win. Colonial League Saucon Valley (5-2) at Northwestern Lehigh (6-1)
It’s a classic catfight as the Panthers visit the Tigers in New Tripoli. They split two games in Hellertown last year with Saucon Valley getting the more significant victory in the District 11 4A semifinals. Saucon Valley had a fivegame win streak snapped at Wilson while Northwestern has won six games
since an opening-night loss at Notre Dame.
Expect both teams to try to run the ball since four of the league’s top 10 rushers will be involved — Saucon’s Damian Garcia and Chris Mann and the Northwestern’s Deven Bollinger and Nick Henry. Northern Lehigh (4-3) at Palisades (2-5)
Both are on the outside looking in at District 11 Class 3A tournament berths, but both are coming off impressive wins and would like to extend the momentum. The Bulldogs thrashed Salisbury 42-14 and the Pirates blanked Bangor 36-0 in arguably their best performances of the season. Wilson (4-3) at Palmerton (2-5)
The Warriors have won three in a row and have put themselves in good shape in the District 11 4A power rankings. The Blue Bombers snapped a five-game skid by beating Catasauqua and still have a shot at a District 11 2A spot.
Wilson sophomore quarterback Cayden Stem is an emerging star with more than 1,100 yards, 13 TD passes, and just six interceptions. Warriors receivers Dylan Goldsworth and Zack Gillen are two of eight players in the Colonial League with 20 or more receptions. Schuylkill League Pottsville (6-1, 2-0) at Jim Thorpe (6-1, 1-1)
The Tide has averaged 47.7 points per game during its six wins and the Olympians have allowed just six points during their six victories.
Pottsville quarterback Damon Yost has passed for 1,276 yards and 20 touchdowns. Jim Thorpe’s Selby has rushed for 1,017 yards and 11 TDs.