Cool days will be followed by crisp nights for the first time on game days in the 2025 high school football season. That’s the forecast Thursday, Friday and Saturday for Week 8 of the 10-week regular season.
It’s been a long time coming after a significant stretch of warm days and comfortable weekend nights.
Regardless of the weather, however, the intensity cranks up a few notches as the calendar turns well into October and District 11 teams press on for playoff berths or seeds.
Here is a breakdown of how the district football playoff picture looks in all six classifications entering Week 8 plus the Colonial-Schuylkill League’s top 10 rankings, which had the least amount of movement all season:
CLASS A
At the moment: No change in the order of the six teams, though Tri-Valley inched closer to Marian Catholic for the No. 2 spot.
Looking ahead: Marian Catholic hosts 6-1 Williams Valley on Friday night. Tri-Valley hosts 1-6 Mahanoy Area on Friday before finishing with games against 5-2 Minersville and 7-0 Schuylkill Haven. Lackawanna Trail faces Holy Cross in Week 9. Nativity BVM, which is sitting No. 5 in the race for four spots, has a brutal finish with games against Minersville, Schuylkill Haven and Marian Catholic.
CLASS 2A
At the moment: Schuylkill Haven stretched its lead over Williams Valley with a dominant final three quarters against Marian Catholic. Palisades jumped over Pen Argyl for third. Minersville moved ahead of Northern Lehigh for fifth. Catasauqua is hanging on to the eighth and last playoff spot.
Looking ahead: Williams Valley visits Marian Catholic on Friday night. Palisades visits unbeaten Notre Dame-Green Pond on Friday before finishing up against Wilson and Salisbury. Pen Argyl hosts Saucon Valley and Catasauqua before hitting the road in hopes of ending its losing streak against rival Bangor. Minersville plays Class A Nativity and Tri-Valley before finishing up with 3A Panther Valley.
CLASS 3A
At the moment: Unbeaten Notre Dame-GP extended its cushion over unbeaten No. 2 Northwestern Lehigh with a win at Pen Argyl. Saucon Valley moves ahead of Tamaqua for the No. 4 spot. Panther Valley and Palmerton move up a spot to Nos. 6 and 7, respectively, while Salisbury dropped two spots to No. 8.
Looking ahead: Notre Dame-GP has games against Palisades on Friday followed by dates against Palmerton and Wilson. Northwestern Lehigh plays Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua before finishing up with unbeaten 4A Southern Lehigh. No. 3 North Schuylkill hosts Blue Mountain on Thursday in perhaps the biggest game of Week 8. Saucon Valley has a tough finishing stretch against Pen Argyl, Southern Lehigh and Northern Lehigh. Palmerton visits Salisbury on Friday.
CLASS 4A
At the moment: Southern Lehigh’s win over Tamaqua coupled with Bethlehem Catholic’s loss to Freedom vaults the Spartans to the top spot. Central Catholic stays put at No. 3. Blue Mountain, Lehighton and Jim Thorpe are in spots 4 through 6. Pottsville is No. 7. Bangor moved ahead of Wilson for the eighth and final playoff berth.
Looking ahead: Southern Lehigh hosts Bangor on Friday before finishing against Saucon Valley and Northwestern Lehigh. Bethlehem Catholic visits 6A once-beaten Nazareth and 5A Pocono Mountain East before finishing against 6A Northampton. Central Catholic has road games against unbeaten 6A Parkland and 6A Dieruff before hosting 5A Whitehall in Week 10. Lehighton will decide its own fate with games against Tamaqua, North Schuylkill and Jim Thorpe.
CLASS 5A
At the moment: Whitehall remains at the top after beating Emmaus in a wild finish. Pocono Mountain East jumps over Pleasant Valley for the No. 2 spot.
Looking ahead: Whitehall finishes with Allen, Parkland and Central Catholic. East visits Pleasant Valley on Friday night.
CLASS 6A
At the moment: Easton stays at No. 1 after winning at Northampton, but Nazareth’s victory over Liberty vaulted the Blue Eagles over unbeaten Parkland for the second spot. Stroudsburg jumped over Pocono Mountain West for No. 7. Emmaus remains at No. 9, on the outside looking in.
Looking ahead: Easton hosts Liberty and Freedom before finishing at Nazareth, which has Bethlehem Catholic and Northampton on the schedule the next two weeks. Parkland closes with Central Catholic, Whitehall and Emmaus. Liberty and Freedom on Saturday of Week 10 will have plenty on the line for both teams. Northampton, losers of four of its last five, has a tough final stretch against Freedom, Nazareth and Bethlehem Catholic.
District 11 football ratings
(entering Week 8)
Class A (subregional with District 2; top 4 qualify)
1. Lackawanna Trail (6-1); .668029
2. Marian Catholic (5-2); .548052
3. Tri-Valley (5-2); .531025
4. Holy Cross (3-4); .424847
5. Nativity BVM (4-3); .405080
6. Old Forge (1-6); .219802
Class 2A (top 8 qualify)
1. Schuylkill Haven (7-0); .755553
2. Williams Valley (6-1); .663541
4. Palisades (5-2); .622348
3. Pen Argyl (5-2); .583769
6. Minersville (5-2); .554720
5. Northern Lehigh (4-3); .553666
7. Executive Education Academy (3-3); .463504
8. Catasauqua (3-4); .407262
9. Mahanoy Area (1-6); .303975
10. Shenandoah Valley (0-7); .220999
Class 3A (top 8 qualify)
1. Notre Dame-Green Pond (7-0); .794795
2. Northwestern Lehigh (7-0); .729114
3. North Schuylkill (4-3); .579125
5. Saucon Valley (4-3); .469220
4. Tamaqua (3-4); .441577
7. Panther Valley (2-5); .357423
8. Palmerton (2-5); .350351
6. Salisbury (2-5); .345162
9. Pine Grove (1-6); .191834
Class 4A (top 8 qualify)
2. Southern Lehigh (7-0); .780133
1. Bethlehem Catholic (5-2); .738188
3. Central Catholic (4-3); .648143
4. Blue Mountain (4-3); .593428
5. Lehighton (3-4); ..451233
6. Pottsville (2-5); .424191
7. Jim Thorpe (3-4); .409387
9. Bangor (0-7); .223749
8. Wilson (0-7); .216241
10. East Stroudsburg North (0-7); .204783
Class 5A (all 4 qualify)
1. Whitehall (6-1); .751158
3. Pocono Mountain East (4-3); .555463
2. Pleasant Valley (3-4); .552185
4. East Stroudsburg South (1-6); .388237
Class 6A (top 8 qualify)
1. Easton (7-0); .843119
3. Nazareth (6-1); .838676
2. Parkland (7-0); .814597
4. Liberty (5-2); .712305
5. Freedom (4-3); .687455
6. Northampton (3-4); .611037
8. Stroudsburg (3-4); .590110
7. Pocono Mountain West (4-3); .561287
9. Emmaus (2-5); .516444
10. Allen (3-4); .456449
11. Dieruff (1-6); .386339
Colonial-Schuylkill League football top 10
Ranking. Team (2025 record; last week): Of note
1. Southern Lehigh (7-0; 1): Rolled over Tamaqua with a balance of run and pass
2. Northwestern Lehigh (7-0; 2): Passing game took steps forward the last two seasons against North Schuylkill. It continued to evolve last week against Pottsville
3. Notre Dame-GP (7-0; 3): Defense produced 11 negative plays and four turnovers against Pen Argyl
4. Schuylkill Haven (7-0; 4): Recovered from 14-7 deficit to roll over Marian Catholic with 468 rushing yards
5. Williams Valley (6-1; 5): Played the bulk of last week’s game against Panther Valley without QB Brady Shomper and RB Fletcher Thompson
6. Blue Mountain (4-3; 6): Pair of 100-yard rushers and took control late in second quarter to hold off Lehighton
7. North Schuylkill (4-3; 7): Showed offensive balance in rout of Bangor
8. Lehighton (3-4; 8): Have had a chance to win late in three of its four losses
9. Minersville (5-2; 8): Can finish third in District 11 2A playoff race with a strong finish
10. Palisades (5-2; HM): Ended two-game losing streak with impressive performance on both sides of the ball
Dropped out: 10. Marian Catholic (5-2)
Others to watch (listed alphabetically): Catasauqua (3-4); Jim Thorpe (3-4); Northern Lehigh (4-3); Palmerton (2-5); Pen Argyl (5-2); Pottsville (3-4); Saucon Valley (4-3); Tamaqua (3-4); Tri-Valley (6-1)
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
