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Welcome to the official forum on high school football for the 2026 season.
During the off-season let’s talk about players, recruiting news, teams, and everything about high school football.
During the season each week let’s talk about match-ups and how teams did. Let us know what player(s) stood out each week.
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Some tough openers for some normally heavy hitters.
Parkland lost
Easton lost
Wyomissing lost
Central York lost
Central Dauphin lost
Some of those were expected. Easton lost a lot to graduation. Wyomissing and Central York lost to fellow powers. Parkland losing was the biggest surprise to me.
I’ll also note D’town West losing by multiple scores to Freedom. Time will tell which team that says more about, but with a lot of EPC contenders not covering themselves in glory, Freedom could end up coming out on top.
Wilson West Lawn @ CB West should be interesting next Friday. Most people were expecting an easy time in week 1, for WWL, but CB West man handling Easton, who was in the state finals last year, has to be a bit of a surprise, no matter how many starters Easton lost.
Easton is going to be in a step-back year. Last night they started two sophomores on the offensive line, their leading rusher was a sophomore, and their slot receiver who caught the only TD was a sophomore. I think only three seniors played on offense, one on the o-line, onereceiver (McPeek, their best player), and an h-back. I think a successful season is going 6-4, being competitive in a first round district game, then being loaded for bear in 2027 and 2028.
Typical young kids last night – they scored to cut it to 14-7, then forced a fumble on the kickoff. Thought they recovered it, ref otherwise. Next play CB West rips of a 50 yard run to score right before halftime. Second half, Easton forces a turnover, hits a big pass that looks like a score, kid is caught from behind and coughs it up, CB West throws a bomb on the next play and that’s kind of all she wrote. If they’re making those mistakes, and struggling with the ups and downs of a football game in October, there’s a problem. But it’s an incredibly green group that is going to spend most of the year growing up.
Bigger surprise was Phillipsburg beating Parkland!!!! Sending shockwaves through the Valley.
Easton’s QB looked very solid for a first varsity start. West was a bit sloppy at times and has a lot to improve heading into week 2. Positives for West would be the depth at running back (at least 5 people played RB, not including the young guys who went in for the final drive, and the two first stringers only combined for 8 carries) and the second-string FB running for over 100 yards. West had three punt / kick returns that almost went for a TD, so a lot of short fields on the night. They’ll need to sustain longer drives going forward, but having Cipollo and Cape returning kicks will give some teams trouble.
Easton was blown out in the state 6A quarterfinals last year.
@bucksfball I thought McGurn has a lot to build on. He’s got some genes – his dad was a 1,000 yard rusher who I think is the only person Nick Saban ever came to Easton to visit (when he was at Michigan State). And Senneca is the guy you want developing quarterbacks, after that not being much for 100 years, I think it’s strength of this regime. The challenge is going to be how well a very young offensive line develops. And defensively, they’ve got their work cut out for them.
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Here are my predictions for the district 2 region
Berwick 20
North Pocono 14
(the Trojans lost too much talent on the line of scrimmage to graduation I won’t ride the coattails of last season like everybody else is !!!
I will believe in them once they prove their solid again )
Wyoming Area 23
Dunmore 17
West Scranton 13
Lake Lehman 7
Valley View 24
Northwestern Lehigh 22
Wilkes-Barre Area 18
Whitehall 10
Delaware Valley 23
Bethlehem Catholic 21
Abington Heights 18
Allentown Central Catholic 13
Loyola 42
Scranton Prep 0
Carbondale Area 31
Nanticoke Area 7
Pen Argyl 38
Old Forge 0
Crestwood 18
Wallenpaupack 12
Honesdale 21
Hanover Area 18
Lackawanna Trail 40
Western Wayne 7
Lakeland 27
Wellsboro 14
Northwest Area 22
Holy Redeemer 14
Williamsport 31
Wyoming Valley West 14
Pocono Mountain West 28
Scranton 13
Pittston Area 42
East Stroudsburg South 12
Montrose 12
Nativity BVM 7
Susquehanna 20
Riverside 17
Tunkhannock 21
Dallas 17
Until these games are played, nobody truly knows what each team brings to the table and if they’re worthy of any ranking
So at this point all predictions are just a wish and a prayer not truly knowing what each team has to offer
Peace to all
And to all a good night
100% agree on you closing statements!!! But, ummm, Tunkhannock over Dallas…..whoa!!
I’m trying something new this year. Instead of spamming with 50-60 picks on a post, I’m making a document predicting every game. I’ll do every PA team, to give myself a challenge. If you guys like the old idea better, I can always go back, but this is easier. Plus, I don’t have to rush it every week. It also has every D2 Weekly Pick inside, as well.
If I missed a game or should add a marquee game, I can fix that. I still have enough to warrant the same number I normally included, though.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GUxlidj7VGViUg2plch8PiubTY8TTZf19MuYLcA8jk0/edit?usp=sharing
Like the new format, easy to scroll through. I hope you’re right about Woodland Hills, but they graduated a ton, and New Castle has a dynamic dual threat QB that Woodland Hills will have problems containing, I think NC might very well win that game, expect it to be close and very competitive.
I like your pick of Bergen over PCC, think they are pretty evenly matched but Bergen wins, I’ll take Westinghouse over Hickory, too much speed and athleticism, expect Westinghouse to make some noise in 2A this year, appears W-house, Farrell and Seton LaSalle are the top 3 2A teams on this side of the state, although like you I’ll take Clairton over Farrell tomorrow.
I have a hunch Easton beats CB West on the road, I’ll reverse your score and say 31-21 for Easton.
Thanks, Jeff!
I should’ve looked into New Castle a bit. I usually go with the marquee name if I don’t have that much knowledge.
I may flip the Westinghouse outcome later. You reminded me of the speed & athleticism. That’s definitely an edge over Hickory.
So far you were right about Woodland Hills they look a lot better than I expected and leading 36-7 late in third quarter New Castle can’t handle their passing attack which has been very surprising.
Westinghouse won 20-6 and Farrell dominated Clairton 33-6 both were impressive and I can see them meeting in the 2A quarterfinals with the winner playing the wpial winner the following week in the semi-finals.
Haverford School/WC Rustin is a scrimmage
Oops. That’s my bad. Always forget about the later scrimmages with the Inter-Acs. Will delete that later.
Awesome. Thank you. Much enjoyed
Thanks, Route 54! Glad you enjoyed it.
This is good stuff, thanks for this. Week 1 is always the hardest to pick so it’s tough to say what could be right and wrong. Though I would be very surprised if ESN defeated Bangor, North is in a bad spot right now with yet another new coach and talent that transferred out. The district is updating their future master plans and one of the items in consideration is consolidating North and South back into one single East Stroudsburg High School, I don’t think it’s likely but it speaks to the struggles of keeping North afloat, and the football struggles are a symptom of that.
Thank you, JCo!
I probably should’ve flipped it, but haven’t paid attention to the Pocono teams too much & was thinking of the better league. EPC vs. Colonial rarely happens, so there’s growing pains in these new matchups.
As for the idea of consolidation, I think it’s needed across the board in athletics. Surprised them & Allentown haven’t done this yet.
Taking a look at some opening night games around District One……PV vs Springfield Delco should give some insight into where two solid programs are at early. Sneaky ggod matchup between two old thanksgiving day rivals in Wissahickon vs U Dublin. Rory Graver has done a good job as expected building up Wissahickon and U Dublin has turned into one of the more consistently good programs in the district. PJP vs LC is one of the better matchups of the night. PJP had alot of sophs start on a 10-2 team last yr,they did lose some key skill players to graduation but should be strong again. LC has a decent amount of talent back from a team that made a deep playoff run including a lineman heading to LSU next yr. PJP has a challenging non league schedule before taking on the Liberty div of the Pac this yr. This is a game between two teams that have a chance to be playing meaningful football in Nov and maybe beyond that. CB West vs Easton just on history alone worth a look. Added plus is the Easton band which is worth the price of admission on its own.
There is a plethora of games this evening involving D1 teams. I must have considered at least a half a dozen. Settled on riding down the turnpike for the Coatesville @ Plymouth Whitemarsh game, despite the third hand report that C’Ville got completely dominated in a scrimmage. My 1A game was Springfield Delco @ PV, but looking ahead, I have PV penciled in to check out in weeks 3 and 4 against the Downingtowns, interestingly, both on Thursday nights (I see multi game weekends coming up). I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to see PW the rest of the way. I am also going to go on record as picking them, along with Council Rock South, as 2 of you under the radar, dark horses, sleeper teams, whatever you want to call them, in D1 6A.
I tho wouldn’t put a ton of stock in determining future success for teams in these week one games (can we officially call it week one now???), as you’ll most likely be encountering a lot of choppy play, stoppages every third play, especially in the second half, due to cramping, and a ton of penalty flags, especially for me watching Coatesville. I am prepared for a 3 hour game. But that is OK.
The CB West / Easton opener has been as good as expected for the first two years. Hopefully tonight at War Memorial is another great matchup. As you said, the Easton band is as good as advertised and it makes for a great atmosphere.
Another high school football season is upon us, everyone is undefeated for a few hrs longer here is to hoping it doesnt go by too fast as it always seems to do. Good luck to all!
To all of you D1 guys..how is CB West this year? Wilson West Lawn heading down there in week 2. Amazingly they have never played each other. Played Coatesville a bunch of times, D West, D East, Ridley, Neshaminy, Pennsbury
Did you get your answer last night?? CBW was pretty good last year. They did not loose a ton to graduation. #2 (not going to try his name off the top of my head) is fun to watch. Their Swiss army knife. They should be one of many teams in the mix for the D1 6A title.
Unfortunately I can’t be in two places at once next week, WWL @ CBW and Central York @ North Penn. Probably the latter.
@ Kevin X,
Thanks, and yes CBW looks like a talented bunch. Should be an interesting match up against WWL. Wilson has a talented front 7 on D, especially their LB core. So stopping the CBW run game will be the main focus for the Bulldogs…which will be a challenge. This might be a slobberknocker in the trenches!
Here are the most notable WPIAL games this weekend
PCC vs. Bergen Catholic at the Wolvarena – heard rumors from a reliable source PCC lineman Jon Sassic, who has committed to Penn St, suffered a lower leg injury in practice and is out indefinitely but PCC being very tight lipped and nothing has been announced publicly, I’m going to this game and will see what I can find out.
Moon (5A) vs. Montour (4A) – Moon very solid and made semi-finals last year before losing to PR, PIAA just overturned WPIAL on eligibility for 2 high level transfers so they are again a contender in 5A while Montour is a contender in 4A and returns 16 starters.
Norwin (6A) at Penn Trafford (5A) – PT’s best team since winning 2021 state title, some polls have them ranked 2nd behind PR in WPIAL 5A to start the year, these neighboring schools often play barn burners.
Canon Mac (6A) – Peters (5A) – CM is solid this year and wouldn’t be shocked if they win this game, Peters graduated a ton and may have some growing pains the first few weeks
Farrell (2A) vs. Clairton (1A)- nice matchup of traditional small school powers at the Wolvarena, middle game of Saturday triple header, the first game has very good Westinghouse (2A) with 19 returning starters against D10 Hickory (3A) who always fields solid teams, the nightcap is Woodland Hills vs. New Castle (4A), with super soph Qb Marino Graham, they and Montour are biggest challengers to McKeesport in 4A
What a fantastic start to the season for us in D2. There’s a lot of crossovers to keep an eye on. A new format this year because of the wacky division schedule.
Week 1
– Northwestern Lehigh vs. Valley View (GoW): If you told me a few years ago that the Tigers would be on a D2 pick post this season, I’d call you crazy. Thank you, Colonial League, for blessing us with a fun matchup. The Tigers look to rebound from losing the state final & I think they get a quick 1-0 start.
– Wyoming Area vs. Dunmore (LFC): Dunmore home game here. This is a sneaky good game between two of the better small school programs here in the state. Give me the Bucks in a close one.
– Hanover Area vs. Crestwood (WVC): This doesn’t seem like a competitive game on paper, but in the 4A world, this can be a game that affects the EC race later this year. A win for Hanover gives momentum, but Crestwood looks to be the better team.
– Berwick vs. North Pocono (Big Boys): This is a HUGE game. Berwick may’ve lost a few, but they have what it takes to be one of the top dogs. However, the Trojans bring back a ton & should be the better team.
– Lake-Lehman vs. Mid Valley (Small School): This is a key game because this’ll likely have the third-place team in 3A. This is a tricky one. I’ll go Lake-Lehman here. I’ll likely get this wrong.
– Honesdale vs. Wallenpaupack (Rivalry/Respect): It’s tradition for me to feature this game every year, no matter if it’s Week 1 or Week 10 (which it should be, as I feel the Buckhorns would fit in LFC 2 just fine. It’s one of the best rivalries in NEPA, & it’s not because I’m biased & am from the Northern Poconos. It’s just a traditional hard-fought rivalry, even if it’s one-sided these days. The Buckhorns have won 8 straight regular season games vs. the Hornets & the 4A EC title. I think it rises to 9. Keep an eye on the running game. It’ll be an important factor here!
– West Scranton vs. Hazleton (Playoffs?): Not really a notable game, but I’d keep an eye on this one just in case it determines the 3/4-seed. This is going to be a close game, but give me Hazleton here.
– Delaware Valley vs. Bethlehem Catholic (Crossover): DV is learning their lesson of not scheduling state powers in Week 1. I’ve always liked this game since it was announced. Beca is a competitive team & I’ll give them the edge.
– Richland vs. Hollidaysburg (5A/6A): To debut the D6/9 teams into the D2 Picks segment, we have a solid matchup in Week 1 between a tough, gritty 2A team & a 5A top dog. I feel like the Golden Tigers can take control & win this game.
– Line Mountain vs. Tri-Valley (1A): If Trail is beaten after the subregional is all over (& Williams Valley), is this a potential late season playoff preview? You can never count it out. I do think Line Mountain will be a force in D4, so I’ll take the Eagles by a decent margin.
Scores
– NW Lehigh 31, VV 16
– Dunmore 24, Wyo Area 23
– Crestwood 31, Hanover Area 14
– North Pocono 34, Berwick 24
– L-L 20, Mid Valley 14
– Paupack 28, Honesdale 14
– Haz 24, West Side 20
– Becahi 23, DV 20
– Hollidaysburg 34, Richland 21
– Line Mtn. 29, T-V 14
Correction: Hollidaysburg vs. Altoona. Will keep as pick of the week, since it’s a rivalry
The most intriguing games to me are Wyoming-Dunmore and NP-Berwick, because I think both Dunmore in 2A and NP in 4A have a chance to make some noise come playoff time, good to see both playing solid opponents to open the season, I agree the DV vs. Beca game is an interesting matchup and like you give the edge to Beca.
You got any rest of the state picks for opening weekend?
I’ll take a shot at commenting on 3 of your D2 games up north that you mentioned.
First, I agree with Jeff that the Dunmore/Wyo Area game is intriguing and may be the best game of the weekend featuring two D2 schools.
Second, I don’t think the NP/Berwick game is going to be that close. Maybe in the first half as teams get their feet under them, but NP eventually pulling away in the second half for a 3 or 4 score win.
Third, guess you can call it a contrarian pick, I’ll take VV to knock off NWL in a close game.
Coming tomorrow AM (or so I hope it will). I’m going to test a different format this year rather than spamming with a list of about 60 games.
Here’s a thought and a new twist for you for your state wide predictions going forward……..let us from around the state give you say 3 to 5 games of our interest in our neck of the woods (or even statewide) to make predictions on those games. Kind of narrow it down for you and concentrate on games of our local interest. All in fun of course!!!
Districts Predictions
6A (Top 4 with D4)
– Wilkes-Barre should hang as the 1 seed
– Williamsport (4) gets home field
– Toss-up with Hazleton, Scranton, & West Scranton
– Champion: WBA over Williamsport (Sleeper: Hazleton)
5A (Top 4 with D6/9)
– Hollidaysburg & DuBois likely get home seeds
– Pittston & Abington Heights claim final two spots
– DV (or leftover D2 team) has strong case for EC (that’s a hot take)
– Champ: H’burg over DuBois (Sleeper: Abington Hts)
4A (Top 8)
– North Pocono takes the 1-seed
– Dallas & Berwick take the #2 (depends on who takes division crown)
– Valley View sneaks in at the 4
– Crestwood & Paupack feel like locks
– Honesdale gets in, but last spot between Hanover & Carbondale. I’ll take Carbondale due to a favorable schedule
– Slight, slight chance loser of that gets EC
– Champ: North Pocono over Dallas (Sleeper)
3A (Top 4)
– Scranton Prep & Wyoming Area get home field
– Lake-Lehman & Mid Valley should get other two
– Tunkhannock has decent chance at EC, WW & Montrose may get the second slot
– Champ: Scranton Prep over Wyoming Area (Sleeper: L-L)
2A (Top 4)
– Lakeland & Dunmore at home
– Riverside gets the #3
– Holy Redeemer over Susq. for the #4
– Loser has a low-ish chance at EC
– Champ: Lakeland over Dunmore (Sleeper: Riverside)
1A (Top 4)
– I’ll say Williams Valley, Tri-Valley, & Marian make it from D11
– Lackawanna Trail may get the #1 seed, but we shall see
– EC: If Old Forge gets back to old form, I think they get EC.
– Champ: Trail over Williams Valley
Notable In-League Games/D2 in NEPA
Week 1 LFC: Honesdale vs. Wallenpaupack
Week 1 WVC: Hanover Area vs. Crestwood
Week 1 Crossover: North Pocono vs. Berwick
Week 1 Crossover: Wyoming Area vs. Dunmore
Week 2 LFC: Dunmore vs. Lackawanna Trail
Week 2 WVC: Berwick vs. Pittston
Week 2 Crossover: VV vs. Crestwood
Week 3 LFC: Lackawanna Trail vs. Lakeland
Week 3 WVC: Wyoming Area vs. Berwick
Week 3 Crossover: AH vs. Dallas
Week 4 LFC: Scranton Prep vs. DV
Week 4 WVC: Dallas vs. Pittston
Week 4 HM: Lackawanna Trail vs. Riverside
Week 5 LFC: Abington Heights vs. North Pocono
Week 5 WVC: Wilkes-Barre vs. Dallas
Week 6 LFC: AH vs. Scranton Perp
Week 6 WVC: Crestwood vs. Wyoming Area
Week 6 Crossover: North Pocono vs. Wilkes-Barre
Week 7 LFC: Scranton Prep vs. North Pocono
Week 7 WVC: Pittston vs. Crestwood
Week 8 LFC: AH vs. Valley View
Week 8 WVC: Pittston vs. Wilkes-Barre
Week 9 LFC: VV vs. Scranton Prep
Week 9 WVC: WBA vs. Hazleton
Week 10 LFC: Lakeland vs. Dunmore
Week 10 WVC: Dallas vs. Berwick
Week 10 HM: DV vs. Abington Heights
As for the Lackawanna League
LFC 1
1. North Pocono: Last season was a good one for NP standards, running the table, winning districts, & a state playoff game. They’ll be led again by Chase Zimmerman at QB & Joe Briskie at RB. Cole West returns at WR. The O-Line lost a few, but the replacements have experience. Defensively, Zimmerman will look to be the stud in the secondary.
2. Abington Heights: The Comets are usually pretty competitive. They lost some players, but do have some key players that have a bit of experience, including Noah Kayal at QB. Evan Keiper at WR is also a part of the offensive skill positions to keep an eye on. Both of them also will line up at CB & be a part of the Comet defense, as is Jayden Aglin at LB
3. Scranton Prep: This could be a repeat of last season for the Cavaliers. 5 return as a starter on both sides of the football. They’ll be led by Oliver Swingle at QB & Jaedon McPartland at FB. Both WR, including Noah Kryzwiec return. On defense, McPartland returns at LB & Kryzwiec at corner. Their non-conference stays away from NEPA, so they’ll have quite a test ahead.
4. Valley View: Valley View had a rough 2025. Their inexperience led them to the playoffs last season & they look to do that again. Caleb Brown returns at QB for the Cougars & brings RB Tyler Munchal with him. On the defense, the secondary brings back their starters, led by Tristian Smith at CB.
5. Delaware Valley: DV won 5A D2 last year & lost a lot, with 5 returning starters. They’ll be run by rookie QB Luke Petersheim, & Devin Estevez at RB. James Dabney at TE is going to be one of the faces returning to keep an eye on. On defense, Estevez & Mason Stewart lead the front, but there’ll be a young secondary this season that may need a bit to get going. On a positive, they have a winnable all-EPC non-conference schedule this year.
6. Wallenpaaupack: The purple & white team along the lake might be a sneaky team in LFC 1, if they play their cards right. They’re going to be led by RB/LB Ed Kiesendahl, as well as Jake Rafferty at QB. On defense, Niko Bowers & aforementioned Kiesendahl are going to the faces to watch.
7. Scranton: Jack Miles is the new coach in the Electric City this year & will have some growing pains. 3 starters return on offense j 2 on defense. Ian McAndrew at WR is the key returning player on the offensive side. On defense, Daris McCollum returns as a part of the trenches. A very inexperienced team, so don’t expect them to do as much this season, barring a surprise.
8. West Scranton: It’s been a minute since the Invaders were a dangerous team in the LFC. Jake Manetti’s squad looks to have at least an improved team in their first season back in LFC 1. Jake DeLuca looks to move to the RB/WB this season as a freshman may be winning the QB battle this season. Their WR room looks to be set with returning talent, as well. On defense, they bring back 8 of their starters, including Aiden Diaz & Sam Novak up front.
LFC 2
1. Dunmore: Dunmore batted under .500 in the win column last season, but did make a district final. They look to take the steps to take Lakeland’s crown away. They’ll be led by Weston Yannone at QB for his senior season & Xavier Burke at RB. In fact, all of the skill players return & one player comes back on the O-Line. On defense, Burke is the star LB & key player to watch there.
2. Lakeland: The team up on Chapman Lake came back with a vengeance last year, as they won a district crown & finished 11-2. They bring back Chase Rosencrans as the key offensive player to watch, but get a new QB with some experience. Cole Hastings is a guy to watch in the trenches & looks to be a key piece to the Chiefs success.
3. Riverside: Welcome Jim Tucker! You got some shoes to fill. They’ll be placed in LFC 2 this time around & look to challenge for a crown. Brayden Rose returns at QB for the Vikes, accounting for 1800 yards last year on the defense. Jared Jackson also comes back at WR, too. Their O-Line gets hit by graduation, but Exavier Pelton returns in the trenches as a key player there. Jackson’s also returning at CB, & the secondary may be their biggest returning strength this year.
4. Honesdale: Honesdale brings back a pretty experienced group of players this year, with 9 returning as starters on both sides of the football. Abe Bryant returns at QB, as well as Gabe Duda. Bobby MacDowell & Gabe Duda return as key players on defense.
5. Mid Valley: The Spartans seem to be a bit of a mystery team this year. They have to replace a bit of experience, but have a few key players leftover still looking to shine. Their key players seem to be on the O-Line, as Ralph Johnson & Dylan Maceyko look to be the key players on the O-Line. They also return on the other side of the football, too. Nick Hricenak at WR is another returning player that was a LFC All-Star last year.
6. Western Wayne: Dave Shimkosky takes over at the coaching helm for the Wildcats, but he brings in an experienced group this time around, including Jake Grodack at the QB. Patrick Donahue & Donovan Gregorski at WR & TE also return as key players that should do good things on the offense. Griffin Cello at LB is another to keep a close eye on, as he helps with WW’s strength in the middle of their defense.
LFC 3
1. Lackawanna Trail: The Wing T is back at it again & Steve Jervis’ squad is looking to be the top dog in a weaker LFC 3. A pretty big amount of offensive power is going to be replaced. Anthony Paolucci & Cooper Castellanos return as key players on the O-Line & back in the trenches. As for the rest of the defense, the LB corps bring in some experience, as 3 of 4 starters return.
2. Carbondale: C’Dale? Second? What year is this? Yep. Jeff Arthur is looking to help the Chargers take the next step. Nick Zaccone leads them at QB, but their strengths will be at RB with Francisco Roman, who got 16 TD last season. On defense, Roman & Carson Voglino lead an experienced secondary. Mateo Spinelli in the trenches is another key player to watch, as well.
3. Old Forge: I was barely a little one the last time Old Forge went 2-8 or worse. This year, they bring in some experience. Savion Cupil is a returning player on the offense this year & looks to help his new QB out on the field. On defense, Gavin McNichols returns in the trenches as a key player there
4. Susquehanna: It won’t be an easy season for the Sabers, but they bring back a good amount of experience. They split QBs last season & both QBs are back this year to do it again, it seems. Their O-line brings back three starters, too. Defensively, Alex Rink is the key player to watch up front.
5. Montrose: Welcome back, Montrose. Good to have you in the LFC, again. Brett Stage takes over. He was an assistant at Trail & Scranton Prep. 9 starters return on offense & 10 on defense. Leading the offense as a player to watch is Evan McComb at WR & Ethan Smith brings some valued experience in the trenches. If things go really well, it’ll be a fun way to welcome themselves back to the LFC.
6. Holy Cross: Well, they start off 0-1. 20 in a row against their LFC division foes. They do return starters on both sides of the ball, but it’s a very small roster. Chase Rutkoski & Noah Davis bring in experience on offense. As for defense, look out for the secondary, as Rutkoski leads what could be a strength.
Will give my playoff predictions & maybe throw in my Picks of the Week, if I have them ready to go, tomorrow.
D2 Notes: WVC Preview
WVC 1
1. Pittston: This team shocked us all & won a division last year, ultimately falling to DV in 5A districts. However, they were hit by the graduation bug with 3 returning starters on offense & defense. They should be able to hang onto the division crown this year.
2. Wilkes-Barre: The same thing here is the case for the Pack. They D2/4 won 6A last year & lost Jake Howe & a lot of the team. WBA has the depth to replace a lot of that experience, but it may take them a minute to, especially with Declan Gregor now at QB. They’ll be up there, but I think Pittston has the better shot to run the table.
3. Hazleton: Scott Sacco had a rough rookie coaching debut, going 1-9, but when you have 9 returning on each side of the ball, you can say that they’ll be ready to throw a monkey wrench into the WVC 1’s results. Keep an eye out for RB Xavier Heck. He ran for over 1,000 yds last year. Scott Mooney & Marcus West are two to keep an eye on in the trenches.
4. WVW: We’re all waiting for the old Valley West to return, but there’ll be growing pains for Brydon Rukstalis, who coaches his first season for Sparty. They do return 9 on the offensive side & 8 on defense, so there’s a lot of optimism there. Damien Eastman will be back at QB & if he can cut turnovers this season, he’ll be set to go.
WVC 2
1. Dallas: Dallas had a rebuilding year in 2025 & somehow garnered a 6-6 record, making the district final. However, they should be at peak form with 7 & 9 returning on offense & defense, respectively. Hunter Pitkavage had an injury last year, but is ready to go for the new season. I sense big things heading up the mountain.
2. Berwick: Berwick returned last year, with a big season, only to meet their match of the Scranton Prep juggernaut. A very talented group graduated, like Tymeer Wilkerson, who set records, but we can expect Brady Cleaver to have himself a good year at QB, after a solid freshman year.
3. Crestwood: The Comets come in with an experienced roster that wants to avoid the 5-6 blues. Jack Rodgers comes in at QB & has some experience, but Jake Jeckell will be the next player to keep an eye on at RB. He rushed for over 1,300 last season & will be a force. Defense even brings back quite a crew with 7 returning starters.
4. Hanover Area: Yeah, who expected them to be in WVC 2 & 4A? Eric Richardson helped his alma mater have their best season in over a decade. They inherit a difficult ledger this season, but bring back 7 each on both sides of the football to hopefully rely on the experience they have. Logan Richardson threw for over 1,800 last year & is poised to continue his success, as is Dewayne Downey at RB.
WVC 3
1. Wyoming Area: A cakewalk division for the Warriors. This time, they won’t have to feel the pressure of Berwick being alongside. Jake Gravine returns at QB, but keep an eye out on Luke Kopetchny at WR. He can also sling it, too. 3 return on O-Line. Their defense loses a lot of longtime starters, but they should be more than ready to go.
2. Lake-Lehman: Mike Mully comes in as the new coach in charge this season. This is a team that’s struggled to contend over the years & is looking to return to that form. A spread offense will come in as Anthony Magnotta returns at QB. Defensively, Logan Rybka & Zach Koval return as some of the defensive guys to watch up front.
3. Tunkhannock: RJ Haas will have to make his first year at coach work with a younger roster, but the excitement is there way up in Wyoming County. The key returner on the offense is RB Lucas Ciprich (& at LB). Brandon Carter looks to bring in veteran experience in the secondary, as well.
4. Nanticoke: Joe Shimko takes over in the other side of the Sans Scouci Struggle & looks to snap their 16-game losing streak this season. 6 return on offense & 5 on the defense. Justin Johnson returns at WR as a stud to keep an eye on. Their defense has some returning faces like Johnson, Jonah Guzman, & Chet Beggs (QB)
Holy Redeemer: The Royals are looking to do the steps to return to competitiveness, hence being an indie once again this year. They’ll be led by Brady McDermott, who got valuable time at QB & threw for over 1,700 yards. Defense has to step up, as well. They return 8 starters (just like the offense), with Alex Snyder being one to keep an eye on of the vets at LB.
I’ll save games to watch for Wednesday, when I predict districts & EC hopefuls.
Kevin beat me to the other D2 note. Lakeland will at least be one D2 team officially start off at 1-0. Holy Cross has a small roster (19, I think) & they forfeit their week 1 (or 0 to the traditionalists). At this point, I think merging with Holy Redeemer, like in lacrosse is the best thing to do. May be a decent solution to help both programs.
I will keep beating this drum but it is SO silly for conferences to form divisions only based on enrollment. Not all programs are created equally and scheduling in beatdowns like you’ll see with Wyoming Area in WVC 3 helps nobody. Switching Hanover Area and Wyoming Area is the most obvious swap that even a 5 year old would know to do it, but the laziness of ADs wins out yet again. It’s just a two-year cycle, not a lifetime commitment, so why do ADs refuse to make even a little bit of effort to improve the experience of everyone? If high school football is going to survive in Pennsylvania, we need ADs who are willing to stand up for PARITY and COMPETITIVENESS and not rely on raw enrollment numbers.
This is exactly what I would’ve done! Honestly, I don’t get the 3-division format either, but I’m guessing that they want similar sized schools together & they have a near perfect split between large school, 4A, & 3A (minus HR)
I think it’s time for D2 to combine leagues at this point for football or have a NEPA version of the EPC & Colonial, just in general. It didn’t work for Colonial-Schuylkill, but I think it can be done here.
I think combining leagues is a good idea in concept, but not if they are going to make divisional alignments based solely on school size or class. Conferences need to use a holistic approach to divisions or they’re letting down their players, coaches, and fans.
Been seeing some love in several pre season rankings for Bonner. Saw that last year too, and it didn’t quite work out too well last year for them. They going to be back where they were 2 years ago or lay another over hyped egg??
Well we’re off to a rip roaring start to 2026, at least in District 2. Our first (that I can tell) forfeit of the season, as Holy Cross forfeits their game Friday to Lakeland. Low numbers so they say. Guess it would have nothing to do with playing Lakeland.
Quite a few smaller programs, single A, AA with very low numbers. 11 on the field and 12 on the sideline just doesn’t cut it. Throw in a few injuries and what do you got? Can some of these schools opt for a merger with a neighboring school?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see them forfeit their next 2 games as well. If I was the AD at Riverside and Dunmore, I’d be working the phone first thing this morning looking for a potential game week 2 and 3 respectively.
District 11 picks
6A: Parkland over Easton
5A: Southern over ES South
4A: Central over Blue Mountain
3A: Northwestern over NDGP (close game)
2A: Haven over Northern (close game)
1A: Marian over Williams Valley
Would be nice to see Marian win D11 for a change. The recent football team reviews clarified that their RB from last year opted out for final season, will not play. Nice if they can put something together. I would put BM over Central in pick.
Haven’t contributed to picks in a very long time. I’ll give it my best shot. Feel free to chime in.
District 11 + one pick of District 4
Minersville over Halifax 42-13
Blue Mountain over JT 49-21
Line Mountain over Tri Valley 35-21
Panther Valley over Mahanoy Area 14-12
Nativity over Montrose 24-6
Jersey Shore over North Schuylkill 27-14
Palmerton over Marian 42-12
Northern Lebanon over Pine Grove 34-6
Schuylkill Haven over Mt. Carmel 41-34
Lehighton over Tamaqua 24-21
Williams Valley over Upper Dauphin 42-12
CMVT over Shenandoah 28-7
Wyomissing over SCA 35-28
The Wyomissing / SCA game is definitely one of premier games in the state this weekend.
Yeah, probably the most interesting game for Week #1. Not sure how Wyomissing fans travel but I would imagine the coal region locals will be heading to Catawissa
Wyo fans will be there…plus there are a few busses heading up as well
Thank you d11 fan for the info
Thank for the info dave
I wasn’t there but a friend of mine said that Wilson totally dominated Coatesville in their scrimmage today – on both sides of the ball. Wilson may potentially have their best ever team this year, but they have a to prove it when the season commences.
Unfortunately Wilson West Lawn lost their Sr. LT, to a knee injury. Out for the year. Tough to replace a 6’7″ 280 guy.
Sadly, this is something that has happened too often where Wilson loses a top player before the regular season even starts!
Can I remind you that it was a scrimmage.
Don’t need to be reminded but when a scrimmage is THAT one-sided, it’s clear one team is superior to the other!
What can any one tell me what northwestern Leighi looks like this year
Can’t really help you, but I do know they have an interesting opening game on Friday night up at Valley View which may give you some hints. Probably only one of two regular season tests all season (Southern Lehigh obviously being the other). Not getting too far ahead of ourselves, but with Wyo back in 3A, we could be looking at a NW/Wyo 3A eastern semi final match-up. Anybody else in the east 3A (some have mentioned NDGP) going to give NW and Wyo a scare??
My guess is Northwestern goes 9-1 (loss to SL) and they play notre dame gp in district final. If there ever was a year on recent memory for notre dame to get them it is this year. Tons of junior and sophomores after they graduated top 4 players and QB. They return only 4-5 on defense. They are very well coached and I still have them as districts favorites but if there was a year for notre it’s this year. After this year northwestern will be state favorites next two atleast.
My 2 cents is they are a year away from being the 3A favorite in the state. They have a smaller senior class with 2 studs. The junior class is large and loaded with a mix of skill and lineman.
Biggest area for concern is a new QB and 3 of 4 new linebackers.
They should be the favorite in D11 3A, a rematch of last year’s game against Notre Dame. Skill wise the teams are even but in the trenches Northwestern has the clear advantage.
Winner of the D11 championship should make it to the state final but only time will tell.
Mark D. Here is my team preview on Northwestern Lehigh…https://www.easternpafootball.com/2026-team-preview-northwestern-lehigh-tigers-11/
Board has been a little slow so figured I’d post a WPIAL preview for those who care, outlook is pretty chalk in most classes, wash, rinse and repeat
6A – PCC is huge favorite, don’t see anyone challenging them, NA is probably next, expect Canon Mac and Hempfield to get the final 2 playoff spots, while Norwin, Seneca Valley and Mt Lebo bring up the rear, only 7 teams in the class and top 4 make the playoffs
5A – PR is the favorite, they’ve won WPIAL 5A in all the even years this decade, so its their turn again. Peters graduated a ton and will be young and inexperienced at many positions but TJ Plack has built a very solid program and they will still be very competitive. Upper St Clair will be very good and could take the conference title from Peters, bethel Park is also in the conference, as are newcomers TJ and West Allegheny, with legendary coach Bob Palko now back in command. Talk about a buckle up your chinstrap conference, TJ plays Bethel/USC/Peters in consecutive weeks to end the season…welcome to 5A Boys!
4A -if McKeesport does not win a WPIAL title this year after 3 straight runner up finishes they may not for a long time, now that their arch rival TJ is in 5A, and arch nemesis Aliquippa back in 3A. New Castle with super soph Qb Graham Marino will be very good, as will Montour who returns 16 starters, they play McKeesport in a nonconference game in week 2 in what could be a WPIAL final preview. South Fayette is back in 4A after the last 6 yrs in 5A, they return a lot of starters and could be a factor, they will likely win their conference and be a top 4 seed in the playoffs.
3A – Avonworth still the top dog, need to replace their 3yr starter at Qb and several lineman, but have junior Jaden Jones and some other key contributors returning, coach Duke Johncour has built a really solid program, going 50-7 the last 6 years. The Quips will be their main challengers, as will Propel Braddock Hills, who for the last several years played as Imani Christian, going 12-1 and losing to Avonworth in the WPIAL final, they return super QB/DB Gabe Jenkins who is going to Colorado and will be a factor. Hopewell is also a contender with dual threat junior QB and Penn State recruit James Armstrong.
2A – defending champ Seton LaSalle is the favorite, South Allegheny and Steel Valley are solid, as is Western Beaver
1A – Clairton big favorite to repeat as WPIAL champs and I think the favorite to win the state title, Ft Cherry graduated all everything Qb/Db Matt Sieg and a lot of other starters, Jeannette and maybe Washington look to be the biggest challengers. Clairton plays Farrell from D10 in the Woodland Hills showcase next weekend in an interesting matchup of traditional small school powers.
Anyone checking out a scrimmage Saturday morning?? Any suggestions on one for me to swing by in the Bux Mont area, assuming the weather cooperates and I get my butt motivated enough to head out to one??
I’ll be at CB West for Whitehall. Easton at CB South will also be interesting.
As I suspected, I sat Saturday morning out. If I was motivated enough, I may have really gone a little crazy and cross county it over to Holland for the CRS/Wood match-up. Thinking both these team may (and I stress may) have sneaky good seasons in their respected leagues, districts and classifications.
Looks like SCA will again be the 2A state champion. WNEP puts that at #1. A very well oiled machine year in, year out. Their player development from freshman all the way up to Senior is astonishing. I must say though, as a fan there is basically no anticipation, suspense or excitement during regular season games because of knowing your team will win out. For me, there has to be some kind of anticipation, excitement. Enjoyable games go down to the last seconds, minutes. For me that is, JMO.
WNEP has some of their polling wildly off, from the looks of it.
#1 Southern Columbia
#2 North Pocono
#3 Wyoming Area
#4 Schuylkill Haven
#5 Dunmore
#6 Shamokin
#7 Lakeland
#8 Scranton Prep
#9 Blue Mountain
#10 Troy
#11 Mount Carmel
#12 Williams Valley
#13 Valley View
#14 Jersey Shore
#15 Montoursville
#16 Abington Heights
I am not sure what metrics they consider for their polling criteria, but it doesn’t coalesce. Is it about regular season win rate? I don’t know. Scranton Prep is low despite their finish in last year’s state tourney (though they aren’t top 3A contenders) and somehow Wyoming Area is above them. North Pocono over Shamokin makes sense, though I’d love to see that battle should it be relevant. But Jersey Shore is then all the way at #14. One of these teams will go far in 4A.
They have to play Wyomissing. There is your suspense/anticipation/excitement.
They are clearly the favorite to repeat in 2A but not sure they’ll run the table to an undefeated season, they open with Wyomissing at home and play Mt Carmel, Selinsgrove and Jersey Shore on the road.
They lost to wyomissing last year and have split there games with mount carmel the last 4 years or so.
D2 Notes (Season Preview Edition) is coming soon. I want to wait for the local media outlets to do their thing, so I can pay attention to the storylines before anything.
But for the time being, I have some ideas for my posts. This season, because of the wonkiness of the WVC’s 3 4-team division format, I’m not breaking down best division game of the week & the HMs. I’m just doing 8 notable games & 2 subregional games of note. If we get 6 LFC & 2 WVC games, that’s what it’ll be.
New Idea: I always strive to get all 33 teams in 10 weeks. Even Montrose & Redeemer.
– Game Of The Week: My best game of the week.
– LFC Spotlight: Best LFC League Game (at least home game)
– WVC Spotlight: Best WVC League Game (at least home game)
– Battle Of The Big Boys: 4A-6A Games (Plus Wyoming Area)
– Small School Throwdown: 1A-3A Games (Nanticoke, Hanover Area, & Carbondale subject to be here)
– Rivalry Spotlight/Pay Respect: Either a rivalry game or team to give love to that’s struggling
– Playoff Implication Game: Game that may implicate the seedings (preferably within class)
– Crossover Of The Week: LFC-WVC or D2 vs. Somebody Else
– 5A/6A Game To Watch: Williamsport, Hollidaysburg, Mifflin County, or DuBois
– 1A Game To Watch: Marian, Nativity, Tri-Valley, or Williams Valley
I’m wondering (for my 5th go at this) that I should make a master doc & predict every game, so I don’t spam the forum with my rest of state picks, as per tradition. I may also do my own version of the D2 Power Ratings, as well & see how other districts would fare with the system (or do the super-regional thing, as I like my playoff format better. I think I proposed 32 team playoffs with 4 regions & EC-style consolations for all above .500 teams).
Sounds like good stuff.