(Photo by Kelly Wiley)

Wow! What an opening act.

Schuylkill Haven and Minersville opened a three-day weekend full of local high school football action Thursday with a display of offensive fireworks. Behind Niko Carestia’s 274 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, the Hurricanes outlasted Dante Carr-led Minersville 72-52 at dusty Veterans Memorial Stadium.

While the excitement and back-and-forth action of that game will be tough to match, the possibility exists for more great contests when the rest of our area’s teams hit the gridiron tonight and Saturday.

Seven local games are on the card for tonight, headlined by the backyard rivalry game between Tri-Valley and Williams Valley. Two more follow Saturday night as Marian entertains Mahanoy Area and Pine Grove hosts Shenandoah Valley to cap off Homecoming Day festivities.

Here’s a look at some of the key storylines for tonight and Saturday, and a capsule preview of all the games.

Western rivals square off

Tri-Valley and Williams Valley continue their long-standing backyard rivalry when the Dawgs and Vikings clash in a Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division tussle between the pines at Gerry Stauffenberg Field at Viking Stadium in Williamstown. The showdown is the Friday T-102 Game of the Week, with the pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. kickoff.

The Vikes (4-0, 3-0 Blue) enter as the lone overall unbeaten among the Blue Division teams and are coming off a thrilling 42-36 win over Minersville last Friday. Evan Achenbach’s leaping interception in the end zone in the final seconds sealed the victory for Williams Valley, which dominated the game on the ground behind running back Fletcher Thompson but nearly blew a 42-21 fourth-quarter lead.

Tri-Valley (3-1, 2-1 Blue), meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from its first loss of the season after falling to Nativity 34-13 at home last Friday. The Dawgs gave up 341 rushing yards to the Green Wave, a concerning stat considering the Vikes ran for 276 in their win over Minersville.

Williams Valley leads the all-time series 35-29-3. The Vikes have dominated this series of late, going 19-5 since 2007 and 15-2 in the regular season. The Vikings rolled in last year’s game, winning 49-14.

Hall of Fame Night

Blue Mountain hosts Bangor as part of its annual Hall of Fame festivities at the Eagles’ Nest.

The clash between the Eagles (3-1, 2-1 Red) and Slaters (0-4, 0-3 Red) is one of five Red Division games involving local teams on tonight’s schedule as Pottsville hosts Southern Lehigh, North Schuylkill visits Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua treks to Salisbury and Lehighton battles Northwestern Lehigh. In addition to the Tri-Valley/Williams Valley showdown, Nativity treks to Lansford to take on Panther Valley in a Blue Division game.

For a preview of Pottsville’s game against Southern Lehigh, visit https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2024/09/20/pottsville-faces-test-against-southern-lehigh/

This year’s eight inductees into Blue Mountain All-Sports Hall of Fame Class include Amanda Bedway Adams (2004, tennis), Stephanie Shaner (1991, basketball, volleyball, softball), Joshua Miller (1996, football, track, wrestling), Jimmy Moore (2008, football, track), Abigail Fanelli (2016, basketball, soccer, track), Scott Thomas (2005, swimming, track), James Laubenstein (1970, wrestling, football) and honorary inductee Larry Borden, who was the Eagles’ golf coach for 23 years.

The Hall of Fame ceremonies will be held at halftime. A gathering for the inductees’ families and current Hall of Fame members is planned before and during the game on the stadium grounds, with a reception slated for after the game at Roman Delight Restaurant on Route 61, West Brunswick Township.

For a biographical look at this year’s inductees, visit https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2024/09/17/8-to-enter-blue-mountain-all-sports-hall-of-fame/

Marian, Pine Grove to hold Homecoming celebrations 

Two Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division games will be held Saturday night as the host schools put together a day full of Homecoming festivities.

At Pine Grove, the Cardinals (0-4, 0-3 Blue) host Shenandoah Valley (0-4, 0-3 Blue) in a battle of teams looking for their first win of the season. The game will be broadcasted live on T-102, with the pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m. and kickoff at 7 p.m.

The football game, as always, is the final event of a day packed with high school sports action as all of Pine Grove’s fall sports teams will be competing on campus except for the golf team.

Pine Grove’s Homecoming festivities begin today with an Outdoor Picnic and Friday Funfest on school grounds. Tonight, a Participants’ Dinner will be held in the middle school cafeteria at 6 p.m. with a Celebration Rally starting at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

Saturday, a pancake breakfast will be held from 8-11 a.m. in the middle school cafeteria. The annual Cardinal Clash cross country invitational begins at 9 a.m. inside Cardinal Stadium with the girls’ race, the followed by the boys’ race at 9:45 a.m. and a pair of junior high races.

Pine Grove’s volleyball team hosts Nativity at noon in the middle school gym. The soccer teams then take over the stadium and upper field in the afternoon, with the girls’ varsity squad facing Tri-Valley at 1 p.m. and the boys’ varsity team taking on Palmerton at 2:45 p.m., both in the stadium. Junior varsity games in volleyball, boys’ soccer and girls’ soccer will also be held in the afternoon at the middle school gym and upper soccer field, respectively.

Pine Grove’s unique Homecoming ceremony will be held at halftime of the football game, where this year’s candidates — Alexa Brown, Sydney Hall, Sophie Harris, Viktorya Luckenbach and Ava Shappell — will select a box and hope the crown is inside.

Pine Grove’s Homecoming King was selected during today’s afternoon pep rally. This year’s candidates included Alex Dubbs, Alex Hatter, Brody Ibarra, Carson Lengle and Robbie Schaeffer.

At Marian, the Colts take on rival Mahanoy Area at 7:10 p.m. at Stan Dakosty Field at Men of Marian Stadium. The school will honor its 1990 PIAA Class A state championship team after the first quarter, then hold Homecoming festivities during an extended halftime.

On the field, the Colts (3-1, 2-1 Blue) will look for a second straight win over the Golden Bears (0-4, 0-3 Blue) after winning 21-13 last season.

Game Capsules

Tonight’s games

Bangor (0-4) at Blue Mountain (3-1)

Live updates: Follow T102SportsNow content editor Leroy Boyer on X @pubsportsboss

Last week: Blue Mountain lost to NW Lehigh 30-8, Bangor fell to Pottsville 38-7

Last year: Blue Mountain 12-7

Statistical leaders: Bangor — QB Jackson Kreider 41-80, 425, 2 TDs, 8 Int; RB Riley Waldron 62-209; WR Alex Farensbach 12-122, TD. Blue Mountain — QB Brady Strause 37-62, 667, 7 TDs; RB Tyler Stahley 73-378, 3 TDs; WR Gaige Guers 14-219, 2 TDs

Breakdown: The Eagles will look to bounce back from last week’s loss to unbeaten Northwestern Lehigh. Blue Mountain hopes to re-establish its running game after being held to 64 yards last week. The Slaters have been outscored 142-28 through four games and gave up 416 total yards in last Friday’s loss to Pottsville.

North Schuylkill (2-2) at Jim Thorpe (1-3)

Radio/TV: WLSH 1410 AM

Last week: North Schuylkill lost to Southern Lehigh 36-14, Jim Thorpe lost to Tamaqua 48-7

Last year: North Schuylkill 41-6

Statistical leaders: North Schuylkill — QB Caden Mengel 36-69, 518, 4 TDs passing, 49-193, 3 TDs rushing; RB Luke Miller 74-454, 6 TDs rushing, 19-320, 3 TDs receiving. Jim Thorpe — QB Cole Lazorick 45-79, 490, 4 TDs passing, 42-136, 3 TDs rushing; WR Aaron Curran 18-189, TD, WR Justin Yescavage 15-209, TD

Breakdown: The Spartans will look to rebound after last week’s rough loss at Southern Lehigh, a game where nothing went right from the start as North Schuylkill gave up the first 36 points. Getting the ground game going will be key for NS after gaining just 32 yards last week. The Olympians gave up 327 yards rushing in loss to Tamaqua. For Jim Thorpe, Lazorick returned after a one-game absence last week and will need to make big plays for the Olympians to be competitive.

Tamaqua (4-0) at Salisbury (3-1)

Last week: Tamaqua beat Jim Thorpe 48-7, Salisbury defeated Catasauqua 42-35

Last year: Tamaqua 49-18

Statistical leaders: Tamaqua — QB Luke Kane 30-49, 470, 5 TDs passing, 32-242, 3 TDs rushing; RB Bradley Whalen 67-452, 4 TDs; RB/WR Victor Schlosser 20-185, TD rushing, 17-257, 3 TDs receiving.

Breakdown: In a Red/White Division crossover, the Blue Raiders have to avoid looking past a Salisbury team that is quietly off to a sneaky 3-1 start after struggling the past few seasons. The Falcons’ only loss was 56-0 to Notre Dame-Green Pond in Week 2. Otherwise, Salisbury has downed Panther Valley, Wilson Area and Catasauqua by a combined 98-41 score. Tamaqua’s Kane (11-146) and Whalen (8-123) both rushed for more than 100 yards last week in rout of Jim Thorpe.

Lehighton (2-2) at Northwestern Lehigh (4-0)

Radio/TV: PennSports Radio

Last week: Lehighton pounded Palmerton 61-7, NW Lehigh defeated Blue Mountain 30-8

Last year: Northwestern Lehigh 49-0 in regular season, 58-14 in District 11 Class 3A quarterfinals

Statistical leaders: Lehighton — QB Jayse Lawrence 41-65, 536, 8 TDs; RB Lukas Croizier 53-295, 3 TDs; WR Blake Roberts 13-105, TD; WR Joe Roth 12-214, 4 TDs. Northwestern Lehigh — QB Shane Leh 20-38, 285, 6 TDs; RB Eli Zimmerman 35-402, 6 TDs; WR Mason Bollinger 8-119, 2 TDs

Breakdown: Lehighton takes on the unbeaten Tigers for the third time in two years, hoping to fare better than it did in two losses last season. Lawrence threw four TD passes in last Friday’s rout of Palmerton, while Croizier and Jacob Ferguson each rushed for two touchdowns. Indians will need to get all the breaks and be balanced offensively to derail Northwestern Lehigh’s train tonight.

Nativity (3-1) at Panther Valley (1-3)

Radio/TV: WMGH 105.5 FM

Last week: Nativity defeated Tri-Valley 34-13, Panther Valley topped Pine Grove 21-13

Last year: DNP

Statistical leaders: Nativity — QB Ben Kreitzer 20-44, 539, 6 TDs; RB Sam Spolski 44-316, 6 TDs; RB Sam Walborn 38-369, 5 TDs; WR Noah Dolbin 14-358, 4 TDs. Panther Valley — QB Brody Breiner 58-259 rushing, 25-69, 224, 4 TDs passing; WR Brady Jones 14-139.

Breakdown: The Green Wave look to stay hot after last week’s dismantling of Tri-Valley. The 1-2 running combo of Spolski and Walborn has been successful, getting great blocking up front. Defensively, Nativity has 10 interceptions so far. The Panthers earned their first win last week as Breiner garnered Schuylkill League Athlete of the Week honors after rushing for 140 yards. For Panthers to make it two straight, they’ll need to control the line of scrimmage and prevent Nativity’s big plays. Hard task.

Tri-Valley (3-1) at Williams Valley (4-0)

Radio/TV: WAVT 101.9 FM

Last week: Tri-Valley lost to Nativity 34-13, Williams Valley beat Minersville 42-36

Last year: Williams Valley 49-14

Statistical leaders: Tri-Valley — QB Blake Schwartz 23-42, 362, 3 TDs; RB Cole Gemberling 58-294, 7 TDs; RB Parker Hatter 31-157, 2 TDs; WR Max Masser 4-92, TD. Williams Valley — QB Brady Shomper 32-58, 551, 8 TDs; RB Fletcher Thompson 81-504, 5 TDs; WR Kian Krzyzanowski 21-388, 5 TDs.

Breakdown: Western rivals square off for 68^th time, with Vikings holding 35-29-3 series advantage. Williams Valley has dominated this series of late, winning 15 of last 17 regular-season contests. Game moved back to middle of season after a couple of years in Week 10. Dawgs need to rebound to stay in District 2/11 Class A playoff race. Vikings look to continue rolling, but can’t afford to look ahead to next week’s clash at Schuylkill Haven.

Saturday’s games

Mahanoy Area (0-4) at Marian (3-1)

Radio/TV: Blue Ridge Cable TV-13

Last week: Mahanoy Area lost to Schuylkill Haven 59-8, Marian beat Shenandoah Valley 47-23

Last year: Marian 21-13

Statistical leaders: Mahanoy Area — QB Levi Terry 7-19, 237, 2 TDs passing, 56-205, 4 TDs rushing; RB Kyler Quick 57-347, 3 TDs; RB/WR Michael Oblas 28-155, TD rushing, 4-134 receiving. Marian — QB Dylan Rodino 14-34, 214, 3 TDs; RB Rory Dixon 87-590, 6 TDs; TE Michael Gelatko 8-81, 2 TDs.

Breakdown: Bears surrendered more than 500 yards rushing in last week’s loss to Schuylkill Haven and can’t afford a similar defensive effort against the ground-based Colts, who average 194.5 yards rushing per game and have only thrown the ball 36 times. Mahanoy Area has allowed 50.8 points per game and 47 or more in each of their games so far. The Colts have won two straight since their Week 2 loss to Tri-Valley and need to continue to build momentum with several tough games lying ahead in the coming weeks.

Shenandoah Valley (0-4) at Pine Grove (0-4)

Radio/TV: WAVT 101.9 FM

Live Updates: Follow T102SportsNow writer Eli Doyle on X @iamelidoyle and T-102 content editor Leroy Boyer on X @pubsportsboss

Last week: Shenandoah Valley lost to Marian 47-23, Pine Grove lost to Panther Valley 21-13

Last year: DNP. First meeting since Sept. 18, 2021, a 26-8 Pine Grove victory

Statistical leaders: Shenandoah Valley — QB Tristan Karosas 8-41, 109, 0 TD, 9 Int; RB Jonnuel Reyes 15-63, TD; RB Joel Nunez 33-153, TD rushing, 4-79 receiving. Pine Grove — QB Wyatt Dixon 12-44, 118, 0 TD, 6 Int; Logan Troup 58-164, TD; TE Robbie Schaeffer 8-73.

Breakdown: Cardinals should benefit from last week’s game with Panther Valley, which was competitive throughout. They had success running the ball and held their first lead of season in second quarter. Devils enter on 10-game losing streak. Shenandoah Valley also had some positives in loss to Marian as defense scored on safety and Joel Nunez interception return while offense scored on a pair of big plays. Special teams could play a difference here. Devils’ K Sam Mentusky is a good one.