Schuylkill Haven talks things over during a timeout in Saturday's District 11 Class AA semifinal against Executive Education. The Hurricanes won 53-14, advancing to Friday's District 11 AA title game against Williams Valley. (Photo by Eli Doyle).

Only two teams remain.

Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley were the only local football teams to survive the Week 12 playoff slate, each recording impressive victories in Saturday night’s District 11 Class AA semifinals.

The Hurricanes (11-1) overpowered Executive Education 53-14 while the Vikings (11-1) dominated Pen Argyl 49-14. It sets up another clash between the two rivals, at 7 p.m. Friday at Blue Mountain’s Eagles’ Nest for the District 11 Class AA championship.

It will be the fourth matchup between the teams in the past two seasons and the second straight year they’ll play for the District 11 Class AA title. Last year, Haven won 24-21 in a Week 3 regular-season clash at Rotary Field and the Vikings answered with a 49-35 victory in the district final at North Schuylkill.

This season, Schuylkill Haven edged Williams Valley 38-30 in their Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division contest Sept. 27 at Rotary Field. The Hurricanes rushed for 383 yards and built a 32-14 lead in the second quarter, only to have the Vikings storm back with a pair of TD passes and two-point conversion runs by Brady Shomper to make it 32-30 late in the third.

Haven wrapped up the game with a 19-play, 86-yard drive that took 10:32 off the clock and was capped by a 3-yard TD pass from Brayden Fasnacht to Niko Castillo on a fourth-and-goal play with 1:50 left. Castillo then picked off a Shomper pass to ice it.

The Vikings haven’t lost since, outscoring six opponents 320-43. Haven has won 11 straight games, averaging 57.5 points per game in that streak.

If the past three meetings are a preview, Round 4 should be a thriller. Tickets are only available online at www.districtxi.hometownticketing.com and cost $7 (plus applicable fees). Spectators ages 65 and over are admitted free with valid proof of age.

The game will broadcast live on T-102 (101.9 FM). We’ll have an in-depth look at Friday’s game with features and previews all week long at T102 Sports Now. No need to go anywhere else.

Seasons come to an end

While the Hurricanes and Vikings were moving on, four local teams saw their 2024 seasons come to an end.

Thursday, Pottsville suffered a heartbreaking, 41-34 loss to Southern Lehigh in the District 11 Class 4A semifinals, with the Spartans scoring the game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds remaining. The Tide led 34-13 at one point in the first half.

Lehighton also fell in the Class 4A semifinals, losing 35-14 to Bethlehem Catholic.

Friday, a banged-up North Schuylkill squad was overwhelmed 36-7 by unbeaten Northwestern Lehigh in the Class 3A championship game, while District 11 Class A champion Tri-Valley was manhandled by District 2 champion Lackawanna Trail 42-0 in the District 2/11 Class A subregional championship game.

If there’s a common theme with those four squads, it’s that each has a bevy of talented players that will return next season with playoff experience:

** Quarterback Andrew Allen and running back JuJu Bainbridge lead Pottsville’s returnees. Receiver Christian Alvarez, tight end/linebacker Max Clews, linemen Logan Kessler, Brody Baddick and Cole Cesari and defensive backs Shay Strencosky, Brody Herndon and Brody Eroh also return.

** For Lehighton, quarterback Jayse Lawrence, running back Lucas Croizier, receivers Blake Roberts and Caden Meek and 310-pound lineman Parker Rodgers are back.

** Quarterback Caden Mengel, running back Luke Miller, wide receiver Landen Smith, linemen Kaden Knox, Aiden Zilker, Gavin Wall and David Martinez, linebackers Caden McGraw and Cooper Carl and defensive back Julian Nelson all return for North Schuylkill.

** Tri-Valley loses just three starters on both sides of the ball. Running back/linebackers Cole Gemberling and Parker Hatter, linemen Owen Mitchell, Randy Heckman, Donovan Keeth and Elliott Stiely, tight end Lucas Schwartz and receivers Max Masser and Trey Porter all return for the Dawgs.

Build off the playoff runs with a strong offseason and it’s a good possibility you’ll be playing in Weeks 11 and 12 next season.

Looking Ahead

The PIAA playoffs are down to 16 teams in each classification. Since District 11 had eight teams in the Class AA field, the Haven-Williams Valley district final is a first-round state playoff game as well. Friday’s winner will face either District 2 champion Riverside or District 12 winner Lansdale Catholic in a PIAA quarterfinal Nov. 22-23.

Here’s a look at the Class AA bracket entering Week 13:

2-1 Riverside (11-1) vs. 12-1 Lansdale Catholic (8-4), Friday, 7 p.m., Mid-Valley HS

District 11 championship, Schuylkill Haven (11-1) vs. Williams Valley (11-1), Friday, 7 p.m., Blue Mountain HS

District 4 championship, Troy (12-0) vs. Warrior Run (8-4), Friday, 7 p.m., Mansfield University

5-1 Bedford (9-3) vs. 3-1 Steel-High (10-2), Friday, 7 p.m., Claysburg Kimmel HS

District 7 semifinal, Seton LaSalle (11-0) vs. Steel Valley (9-3), Friday, 7 p.m., West Mifflin HS

District 7 semifinal, South Park (10-1) vs. Ellwood City (10-0), Friday, 7 p.m., North Allegheny HS

District 6 championship, Cambria Heights (12-0) vs. Richland (10-2), Friday, 7 p.m., Mansion Park, Altoona

9-1 Central Clarion (12-0) at 10-1 Farrell (7-5), Friday, 7 p.m.

For a great look at all of the PIAA playoff brackets, visit our friend Dave Mika’s website, www.easternpafootball.com.

Changing of the Guard

It was a wild weekend in the District 4 playoffs, where perennial powerhouses Southern Columbia, Mount Carmel and Jersey Shore all lost.

Southern Columbia saw its string of nine straight District 4 AA titles and seven straight PIAA Class AA crowns come to an end with a 69-28 blowout loss to unbeaten Troy in the Class AA semifinals. Mount Carmel was handed a similar fate, getting pounded 39-7 by Lewisburg in the Class 3A semifinals.

The wildest game came at Kemp Memorial Stadium in Coal Township, where Shamokin won its first District 4 title in 13 years with a 28-27 overtime win over Jersey Shore. Ben Delbaugh had three touchdown grabs for the unbeaten Indians (12-0), one that tied the game with less than three minutes remaining and one in overtime to put Shamokin ahead.

Jersey Shore had a chance to win it in regulation but missed a 23-yard field goal with 7 seconds left, forcing overtime.

The game will be remembered, however, for the final play. Jersey Shore answered Delbaugh’s TD with a pass from Elijah Jordan to Evan Snyder. The Bulldogs lined up to kick the extra point. In video replays shared by various news outlets and across social media, it looked like at least one Shamokin player was clearly offsides on the attempt. No penalty was called.

As chaos developed, Jordan, the holder, with a player in his face, hopped up from his kneeling position, rolled right and threw a pass to an open receiver in the end zone for the potential game-winning points. He dropped it, giving Shamokin the win.

We’ve seen some fantastic finishes in this area this season, but this one is amazing. Wow.

Shamokin (12-0) will host District 6 champion Juniata (8-3) in the first round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday. The winner of that game faces the winner of the District 11 championship between Southern Lehigh and Bethlehem Catholic in the state quarterfinals.

Winter sports approach

The first official PIAA practice date for winter sports is Friday, with the first playing date for basketball, wrestling and swimming and diving coming Friday, Nov. 29.

There will be two local Media Day events to kick off the winter sports season:

** The Schuylkill League wrestling coaches will hold their first-ever preseason media day Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Fountain Springs Country Inn.

** The Schuylkill League basketball coaches will hold their first-ever preseason media day for both boys’ and girls’ teams Sunday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Schuylkill Haven Sports Performance Center.

Full coverage of both events can be found on T102 Sports Now.

Thank you for your service

Today is Veterans Day across our great nation. Make sure you thank those past and present members of the military for keeping us safe.

To my grandfathers Kenneth Boyer and Jack Whitford, my father Neal, uncle Frank Pogash, cousin Keith Pogash, high school classmates Howard “Chip” Hall, Kyle Feger, Scott Sippel and Joe Brignola, and all the guys and gals at the Robert E. Baker American Legion Post 38 in Schuylkill Haven … thank you for your service.