PIAA District 11 First Round Playoff Preview

Tagged under: District 11, News, pfn, Playoffs

john fox dan di edwardo | November 4, 2026

1A

#1 seeded Williams Valley takes on #4 seed Lackawanna Trail. The winner takes on the winner of the #2 seed (Tri-Valley) vs. #3 seed (Marian Catholic) game.

2A 

#1 seeded Schuylkill Haven takes on #4 seed Catasauqua. The winner battles the winner of the #2 seed (Shenandoah Valley) vs. #3 seed (Northern Lehigh) game.

3A

#1 seed Northwestern Lehigh takes on #8 seed Panther Valley. The winner takes on the winner of the #4 seed (Executive Education) vs. #5 seed (Palmerton) game. #3 seed Jim Thorpe battles #6 seed Tamaqua and will take on the winner of the #2 seed (Notre Dame Green Pond) vs. #7 seed (Salisbury Township). Coach Stambaugh’s Crusaders squad preaches mental and physical toughness on both sides of the ball and will look to make a run under new starting QB Tommy Murphy. Coach DiZenzo’s Falcons are looking for a major upset against the 8-1 Crusaders.

4A

#1 seeded Blue Mountain takes on #8 seed Bangor, battling the winner of the #4 seed (Pottsville) vs. #5 seed (Lehighton). The #3 seed Allentown Central Catholic battles #6 seed Saucon Valley for the right to take on the winner of the #2 seeded Bethlehem Catholic vs. #7 seeded North Schuylkill. The Burkart to Vassa connection makes the Golden Hawks a tough team to stop, with Coach Tomtishen’s team looking to slow one of the most explosive offenses in the Lehigh Valley.

5A

#1 seeded Southern Lehigh moved up to 5A after winning the 4A championship last year and will take on #4 seed East Stroudsburg South. QB Colton Sams and his father, Coach Phil Sams look to bring another State Title home with most of last year’s core in place, minus RB Sean Steckert. The winner takes on the winner of the #2 seed (Pleasant Valley) vs. #3 seed game (Pocono MTN East).

6A

#1 seed Nazareth battles #8 seed Emmaus for the right to battle the winner of the #4 seed (Bethlehem Freedom) vs. #5 seed game (Easton). Coach Falzone’s Blue Eagles are led by QB Cooper Madson, who is entering his 2nd year of playoffs as a starter, following Peyton Falzone’s season ending injury last season. Coach Seneca’s Red Rovers enter the playoffs with a largely different roster than last year, including new starting QB Zahviay McGurn, replacing Cole Ordway. Freedom enters the playoffs with their core 3 of QB Michael Stofanak, RB Lashawn Johnson, and WR Davyan Moore returning. #3 seed Parkland battles #6 seed Northampton for the right to take on the winner of #2 seed Whitehall vs. #7 seed Stroudsburg. Like Freedom, Parkland returns most of its core players, including QB Finn Coen and WR Blake Nassry. Northampton’s roster is largely different with QBs Zion McKinney and Luke Stopay splitting reps for the recently graduated Gavin Taff. RB Chase Kessler remains one of the best in the EPC. Whitehall returns QB Tanner Dogmanits and an explosive offense that has been humming since an early season loss to Nazareth.