Rivalry week has arrived in the 2026 high school football season. Hard to believe because the beginning of heat acclimatization on Aug. 10 seems like yesterday, but the regular season is about to end.
And while 13 of the 18 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference members will move on to the District 11 tournament, five will be packing away uniforms by this time next week unless they opt to play an extra game in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
While District 11 has made nothing official on its website, the power rankings formula show that Nazareth, Whitehall, Parkland, Freedom, Northampton and Easton have clinched spots in District 11 6A, and Pocono Mountain East, Pleasant Valley and East Stroudsburg South will be in the four-team 5A field. The 5A field was set before the season began.
In 6A, Stroudsburg and Emmaus currently hold the seventh and eighth spots and could seal their postseason positions with wins this weekend. A Liberty upset over Freedom might give the Hurricanes a shot.
In 4A, Bethlehem Catholic and Allentown Central Catholic are locks and likely to host quarterfinal games a week from Saturday.
Nazareth is the new No. 1 in the EPC rankings, moving up from No. 2 after Whitehall stunned Parkland 45-42 in a game the Zephyrs once trailed 42-21. Nick Miley was the hero with his 25-yard field goal on the last play.
Freedom’s Nathan Stannard also had a late field goal to beat Easton on the same Bethlehem Area School District Stadium field where Owen Hall nailed a field goal on the last play to give Nazareth a 52-49 win over Bethlehem Catholic six nights earlier. It has been that kind of year in the EPC with lots of high-scoring, down-to-the-wire thrillers.
While the weather gets colder, the action is likely to heat up. Here’s a look at the latest EPC rankings:
18: East Stroudsburg North
Record: 0-9, 0-6 EPC
Last rankings: 18th
Last game: Lost to Pocono Mountain East 63-0
Next game: Host East Stroudsburg South, 7 p.m. Thursday
Comment: The Timberwolves are the only winless team in District 11 and have lost 21 straight since a 42-14 win over Pocono Mountain East on Oct. 18, 2024.
17: Dieruff
Record: 1-8, 0-6 EPC
Last rankings: 17th
Last game: Lost to Allentown Central Catholic 49-6
Next game: Host Allen 2 p.m. Saturday
Comment: The Huskies have lost six in a row since a 31-0 win over East Stroudsburg North on Sept. 12. They have scored just 14 points during the slide. Dieruff beat Allen 17-2 last year and leads the all-time series 35-34.
16: Pocono Mountain West
Record: 4-5, 2-4 EPC
Last rankings: 15th
Last game: Lost to Pleasant Valley 27-26
Next game: Host Pocono Mountain East, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Panthers have lost four in a row after starting 4-1. Their game against Pleasant Valley featured 10 turnovers, including two on one play. A late interception secured the Bears win. Dom Dicicco threw for two TDs and Christian Stiehler ran for a pair of scores, but a missed two-point conversion was the difference.
15: Allen
Record: 3-6, 1-5 EPC
Last rankings: 16th
Last game: Lost to Emmaus 34-20
Next game: At Dieruff 2 p.m. Saturday
Comment: The Canaries have lost five straight after a 3-1 start, but have scored points in their last four games, including 20 apiece against Whitehall and Emmaus. If they can beat Dieruff, they will have four wins for the first time since 2005. Julian Pagan threw for 111 yards and a TD against Emmaus and Mike Taylor had 99 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving.
14: East Stroudsburg South
Record: 3-6, 2-4 EPC
Last game: Lost to Stroudsburg 38-28
Next game: At East Stroudsburg North, 7 p.m. Thursday
Comment: The Cavaliers got 211 yards passing and three TDs from Greyson Fuller. Alex Perez had three catches for 58 yards and a pair of TDs and Avery Walker had three receptions for 59 yards and a TD. South will be the No. 4 seed and play at No. 1 Southern Lehigh on Nov. 5 in the District 11 5A semiifinals.
13: Stroudsburg
Stroudsburg’s quarterback Jack Mitchell throws a pass Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, against Liberty during a football game at BASD Stadium in Bethlehem.(April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Record: 5-4, 3-3 EPC
Last rankings: 13th
Last game: Beat East Stroudsburg South 38-28
Next game: Host Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Josh Ivers-Green had eight catches for 196 yards and three TDs in the win over East Stroudsburg South. Jack Mitchell was 11 of 17 in the air for 246 yards and Jarel Jackson ran for 88 yards on 11 carries. The Mounties will make the District 11 6A tournament but will be on the road in the quarterfinals.
12: Pocono Mountain East
Pocono Mountain East’s Ceejay Serfass throws the ball against Easton on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at Pocono Mountain East High School in Swiftwater. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 6-3, 3-3 EPC
Last rankings: 12th
Last game: Beat East Stroudsburg North 63-0
Next game: At Pocono Mountain West, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Cardinals got 170 yards passing and four TDs from Ceejay Serfass against North, while Evan Garrett had 136 yards and two rushing scores. Four different receivers caught TD passes — Prince Albino, Elijah Jewell, Kevin Davis and Blake Martin. The Cardinals will get a rematch with Pleasant Valley in the District 11 5A semifinals on Nov. 5. It’s just a matter of where that game will be. A win over West will secure a home game.
11: Pleasant Valley
Record: 5-4, 3-3 EPC
Last rankings: 11th
Last game: Beat Pocono Mountain West 27-26
Next game: At Stroudsburg, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Bears won their third straight, hanging on to beat Pocono Mountain West. Chris Ward threw a pair of TD passes and ran for a score. Sean Cobb had an interception return for a score. William Breuer caught three passes for 49 and a score.
10: Liberty
Liberty’s Zyaire Davis runs the ball down the field Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, against Freedom at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
Record: 2-7, 1-5 EPC
Last rankings: 10th
Last game: Lost to Bethlehem Catholic 42-28
Next game: Host Freedom, 1 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Hurricanes got a great performance from Zyaire Davis against Bethlehem Catholic, including a kickoff return for a touchdown, five catches for 95 yards and a TD and he caught a two-point conversion. But Liberty has allowed at least 42 points in its last three games — all losses.
9: Emmaus
Emmaus’ Mason Lenig runs the ball down the field Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, against Allentown Central Catholic’s Quaid Eisenhard during a football game at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Record: 4-5, 3-3 EPC
Last rankings: 9th
Last game: Beat Allen 34-20
Next game: Host Parkland, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Green Hornets are in position to get in the District 11 6A tournament as the No. 8 seed. A win over Parkland might move them up even higher. In the win over Allen, Jay Santos ran for 236 yards and four TDs. The defense got four sacks, including two by Mason Weber.
8: Easton
Record: 4-5, 3-3 EPC
Last rankings: 8th
Last game: Lost to Freedom 38-35
Next game: Host Nazareth, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Red Rovers got 252 yards passing and a pair of TDs from Zahviay McGurn and 118 yards rushing and two more scores from Akhir Brown, but it wasn’t enough to get a victory over Freedom. The defense gave up 305 yards on the ground, including 243 to Lashawn Johnson. Easton has been on a ‘lose one, win one’ pattern all season. Does that mean they will beat Nazareth Friday night?
7: Northampton
Record: 5-4, 3-3 EPC
Last rankings: 6th
Last game: Lost to Nazareth 31-21
Next game: Host Bethlehem Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Konkrete Kids will be in the District 11 6A tournament and might even earn a home game if they can beat Bethlehem Catholic. They play competitive games almost every week. Seven of their nine games have been decided by 12 points or less. Chase Kessler has 1,386 yards and 12 TDs and is coming off a 161-yard performance against Nazareth, but the K-Kids completed just four passes for 54 yards.
6: Allentown Central Catholic
Allentown Central Catholic’s head coach Jake Reichard takes the field on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, against Emmaus during a football game at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
Record: 6-3, 5-1
Last rankings: 7th
Last game: Beat Dieruff 49-6
Next game: At Whitehall, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Vikings have clinched a District 11 4A berth and could earn a piece of the EPC’s Lehigh County title with a win over Whitehall. Against Dieruff, Trey Torres-Johnson ran for 110 yards and two TDs. Tahir Edmondson had a 74-yard punt return and a 20-yard TD reception.
5: Freedom
Record: 6-3, 4-2 EPC
Last rankings: 5th
Last game: Beat Easton 38-35
Next game: At Liberty, 1 p.m. Saturday
Comment: A pair of 3-point wins over Northampton and Easton have restored some confidence for the Patriots and put them in position to host a District 11 6A quarterfinal. Lashawn Johnson ran for 244 yards on 36 carries and five touchdowns in the 38-35 win over Easton. Johnson has 1,288 rushing yards this season and 18 TDs. But to advance in districts, the Patriots must tighten up a defense that gave up 407 yards against Easton.
4: Bethlehem Catholic
Bethlehem Catholic’s Axel Burkart throws the ball against Liberty during the Christmas City Championship on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium. Burkart completed 24 of 32 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns. Bethlehem Catholic wins the Christmas City title for the first time since 2013. (Riley Gallagher/Christmas City Studio)
Axel Burkart completed 24 of 32 passes for 469 yards and four touchdowns.
Record: 7-2, 4-2 EPC
Last rankings: 3rd
Last game: Beat Liberty 42-28
Next game: At Northampton, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Golden Hawks won the Christmas City title but have bigger championships in mind. They have the most dynamic passing combo in District 11 with quarterback Axel Burkart and receiver Carter Vassa. According to Becahi’s stats, Burkart threw for 466 yards against Liberty, while Vassa had 13 catches for 249. Justin Martinez gave the offense balance by running for 114 yards on 18 carries. Jonathon Ayache led the defense with six tackles and Aiden Rivera had a sack.
3: Parkland
Parkland’s Derek Fistner catches a short pass against Freedom on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Bethlehem School District Stadium. (David Garrett/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 7-2, 5-1 EPC
Last rankings: 1st
Last game: Lost to Whitehall 45-42
Next game: At Emmaus, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: Parkland responded after an opening-night loss at Phillipsburg and must do it again after a disappointing loss to Whitehall in a game the Trojans once led 42-21. They will be in the District 11 6A tournament and will have a home game but need to shore up some things on defense if they hope to return to the title game. Finn Coen passed for 160 yards and Tycen Norman ran for 272 yards and two TDs. Henry Weikel also ran for a pair of scores, but it wasn’t enough because the defense had no answer for Tanner Dogmanits.
2: Whitehall
Whitehall’s Tanner Dogmanits drops back to throw the ball against William Allen on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at Whitehall High School in Whitehall. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 8-1, 6-0 EPC
Last rankings: 4th
Last game: Beat Parkland 45-42
Next game: Host Allentown Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Zephyrs made the biggest news of the weekend with their come-from-behind win over Parkland behind a spectacular night by quarterback Tanner Dogmanits. He threw for 327 yards and ran for 117, totaling five touchdowns. Jeziah Gregory added 134 yards rushing and a TD and Henry Shultz had seven catches for 112 yards and a TD. Aiden Hannis and Ben Pychinka led the defense with seven stops apiece.
1: Nazareth
Nazareth’s Cooper Madson throws the ball against Bethlehem Catholic on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, BASD Stadium in Bethlehem. (Jonathan Broady/Special to The Morning Call)
Record: 8-1, 6-0 EPC
Last rankings: 2nd
Last game: Beat Northampton 31-21
Next game: At Easton, 7 p.m. Friday
Comment: The Blue Eagles move into the top spot on an eight-game win streak after an opening-night loss to Garnet Valley. They already won the EPC’s Northampton Division title and now want to nail down the top seed in District 11 6A. Cooper Madson threw for 298 yards against Nazareth and has 2,327 yards and 25 TDs this season. Perhaps just as impressive is that he has thrown just two interceptions in 213 attempts. Nazareth has three receivers with at least 26 receptions led by Luke DiPietro who has 54 catches for 921 yards and 10 TDs.