There are 555 high schools that participate in PIAA football, and just 21 of them are undefeated as the season presses on into mid-November.
Of those 21, five are District 11 members, and four of them are from the Lehigh Valley.
And those four will go head-to-head for District 11 championships on Friday.
At Catasauqua, Notre Dame-Green Pond will play defending state champ Northwestern Lehigh for the 3A gold, and a few miles away in Bethlehem, Easton and Parkland will meet for the District 11 6A crown.
It’s hard to remember a bigger night for local football than the one that’s in store on Friday night.
In the latest state rankings compiled by Eric Epler of Pennlive.com, Easton is ranked No. 5 in 6A and Parkland is where it has been for several weeks — at No. 3.
In 3A, Northwestern Lehigh, which has been either No. 1 or No. 2 all season, is No. 2 and Notre Dame-Green Pond is No. 3.
The Lehigh Valley’s other state-ranked team, No. 3 Southern Lehigh, plays unranked Bethlehem Catholic for the 4A championship Thursday night at Catty.
Of the six No. 1 ranked teams, three of them are from District 7 — Pine Richland (5A), Avonworth (3A), Fort Cherry (1A). District 3 has two No. 1s in Harrisburg (6A) and Twin Valley (4A) and District 11 has its own No. 1 in Schuylkill Haven in 2A.
Here’s a complete look at the rankings:
CLASS 6A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Harrisburg (3); 11-0; 1
2.; La Salle College HS (12);Â 9-1; 2
3.; Parkland (11); 12-0; 3
4.; Pittsburgh CC (7); 10-1; 4
5.; Easton Area (11); 12-0; 5
6.; Central York (3); 10-1; 6
7.; Manheim Township (3); 10-1; 8
8.; St. Joseph’s Prep (12); 5-5; 7
9.; State College (6); 9-2; 9
10.; Pennridge (1); 11-1; 10
Teams to watch: Coatesville (1) 10-2, Imhotep Charter (12) 8-4,North Allegheny (7) 8-3, North Penn (1) 10-2, Neshaminy (1) 9-3, Wilson-West Lawn (3) 9-2.
CLASS 5A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Pine-Richland (7);10-1; 1
2.; Roman Catholic (12); 8-3; 2
3.; Peters Township (7); 11-0; 3
4.; Chester (1);12-0; 4
5.; Springfield-Delco (1); 12-0; 5
6.; Bishop McDevitt (3); 9-2; 6
7.; Hollidaysburg (6); 12-0; 7
8.; Exeter Township (3); 10-2; NR
9.; Upper St. Clair (7); 10-2; NR
10.; New Oxford (3); 11-0; NR
Teams to watch: Moon (7) 9-3, Solanco (3) 10-1, Strath Haven (1) 10-2, West Chester Rustin (1) 10-2, Whitehall (11) 10-2.
CLASS 4A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Twin Valley (3); 11-0; 1
2.; Shamokin (4); 12-0; 2
3.; Southern Lehigh (11); 11-1; 3
4.; Susquehanna Twp. (3); 11-0; 4
5.; Wyomissing (3); 10-1; 6
6.; North Pocono (2); 12-0; 8
7.; McKeesport (7); 9-3; 9
8.; Punxsutawney (9); 10-1; NR
9.; West York (3); 10-1; NR
10.; Bishop Shanahan (1); 8-4; NR
Teams to watch: Aliquippa (7) 8-3, Bethlehem Catholic (11) 8-4, Cardinal O’Hara (12) 8-4, Oil City (10) 9-1.
CLASS 3A
Rank – Team – District — Record – Previous
1.; Avonworth (7); 11-0; 1
2.; Northwestern Lehigh (11); 12-0; 2
3.; ND-Green Pond (11);12-0; 3
4.; Imani Christian (7); 11-0; 4
5.; Hickory (10);10-1; 5
6.; Berks Catholic (3); 9-2; 8
7.; Mifflinburg (4); 10-2; 9
8.; Penn Cambria (6); 10-2; NR
9.; Trinity (3); 9-3; NR
10.; Sharon (10); 8-3; NR
Teams to watch: Central Valley (7) 7-4, Neumann-Goretti (12) 8-4, North Catholic (7) 9-3, Scranton Prep (2) 7-5.
CLASS 2A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Schuylkill Haven (11);12-0; 1
2.; Troy (4); 11-1; 2
3.; Bishop McCort (6); 12-0; 3
4.; Farrell (10);10-2; 4
5.; Southern Columbia (4);11-1; 5
6.; Williams Valley (11); 11-1; 6
7.; Richland (6); 11-1; 7
8.; Seton-LaSalle (7); 10-1; 8
9.; Lakeland (2); 11-1; 9
10.; Steelton-Highspire (3); 9-2; NR
Teams to watch: Karns City (9) 9-2, Landsdale Catholic (12) 10-2, Steel Valley (7) 8-3, Washington (7) 10-2, Western Beaver (7) 10-1.
CLASS 1A
Rank – Team – District — Record — Previous
1.; Fort Cherry (7); 12-0; 1
2.; Clairton (7); 11-1; 2
3.; Line Mountain (4); 11-0; 3
4.; Port Allegany (9); 11-0; 4
5.; Lackawanna Trail (2); 11-1; 5
6.; Bishop Guilfoyle (6);10-2; 6
7.; Greenville (10); 10-1; 7
8.; Meyersdale (5); 11-1; 8
9.; Laurel (7); 10-1; 9
10.; Wilmington (10); 8-3; 10
Teams to watch: Belmont Charter (1) 9-1, Bishop Canevin (7) 9-3, Juniata Valley (6) 10-2, Montgomery (4) 10-2, Redbank Valley (9) 8-4, Westinghouse (8) 6-4.