PIAA CLASS 4A QUARTERFINAL

12-1 Cardinal O’Hara (9-4) vs. 2-1 North Pocono (13-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Whitehall High School’s Zephyr Stadium.

Last: First meeting.

How they got here: Cardinal O’Hara defeated West Philadelphia, 34-6, to win the District 12 Class 4A championship. North Pocono won its first state playoff game in program history with a 40-36 victory over Bishop Shanahan.

Up next: The winner advances to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals either Nov. 28 or Nov. 29 against the winner of the District 11 champion Southern Lehigh (12-1) vs. 4-1 Shamokin (13-0) quarterfinal game.

Players to watch: Cardinal O’Hara – QB John Welde; RB Amahj Gowans; WR Fode Wilkes; OL Davonte Ferrigon; OL Jay King-Gant; OL Musa Bangura; OL Jake Steigerwait; OL Mike Davis; DL Hakin Allah; DE Sammy Dantonka; SS-WR Jalen Patterson. North Pocono – RB Josiah Gray (142 carries, 1,104 yards, 15 touchdowns); QB Chase Zimmerman (55-81 passing, 891 yards, nine touchdowns); WR-DB Cole West (23 receptions, 471 yards, 4 touchdowns; 73 carries, 612 yards, 9 touchdowns; 9 interceptions); LB Aidan Maguire (92 tackles); DE Evan Wolff (84 tackles, 15 for loss, 5 sacks); DB Tate Bowen (61 tackles); LB Seamus Maguire (56 tackles); LB Jayden Taylor (51 tackles); DL Warren Kramer (4 sacks); LB Matthew Laboranti (4 sacks); K Shane Youngblood (55 PATs, 3 FGs, 64 kicking points).

The buzz: North Pocono set a school record with its 13th win of the season last week. … Cardinal O’Hara won its first District 12 Class 4A championship. … North Pocono is averaging 357.3 total yards per game and gives up 232.5 total yards per game. … North Pocono scored more than 35 points in three playoff wins this season. … Cardinal O’Hara lost to District 12 powerhouse programs Bonner-Prendergast, 22-10; Roman Catholic, 33-7; La Salle College, 54-17; and St. Joe’s Prep, 38-3. … Cardinal O’Hara running back Amahj Gowans ran for 195 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns last week in the District 12 Class 4A championship game win over West Philadelphia.

PIAA CLASS 3A QUARTERFINAL

11-1 Northwestern Lehigh (13-0) vs. 2-1 Scranton Prep (8-5)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Berwick’s Crispin Field.

Last: Northwestern Lehigh, 34-0 (2024).

How they got here: Northwestern Lehigh defeated Notre Dame Green Pond, 35-14, in the District 11 Class 4A championship. Scranton Prep defeated District 4 champion Mifflinburg, 28-21, in the PIAA Class 3A first round.

Up next: The winner advances to the PIAA Class 3A semifinals on either Nov. 28 or Nov. 29  to play the winner of the 12-1 Neumann-Goretti (9-4) vs. 3-1 Trinity (10-3) quarterfinal.

Players to watch: Northwestern Lehigh – QB Shane Leh (119-173 passing, 2,096 yards, 23 touchdowns); RB Braxton Lakatosh (110 carries, 1,184 yards, 13 touchdowns); RB-K Chase Sukanick (99 carries, 855 yards, 13 touchdowns; 61 PATs); WR Mason Bollinger (35 receptions, 498 yards, 6 touchdowns); WR Michael Lagowy (35 receptions, 513 yards, 4ng touchdowns, 53 tackles, 6 interceptions); WR Brady Zimmerman (31 receptions, 757 yards, eight touchdowns); LB Shane Hulmes (136 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks); DL Fritz Scheirer (82 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks); LB Evan Wagstaff (75 tackles, 3 sacks); DL MJ Boring (70 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks); DL Ethan Steigerwalt (37 tackles). Scranton Prep – QB-DB Will McPartland (82-127 passi, 1,508 yards, 11 touchdowns, 134 carries, 905 yards, 27 touchdowns); RB Anthony Prince (113 carries, 632 yards, 4 touchdowns); WR-LB Braedon McPartland (58 carries, 501 yards, 3 touchdowns, 25 receptions, 491 yards, 5 touchdowns); WR-DB Noah Kryzwiec (24 receptions, 403 yards, 1 touchdown); WR-DB AJ Croom (19 receptions, 300 yards, 3 touchdowns); OL-DL Elijah Myers; OL-DL Kaleb Pagnotti; OL-DL Anthony De Los Santos; OL-DL Owen Dadurka; OL-LB Andrew Dempsey (78 tackles); K Tyler Bianchi (53 PATs, 3 FGs, 62 kicking points).

The buzz: Northwestern Lehigh is the defending PIAA Class 3A champion. … Scranton Prep has five straight District 2 Class 3A championships. … Northwestern Lehigh won all three meetings against Scranton Prep, including the last two in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals. Last season, Northwestern Lehigh QB Shane Leh threw for 79 yards and two touchdowns, and Mason Lagoway had two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the win over Scranton Prep. … Northwestern Lehigh averages 45.8 points per game and gives up 13.3. … The Northwestern Lehigh defense has three shutouts this season. … Northwestern Lehigh has a win over District 11 Class 4A champion and PIAA quarterfinalist Southern Lehigh, 36-28, in the regular season. … Scranton Prep is averaging 31.8 points per game and gives up 18.9 points per game.

PIAA CLASS 1A QUARTERFINAL

2-1 Lackawanna Trail (12-1) vs. 12-1 Belmont Charter (9-1)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Northern Lehigh’s Bulldog Stadium.

Last: First meeting.

How they got here: Lackawanna Trail defeated District 4 champion Lion Mountain, 31-20. Belmont Charter beat District 3 champion York Catholic, 36-20, in the District 1-3-12 Class 1A subregional final.

Up next: The winner advances to the PIAA Class 1A semifinals on either Nov. 28 or Nov. 29 to play the winner of the District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle (10-2) vs. District 8 champion Westinghouse (7-4) quarterfinal game.

Players to watch: Lackawanna Trail – RB-DB Isaac Ryon (180 carries, 2,776 yards, 12 receptions, 280 yards, 13 PATs, 3 FGs, 51 total touchdowns, 336 total points, 65 tackles); QB Tyler Jervis  (22-41 passing, 489 yards, 6 touchdowns, 79 tackles); OL-DL Lucas Evans (29 tackles); OL-DL Blake Stage (34 tackles, 6 tackles for loss); OL-DL Anthony Paolucci (39 tackles); OL-DL Colin Owens (77 tackles); OL Cooper Castellano; TE-DE Kaylix Douglas (43 tackles, 5 tackles for loss); LB Carter Edwards (29 tackles); DB Sean Dwyer (38 tackles); DB Hayden Reed (39 tackles). Belmont Charter – QB Nafis Watkins; RB Dash Carson; WR Elias Colon; OL-DL Mason Billingsley-Walker; DL Tymir Seamons.

The buzz: Lackawanna Trail is in the PIAA playoffs for the fifth straight season. … Lackawanna Trail averages 38.7 points per game and gives up 16.8 points per game. … Lackawanna Trail RB Isaac Ryon is the school’s all-time leading rusher (4,869 yards), and set the LIAA records for yards rushing in a season (2,776), rushing touchdowns in a season (46), total touchdowns in a season (51), and total points in a season (336). … Lackawanna Trail is 36-4 in the last three seasons. … Belmont Charter was founded in 1998 and was re-established in 2002. It set a school record for wins in a season, and its loss came against Philadelphia Central, 14-8, on Oct. 17. … Belmont Charter OL-DL Mason Billingsley-Walker is a 6-foot-4, 310-pound standout with recruiting interest from Temple and Syracuse. … Belmont Charter lost to Old Forge, 55-14, in the 2021 state playoffs.

— Joby Fawcett