{"id":286127,"date":"2026-09-15T00:28:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T00:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/286127\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T00:28:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T00:28:17","slug":"lehigh-valley-high-school-football-rankings-after-week-3-in-epc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/286127\/","title":{"rendered":"Lehigh Valley high school football rankings after Week 3 in EPC"},"content":{"rendered":"

The nonleague portion of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football season is over and as league play begins, the teams that were originally thought to be very good this season are starting to live up to expecations,<\/p>\n

Parkland and three Northampton County teams \u2014 Bethlehem Catholic, Freedom and Nazareth \u2014 are looking like the class of the league with several others not far behind.<\/p>\n

Here are the latest EPC power rankings as the schedule shifts into games that will count in the league standings in a big Week 4 slate that includes games spread over three different nights.<\/p>\n

No. 18: East Stroudsburg North<\/p>\n

Record: 0-3<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 18th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Dieruff 31-0<\/p>\n

Next game: At Allen, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The struggles continue for the Timberwolves, who have been outscored 130-7 and have now lost 15 straight since a 42-14 win over Pocono Mountain East on Oct. 18, 2024.<\/p>\n

No. 17: Dieruff
\n\"TheCoach Dave Lutte and the Dieruff Huskies are 1-2 to start the season. (Monica Cabrera\/The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 17th<\/p>\n

Last game:\u00a0 Beat East Stroudsburg North 31-0<\/p>\n

Next game: At Pocono Mountain West, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Huskies got two rushing touchdowns from Gio Camacho, who also threw for 67 yards. But it was the Dieruff defense that dominated in the shutout of North, getting 11 tackles for loss, including six by Rafael Matos. The Huskies also had four fumble recoveries.<\/p>\n

No. 16: Pocono Mountain West
\n\"Pocono<\/p>\n

(Sean McKeag\/The Times-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Pocono Mountain West\u2019s Christian Stiehler carried 20 times for 169 yards in the Panthers\u2019 win in Week 3. (Sean McKeag\/Times-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 16th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Hazleton 31-6<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Dieruff, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Panthers got back in the win column after being shut out by Lehighton. Christian Stiehler carried 20 times for 169 yards and Dominic Dicicco was 6 of 11 passing for 180 yards and Donyeh White caught four passes for 69 yards.<\/p>\n

No. 15: Allen
\n\"JulianJulian \u201cJuJu\u201d Pagan and the William Allen Canaries start EPC play this weekend with a game against East Stroudsburg North. (April Gamiz\/The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 15th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Pocono Mountain East 24-20<\/p>\n

Next game: Host East Stroudsburg North, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: Even though they dropped their first game of the season, against Pocono Mountain East, the Canaries had lots of positives and kept it close. They had 301 total yards on offense, including 229 in the air from quarterback Julian Pagan. He threw two TD passes to Timmajh Plott and another to TeShon Gaynair.<\/p>\n

No. 14: East Stroudsburg South<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 14th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Delaware Valley 13-10<\/p>\n

Next game: At Allentown Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Saturday<\/p>\n

Comment: It\u2019s a little strange to see the Cavaliers struggle so much on offense. Over the years, particularly in the Matt Walters Era, South has usually scored a lot of points. But they have totaled just 23 points in the last two weeks after scoring 50 in the opener against Pittston Area.<\/p>\n

No. 13: Pleasant Valley
\n\"PleasantPleasant Valley football coach Blaec Saeger talks to his players on the field at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown on Sept. 3 following a 51-6 win over Dieruff. (Keith Groller)<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 13th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Pottsville 20-19<\/p>\n

Next game: At Whitehall, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Bears missed a PAT kick and a 2-point conversion try in their loss to Pottsville but outgained the Tide 314-250. They had 286 yards on the ground, including 187 by Chris Ward. Jacob George ran for 88 and scored twice.<\/p>\n

12: Allentown Central Catholic
\n\"PregameAllentown Central Catholic hosts East Stroudsburg South on Saturday. David Garrett\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 10th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Nazareth 42-14<\/p>\n

Next game: Host East Stroudsburg South, 7 p.m. Saturday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Vikings were outgained 322-235 at Nazareth, but had 117 yards and got a 64-yard TD run by Trey Johnson-Torres and a 41-yard TD reception by Grayson Schmell.<\/p>\n

11: Stroudsburg<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 7th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Liberty 28-14<\/p>\n

Next game: At Parkland, 7 p.m. Thursday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Mountaineers looked good on their opening drive against Liberty, getting a TD run from Keyen Johnson, but then didn\u2019t score again until the fourth quarter. Coach Jim Miller was bothered by penalties, dropped passes, missed tackles and other issues that will need to be cleaned up before the team heads to Parkland.<\/p>\n

10: Northampton<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 3rd<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Whitehall 31-19<\/p>\n

Next game: At Liberty, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Konkrete Kids struggled to stop Tanner Dogmanits and the Whitehall offense in its Cement Bowl rivalry game. They also had trouble maintaining drives. While Chase Kessler had another big rushing night with 154 yards on 25 attempts and two TDs, they got next-to-nothing out of their passing attack.<\/p>\n

9: Liberty<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 12th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Stroudsburg 28-14<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Northampton, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Hurricanes were impressive against Stroudsburg, fighting back from an early 7-0 deficit. They got big efforts from some unheralded players such as Greg Tillman, who caught two TD passes, and Treyce Whitlow, who ran for two scores.<\/p>\n

8: Emmaus
\n\"EmmausHead coach Harold Fairclough and his Emmaus Green Hornets climbed three spots in the rankings after beating Scranton 42-0. (Monica Cabrera\/The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 11th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Scranton 42-0<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Pocono Mountain East, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Green Hornets got into the win column for the first time thanks to a complete effort. They got a big rushing performance from Manolo Bermudez, who ran for 186 yards on 10 carries. He scored once and three others had rushing TDs. QB Kellen Hafner had to throw just 10 times and completed five for 116 yards and a TD.<\/p>\n

7: Whitehall
\n\"Whitehall'sWhitehall\u2019s football team runs onto the field before taking on Northampton on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, for the annual Cement Bowl rivalry game at Whitehall. (Jonathan Broady\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 9th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Northampton 31-19<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Zephyrs were impressive against Northampton, getting 505 yards on offense. Dogmanits had one of the best nights of his career, rushing and passing for a combined 374 yards. Jeziah Gregory also was a force on the ground with 129 yards on 18 carries.<\/p>\n

6: Easton
\n\"EastonEaston head football coach Matt Senneca and his Red Rovers stay ranked sixth after losing to Parkland. (Monica Cabrera\/The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 1-2<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 6th<\/p>\n

Last game: Lost to Parkland 44-14<\/p>\n

Next game: Play at Bethlehem Catholic, 7 p.m. Saturday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Red Rovers had trouble stopping Parkland on Friday, but got another good performance from Zahviay McGurn, who threw for 180 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 44 yards and Sean McPeek caught six passes for 123 yards and a score.<\/p>\n

5: Pocono Mountain East<\/p>\n

Record: 3-0<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 8th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Allen 24-20<\/p>\n

Next game: At Emmaus, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Cardinals join Bethlehem Catholic as the last remaining EPC unbeatens, but will get to prove how good they are when they visit Emmaus. While the focus is on offense and quarterback Ceejay Serfass, East has given up a league-low 27 points in three games.<\/p>\n

4: Freedom
\n\"PregameFreedom flexed its muscles in Week 3 with a non-league victory over Phillipsburg. (David Garrett\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 5th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Phillipsburg 32-31<\/p>\n

Next game: At Nazareth, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Patriots got back on track with their come-from-behind win over P\u2019burg. They fought back three times, from being down 7-0, 23-17 and 31-24. They got the game-winning score on a two-point conversion run by Lashawn Johnson late in the game. That followed his 39-yard TD run which was part of a 167-yard rushing night.<\/p>\n

3: Nazareth
\n\"NazarethNazareth coach Tom Falzone and his Blue Eagles host Freedom in a key EPC game this Friday. (Jonathan Broady\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 4th<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Allentown Central Catholic 42-14<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Freedom, 7 p.m. Friday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Blue Eagles have tightened up their defense, allowing a total of 27 points in wins over Whitehall and ACCHS after allowing 63 at Garnet Valley. Junior Cooper Madson is another rising star at QB. He threw for 225 yards and three TDs vs. ACCHS and now has 686 passing yards and nine TDs on the season.<\/p>\n

2: Bethlehem Catholic
\n\"BethlehemBethlehem Catholic\u2019s Carter Vassa scores his 3rd touchdown in the first half against Allentown Central Catholic on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, at J. Birney Crum Stadium. (David Garrett\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 3-0<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 2nd<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Berks Catholic 35-14<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Easton, 7 p.m. Saturday<\/p>\n

Comment: The Golden Hawks are one of the last two unbeatens in the EPC, but will get arguably their toughest test of the season so far against Easton. New Hampshire commit Axel Burkart continues to develop as one of the area\u2019s best QBs. He threw for 275 yards and two TDs and ran for 46 and two more scores in the win at Berks Catholic.<\/p>\n

1: Parkland
\n\"ParklandAfter dropping its season opener, Parkland has won two straight games. (David Garrett\/Special to The Morning Call)<\/p>\n

Record: 2-1<\/p>\n

Last rankings: 1st<\/p>\n

Last game: Beat Easton 44-14<\/p>\n

Next game: Host Pleasant Valley, 7 p.m. Thursday<\/p>\n

Comment: After three road games, the Trojans are finally at home this week. Coach Tim Moncman is going for his 100th win at Parkland (he\u2019s 99-27 in 11 seasons) and 200th overall. But Moncman is likely more concerned about stopping Stroudsburg\u2019s offense than any coaching milestones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The nonleague portion of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football season is over and as league play begins, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286128,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,304,305,726,432],"class_list":["post-286127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-high-school-football","tag-high-school-sports","tag-sports","tag-top-stories-tmc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}