Schuylkill Haven's Niko Carestia leaps through the line during a game earlier this season against Williams Valley (Photo by Ashley Donatti).

Three of the area’s hottest teams entering the postseason reside in the District 11 Class AA playoff bracket.

Schuylkill Haven (9-1), Williams Valley (9-1) and Minersville (7-3) enter the playoffs on lengthy winning streaks that they will look to continue in Saturday’s quarterfinals.

The top-seeded Hurricanes host No. 8 Palisades (3-7), No. 2 Williams Valley entertains No. 7 Mahanoy Area (4-6) and No. 4 Minersville takes on No. 5 Executive Education (5-4-1). No. 6 Pen Argyl (4-6) visits No. 3 Northern Lehigh (7-3) in the other quarterfinal. All four games start at 6 p.m.

Saturday’s winners advance to the semifinals, which are set for Saturday, Nov. 9.

The Schuylkill Haven-Palisades game will be broadcast live on WPPA 1360 AM and A-106 FM, while the Minersville-Executive Education game will be on T-102 (101.9 FM). There are links to the live broadcasts in the upper right-hand corner of the T102sportsnow.com home page.

Here’s a look at the three Class AA quarterfinals involving area teams.

Palisades at Schuylkill Haven

Where: Rotary Field, Schuylkill Haven

Live Updates: Follow T102 Sports Now content editor Leroy Boyer on X @pubsportsboss

Previous meetings: The Hurricanes and Pirates did not play each other this year, but did square off the past two years as part of the Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative. Palisades won 49-14 in 2022, while Schuylkill Haven garnered a 14-7 win last year.

About the Pirates: Palisades went 3-6 in White Division play, recording victories over Pen Argyl (21-20), Wilson Area (28-6) and Salisbury (40-0). Pirates opened 0-4 and have won their last two. QB Jack Trickel has completed 113-of-214 passes for 1,318 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions. He threw for 171 yards and two TDs in win over Salisbury. RB John Haubert (155-633, 7 TDs) rushed for 98 yards and three scores last week. WR Lincoln Cook (42-593, 5 TDs) is the leading receiver on a squad that has five receivers with 12 or more receptions.

About the Hurricanes: Schuylkill Haven enters Saturday’s game on a nine-game win streak after falling to Blue Mountain in its opener. The Hurricanes are averaging 52.9 points per game and allowing just 15.9. They’ve scored 55 or more points six times.

Junior RB Niko Carestia leads the area in rushing yards (2,124), touchdowns (30) and points scored (216) and is the team leader in tackles (84). Sophomore Colton Reber (64-900, 15 TDs) and junior Niko Castillo (54-666, 9 TDs) join Carestia to form a three-headed monster that averages 418.9 rushing yards per game behind a mammoth offensive line.

Quotable: “Palisades is a blue-collar team just like we are. So they have tough kids and will show up with their ‘A’ game for sure,” Schuylkill Haven coach Mike Farr said.

“In 2023, the eight-game win streak gave this group confidence that they can win tough games. In 2024, the weight room dedication has added to that confidence. I also believe they understand what it takes to be a championship caliber team.”

Player Spotlight, Leyden Hertz, Schuylkill Haven: A senior wide receiver/defensive back, Hertz does a little bit of everything for the Hurricanes. He had eight receptions for 114 yards and two TDs, is among the area leaders in interceptions with five and returns punts and kicks. He’s averaging 21.9 yards per punt return. Among his nine touchdowns are four pick-6s, a punt return for a score and a kickoff return for a TD.

“Leyden Hertz is having a huge season,” Farr said. “He has worked so hard the past two seasons since choosing to play football in college. He sacrifices his offensive opportunities due to our style, so he knows he needs to create and take advantage of every opportunity he has with the ball in his hands.”

Mahanoy Area at Williams Valley

Where: Gerry Stauffenberg Field at Viking Stadium, Williamstown

Previous meetings: The Vikings defeated the Golden Bears 48-6 in a Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division game Aug. 30.

About the Bears: Mahanoy Area has gone 4-2 since an 0-4 start, racking up wins over Marian, Pine Grove, Panther Valley and Shenandoah Valley. The Bears are in the District 11 playoffs for the 11^th straight season, but have lost in the opening round the last 10 times.

Dave Holman’s squad runs the flexbone, with QB Levi Terry (126-689, 11 TDs), FB Kyler Quick (144-1,084, 12 TDs) and RB Michael Oblas (60-415, 7 TDs) pacing the ground-oriented offense.

About the Vikings: Williams Valley is in the District 11 playoffs for the 17th consecutive season, looking to repeat as Class AA champions. The Vikes have won or shared seven District 11 crowns since 2012 and reached the finals two other times. The Vikings average 42.8 points per game and allow an area-low 14.1 ppg. Their only setback was a 38-30 loss at Schuylkill Haven on Sept. 27.

Junior QB Brady Shomper leads the area in passing with 1,935 yards and 29 TDs against just seven interceptions. Freshman RB Fletcher Thompson (143-1,109, 12 TDs) is the Vikes’ leading rusher, while Shomper has rushed for 677 yards and 10 scores. Williams Valley’s offense is well-balanced and features a veteran offensive line. Senior LB Skylor Green leads the defense with 102 tackles and 11 TFLs, while sophomore LB Trevon Bair has 95 tackles. Senior kicker Sage Smeltz has a school-record 52 conversion kicks.

Quotable: “Week 2 both teams were still searching for identities on offense and defense,” Williams Valley coach Stephen Sedesse said. “By Week 11 you’re kind of zoned in on what you have been doing, and what works well for your team. Mahanoy has been getting better each week. They have tough kids that always play physical.”

Player Spotlight, Kian Krzyzanowski, Williams Valley: The senior WR leads the area in receiving, hauling in 52 passes for 1,040 yards and 14 TDs. He’s also the Vikings’ kickoff and punt returner, taking a pair of kickoffs to the house for touchdowns. Krzyzanowski is just the third Viking to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, joining O.J. Grow and Owen Daniel.

“Kian has been working hard since January,” Sedesse said. “He can run every route and is a threat, even when he isn’t getting the ball he’s working to get other receivers open. The ultimate teammate in a run-heavy offense a year ago, he took advantage of his opportunity and his commitment to the WR position shows.”

Executive Education at Minersville

Where: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Minersville

Live Updates: Follow T102 Sports Now writer Eli Doyle on X @iamelidoyle

Previous meetings: Have not played

About the Raptors: Executive Education has alternated wins and losses for most of the season, with its biggest victory being a 48-19 win over AA Bristol (7-1) on Sept. 20. Last week’s game with Academy of the New Church ended in a 32-32 tie due to extra-curricular activities. Raptors won the 2022 District 11 AA title, shocking Williams Valley 22-20 in semifinals. Lost 71-12 to Schuylkill Haven in last year’s AA semifinals.

Senior QB Zion Brake is Executive Ed’s leader. Other key players include RB Sylis Styles and athlete Jeremiah Rodriguez. No statistics were available on the Raptors.

About the Miners: Minersville has won four straight games since an overtime loss to Marian in September. The Miners average 39.9 points per game and allow 20.9 ppg, scoring 42 or more points in their last three games. Miners won last year’s District 11 Class A title and moved up to Class AA this season in the new PIAA enrollment cycle.

Junior Dante Carr is the first quarterback in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards (1,140) and throw for more than 1,000 yards (1,685) in the same season. He’s scored 22 touchdowns and thrown for 22 more. Paiten LaPoint (40-773, 9 TDs), Logan Hutsko (33-545, 8 TDs), Matt Dube (15-256, 5 TDs) and Jake Kavanaugh (16-231, TD) give Carr plenty of options to throw to.

Quotable: “They’re loaded with athletes,” Minersville coach Justin Frantz said of Executive Education. “They look to want to get the ball out quick on offense and try to use their speed; defensively they want to challenge the receivers and keep the QB/RB bottled up in the pocket. They want to use their speed and blitz off the edges so we have to be able to communicate up front and handle the blitz.

“Their athleticism is what we are focusing on the most. They definitely have the ability to make big plays so we need to limit what they do and be very physical with them.”

Player Spotlight, A.J. Halford, Minersville: A 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior, Halford anchors the offensive line from his guard spot and is the Miners’ leader on defense, ranking third in the area with 100 tackles from his linebacker spot. He also has 10 tackles for loss.

“A.J. is a kid who has been consistent for us for four years,” Frantz said. “You don’t hear a lot about him because he’s an OL/LB but he is a fantastic football player and leader. He does his job week in and week out and leads by example.

“He has become more vocal as the year has gone on and you can see how that has picked up his play. He’s become that kid that goes out and has a huge effect on the game. Defensively he has the ability to change the momentum of a game in one play.”