Pottsville's JuJu Bainbridge (5) struggles for extra yardage as Southern Lehigh's Christopher Fritts (9) and Andrew Olesh (8) try to bring him down during Friday night's game at Veterans Memorial Stadium. At left is Pottsville's Cole Cesari (76). (Photo by Danie Mae Photography)

Southern Lehigh, Notre Dame-Green Pond and Schuylkill Haven lead the way in the T102SportsNow.com 2025 Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Southern Lehigh heads the big-school Red Division. The Spartans went 12-3 a year ago, winning the District 11 Class 4A championship and reaching the PIAA Class 4A state semifinals.

Southern Lehigh earned five first-place votes and 75 points to edge second-place Northwestern Lehigh, which garnered three first-place votes and 74 points. The defending Red Division champion Tigers went unbeaten in 2024, going 16-0 and winning the PIAA Class 3A state championship.

District 11 Class 3A runner-up North Schuylkill was third with one first-place vote and 61 points. Blue Mountain (51 points) and Pottsville (44) rounded out the top five.

Defending White Division champion Notre Dame-Green Pond tops this year’s preseason poll, earning seven of the nine first-place votes and collecting 79 points. The Crusaders were followed by Northern Lehigh (66 points) and Saucon Valley (53). Fourth-place Palisades (46) and eighth-place Salisbury garnered the other White Division first-place votes.

Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley dominated the Blue Division poll, with the Hurricanes earning 96 points out of a possible 100 and the Vikings collecting 92. Haven had six first-place votes, while Williams Valley had three.

Schuylkill Haven is the defending Blue Division champion, going 9-0 in league play a year ago. Williams Valley won the District 11 Class AA title, beating the Hurricanes in the district final.

Minersville was third with one first-place vote and 78 points, with Tri-Valley (68) and Marian (57) completing the top five.

The polls were compiled by T102SportsNow.com content editor Leroy Boyer through voting done by the cooperative’s coaches at their respective league media days. Teams were awarded points based on the number of teams in that division, with nine (Red and White) and 10 (Blue) being the highest in each division.

T102SportsNow.com

Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative

2025 Preseason Coaches’ Poll

RED DIVISION (Big Schools)

(Number of first-place votes in parentheses)

1. Southern Lehigh (5) —- 75

2. Northwestern Lehigh (3) —- 74

3. North Schuylkill (1) —- 61

4. Blue Mountain —- 51

5. Pottsville —- 44

6. Lehighton —- 37

7. Jim Thorpe — 27

8. (tie) Tamaqua —- 18

Bangor —- 18

WHITE DIVISION (Colonial)

(Number of first-place votes in parentheses)

1. Notre Dame-Green Pond (7) —- 79

2. Northern Lehigh —- 66

3. Saucon Valley —- 53

4. Palisades (1) —- 46

5. (tie) Palmerton —- 44

Pen Argyl — 44

7. Catasauqua —- 32

8. Salisbury (1) —- 27

9. Wilson Area —- 14

BLUE DIVISION (Schuylkill)

(Number of first-place votes in parentheses)

1. Schuylkill Haven (6) —- 96

2. Williams Valley (3) —- 92

3. Minersville (1) —- 78

4. Tri-Valley —- 68

5. Marian —- 57

6. Nativity —- 45

7. Panther Valley —- 39

8. Pine Grove —- 31

9. Mahanoy Area —- 25

10. Shenandoah Valley —- 19

Poll compiled by T102SportsNow.com content editor Leroy Boyer