The Minersville football team posing with the Battle of the Backyard trophy (Photo by Eli Doyle).

With eight weeks of the 2025 regular season in the books, it’s time to take a peek ahead at the District 11 playoffs.

With eight teams qualifying in Class AA, 3A and 4A, it’s not a matter of IF several local teams will make the playoffs, but WHO will they play in the quarterfinals and WHERE.

As of this writing, 13 of our 16 area teams would qualify for the district postseason with only Mahanoy Area, Shenandoah Valley and Pine Grove on the outside looking in.

Let’s break down where our area teams stand with two weeks left:

CLASS A

Four of the six teams in this bracket qualify for the District 2/11 Class A subregional. Lackawanna Trail (7-1, .659120 rating) of District 2 figures to be the No. 1 seed, with Tri-Valley (6-2, .534703) and Marian (5-3, .522112) pretty sure bets to make the field.

The teams on the bubble for the fourth spot are Nativity (4-4, .385506) and Holy Cross (3-5, .369615). The Green Wave have a tough schedule ahead, facing Schuylkill Haven (8-0) and Marian. Holy Cross takes on Lackawanna Trail this week before closing with Susquehanna (0-8).

Nativity may need a win over Marian to make it. If the Green Wave don’t make the subregional field, they may earn an Eastern Conference Class A/AA berth.

Special note: If two teams from each district qualify for the subregional field, those teams would face each other in the opening round regardless of seeding. If three teams from one district make it, a normal four-team bracket will be conducted.

CLASS AA

Schuylkill Haven (8-0, .736117) and Williams Valley (7-1, .689339) are the top two teams in the power ratings and should stay there barring any surprises, earning home games for both the quarterfinals and semifinals, should they get there.

Minersville (6-2, .573841) is currently in fourth but could leap No. 3 Palisades (5-3, .585805) with wins over Tri-Valley (6-2) and Panther Valley (3-5) to conclude the season. Palisades closes with games against Wilson Area (0-8) and Salisbury (2-6).

Northern Lehigh (5-3, .570297), Pen Argyl (5-3, .536878), Executive Education (4-3, .500919) and Catasauqua (3-5, .375422) should fill the final four spots, but their final order is still to be determined.

As of right now, Mahanoy Area (1-7, .289523) and Shenandoah Valley (0-8, .200157) won’t make it. It would be interesting to see, however, if the Golden Bears slip in should they beat Panther Valley and Shenandoah Valley in their final two games.

CLASS 3A

Eight of the nine teams in this field qualify, with Pine Grove (1-7, .216609) the likely team out.

North Schuylkill (5-3, .608074) currently sits in third behind Notre Dame-Green Pond (8-0, .800093) and Northwestern Lehigh (8-0, .739954) and figures to stay in that spot. Saucon Valley (5-3, .505173) is right now in fourth.

Tamaqua (3-5, .412315), Palmerton (3-5, .384187), Panther Valley (3-5, .363222) and Salisbury (2-6, .317331) would complete the field if the regular season ended today.

CLASS 4A

Blue Mountain (4-4, .546735) and Lehighton (4-4, .507677) are competing for the No. 4 spot and a quarterfinal home game in this eight-team bracket behind Southern Lehigh (8-0, .757446), Bethlehem Catholic (5-3, 711513) and Allentown Central Catholic (4-4, .634068).

The Eagles finish with Pottsville and Tamaqua, while the Indians have games with North Schuylkill and Jim Thorpe.

Pottsville (3-5, .446983) and Jim Thorpe (3-5, .445760) will also make this field, most likely in the No. 6 and No. 7 spots. There’s a really good chance the No. 8 seed is a winless team as Bangor, Wilson Area and East Stroudsburg North are all 0-8 and are not favored to win any of their remaining games.

The District 11 playoffs begin with quarterfinal games in 2A, 3A and 4A the first weekend, with games slated for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Those dates and times will be set after the Week 10 games. The Class A subregional semifinal games will be Friday, Oct. 31.

Here’s a look at some other news and notes from the Schuylkill-Colonial cooperative:

STILL PERFECT: Four teams improved to 8-0 with victories Friday — Northwestern Lehigh, Notre Dame-Green Pond, Schuylkill Haven, Southern Lehigh.

STILL WINLESS: Three teams are still in search of their first victory this season — Bangor, Shenandoah Valley, Wilson Area

DIVISION RACES: In the Schuylkill-Colonial cooperative, one division race is over and the other two are pretty much settled.

** Notre Dame-Green Pond (6-0 league) clinched the White Division title with its victory over Palisades.

** The Red Division crown will be decided when Southern Lehigh (7-0 league) faces Northwestern Lehigh (6-0 league) in Week 10.

** Schuylkill Haven (7-0 league) can wrap up the Blue Division title with a victory over Nativity this week.

TEAM OFFENSIVE SCORING: The offensive points per game averages for the 16 local teams through eight weeks:

Schuylkill Haven 429 (53.6 ppg), Williams Valley 322 (40.3), Minersville 319 (39.9), North Schuylkill 294 (36.8), Tri-Valley 274 (34.3), Blue Mountain 249 (31.1), Lehighton 215 (26.9), Marian 198 (24.8), Jim Thorpe 167 (20.9), Pottsville 145 (18.1), Tamaqua 145 (18.1), Panther Valley 129 (16.1), Nativity 119 (14.9), Shenandoah Valley 85 (10.6), Pine Grove 68 (8.5), Mahanoy Area 54 (6.8)

TEAM DEFENSIVE SCORING: The points per game allowed averages for the 16 local teams through eight weeks:

Tri-Valley 73 (9.1 ppg), Schuylkill Haven 114 (14.3), Williams Valley 114 (14.3), Minersville 116 (14.5), Lehighton 184 (23.0), Nativity 184 (23.0), Pottsville 187 (23.4), North Schuylkill 188 (23.5), Blue Mountain 193 (24.1), Tamaqua 200 (25.0), Marian 218 (27.3), Panther Valley 236 (29.5), Jim Thorpe 250 (31.3), Pine Grove 255 (31.9), Mahanoy Area 298 (37.3), Shenandoah Valley 305 (38.1).

Schuylkill-Colonial Football Cooperative Standings