Dante Carr passed for 403 yards and three touchdowns and ran for four more in a loss to Schuylkill Haven last season. (Photo by Ashley Donatti).

The last time Schuylkill Haven and Minersville clashed on the gridiron it was a game for the ages.

On a dusty Thursday night at Minersville’s Veterans Memorial Stadium last September, the Hurricanes outgunned the Miners 72-52 in a game that featured 45 first downs, 1,137 combined yards of offense and 17 touchdowns.

In the first half alone, the teams combined for 756 yards, 30 first downs and 87 points, with Minersville taking a 45-42 lead into the locker room after Jordan Bowers hit a 42-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half.

When the dust settled, Niko Carestia rushed for 274 yards and seven touchdowns as Schuylkill Haven earned the 600th victory in program history by scoring the game’s final 22 points.

Tonight they meet again, this time at 7 p.m. at Schuylkill Haven’s Rotary Field (listen live on T-102 FM). With most of the main characters returning for an encore performance, expect another wild shootout.

“Last year’s game was crazy,” Minersville coach Justin Frantz said. “Two good offenses going back and forth.

“I think the thing that sticks out the most was the effort and energy from both teams throughout the entire game. Like a heavyweight fight, back and forth trying to land that knockout blow, but the other team matched it (for the most part).

“There are things we can take from it — the attitude to stay in the game no matter what happens is the biggest thing.”

For the Miners (3-1), they must bounce back from a 43-40 loss to Williams Valley on Friday. Senior quarterback Dante Carr had a monster game against the Vikings, rushing for 179 yards and three TDs while throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns.

Last year against Schuylkill Haven, the Central Florida commit rushed for 143 yards and four touchdowns, completed 19-of-27 passes for 403 yards and guided a Minersville offense that racked up 606 yards of total offense. Minersville led 52-50 in the third quarter before Carr was injured and missed the rest of the game.

His top target, speedy wideout Paiten LaPoint, had seven catches for 166 yards and two TDs in last year’s classic. He enters tonight’s game leading the area in receiving with 15 catches for 256 yards and five TDs.

Carr comes into tonight’s game as the area’s top passer with 596 yards and 12 touchdowns in four games while also running for 435 yards and six more scores.

“Dante is a special player,” Schuylkill Haven coach Mike Farr said. “Good vision. Good size. Good speed. Able to make a play anywhere on the field. That’s why UCF wants him.

“We will not prepare differently for Dante. We need to try and limit his explosive plays.”

One player not expected to play is Carestia, who suffered a broken leg in Haven’s 69-0 win over Mahanoy Area last Friday.

Carestia is the fullback in Haven’s wing-T attack, rushing for 305 yards and three TDs so far. He’s the leader of the Hurricanes’ defense from his middle linebacker spot, where his absence may be felt the most.

The Hurricanes (4-0) have plenty of weapons on offense: Colton Reber (34-492, 6 TDs) is fifth in the area in rushing while Niko Castillo has rushed for six touchdowns and quarterback Max Heim is 17-of-27 passing for 431 yards and eight scores.

Farr said his squad, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class AA by PennLive.com, will need players to step up on defense to replace Carestia.

“Niko is a great player. One of the best small-school football players in the state,” Farr said of Carestia. “We have rotational players that now need to take on a starting role. We need players to step up and make Carestia-type plays. They will play for him in their hearts.”

Schuylkill Haven is averaging 52.5 points and 433.6 yards of total offense through four games, while Minersville is averaging 41.5 points and 347.3 yards of total offense.

Despite the gaudy offensive numbers and unlimited scoring potential, both coaches agreed that the team that gets the key defensive stop will emerge victorious.

“You’re never going to stop their running game altogether,” Frantz said. “You have to try to do things that contain them and limit the big plays. Defensively we have to swarm to the football … these backs don’t get taken down by one guy, so it has to be a group every time.”

Added Farr: “We cannot give Minersville extra possessions. We need to win the turnover margin.”

The rest of the Week 5 slate will be Friday night, with nine games involving local teams. Here’s a capsule look at the games involving area teams this weekend:

Thursday’s game

Minersville (3-1) at Schuylkill Haven (4-0)

Last week: Minersville lost to Williams Valley 43-40; Schuylkill Haven blanked Mahanoy Area 69-0

TV/Radio: T-102 (101.9 FM)

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

Last year: Schuylkill Haven 72-52

Game Notes: Schuylkill Haven’s first Thursday night home game since the Hurricanes faced Marian in 2018. Before that, the last time Haven was home on a Thursday was 1964 against Frackville. … How the Hurricanes overcome the loss of Niko Carestia will be interesting to see. Haven has the depth offensively with Colton Reber (34-492, 6 TDs) and Niko Castillo (19-159, 6 TDs) in the backfield and Max Heim giving the Hurricanes a true option in the passing game. Defensively, however, Carestia was Haven’s star, anchoring the defense from his linebacker position. He played a key role last year in trying to contain Minersville QB Dante Carr, which will be the goal of the Haven defense tonight. …. For Minersville, can the Miners’ defense stop the Haven offense, OR make more big plays to outgun them on the scoreboard? This could be another epic offensive showcase.

Friday’s games

Pottsville (2-2) at Southern Lehigh (4-0)

Last week: Pottsville defeated Bangor 44-13; Southern Lehigh downed North Schuylkill 34-14

Last year: Southern Lehigh 34-25 in regular season; Southern Lehigh 41-34 in District 11 Class 4A semifinals

TV/Radio: WPPA 1360 AM / 105.9 FM

Game Notes: The Crimson Tide make the long trek to Center Valley to take on the Spartans in a rematch of last year’s District 11 Class 4A semifinal that Southern Lehigh rallied to win 41-34. Pottsville made some offensive strides in last Friday’s win over Bangor as JuJu Bainbridge rushed for 159 yards and two touchdowns and Andrew Allen threw for two more scores. To notch a win over the unbeaten Spartans, Pottsville will need to make big plays both on offense and defense and win the battle up front. Southern Lehigh controlled the line of scrimmage in its 34-14 win last Friday over North Schuylkill, rushing for 253 yards and putting up 367 yards of total offense. Containing Sean Steckert, who blitzed North Schuylkill for 221 yards and three TDs, will be Pottsville’s No. 1 goal.

Williams Valley (4-0) at Tri-Valley (3-1)

Last week: Williams Valley edged Minersville 43-40; Tri-Valley dumped Nativity 42-13

Last year: Williams Valley 42-7

TV/Radio: T-102 (101.9 FM)

Live Updates: Follow Bob Lipsky on X @BobLipskyRH

Series History: Williams Valley 36-29-3

Game Notes: Unbeaten Vikings have dominated this Western Schuylkill backyard rivalry series of late, going 20-5 since 2007 and 16-2 in the regular season. They enter on the heels of a big 43-40 victory over Minersville last Friday, a game in which the Vikes rushed for 331 yards and had two players, Fletcher Thompson (17-166, 2 TDs) and Brady Shomper (22-125, 3 TDs), gain over 100 yards. In four games Williams Valley has outscored its opponents 188-40. … Tri-Valley, meanwhile, has racked up a pair of lopsided wins since a Week 2 loss at Marian. The Dawgs’ 1-2 punch of Parker Hatter (17-130, 3 TDs) and Cole Gemberling (8-117, 2 TDs) paced a rushing attack that gained 293 yards against Nativity. Tri-Valley’s defense has only allowed 44 points so far this season, but the Bulldogs will need a big effort on that side of the ball to slow down the Vikings.

Blue Mountain (1-3) at Bangor (0-4)

Last week: Blue Mountain fell to Northwestern Lehigh 34-28; Bangor lost to Pottsville 44-13

Last year: Blue Mountain 49-7

Game Notes: The Eagles nearly shocked the state last Friday, taking defending PIAA Class 3A state champion Northwestern Lehigh to the limit in a 34-28 loss. Blue Mountain got to the Tigers’ 32-yard line in the final seconds with a chance to win the game before coming up short. Big plays were the story as Chase Guers scored on a 79-yard punt return, Cohen Kirby and Kole Luckenbill hooked up for a 66-yard TD and a 50-yard kickoff return by Sonny Amato set up another score. … Tonight’s game should be much easier. Bangor has been outscored 178-55 in losses to Saucon Valley, Lehighton, Northwestern Lehigh and Pottsville and fields a very youthful squad. The Slaters were held to minus-16 yards rushing and 14 total yards in the first half last week in a loss at Pottsville. Expect the Blue Mountain running game to have a big night.

Jim Thorpe (2-2) at North Schuylkill (2-2)

Last week: Jim Thorpe defeated Tamaqua 35-27; North Schuylkill lost to Southern Lehigh 34-14

Last year: North Schuylkill 50-7

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

Game Notes: North Schuylkill enters tonight’s game at a crossroads, basically in the same spot the Spartans were in last year at 2-2 after a demoralizing loss to Southern Lehigh. How the Spartans respond will determine how the rest of their season goes. Offensively, North Schuylkill missed injured WR Landen Smith against Southern Lehigh, but QB Caden Mengel and RB Luke Miller kept the Spartans in the game for the most part. Defensively is where North Schuylkill struggled and will need to improve. Unlike last year, Jim Thorpe will be no pushover. The Olympians enter tonight’s contest coming off a 35-27 win over Tamaqua in which Josh Louk ran for 168 yards and sophomore Spencer Gothard hauled in three touchdown passes. For the Olympians to pull out the win, they must contain North Schuylkill’s running game; stopping the run has been something the Jim Thorpe defense has struggled with most of the season.

Northwestern Lehigh (4-0) at Lehighton (2-2)

Last week: Northwestern Lehigh edged Blue Mountain 34-28; Lehighton blanked Palmerton 35-0

Last year: Northwestern Lehigh 42-7

TV/Radio: PennSportsRadio.com; WLSH 1410 AM

Game Notes: Just how good is Lehighton? We may find out tonight. The Indians have played well since a Week 1 loss to Northern Lehigh and are coming off a 35-0 shutout win over Palmerton. The defending Class 3A state champion Tigers, however, have had the Indians’ number the past two years, beating Lehighton three times by a combined score of 149-21. To be in this one, Lehighton will need to make big plays in all facets of the game, something the Indians did last week by scoring touchdowns on three consecutive offensive plays in the first quarter. Quarterback Jayse Lawrence, running back Lucas Croizier and the Indians’ talented receiving corps of Caden Meek, Blake Roberts and Ty Nansteel give Lehighton some weapons. Can the defense rise to the challenge and contain the Tigers’ talented trio of Shane Leh, Brady Zimmerman and Mason Bollinger?

Salisbury (2-2) at Tamaqua (1-3)

Last week: Salisbury lost to Catasauqua 33-7; Tamaqua fell to Jim Thorpe 35-27

Last year: Tamaqua 49-7

Radio/TV: WMGH 105.5 FM

Game Notes: The Blue Raiders will look to rebound from last Thursday’s loss at Jim Thorpe when they entertain the Falcons in a Red Division/White Division crossover game. Terrence McDowell continued his breakout season against Jim Thorpe by rushing 42 times for 273 yards and three touchdowns, pacing a rushing attack that gained 328 yards. In four games, McDowell has rushed for 580 yards and seven TDs. The Blue Raiders will need a similar effort on the ground tonight. …. The Falcons have alternated wins and losses, with victories over Panther Valley and Wilson Area and lopsided losses to Notre Dame-Green Pond and Catasauqua. Junior QB Keaton Frye has thrown for 274 yards and four TDs while rushing for 277 yards and three scores.

Panther Valley (1-3) at Nativity (2-2)

Last week: Panther Valley topped Pine Grove 21-7; Nativity fell to Tri-Valley 42-13

Last year: Nativity 60-0

Game Notes: The Panthers enter this contest on the heels of their first win, a 21-6 victory over Pine Grove on Saturday. QB Brody Breiner rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown as the PV offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage throughout. Freshman fullback Carson Jones (19-64) had a nice game as the Panthers compiled 194 yards on the ground. …. They’ll need a similar effort to knock off Nativity, which suffered large losses to Williams Valley and Tri-Valley the past two weeks after opening the season with two wins. The Green Wave have really struggled to move the ball the last two weeks and have one of the worst passing offenses in the area with just 60 yards in four games. The team that controls the line of scrimmage and is able to run the ball successfully should be the winner in this one.

Marian (4-0) at Mahanoy Area (0-4)

Last week: Marian beat Shenandoah Valley 34-6; Mahanoy Area lost to Schuylkill Haven 69-0

Last year: Mahanoy Area 26-7

Game Notes: Last year’s meeting will be fresh on Marian’s minds when the unbeaten Colts trek up Route 54 to take on the winless Golden Bears. In a Saturday night special on Homecoming one year ago, the Bears upended the Colts 26-7. It’s been a rough year so far for Mahanoy Area, which has been outscored 181-6. Marian, meanwhile, has been led by its defense, which has been key in victories over Hanover Area, Tri-Valley, Panther Valley and Shenandoah Valley. This game should serve as a tune-up for the Colts, who play Minersville, Schuylkill Haven and Williams Valley over the following three weeks.

Pine Grove (0-4) at Shenandoah Valley (0-4)

Last week: Pine Grove lost 21-6 to Panther Valley; Shenandoah Valley lost 34-6 to Marian

Last year: Pine Grove 28-21

Game Notes: A matchup of two programs trying to end long losing streaks. … Shenandoah Valley has lost its last 20 games, a streak dating back to Sept. 23, 2023, when the Devils beat Hancock, Md. In his second season, head coach Dave Bench is still looking for his first victory (0-14). …. Pine Grove, meanwhile, has lost nine in a row, with its last win coming over Shenandoah Valley 28-21 last season. Dave Shiffer’s squad is 2-21 since beating Northern Lebanon to open the 2023 season. … Both teams have struggled to score this season, as the Devils have been outscored 175-39 and the Cardinals have only scored three touchdowns, getting outscored 92-18. …. The key here could be which team is able to run the football better. SV’s Mike Elchisak (62-339, 4 TDs) and PG’s Logan Troup (72-241, TD) are among the league leaders in rushing.