D-11 Rankings: Emmaus heads into Week 10 with top-seed clinched
It’s week 10 of the football season and there’s a lot on the line heading into the regular season finale.
Check out the breakdowns below for each classification with scenarios for what local teams have to accomplish to either get into the postseason or improve their seeding.
(All teams listed have either clinched or are in contention)
1A (4 teams qualify)
1. Williams Valley 8-1
2. Tri-Valley 7-2
3. Marian Catholic 5-4
4. Nativity BVM 1-8
5. Shenandoah Valley 0-9
The top three teams have all clinched. Williams Valley clinches top spot with a win over Pine Grove. A loss, coupled with a Tri-Valley win over East Juniata, would put Tri-Valley at the top. Marian is locked into the third spot. Nativity is in with a victory, but could be out with a loss and a Shenandoah win.
2A (4 teams qualify)
1. Schuylkill Haven 9-0
2. Palmerton 4-5
3. Mahanoy Area 5-5
4. Minersville 4-5
5. Catasauqua 2-7
Schuylkill Haven has clinched the top spot. Catasauqua is still breathing but needs to defeat Northwestern this week. A straight up win for the Roughies could put them in, but if that’s coupled by a Mahanoy loss, Roughs would be a lock.
3A (8 teams qualify)
1. Notre Dame GP 7-2
2. Palisades 7-2
3. Pen Argyl 6-3
4. North Schuylkill 6-3
5. Jim Thorpe 5-4
6. Tamaqua 4-5
7. Lehighton 4-5
8. Northern Lehigh 4-5
Notre Dame’s recent slide has opened up the door for Palisades to overtake the top spot with a win over Saucon Valley this week. Outside of that it’s a recipe of scenarios for who goes where. North Schuylkill could go as high as three with a win over Pottsville and a Pen Argyl loss to Bangor. If Pen Argyl and North Schuylkill both lose, Jim Thorpe can jump to three with a win over Lehighton. Tamaqua, Lehighton and Northern Lehigh are all guaranteed to be playing on the road next week.
4A (four teams qualify)
1. Bethlehem Catholic 7-2
2. Central Catholic 8-1
3. Pottsville 8-1
4. Saucon Valley 8-1
5. Blue Mountain 7-2
Becahi and Central are the only two teams to have clinched berths heading into their week 10 rivalry showdown. A Becahi win clinches the top spot, however, a Hawks loss and a Saucon Valley win over Palisades could push them down to fourth.
A Central win clinches them the top seed, but a loss, as well as wins by Pottsville and Saucon Valley, could put the Vikings down to fourth.
As far as the last two spots available, several scenarios will determine who gets in and which team is on the outside looking in, with Blue Mountain needing the most help, as a loss this week to Schuylkill Haven would eliminate the Eagles outright.
If Pottsville (they play North Schuylkill), Saucon Valley and Blue Mountain all win, Blue Mountain is out.
If Blue Mountain wins and both, Saucon Valley and Pottsville lose, Saucon Valley is out.
5A (4 teams qualify)
1. Whitehall 5-4
2. Southern Lehigh 7-2
3. Eastburg South 4-5
4. Eastburg North 3-6
All four teams are in the playoffs. All you really need to know in this bracket are the top two teams. A Whitehall win over Northampton clinches the top-seed. A Southern Lehigh victory over Salisbury and a Whitehall loss, jumps the Spartans to the top. Neither of the top two teams can drop any lower.
6A (8 teams qualify)
1. Emmaus 8-1
2. Pleasant Valley 8-1
3.Parkland 7-2
4. Nazareth 5-4
5. Freedom 5-4
6. Liberty 5-4
7. Stroudsburg 6-2
8. Easton 4-4
The news here is that Emmaus pretty much has the handle on the top-seed. Even if the Hornets lose to Parkland this week, it’s improbable that the Trojans or Pleasant Valley can top them in any scenario. Pleasant Valley, who plays Stroudsburg this week, and Parkland are likely to battle it out for the #2 and #3 spots.
Nazareth needs a win over Easton to stay ahead of Freedom and guarantee themselves a home game next week. A Nazareth loss and a Freedom win over Liberty would jump the Pates into the fourth spot.
Nazareth could drop as low as seventh with a loss, a Freedom win and a Stroudsburg victory. If Easton wins and Liberty loses, the Hurricanes would be the eighth seed.
If Nazareth and Freedom lose, Stroudsburg could go to #4 with a win over Pleasant Valley.
Freedom could drop as far as eighth with a loss and an Easton win.