Colonial-Schuylkill League football top 10 games to watch in 2024

Wilson, Salisbury and Catasauqua have new coaches and would love to get off to good starts. Any wins the rebuilding Warriors, Falcons and Rough Riders get will be followed by big celebrations.

Bangor also has a new coach, but it’s really just a restructuring of the previous staff with Vinnie Andrews taking over the non-fun jobs previously done by Paul Reduzzi. They will continue to split the coordinator duties for the Slaters.

Billy O’Gurek has the biggest shoes to fill. He replaces legendary Stan Dakosty at Marian Catholic, but O’Gurek was part of Dakosty’s staff that rebuilt the Colts into a playoff-caliber program again.

Returning state runner-up Northwestern’s staff is unchanged. The Tigers again will be among the Colonial-Schuylkill League’s top teams and involved in some of the most anticipated and attended games of 2024.

Here’s a rundown of the games on paper that look to be among the best to watch:

Colonial-Schuylkill League football top 10 games of 2024

(in chronological order)

1. Saucon Valley at Bangor (Aug. 23) : The Panthers and Slaters have playoff aspirations. One gets off on the right foot in Week 1.

2. Northern Lehigh at Northwestern (Aug. 29) : The Tigers rolled in last year’s Mountain Road Rumble. The Bulldogs expect a better showing this time around.

3. Southern Lehigh at Blue Mountain (Aug. 30) : The Eagles Nest is a tough place to play, especially when the Eagles are good.

4. Notre Dame-GP at North Schuylkill (Sept. 6) : This one has been as intense and testy as any non-traditional rivalry game the last decade. This year’s meeting should be no different.

5: North Schuylkill at Southern Lehigh (Sept. 13) : Two perennial playoff powers meeting for the first time.

6. Saucon Valley at Notre Dame-GP (Sept. 13) : Important battle between two District 11 Class 3A contenders.

7. Northern Lehigh at Notre Dame-GP (Sept. 27) : The Bulldogs are almost always significantly better in the second half of the season. This game will test that.

8. Northwestern at North Schuylkill (Sept. 27) : Two of the league’s elite programs meeting for just the fourth time since 2013. The Tigers won the first three.

9. Northwestern at Southern Lehigh (Oct. 25) : This game has been circled on the Spartans’ calendar since last year’s Week 10 flop.

10. Bangor at Pen Argyl (Oct. 26) : Meeting No. 105. The Slaters have won the last three games.

Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com