Notre Dame-Green Pond and North Schuylkill can’t seem to avoid one another.
The two schools separated by 70 miles have developed a healthy dislike for one another in the last decade thanks to several playoff meetings and now as members of the Colonial-Schuylkill League.
The Crusaders and Spartans bang heads again Friday in Easton in the District 11 Class 3A semifinals. It will be the second meeting of the season between the two. North Schuylkill won 31-29 in Week 3.
Notre Dame-GP won eight games in a row to finish the regular season 9-1, scoring at least 42 points in the last seven victories.
North Schuylkill captured its last four regular-season games after a stretch of losing three of five.
The Spartans have won five of the last six meetings between the teams after the Crusaders won the first three, all of those coming in the district playoffs.
In this year’s regular-season meeting, North Schuylkill scored on a touchdown pass from Caden Mengel to Luke Miller on the game’s last play to pull it out in Week 3. A 65-yard pass play between the two set up the winning play.
Wally Hall became the Spartans’ winningest coach in that game. He is 106-33 in his 12 seasons in charge.
Other rematches are:
• Marian Catholic will try to avenge a 24-0 Week 2 loss at Tri-Valley in the Class A semifinals. The Colts secured their postseason spot by beating Nativity BVM 21-18 on Friday night thanks to freshman running back Tyler Price’s 40-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.
• Mahanoy Area lost 48-6 in Week 2 to Williams Valley, its foe in Saturday’s 2A quarterfinals
• Pen Argyl gets another shot at Northern Lehigh, which won 26-14 in Week 3, in another Saturday 2A quarterfinal. The Green Knights led 14-0 in the fourth quarter in the previous matchup before the Bulldogs scored four consecutive touchdowns, including a pivotal fumble return for a score by Chris Frame.
• Jim Thorpe gets a second opportunity at Southern Lehigh after losing 56-12 in a Week 6 game. The Olympians won two of their last four games to close out the regular season.
• Lehighton lost 55-14 in Week 7 to Blue Mountain. The Indians hope to leave the Eagles Nest under better circumstances.
• East Stroudsburg South hosts Pleasant Valley for a second time this year, this time in the 5A semifinals. The Cavaliers won the first matchup 54-14 against the winless Bears.
• Freedom beat Northampton 42-21 in Week 8. They’ll meet in a 6A quarterfinal on Friday. The Konkrete Kids secured their postseason berth with a comeback win in Week 10 over Bethlehem Catholic.
District 11 football playoffs
CLASS A SUBREGIONAL SEMIFINALS
Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Nativity BVM (6-4) at No. 1 Lackawanna Trail (9-1)
No. 3 Marian Catholic (6-4) at No. 2 Tri-Valley (6-4)
CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, 6 p.m.
No. 8 Palisades (3-7) at No. 1 Schuylkill Haven (9-1)
No. 7 Mahanoy Area (4-6) at No. 2 Williams Valley (9-1)
No. 6 Pen Argyl (4-6) at No. 3 Northern Lehigh (7-3)
No. 5 Executive Education (5-4-1) at No. 4 Minersville (7-3)
CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS
Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Saucon Valley (8-2) at No. 1 Northwestern (10-0)
No. 3 North Schuylkill (7-3) at No. 2 Notre Dame-GP (9-1)
CLASS 4A QUARTERFINALS
Thursday
No. 8 Jim Thorpe (3-7) at No. 1 Southern Lehigh (8-2), 6:30
No. 7 Lehighton (4-6) at No. 2 Blue Mountain (7-3), 6:30
No. 6 East Stroudsburg North (4-6) at No. 3 Bethlehem Catholic (4-6), 7
No. 5 Pottsville (5-5) at No. 4 Central Catholic (4-6), 7
CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS
Thursday, 6 p.m.
No. 4 Pleasant Valley (0-10) at No. 1 East Stroudsburg South (8-2)
No. 3 Pocono Mountain East (1-9) at No. 2 Whitehall (4-6)
CLASS 6A QUARTERFINALS
Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Stroudsburg (6-4) at No. 1 Easton (9-1)
No. 7 Northampton (5-5) at No. 2 Freedom (9-1)
No. 6 Liberty (7-3) at No. 3 Parkland (8-2)
No. 5 Nazareth (7-3) at No. 4 Emmaus (8-2)
Eastern Conference championship pairings
Friday, 7 p.m.
Classes A-2A : Holy Cross (3-6) at Old Forge (4-6)
Class 3A : Pequea Valley (5-5) at Tamaqua (6-4)
Class 4A : Hamburg (6-4) at North Pocono (4-5)
Classes 5A-6A : Muhlenberg (3-7) at Allen (3-7)
Morning Call senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or at thousenick@mcall.com
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