District 11 Football Rankings: Statement Wins, Shakeups and Major Showdowns Set the Stage for Week 8
By: SportzWire | SportzWire | October 13, 2026 | Photo courtesy Sportzwire
Seven weeks into the 2026 high school football season, the District 11 picture is becoming clearer at the top, but there’s plenty of movement behind the leaders.
Southern Lehigh and Northwestern Lehigh continue to set the pace in SportzWire’s Big School and Small School Top 10 rankings, respectively. Both remain unbeaten at 7-0, but their toughest challenges may still be ahead.
Bethlehem Catholic delivered one of the week’s biggest statements, Northampton ended a rivalry drought, and Williams Valley continued its climb. Meanwhile, several familiar contenders are suddenly fighting to regain momentum.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the race toward November is picking up.
BIG SCHOOL: Southern Lehigh Holds Firm, Bethlehem Catholic Makes Its Move
No. 1 Southern Lehigh (7-0) remains the team to beat following a 42-12 victory over Bangor. Quarterback Colton Sams threw for 233 yards and four touchdowns as the Spartans continued their unbeaten run.
But the schedule is about to get considerably tougher.
Southern Lehigh faces unbeaten Notre Dame Green Pond in Week 8 before meeting unbeaten Northwestern Lehigh in Week 9. Two matchups that could tell us plenty about the Spartans heading into the postseason.
No. 2 Parkland (6-1) continues to roll, dismantling Dieruff 63-0 for its sixth consecutive victory. The Trojans now prepare for a much tougher matchup with Allentown Central Catholic.
No. 3 Nazareth (6-1) has won six straight behind quarterback Cooper Madson, who threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns against Liberty. The Blue Eagles now turn their attention to Bethlehem Catholic in one of Week 8’s biggest games.
Bethlehem Catholic Delivers a Statement
Perhaps no team made more noise in Week 7 than No. 4 Bethlehem Catholic (6-1).
The Golden Hawks snapped a 10-game losing streak against Freedom with a commanding 49-17 victory. Quarterback Axel Burkart delivered a career performance, throwing for 414 yards and five touchdowns while adding another score on the ground.
The victory moves Bethlehem Catholic up two spots and sets up a highly anticipated showdown with Nazareth.
No. 5 Whitehall (6-1) survived a thriller against Emmaus, with Tanner Dogmanits connecting with Henry Shultz for the late winning touchdown. Dogmanits also became Whitehall’s all-time leading passer, surpassing his brother Trey with 5,188 career yards.
No. 6 Allentown Central Catholic (5-2) has quietly built a four-game winning streak, allowing just 33 points during that stretch.
Blue Mountain Climbs, Northampton Breaks Through
No. 7 Blue Mountain (6-1) continues its impressive season after a 63-14 victory over Pine Grove.
Quarterback Cohen Kirby set the school’s career touchdown passing record with his 39th, highlighting another dominant offensive performance.
But one of the week’s biggest stories came from No. 8 Northampton (5-2).
The Konkrete Kids defeated Easton 23-21, securing their first victory over the Red Rovers since 2008. Sophomore quarterback Luke Stopay threw for 164 yards and a touchdown, while Chase Kessler rushed for 182 yards.
The win sends Northampton back into the rankings and drops Easton (3-4) to No. 9.
Freedom (4-3) rounds out the Top 10 after falling six spots following its loss to Bethlehem Catholic.
Pocono Mountain East (5-2) remains outside looking in after bouncing back with a 30-22 victory over East Stroudsburg South.
SMALL SCHOOL: Northwestern Lehigh Leads, Williams Valley Surges
The top of the Small School rankings remains familiar.
No. 1 Northwestern Lehigh (7-0) continues its winning ways following another victory over Lehighton, with Chase Sukanick rushing for 137 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers now prepare for Wilson Area before their highly anticipated Week 9 meeting with Southern Lehigh.
No. 2 Notre Dame Green Pond (7-0) has been equally impressive.
Quarterback Tommy Murphy threw three touchdowns in the Crusaders’ victory over Palmerton, while Shay Lawless hauled in five receptions for 131 yards and a score.
Notre Dame’s explosive offense now faces its biggest challenge yet against Southern Lehigh.
No. 3 Palmerton (6-1) suffered its first defeat of the season against Notre Dame Green Pond. The Bombers will look to respond against Northern Lehigh.
No. 4 Williams Valley (6-1) makes one of the biggest jumps in this week’s rankings, climbing three spots after an overtime thriller against Minersville.
The Vikings escaped with a 36-34 victory behind another tremendous performance from Fletcher Thompson, who rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown.
Trevor Bair added three rushing scores and delivered the winning two-point conversion in overtime.
Williams Valley finished with 309 rushing yards and continues to build momentum heading into its Week 8 matchup with Marian Catholic.
No. 5 Executive Education (5-2) slips one spot following a narrow 14-12 loss to Chichester. Despite the setback, the Raptors remain firmly in the District 11 Class 3A conversation.
No. 6 Tri-Valley (5-2) rebounds with a 41-16 victory over Mahanoy Area. Parker Hatter rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns as the Bulldogs climbed two positions.
Jim Thorpe Makes a Statement
One of the most impressive turnarounds of Week 7 came from No. 7 Jim Thorpe (4-3).
Following a difficult loss to Northwestern Lehigh, the Olympians responded with a convincing 35-7 victory over Northern Lehigh.
Bobby Levins scored three touchdowns, while Anthony Kiehl delivered a 50-yard interception return for a score.
The result sends Jim Thorpe up two spots and drops Northern Lehigh (5-2) from No. 4 to No. 8.
Another major test awaits the Olympians in Week 8 against Lehighton.
No. 9 Shenandoah Valley (5-2) looks to regroup following a 48-20 loss to Schuylkill Haven, while No. 10 Marian Catholic (4-3) holds its position after defeating rival Nativity BVM 25-20.
Week 8: The Matchups to Watch
The next round of games could bring significant movement across both rankings.
- Southern Lehigh (7-0) vs. Notre Dame Green Pond (7-0): Two undefeated programs collide in one of the region’s most anticipated matchups.
- Nazareth (6-1) vs. Bethlehem Catholic (6-1): Two red-hot EPC contenders meet with major positioning on the line.
- Parkland (6-1) vs. Allentown Central Catholic (5-2): The Trojans face a Vikings team riding a four-game winning streak.
- Jim Thorpe (4-3) vs. Lehighton (5-2): A key matchup for two programs looking to build postseason momentum.
- Palmerton (6-1) vs. Northern Lehigh (5-2): Both teams look to respond after difficult Week 7 defeats.
- Williams Valley (6-1) vs. Marian Catholic (4-3): The surging Vikings face a Colts team coming off a rivalry victory.
The Road to November
The unbeaten teams have established themselves, but the next two weeks could change the conversation.
Southern Lehigh, Northwestern Lehigh and Notre Dame Green Pond all enter Week 8 without a loss. With Southern Lehigh scheduled to face both small-school powers in consecutive weeks, the district’s top teams will finally get an opportunity to measure themselves against one another.
Meanwhile, Bethlehem Catholic, Northampton, Williams Valley and Jim Thorpe have shown that momentum can shift quickly.
The rankings are tightening, the matchups are getting bigger, and the postseason is coming into focus.
Seven weeks down. Three to go. District 11 is far from settled.
Editorial support: Tony Sibilla
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