Nate’s Picks: Rivalry Week Arrives as District 2 Playoff Races Heat Up
By: Nate Johns | SportzWire | October 21, 2026 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus
It’s the penultimate week of the high school football regular season. The playoffs are on the horizon, with many teams fighting for either a playoff spot or seeding.
This also marks the time of year with intense rivalries playing out, specifically Valley View at Scranton Prep. This game should always be played in Week 10, but will still be a classic regardless.
Last week was a fantastic week for the predictions. Of the three incorrect predictions I had, Nanticoke beat Northwest by one point, and Abington Heights won on a walk-off field goal. This week will give me a chance to hit 300 correct predictions across the past two seasons.
Week 8 Record: 15-3
2026 Record: 115-35
All-Time Record: 285-75
Week 9 Predictions
Abington Heights defeats Scranton
Berwick defeats Crestwood
Dallas defeats Hanover Area
Wilkes-Barre Area defeats Hazleton
Honesdale defeats Mid Valley
Lackawanna Trail defeats Carbondale
Holy Redeemer defeats Montrose
Lake-Lehman defeats Northwest
Old Forge defeats Holy Cross
Pittston Area defeats Wyoming Valley West
Dunmore defeats Riverside
Scranton Prep defeats Valley View
Tunkhannock defeats Susquehanna
North Pocono defeats Wallenpaupack
Delaware Valley defeats West Scranton
Lakeland defeats Western Wayne
Wyoming Area defeats Nanticoke
About Nate Johns
Nate Johns is a 2024 Dallas High School graduate and a junior at Penn State, where he majors in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Sports Studies.
A high-energy play-by-play broadcaster for Sportzwire, Johns also serves as a sideline reporter and interviewer. At Penn State, he is CommRadio Sports Director and a Men’s Basketball Insider, broadcasts for Big Ten+ and covers Penn State men’s hockey for Penn State Sports Night. He also gained professional newsroom experience as a summer 2026 intern with 28/22 News.
A District 2 native, Johns continues developing his craft across broadcasting, reporting and interviewing as he works toward his goal of becoming a football and basketball play-by-play broadcaster.
Nate’s Picks follows Johns throughout the high school football season as he predicts the District 2 slate each week and puts his growing all-time record to the test.
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