2024 district football playoffs announcement

The playoffs are officially underway in the Poconos and five of the six local schools will have one more chance to keep their season alive. One matchup between the Pocono teams is detailed as the remaining teams in the playoffs hit the road to face their Lehigh Valley opponent.

Let’s take a look at all the matchups that will take place on Thursday and Friday night to open the District 11 football season.

Pleasant Valley (0-10) @ East Stroudsburg South (8-2) – Thursday, October 31

In the only matchup that will feature two Pocono teams, the Bears will travel to East Stroudsburg to face the EPC North champion Cavaliers. The last time these two teams faced each other, Pleasant Valley got on the scoreboard first on an 88-yard touchdown run by sophomore Chris Ward, but then South scored 34 straight points to seal the victory 54- 14 away.

Southern head coach Matt Walters has one of the most talented players of his career on offense between cornerback Charles Capers, receiver Xzavier Pusateri and quarterback Ivan Laubach. Walters will have three players eclipse 1,000 yards in their respective categories. Defensively, coordinator Dan Burns has lit the fire on defense, led by linebacker Nasir Blount, who leads the team with 60 tackles and six sacks. Blount is one of four players with at least three sacks, which makes blocking any lane a challenge.

Despite the record, Pleasant Valley led at one point against every opponent in the Mountains, but Blaec Saeger’s young team faced a number of growing pains this season, including learning how to close out games. The Bears enter the game as underdogs, but there are a number of players worth watching both now and in the future, including Ward, linebacker Blaise Brown and quarterback Jaxson Haines. It was also a nice surprise to see Saeger incorporate more passes in the form of screens and short routes.

The Cavaliers enter the game as the better team, but crazier things have happened in the playoffs, not to mention Halloween spirit.

Pocono Mountain East (1-9) @ Whitehall (4-6) – Thursday, October 31

Like the Bears, the Cardinals have struggled increasingly under first-year head coach Dustin Thomas. East has problems with blocking and receiving, but he has shown that he can attack in spurts. Combine it with 1,000-yard quarterback Rocco DelGiudice and bruising to running back Stephon Bethea, the offense could gain momentum.

Another offensive player to watch is receiver Justin Williams, the No. 1 target, who was relatively close to 1,000 receiving yards. If the offensive line can block effectively, East’s offense can be effective. If not, it’s going to be a long night. The same goes for defense – when defenders and midfielders consistently attack, they leave the field. When they don’t, it goes from a potential fourth down to a 12-yard gain and the opponent’s first down.

Whitehall played two Pocono teams from opposite ends of the spectrum – the Zephyrs got blown out by the South, then turned around and blew out the West on the road. The offense relies on the Dogmanits brothers – sophomore point guard Tanner and junior wide receiver Talon – as the pillars of their passing game. If the game against the Panthers was any indication, Whitehall could potentially use the ground game against the Cardinals.

Records aside, this could prove to be a close match if both teams put their best foot forward. Don’t be surprised if it ends in a shootout.

East Stroudsburg North (4-6) @ Bethlehem Catholic (4-6) – Thursday, October 31

The atmosphere is great for the team from the north as the Timberwolves prepare for their first playoff game in almost a decade. Dave Laughlin has made tremendous progress in his second year running the program, both on and off the field. North’s running game is one of the best in the conference two 1,000-yard rushers by season’s end. Senior Zach Deresky-Martinez was the first to do so, and junior Wayne King will likely reach the milestone on Thursday.

Bethlehem Catholic lost its final four regular-season games before the playoffs. Granted, they all played against 6A teams in the playoffs, but that’s not a good sign to be entering the postseason with that record. Junior Cayden Vassa is a point guard who can be a dual-threat for the Hawks, but he turns the ball over as he is one of the few point guards with double-digit steals.

North will have their work cut out on the road, but it will all depend on who can perform better and play a cleaner game.

Stroudsburg (6-4) @ Easton (9-1) – Friday, November 1

Easton had a resurgent year in 2024, storming through the EPC and finishing in first place in Group 6A, which included a 43-14 victory over Stroudsburg. The Mounties also showed their ability to score goals, but failed to beat their EPC opponent with a winning record. The defense will have their hands full with Cole Ordway and Will Day leading the offense.

The good news is that Stroudsburg has released game film that will put its defenders in better positions. Between Kamari Coleman and Ben Pilcher on defense and Mehki Kirklaland on defense, they have players who can win one-on-one matchups. Offensively, Coleman is a big target and Jaylin Rieara can make his presence felt on the court. Pilcher and sophomore Jackson Mitchell have done a great job splitting time at the point guard position, although Pilcher would have been better off devoting his energy solely to the defensive team to maximize his effectiveness against the Red Rovers.