Canton at Wellsboro

Wellsboro (3-4) is seeking its first District 4 Class AA playoff berth since 2021 and is eighth in the standings. The top eight teams qualify and the Hornets also are trying for their first win against Canton since 2019. Canton (1-6) has been ravaged by injuries, losing six straight games and starting a large portion of freshmen and sophomores.

Wellsboro won three straight games following an 0-2 start and gave 4A Athens (6-1) a battle two weeks ago, leading 14-7 late in the third quarter. Sophomore quarterback Griffin Morral is closing in on a second straight 1,000-yard season and Kody Enck and Marek Mascho have combined for 31 catches, 562 yards and five touchdowns. Hayden Stevens and Jordan Hines have combined to make 62 tackles and the defense has allowed just 11 points per game in three wins.

Canton has been without its leading rusher Bailey Gardner and opening night starting quarterback Rylan Wesneski, among other starters, the past three weeks. Freshman quarterback Owen Moore is an exciting prospect and threw for 215 yards and a touchdown two weeks ago against Towanda. Sophomore wide receiver Leland Tubach caught six passes for 108 yards and a score in that game.

Jake Pepper sparks the defense and has four sacks. Linebacker Dawson Burgess made nine tackles at Wyalusing a week ago and Marcus Solomon added seven.

Shamokin at Lewisburg

Lewisburg (2-5) is fighting for a District 4 Class AAA playoff berth. In years past, the top eight teams advanced, but this year the PIAA has the District 2 and 4 champions meeting in Week 13, so the field was reduced to four. The Green Dragons are fourth entering tonight and are in a three-way race with Danville and Milton.

Lewisburg is a few plays from being 5-2, losing to Shikellamy, Warrior Run and Loyalsock by 14 combined points. The Green Dragons took out their frustration on Midd-West last week, winning, 35-7. Quarterback Xavier Carter went over 1,000 yards in his first season starting and is tied with Warrior Run’s James Keifer for the area lead in passer rating. Jaylen Walker caught three passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns and leads the area with nine touchdown catches.

Ethan Long averages more than 10 tackles per game and fellow Lewisburg linebacker David Bozella is also having a strong season.

Shamokin (7-0) has won 17 straight regular season games and is seeking a second straight District 4 Class AAAA championship. After rallying from 14 down to beat Jersey Shore, 42-41 in double overtime, Shamokin has mercy-ruled three consecutive opponents, including Williamsport, 42-7 a week ago. Quarterback Logan Steele is one of the state’s premier all-around athletes and running backs Za’kem Clinton and Jayce Ginck both went over 1,000 yards last season. The Indians captured their second straight HAC-I championship and are closing on homefield advantage for districts.

North Penn-Mansfield at Troy

North Penn-Mansfield (4-3) faces its toughest test yet, heading to play the defending Class AA state champions tonight. This will conclude the team’s toughest stretch this year with its last four opponents being a combined 23-5.

The Panthers hung tough with Muncy a week ago and trailed 149-9 in the fourth quarter. It was a strong bounce-back game for a defense which had been shredded the past three games and Skyler Everetts made 11 tackles. Luke Kreger caught nine passes for 136 yards and also ran for a touchdown, becoming the program’s all-time leading receiver. Kreger moved to running back this season and is eighth among area rushers.

Troy (6-1) has won five straight games since a one-point loss against New York power Waverly. The Trojans are 22-1 over the past two seasons and overpowered Wellsboro last week, scoring 36 first quarter points. All-state running back Brendan Gilliland produced almost all of his 122 yards and three touchdowns in that opening quarter and is among the district’s leading rushers despite missing a game.

Mason Smith was an all-state athlete last year and has settled in during his first season starting at quarterback, throwing multiple touchdowns four times. He also ran for 241 yards and four touchdowns against South Williamsport and returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown against Wellsbor, the seventh time in three years that he has returned either a punt or a kickoff for a score.

Cowanesque Valley at Northwest

Cowanesque Valley (3-4) is coming off a dominant performance last Saturday, blasting CMVT, 63-0. The Indians dominated the trenches, opening big holes for the running game while squeezing the juice from what been a potent Rams offense. Dave Hess produced four touchdowns three ways, Levi Stahli threw three touchdowns and Kegan Lane topped 100 yards rushing for a third straight game, scoring three times.

CV is fighting for a Class AA playoff berth and is ninth in the standings. The top eight teams advance and the Indians could gain ground if they can win tonight and next week against No. 7 North Penn-Mansfield. Stevie Olson had a big game against CMVT with two sacks, including for a safety. Fellow two-way lineman Luke Sottolano was constantly in the backfield and also helped the offense produce 465 yards while averaging a whopping 12.4 yards per rush.

Before losing at Montgomery last week, Northwest (2-5) had scored 96 points in consecutive wins against New Hope-Solebury and Sayre. The Rangers are in fourth in the Class A standings and the top four teams advance. Shane Hempel has run for 546 yards and six touchdowns. He went over 100 yards in both Northwest wins.

Milton at Midd-West

Milton (2-5) is fighting Lewisburg and Danville for the No. 4 spot in the District 4 Class AAA field. Only four teams advance this year and Milton is sixth, but also is well within striking distance of both teams if it wins tonight.

Milton is coming off a 55-0 pounding of Central Columbia, shutting out an opponent for a second time. Sophomore Schuyler Humphrey made 13 tackles, Brady Wolfe 10 and Wolfe, Brady O’Rourke and Carter Letteer all had sacks. O’Rourke leads the team, averaging 10 tackles per game and is one of five players who averages more than eight, joining Humphrey, Wolfe, Jackson Wertz and Gavin Whiteknight.

Quarterback Monty Fisher had a monster game against Central, totaling 323 yards and seven touchdowns. Fisher leads the area in rushing and has gained 131 or more yards in a game four times. Cole Rhodes is a deep threat in the passing game and freshman JaCori Brown caught a touchdown a week ago.

Midd-West opened its season with a 27-7 win against Central but has dropped six straight since. Running backs Noah Kratzer and Kyle Shupp combined for 105 yards in last week’s 35-7 loss against Lewisburg and Shupp returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown against Warrior Run.

Mount Carmel at

Central Mountain

Central Mountain (0-7) is hoping it can find a way to win its first game in two years, but has another tall order against a team coming off a dominant performance last week. The Wildcats have shown progress at times but a blend of youth, injuries and a tough schedule has proven tough to overcome.

Sophomore quarterback Kyle Everett and freshman quarterback Alex Johnson combined for complete 11 of 17 passes for 130 yards in last week’s loss against Montoursville.

Linebacker Kole Corman is among the area’s leading tacklers for a second straight season and has topped 100 once again. Corman has consecutive 100-tackle seasons and has 211 tackles during that time. Fellow linebacker Dalton McDermott also is having a strong season and has 85 tackles this year.

Mount Carmel (3-4) snapped a three-game losing streak a week ago, pounding Danville, 61-13. It was the second time this season that the Tornadoes scored touchdowns via kick return, punt return and interception return. The offensive line controlled things as well and Mount Carmel ran for 473 yards with Jaylen Delaney (176) and Michael Kismal (123) each going over 100.

Delaney also returned a punt 53 yards for a score and Cooper Karycki a kickoff 90 yards. Freshman Thomas Berezvoske returned an interception for a touchdown and fellow freshman James Spears added an interception. The top four teams qualify for the District 4 Class AAA playoffs and Mount Carmel is third with a chance to strengthen its grip on that position the next two weeks.

Cameron County at Bucktail

Bucktail (1-6) gets a second crack at Cameron County after losing to it, 54-6 in the season opener. The Bucks are hoping to have freshman quarterback Corbin Pentz back from injury after he totaled 115 yards and a touchdown against Cameron County the first time. Sophomore Teagan Stone started in his place last week and totaled 139 yards with a touchdown. He also ran for a career-high 102 yards and a touchdown.

Jaden Intallura caught three passes in that game and totaled 63 yards two weeks ago against Otto-Eldred. Pentz threw for 283 yards and four touchdowns in a 53-28 loss against Smethport. Aidan Ditty caught three touchdowns in that game; Stone had six catches for 111 yards and Levi Stevenson three for 80 yards.

Cameron County (5-2) is having a strong season and is coming off a 47-16 win against Otto-Eldred. Kamden Fragale and Malakai Zucal form a strong backfield, combining for 1,134 yards, 15 touchdowns and five 100-yard games. Quarterback Gabe Novak has thrown for 549 yards and Fragale is the team’s leading receiver with 16 catches for 228 yards. Safety Michael Snyder helps spark the defense and has four interceptions.