Joe Tout took nothing for granted during last week's preparation.
He was glad his players didn't, either.
Northern Lehigh needed to beat winless Palmerton to secure a District 11 Class 2A playoff berth for a fourth consecutive season.
Understanding what a privilege it is to play beyond Week 10, the Bulldogs assured they would with a 31-7 victory.
It wasn't that long ago that Tout and Co. were packing their bags after the regular season.
"It took time to see how special it was to make the playoffs," the seventh-year coach recalled. "I thought that was one of the big keys that was missing in 2008, and we missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
"In 2009, I thought we were hungry."
This year's District 11 2A bracket has two teams who have had that hunger pay off in recent years — Northern Lehigh and Pen Argyl — and two others who have been building toward that — Catasauqua and Tamaqua.
The Rough Riders made the Eastern Conference playoffs the previous two seasons while the Blue Raiders made the EC 2A final last year.
But this is Catty's first league title in 16 years and Tamaqua's first 10-0 season since before The Great Depression.
Those teams quickly developed the hunger early in 2012, and have handled all challenges.
Those four forces come together this weekend in the 2A semifinals.
Catty hosts Northern Lehigh for the second time in three weeks. Tamaqua plays defending district champion Pen Argyl for the first time.
Familiar names dot the district's 3A bracket, including Bangor's second visit this season to Southern Lehigh.
In the Eastern Conference tournament, Palisades is looking to take advantage of at least one more week of practice with a home game against Carbondale at 7 p.m. Saturday.
While Pen Argyl is the defending champion, coach Paul Reduzzi sees a lot to like at Tamaqua.
"I just saw there was an attitude about them on the field, a winning attitude," he said. "The way they carried themselves."
The Blue Raiders are a big-play offensive team with an undersized, aggressive defense.
Tamaqua has been pushed for four quarters often this season. Jim Thorpe, Shenandoah Valley, North Schuylkill and Marian Catholic had chances to beat the Blue Raiders during the regular season.
Pen Argyl was one of just three teams to take a lead on Catasauqua this season. It was short-lived as the Rough Riders went on to post one of eight mercy-rule victories back in Week 7.
