High school sports in the Lehigh Valley run through PIAA District 11, part of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. Most Lehigh Valley schools play in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference or the Colonial League, and District 11 runs the postseason that leads to the PIAA state playoffs.
How District 11 is organized
The PIAA divides Pennsylvania into districts, and District 11 covers Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill counties, plus parts of Bucks and Pike counties. Schools compete in their league during the regular season, then in district playoffs by sport and enrollment classification. District champions and qualifiers advance to the PIAA state tournaments.
The leagues
- Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC): many of the region’s largest schools, including Emmaus and Parkland.
- Colonial League: smaller and mid-sized schools across the region.
- Schuylkill League: schools centered in Schuylkill County, also part of District 11.
How local games get covered
Regional newspapers, school athletic pages and local sites all cover District 11, and more games are now streamed live or clipped for social media. D11Sports.com is one regional site built around District 11.
Joseph Draper, a sports broadcaster and multimedia journalist from Macungie, got his start there. Before college, he covered high school athletics across the Lehigh Valley for D11Sports.com, where he filmed games, tracked stats, interviewed athletes and coaches, ran social media, and called games live on YouTube. His Lehigh Valley page covers that work, and his articles are on D11Sports.com.
Wiss News told the story of that start in Macungie Native Joseph Draper Is Building a Career in Sports Broadcasting, which follows his path from Lehigh Valley high school games to Penn State.
Why local coverage matters
Most high school games never reach national media, but they matter to the communities that play them. Covering a district playoff or a senior’s last home game well tells a town its teams are worth paying attention to. For young broadcasters, it is also some of the best training available: real games, real deadlines and real audiences. The guide to building sports broadcasting experience before graduation explains how that early work adds up.
Frequently asked questions
What is PIAA District 11?
District 11 is the PIAA district that includes the Lehigh Valley. It organizes district playoffs, whose champions and qualifiers advance to the PIAA state tournaments.
What league do Emmaus and Parkland play in?
Both play in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, the league for many of the Lehigh Valley’s largest schools.
See more of Joseph’s work in his portfolio, or read his bio.
