SULLIVAN COUNTY — Five of Sullivan County’s football teams are back in action this weekend as the regular season starts to heat up. Liberty, Sullivan West, Eldred, Monticello and Tri-Valley will be facing off in key matchups this weekend, with some pushing towards a playoff appearance and others attempting to keep their seasons on track. 

 Fallsburg and Livingston Manor/Roscoe both forfeited this weekend, with roster issues continuing to be an issue for the young squads.

Here’s a look at the upcoming games and what to expect this weekend.

Friday Night Lights

Liberty at Marlboro, 7 p.m.

Liberty is on a three game skid after their season opening victory against Fallsburg. This weekend sees the Redhawks on the road against a tough Marlboro squad. The Dukes enter the weekend with an unblemished 4-0 record, outscoring their opponents 106 to 26 through their first four games, including a 34-14 victory over New Paltz last Friday night.

Liberty hosted Saugerties, losing 40-6 last weekend and are still looking for the Week 1 offense that put up nearly 50 points against the Comets. If Liberty can build some momentum this weekend, they should have an easier time over the next few weeks as they take on New Paltz and Beacon.

Saturday Showcase

Sullivan West vs Eldred at Port Jervis, 12 Noon

 Saturday’s action begins with an 8-Man showdown against two undefeated teams. The Bulldogs took care of business on the road last weekend, taking down Pine Plains 38-8 on their way to a 3-0 record. The defending champs are off to a strong start, allowing just 16 points through their first three games and scoring 134 on offense. The Bulldogs will look to stay undefeated against an opportunistic Eldred unit that has similarly won each of their games so far this season.

 Eldred will enter into their game against Sullivan West after a gritty victory over Ellenville last Friday. The Yellowjackets were able to stave off late scoring attempts by the Blue Devils to take home a 30-20 victory on the road. In their first two games, Eldred has found victory in both a lopsided score and a close game, with their defense earning key stops in the latter game. After coming up just short of a playoff appearance in 2023, Eldred looks poised to get to the dance this year, and Saturday’s game against the defending champs will be their biggest challenge of the season to date.

  Monticello at Burke, 1 p.m.

The Panthers have strung two consecutive wins together to get back to an even .500 after taking down O’Neill 20-6 last weekend. After an 0-2 start to the season without much offense, Monticello has outscored their opponents 74-22 in their last two outings. This weekend, the Panthers will face off against a 2-1 Burke Catholic team that has compiled two shutout victories and a 28-14 loss so far this season.

Monticello’s offense will need to be firing on all cylinders against the Eagles as both look for their third win of the season.

Ticonderoga at Tri-Valley, 2 p.m.

Rounding out the action this weekend, Tri-Valley will be hosting Ticonderoga on Saturday afternoon. The Sentinels are 1-3 to start the season, with the Bears coming into the game with a 3-1 record through their first three games. Tri-Valley earned an additional win due to their forfeit victory against Livingston Manor, which they replaced with a game against Catskill/Cairo-Durham for homecoming weekend.

  Tri-Valley will look to build on their successful season and earn their fourth win in as many games, their lone loss against the defending champs in Week 2. 

  Ticonderoga’s lone victory this season was against CCD, in which they put up an impressive 46 points on their way to victory. In their three losses, however, they have been outscored 111-52. 

The Bears will look to get a win this weekend before hitting the road to play an undefeated Pawling squad.