After the players, coaching staff and students cleared the field following a 24-21 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship-clinching victory against rival Parkland last Friday night, Emmaus head coach Harold Fairclough began focusing on the next task at hand.

Yes, the first-year Green Hornet coach was smiling from ear to ear and celebrating the program’s first league title in a few years, but he knows there are bigger games to be played ahead of them, and his team wants more than conference gold.

“This is great right here, such a good feeling,” Fairclough said after the Parkland win. “But this wasn’t the end goal for this team. We want to be playing for district gold as well.”

The head coach is always preaching to his team about focusing on the next game at hand. And after a big win for his players he understands there will be more to do than just prepare for the next game.

“I told the kids to celebrate this win, but we have to put it in the backs of our minds and focus on next week,” said Fairclough. “I’m proud of those guys for winning the conference, but I know they want more. From here on out, every game is going to be a challenge. It’s win or go home. If we’re not focused, our season can be over.”

Emmaus (9-1 overall) is the top seed in the District 11 Class 6A field, and hosts eighth seeded Liberty (5-5 overall) Friday night in the quarterfinals.

These two teams met back on October 14, and the Green Hornets came out victorious with a 31-20 win. The Hurricanes lost their final two games of the season after that loss to Emmaus. Suspensions and injuries have played a key role in that downward spiral.

“They’re a tough, physical team,” Fairclough said. “They have some athletic guys on both sides of the ball. We know even though they’re starting a young quarterback, he has some experience now. They will probably open up the play book a little bit more for him. We will still have to be focused.”

Liberty features a Division I-bound wide receiver in Darian Street. Alongside Street, senior running back Gunner Anglovich is a do-it-all type player that will need to be the safety net for backup quarterback Tristan Reinert, who has been starting for the regular starter Todd Erney.