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Northwestern Lehigh Goes Back-to-Back as District Champions in Convincing Fashion.

Tagged under: District 11, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

| November 18, 2023

Northwestern Lehigh captures District XI 3A Championship in convincing fashion

 

LEHIGHTON- On paper this game looked like it could be destined to go down as an instant classic. Both Northwestern Lehigh and Palmerton came into their much-anticipated contest as unbeaten at 12-0. Both teams were ranked by PaFootballNews.com in the top ten teams in 3A in the state. The tiger at number 6 while the Blue Bombers were at number 9. The teams came in with plenty of star power, QB Matt Machalik and RB Ty Sander for Palmerton. Shane Leh and Dalton Clymer for Northwestern among others for both teams. Two proven coaches Chris Walkowiak guiding Palmerton and Josh Snyder at the elm for the Tigers. But these games are played on a 120 yard stretch of turf, it’s between the lines where we find just who is the better team and why we play the game.

Northwestern took control of the game early and often and decimated Palmerton by a 58-8 count to win their second consecutive District XI 3A championship Friday night at a packed Lehighton Multi-Purpose Stadium. It was the sixth overall district title for the program.

Palmerton won the coin toss and decided to start the game with the ball. A brilliant 25 yard run by Machalik would set the Bombers up in Tiger territory, but the could not take advantage as a 4th down attempt came up short and the Tigers took possession and in three plays Eli Zimmerman took off around the right side of the line and found the end zone from 51 yards out and a 7-0 lead with 9:02 left in the opening stanza.


The Blue Bombers had another three-and-out on their next series and Northwestern would take advantage as Shane Leh would cap off and seven play 82 yard drive by going in from twelve yards and a 14-0 at the 3:41 mark. On the drive Leh connected with Devon Hildebrand for a 51 yard pass play. The offensive line all night gave the quarterback plenty of time to find his receivers all night against the Bomber defense.

The Tigers took a commanding 22-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter, as after forcing another punt, Clymer took it in from four yards out and the two-point conversion was successful as Leh hooked up with Shane Hulmes.

“I can’t give the line enough credit tonight.” Clymer stated after the game. “They did a tremendous job up front opening the holes for me and Devon Hildebrand and they gave Shane time to look downfield and made some big plays all night.”

On the ensuing kickoff, Palmerton turned it right back over to Northwestern as Landen Matson corralled the ball in on the turnover. Leh the lofted a perfectly thrown ball for a 40 yard score on fourth down to extend the lead to Seth Kern and a 30-0 lead with 10:50 left in the half. Zimmerman converted the two-point conversion.

Later in the second quarter, Clymer recovered a fumble after Machalik was sacked by Josh Wambald leading to a 24 yard score by Leh as he weaved his way to the over-match Bomber defense and a 37-0 lead. Clymer would add a four yard score closing out a 29 point quarter and taking an insurmountable 43-0 lead at intermission.

Northwestern gained 351 yards in the first half and the defense forced three punts and three turnovers as Machalik had one of his worst performances of his stellar career. The Lehigh University commit ended his high school career with just 79 yards rushing and 46 yards passing in his finale.

Leh would finish his nigh by throwing for 157 yards on 9 of 14 passing and the one touchdown. Clymer carried the ball 18 times for 130 yards and the two scores as the Tigers racked up over 300 yards rushing on 38 carries as a team. Hildebrand led the receiving corps with 90 yards on five receptions.

With a running clock in the second half the Tigers added two more scores a Hildebrand two yard run in the third quarter and a Brady Zimmerman 12 yard scamper with 3:09 left for the final margin of victory.

Ty Sander would score for the Bombers in the fourth quarter going in from a yard out a Machalik to pass to Bryce Marino made it 50-8 at the 10:22 mark of the last quarter.

Coach Josh Snyder had this to say after Friday night’s win.

Northwestern (13-0) will face either Neumann-Goretti, the District 12 champ or District 2 representative Scranton Prep next week in the quarterfinals at a District XI site and time TBD.

Scranton Prep and Neumann-Goretti will meet Saturday afternoon at Northern Lehigh’s Bulldog Stadium at 1 pm.

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