
Northwestern staves off upset bid by Southern Lehigh Friday night
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Brian "Hollywood" Ptashinski | October 26, 2024
Northwestern Lehigh captures Colonial/Schuylkill League Red Division championship Friday night.
CENTER VALLEY- For much of the 2024 football season the powerhouse, that is the Northwestern Lehigh Tigers, have not had to play a full 48 minutes of football in the Colonial/Schuylkill League, as the defense was only allowing four points per game coming into the contest with the Southern Lehigh Spartans.
The Spartans game the defending PIAA 3A state runner-ups all they wanted in a 23-17 Tiger victory at a jam-packed Spartan Stadium on a cool late autumn evening and completing an undefeated regular season culminating in the Red Division championship.
After a scoreless first quarter in which neither team could get their offenses going as the defenses took center stage for both teams. Northwestern broke the scoring drought with a quarterback Shane Leh eight yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mason Bollnger with 10:05 left in the quarter Josh Wambold added the point-after for a 7-0 lead.
8yd touchdown pass @leh_shane to @masonbollinger @nwtigerfootball 10;05 left 2nd quarter 7-0 over @SolehiSpartans 4th and 8 @PaFootballNews
Updates sponsored by @SLUHNSportsMed pic.twitter.com/jpIP0qh6lW
— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 25, 2024
Northwestern would take a 10-0 lead into the locker room at halftime with a 27 yard Wambold field goal at the 5:08 mark of the second quarter.
Right before then end of the half with Northwestern knocking on the door again and potentially having a three score lead at intermission the Spartan defense rose to the occasion and stopped Eli Zimmerman short of the goal line and a fourth down attempt keeping it just a ten point lead.
Southern Lehigh got a jolt to open up the second half as Sean Steckert returned the kickoff 59 yards to set the Spartans up at the Northwestern 16 yard line. Steckert would finish the deal on the first play from scrimmmage bouncing off tacklers and going into the end zone to cut the deficit to 10-7 after Noah Tapler converted the PAT with 11:42 still to go in the third quarter,
Tapler, would tie the score at ten with a 27 yard field goal of his own at the 5:51 mark. The palce-kicker had hit the crossbar on a 55 yard attempt in the first half.
Mason Bollinger then at the quarterback position capped off an impressive 75 yard drive on 17 plays with a nine yard touchdown run. On that drive the Tigers converted on third down three times and two fourth down attempts with one being on a called a facemask penalty to extend the drive on a fourth-and-five Eli Zimmerman run. A few plays later Bollinger would go off the right side and power his way for six points. That made the score 17-10 with 9:52 left in the contest.
9yd @masonbollinger touchdown @nwtigerfootball 9:42 left in regulation 17-10 over @SolehiSpartans @PaFootballNews
Updates sponsored by @SLUHNSportsMed pic.twitter.com/59OClPKRrj
— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 26, 2024
Southern Lehigh would drive into Tiger territory but at the Northwestern 29, two long Colton Sams passes would be broken up by defensive back Seth Kern, the last on a fourth-and five to give the ball back to the visitors from New Tripoli.
On the first play from scrimmage Zimmerman got an opening up the middle and out-raced the Spartans defense on a 71 yard touchdown jaunt, but the point-after hit the left upright and was no good making it a 23-10 lead for the Tigers with still almost seven minutes left on the clock. Zimmerman finished the night with 238 yards on 26 touches and the one score as Northwestern out-gained the Spartans on the ground 291-81.
There was still plenty of time for the Spartans to make up the difference. Michigan commit Andrew Olesh, was double-teamed much of the night. The 6’5″ tight end finally was able to make some big-time receptions on a 66 yard drive that was capped off on an eight yard touchdown reception to make it a 23-17 game with still 2:22 left. Olesh had 87 yards receiving on 8 catches in the contest.
9yd @masonbollinger touchdown @nwtigerfootball 9:42 left in regulation 17-10 over @SolehiSpartans @PaFootballNews
Updates sponsored by @SLUHNSportsMed pic.twitter.com/59OClPKRrj
— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 26, 2024
After a failed onside kick, Northwestern was more than happy to run out the clock, Zimmerman broke free again, but slid to a stop satisfied with a 16 yard gain to keep the clock moving and the offense took a couple of knees to end the contest.
“We needed to be tested like this. We really haven’t had to play a full game with our starters for much of the season they tested in the second half because of the leads we had in games before tonight.” coach Josh Snyder said after the game.
Northwestern will host a District XI 3A playoff game next week as they are the top seed in the bracket. Southern Lehigh will also be hosting an opening round district playoff as they the top seed in the 4A bracket.
My post-game interview with HFC Josh Snyder of @nwtigerfootball 23-12 win over @SolehiSpartans @Colonial_League @SchLeague Red Division Champions @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/Pc8JEI5FMH
— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 26, 2024
My post-game interview with @e_zimmerman4 who had a 4th quarter 65yd touchdown run in a 23-17 win over @SolehiSpartans @PaFootballNews pic.twitter.com/aBJc5oa7W6
— Brian Ptashinski (@BPtashinski) October 26, 2024
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