Previewing The District XI 3A Champions: Battle of Unbeatens

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

Brian Ptashinski | November 15, 2023

PIAA DISTRICT XI 3A CHAMPIONSHIP

 12-0 PALMERTON BLUE BOMBERS vs 12-0 NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH TIGERS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17th 7pm LEHIGHTON HS.

PALMERTON BLUE BOMBERS COACH CHRIS WALKOWIAK 13th YEAR 69-70

PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB Matt Machalik 97-195 1,483 yds 17 touchdowns 4 interceptions: 163 carries 2,167 yds 35 td’s

RB Ty Sander 137 carries 1,013 yds 12 td’s: 36 receptions 562 yds 5 td’s

Alx Konze 18 tackles for losses

PLAYOFF ROAD

Palmerton 37 Jim Thorpe 7

Palmerton 32 North Schuylkill 24

NORTHWESTERN LEHIGH TIGERS COACH JOSH SNYDER 101-39 12th YEAR

PLAYERS TO WATCH

QB Shane Leh 89-142 1,322 yds 20 td’s 6 int’s

RB Dalton Clymer 201 carries 1,467 yds 24 td’s: 92 tackles

WR Devon Hildebrand 37 catches 435 yards 6 td’s

PLAYOFF ROAD 

Northwestern 58 Lehighton 14

Northwestern 43 Notre Dame Green Pond 21

    This is being touted as being the most anticipated game of the season, with so much at stake: a district championship and a spot in the state playoffs next week to face either Neumann-Goretti or Scranton Prep, who play on Saturday at Northern Lehigh’s Bulldog Stadium at 1 pm.

      Both the Tigers and the Bombers are state ranked in the most recent PaFootballNews.com rankings: The Tigers at #6 while the Bombers come in at #9 after being in the honorable mention for much of the season.

Palmerton is led by QB Matt Machalik, the 5,000/5,000 man, throwing and rushing in his career. Machalik and the Bombers did struggle last week against a very good North Schuylkill squad, completing just 7 of 16 passing for 65 yards but did have a brilliant 65 yard touchdown run and picked up 27 of the final 29 yards late in the game culminating in a two yard score with 52 seconds left for the win.

Nortwestern Lehigh have have just 189 pass attempts this season, in contrast to RB Dalton Clymer has just over 200 touches in 12 games.  In saying that the sophisticated passing game has produced at least 163 yards in every game to this point.

Both teams like to take calculated risks in their games. Both like going for it on 4th down and Palmerton likes to go for two-point conversions as they went 10 for 10 in the two games against North Schuylkill resulting in wins.

The Tigers have converted 25 of 32 attempts on 4th down conversions this season and 80% of the time last week against Notre Dame were successful.  Palmerton was 4 of 6 on fourth down tries against the Spartans in week seven.

This game could very well come down to who has the ball last. This should be a classic!

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