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The Battle of Unbeaten Goliath’s: Northwestern Lehigh Tigers Reign Supreme

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

| October 28, 2023


Behind Dalton Clymer’s Big Night and Solid Defensive Effort Northwest Lehigh Rolls Over Previously Unbeaten Southern Lehigh.

NEW TRIPOLI- The Northwestern Lehigh Tigers could not ask for a better way to close out the 2023 regular season with an unblemished record and to capture the Colonial/Schuylkill League Gold Division title than scoring on all six of their drives and having their running back Dalton Clymer rushing for a career high 250 yards and three touchdown performance in a convincing 42-14 win over an unbeaten Southern Lehigh Spartans Friday night in front of a packed house at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers defense grabbed all the momentum on the third play of the game after the Spartans picked up first down on their opening two plays of the contest. Then DB Eli Zimmerman stepped in front of a QB Chris Fritts pass in the flat and returned it 58 yards to the Spartans eight. Two plays later QB Shane Leh scooted in from four yards out for a 7-0 lead and never looked back.

The Spartans went three-and-out on their next possession. The Tigers then marched on a 72 yard 10 play drive that was capped by Clymer’s first score from a yard out to make the score 14-0 with 1:40 left in the opening quarter.

“We popped those two first scores and then we were off and running and we settled in both offensively and defensively.” Coach Josh Snyder stated.

Northwestern came close to having another opportunity to add to the lead as a second Zimmerman interception was nullified by a roughin-the-passer call against the Tigers on the Spartans next drive.

A 52 yard touchdown pass from Chris Fritts to Jack Inglis cut the lead in half. Inglis caught the ball on the near sidelines and cut all the way across the field near the ten yard line, to avoid a couple of tacklers on his way to the end zone.

Northwestern though had an answer when they got the ball back by going on a 12 play 65 yard drive capped off by a Leh touchdown run from three yards out with 5:36 left before halftime and a 21-7 lead.

Southern Lehigh had a chance to score right before half as they drove inside the 20 of Northwestern but a quarterback sack ended the treat on a 4th down play as the teams entered the locker room at half.

The Tigers came out picking up where they left off on the opening drive of the second half by going on a 11 pay drive as Clymer scored from six yards out basically putting the game on ice with 6:53 left and a 28-7 lead.

The Tiger defense held the vaunted Spartans ground game to just 29 yards. Southern Lehigh came in averaging nearly 200 yards rushing per game. Coach Phil Sams went to his backup quarterback Colton Sams, a freshman,after fritts only completed 7 of 14 passes for 148 yards and the one score.

Sams did throw a touchdown pass to Inglis on a nine yard pass on fourth down with 8:49 left in the game making it a 28-14 score.

Devon Hildebrand closed out the scoring for the Tigers by finding the end zone from four yards out with 3:29 left in the game making it 42-14. The Tigers never punted in the contest.

Clymer went over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season giving him over 1,160 yards on the season as well as 18 scores and has 3,374 yards for his career and third on the all-time school rushing list.

Northwestern wrapped up the number one seed for the upcoming District XI 3A playoffs next Thursday and will be home against Lehighton. Southern Lehigh will have a game against an opponent to be decided in the 5A bracket next Friday.

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