On a rainy Friday night, the undefeated Northwestern Lehigh Tigers (5-0) traveled to North Schuylkill to take on the Spartans.
Northwestern Lehigh, leading both the Red Division and District XI Class 4A, lived up to their billing, overpowering North Schuylkill in a lopsided 49-7 victory.
The game kicked off with North Schuylkill receiving the ball after Northwestern Lehigh deferred. The Spartans wasted no time, as Luke Miller electrified his team and fans with a 61-yard run for a touchdown with 10:18 left in the first quarter. The extra point from Gavin Mentzer made it 7-0 in favor of the Spartans.
However, Northwestern Lehigh quickly responded. On their second drive, with 3:47 left in the first quarter, Eli Zimmerman bolted 70 yards for a touchdown. Seth Kern added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.
The Tigers began to take control early in the second quarter. Seth Kern powered into the end zone from two yards out, and his extra point put Northwestern Lehigh up 14-7 with 10:13 remaining. The Tigers capitalized on a crucial turnover when Eli Zimmerman intercepted a North Schuylkill pass, setting up another score. Zimmerman found the end zone again on a one-yard run, extending the lead to 21-7 with 8:05 left in the second.
Northwestern Lehigh’s offense continued to fire on all cylinders, as quarterback Shane Leh connected with Josh Wambold for an 18-yard touchdown pass. Kern's extra point made it 28-7. Before the half, Leh struck again, hitting Shane Hulmes on a 10-yard touchdown pass to give the Tigers a commanding 35-7 lead at halftime.
The second half saw more dominance from Northwestern Lehigh. With 8:52 left in the third quarter, Leh threw his third touchdown pass of the night, this time finding Mason Bollinger on a 14-yard strike to make it 42-7. Later, Landen Matson added an 18-yard rushing touchdown, and the extra point brought the final score to 49-7.
The Tigers, now 6-0, remain atop the standings and will look to continue their unbeaten run next Friday when they host Pottsville. North Schuylkill, falling to 3-3, will aim to bounce back on the road against Bangor.
