CENTER VALLEY – Southern Lehigh made a statement Friday night as the Spartans defeated Northwestern Lehigh 17-14 in a highly anticipated showdown between two unbeaten teams, snapping the Tigers’ 40-game regular-season winning streak.
In a game featuring two of District 11’s top football programs, Southern Lehigh relied on a strong rushing performance from Adam Fritts, an explosive touchdown pass from quarterback Colton Sams and a defense that delivered several critical stops in the fourth quarter.
Fritts rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, while Sams completed 14 of 20 passes for 216 yards and a score. Jack Pavis provided the game’s biggest offensive play with an 87-yard touchdown reception early in the third quarter.
Northwestern Lehigh, however, refused to go quietly, battling back from a 10-point second-half deficit before Southern Lehigh’s defense preserved the three-point victory.
The Tigers established their ground game on the opening scoring drive, marching 52 yards on 12 plays, all on the ground.
Brady Zimmerman capped the possession with a three-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter. Grayson Smith converted the extra point to give Northwestern Lehigh a 7-0 advantage.
Southern Lehigh answered with an impressive drive of its own.
The Spartans marched 67 yards on 10 plays before Fritts broke loose for a 30-yard touchdown run on third down with 3:04 remaining. Declan Walsh added the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.
Both defenses settled in during the second quarter, making sustained drives difficult.
Southern Lehigh put together one of the game’s most important possessions late in the first half, moving the football downfield on a 16-play drive that included two successful fourth-down conversions.
The Spartans eventually called on Walsh, who connected on a 30-yard field goal with 1:38 remaining before halftime to give Southern Lehigh its first lead, 10-7.
The Spartans carried that three-point advantage into the locker room.
Southern Lehigh wasted little time extending its lead in the second half.
Just 1:05 into the third quarter, Sams connected with a wide-open Pavis for an 87-yard touchdown pass. Walsh converted the extra point, giving the Spartans a 17-7 advantage with 10:55 remaining.
The touchdown was particularly significant for Sams, who entered the contest closing in on the District 11 career touchdown passing record. The scoring strike left him one touchdown pass shy of tying the district record of 106.
Southern Lehigh’s defense then came up with another important play.
Seiler Hummel intercepted Northwestern Lehigh quarterback Trey Snyder at the Spartans’ 33-yard line with 10:13 remaining, giving Southern Lehigh an opportunity to build on its lead.
But Northwestern Lehigh’s defense answered.
The Tigers forced an incompletion on fourth-and-7 at their own 27-yard line with 6:55 remaining, turning the ball over on downs and keeping the deficit at 10 points.
Northwestern Lehigh then put together one of its best drives of the night.
The Tigers converted four third-down opportunities during the possession, methodically moving downfield against Southern Lehigh’s defense.
Zimmerman finished the drive with his second three-yard touchdown run of the contest with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter. Smith added the extra point, cutting Southern Lehigh’s lead to 17-14.
The Spartans entered the fourth quarter holding a narrow three-point advantage, setting up a tense final 12 minutes.
Northwestern Lehigh’s defense continued to rise to the occasion.
With 9:03 remaining, Lucian Sterling made a key tackle on fourth-and-11 at the Tigers’ 25-yard line, giving Northwestern Lehigh another opportunity to take the lead.
But Southern Lehigh’s defense responded by forcing a three-and-out, getting the football back at its own 30-yard line with 7:14 remaining.
The Spartans attempted to put together a time-consuming drive to seal the victory, but Northwestern Lehigh came up with another fourth-down stop at its own 14-yard line with 1:50 remaining.
The Tigers had one final opportunity to tie or win the game.
Snyder and Northwestern Lehigh moved the football into Southern Lehigh territory, eventually facing third-and-3 at the Spartans’ 44-yard line with four seconds remaining.
On the game’s final play, Snyder dropped back and attempted a pass, but it fell incomplete.
Southern Lehigh’s sideline erupted as the Spartans secured the 17-14 victory, ending Northwestern Lehigh’s impressive 40-game regular-season winning streak.
Fritts was the workhorse for Southern Lehigh’s offense, carrying 26 times for 143 yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.5 yards per attempt.
Sams provided balance through the air, completing 14 of 20 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.
Pavis led the Spartans’ receiving corps with two catches for 97 yards, including his 87-yard touchdown. Jack Fistner added three receptions for 52 yards, while Otto Young caught five passes for 39 yards.
Southern Lehigh finished with 369 yards of total offense, including 153 rushing yards and 216 passing yards.
Northwestern Lehigh relied heavily on its rushing attack.
Chase Sukanick led the Tigers with 82 yards on 22 carries, while Zimmerman scored both Northwestern Lehigh touchdowns on three-yard runs.
Snyder completed 9 of 16 passes for 76 yards but was intercepted twice.
Zimmerman was also Northwestern Lehigh’s leading receiver, hauling in six passes for 53 yards. Chase Kerschner added two receptions for 16 yards.
The Tigers finished with 108 rushing yards and 76 passing yards, totaling 184 yards of offense.
Defensively, Southern Lehigh received several outstanding performances.
Tanner Traub led the Spartans with eight tackles, including one tackle for loss. Cody Wesner added seven tackles, while Hummel finished with five tackles and an interception.
Jack MoDavis also intercepted a pass, returning it 10 yards, while Pavis contributed four tackles and two pass breakups.
Northwestern Lehigh’s defense was equally impressive, particularly in the second half.
Nolan Koehler led the Tigers with 11 tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Kerschner added six tackles and half a sack, while Fritz Scheirer contributed five tackles.
Zimmerman made an impact defensively as well, recording four tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The Tigers finished with three sacks and seven tackles for loss, repeatedly putting pressure on Southern Lehigh’s offense.
Southern Lehigh held a narrow 15-14 advantage in first downs and controlled possession for 26 minutes and 40 seconds compared with Northwestern Lehigh’s 21:20.
The Spartans also won the turnover battle, intercepting two passes while committing no turnovers of their own.
Despite being held scoreless in the fourth quarter, Southern Lehigh’s defense came through when it mattered most, keeping Northwestern Lehigh from completing its comeback.
For the Spartans, the victory represented much more than another win.
Southern Lehigh entered the contest riding a 14-game winning streak and faced a Northwestern Lehigh program that had not lost a regular-season game in 40 contests.
With both teams entering unbeaten, the matchup lived up to its billing as one of the biggest games of the District 11 regular season.
Fritts’ tough running, Sams’ explosive connection with Pavis and several critical defensive stops proved to be the difference.
In the end, Southern Lehigh’s defense made one final stand, preserving a 17-14 victory over Northwestern Lehigh and bringing the Tigers’ remarkable 40-game regular-season winning streak to an end.
Scoring Summary:
Final: Southern Lehigh 17, Northwestern Lehigh 14
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Lehigh | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Northwestern Lehigh | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
First Quarter
NWL – Brady Zimmerman 3-yard run (Grayson Smith kick) 5:51
SL – Adam Fritts 30-yard run (Declan Walsh kick) 3:04
Second Quarter
SL – Declan Walsh 31-yard field goal 1:38
Third Quarter
SL – Jack Pavis 87-yard pass from Colton Sams (Declan Walsh kick) 10:55
NWL – Brady Zimmerman 3-yard run (Grayson Smith kick) 1:06
Fourth Quarter
No scoring
Team Statistics:
| Statistics | Southern Lehigh | Northwestern Lehigh |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 15 | 14 |
| Rushing Attempts | 33 | 31 |
| Rushing Yards | 153 | 108 |
| Passing Yards | 216 | 76 |
| Passing (C-A-I) | 14-20-0 | 9-16-2 |
| Total Offense* | 369 | 184 |
| Penalties-Yards | 8-69 | 5-44 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Time of Possession | 26:40 | 21:20 |
Individual Player Statistics
Rushing
Southern Lehigh
– Adam Fritts – 26 carries, 143 yards, 1 TD
– Jack MoDavis – 2 carries, 8 yards
– Colton Sams – 5 carries, 2 yards
Northwestern Lehigh
– Chase Sukanick – 22 carries, 82 yards
– Trey Snyder – 3 carries, 15 yards
– Brady Zimmerman – 4 carries, 7 yards, 2 TDs
– Landon Gauweiler – 2 carries, 4 yards
Passing
Southern Lehigh
– Colton Sams – 14-of-20, 216 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Northwestern Lehigh
– Trey Snyder – 9-of-16, 76 yards, 0 TD, 2 INTs
Receiving:
Southern Lehigh
– Jack Pavis – 2 receptions, 97 yards, 1 TD
– Jack Fistner – 3 receptions, 52 yards
– Otto Young – 5 receptions, 39 yards
– Layton Shook – 1 reception, 10 yards
– Jake Trembler – 1 reception, 7 yards
– Tanner Traub – 1 reception, 7 yards
– Jack MoDavis – 1 reception, 4 yards
Northwestern Lehigh
– Brady Zimmerman – 6 receptions, 53 yards
– Chase Kerschner – 2 receptions, 16 yards
– Chase Sukanick – 1 reception, 7 yards
Defensive Leaders:
Southern Lehigh
– Tanner Traub – 8 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
– Cody Wesner – 7 tackles
– Seiler Hummel – 5 tackles, 1 INT
– Adam Fritts – 4 tackles
– Jack Pavis – 4 tackles, 2 pass breakups
– Lucas Sutyak – 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
– Jack MoDavis – 3 tackles, 1 INT (10-yard return)
Northwestern Lehigh
– Nolan Koehler – 11 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss
– Chase Kerschner – 6 tackles, 0.5 sack
– Fritz Scheirer – 5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss
– Brady Zimmerman – 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks
– Max Beck – 4 tackles
– Chase Sukanick – 4 tackles
– Landon Gauweiler – 4 tackles
Special Teams:
Southern Lehigh
– Declan Walsh – 1-for-1 field goals (31 yards), 2-for-2 extra points
Northwestern Lehigh
– Grayson Smith – 2-for-2 extra points
– Nick Whitney – 2 punts, 81 yards, 40.5-yard average