WHITEHALL – For Northern Lehigh, it was a night where consistency and momentum avoided them.

And it was at the worst possible time.

The Bulldogs couldn’t find their rhythm in a 31-14 defeat to Palisades in the District 11 Class 2A championship at Whitehall High School Saturday evening.

“We just never had momentum at all,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout. “I thought right before halftime when we scored, I thought that’s it. We’ll carry it to the half.

“But credit them, they came right back and scored and that killed it.”

Northern Lehigh (5-4) closed to within 10-7 when quarterback Dylan Smoyer found Trevor Amorim behind a Palisades defender along the sidelines to complete the 15-yard scoring play with just 21 seconds remaining before half.

But Palisades (8-2) responded when quarterback Jaden Newton hit a wide-open Nick Petrillo, who rambled down to the Northern Lehigh 24. From there, Newton tossed a Hail Mary attempt to Kyle McGrath, who made a leaping, spinning catch and somehow managed to keep a part of his body in bounds as time ran out for a 17-7 advantage and a momentum swing.

“Give that kid credit for the catch,” said Tout about the play. “He made the play. I asked our corner and he said that he was leading and didn’t know how he stayed in bounds.”

The Pirates also took advantage of a low snap to punter Matt Frame to block his attempt. Palisades’ Jon Denato scooped up the loose ball at the 10 and scored to give his team a 10-0 lead with 6:12 left in the second.

The Pirates widened the margin on the opening drive of the second half when they seemingly overpowered Northern Lehigh on eight consecutive running plays before Newton hit running back Mason Smeland on an 11-yard touchdown pass that boosted their lead to 24-7 with 7:37 left in the third.

“We scored right before half and we felt good about it,” noted Tout. “We felt we could regroup. That drive was tough to overcome.”

Northern Lehigh cut the deficit to 24-14 when Smoyer again connected with Amorim, who shook off a Palisades defender at the Palisades 20 and sprinted the rest of the way to complete a 25-yard touchdown with 11:49 left in the game.

The Bulldogs appeared to regain momentum when Amorin recovered a fumble at the Palisades 22, but they coughed up the ball two plays later.

Smoyer thought his team would reach the district final, but he soon realized their fate.

“I just had a feeling that we would get here,” he said. “I thought we would win.

“We just couldn’t get any momentum the whole game. They made big plays and had momentum. That’s what won the game.”

Palisades then closed out the game going on an impressive nine-play, 80-yard drive, all behind Smeland’s running, who clinched it with a 41-yard dash to paydirt with 4:07 left in the game.

The Bulldogs also couldn’t get their running game into motion, as Palisades’ defense limited them to 77 yards on the ground.

Tout, however, is optimistic his returnees will keep the scent of district gold.

RSVP FOR 2021

... The Bulldogs made their first district final appearance since 2011 after they won a title in 2010.

LOW OCTANE

... Northern Lehigh had averaged 45.5 points per game and 419.5 yards of total offense this postseason. They were limited to 236 total yards.

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS

... Al Jimenez, JD Hunter, and Joe Abidelli all had busy nights with numerous tackles, with Jiminez recording a sack.

SECOND DATE

... Palisades claimed its second district title in the last four years. The Pirates beat Lehighton for the Class 3A crown in 2017.

TICK TOCK

... Throughout the second half, there were constant issues with the game clock. The final 2:20 was kept on the field as well as in the press box.

FINAL SEND OFF

... A crowd of Bulldogs’ supporters were strewn along the fence behind their bench and gave their team a final round of applause after Tout presented their district medals.

FUTURE CONNECTIONS

... Smoyer and Amorin, who had six catches for 80 yards, will both return for their senior years in 2021, along with a solid cast as the Bulldogs graduate just seven seniors.