For the fourth straight season, Northwestern Lehigh was able to bring home the District 11 3A crown.

The Tigers defeated a very good Notre Dame Green Pond team last week 35-14, qualifying for the PIAA 3A state tournament yet again, and in the process also won their 28th consecutive game.

For the third straight year, Northwestern is set to do battle with District 2 champion Scranton Prep in the quarterfinals of the state bracket, with the winner advancing to the 3A state semifinals to take on either District 3 champion Trinity, or District 12 champion Neumann-Goretti. The Tigers have defeated the Cavaliers in their previous two matchups.

“We have created a nice rivalry with Scranton Prep, playing them now for the past two seasons, and now again this season,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder. “They are well coached, and they play a similar style of football that we like to play. First and foremost, we need to play a clean game. We need to take care of the football, and make plays in all three phases to give ourselves the best chance to win.”

A focus for the Tigers that Coach Snyder highlighted - making plays in all three phases - was a big reason for the Tigers’ win last week, and more importantly, it’s the reason why they have been able to bring home four straight District 11 3A gold medals.

Northwestern made plays on offense, scoring 35 points and rushing for 275 yards. And the Tigers made plays on defense, tallying five sacks - three of them from linebacker Shane Hulmes - and also forced key turnovers with a forced fumble and two interceptions. And as usual, they made a play on special teams with a huge kickoff return from Chase Sukanick that setup the Tigers in Notre Dame territory, and eventually led to a Sukanick rushing score that put Northwestern out in front, 14-7.

In all three phases, Northwestern has a fully stocked arsenal when it comes to playmakers, but junior wide receiver/running back Brady Zimmerman has somehow been flying under the radar, despite making high-flying plays throughout the season. Zimmerman leads the Tigers with 757 receiving yards and eight touchdowns at an incredible 24.42 yards per reception. The junior has also made plays in the run game when called upon, rushing 35 times for 255 yards and seven rushing scores. On the season, Zimmerman has 1,012 total yards and 15 total touchdowns. Zimmerman has also been productive on defense as well, collecting 77 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and an interception.

“Yeah, I don’t think Brady Zimmerman gets talked about enough. He has been our explosive-play guy all season long,” said Snyder. “Over 1,000 yards of total offense and a bunch of touchdowns. He’s always there to make a big play for us and some games we need him more than others, but he’s always making plays.

“He’s a high motor guy, and what he does really well is that he makes plays after the catch. He’s deceptively fast and tough. And he’s always willing to do the dirty work in blocking in the run game.”

Scranton Prep has a host of playmakers as well, but none more important than senior quarterback Will McPartland. McPartland missed the first three games of the season, recovering from an ACL injury he sustained in the state playoffs last season. The Cavaliers struggled early on because of his absence, going 0-3. However, since McPartland has returned, Prep has been 8-2, and the team has been especially impressive in the playoffs. The Cavaliers dominated a one-loss Wyoming Area team 42-0, and then followed that up with a 42-7 win over an undefeated Berwick team to capture their fifth straight District 2 title. Prep has won nine District 2 championships in the last 11 seasons. The Cavaliers defeated a tough Mifflinburg team last week to advance to the quarterfinals. Prep was down 14-0 in the first quarter, giving up two big pass scores to start the game, but it was able to battle back for the win.

McPartland had another big game last week, rushing for 125 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, the senior has rushed for 866 yards and an impressive 27 rushing touchdowns. He’s also been effective in the passing game, throwing for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions.

The Cavaliers have had a strong running game all year long, as they’re averaging close to 210 yards per game on the ground. Prep had an exceptional night running the football against Mifflinburg a week ago, rushing for 281 yards.

Helping out McPartland in the run game has been Anthony Price (622 rushing yards, 4 TDs), Braedan McPartland (535, 3 TDs) and Noah Krzywiec (422, 5 TDs). The Cavaliers have six players that have 180-plus receiving yards on the season, with Braedan McPartland (503 receiving yards, 5 TDs) and Krzywiec (400, 1 TD) leading the way.

“They run a ton of formations and motions. We need to have eye discipline and read our keys,” said Snyder. “The quarterback is a really good football player, and he’s the one who drives the offense. They have multiple skill kids that can all make plays, and an offensive line that gets after it. It will be a challenge for us, but we need to find a way to stop their run and make it tough on them to move the ball.”