Round two.

Northwestern Lehigh and Avonworth have battled, and they’ve taken care of business all season long to get back to the PIAA Class 3A championship game.

Set for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Chapman Field, the unbeaten Tigers and unbeaten Antelopes will square off for the second straight year with state gold on the line.

Avonworth has held the No. 1 state ranking for much of the season, with Northwestern close behind at No. 2. The Tigers captured their first state title in program history last year with a thrilling 36-33 overtime victory.

And they’re back to defend it.

“It’s pretty special that both teams were able to get back to the state final. Both teams have been ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state all season long, and both have been able to run the table and go undefeated. It was a great game last year that went in our favor in OT, and I think it’s also cool that it’s two public schools, two well-coached teams and teams that do it the right way,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder. “We’re looking forward to another great day at Cumberland Valley with our school and community supporting us.”

Both squads were in tight battles at halftime in their semifinal matchups last week, but each dominated the second half to advance.

Northwestern and District 3 champion Trinity were tied 13-13 at the break, before the Tigers erupted with 35 unanswered points in the second half to win 48-13. Quarterback Shane Leh continues to be lights out in the playoffs, going 12-for-14 for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the semis. In his last two games, Leh is 29-of-33 for 420 yards, with eight TDs and no interceptions. For the season, he has thrown for 2,516 yards, 31 touchdowns and just two picks.

Senior running back Braxton Lakatosh also starred, rushing for 156 yards on 12 carries with three touchdowns. He enters the final with 1,358 rushing yards and 16 TDs, averaging 10.61 yards per carry. Michael Lagowy added five catches for 85 yards and two scores against Trinity.

The Tigers have four receivers capable of breaking a game open: Brady Zimmerman (919 yards, 11 TDs), Lagowy (684 yards, 7 TDs), Mason Bollinger (552 yards, 6 TDs) and tight end Shane Hulmes (367 yards, 6 TDs).

“Early in the game, there can’t be a feeling-out process. Against a team of this caliber, you have to get going early. Our mentality is going to be that we have to go out there and score every time we possess the ball,” Snyder said. “Last year, I think we scored every time but twice, and we still almost lost the football game. We need to finish drives and take care of the football. Staying balanced is also important, and we have been very well balanced in the playoffs. And when our playmakers have their number called, they need to consistently make plays.”

Avonworth led 14-7 at halftime, but pulled away with a big third quarter against District 6 champion Penn Cambria, extending the lead to 28-7 and winning 31-15. Senior do-it-all threat Luca Neal delivered 122 rushing yards and two second-half touchdowns, and added three receptions for 115 yards and another score.

Neal hurt Northwestern last season as well. Operating mostly out of the wildcat, he ran for 252 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s title game. This season, he has 966 receiving yards and 11 TDs, plus 659 rushing yards and nine scores. Neal could again be a focal point, especially with junior running back Dimitri Velisaris (1,512 rushing yards, 24 TDs) sidelined last week with a leg contusion.

The Antelopes are balanced too, with senior quarterback Carson Bellinger throwing for 2,291 yards, 29 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He passed for 257 yards with two TDs and one pick in the semifinal win. Sophomore wideout Jaden Jones has emerged as a big-play threat, catching 26 passes for 836 yards and 10 TDs — averaging over 32 yards per reception.

“Last year they ran wildcat 97 percent of the time in our game, and that was a handful with Neal running out of that formation for them, but this year I think they’re a more dynamic offense. They have a three-year starter at quarterback who is playing well, and he has really nice weapons on the outside. And then you know you have to account for Neal who is going to play all over,” Snyder said. “They don’t have many weaknesses offensively, and they present a ton of challenges with how versatile they can be, and the variety of formations that they can use with different personnel groups. We have to show them different looks, and we have to try and eliminate their big plays and make them work for every point. We have been able to create some turnovers over the past few weeks that have paid huge dividends, so we will need to continue to create turnovers to give our offense as many chances as possible.”