WHITEHALL – Saturday’s District 11 2A championship didn’t end the way Northern Lehigh had hoped. It was a tough loss for the Bulldogs, who fell to Palisades 31-14.

But even in defeat, the 2020 season proved to be an important one for the program.

Just four years ago, Northern Lehigh finished the 2017 season with an 0-10 record. But the program continued to battle - led by the class of 2021.

Seniors Joe Abidelli, Mike Repsher, Evan Zambo, Chase Misera, J.D. Hunter, Josh Schaffer and DeSean Smith were part of a group that inspired the Bulldogs turnaround.

From winless in 2017, to five wins in 2018 and six last season to the leap in 2020 that resulted in an appearance in the district championship game this season, the Bulldogs have continued to progress and get better. With just seven seniors on the 2020 roster, it’s safe to say the Bulldogs are back.

“This year’s seniors got us here, but we’re going to challenge this team for next season. Our goal is to win gold,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout. “This senior group is special. No wins as freshmen and then their senior year they lead us to a district championship game. But our future is bright for sure. If we stay healthy, we’re going to bring back more starters next year than we brought back this year.”

The class of 2021 not only brought a skill set talent-wise that would help the program improve, but they also brought a strong work ethic. In 2014 and 2015, Northern Lehigh was having trouble getting players to come to offseason workouts. Enter the class of 2021, who brought a competitive, dedicated and most importantly fun attitude to the table.

“We had a little bit of a low point in 2014 and 2015 where we struggled to get kids to participate in our offseason workouts, and in the Colonial League you’re not going to win when that’s going on,” said Tout. “This senior group, they really turned it around and it caught on. They come to everything and it’s fun and competitive when they’re there. You kind of had that feeling in those down years where it was a chore for guys to be there, but this group, they have fun, they work hard and they possess that competitive nature, which has really been the difference for us.”

Since the winless 2017 campaign, Northern Lehigh has been on the plus side of .500 with a record of 16-13. The Bulldogs turned the corner this season, getting back to the district championship for the first time since 2011.

If 2020 is any indication of what the future may hold for Northern Lehigh football, Couch Tout’s challenge of winning gold next season could very well be successfully answered.