View this week as a major midterm exam for Lehighton.

The Indians have been acing Football 101 through the first four weeks, rolling to a 4-0 start and outscoring their opponents 162–28.

Now comes the real challenge.

Everything they’ve studied, developed, and executed so well will need to come together for an A-plus performance against Southern Lehigh, the defending PIAA 5A state champions.

It’s an undefeated showdown between the Indians and the Spartans in the Times News Game of the Week.

Looking back at last season, Lehighton gave the Spartans a legitimate scare in Week 3, coming up just short in a 21-20 loss. However, both of these squads are much different in 2026.

Lehighton has emerged as one of the area’s most physical, run-first teams, powered by a stout offensive line featuring Marc Macias, Dom Lawrence, Chase Keller, Parker Rodgers, Nick Blose, and Jonathan Mayers. Senior running back Lukas Croizier leads the charge behind them. Croizier ranks third in the Times News area with 531 rushing yards, averaging an impressive 8.7 yards per carry, and sits atop the scoring ranks with 11 touchdowns.

“I think that whole group has been doing a fantastic job, and then you have Croizier who is always going to make plays for us. But we returned that group fully intact, and even last year you could see it building. They had some nice outings last season, but they were just inconsistent at times. They have taken a big step with that,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll.

“Running the football is what we hang our hats on. We want to establish the line of scrimmage and the run game first and foremost. We know this week will be a bigger challenge, but we’re going to look to do what we’ve been doing for the past four weeks. Our guys are hungry.”

Southern Lehigh’s offense looks much different without workhorse running back Sean Steckert, who piled up 3,211 yards last season.

As a result, the Spartans have shifted to a more pass-heavy offense, relying heavily on veteran quarterback Colton Sams, who has already thrown for 1,002 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sams has been just as dangerous with his legs —rushing for 142 yards on only 14 carries, and using his mobility to extend plays and keep drives alive.

What makes Southern Lehigh so difficult to defend through the air is its depth at wide receiver. Jack Pavis (12 receptions, 243 yards, 4 TD), Jack Fistner (8 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD), and Layton Shook (5 receptions, 104 yards) each bring matchup problems for opposing defenses. Jack MoDavis, the team’s leading rusher with 422 yards and five touchdowns, also adds versatility as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield, with six receptions for 109 yards and a score.

“I think our defense through the first four weeks of the season has played really well. I thought they did a nice job against a mobile quarterback last week. We gave up less than 100 yards. We played disciplined, and I love the way our guys are flying to the football,” said McCarroll. “There’s no doubt that Southern Lehigh’s identity on offense has changed. They still have a big offensive line unit up front, but they’re not going to look to pound the ball like they did with Steckert last season. They have a quarterback that plays at a high level. He is very smart, and he does a great job of moving around the pocket and keeping his eyes down the field. So, even if you do get pressure, he can make plays when the play breaks down. And then he has a cast of wide receivers that all kind of mirror each other. They all have nice size, length and speed.”

The Indians matchup this week will be by far their toughest test of the season. It’s a game that if they’re able to pull it out, the Tribe could send some shock waves throughout District 11.

“For us, we can’t be intimidated or awe struck that we’re going up against the defending state champs. The message needs to be less about them and more about us and what we can control,” said McCarroll. “We hear the noise out there of a lot of people kind of downplaying where we’re at. But again. Our guys are really hungry, and we’re going to go in there with the mentality that we have as good of a shot to beat them as anybody.”