Sean Steckert stood near the goal line talking to a handful of reporters at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field after he and his Southern Lehigh teammates captured their first PIAA Class 4A championship.
After that interview scrum ended and the senior running back moved 10 yards up the field, another media group approached him, so he stopped and talked as long as they needed.
It took about 30 minutes for Steckert to reach midfield with the rest of the Spartans and the coaching staff to enjoy one final on-field celebration.
After that, he talked to the last group of newspaper writers on a dark, cold Thursday night. Steckert’s lips were blue and quivering. He was shivering. But he answered every question fully and eloquently while his teammates watched and marveled.
It was the last impressive thing Steckert did in his high school career filled with stellar accomplishments.
Less than an hour earlier, the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder ran for a state Class 4A finals-record 301 yards to complete his record-setting season and career for coach Phil Sams.
“We’ve had some tough kids over the years,” Sams said. “He’s probably the toughest kid I’ve ever coached. He can do it all.”
Steckert obliterated every school single-season and career rushing record in 2025.
For his record-setting accomplishments and helping Southern Lehigh to unprecedented success, Steckert is The Morning Call All-Area Colonial-Schuylkill League offensive player of the year.
He ran the ball 386 times for 3,211 yards and 45 touchdowns in 2025, and totaled 723 carries for 5,484 yards and 90 TDs in his career.
Perhaps the most impressive number was 162. That was the number of times he carried the ball in the Spartans’ last four playoff games. He had a 1,000-yard season – 1,027 to be exact – and 15 touchdowns in those four games against the state’s best 4A teams.
It did not come without pain, however. He left each of those four playoff games with an injury, but somehow managed to miss only a play or two because of his toughness and refusal to let his teammates down.
“He’s an amazing kid,” Sams added. “Take him off the field, too. Great person. Wrestling background really helps. I’m a big promoter of wrestlers. You saw his balance. Runs track, works, runs Bible study, does everything.”
As phenomenal as Steckert was, his appreciation for his teammates, specifically the offensive linemen who gave him the chance to shine, came through in every interview he did this season. His refusal to take credit for his incredible statistics was admirable.
“Anything is possible with God on your side and we’re so blessed to have this offensive line and this team and be able to play this game,” he said. “We have an amazing offensive line and couldn’t ask for more from them.”
Steckert ran for at least 100 yards and scored at least one touchdown in every game this season except in Southern Lehigh’s lone loss in Week 10 at Class 3A state finalist Northwestern Lehigh when he ran for 76 yards.
But his presence provided the Spartans many other opportunities to be successful offensively. Quarterback Colton Sams set several school records. He completed 190 of 263 passes for 2,689 yards and 36 touchdowns, including a pair in the state final.
Opponents loaded up the box to try to stop Steckert. That didn’t work much. The Spartans made them pay doubly by having so much success throwing the ball.
But it all started and ended with Steckert.
Southern Lehigh teammates marveled at the way he made his way through the many media interviews. “Sean’s a cool guy,” several said at different times.
Steckert was a standup guy no matter what the circumstances or his level of success.
As opponents found out the last two years, it was difficult to knock down Steckert and impossible to keep him down.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
