Northwestern Lehigh and Southern Lehigh will be forever linked because of the 2025 football season.
The Tigers and Spartans made Colonial-Schuylkill League history by becoming the first tandem to make PIAA championship games in the same season.
They did so after Northwestern Lehigh won the Week 10 meeting of 9-0 teams. Both won District 11 titles before advancing to the state’s 3A and 4A finals, respectively.
The Tigers won 31 games in a row and reached three consecutive state finals, something never done before by any District 11 program, before losing to Avonworth in the 3A title game.
The Spartans, who won only one district title before last season, captured their second in a row before reaching the program’s first state final and winning over previously unbeaten District 3 champion Twin Valley.
For their special seasons, Northwestern Lehigh and Southern Lehigh are The Morning Call All-Area football co-teams of the year.
The Tigers’ 31-game winning streak is the longest in District 11 since the inception of the state playoff system in the late 1980s. Most of those games were decided by halftime.
Coach Josh Snyder’s team set program single-season records in 2025 for points (692), passing yards (2,897) and total yards (6,568).
Seniors Shane Leh, Shane Hulmes and Mason Bollinger set multiple school records in 2025, which ended with the senior class finishing a remarkable 57-5 in their careers.
“The most important thing,” Snyder said, “it’s crazy in this day and age with kids so interested in pounding their chest, their own stats, the glory, the what-about-me type of thing, this was another group in a long line whose goal truly was to win championships.
“I’ve always told the kids at the end of regular seasons, if we’re lucky enough to be league champions, next are districts. If we win enough of those, the individual [honors] will come. They bought into that. More kids on the team are recognized when the team wins championships rather than one or two stars when teams don’t. This group is happy with others’ success.”
Northwestern Lehigh also handled off-the-field adversity. It started before the 2024 season when team member Tucker Wessner was killed in an accident. This season, two players lost close relatives.
“They have good perspective on what should be important,” Snyder added. “It’s we over me. It’s about being a family.
“Getting that buy-in is easy when you’re doing it with buddies you’ve been playing with your whole life. A lot of times, you don’t know who the star of the team is. It’s pretty neat to know it doesn’t matter who it is who gets the carries, yardage, limelight. One person is not any more valuable than anyone else on the team. That’s how it is in New Tripoli and at Northwestern Lehigh.”
The Spartans, coming off their first state semifinal appearance in 2024, outdid themselves by winning a school-record 15 games — including a dominant offensive performance in the state championship-game victory over Twin Valley in which it never punted.
Quarterback Colton Sams and running back Sean Steckert set many single-season and career records this year.
But it was the composite effort and unity that took Southern Lehigh to new heights. That unity sparked a confidence that winning a state title was not only possible, but expected in 2025.
“Everything is possible with God on our side,” Steckert said. “We’re so blessed to have this team, to be able to play football. Defense wins championships. We’re so lucky to have such a balanced team all around this year. Everybody shined on this team.
“These guys are my brothers. You couldn’t ask for a better way to end the season with them. We will never forget this.”
“It’s amazing, awesome and amazing,” head coach Phil Sams added. “They did this by working. They started working in January. They didn’t start in August. Those who start that late have their season end early. It’s a great group of kids.”
Southern Lehigh’s seniors had a stellar four years, as well, posting a 46-9 record.
Steckert, Sams and other skill players grabbed a lot of headlines, but there were many heroes. Carter Giberson and Lucas Sutyak were part of stellar offensive and defensive fronts. Jacoby Jacobs and Dariuz Lightner anchored a solid defense. On and on.
There were many leaders and a roster full of players who only cared about one stat: winning percentage.
“The expectation was to do this,” sophomore defensive back Adam Fritts said. “But I didn’t think we could at the beginning of the year. It’s just crazy that we did, just crazy.”
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
