Shane Hulmes’ most memorable game was the one that put Northwestern Lehigh onto another level, one that propelled the program to three consecutive PIAA Class 3A finals.
It was the 2023 state semifinals against perennial District 3 power Wyomissing, one of the state’s best at running the Wing-T offense. Preparation for the run-heavy attack put a twinkle in Hulmes’ eyes.
“That was a fun game for me because it was just trying to get as many tackles as you could as long as you kept your head screwed on right,” he said. “Usually these days, you get the modern-day spread offenses that throw the ball around.
“[Wyomissing] ran it on almost every play, so you could just fly around and not worry much about pass responsibility. That was one of my favorite games, and it got us to our first state championship game appearance.”
Northwestern Lehigh rallied in the second half to beat Wyomissing 33-24 to reach the first of three consecutive PIAA title games, something no other District 11 team has done.
Hulmes was instrumental in the Tigers posting a 57-5 record the last four years with four district titles, a 31-game winning streak and one state title.
The senior set three single-season records in 2025 and five career marks as the leader of a cohesive, aggressive defense.
For his performance, leadership and dedication to the Northwestern Lehigh program and his teammates, Hulmes is The Morning Call All-Area Colonial-Schuylkill League defensive player of the year.
“It’s tough to replace a lot of seniors year after year,” Tigers coach Josh Snyder said. “Shane is a kid that is irreplaceable because of what he brings to the table. He takes so much pressure off the defense by how he can read things through film study and all the prep. He doesn’t get enough credit for that. He calls all the plays, changes the fronts, tells the defenses what play is coming and which direction it’s going.
“Once the ball is snapped, he’s a throwback. He plays downhill, loves to punish ball carriers. He sets the tone. And, he always does the right thing. He’s never had a bad practice. That’s one of the coolest things about him. He always brought his hard hat to every practice and game.”
Hulmes set the school career records for tackles (449), solo tackles (198), tackles for loss (31), sacks (20) and forced fumbles (12). He also set season records for forced fumbles (7), solo tackles (77) and total tackles (165).
No matter what the opponent was trying to do offensively, Hulmes was always a menace that had to be accounted for. Whether it was Notre Dame-Green Pond’s five-wide formations or North Schuylkill’s power running attack between the tackles, Hulmes was the anchor of Northwestern Lehigh’s disruptive defensive unit.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder studied film with his father, Rich, the Tigers’ linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. Hulmes played like a coach’s son because of his preparation.
“I became much more football savvy,” he said, “a student of the game. I could just look at a formation alignment and know what the offense was going to do. I could turn on a college or pro game and know what teams were going to do.
“I had great coaches. I’ve always said that we have the best coaches in the state, and I’ll stick by that.”
The Tigers’ coaching staff appreciated Hulmes’ dedication to his craft and commitment to the program. His leadership was invaluable, even if it most often was by example.
“As leader, he was fantastic,” Snyder said. “He’s not much of a vocal guy in the huddle, but I noticed this year that if a youngster was not on track in a game or at practice, he would get verbal, redirect kids, get the team going.
“He talked to coaches in a respectful way. It’s really hard in four years to find an off day for Shane.”
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
