Sean Steckert ran for 262 yards in last Thursday’s District 11 Class 4A semifinal against Blue Mountain, but all he talked about was the offensive line.
“They gave me holes all night,” the senior said. “All I had to do was wait a second and the holes were massive. I just had to run right through it.”
Dariuz Lightner was all over the field, harassing Eagles skill players. He finished with 11 tackles, including four for loss (one sack).
But the senior linebacker deflected praise to everyone else.
“We were able to stop the run really early,” he said. “[Steckert’s 90-yard touchdown] run set the tone. And, a big shout out to the scout team. They practice really hard, too, and we appreciate that.
“This is one of the best defenses we’ve had. It’s been awesome to play on it.”
Chances are if you asked senior linebacker Jacoby Jacobs about his 10 tackles, he too would shift the discussion to the team.
Southern Lehigh’s team is in one win shy of a second consecutive District 11 Class 4A championship. It will need to beat Bethlehem Catholic again to do so.
Southern Lehigh senior Sean Steckert (3) runs the ball as Southern Lehigh hosts Blue Mountain during the District XI class 4A playoffs, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
The Spartans did the trick last year 28-7 despite so many obstacles, though they weren’t looking for excuses.
“Last year at this time,” head coach Phil Sams said, “we had no Andrew Olesh [now a Penn State wide receiver], were dinged up on the offensive line and still came back and won the game [against Pottsville in the district semis].
“Right then, I knew we could overcome a lot. That’s what this group is all about.”
Southern Lehigh trailed Pottsville last year by three touchdowns before rallying. The Spartans’ only rally needed this season was in Week 10 at defending 3A state champion Northwestern Lehigh. They fell in a big hole before pulling within 36-28 by game’s end, their only loss.
Since then. Sams’ bunch blew out Bangor and Blue Mountain to reach the district final. The Spartans are healthy and bring a wealth of experience into this year’s meeting with the 8-4 Golden Hawks, who have won three in a row by a combined 16 points including a 34-31 come-from-behind victory over rival Central Catholic in the district semis.
“Last year helped us this year,” Sams added. “Even when we were down this year against Northwestern, the kids never gave up. The kids deserve a lot of credit. We’re battle tested. We’re used to playing a lot of games, being in all kinds of situations as a group as compared to last year when it was kind of new for these guys.”
Last year’s district title and run to the state semifinals also established a new expectation for the Southern Lehigh program.
Southern Lehigh’s Colton Sams (5) and Sean Steckert (3) reached the 2,000-yard mark this season in passing and rushing, respectively in a District 11 Class 4A semifinal win over Blue Mountain. (Amy Shortell/The Morning Call)
The Spartans no longer accept the underdog role that once motivated them.
“That was a hump we were trying to get over for years,” Steckert said. “We couldn’t get by Whitehall. Getting over Becahi was a big step in our program. Now, it’s a standard for Southern Lehigh football moving forward.
“Last year playing against an EPC team, we were a little nervous. But we’re tired of hearing it at this point. We beat them last year. We’re so excited to rep the Colonial League. We are a good league down here.”
Colonial-Schuylkill League Week 12 stat heroes
(in alphabetical order)
Matt Bodnar, Notre Dame-GP: Completed 12 of 16 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in a District 11 Class 3A semifinal win over Tamaqua.
Faustie Capobianco, Notre Dame-GP: Rushed for three touchdowns on seven carries and made four tackles against Tamaqua.
Shawn Chen, Tamaqua: Made a team-high eight tackles against Notre Dame-GP
John Hull, Notre Dame-GP: Tied for a game-high 12 tackles against Tamaqua.
Shane Hulmes, Northwestern Lehigh: Made a game-high 14 tackles, including one for loss, and caught a 20-yard touchdown pass in a victory over North Schuylkill in the District 11 Class 3A semifinal.
Jacoby Jacobs, Southern Lehigh: The Spartans’ leading tackler had 10 in a District 11 Class 4A semifinal victory over Blue Mountain.
Braxton Lakatosh, Northwestern Lehigh: Rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown and made 10 tackles against North Schuylkill. The senior reached 1,000 rushing yards for the season, his first as a starter.
Shane Leh, Northwestern Lehigh: Completed eight of 13 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 90 yards and a score against North Schuylkill.
Dariuz Lightner, Southern Lehigh: Registered a game-high 11 tackles, including four for loss (one sack), against Blue Mountain.
Terrence McDowell, Tamaqua: Rushed for 163 yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame-GP.
Colton Sams, Southern Lehigh: Completed five of eight passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns against Blue Mountain to reach 2,000 passing yards for the season.
Bill Slattery, Northern Lehigh: Made a team-high eight tackles, including one for loss, against Schuylkill Haven.
Garrett Smoyer, Northern Lehigh: Threw for 173 yards and a touchdown against Schuylkill Haven to become the program’s career passing yardage leader.
Sean Steckert, Southern Lehigh: Ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns against Blue Mountain to reach 2,000 yards for the second year in a row.
Kalet Wilson, Notre Dame-GP: Tied for a game-high 12 tackles, including one for loss, against Tamaqua.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
