Garrett Smoyer hit Northern Lehigh teammate Chris Frame in stride with a pass late in the second quarter of last Thursday’s game against visiting rival Northwestern Lehigh.
Frame caught the ball in stride and should have scored with his tremendous speed, but he didn’t. It went for a 40-yard gain to the Tigers’ 22-yard line. Frame didn’t find the end zone because Brady Zimmerman recovered to trip up the Bulldogs receiver.
Northern Lehigh scored four plays later on fourth down, but a point was made to Northwestern’s coaching staff: The Tigers don’t quit.
“I have a pretty good idea what kind of football team we have,” head coach Josh Snyder said. “But until they can figure it out themselves, it’s better when it comes from the players. That’s what early-season football is all about, figuring out who your leaders are going to be and what kind of personality the team is going to have.
“I know a few things after watching that game: Our kids play with a lot of juice, they hustle like crazy and they play extremely hard. You could see that on a couple hustle plays where their guys broke free and our guys tracked them down instead of giving up.
Three minutes later, the Bulldogs had another big pass play, this time from Smoyer to Chase Gall for 49 yards to the Tigers’ 16-yard line. Michael Lagowy tracked down Gall from behind to prevent the touchdown.
Three plays later, Mason Bollinger intercepted a Northern Lehigh pass and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown.
“We made it very difficult,” Snyder said. “No touchdown they had was easy. That’s all you can ask for from a defense. The more plays you make the offense run, the more opportunity that gives for them to make a mistake.”
Snyder knows that those hustle plays will make the difference in the outcome of a game or two down the road, and that Zimmerman and Lagow set good examples for the young players that there is only one way to play no matter the score or circumstances: Hard.
Colonial-Schuylkill League football Week 2 stat heroes
(in alphabetical order)
Mason Bollinger, Northwestern Lehigh: Ran for a touchdown and recorded his first interception return for a score, a 100-yarder on the last play of the first half of a win over Northern Lehigh.
Manny Bolmer, Catasauqua: Rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown, caught three passes for 57 yards and a score, and intercepted a pass in a win over Wilson.
Caiden Faust, Pen Argyl: Scored two rushing touchdowns, one on fourth down with one second left in the first half and the other with 37 seconds left in a 27-20 win over Palmerton.
Garrett Grants, Notre Dame-GP: Made a team-high seven tackles, two for loss including a sack as the Crusaders allowed minus-5 yards offense against Salisbury.
Peter Kruslicky, Panther Valley: Registered seven tackles vs. Schuylkill Haven.
Josh Louk, Jim Thorpe: Rushed for 98 yards and caught seven passes for 44 yards against Pottsville.
Terrence McDowell, Tamaqua: Rushed for 120 yards against North Schuylkill.
Ty Nansteel, Lehighton: Caught four passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over Bangor.
Axel Nunez, Bangor: Made a team-high seven tackles against Lehighton.
Taylor Rohn, Saucon Valley: Registered a team-high 11 tackles against Palisades.
Caleb Sagastume, Palmerton: Rushed for two touchdowns and made two tackles against Pen Argyl.
Bill Slattery, Northern Lehigh: Made a team-high five tackles against Northwestern Lehigh.
Sean Steckert, Southern Lehigh: Ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns and made four tackles in a victory over Blue Mountain.
Jonathan Striba, Notre Dame-GP: Caught five passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Salisbury.
Max Woerner, Palisades: Rushed for a career-high 130 yards and two touchdowns and made a team-high 14 tackles, one for loss, in a victory at Saucon Valley.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
