Southern Lehigh played 14 and-a-half games this season without losing a fumble, which helped bring the Spartans 24 minutes away from its first state championship-game appearance in school history.
In those 24 minutes, the Spartans muffed a punt, lost two more fumbles and controversially avoided another to leave its dream season hanging in the balance.
The Spartans prevailed, driving 84 yards in 6:30 to respond to 24 unanswered points by Cardinal O’Hara and prevail 28-24 in Friday night’s PIAA 4A semifinal at Whitehall High School. Sean Steckert powered across the goal line for a three-yard rushing touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to seal the dramatic and historic victory.
Southern Lehigh started as strong as it has all season by scoring the first 21 points on a 57-yard pass from Colton Sams to Darius Roman, a 47-yard rushing touchdown by Steckert and another 14-yard score by the senior running back, which was set up by a Dariuz Lightner interception.
After completing more passes to the Spartans (1) than their own receivers (0) on their first seven pass attempts, the Lions executed a tremendous two-minute drill to close the first half to pull within 21-10 on a last–second field goal following a three-yard rushing touchdown by Amahj Gowans earlier in the second quarter.
Quarterback John Welde also made the most of Southern Lehigh’s muffed punt with a 59-yard strike to Simon Horta to pull the Lions within four points midway through the third quarter.
As the Spartans looked poised to regain a two-score advantage, Jalen Patterson stripped the ball away from Sams and ran 77 yards for a go-ahead touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
A drive for the ages, sparked by a 3rd-and-10 conversion to Otto Young and a 4th-and-5 conversion to Roman, sent the Spartans to the state championship for the first time ever to face Twin Valley on Thursday night at Cumberland Valley High School’s Chapman Field at 7 p.m.
This story will be updated.
Derek Bast is a freelance writer who can be found on Twitter/X at @derek_bast. He can be reached by email at derekbast11@gmail.com.
SOUTHERN LEHIGH 28 CARDINAL O’HARA 24
Cardinal O’Hara: 0; 10; 7; 7 — 24
Southern Lehigh: 14; 7; 0; 7 — 28
ORDER OF SCORING
First quarter
SL: Darius Roman 57 pass from Colton Sams (Declan Walsh kick); 9:44
SL: Sean Steckert 47 run (Walsh kick); 7:49
Second quarter
SL: Steckert 14 run (Walsh kick); 8:22
C: Amahj Gowans 3 run (Gavin McLain kick); 4:19
C: McLain 21 field goal; 0:00
Third quarter
C: Simon Horta 59 pass from John Welde (McLain kick); 5:16
Fourth quarter
C: Jalen Patterson 77 fumble return (McLain kick); 11:45
SL: Steckert 3 run (Walsh kick); 0:31
