Northwestern Lehigh coach Josh Snyder has never been one to shy away from playing young players. The approach is paying off this season as Snyder has the smallest group of seniors he’s had in his 11 years as head coach.

Only five upperclassmen are on the roster, but Snyder won’t complain since he has plenty of young talent.

The Tigers lose the athleticism of Cade Christopher from last season’s roster, but senior Dalton Clymer is set to take over a good amount of that role.

Clymer rushed for more than 1,400 yards last season and was second on the team with 13 catches out of the running back spot.

He also anchors the always strong linebacking corps and will be back for that role again in 2023.

Christopher’s exit leaves a hole at quarterback but again, Snyder is not complaining.

Northwestern has sophomores Mason Bollinger and Shane Leh to and Clymer can always step in to give an added look on offense.

Bollinger completed 10 of 20 passes last season for 142 yards and a touchdown, so he has a taste of varsity football action. His biggest play of the season came in the district championship game against North Schuylkill when he hit Clymer on a reverse throwback pass that put the Tigers up 28-14.

The play was just one of the wrinkles that Snyder has tucked into the recesses of the playbook, which is what makes the offensive schemes at Northwestern difficult to run and difficult to defend.

This season, he believes he has the talent and experience to put pretty much every play he has dreamed up into the game plan in any given week.

“I remember as a freshman that my mind was going to explode at times. There was a lot to digest then and he (coach Snyder) likes to add to that, so you have to keep on your toes and be ready to handle whatever he calls,” said Clymer. “I like that though because it sets us apart from other teams because they don’t know what to expect next and there is no way they can be prepared for some of the things we are going to do.”

Senior linemen Blaine Snyder and tackle Ben Walters have just one newbie to break in this season in Bryer Reichard, who will serve as a tackle and defensive end for the Tigers. The early returns are good not just on Reichard but on other young players who are stepping into new roles.

“It’s going really well,” said Walters of Reichard’s adjustments. “He’s working at it because there is a lot to take in and it’s not easy. He is definitely doing the work though and it is going to pay off for him. The younger guys on the team are all doing well, and they know that there is a lot expected of them, so they have to work.”

Devon Hildebrand was named to the Colonial League all-stars by the league’s coaches last season after catching 23 passes for more than 200 yards and rushing 17 times for the Tigers in addition to playing outside linebacker.

“Devon is a kid who can do a lot of things for us. He doesn’t always get recognition but he’s steady and we look for him to step forward this season,” said coach Snyder. “We have a lot of guys like that who give us depth and let us do some different things. This season, our depth will allow us to give some guys breaks now and then from playing on both sides of the ball and that will help keep those guys a little fresher.”

As for Clymer, he is looking forward to his senior season, already having experienced a lot of winning in his time at Northwestern.

“The whole community is great and the support that we get from the community is special and we all pull together. That’s what has made this program so strong,” Clymer said. “Obviously, we want this to be a special season since we’re seniors and we want to go further than we did in states and play every game possible. We just want to go out on a special season.”

POSITION BREAKDOWN

QUARTERBACKS

Northwestern will look to have more of a drop back approach than they did at times last season with the fleet footed Cade Christopher playing quarterback. Sophomores Shane Leh and Mason Bollinger are both likely to see time at quarterback to give some different looks to the offense.

RUNNING BACKS

Tigers love to run and the ones in New Tripoli always do it well. Seniors Dalton Clymer and Devon Hildebrand will be carrying the ball this season for Northwestern Lehigh, and both can be counted on to pull in some passes as the pair combined for 36 catches and five touchdowns last season.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Junior Landen Matson returns as the slot receiver for Northwestern and will have senior Danny Jenkins, who has been plagued by injuries to share the receiving duties. Coach Josh Snyder refers to Seth Kern as his Swiss Army Knife, capable of filling in for either receiver. Bollinger and Leh could both figure in as part of the receiving group for Northwestern as well.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The success of the Tigers comes in no small part to a strong offensive line and while the team overall has some youth, there is plenty of experience among the offensive linemen. Blaine Snyder will continue to be the anchor at center and has returning starters Ben Walters at left tackle and Jared Meck at right guard. The new faces are right tackle Bryer Reichard and left guard Jackson Bailey.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Blaine Snyder handles the nose guard position and will be flanked by Reichard on one side and have Bailey and Josh Wambold sharing time on the other side.

LINEBACKERS

This may be the best group of linebackers in the Colonial-Schuylkill League. Seniors Clymer and Snyder team up with sophomore Shane Hulmes as middle linebackers on the three-three stack defense. Hildebrand will see some time as an outside linebacker and there is a battle for the other outside linebacker spot

SECONDARY

Eli Zimmerman reprises his role at free safety and coach Snyder believes he has shown huge growth over the offseason as he solidifies his role as a defensive leader for the team. Kern and Jenkins will fill the cornerback spots.