Garrett Smoyer has been around Northern Lehigh football for as long as he can remember.

And for a program that tout’s “small school, big pride,” around campus, Smoyer knows what it means for the Bulldogs to be successful.

He’s seen it in the community. And he’s experienced it within his family.

Garrett grew up watching older brother Dylan lead Northern Lehigh to a state semifinal in 2021 while closing out his career as the school’s record holder in several passing categories.

A sophomore, Garrett, has carved his own path. After starting as a freshman, he missed the first two weeks this fall to recover from an elbow injury suffered in the offseason.

Smoyer’s progression has been spectacular. But maybe not surprising.

The sophomore took another step forward last week, throwing for 175 yards while also rushing for 46 yards and three TDs as the Bulldogs rolled past Salisbury. It was a the third straight win for Northern Lehigh, which improved to 7-2 overall, and a performance that helped Smoyer earn Times News Football Player of the Week honors.

“We knew last year he was going to be a good one, that he was going to be a special one,” said Bulldogs’ head coach Joe Tout. “Sometimes you see that with younger brothers that come along; he was our manager when Dylan was playing here, so you know those are kids that kind of get all the coaching (and the culture).

“I think that prepped him, and really just a lot of our guys who were freshmen took it to heart last year. Not just the starters. They understood, and saw firsthand that they had to get stronger. They wanted to compete, and they knew that was kind of holding them back. So he made a commitment, he really did. And he grew. He had a good offseason, not only in the weight room, but the preparation, with technique, and all those little things. I think that set up him for a great season.”

One that has seemed to just keep getting better. Against the Falcons, Smoyer had 118 yards passing with one touchdown and just two incompletions.

After throwing for 321 yards as the starter last season, Smoyer has now eclipsed 1,000 yards passing for the season, doing so in just seven games.

“It’s really good, it’s gotten a lot better,” Smoyer said of his comfort level with the offense. “Early in the season we were just trying to find out groove coming off the injury. But it’s gotten a lot better with each week.”

Smoyer’s strong start helped the Bulldogs build a 22-3 halftime lead over Salisbury last week, with fellow sophomore Chris Frame putting up 125 yards of total offense with a receiving and rushing touchdown in the first half.

It’s the type of performance Smoyer hopes Northern Lehigh can replicate at home this week against Saucon Valley, which is also 7-2.

“And it helps a lot to start the way we did (against Salisbury), especially going into a week like this,” said Smoyer. “It’s a week where you need confidence to beat them. It’s a really good feeling.”

In his first start of the season, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Pen Argyl in Week 3, Smoyer wen 5-of-10 for 123 yards and two scores, including a 74-yard touchdown pass to Frame on the first play of the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs erased a 14-point deficit on their way to a 26-14 win.

The following week against Palisades, Smoyer hit Frame for a 75-yard score on the second play from scrimmage. Smoyer finished the game 10-of-12 passing for 212 yards and two scores.

Smoyer is happy to go with the flow, and take whatever opposing defenses are willing to give him.

“We thought they were going to load the box up on us, which they did, because against Catty (a 27-3 win in Week 8) we ran a lot, and they tried to take away the pass,” said Smoyer. “But Salisbury loaded the box up, and we adjusted and started passing a lot. And it was really working, so we kept with it.”

A lot has been working for the Bulldogs this season. After a three-win campaign a year ago, Nolehi has more than doubled that total this season and is locked into a district playoff spot in Class 2A, currently sitting third in the power ratings.

Smoyer has high hopes for the future. But he’ll never forget where - or how - it started, before he ever took a snap for the Bulldogs.

Garrett still leans on his older brother Dylan, who is in the military and currently in Seattle, FaceTiming after games. Dylan also runs Garrett’s Hudl and Twitter pages, and offers feedback as much as possible.

“He tells me what I did well and what I need to work on, just to learn for the next week,” Garrett said of the conversations. “He’s been really impressed with me, just to be able to do this as a sophomore.”

And Garrett looks like he’s just getting started.