It happens in a split-second.

A defender squares his shoulders and gets into the position he’s always been taught. He’s got Eli Zimmerman right where he wants him and lunges to make the tackle.

But Zimmerman is no longer where he was supposed to be. He’s slipped to the right or left, or just decided he wasn’t going to be tackled.

“I want people to know I’m a tough runner,” said Zimmerman, this year’s Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Football Player of the Year. “I have the speed. I have the moves. But if I have to run downhill, I’ll run downhill and run somebody over. We saw that a little bit in the state championship game, getting some short yardage in some crucial moments. If anything, I want to be known as a physical, tough kid.”

Zimmerman proved he could do anything a ball carrier would want to do this season while leading the Tigers to a 16-0 record and a state title.

He set single-season team records for rushing yards (2,665), touchdowns (38), all-purpose yards (3,855), points (232), punt return yards (620) and punt return touchdowns (6) this fall.

He averaged 10.7 yards per carry during his senior season, including setting the program’s single-game marks when he rushed for 337 yards and had 472 all-purpose yards in a state playoff win over Danville.

Zimmerman averaged 166 rushing yards and 241 all-purpose yards per game last fall.

“It’s an awesome feeling for sure, but all of these awards are all definitely team things,” he said. “Without my line and the guys that block for me this wouldn’t be happening. The coaches put me in great position to succeed, and the rest is me doing my thing and just playing football.”

When Zimmerman crossed the 1,000-yard mark this season, he gave the Tiger linemen sweatshirts with the words ‘Pancake Platoon.’ When he reached 2,000 yards more shirts came, this time they said ‘Trench Mafia.’

“They don’t get all the credit in the world,” he said. “All this stuff goes to them and the coaches.”

Success has been part of Zimmerman’s football career since it began.

He joined his first flag football team at four-years old. During his youth football years, his teams never lost more than a couple games in one season. In his two years of middle school football, the Tigers lost just twice.

“Winning is part of Northwestern, and it always has been for us,” Zimmerman said.

That all led to this year’s state title, which came on the heels of last year’s state runner-up finish. But it all started long before.

“Football runs in the family,” said Zimmerman, whose father, uncles and grandfather all played the game. “I’ve always enjoyed it ever since I was a little kid. I remember watching the Giants win a Super Bowl in 2011. From there on I knew I wanted to play and it was a passion.”

His father, Northwestern Athletic Director Jason Zimmerman, took him to his first Northwestern sporting event just days after birth. Eli was by his side at hundreds of Tiger games before he put on a varsity uniform.

“I grew up through this program,” Eli said. “I saw some great players go through like Harry Hall, Deven Bollinger, Taylor Breininger, Cam Richardson. I got to play with some great ones like Justin Holmes. I really envisioned myself being a key factor on this team and contributing.”

His record-setting high school football career is in the rear view mirror, but Zimmerman’s memories will last forever.

“We played three seasons in two years with the number of games we played,” said Zimmerman. “We spent a lot of time with each other. We enjoyed every minute of it. One of the biggest things we all love and enjoy was just playing in front of our crowd.

“Northwestern and New Tripoli always travel. Having that atmosphere is an awesome feeling every week.”

The jubilation around the program was well earned. But it was also something the Tigers had to get used to. In 2023 they might not have been ready for everything that goes with being a state finalist.

“Last year it was all new to us,” said Zimmerman. “Honestly, we all just got caught up in the moment a little bit. The whole week of practice we kind of didn’t know what to do. We were really excited, and didn’t know how to counter that emotion.

“This year was different. We knew it was going to be a business trip. We treated it like one. We knew we had to enjoy the whole week because something special like this doesn’t come around often. But we had to go with a business-like mentality, show up there and just play football. That’s what we did. We didn’t get caught up in all the stuff until afterwards.”

The jubilation that ended the season also came with some sadness.

The Tigers won everything, but they lost something much more precious before the season started when teammate Tucker Wessner died in an accident. The tragedy had an impact on the team, which played every second of every game for Wessner and his family.

“We wanted to dedicate this season to him,” said Zimmerman. “Winning the state title was the goal in mind for that. Getting his family three gold medals was an awesome feeling for us. That’s what this season was meant for.”