One down. Three more to go.

Northwestern took care of business last Friday night in the opening round of the PIAA Class 3A state playoffs, defeating Conwell-Egan, 49-7. The Tigers are now in the quarterfinal round where they will face off with District 2 champion Scranton Prep, which is a rematch of last year’s PIAA 3A quarterfinal matchup that saw Northwestern defeat the Cavaliers, 27-6.

There are many reasons why the Tigers (13-0) have been exceptional yet again this season.

The play of senior running back Eli Zimmerman, who has over 2,000 yards rushing and 32 total touchdowns, the physical play along the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and dominant defensive play have all been contributing factors to Northwestern’s success.

However, a factor that sometimes goes overlooked is the overall arsenal of weapons that the Tigers showcase weekly, starting with the efficient play of quarterback Shane Leh, who burst onto the scene as a sophomore last season, throwing for 1,816 yards and 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions, while rushing for 466 yards and nine touchdowns.

Leh has been every bit as good in 2024, throwing for 1,343 yards with 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He’s also second on the team in rushing with 345 yards and seven touchdowns. As a starter, Leh is a remarkable 28-1.

“Shane is having another fine season for us. One of the things that he does best is that he protects the football. He very rarely puts the ball in harm’s way. His touchdown to interception ratio has been really good,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder.

“Shane has also done a nice job of running the football when we’ve asked him to. We’ve been incorporating more quarterback run packages over the past few weeks with some reads that he can decide when to run and he really does have a nifty running style. He also has nice speed when he gets out in the open field. We think he’s playing his best football of the season right now. He’s been making some nice plays for us, especially in key moments.”

Mason Bollinger has done a little bit of everything for Northwestern this season, and is the team’s leading receiver with 34 catches for 515 yards and six touchdowns. Bollinger has also rushed for 220 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Other key contributors have been Seth Kern (299 rushing yards, five TDs), Landen Matson (347 receiving yards, four TDs, 161 rushing yards, two TDs) and Shane Hulmes (six offensive touchdowns).

“When you look at all those guys, they each bring something a little bit different to the table. They each do something a little bit different. And these were all guys that played a pretty decent role for us last season, but they weren’t the main guys on offense,” said Snyder.

“But all of those guys are tough and do a great job, and they all have grown into their roles. Kern has really been a good complement to Eli, and has become a good ball carrier for us. Landen has done a really good job as our speed sweep guy, and is also a good blocker for us. Mason does a little bit of everything. You see what he’s done in the passing game, but also, we’ve been able to use him in that wildcat role and he’s done a good job there, picking up tough yardage in the run game for us. And then Shane, it seems every time he touches the ball it results in a big first down or a touchdown for us.

“Having that many guys touch the ball makes it hard for teams to prepare and to defend us, and it’s also really good for team morale as well.”

Harman-Geist Memorial Field in Hazleton will serve as the site tomorrow night for the matchup between Northwestern and Scranton Prep. The Cavaliers (12-1) defeated Wyoming Area 28-6 to win the District 2 championship. It’s Scranton Prep’s fourth straight Class 3A championship, and its eighth District 2 title since 2015.

The Cavaliers like to run the football behind a big and physical group up front. Scranton Prep features a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in quarterback Louis Paris (1,173 rushing yards, 17 TDs) and running back Will McPartland (1,007 rushing yards, 17 TDs). Paris can also get it done in the passing game as well, as he’s thrown for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions. Paris’ top target on the season has been Brady Holmes, who has hauled in 20 balls for 519 yards and five touchdowns. Treyvon Dickey has also been a versatile weapon for the Cavaliers, having rushed for 564 yards and five scores, while tallying 324 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

“They’re a little bit different from the offense that we saw last year. Obviously, right away the quarterback jumps out at you. He’s a good player. But they’re going to show a ton of formations, they’re also going to go unbalanced, and they’re going to show a ton of motion. They really want to keep your eyes occupied,” said Snyder.

“But at the end of the day, bottom line, they want to run the football with Paris and McPartland. They’re physical up front, so first and foremost for us, we’re going to need to stop the run.

“Defensively, from what we have seen on film, they’re a 4-4 team. The defensive line is looking to occupy space, and they want to play off people and the linebackers are good, but they haven’t been overly aggressive. They play a style of defense where they haven’t given up a ton of big plays. They don’t take a lot of chances. They have done a good job of stopping the run and creating turnovers at times. Last season, they were a lot more aggressive defensively, so we’re preparing for both styles of play, and we’re working on some different things that we think we can use to have success.”