The Avonworth Antelopes will take on the Northwestern Lehigh Tigers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Avonworth will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Avonworth is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They strolled past Penn Cambria with points to spare, taking the game 31-15. Given the Antelopes' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Panthers are ranked 44th) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Luca Neal had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 141 yards and two TDs on only 13 carries, while also picking up 115 receiving yards and one score. His longest reception was for an impressive 68 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per catch total. Jaden Jones also helped out as he racked up 127 receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Avonworth was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 210 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 163 rushing yards in 16 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Jackson Krul
| 11/28/25 vs Penn Cambria | 10 |
| 11/22/25 vs Imani Christian Academy | 10 |
| 11/14/25 vs North Catholic | 5 |
| 11/07/25 vs Freeport | 4 |
| 10/17/25 @ North Catholic | 7 |
| + 6 more games |
Avonworth's defense stepped up as well, laying out Brady Jones three times. In that department, Jackson Krul was the leader with two sacks. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 5.2 total tackles per game. Another thorn in Penn Cambria's side was Bryce Metz, who made 14 total tackles and defended two passes.
Meanwhile, Northwestern Lehigh's game on Friday was all tied up 13-13 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They claimed a resounding 48-13 victory over Trinity. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won 13 matchups by 21 points or more so far this season.
Northwestern Lehigh's win came from a few key players Avonworth will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Braxton Lakatosh, who rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries. That's the most rushing yards he has posted since back in October. Another player making a difference was Shane Leh, who threw for 193 yards and three TDs while completing 84.6% of his passes.
Avonworth's record now sits at 14-0. As for Northwestern Lehigh, their record is now 15-0.
Saturday's game might be decided on the ground. Avonworth has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 230 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Northwestern Lehigh struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 232.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Saturday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Avonworth couldn't quite finish off Northwestern Lehigh in their previous matchup back in December of 2024 and fell 36-33. Can the Antelopes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
