Two dominant backs in Dalton Clymer and Quinton Martin are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Northwestern Lehigh Tigers will square off against the Belle Vernon Leopards at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Northwestern Lehigh will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
With a playoff game on the line, Northwestern Lehigh rose to the challenge on Friday. They came out on top against the Spartans by a score of 33-24. Northwestern Lehigh's victory was all the more impressive since Wyomissing was averaging only 15 points allowed on the season.
Northwestern Lehigh's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Clymer led the charge by rushing for 96 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching a touchdown. Clymer has been hot recently, having posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last six times he's played. Another player making a difference was Shane Leh, who rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Belle Vernon put the finishing touches on their 11th blowout victory of the season on Friday. They put the hurt on Hickory with a sharp 42-16 victory. Given Belle Vernon's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 11th, while Hickory is ranked 82nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Belle Vernon got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Braden Laux out in front who rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns, and also threw for 108 yards and a touchdown while completing 72.7% of his passes. Martin was in the mix too, providing Belle Vernon with two touchdowns.
Northwestern Lehigh pushed their record up to 15-0 with that victory, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 27.45 points. As for Belle Vernon, the victory (which was their ninth in a row) raised their record to 12-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's match: Northwestern Lehigh has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 239.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Belle Vernon struggles in that department as they've been even better at 266.8 per game. It's looking like Saturday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
