Avonworth sees similarities in PIAA finals opponent Northwestern Lehigh

By: Chris Harlan
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 11:11 AM

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As Avonworth makes its second trip to the state finals in five years, the Antelopes feel differently about this one.

“We’re not playing the Green Bay Packers,” coach Duke Johncour said with a laugh.

That’s no knock on their opponent. Undefeated District 11 champion Northwestern Lehigh (15-0) awaits in the PIAA Class 3A final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Cumberland Valley.

But in this matchup, Avonworth (12-3) sees a team more like itself. A team with plenty of football talent, but one with a roster that isn’t loaded with major college recruits.

“That’s what’s kind of refreshing,” Johncour said. “They’re a community team. … We’re kind of one and the same.”

Northwestern Lehigh’s star running back Eli Zimmerman lists college offers from only a couple of Division III schools, Dickinson and Muhlenberg. But that doesn’t lessen his 2,548 rushing yards or 34 touchdowns.

Five years ago, Avonworth lost in the state finals to 14-time PIAA champion Southern Columbia, 74-7, in the 2A game. The Antelopes scored the first touchdown before surrendering 74 consecutive points to a team led by current Penn State receiver Julian Fleming.

“You look on film and see they had Power 5 guys,” Johncour said. “They would’ve won 6A that year. It was ridiculous.”

Northwestern Lehigh is making its second straight appearance in the finals. The Tigers lost to Belle Vernon, 38-7, in last year’s 3A championship game. That was the team’s first trip to the state finals.

They returned this year by running the ball.

A 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior, Zimmerman rushed 34 times for 337 yards and a touchdown in last week’s semifinal win over Danville, 31-14. Zimmerman has rushed for 708 yards combined in three state playoff games.

“They go as Zimmerman goes,” Johncour said. “They throw the ball a little bit, but they want to run power and counter and trap and sweep. … He’s fast and shifty.”

Senior lineman Bryer Reichard, a 6-4, 240-pound offensive tackle, has college offers from St. Francis (Pa.) and Stony Brook.

Northwestern Lehigh also has a 1,400-yard passer in quarterback Shane Leh. The junior threw for 23 touchdowns this year but has posted single-game yardage totals of 77, 87 and 41 in three state playoff starts.

That, too, resembles Avonworth.

The Antelopes passed the ball more often earlier in the season but found success in the playoffs with a run-heavy wildcat offense. In five postseason games, brothers Nico and Luca Neal have combined for 1,180 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 149 carries.

Luca Neal, a junior, had 25 carries for 255 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s semifinal win over Penn Cambria, 16-6. Nico Neal, a senior, had a 22-carry, 272-yard, four-touchdown game in the WPIAL quarterfinals a few weeks ago.

The Antelopes have turned to the wildcat before, including in their 2019 run to the state finals. But they didn’t rely on it much this season until they reached the playoffs.

“We’ve always had it in. It’s just a matter of when we decide to use it,” Johncour said. “It’s something that we always practice and have on the ready.”

They also had different running backs carrying the ball in the regular season. The Neal brothers combined for less than 400 rushing yards in the first 10 games, with many of those yards coming in a 153-yard effort by Luca Neal in Week 5.

Their limited use on offense was by design.

“You do what you need to do to accomplish your goals,” said Johncour, noting that the Neals are two-way players. “Our goals are to stay healthy and win football games. Sometimes we win football games in different ways.”

Avonworth quarterback Carson Bellinger has passed for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns. In the playoffs, the junior had just 116 yards and one touchdown in five games.

As a former quarterback himself, Johncour said it took him time to embrace the wildcat. But in November and December, it’s a reliable way to win.

“It’s a good recipe for success,” he said. “A couple of coaches will say, ‘Oh, goon ball.’ Hey, we’re going to the state championship and you’re watching it from your couch.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

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