A look at the line of scrimmage between Lansdale Catholic and Williams Valley during a PIAA Class AA Quarterfinal game (Photo by Eli Doyle).

LEHIGHTON — A night that began with hope for Williams Valley’s first-ever trip to the state semifinals ended with Lansdale Catholic seizing every momentum swing.

Williams Valley entered Friday night on the doorstep of the first state semifinal appearance in program history, but a powerful Lansdale Catholic squad and a wave of second-half turnovers brought the Vikings’ run to an end, falling 33-7 to the Crusaders in a PIAA Class AA quarterfinal football game Friday at Lehighton’s Multi-Purpose Stadium.

“We’re a gritty group,” Williams Valley coach Ben Ancheff said. “We’re a gritty, hard-working, really resilient group. We had them in some 3rd-and-7s, 3rd-and-8s, 3rd-and-10s, and (Lansdale Catholic) came up big every time and made some big plays. We had some opportunities to make it a game in the second half and had some momentum swings, but they’ve got a really nice ball club. Very good, very talented. We didn’t have an answer for (Darren Jackson) — he’s a heck of a player.”

Lansdale Catholic (12-2) struck first on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Yeboa Cobbold Jr. to Asher Thickening late in the first quarter.

Williams Valley responded early in the second with its best drive of the night, a 64-yard march capped by a 4-yard touchdown run from Fletcher Thompson to give the Vikings a brief 7-6 lead with 9:19 left in the half.

But the momentum lasted only one play, as a solid return set Lansdale Catholic up at its own 49-yard line. On the next snap, Cobbold Jr. broke free down the middle of the field for a 51-yard touchdown run that flipped the game back toward the Crusaders, who led 13-7 at halftime and never looked back.

Williams Valley struggled to find rhythm offensively in the second half as Lansdale Catholic’s pressure and athleticism forced three interceptions, two by Thickening and another by Nick O’Brien.

The most costly came late in the third quarter with Williams Valley trailing 19-7 and driving near midfield, when Thickening jumped a route for his first pick and set up a short-field score that pushed the lead to 26-7. The Crusaders added another touchdown in the fourth to close out the win.

Cobbold Jr. led Lansdale Catholic with 102 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries while completing 10-of-12 passes for 169 yards. O’Brien added scoring runs of 2 and 6 yards, and the Crusaders totaled 351 yards of offense.

Williams Valley finished with 207 yards, as Thompson carried 17 times for 106 yards and caught four passes for 45 more. Evan Achenbach added two receptions for 30 yards and an interception on defense. Quarterback Brady Shomper finished 9-for-18 for 84 yards, with the pesky Crusaders’ defensive line creating pressure all game.

Ancheff praised his offensive line’s battle against LC’s aggressive blitz packages. “Up front, they’re tough. They present a lot of matchup issues. You go five wide on them, they bring six and play man coverage. They bank on getting to your quarterback before you can get out of it. They have athletes. We were able to complete some passes with Shomper, but they’re tough. They’ve got athletes up front and deep backs that can run with your receivers.”

He also reflected on the seniors who helped carry this team through adversity. “We’re so close to some of these boys. Their work ethic, their brotherhood… everyone knows what we went through this year, and I can’t thank this group enough,” he said. “Can’t thank them enough for sticking with it. Very, very proud of them.”

Williams Valley closes the season at 12-2, adding another District 11 Class AA championship and state quarterfinal trip to a growing list of program achievements. Despite Friday’s loss, the Vikings’ 2025 campaign stands as one of the most accomplished in school history.

Game Summary

PIAA Class AA Quarterfinals

At Multi-Purpose Stadium

Lansdale Catholic 33, Williams Valley 7

LC (12-2)   6   7   13   7  —  7

WV (12-2) 0   7    0   0  —  7

LC — Jackson 11 pass from Y. Cobbold Jr. (kick failed)

WV — Thompson 4 run (Smeltz kick)

LC — Y. Cobbold Jr. 51 run (Williamson kick)

LC — Webb Jr. 6 pass from Y. Cobbold Jr. (pass failed)

LC — O’Brien 2 run (Williamson kick)

LC — O’Brien 6 run (Williamson kick)

Team Statistics

LC-WV

First Downs —- 17   12

Rushes-Yards — 33-182   32-123

Passes — 10-12-1   9-19-3

Passing Yards — 169   84

Total Yards — 351   207

Fumbles/Lost — 0-0  1-1

Penalties — 7-52  6-31

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Lansdale Catholic — Y. Cobbold Jr. 11-102, O’Brien 13-67, J. Cobbold 5-12, Holmes Jr. 1-1, Robinson 2-0, Smith 1-0. Williams Valley — Thompson 17-106, Bair 3-26, Shomper 10-(-3), Achenbach 1-(-6).

PASSING: Lansdale Catholic — Cobbold Jr. 10-12-1, 169. Williams Valley — Shomper 9-18-3, 84; Bair 0-1-0, 0.

RECEIVING: Lansdale Catholic — Jackson 5-91, Thickening 4-72, Webb Jr. 1-6. Williams Valley — Thompson 4-45, Achenbach 2-30, Lords 2-5, Crisswell 1-4.

INTERCEPTIONS: Lansdale Catholic — Thickening 2, O’Brien. Williams Valley — Achenbach.