HS Football: Tide face another test against NW Lehigh

Pottsville plays Bangor on Sept. 12, 2025. (Photo by Jocelyn Barrett / Danie Mae Photography)

POTTSVILLE — The journey doesn’t get any easier for Pottsville.

Coming off a 35-0 loss at Lehighton last Friday night, the Crimson Tide return home tonight and will make that traditional walk down the hill onto Veterans Memorial Stadium. Their challenge: Find a way to compete against the second-ranked team in the state in Class 3A, juggernaut Northwestern Lehigh, in a Schuylkill-Colonial Red Division contest.

(The game will air live on WPPA 1360 AM and A-106/105.9 FM, beginning with pregame at 6:45 p.m. and kickoff at 7 p.m.)

The Pottsville football family will enter this week’s game with a heavy heart after the passing of legendary head coach Kevin Keating.

“I remember the days of Coach (Bill) Flynn, and that’s the coach he learned from,” Pottsville head coach Mike Brennan said. “He brought a lot of those old traditions and values to this program. He meant so much to so many guys on our staff, so many people in our building, so many people in this community. He represented Pottsville football with class and dignity.

“The lessons he brought to the kids in this community — the men in this community now — will live on forever,” Brennan added.

So far this season, Pottsville (2-4, 2-3 Red) has taken on the No. 1 team in Class 4A (Southern Lehigh) and the No. 4 team in Class 4A (Shamokin), both of them undefeated at 6-0. A game at Wilson Area, along with clashes against rivals Blue Mountain and North Schuylkill, remain ahead.

For now, though, the Tide must contend with another powerhouse, the undefeated Tigers (6-0, 4-0 Red). All Northwestern Lehigh has done is follow last season’s 16-0, state championship run with a six-game winning streak to start the season. The Tigers struggled for a time last week against North Schuylkill before pulling away for a 49-18 victory.

All of the varsity playing time in blowouts and extra practices after Week 10 of the regular season have enabled the Tigers to reload after graduation losses.

Senior quarterback Shane Leh still directs the offense. He has completed 59-of-87 passes (67.8%) for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has been intercepted just once.

Senior Braxton Lakatosh and Chase Sukanick have taken over for the uber-talented Eli Zimmerman as the featured running backs. All Lakatosh has done is average — average — 11.7 yards per carry (53-618, 7 TDs). Meanwhile, Sukanick averages — yes averages — 10.2 yards per carry (49-502, 7 TDs). Brady Zimmerman has been used in a variety of roles, carrying 15 times for 135 yards and four touchdowns and catching 13 passes for 328 yards and three TDs. Michael Lagowy (22-303) and Mason Bollinger (16-204, 3 TDs) are other top pass-catchers for the Tigers.

All of that adds up to an offense that averages 47.5 points per game. These Northwestern Lehigh teams are extremely organized and balanced; they know who they want to handle the football, where, when and how. Often, explosive plays follow.

Defensively, Fritz Scheier (4 sacks) and Lawowy (4 interceptions) are the big-play leaders.

Pottsville, meanwhile, is still searching for its identity as an offense in particular and as a football team in general.

Last week, Max Clews had some success as a running back in the place of the injured JuJu Bainbridge. Clews gained 53 yards on eight carries. Brody Eroh has shown some flashes in limited carries.

Andrew Allen directs the offense at quarterback, completing 68-of-120 passes (56.7%) for 724 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.

Clews (17-174, 2 TDs), Nick Huda (17-167, 1 TD) and Christian Alvarez (14-174, 2 TDs) are the Tide’s top receivers.

“We’re going to have to find a new identity, and we’re going to have to find it quickly,” Brennan said. “We have to find a way to be more competitive.”