Late score by Northwestern Lehigh ends Wyomissing’s season in PIAA semis (updated with boxscore)
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
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By Mike Drago — MikeDragoSports.com Managing Editor
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details and postgame reaction.)
Chase Eisenhower’s fourth-down plunge from the 1 gave Wyomissing the lead with 5 1/2 minutes left but unbeaten Northwestern Lehigh answered with a huge play and a pair of late scores to win 33-24 Friday night in a PIAA Class 3A semifinal at Andre Reed Field.
The District 11 champion Tigers (15-0) took the lead for good on Devon Hildebrand’s 6-yard run out of the Wildcat with 2:57 left; they added another score off a short field when the Spartans (12-2) turned it over on downs at their own 21.
The four-time District 3 champion Spartans saw their season end in the state semifinals for the second straight year.
Wyomissing was looking good when Eisenhower’s score, which capped a 16-play, 79-yard drive, gave them a 24-20 lead.
The Tigers came up big on a third-and-7 from midfield when they caught the Spartans on a blitz and saw Hildebrand take a middle screen 39 yards to the 13.
The Spartans almost had them stopped again before Hildebrand’s fourth-down TD run.
Northwestern plays defending state champion Belle Vernon (13-1) in PIAA championship Saturday, Dec. 9 at noon at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field. Belle Vernon defeated Hickory 42-16 Friday night.
The Spartans didn’t move the ball much in the first half, but they didn’t allow the Tigers to, either. They kept them pinned deep in their own territory and forced punts on five of their seven possessions.
Northwestern, which had scored more points than all but one team in the state, had just seven points and 76 total yards in the first half. It had scored 13 or more first-half points in every game this season. Last week they led Scranton Prep 13-6 at the half before winning 27-6.
The Spartans took the lead on their second possession, with Eisenhower scoring on a 23-yard run for a 7-0 lead with 3:57 left in the first quarter.
The Tigers used a 42-yard kickoff return, to the Wyomissing 45, by Hildebrand to set up their only first-half score. They scored on fourth-and-7 from the 25 when Dalton Clymer found nothing but daylight in front of him of taking a screen pass that tied it 7-7.
Wyomissing took advantage of a short punt, with the Tigers kicking from their own end zone, to take the lead with a 23-yard scoring drive. Logan Hyde’s third-down flip from the 3 found Ryker Jones alone in the right flank to make it 14-7.
The Spartans scored again on Northwestern’s only turnover when a wobbly punt hit the ground and bounced off Landen Matson. Jeremiah Diaz alertly fell on it at the Northwestern 25. A 15-yard penalty pushed Wyomissing back but sophomore Keegan Maher bailed them out with a 39-yard field goal, his and the Spartans’ first of the year, for a 17-7 lead with 59 seconds to go in the half.
Wyomissing reached the PIAA championship game in 2020 and 2021, falling to Central Valley each time. It became the only Berks team to win a state championship in 2012 with a perfect season that culminated in a 17-14 victory over Aliquippa.
The Spartans advanced to their fourth straight state semifinal with 48-27 win over Danville last week at Shirk Stadium.
The Tigers advanced to their first state semifinal in 21 years with a 27-6 win over Scranton Prep.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
| Northwestern Lehigh | 7 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 33 |
| Wyomissing | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Scoring summary
| 1 | Wyomissing | Eisenhower, 23 run (Maher kick) | 3:57 |
| 1 | Northwestern | Clymer, 25 pass from Leh (Kern kick) | 0:57 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Jones, 3 pass from Hyde (Maher kick) | 5:09 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Maher, 39 FG | 0:50 |
| 3 | Northwestern | Leh, 30 run (Kern kick) | 5:42 |
| 3 | Northwestern | Clymer, 3 run (kick failed) | 2:09 |
| 4 | Wyomissing | Eisenhower, 1 run (Maher kick) | 5:43 |
| 4 | Northwestern | Hildebrand, 26 run (Kern kick) | 2:57 |
| 4 | Northwestern | Clymer, 2 run | 1:21 |
Team statistics
| Northwestern Lehigh | Wyomissing | |
| First downs | 13 | 15 |
| Rushes-yards | 34-171 | 47-199 |
| Passing yards | 113 | 66 |
| Total yards | 284 | 265 |
| Passes | 7-14-0 | 7-18-2 |
| Fumbles-lost | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| Punts-average | 5-29.0 | 7-50 |
| Penalties-yards | 7-46 | 4-34.0 |
Individual statistics
RUSHING
Northwestern Lehigh: Clymer 19-88, Leh 10-64, Hildebrand 2-10, Matson 1-5.
Wyomissing: Eisenhower 16-73, Jones 7-59, Hyde 6-33, Hardy 6-17, Macrina 6-16, Niedrowski 2-2, Marv. Armistead 1-1, Diaz 3-(-2).
PASSING
Northwestern Lehigh: Leh 7-14-0–113, Bollinger 0-1-0–0.
Wyomissing: Hyde 7-18-2–66.
RECEIVING
Northwestern Lehigh: Clymer 2-28, Matson 2-25, Hildebrand 1-39, Bollinger 1-18, Zimmerman 1-3.
Wyomissing: Eisenhower 2-19, Blickley 1-24, Neff 1-12, Brower 1-6, Jones 1-3, Hardy 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS
Northwestern Lehigh: Zimmerman, Jenkins.
