Pound the Rock: Northwestern Lehigh Runs Through Lehighton to Stay Perfect at 7-0
By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | October 10, 2026 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus
LEHIGHTON, Pa. — Pound the Rock. It’s the Northwestern Lehigh way, and Friday night, the Tigers showed exactly what that looks like.
Facing a Lehighton team that entered the matchup 5-1 and ranked No. 10 in Sportzwire’s District 11 big school (4A-6A) rankings, Northwestern leaned on its ground game, controlled the scoreboard and walked away with a 35-17 road victory.
The Tigers, ranked No. 1 in Sportzwire’s small school (1A-3A) rankings, are now a perfect 7-0.
Chase Sukanick led the charge with 131 rushing yards and two total touchdowns, while Brady Zimmerman, Trey Snyder and Landon Gauweiler helped Northwestern pile up 272 yards on the ground among the four contributors.
Sukanick added two receptions for 11 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown catch from Snyder, finishing with 142 yards from scrimmage.
Zimmerman chipped in 54 rushing yards, highlighted by a shifty 44-yard run, and punched in a 1-yard touchdown. Snyder added 43 yards on the ground, including a 13-yard scoring run, while Gauweiler made the most of two carries, picking up 44 yards.
It was a balanced attack that kept Lehighton on its heels for much of the night.
Tigers Take Control
Northwestern got things started with a 2-yard touchdown run from Sukanick to take a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
Lehighton answered in the second when Sawyer Hoffman connected on a 41-yard field goal, but the Tigers responded before halftime as Snyder found Sukanick for an 8-yard touchdown and a 14-3 advantage.
Northwestern kept its foot on the gas after the break.
Zimmerman’s 1-yard touchdown run extended the lead to 21-3 in the third quarter before Snyder connected with Lucian Sterling on an 18-yard scoring strike in the fourth, pushing the Tigers ahead 28-3.
The Indians finally found the end zone when Lucas Croizier scored from five yards out, but Snyder answered with a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 35-10.
Lehighton added a late touchdown on a 19-yard connection from Jack Lucykanish to Cash White, accounting for the 35-17 final.
Lehighton Finds Success Through the Air
While Northwestern controlled the game on the ground, Lehighton found its offensive production through the passing game.
Lucykanish completed 15 of 24 passes for 179 yards, a touchdown and an interception, despite being sacked five times by the Tigers’ defense.
White led the Indians with five receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, while Carl Lingham added seven catches for 57 yards. Aiden McCarroll contributed two receptions for 34 yards, and Croizier added one for nine yards.
Croizier also carried 15 times for 37 yards and a touchdown, but Northwestern’s defensive pressure made it difficult for the Indians to establish much of a rushing attack.
What’s Next?
Lehighton (5-2) will look to bounce back next week when the Indians travel to face Sportzwire’s No. 9 small school Jim Thorpe, fresh off a convincing 35-7 win over No. 4 Northern Lehigh.
Northwestern Lehigh (7-0), meanwhile, turns its attention to Wilson Area (1-6), looking to keep its unbeaten season rolling.
A Week 9 meeting with Sportzwire’s No. 1 big school Southern Lehigh is certainly on the radar, but the Tigers have another game to handle first.
For now, it’s seven up and seven down for Northwestern Lehigh.
Pound the Rock. Keep winning.
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