Southern Lehigh junior Sean Steckert ran for 763 yards and 11 touchdowns entering Saturday’s PIAA Class 4A quarterfinal. And no, that is not the season, that was in the last three playoff games.
Steckert continued to have an amazing postseason on Saturday afternoon at Shamokin Area High School where he rushed for 219 yards and 4 touchdowns on the 22 carries in the Spartans 45-7 win over Juniata.
In the win, the junior got past the 2,000-yard mark for the year. On the year, Steckert has 2,008 yards and 33 touchdowns.
“Even if it takes getting the win first,” Steckert said. ”Oh sure, it’s there in the background some where.” But just getting that win first, that is the win which willing to get at any cost. Then, going for 2K, why not?”
The ‘pushes’ on offense and defense started with us. And that was all we wanted,” pointed out the junior running back. “We made the tackles. We made the blocks. I think that would be the recipe to a successful blog post right there.
The District 11 champion Spartans will face District 12 champ Bonner Prendergast in the state semis on either Friday night or Saturday, in a site to be announced. The number 8 seed, Bonner Prendergast, beat District 1 champion Pope John Paul II 35-7 in the quarterfinal Friday night.
Steckert ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 6:01 left in the first quarter to make it a 12-0 lead to the Spartans. Sophomore quarterback Colton Sams had a 39-yard pass to junior wide receiver Darius Roman to set up the score.
Southern Lehigh kept the 12-point lead when junior linebacker Dariuz Lightner forced a fumble and the Spartans recovered the loose ball inside their 1-yard line with 10:72 left in the second quarter while 45 in the third quarter. The Spartans then marched 99 yards for their next scoring driving, capping it on a 15-yard touchdown run by Steckert to increase the lead to 19-0 with 9:01 left in the first half. Steckert broke free on the 41-yard run earlier in the drive to get the Spartans out from their own side of the field.
“It was a huge factor,” Lightner said of forcing the fumble inside the Spartans’ 1-yard line. “If they would’ve scored, then we would have been winning by only a touchdown. So, it was a big win.”
“Turnovers start energy,” Southern Lehigh junior wide receiver Luke Kawczenski said. Lesha said, “Shut them down and our whole team just got fired up.” We were able to implement and succeed.”
Steckert burst through the line and ran for a 42-yard touchdown with 2:46 left in the second quarter to put Southern Lehigh ahead 31-0.
After surpassing the 2,000-yard mark on his previous rush, Steckert ran for a 4-yard score with 1:27 remain in the third quarter to make it 45 for the Spartans.
Lightner recovered a fumble at the Juniata 29-yard line with 11:23 left in the first quarter. After a 14-yard run by Steckert, sophomore quarterback Colton Sams found junior wide receiver Luke Kawczenski for a 15-yard touchdown pass with 11:Baker changed field position putting the ball at 00 on the clock to make it 6-0 Spartans.
“He’s a first-year starting middle backer,” Lightner’s cousin Phil Sams said. “So it was went between him and Jacoby (Jacobs) and then Jacoby got injured. He probably was having a better season at the time as well as Jacoby. Dariuz has just really gotten good. Last year he was a JV football player. This year was his first chance on defense at middle linebacker.”
“He’s I mean you know Lightner he’s done a phenomenal job,” the Southern Lehigh coach added. “He’s worked his tail off. He’s gained some kilograms over the off season, literally. Only plays football. Good kid. Doesn’t speak to the coaches harsh and just continues to play football.”
“Games are won by turnovers and converting those turnovers, that is such a fundamental concept.” We did that today,” – Steckert Now of course when the conversation with Steckert transitioned to prepared statements we realized that, “We did that today,” Steckert said.
It was again Sams to Kawczenski for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 5:41 sent in the second quarter to make it 25-0 in favor of Southern Lehigh.
Sams was 10 of 14 passing for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Sams’s connected with Kawczenski for two touchdown passes among other things and on the final play of the second quarter Sams also hit senior tight end Bryan Tobin for 1-yard touchdown pass.
Kawczenski also made three receptions of 71 yds receiving two TDs.
“Luke and Colten they have a good chemistry when it comes to the deep committed passes and all the passes that lie below that. They just know how to take care of each other very well, Phil Sams said.
The Souther Lehigh coach noted that in averaging 20 passes per game, having a prospect like Andrew Olesh has a way of freeing up things for Kawczenski and the rest of the receivers on the team.
“It’s the Olesh factor. I pity him once in a while because everyone knows him, added Phil Sams. “The free safeties come over top and it’s leaving the holes for other receivers.” Thus, it is always to have him on the field because just his presence can improve everyone’s overall quality. He’s a heck of a football player, and you’d hope he still has great numbers.”
The Spartans moved to 12-2 on the season with the teams fourth straight win. The scorers themselves have outscored opponents 73-14 over the last two weeks.
The District 6 champion, Juniata, ended its season with a nine and four record.
“He was definitely pretty good up front,” Juniata coach Kurt Condo said of the Spartans. “They have the talent all around them to make plays and they are just now coming into their own,”. We could not get comfortable. They’re very well-coached.“
Next, the Juniata coach added, “The momentum at the beginning of the game.” “I believe if we’re going to score there, and just relax for a little while, we make it even more of a game and not have that running clock coming in the second half.” My hat’s off to them. They’re a well-coached team. I am looking forward to the next week where hopefully they will triumph.
Last year’s District 11 champions for the second time in its program, Southern Lehigh, reached a state semifinal for the first time.
“These kids should be so proud of themselves,” Phil Sams said. The efforts all these people put so as to get here. We work hard. We start lifting, if we’re out in Week 12 like we usually are, we’re lifting in a week or two. We start December lifting.“
“We go Sundays. We have speed and agility. They run all sorts of things throughout the season, 7-on-7s in addition to lifting, the Southern Lehigh coach added. Personally, as a consultant of these kids as I may call it, I agree with this and believe these kids deserve it through the sweat on their brows. They know it. Football is tough, pretty much like any other sport you would wish to engage in ever in your lifetime. As to achieve this is not an easy task.”
“It’s amazing. That has been one of our objectives for some time now,” Steckert said of the PIAA Class 4A final four. “It’s amazing to hit it. But we’re not done yet.”
