There's no denying that when Josh Snyder took over the Northwestern football program, he had a definite plan for the team. Right from the beginning, he was confident that his approach and the changes that he would bring to the program would work.

"When I was hired in 2012, my first coaches' meeting, I said 'two years is our shot, guys.' That's sort of when we put our coaching philosophy into play and how we were going to coach these guys who are seniors and juniors, because a lot of them played as freshmen and sophomores and we basically said 'the only ones who are going to screw this up are us in this room,'" said Snyder.

Neither Snyder nor his coaches screwed things up and his prediction has come true as he leads his team into the PIAA playoffs for the first time since 2002.

"We weren't a very good football team back then," said senior Cam Richardson. "Even that first season, we weren't very good, but the coaches kept telling us that this was all going to pay off and we were confident in ourselves and that we would be a better team."

One of the plans that Snyder put into place was a determination to play the most talented players, even if it meant leaving some seniors on the bench. Many of the key players on the team now started in Snyder's first season and were playing as freshmen and sophomores, who were talented, but were also prone to making some mistakes.

"I made that really clear as soon as I took over," said Snyder. "I believe if you're going to be successful, you're not going to be afraid to play the younger guys. You're not going to be afraid of stepping on the upperclassmen's toes if you're going to be successful.

"For me, personally, if you're an underclassman and you're just as good as the upperclassman, I'll typically play the younger kid, just because you have him around for another year and it develops leadership and it develops everything that he needs to be successful."

That first year, the Tigers finished 3-7, which was tough for some players and fans to follow, but Snyder kept preaching patience.

"The kids really bought into my philosophy," said Snyder. "The coaches philosophy and I love them and they love us; we'll do anything for one another. Every team talks about a tight-knit family, but I know it's different here. Our kids are great kids and all their hard work and effort is shining through here."

Last season, those young players took a giant leap forward and finished the season 7-3, wrapping it all up with an upset win over previously undefeated Catasauqua. This season, the Tigers were the early favorite to win the Colonial League and a good pick to do well in districts. They finished as co-champions in the league, won districts and are now embarking on the final road toward a potential state championship.

"It's unbelievable how far we've come," said senior quarterback Frank Dangello. "I can't say enough about these coaches and how much they've helped us and about how my teammates have all made this happen for us. It's an amazing feeling."