MECHANICSBURG - It was history making and record breaking.

The path the Northwestern football team traversed this season was both unprecedented and unparalleled.

While the course the Tigers charted ended at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field in the PIAA Class 3A title game on Saturday, the culture this program has created - and continued - will endure.

A group of upperclassmen - Devon Hildebrand, Daniel Jenkins, Dalton Clymer, Blaine Snyder and Benjamin Walters - carried the torch passed on by those that came before them, and showed the way for underclassmen who will be ready to continue a tradition of excellence.

“They’re a great group of kids,” Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder said of his seniors. “All program kids, all kids that have been in our organization and youth Tiger football. Just doing everything the right way. They’re goofballs, really. They’re kids that love spending time with one another. They’re multisport athletes. They do it the right way.

“They just bought in, they bought in to our culture, what we’re trying to accomplish here at Northwestern, which is trying to set the standard of a team that competes for league, district championships and plays a lot of state football games. It was unbelievable getting here, and those guys have everything to do with that. They led us in the weight room back in the winter last year, and through spring ball and the seven-on-sevens and showing up and just doing the work. And not only doing that, but liking it, liking doing the work. And not many kids are like that; it’s sort of dreadful at times. But these guys did it with a smile on their face.”

There’s a sense of camaraderie - and community - that carried the team through its 16 games and was on display before, during and after Saturday’s 38-7 loss to defending state champion Belle Vernon.

“Playing ball with your best boys, being successful, learning that, that’s the culture,” said Snyder. “That’s what you want to do, and hopefully the younger kids see that, and they want to emulate that. Then it sort of starts to take care of itself. I’ve go so much love for these kids, and the entire team and the community. It was very overwhelming today, and this week. The outreach, I appreciate everybody.”

They have leaned on and lifted each other, capturing another Colonial/Schuylkill Gold Division title, a second consecutive district championship and running off 15 straight wins.

The seniors played in four consecutive district title games.

“This group really paved the way for the future of this program,” said Walters, a stalwart at left tackle and defensive end. “The coaches do a really good job to have us buy in, and we just do whatever they want us to do. If they tell us to do something, we’ll do it. We give it our all for them and they give us their all. That’s all we can do.”

And that’s all this program knows.

Replacing the likes of Walters, Clymer (leading rusher, tackler; team-high 35 touchdowns, punter), Hildebrand (leading receiver, sixth in tackles), Snyder (second-leading tackler, center on offense) and Jenkins (four interceptions), will be a tall task, but an established group of underclassmen who shined this season seem primed to take another step forward next fall.

Sophomore quarterback Shane Leh did damage with his arm and his legs, passing for over 1,700 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also rushing for over 400 yards and nine scores. Classmate Mason Bollinger was the team’s second-leading receiver, and was fourth in rushing this season for the Tigers.

“They meant everything to us. They made us practice harder, play harder and push ourselves to the limits,” Bollinger said of the seniors. “It’s going to be a bummer not having them next season, but we have juniors who will step up next year and be great seniors and lead us to great things.”

One of those juniors, Landen Matson, caught a touchdown pass from Leh and recovered a fumble on Saturday. The Tigers will return junior starters Jackson Bailey, Bryer Reichard and Jared Meck on the offensive line, as well as sophomore tight end Shane Hulmes. Matson, Leh and Bollinger return as starters at skill positions on offense, while juniors Seth Kern and Eli Zimmerman will also be back after making significant contributions on offense.

Reichard (defensive end, team leader in sacks), junior Jackson Huber (nose tackle), Matson (outside linebacker), Hulmes (middle linebacker, third leading tackler), Kern (corner/kicker) and Zimmerman (safety) will be returning starters on defense, as will junior Josh Wambold (defensive end), sophomore Braxton Lakatosh (outside linebacker) and junior Brendan Miller (linebacker).

Zimmerman showed tremendous athleticism and instincts - leading the team with 10 interceptions, while also making a major impact on special teams.

“We know what it takes now to get here,” said Zimmerman. “It’s just going to be the same thing (in the offseason) - we’re going to work hard in the weight room, and practice in the summer and just really execute to perfection just to get back here. We don’t have to go 15-0 again to get here, but we’ve got to do enough just to get back to this game.”

Saturday might have marked the end of this chapter for Northwestern’s football program, and its seniors who have left an indelible mark.

But the story is far from over thanks to the example the upperclassmen have set.

The tale of these Tigers will transcend generations, and leave a legacy that has bonded players, coaches and a community.