TAMAQUA – If there was any doubt, the Northwestern Lehigh football team proved against last Friday that it is the real deal.

The Tigers finished their Schuylkill County portion of Schuylkill/Colonial League Red Division play and manhandled Tamaqua much as they did their previous eight opponents with a 51-0 victory.

All that stands between the Tigers (9-0, 8-0 Red) and an undefeated regular season is this week’s opponent, Southern Lehigh.

As for Tamaqua (6-3, 5-3 Red), which had been the feel-good story of the early season after victories over North Schuylkill and Pottsville, the bottom has dropped out for the Raiders.

Eli Zimmerman, who has established himself as league’s offensive player of the year, only carried the ball four times, but gained 76 yards for a 19-yard average per carry. That’s four yards better than his average coming in, and one of those carries went for a 38-yard touchdown in the second quarter for a 36-0 lead.

Northwestern scored on five of its six first-half possessions, taking a knee to end the half after an interception by Seth Kern. Zimmerman ended Tamaqua’s previous possession with an interception, giving the Tigers enough time to score on a 69-yard pass from Shane Leh to Mason Bollinger for a 43-0 halftime lead.

Bollinger opened the scoring on the second offensive play by the Tigers when he caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Leh, who was 6-for-6 for 196 yards. Four of those completions were to Bollinger for 169 yards, including three touchdowns.

After the Raiders went three and out on their second possession, Zimmerman ran through, around and away from the defense to score on a 75-yard punt return. He capped a 28-point first quarter by catching a 24-yard touchdown pass from Leh.

Tamaqua had its biggest threat when it drove 45 yards in seven plays after stopping the Tigers, who were playing reserves in the backfield, on downs. Disaster, however, struck the Raiders when they lost a fumble at the 2, and on first down Evan Wagstaff scored on a 98-yard run.

Northwestern had two scoring “drives” of one play, one of two plays and two of four plays. As a result, the Raiders had a 27-16 advantage in running plays, but the Tigers had a 255-80 advantage in yards rushing.

Tamaqua had a 10-play drive that produced three of its eight first downs to open the second quarter, with quarterback Luke Kane rushing four times for 20 yards, but the drive ended on downs at the 25. Kane was under a heavy pass rush the entire game, finishing 6-of-16 with the two interceptions and 28 yards.

Before rolling into Tamaqua for Friday’s game the word was the Tigers may be a better team than last year’s PIAA runner-up. They left town with that opinion solidified.