All teams strive to play complementary football.

Not many can execute consistently enough to do it.

Northwestern has been able to play complementary football week in and week out, and most importantly, on the biggest stages in the postseason.

The Tigers yet again were able to hit the mark in that department on Saturday night against District 2 3A champion Scranton Prep in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

Northwestern dominated in all three phases, as it came away with a 34-0 win over the Cavaliers to advance to the state semifinals.

Like last week, it took the Tigers a quarter to find their rhythm, with the game being knotted at 0-0 after the first.

Northwestern was able to move the ball in the first, but a few penalties stalled its drives. And on the defensive end, the Tigers set the tone forcing two Cavaliers’ punts.

After forcing two more punts in the second quarter, the Northwestern run game went to work to give it a 7-0 lead.

A 16-play, 80-yard drive ended with a Shane Hulmes two-yard scoring rush with 2:47 remaining in the first half. Eli Zimmerman rushed for close to 50 yards on the drive to help the Tigers get on the scoreboard.

A key play on the drive came on a fourth and 14 from the Scranton Prep 34-yard line.

Shane Leh’s pass ended up being incomplete, but a pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, their standout quarterback Louis Paris, who also plays linebacker, was injured on the play and wouldn’t return.

“We felt like we kind of left some things out there in the first half,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder. “Especially late in the first half leading by a touchdown and getting the ball back with good field position and some time to put another drive together, and not coming away with any points. But putting that first scoring drive together was huge. Our guys up front set the tone, and we were able to get the run game going. We started to focus on c-gap to c-gap and play-action pass and that worked well for us.

“The defense was just unbelievable again as well. We were able to get some stops with their quarterback in and then when he went out and we were able to get up by a few scores, it became really tough for them.”

The Cavaliers generated a little momentum before the half when Northwestern missed a 23-yard field goal right before the end of the second quarter. But that momentum only lasted as long as the intermission. The Tigers came out determined in the third quarter, scoring 21 points to take a 28-0 lead.

Zimmerman busted the game open with an 80-yard punt return touchdown – his sixth of the season – at the 8:21 mark.

The senior took the ball off a bounce at the 20-yard line, spun out of a tackle, hopped around another defender and reversed field, getting around the edge to take it the distance down the right sideline.

“I was debating fair catching the ball, but then I just quickly decided to field it,” said Zimmerman. “I was able to make a play, and then I was able to reverse field. Michael Lagowy got a big block on the play, and then all I remember is our big man Bryer Reichard out there running with me the whole way making sure no one was going to get to me.”

Sophomore linebacker Brady Zimmerman intercepted a Prep pass on the Cavaliers’ first play of their ensuing possession, giving the ball back to Northwestern at the Prep 32-yard line.

The Tigers made quick work of that opportunity, scoring in just four plays. An 11-yard pass from Leh to Landen Matson setup a Leh scoring completion to Hulmes in the back of the end zone to make it a three-score game with 7:21 to go in the third.

Northwestern added a third score in the third off a seven-play, 77-yard drive that was capped by a little style and trickery.

Leh found Lagowy for a 35-yard score.

Lagowy acted like he was coming off the field when the Tigers were breaking the huddle, but stayed on the field and stayed split out to the right and the Prep defense never covered him.

Leh had a solid night for the Tigers, throwing for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

“We actually took that play from North Schuylkill,” said Snyder. “When we were preparing for them earlier in the season, we saw that they ran that play in a game and we liked it and we put it in.

“I think a lot of the credit again has to go to our guys on both of our line units. I think those guys really took control of the game. Shane Leh also did a great job of running the offense. He was really poised. It’s something I saw even in him warming up before the game that he was zoned in and really focused. He made some off-rhythm type throws, and also did a good job of extending plays. Our offensive line also did a good job of protecting to give him time back there to improvise.”

The Tigers tacked on another touchdown in the fourth quarter in typical Tigers fashion off an 11-play 76-yard scoring drive. Zimmerman had both 12- and 26-yard runs to set up a Mason Bollinger two-yard rushing score, which gave Northwestern the eventual 34-0 victory.

Zimmerman finished the game with 28 carries for 158 yards, which gives him 2,220 rushing yards for the season. He needs 156 more rushing yards to break Brett Snyder’s single-season rushing yards record.

Northwestern’s defense was dominant once again. The Tigers forced seven punts, turned Prep over on downs once and forced an interception, while holding the Cavaliers to just 77 total yards.

The Tigers will face off with District 4 champion Danville on Friday at 7 p.m. at Berwick in the PIAA 3A semifinals.

N’western 34, Scranton Prep 0

N’western Lehigh 0 7 21 6 - 34

Scranton Prep 0 0 0 0 - 0

NW - Hulmes 2 run (Wambold kick)

NW - Zimmerman 80 punt return (Wambold kick)

NW - Hulmes 1 pass from Leh (Wambold kick)

NW - Lagowy 35 pass from Leh (Wambold kick)

NW - Bollinger 2 run (kick failed)