Snyder’s postgame tradition continues
It is tradition after Northwestern football victories for head coach Josh Snyder to exchange hugs and pose for photos with family members, close friends and former coaches.
That heartwarming streak continued Friday night at Tiger Stadium after Northwestern beat District 2 champion Scranton Prep 27-6 in the PIAA Class 3A quarterfinals.
Snyder’s bunch continues its record-breaking season in next weekend’s state semifinals against District 3 champion Wyomissing. District 7 champ Belle Vernon faces District 10 champ Hickory in the other state semifinal.
Northwestern is 14-0 for the first time and among the state’s final four in its class for the first time since 2002, Snyder’s first year on legendary head coach Bob Mitchell’s coaching staff.
Snyder also was a standout player on the only other Northwestern team to reach that far in 1997. He is hoping for a different result in early December.
Northwestern lost 35-19 to eventual 2A state champion Mount Carmel in the 2002 state semis. It lost 40-28 to South Williamsport in the 1997 2A final four.
Late Friday night, however, the talk was only about the journey of this year’s team.
“It seems like yesterday we were at media day in August getting our pictures taken,” Snyder said, “and now we’re 14-0. It’s really tough to think about.
“I’ve been playing football and coaching it for the better part of my life. It’s been a long time since we’ve been back here.”
Snyder was a prototypical, two-way contributor for the 1990s Northwestern teams who grinded their way to the playoffs with regularity.
He still coaches up that model of player this year. The Tigers have 182- and 192-pound linemen. They have a running back who prefers contact to dodging it. They have a 135-pound skill player who pingpongs off first contact. And they have a roster full of hard-nosed kids who play for each other and the community.
Northwestern has 10 two-way starters, but they have gotten plenty of down time the last 3 ½ months.
“We’ve done it in a little different fashion this year,” Snyder said. “A lot of convincing wins. Defense has been incredible. Best defense I’ve ever been associated with. To win a district championship and give up 13 points in two state playoff games is tough to comprehend.”
Northwestern’s 630 points scored are second most in the state behind District 9’s Central Clarion (682). The Tigers have allowed just 9.4 points per game, 12th lowest average in Pennsylvania.
That’s a potent combination.
But the Tigers are not concerned with statistics. They are not focused on how many points they win by. They just want to keep playing for each other.
“I love every one of these guys and I’m happy to be on their team,” senior Devon Hildebrand said.
Definition of a Rough Rider
Chad Beller did not want to leave Catasauqua’s Alumni Field early Thursday afternoon because he knew it would be for the final time in a brown and white uniform.
The Rough Riders senior will someday take solace knowing he exited having played his hardest each week and with his name attached to several school records.
Beller’s 453 career tackles and 49 tackles for loss are program marks. His 26 tackles for loss this season also are the most by a Rough Rider.
The 5-foot-10, 225-pound linebacker started this season with a career-high 23 tackles against Northern Lehigh. He finished with 11 stops in Catasauqua’s Thanksgiving Day game against Northampton.
Beller had at least 11 tackles in 10 of 12 games this season, 165 total. He had at least 12 stops in 12 of 13 games on his way to 180 in 2022.
Jared Nosal, who was an integral part of the Rough Riders’ last District 11 championship team in
2013, has the school’s single-season tackles record with 219.
Catasauqua finished this season with a 6-6 record, including its 600th win all time. Beller was a big contributor to a bunch during his career.
A legendary coach steps down
On the first defensive play of Stan Dakosty’s first game of his second stint at Marian Catholic, a linebacker got into a threepoint stance. That’s how far the program had fallen since his initial retirement.
The Colts were 1-7 that season (2020).
Three seasons later, Marian Catholic reached the District 11 Class A final. Dakosty handed his resignation letter in last week after the Colts finished 7-5. He was going out a winner again.
Dakosty ends his 44-year coaching career at Marian Catholic with a 326-177 record, including seven District 11 titles, four Eastern Conference championships and one PIAA crown (1990). He now can spend more time with his grandchildren and keep closer tabs on Colgate’s football program, coached by his son Stan, who has been part of seven of the school’s 10 Patriot League titles as either a player or coach.