PIAA Class 2A football playoff capsule preview

District 4 champion Southern Columbia (1 3 -1 ) vs. District 1 1 champion Northern Lehigh (1 1 -3 ) When/where: 7:05 p.m. Friday in Lehighton

What’s at stake: A berth in next Friday’s PIAA championship game against the winner of Friday’s other semifinal between District 10 champion Farrell (11-0) and District 7 champion Serra Catholic (13-1). The state final is at 1 p.m. at Hersheypark Stadium.

How they got here: Southern Columbia blew out District 6 champion Richland 62-20, thanks to Gavin Garcia’s program-tying six-touchdown performance. Northern Lehigh jumped out to a 28-point lead and beat District 12 champion West Catholic 48-24, with Trevor Amorim scoring four times.

Previous meeting: The teams have never met, but the Tigers are 15-1 against District 11 teams in the state playoffs, losing only to Tri-Valley in the 2009 Class A tournament. They are 6-0 against Pius X, 4-0 against Schuylkill Haven, 2-0 against North Schuylkill and Shenandoah Valley and 1-1 against Tri-Valley. About the Tigers: They have won eight in a row after a Week 6 loss at 3A unbeaten Wyomissing. That snapped a nation’s best 65-game winning streak . ... They have outscored foes 633-172, scoring at least 37 points in every win . ... Coach Jim Roth is the state’s career wins leader with 469 in his 38 seasons . ... Sr. RB Gavin Garcia is committed to Kent State. So. LB Garrett Garcia has a school-record 183 tackles . ... They are 19-3 in state semifinals and won a PIAArecord 11 state titles.

About the Bulldogs: They have won eight games in a row. … This is their third state semifinal appearance (1999, 2003). … Coach Joe Tout won his 100th game in the District 11 final. … Have outscored foes 548-306, scoring at least 35 points in each of the last five games. … Sr. RB Matt Frame has 1,620 yards this season, fifth most in program history. Cody Remaley’s 2,322 yards in 2010 is first.

Prediction: Southern Columbia 42-27