Northampton grad back home, making an impact

Anytime a Lehigh Valley football player commits to continuing his career at a Division I school it’s a big deal.

And, if that school happens to be Penn State, it’s an even bigger deal.

Sometimes, however, big deals don’t turn out to be the best situations.

Northampton High graduate Andrew Sharga made a big splash on signing day in December 2021 when he announced that he was going to be preferred walk-on at Penn State.

A little less than two years later, Sharga is back in the Lehigh Valley and is getting a lot of playing time as a first-year defensive end at Lehigh.

He will be in action at noon Saturday at Goodman Stadium when the Mountain Hawks (1-5) try to snap a four-game losing streak and get their first home and Patriot League win of the season against Georgetown.

Lehigh will have the local Patriot League stage to itself since Lafayette (5-1) is on its bye week.

Sharga, listed at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, has played in all six Lehigh games and registered 10 tackles, four unassisted. He has a sack for an 8-yard loss and two quarterback hurries.

While the team has struggled in its first year under coach Kevin Cahill, Sharga believes the second half of the season will bring better results.

“If we just focus on what we need to do and control what we can control, we can become a better team by the end of the season,” Sharga said. “Right now, the goal is to make Lehigh football better and we’re focusing on that.”

Sharga said he’s glad to be close to home.

“One of my favorite things about coming to Lehigh is how close I am to home,” he said. “I really enjoy going home after the home games and spending time with family. I really like that. I like the coaching and the campus is nice. I’m getting to know a lot of guys on the team and I like them a lot. So, there’s a lot of positives about it.”

Sharga, who also played one season at Bethlehem Catholic during his high school career, was redshirted at Penn State and while he learned a lot in that experience, he said he’s happy back on the field.

“There were many benefits to being at Penn State for a year,” he said. “I just grew and got stronger. I learned a lot and developed as a player. It was a good experience but I am glad to be back on the field.”

Cahill is happy to have him in Bethlehem.

“Andrew has been awesome,” Cahill said. “He’s a really quiet kid, but there’s not a guy who plays with more intensity and more fire and more passion than him.”