Posted on October 02, 2021 2:17 am
The concept is pretty simple.
Win the line of scrimmage. Win the game.
On Friday night, Jim Thorpe did just that as he drove to a 47:15 win over Pen Argyl’s visit.
“As head coach, but also line coach, we are very proud to understand that,” said Olympic head coach Mark Rosenberger. “The game is often won and lost at the front, and tonight it was our advantage, it went to us.
“Our D-Line did a good job of putting pressure on as they tried to throw the soccer ball. They’ve also been in the backcourt a lot tonight, even in their running game, creating plays and tackles for losses.
Thorpe’s defense ended the night with three sacks and eight more tackles for the loss.
And while the Red Swarm did its job, allowing no points and only three first downs (two by penalty) in the first three quarters, Thorpe’s offensive front did the job in the trenches as well.
The Olympians (3-3) had a lot of success running the ball, and the line also gave quarterback Brett Balliet time to throw. The result was a balanced offense that kept the ball moving throughout the fight.
“Offensive I thought we were exceptional,” said Rosenberger. “We did a good job of running the ball, passing the football, and we were able to mix things up.
“I was impressed with the way our kids got out and played. There was a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of passion that we played with all night. “
There was great enthusiasm at halftime when Thorpe scored four possession of the ball in a row to achieve a sovereign 27-0 lead.
After driving but not reaching the end zone on first ball contact, the Olympians conceded several times, with Cam Tinajero taking the lead.
The senior’s 30-yard burst started Thorpe’s first scoring drive, and he ended it with a 1-yard fall for a 7-0 lead.
Rosenberger gave backup quarterback Ryan Fikentscher some playtime on the team’s next run, and he responded with six carries for 43 yards, including a 2-yard TD run.
“It’s always good to distribute the ball,” said Rosenberger. “We have our backup quarterback, Ryan Fikentscher, and he did a great job running football for us… Fik gives us a little more of the running dimension as quarterback.
“I thought Brett (Balliet) did a great job throwing the ball and running our offense, so they both had a great game from the quarterback spot.”
Balliet hit Thorpe’s next possession with three passes, and Derryl Fisher freed himself for a 42-yard run to set up Tinajero’s 4-yard walk into the end zone at 1:26 by halftime.
Tinajero managed to hit Paydirt again before half-time, this time from 15 yards when an interception by David Fiorito put the Olympians in a great position.
“If we want to be successful, it’s about distributing the ball and eliminating mistakes offensively,” said Rosenberger, who let 15 players either run, pass or catch the ball on the offensive. “We also know whether we will be successful next week and have to play well at the front again in the future.”
It only took Thorpe one game to extend his lead in the third quarter. After the defense forced a three-and-out and a short punt gave the Olympians a short field, Balliet hit a wide-open Bryson Heydt over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown pass and a 34-0 lead. Fisher’s 1 yard record early in the fourth quarter made it 40-0 and ushered in the grace rule.
OFFENSIVE SUCCESS … Thorpe finished with 320 rushing yards, with Tinajeros’ 78 leading. Fisher added 74. The Olympians averaged over 7.5 yards per game.
ONE DISADVANTAGE … If Jim Thorpe had a problem, it was punishment. The home team was marked 12 times for 124 yards. “We’ll take care of some of it on Monday,” said Rosenberger. “Even in the games we lost this year, it was often our own work with fumbles, interceptions or penalties. We got away with penalties tonight, but we won’t get away with them next week. We have to get rid of this stuff. We cannot afford psychological breakdowns. “
UP NEXT … Thorpe is on the road for the next two weeks. First it will travel to Slatington to take on Northern Lehigh. After that the Olympians will be in Tamaqua.
Cameron Timajero (right) finds a lot of leeway against Pen Argyl. Timajero scored three times in Jim Thorpe’s win. RON GOWER / SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
Jim Thorpe’s Noah Rosahac, Drew Wimmer (5) and Bryan Bowen (89) put pressure on Pen Argyl’s quarterback. RON GOWER / TIMES NEWS
