SHENANDOAH — Two games into the Anthracite Football League season has produced more questions than answers, but one thing Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger knows is how much he likes his team’s ability to run the ball.
Boy, does he ever like the way the Olympians run the ball.
Jim Thorpe racked up 425 yards on 31 carries Friday night in a 57-20 victory over Shenandoah Valley that improved the Olympians to 2-0 overall.
Senior Robert Heller led the way with 172 yards on 14 carries, including three touchdown runs in the first quarter that totaled 52 yards.
His ability to show patience, read his blocks and then cut back for huge gains allowed the Olympians (2-0, 2-0) to dominate the first half, although the Devils (0-2, 0-2) remained within striking distance, trailing 20-6 at halftime.
Senior quarterback Dean Richards put the game away on the first two possessions of the second half, however, scoring on a 64-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Then, four plays following an interception by Heller, Richards completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jordan McElmoyle for a 33-6 lead.
Later in the third quarter, Kevin Vitti scored on a 40-yard run to make it 39-6. Tylor Day scored on a 21-yard run to make it 45-6 on the second play of the fourth quarter and evoke the Mercy Rule.
“We like the way we’ve been able to run the ball, and there’s no doubt that right now we’re a running team,” Rosenberger said. “Tonight we also asked Richards to step up and make some plays, and we like the way he throws the ball.”
Shenandoah Valley senior quarterback Ian McCole completed 7-of-14 passes for 88 yards in the first half, including a 41-yard touchdown to Joel Santana in the first quarter to make the score 13-6.
Late in the half, McCole completed a 13-yard pass to Santana for a first-and-goal at the 5, but on fourth down McCole was stopped at the 1.
“There’s some life here and we’re not disappointed in our effort,” Shenandoah Valley first-year coach Kevin Bolinsky said. “In no way are we frustrated, but we’ve got to keep getting better.”
A 3-yard touchdown pass from McCole to Noah Allegretta and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jason Najunas to Jermaine McNeil got the Devils on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter. After each of those scores, however, the Olympians answered with touchdowns on kickoff returns of 85 and 75 yards by Jarrin Geisinger.
Game Summary
JT (2-0, 2-0) 20 0 19 18 — 57
SV (0-2, 0-2) 6 0 0 14 — 20
JT — Heller 1 run (Fikentscher kick)
JT — Heller 22 run (kick failed)
SV — Santana 41 pass from McCole (kick failed)
JT — Heller 29 run (Fikentscher kick)
JT — Richards 64 run (Fikentscher kick)
JT — McElmoyle 13 pass from Richards (kick blocked)
JT — Vitti 40 run (kick failed)
JT — Day 22 run (kick failed)
SV — Allegretta 3 pass from McCole (Chagolla-Rojas pass from McCole)
JT — J. Geisinger 85 kickoff return (kick failed)
SV — McNeill 12 pass from Najunas (kick failed)
JT — J. Geisinger 75 kickoff return (kick failed)
Thorpe SV
First Downs 17 12
Rushes-Yards 31-425 30-64
Passes 2-5-0 17-31-1
Passing Yards 43 204
Total Yards 468 268
Fumbles-Lost 3-3 1-0
Penalties 3-27 5-40
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Jim Thorpe — Heller 14-172, Richards 3-65, St. Hill 4-65, Vitti 3-56, R. Geisinger 2-25, Madera 4-21, Day 1-21. Shenandoah Valley — Urbanavage 12-31, McCole 7-14, Cabrera 3-10, Najunas 2-6, Labosky 3-4, Morales 3-(-1).
PASSING: Jim Thorpe — Richards 2-5-0, 43. Shenandoah Valley — McCole 13-27-1, 179; Najunas 3-3-0, 25; DeAngelo 1-1-0, 0.
RECEIVING: Jim Thorpe — McElmoyle 2-43. Shenandoah Valley — Santana 4-61, Urbanavage 4-43, Allegretta 3-8, Morales 1-34, Chagolla-Rojas 1-17, Guers 1-13, McElmoyle 1-13, McNeill 1-12, Cabrera 1-3.
INTERCEPTIONS: Jim Thorpe — Heller