ORWIGSBURG — As they celebrated near midfield, Blue Mountain’s players chanted in unison.
“1 ... 2 ... 3 ... Blue Swarm.”
The Eagles’ defense lived up to that nickname Friday night, shutting down Jim Thorpe’s high-powered attack in a 31-7 Anthracite Football League victory at the Eagles’ Nest.
Blue Mountain held the previously unbeaten Olympians to 113 total yards, recorded 17 tackles for loss and had five more stops for no gain en route to their fifth straight victory.
With the win, the Eagles (8-1, 7-1 AFL) keep their Anthracite Football League title hopes alive while enhancing their chances to qualify for the District 11 Class AAA playoffs.
“We have a great group of kids on defense,” Blue Mountain coach Cory Mabry said. “They take pride in stopping the run, and they take pride in controlling the line of scrimmage and swarming to the football.
“Blue Swarm is what we’re calling ourselves now. We had 11 guys around the football almost every time they touched the ball.
“We knew we had to fly to the football and play assignment football, and the kids did a fantastic job doing it.”
Blue Mountain’s defense dominated from the outset, forcing two first-quarter turnovers that led directly to touchdowns.
On Jim Thorpe’s first series, Danny Greenawalt made a diving interception of Dean Richards’ pass three plays into the game.
Lucas Forbes made the Olympians pay, ripping off a 29-yard run, then scoring on a 2-yard run a couple of plays later. Just 3:49 into the game, Blue Mountain led 7-0.
After a quick three-and-out, Blue Mountain put together a five-play, 53-yard drive that was capped by Mark Chelius’ 15-yard run to go up 14-0.
On Jim Thorpe’s next series, Alex Zimmerman made a leaping play on an attempted screen pass for an interception. Four plays later, Forbes scored from 4 yards out to make it 21-0.
“We prepared all week for that play and the double pass, and I was just glad I was able
to put myself in position to make the play,” Zimmerman said of his interception. The junior defensive end saw the play develop, dropped back in front of the intended receiver, Kevin Vitti, tipped the pass up into the air and caught it.
“It was a team effort,” Zimmerman continued. “This was a great team win getting us ready for playoffs.”
Blue Mountain’s first-quarter domination was impressive.
Defensively, the Eagles held the Olympians to 8 total yards on 13 plays, had two interceptions and forced a punt.
Meanwhile, Blue Mountain had scored on all three possessions, collected six first downs and compiled 113 total yards. The Eagles’ offensive line of Jon Ege, Grayson Umbenhaur, Eric Thompson, Aaron Bolinsky and Jeremy Murphy cleared big holes for the Blue Mountain backs to run through.
“They controlled the line of scrimmage, bottom line, on both sides of the ball,” Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger said. “We didn’t come prepared to play a football game against an outstanding football team. When you do that, you find yourselves down 21-0. We couldn’t climb out of that.”
Jim Thorpe (8-1, 7-1) got on the scoreboard in the second quarter when Robert Heller broke free on a fourth-and-1 play for a 63-yard touchdown run that sliced Blue Mountain’s lead to 21-7 at intermission.
Heller, the area’s leading rusher coming into the game with 1,319 yards, finished with 103 yards on 24 carries.
The senior scatback was pretty much a non-factor, however, except for the long run, as Blue Mountain’s aggressive defense kept him in check.
The Eagles’ three down linemen in their 3-5 alignment, Zimmerman, Erech Noecker and Brayden Lewis, controlled the line of scrimmage, allowing linebackers Connor Kerstetter, Forbes, Greenawalt, Matt Kalyan and Mike Kalyan to make big plays.
Noecker, Kerstetter and Mike Kalyan, in particular, were constantly in the Olympians’ backfield.
“Our linemen did their job up front and we did our job at linebacker and came down hill. We swarmed to the ball,” Mike Kalyan said. “We wanted to come out with momentum and stay with it. We wanted to stop the running back quick and not let him get going.”
The Eagles expanded their lead to 28-7 with a nine-play, 64-yard drive to open the second half, as Noecker bulled in from 1 yard out. Christian Puzzi’s 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter set the final margin.
In the second half, Jim Thorpe compiled just 23 yards of offense and finished the game with just six first downs.
“We’re a blue-collared team,” Mabry said. “The kids come to work every day, and they really like the payday on Friday nights. They give it all they got in practice, but they find a little more Friday nights.”
Game Summary
JT (8-1, 7-1) 0 7 0 0 — 7
BM (8-1, 7-1) 21 0 7 3 — 31
BM — Forbes 2 run (Puzzi kick)
BM — Chelius 15 run (Puzzi kick)
BM — Forbes 4 run (Puzzi kick)
JT — Heller 63 run (Becker kick)
BM — Noecker 1 run (Puzzi kick)
BM — FG Puzzi 38
JT BM
First Downs 6 13
Rushes-Yards 44-113 38-200
Passes 0-4-2 6-10-0
Passing Yards 0 103
Total Yards 113 303
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-2
Penalties 1-10 4-44
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Jim Thorpe — Heller 24-103, St. Hill 2-21, J. Geisinger 1-4, Madera 5-(-1), Richards 12-(-14). Blue Mountain — Forbes 12-80, Mi. Kalyan 12-56, Chelius 3-48, Ma. Kalyan 5-15, Freed 1-4, Noecker 1-1, Team 1-0, McKivigan 1-(-1), Sincavage 1-(-1), C. Umbenhauer 1-(-2).
PASSING: Jim Thorpe — Richards 0-4-2, 0. Blue Mountain — Freed 6-10-0, 103.
RECEIVING: Jim Thorpe — None. Blue Mountain — Greenawalt 1-48, Welsh 4-37, Ma. Kalyan 1-18.
INTERCEPTIONS: Blue Mountain — Greenawalt, Zimmerman