JIM THORPE — As football coaches usually do, Jim Thorpe’s Mark Rosenberger was lamenting his squad’s 24-6 loss to visiting Southern Lehigh in Friday’s Eastern Conference Class AAA semifinal that ended the Olympians’ season.
While Rosenberger was disappointed that the season had come to an end for the Olympians (8-3), that was not the main reason he was feeling so depressed. During the last three years, this year’s Jim Thorpe seniors had helped re-establish the program to contender status in the Anthracite Football League.
“I just feel so bad that this team, especially the seniors, isn’t going to have another game,” Rosenberger said. “As freshmen, this senior class was 1-9, and they finish winning 22 of their last 30 games.
“We became a family, and even though the season ends, the family lives on. Tonight, we just ran into a very talented football team that was as good as we thought they were, and may have had the most talent of any team we played.”
Leading the offense for the Spartans (8-3), who will play the winner of today’s Allentown Central Catholic-Valley View game in next week’s final, was senior quarterback Blake Levengood, who showed no effects of last week’s foot injury by completing 13-of-20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns to Tim Walter. When they combined on an 84-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter for a 17-0 lead, the outcome was no longer in doubt.
Walter, who had seven receptions for 149 yards, scored on a 3-yard reception with 1:29 left in the first half for a 10-0 lead. That score was set up by a fumble recovery at the Jim Thorpe 36 and came two plays after Walter had a 33-yard reception to the 3.
On the ground, Walter had 13 carries for 61 yards and Dylan Niedbalski had 10 carries for 53 yards as the Spartans had a 156-78 rushing advantage. Levengood had the Spartans’ only rushing touchdown when he scored from the 1 in the fourth quarter.
“They have a lot of weapons and we knew the quarterback was going to be a problem if he was able to play,” Rosenberger said. “We just couldn’t get anything going, and every time we would gain 4-5 yards we would have a negative play.”
Running back Robbie Heller, who was injured two weeks ago in the loss to Blue Mountain that began a three-game slide by the Olympians, had 20 carries for 71 yards. His 5-yard touchdown run followed a 10-yard pass from Dean Richards to Kevin Vitti.
An interception by Vitti late in the first quarter at his 14 stopped a Spartans drive, but the next time the Spartans got the ball Levengood began going to his passing game. He had completions of 37 and 27 yards to Ethan Price in an eight-play drive that moved the ball to the 2 and was capped with a 21-yard field goal by Tony Colasurdo.
After not completing a pass in the last two games, Richards completed 6-of-14 passes for 103 yards, including three to Robbie Geisinger for 73 yards.
Game Summary
Eastern Conference Class AAA Semifinal
So. Lehigh (8-3) 0 10 7 7 — 24
J. Thorpe (8-3) 0 0 0 6 — 6
SL — FG Colasurdo 21
SL — Walter 3 pass from Levengood (Colasurdo kick)
SL — Walter 84 pass from Levengood (Colasurdo kick)
SL — Levengood 1 run (Colasurdo kick)
JT — Heller 5 run (run failed)
SL JT
First Downs 17 11
Rushes-Yards 36-156 40-78
Passes 14-21-1 6-15-1
Passing Yards 257 103
Total Yards 413 181
Fumbles-Lost 3-2 1-1
Penalties 4-37 3-17
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING: Southern Lehigh — Walter 13-61, Niedbalski 10-53, Hart 3-25, Levengood 6-15, Klutinoty 1-2, Strauss 1-1, Sisselberger 1-1, Holland 1-(-2). Jim Thorpe — Heller 20-71, Vitti 4-12, St. Hill 3-3, R. Geisinger 1-3, J. Geisinger 2-1, Madera 3-(-4), Richards 7-(-8).
PASSING: Southern Lehigh — Levengood 13-20-1, 252; Klutinoty 1-1-0, 5. Jim Thorpe —Richards 6-14-1, 103; St. Hill 0-1-0, 0.
RECEIVING: Southern Lehigh — Walter 7-149, E. Price 4-82, Holland 1-12, Strauss 1-8, Niedbalski 1-6. Jim Thorpe — R. Geisinger 3-73, McElmoyle 1-11, Vitti 1-10, Lauer 1-9.
INTERCEPTIONS: Southern Lehigh — Hart. Jim Thorpe — Vitti