Blue Mountain's Dylan Foose (59) and Reese Miller (33) tackle Lehighton's Jayse Lawrence for a loss during Friday's Schuylkill/Colonial Red Division game in Lehighton. The Eagles won 55-14 (Photo by Brook Koch-Guers)

LEHIGHTON — Tom Gallagher knew Lehighton was a dangerous opponent.

That made seizing momentum the Blue Mountain mentor’s main focus Friday night.

The Eagles couldn’t have asked for a better start.

Blue Mountain’s defense came up with an interception on the first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for a dominant 55-14 victory over the Indians in a Schuylkill/Colonial Red Division contest.

“That was the message that was said to the kids, you can’t let a team like them stay in the game because the longer you do the more they feel that they can win,” Gallagher said. “And we didn’t want to be in that position. So that start that we had was very, very important for us.”

Cole Swick came up with a pick on the first play from scrimmage, putting the Eagles (6-1, 5-1 Red) at the Indians’ 43-yard line. Six plays later, Lukas Kauffman hit the end zone from 13 yards out.

It started a run of 21 first-quarter points for Blue Mountain, which also included a 30-yard punt return for a score by Gaige Guers and a 17-yard rushing score by Tyler Stahley.

“This is a confidence booster,” Guers said. “We knew they were going to be tough. But we knew what we had to do, and that we had to execute, and we did it. All three aspects of the game, offense, defense and special teams. We played well in all three phases.”

That they did. The Eagles scored three times in the second quarter to take a 42-0 lead into halftime.

Stahley added a 3-yard touchdown run, and Guers ripped off a 68-yard score with 3:22 left in the second period to make it 35-0.

Brady Strause hit Chase Guers for a 20-yard score with 6 seconds left before the intermission to push the lead to 42-0.

The Blue Mountain defense came up with two interceptions, including one by Wyatt Barnes, in the first half, and limited the Lehighton offense to 40 yards, including minus-4 rushing.

Strause completed 10 passes to seven different receivers in the first half, and Stahley rushed for 74 yards on 11 carries.

“We tried to take away the momentum as much as possible,” Gaige Guers said. “Obviously, they had a couple plays here and there. But our defense and offense stepped up and stopped them.

“Our offensive line does an incredible job. We have a lot of younger guys on the line, replacing a lot of guys from last year. But they’re incredible. And the defensive line, too. Dylan Foose plays both ways on the line, and we have (defensive ends) Brad (Renninger) and Jayden (Blankenhorn), they do an incredible job getting pressure on the QB, and that makes it easier for us in the secondary.”

Lehighton (2-5, 2-4 Red) got on the board when Kyden Hauser recovered a fumble and raced 28 yards for a score on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter. The Tribe added another score in the period when Jayse Lawrence hit Caden Meek for a 7-yard score to make it 42-14 with 12 seconds left in the third quarter.

“No matter what your record is, when you turn a ball over, literally on the first play of the game, I mean, it’s an immediate momentum flip,” Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll said. “But I’ll tell you, listen, the first thing I just want to say, is this game is 100 percent on me as a coach. Not about the Xs and Os, but I apologize to the Lehighton football fans because I didn’t have our kids ready to play tonight.

“Even with that first mistake, we have to have kids who are able to bounce back and that starts with me. And so I gotta do a better job of preparing our kids mentally as well as physically, so 100 percent tonight’s result is my fault and it’s on me and I gotta do a better job.”

Blue Mountain added a pair of long touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Backup QB Cohen Kirby found Oliver Spofford for a 74-yard score, and Brody Foose broke loose for a 68-yard touchdown that made it 55-14 with 2:38 to play.

ADDING THEM UP … Blue Mountain put up 439 yards of total offense, with 248 coming on the ground and 191 through the air. It was a balanced attack, which was exactly what Gallagher wanted to see. “I think we’re starting to find some rhythm, starting to find an identity of who we are,” said the coach. “And it’s exciting, but we have a lot of work that we still need to do, and hopefully we can keep getting a little bit better.”

SHUTTING THEM DOWN … The Eagles’ defense surrendered 119 yards, 98 passing and 21 rushing in the win, controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

LOOKING AHEAD … Blue Mountain closes out the regular season with games against North Schuylkill, Pottsville and Tamaqua, while Lehighton finishes with Tamaqua, North Schuylkill and Jim Thorpe. The Indians are currently seventh in the District 11 Class 4A power rankings. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason.

Game Summary

Blue Mountain 55, Lehighton 14

Blue Mtn.   21   21    0    13    –   55

Lehighton   0     0    14    0     –   14

BM — Kauffman 13 run (Grace kick)

BM — G. Guers 30 punt return (Grace kick)

BM — Stahley 17 run (Grace kick)

BM — Stahley 3 run (Grace kick)

BM — G. Guers 68 run (Grace kick)

BM — C. Guers 20 pass from Strause (Grace kick)

L — Hauser 28 fumble return (Brooks kick)

L — Meek 7 pass from Lawrence (Brooks kick)

BM — Spofford 74 pass from Kirby (Grace kick)

BM — B. Foose 68 run (kick failed)