Cole Lazorick, Jim Thorpe quarterback.

NEW TRIPOLI — Senior Night means different things to different people.

For a couple of Northwestern Lehigh linemen, it meant getting the opportunity to run the ball and score a touchdown.

The Tigers rolled to a 55-0 Schuylkill/Colonial Red Division victory over Jim Thorpe on Friday to remain undefeated at 8-0, but the contest was even more meaningful for Jared Meck and Jackson Huber.

Both players not only got to carry the ball, but also reached the end zone during a first quarter that saw Northwestern race to a 28-0 advantage.

“It was a huge night for us,” said Meck, who followed Huber into the end zone on a 7-yard run. “ I think every single one of our seniors has been in the high school program since they were a freshman, so it’s a huge part for us just making it here and everybody just getting through. Even if you didn’t play all the time, everybody stuck it out.

“It was great (scoring). I loved it. It was a huge thing I wanted to accomplish. … We practiced a few formations for the linemen to actually run the ball. We had me and Hubie, who was the fullback when I had a touchdown and Hubie scored when he was at fullback. He ran a dive straight down the middle.”

Huber’s tally, set up by a 28-yard run by Eli Zimmerman, came before Meck’s score just 2:11 into the game.

It also continued a custom at Northwestern.

“It’s become a tradition for us, probably over the last eight years,” said Tiger head coach Josh Snyder. “Our skill guys just love watching our linemen get some carries. They don’t get their name in the paper, especially the offensive linemen, as the skill guys do and the other guys do, so for a moment to get that carry and get a touchdown, they get a glimmer of their name in the paper and props from their teammates.”

Also deserving props was the play of Northwestern’s special teams.

Jim Thorpe (2-6) received the opening kickoff, but a huge hit on the Olympians’ return man forced a fumble. One play later, Zimmerman was in the end zone on a 25-yard run.

Later, in the second quarter, Zimmerman took a punt on a bounce and broke free for a 75-yard score that pushed his team’s lead to 35-0.

“Our special teams have been especially outstanding this year,” Snyder said. “We had another punt return for a touchdown, and a kickoff return for a touchdown that got called back. We spend an awful lot of time in all three phases, and it feels good when it pays off.

“Our kids don’t take plays off on special teams. They feel like it’s an opportunity to make a play. We always say it’s a big momentum play when you can have a special teams moment and flip field position or score. … I think it was (Shane) Hulmes and Brady Zimmerman and (Evan) Wagstaff all sort of converged on the ball (on the opening kickoff) and it came squirting out and we recovered. And then the next play we punch it into the end zone. We were sort of off and running from that point.”

Eli Zimmerman did some more running late in the first half when he took a short pass from quarterback Shane Leh and slithered his way downfield for a 31-yard touchdown pass.

The 5-foot-8, 160-pound senior touched the ball six times on offense and totaled 136 yards.

“Our line was blocking really well for our backs,” Snyder said. “Eli had another great game … it’s pretty fun to call a play and watch it work because he can do so many amazing things.”

Jim Thorpe’s combination of Cole Lazorick to Justin Yescavage has also done some amazing things over the years, but the Olympians offense just couldn’t get going against a stellar Northwestern defense.

The Tigers held Mark Rosenberger’s club to just 63 yards passing, and also got to Lazorick for four sacks.

“It feels like Yescavage … has been playing for five, six years,” Snyder said. “He’s a nice receiver and has great hands. The quarterback is very athletic. I was a little surprised how fast he was. He got away from a lot more sacks than we actually got him. We knew they were their two guys.

“(Jim Thorpe) is struggling through some injuries, but they came out and played tough. We just had their number tonight.”

OTHER SCORES … Northwestern also received two long scoring runs from Leh (65 yards) and Seth Kern (51), while Braxton Lakatosh added an 8-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

GETTING DEFENSIVE … Hulmes had two sacks for the Tigers, while Brady Zimmerman and Briar Reichard each had one.

OLYMPIAN HIGHLIGHT … Thorpe’s biggest play came from Mike Antignani on a 31-yard run early in the second quarter. Lazorick also hit Yescavage with a 16-yard pass.

Game Summary

Northwestern Lehigh 55, Jim Thorpe 0

JT (2-6, 1-6)   0     0   0   0  —    0

NWL (8-0, 7-0)   28   14   7   6  — 55

NWL — E. Zimmerman 25 run (Kern kick)

NWL — Huber 1 run (Kern kick)

NWL — Meck 7 run (Kern kick)

NWL — Leh 65 run (Kern kick)

NWL — E. Zimmerman 75 punt return (Kern kick)

NWL — E. Zimmerman 31 pass from Leh (Kern kick)

NWL — Kern 51 run (Kern kick)

NWL — Lakatosh 8 run (pass failed)

Team Statistics

JT-NWL

First Downs — 8      14

Rushes-Yards — 29-35      24-335

Passes — 10-20-0      3-8-0

Passing Yards — 63      54

Total Yards — 98      389

Fumbles/Lost — 1-1      1-1

Penalties — 1-5      3-35

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Jim Thorpe — Antignani 12-56, Aa. Curran 5-24, Kiehl 3-5, Lazorick 9-(-50).Northwestern Lehigh — E. Zimmerman 5-105, Kern 5-75, Leh 2-60, Sukanick 2-33, Lakatosh 3-14, Matson 1-13, Macaulay 1-9, Bollinger 1-8, Meck 1-7, Wambold 1-7, Wagstaff 1-3, Huber 1-1

PASSING: Jim Thorpe — Lazorick 10-18-0, 63; Hoherchak 0-2-0, 0. Northwestern Lehigh — Leh 3-8-0, 54

RECEIVING: Jim Thorpe — Aa. Curran 4-18, Antignani 3-11, Yescavage 2-26, Zurwawa 1-8. Northwestern Lehigh — E. Zimmerman 1-31, Bollinger 1-25, Kern 1-(-2)

INTERCEPTIONS: None