Eagles hope to stay ‘above the line’

Above the line.

To most people, it looks like an inspirational phrase that dons Blue Mountain’s T-shirts and is on the back of their team caps.

For Tom Gallagher’s Eagles, however, it’s a way of life. And to achieve their goals for the 2024 season, they know they have to follow it.

Gallagher enters his fourth year as the head coach at Blue Mountain with a squad that features 15 seniors but must overcome a bevy of key graduation losses.

Quarterback Tyler Miller, running back Payton Fasnacht, offensive lineman Trevor Manbeck, defensive end Austyn Fields, linebacker Vern Kleckner and defensive back Will Jacobson were among the 10 players that departed, but Gallagher is confident that this year’s squad has the talent to fill those voids.

Blue Mountain returns eight players on offense and 11 on defense that either started or saw significant time last season from a team that went 8-3 overall and lost to Bethlehem Catholic in the District 11 Class 4A semifinals.

“This is the most amount of seniors that we’ve had since our staff has taken over and these are the guys that have played all four years in our program,” Gallagher said. “They understand our message. They understand our expectations and they do an excellent job of demanding it from themselves and their teammates, which is key for us.”

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That’s where the “above the line” message kicks in. Gallagher expects those seniors to be leaders on the field, in the classroom, in the locker room and in the school, setting the example for the younger players

“Above the line means … everybody else has that one standard, it’s that bar. At Blue Mountain, we’re trying to set that standard a lot higher than everybody else,” senior wide receiver/defensive back Gaige Guers said. “Everybody else has a standard that’s a lot lower than ours.”

Added senior center Nick Beckfield: “Above the line means you have to do better than what is average set. If the line is here, then you have to go the extra mile and do the best you can. As a senior, I need to show up, do my job and set a good example for the younger kids.”

The bulk of Blue Mountain’s veterans reside up front on the offensive line, where Beckfield (6-foot-3, 225 pounds), guard Dylan Foose (6-0, 230), tackle Cole Wargo (6-1, 250) and guard Ryan Clemas (6-1, 255) all return. Sophomore Kurt Krammes (6-0, 255) will start at right tackle.

Guers, wide receiver Cole Swick, tight end Bradley Renninger and fullback Lukas Kauffman also return on offense, while defensive linemen Jayden Blankenhorn, Renninger, Beckfield and Foose, linebackers Reese Miller, Hunter Blankenhorn, Tyler Stahley and Kauffman, and defensive backs Guers, Wyatt Barnes and Swick are back on defense. Senior kicker/punter Aidan Grace also returns.

They’re all seniors except for Miller, a junior, and Clemas, a sophomore.

“They’re going to be the key to our success. They’re big and they’re physical,” Gallagher said of his offensive line. “They have good knowledge of what we want to do with the backs and the skilled kids that we have, and how important their job is to make those guys look good.”

Another big key to the Eagles’ success in 2024 will come in the offensive backfield. Juniors Brady Strause and Max Heim were battling for the starting quarterback job in preseason camp, while the Eagles are looking for someone to emerge as the top tailback from a group that includes Stahley, Kauffman, Miller, junior Carter Smith and Hunter Blankenhorn.

“Both of those guys are battling it out,” Gallagher said of his QB battle. “Both of them bring different skill sets to the team that we like. We would feel confident with either one of those guys leading our team.”

Competing in the Schuylkill/Colonial Cooperative’s big-school Red Division, Blue Mountain has a gauntlet of a schedule to open the season, with games against Schuylkill Haven, Southern Lehigh, Jim Thorpe and Northwestern Lehigh in the first four weeks.

Staying “above the line” is key for the Eagles to navigate that tough opening stretch and be able to achieve bigger things later in the season.

“We’ve always preached hard work and a little bit of a patience because we knew if we just remained consistent and on the path that we set for ourselves, results will come,” said Gallagher, who is 18-14 in three seasons at the helm.

“We were fortunate to see that last year and now our goal is to keep progressing. Not changing what we do, just keep getting better at it and trust in the process that we set for ourselves.”