BEAVER SPRINGS — Midd-West played host Friday to the Jim Thorpe Olympians, who were looking to keep their undefeated season alive.

The Olympians lived up to their name as they cruised to a 41-0 victory.

Jim Thorpe put up 14 points in the first quarter, and 21 points in the second quarter, burying Midd-West by halftime.

C.J. Selby led the unstoppable rushing attack, shedding tackles on seemingly every run. A combination of speed and strength made it hard for the Mustangs to corral the senior. who racked up 250 rushing yards on 23 attempts. Both of Selby’s touchdowns came in the second quarter, the first on a 29-yard and the second on a 22-yard touchdown.

The Olympians use a run-first style offense, but the Olympians made the most of their passes as quarterback Davier Calcano completed eight of his 12 passes for 82 yards. The Olympians only passed when needed, so Calcano helped keep drives alive.

Midd-West also relies heavily on the run but speedy running back Caden Wolfley was bottled up by the Olympian defense, rushing for only eight yards on five carries.

Since the Mustangs were playing from behind after Jim Thorpe’s opening drive, quarterback Oakley Bennett was forced to use his arm. Bennett did a good job of scrambling away from the Olympians’ pass rush, but with the defense hot on his heels, Bennett rarely had the opportunity to plant his feet to throw. Bennett finished the night completing four of 14 passes for 29 yards and one interception.

Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger was proud of the effort his team gave, in every aspect of the game. Despite the gaudy numbers his running backs put up, Rosenberg realizes that this win was more than just their stellar rushing.

‘It was a complete team effort. It starts up front, then quarterbacks and running backs. We have some special athletes that can make some plays.”

The Olympians dominated in the trenches which set the tone for the entire game. The line was able to knock the Mustangs on their heels, giving the rushing attack plenty of lanes to run through.

“Our line played very well tonight. It’s a strong unit we have here and they did an outstanding job,” Rosenberger said. “When we can give C.J.

(Selby) and Dom (Madera) that type of running room, they’re gonna exploit teams and make big plays for us.”

The game was marred by what appeared to be a serious injury suffered by the Mustangs’ Joe Rodriguez late in the game. Rodriguez took a run to the opposing sideline and went down hard. The longer Rodriguez stayed on the ground, the more concern every person in the stadium felt.

Paramedics were called, Rodriguez was put on a stretcher, and placed in an ambulance. The officials decided that with just 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter, it would be in the best interest of the players to end the game.

Whether referring to Joe’s twin brother Josh — also on the squad — or just the camaraderie of the Mustangs, Midd-West coach Brad Hatter summed it up succinctly.

“They love each other like brothers,” he said. “It’s situations like tonight where we realize that this is more than a game. It’s about brothers coming together and competing and going through everything together.”

Sportsmanship took over as the Midd-West team, huddled around the ambulance, was joined by the Olympians who offered their support. The teams bowed their heads in respect as Rodriguez was taken off the field.

“Class act. Class act by them,” Hatter said about Jim Thorpe’s entire team embracing the Mustangs. “Their coach was there the whole time with us. So class act for them to just embrace us. I think it puts things in perspective.”

SEASON’S BESTS ... The 250 rushing yards by Selby was a season high as were the eight completions by Calcano. Selby has topped the 100-yard mark in all five of the Olympians’ games.

RECORDS ... Jim Thorpe improved to 5-0 on the season, while Midd-West dropped to 2-3.