FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – Is there a repeat in the offing in Division 1 of the Schuylkill Football League?

Maybe or maybe not.

But one thing is for sure, North Schuylkill put itself in the driver’s seat Friday evening at Spartan Stadium on the turf at Gosh Orthodontics Field.

Coming up with clutch play after clutch play, the Spartans never wavered when their backs were to the wall.

North Schuylkill dug deep late in the first half for a huge touchdown, then found a way to counterpunch the Blue Raiders.

Just when the Raiders seemed poised to take a lead, the Spartan defense was junkyard tough and that enabled the host to hang on for an exciting 27-18 victory.

The score hardly tells the tale of the tape. Tamaqua put the first six on the board, before watching North Schuylkill answer with the speedy legs of Jaden Leiby. When the second quarter rolled around, quarterback Brayden Knoblauch was directing his team to a seven-play scoring drive, which culminated on a 2-yard Nate Boyle touchdown — his second score of the evening that sent the Tams in front, 12-7.

Uncharacteristically, Tamaqua failed on the PAT tries — a missed kick and a failure to convert a two-point run PAT left the team in an awkward scoring position. But the coup de grace that haunted Tamaqua came with 10 seconds to play in the opening half.

The Raiders seemed ready to take a 12-7 lead into the lockers when they punted with 1:14 to go. North Schuylkill quickly stormed down field behind the play of Leiby, who fired off five completed passes, marching his team from its own 43 to the Tamaqua 1-yard line.

There senior Zack Chowansky barreled his way into the end zone, which surely carried a momentum shift into North Schuylkill’s corner.

“It was huge,” said the usual stoic North Schuylkill head coach Wally Hall, who watched his team improve to 6-1. “I told our kids at the half that’s where we want to be. Our defense did a super job against a very dangerous football team.”

Knoblauch had his ups and downs throughout the course of the game. He went 12-for-27 for 180 yards and one interception.

He made two superb throws that led to touchdowns — one for 26 yards to 6-6 athletic tight end Lucas Gregoire on the second scoring drive. Then in the third period, he hit Boyle on a fourth down 22-yard strike to sustain the third and final scoring drive.

“Brayden is our leader, he’s very poised and I thought he did a great job,” said Tamaqua coach Sam Bonnerh. “Hey, give North Schuylkill credit. They played one heck of a game.”

North Schuylkill’s one-two running punch was nothing short of stellar. Chowansky, a senior, was nonstop the entire evening. He kept delivering big plays and rushed for 122 yards on 25 carries and found the end zone just before halftime that put his team on top for keeps.

Leiby used his quick feet at quarterback to tack on 146 yards rushing. He scored the first Spartan TD on a thrilling 73-yard run, and later rifled a 54-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Dietz, another unsung hero for the Spartans.

The Spartans mounted the game clincher, grinding out a 77-yard march that ended on a nifty 18-yard run by Jake Green with just 1:14 to play.

“Our kids played as tough as you could play, we were physical, but North Schuylkill made plays when it needed them the most,” Bonner said.

TRICKERY … Twice in the contest Tamaqua pulled off trick plays. The first when Matt Kistler faked a punt and lofted a pass to Gregoire to keep a drive alive. Later, halfback Boyle fired a 22-yard pass to Knoblauch.

HE’S VERY GOOD … Matt Kistler is a keeper and a gamer, too. He keeps coming clutch and has smooth hands. Kistler scored off a nifty 28-yard inside give that brought Tamaqua to within 21-18 with 8:36 to play.

DEFENDING THE CASTLE … The Spartans’ secondary was very impressive. They never let Tamaqua receivers get behind them and kept pressure on Knoblauch all evening.