JJ McDowell thought Lehighton’s game plan for Pine Grove was perfect.

The Tribe’s execution was even better.

McDowell provided the spark to help Lehighton snap a two-game losing streak with a 28-20 victory against Pine Grove last Friday.

The senior lit the fuse for the Indians with a career high in rushing with 253 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns.

It was a dynamic performance that put McDowell in the spotlight - and helped him earn Times News Football Player of the Week honors.

“I think our mentality and our ability to stay resilient throughout the entire game,” McDowell said of what stood out in the victory.

“We were just fighting and clawing for everything.”

McDowell scored his first touchdown from nine yards out to give the Tribe a 7-6 lead after AJ Light’s extra point.

McDowell’s strength and speed were as undeniable as they were unstoppable, with the second score coming from 63 yards out to again give Lehighton a one-point lead, this time 14-13 following another Light PAT.

“You can usually get a good tell on your first run on how the game is going to go,” said McDowell. “I got about six yards on the first run and just carried it on throughout the game.”

McDowell’s final score was set up by a Brandon Kocher interception - one of three in the game - that gave the Tribe a short field. McDowell blasted into the end zone four plays later to give Lehighton a 21-20 lead, an advantage it would not relinquish.

McDowell had not cracked the century mark in rushing yards this season prior to Friday’s game. His previous best was an 83-yard performance on 12 carries in a 60-42 win over Schuylkill Haven in Week 4 before the two-game slide.

“Our focus going in was that we wanted to establish the run game,” said Indians’ head coach Tom McCarroll. “We haven’t done that all year, and he’s a good enough player that he can be featured in a lot of different offenses. We have a bunch of different weapons, so it just kind of hasn’t played out that way (for him).

“It’s not for a lack of trying; we just haven’t been able to put that balanced attack together. I think our emphasis on that and just staying with it, and our kids trusting it, really led to what you saw on Friday.”

Over the last two years, McDowell has rushed for 774 yards and three scores. In 2018, he ran for 570 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore.

The senior has 575 yards on 95 carries and six touchdowns this season, and is the area’s fifth-leading rusher.

“He came in as a sophomore and had a bright start,” said McCarroll. “But then last year, he was really hurt by injuries. And this year too, just with our offense and what we’ve done week in and week out, he’s been very patient; never frustrated.

“You talk about leadership, he’s certainly been there for us. He’s probably our best energy guy. He brings a real good energy every day to practice, and I think kids really feed off that and it benefits the whole program.”

Quarterback Richard Fronheiser has shown the ability to take the top off the defense with 1,306 yards and 10 touchdowns, marks that rank first and second in the area, respectively. And receiver Zack Hunsicker has been a matchup nightmare on the outside, with 39 grabs for 661 yards and four touchdowns, numbers that put him at the top among area receivers in receptions and yards. The senior is just seven catches and 14 yards from becoming the school’s all-time leader in both categories.

But McDowell adds a different dimension to the Indians’ attack, one that makes an already high-powered offense - which ranks third in the area with 334.4 yards per game - even more difficult to stop.

“He’s able to not only run for tough, hard yards between the tackles, but eventually, if he gets the right crease he’s going to go,” said McCarroll. “His yardage on Friday wasn’t all from four- and five-yard gains. He had a 63-yard touchdown and a few other long runs, and they were very timely, too.

“He certainly is a game-breaker, and can be. And when you pair that with the receivers that we have seen put up performances this year, if we can get that clicking and be balanced, we could be dangerous.”