SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - After a 30-20 loss to Blue Mountain on Saturday afternoon, Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger told his team they need to have a better sense of urgency.

“We didn’t execute,” he said. “We’ve been inconsistent in practices, and that’s exactly how we played today.”

Rosenberger pointed to two specific game-changing plays that he said “just can’t happen.”

The first was the opening kickoff, when Blue Mountain’s Tyler Miller broke free and raced down the right sideline for a 93-yard touchdown.

The second was early in the third quarter when the Eagle’s James Seaman spun out of a couple of tackles and outran the Olympian secondary for an 85-yard score giving Blue Mountain a 23-13 lead at the time.

“We were excited when we scored just before the half and were only down by three,” said Rosenberger. “And then we gave them the big play right at the start of the third.”

In between those two plays, the Olympians showed the fight to stay in the game. Down 16-0 early in the second quarter, sophomore Sal Capria busted up the gut on his way to a 39-yard TD run. Then, with just over a minute to go in the half, quarterback Brett Balliet hooked up with Cameron Tinajero for a 16-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to 16-13 at the intermission.

Blue Mountain continued to keep Thorpe in the game. The Eagles lost two of three fumbles and were flagged for 14 penalties for 166 yards. Yet they hung on to present rookie coach Tom Gallagher with his first win, and a post-game Gatorade shower.

Early on it looked like the Eagles were going to dominate. After the opening kick return, Thorpe went three-and-out and fumbled a fourth down punt snap, setting Blue Mountain up with a first down at the JT 31-yard line. The Olympians held their ground, however, as the Eagles short drive ended on downs.

An interception of a pass on Thorpe’s next possession put the Eagles back in business on the JT 46, and three plays later, Payton Fasnacht broke through the middle of the line for a 21-yard touchdown to make it 16-0.

In the third quarter, after Seaman’s long run to paydirt, the Olympian’s offense sputtered. The Eagles’ defense did not give up a first down in the entire quarter and came up big by stuffing JT’s Capria on a fourth-and-two from their own 44 yard-line.

In the fourth quarter, Thorpe’s deficit became 30-13 after BM’s QB William Jacobsen threaded the needle on a 12-yard pass to JT Gockel.

“We had too many turnovers, missed too many blocks, dropped too many passes, and missed too many tackles,” summarized Rosenberger.

The veteran coach did point out there were several positives to build on, however, including their fight during a late fourth quarter, nine-play drive that culminated with a one-yard TD pass from Balliet to Derryl Fisher when the outcome was pretty much decided.

“It’s only one game, but we need to have a better focus at practice,” Rosenberger said. “The players need to understand that’s where we have to get better.”

FLAG FEST

.... Twenty-two penalties were called in the game for a combined 218 yards. That had much to do with the nearly three hours it took to play the game.

DOUBLE THREAT

... JT’s Sal Capria gained 131 all-purpose yards, with 86 of them coming from scrimmage, and 45 more on two stellar kick returns.

BOMBERS NEXT

... Jim Thorpe will host Palmerton on Friday.