FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – To be sure, the Jim Thorpe football team has had its share of early season hiccups.

But one thing is for certain, this band of Olympians is very close to being down-right scary. They just need to find a few more pieces to the puzzle.

Thorpe went toe-to-toe with a North Schuylkill team ranked No. 1 in Class 3A Friday night. But there is a reason the Spartans are held to a lofty standard – they can answer the bell from anywhere on the field.

North Schuylkill turned away the Olympians after trailing early by a touchdown, before turning to the dynamic offensive attack that produced four straight scores on the way to an impressive 28-7 victory.

“There’s a reason they’re ranked as the number one team in the state,” said Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger. “But I’ll tell you what, once we clean up a few things we’re going to be just fine. We just missing a few key things.”

The Spartans aren’t missing much.

Speedy senior running back Josh Chowansky turned would-be losses into big gains, rushing for 279 yard on 21 carries. Chowansky put the pedal-to-the-medal to shake his team out of a mini-slump with a 75-yard touchdown scamper that led to a 7-7 tie in the second quarter.

When Carl Brown beat Jim Thorpe’s secondary for an 84-yard touchdown pass from strong-armed senior quarterback Jake Hall, North Schuylkill went ahead 14-7.

A short time later, Chowansky looked trapped in the backfield, but bounced his way to the edge and roared 69 yards and another score for a 21-7 lead.

Joe Flail would add the final tally for the North Schuylkill offense when he zoomed 27 yards to paydirt, thanks to Hall’s perfectly thrown touchdown pass with 2:35 to play in the third quarter.

“We preach to the kids, ‘It’s your time, take advantage of it’,” said North Schuylkill coach Wally Hall.

Thorpe was jamming the North Schuykill passing attack, forcing the opposition to a pair of three-and-outs. The rising Olympian defense seized the moment on the Spartans’ third possession.

This time, 6-6, 235-pound sophomore defensive lineman Noah Rosahac picked off a Hall pass and rumbled to the enemy 10-yard line.

It took three cracks to get it over the goal line when quarterback Brett Balliet flicked a five-yard pass to Camron Tinajero for the touchdown, and when Darryl Fisher knocked home the extra point, Thorpe was riding the crest of momentum with a 7-0 lead.

“We had some opportunities - you can talk defense as much as you want - we just did not execute (offensively),” Rosenberger pointed out. “We missed too many opportunities, big plays our own way. We had our chance, didn’t tackle well on the edge… some of those things that have been haunting us.”

The Spartans kick started the offense after six-straight blanks on the offensive side. But on their next three possessions, they unloaded, North Schuylkill used a combined three plays to score three touchdowns.

North Schuylkill used a combined three plays to score three touchdowns. Chowansky zoomed into the end zone on a first down play, a scintillating 75-yard run around his right end.

On the next try, Hall uncorked a perfect strike to speedy Brown for 84 yards. Then with only 49 seconds to play before the band hit the field, Chowansky was blazing 69 yards for another six.

“You know you got to count for a lot, especially when we’ve got the guys to stretch the field,” Hall explained how his team can put pressure on the other team’s defense.

And that showed when Flail and Hall hooked up for the final touchdown of the contest, a 27-yard pass, which was set up when Chowansky raced 36 yards prior to the score.

BIG DEFENDERS

… Thorpe had an outstanding game from linebacker Dominic Berger. Ditto to North Schuylkill’s tenacious duo of Adam Scott and Steven Davis. Roshac is a load to handle and is young with room to grow being a sophomore.

BOOTNG IT

… There were great punts on the part of North Schuylkill sophomore Trevor Minalda and Thorpe’s Keiran Mele. Mele laid into three punts that went for 43, 49 and 42 yards. Minalda had two 46 yarders and a 42-yarder as well.

PASS HAPPY

… Neither team was bashful about putting it up. Thorpe passed 37 times and the Spartans 26. Hall can pin-point his throws very impressively. Balliet was under duress more than half of his throws, but still hung in the pocket.