“There are no moral victories,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll after Friday night’s 42-21 loss to Wilson.

“But I’m 100% certain our team is moving in the right direction after the effort we put in tonight.”

The statistics tell a story that does not support the 21-point margin of victory by the Warriors.

The Tribe moved the chains 16 times to Wilson’s 17 and the Warriors out-gained the Tribe by only one yard.

The difference in the outcome of the game was the big-play scores by the Warriors, who moved to 3-0 on the season. Four of their touchdowns were by 26 yards or more and an incredible 15 consecutive drives to pay dirt to start their season finally ended when the Indians’ defense stopped quarterback Caden Stem on a fourth-and-one with 1:15 left to play in the first half.

On its first possession of the game, Lehighton (1-2) executed McCarroll’s game plan to keep the ball out of the hands of Wilson’s high-flying offense. The Indians took the opening kickoff, and on the hard running of Times News Player of the Week Hunter Crum, they moved the ball downfield and took nearly four minutes off the clock before punting the ball away.

From their 37, the Warriors’ four-year starting QB Cayden Stem went to work. Damian Simpson lugged the rock six times to lead his team into the red zone, and Stem capped the 10-play drive with a 2-yard plunge and a 7-0 lead. From that time on, Wilson would utilize its track stars’ speed to tally the rest of its points on big runs and pass plays.

But that didn’t happen until the Tribe stuck to their game plan and tied the score early in the second on a perfect 12-play drive that culminated in a 4-yard jet sweep around left end by junior Ethan Buchert.

“I’m very proud of how our offense played all game long,” said McCarroll. “We showed good balance with our run and pass game, and we moved the chains to keep their speedy athletes off the field.”

Two minutes after Buchert’s TD, Wilson’s quick-strike offense did just that when Stem hit a streaking Damian Simpson for a 51-yard score. Then with five minutes left in the half, Stem found Damon Simpson for a 26-yard TD and a 22-7 Warrior lead at the intermission.

“You just can’t simulate the kind of speed they have in our practice,” said McCarroll. “Once we missed a few tackles, they were clear to the end zone.”

In the third, Wilson threatened to make this their third straight mercy rule win when Damian Simpson broke off the right side and scampered to a 54-yard touchdown, making the score 29-7. Then Stem threw a deep post pass that Damon Simpson caught with a leaping, over-the-shoulder catch and the Warriors increased their advantage to 36-7.

Lehighton refused to wave the white flag as Crum, who ran 32 times for 159 yards, opened the fourth quarter scoring with a nifty 8-yard counter run into the end zone.

McCarroll’s decision to then try an onside kick paid off as the Tribe’s Owen Kovach recovered the ensuing kickoff to put his team back in business at the Wilson 49-yard line. Brady O’Donnell found Buchert over the middle to the two and Crum hurdled into the end zone from the one to bring the score to 36-21 with 8:17 left to play.

A second try at an onside kick failed, setting the Warriors up with a first down at their own 45. A pass interference penalty and a personal foul against the Indians moved the ball 30 yards, and on a second down from the 15, Damian Simpson ended the scoring when he broke free on a counter off the left side.

McCarroll praised his team’s play right to the final whistle and especially lauded his star running back and the improvement of his quarterback.

“Hunter is just an incredible athlete and everyone saw that tonight,” said McCarroll. “O’Donnell is just a sophomore growing into the position each week. He made some really good throws to keep our drives moving.”

DAMION AND DAMON TAG TEAM ... The Simpsons totaled 185 yards and scored five touchdowns in a display of speed and athleticism that made the difference in the game.

FLAG BAGGAGE ... McConnell mentioned that his team must cut down on their penalties that totaled 119 yards in the game, a statistic that has plagued them in each of their first three games.