EASTON - The running game got Jim Thorpe into position to win. But it was the passing game that sealed the deal for the Olympians in Saturday’s District 11 Class 3A semifinal at Notre Dame Green Pond.

After Jim Thorpe pounded the ball all night with hard-running Camron Tinajero, Notre Dame’s defense started to overcommit. The Olympians, clinging to a two-point lead in the fourth quarter, took advantage.

Senior Drew Wimmer caught a pair of passes from quarterback Brett Balliet - including the first touchdown of his varsity career - to help send his team to next week’s district title game with a 26-18 win over the Crusaders.

“Wimmer is an outstanding football player,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger. “He’s one of those silent leaders on our football team. He’s saved a ton of touchdowns this year at free safety with his sound tackling. It’s so nice to see a kid like him, who works extremely hard, make plays at the end of the game here.”

The Olympians started their win-sealing drive at their own 43-yard line with just over eight minutes on the clock. A flea flicker led to a 35-yard gain for Wimmer on the second play of the drive.

Four plays later, on a fourth-and-nine, offensive coordinator Frank Miller called a played they named Fast and Go. Wimmer fakes a block, then runs a go route. For the second time in six plays, he got behind the Crusader defense and Balliet floated a ball into his arms for the first touchdown of Wimmer’s career.

“It happened at the perfect time,” said Wimmer. “We were practicing it all week.

“It feels amazing. A team that beat us pretty bad the first time we played them, and now we came out here and gave it back to them.”

The big pass plays were set up by the running of Tinajero, who posted 134 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. His first score, a one-yard run, put the Olympians in front 7-6 in the first quarter.

Derryl Fisher blocked a Notre Dame field goal on the Crusaders’ next possession. A nine-play drive - featuring seven Tinajero runs capped by his 10-yard touchdown scamper - followed to give Thorpe a short-lived 14-6 lead late in the first half.

“Physical football player,” Rosenberger said of Tinajero. “Outstanding young man. Leader of our team right now. No one deserves it more. He’s worked extremely hard for his career here at Jim Thorpe.”

Notre Dame, the No. 2 seed in Class 3A, answered that late second-half score with a 37-second touchdown drive to get within 14-12 at halftime.

A 22-yard field goal by Kieran Mele extended the lead to 17-12, but the Crusaders answered with a 71-yard, six-play touchdown drive that was aided by some Olympian penalties. Collin Quintano’s five-yard TD pass to Nadir Sanders put Notre Dame in front 18-17.

The No. 3 seed Olympians (7-5) responded with another field goal drive, this one aided by a 47-yard third-down reception by Fisher.

Mele nailed his second 22-yard boot to put his team back in front 20-18 with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.

Jim Thorpe’s defense was strong all night, but it seemed even more powerful in the fourth quarter. The Crusaders (7-3), who had hung 500 passing yards on Thorpe in a regular season meeting, had three fourth quarter possessions and got nothing out of any of them.

The defensive effort was led by both senior end Bryson Heydt, and sophomore tackle Noah Rosahac.

“The pressure they were able to put on the quarterback all night long really started to pay dividends for us,” said Rosenberger. “If we were able to be successful, it was because our four defensive linemen were able to get pressure on the quarterback, and we could sink seven into coverage to try to slow this passing game down.”

The plan worked. Notre Dame had few opportunities downfield and often settled for short passes that were able to be contained.

CLOSER HOME

… The Olympians will take on top-seeded North Schuylkill in the title game, and they will do it much closer to home, as the game will be played at Lehighton next Saturday.

FLAGS EVERYWHERE

… Jim Thorpe’s biggest weakness against the Crusaders was the penalty flag. The Olympians got called for everything from sideline warnings, to running into the punter, to tripping and your basic holding. Some late-hit calls helped keep Notre Dame drives alive, but the JT defense battled through all of it.

DOES IT AL

L. Tinajero had a first-half interception to go along with his big offensive night.