In the beginning, they played fast and strong, which is any defensive coordinator’s worst nightmare.

In the end, North Schuylkill, the state’s fourth-ranked team, defeated Jim Thorpe 40-7 to win the District 11 3A championship on Saturday night in Lehighton.

After the opening kickoff, North Schuylkill was pinned back on its own 14-yard line, but in the blink of an eye, the Spartans ran and passed on a 13-play drive, culminating in a two-handed grab over the defender of a throw by Jake Hall to Joey Flail in the corner of the end zone.

It appeared that JT’s Red Swarm might weather the offensive barrage, having held the Spartans from a first and goal from the two-yard line to a fourth and goal from the six before Hall hooked up with Flail.

On the ensuing kickoff, JT’s David Firoto returned 42 yards to the Spartans’ 40-yard line, but Thorpe’s offense managed just one yard before punting back to the Spartans.

This time, North Schuylkill blitzed down the field for 83 yards in 12 plays. Jaxson Chowansky’s one-yard burst gave his team a 13-0 lead at the 3:09 mark of the first quarter.

Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger explained that his defense had trouble adjusting to North Schuylkill’s no huddle, quick snap offense.

“We just didn’t have the time to get our alignments set,” he said. “Their tempo off the ball is incredible.”

On North Schuylkill’s next kickoff, once again, the return gave Thorpe great field position. This time it was Derryl Fisher who ran the ball 29 yards to the 49-yard line, but the Olympians moved backward on a quarterback sack, and on a fourth and 14, had to punt the ball away.

With 2:10 to go in the quarter, and on a second and 15 from the JT 46, Hall threw a strike on a deep post pattern to Flail for a 19-0 Spartan advantage. North Schuylkill would make it 26-0 with three minutes gone by in the second quarter on a Jaxson Chowansky two yard run.

The Olympians (7-5) earned their first first down in the game on a Cameron Tinajero two-yard run with 8:19 seconds to go before the half, but the drive failed to score points.

With a fourth and nine at their own 36, North Schuylkill’s Flail took the punt and scampered 68 yards down the sideline to pay dirt for a 33-0 Spartan lead. Flail had himself a monster game, catching seven balls for 100 yards in addition to the punt return score.

The Spartans (11-1) would increase their lead to 40-0 at the half when Hall faked a jet sweep and dodged several would-be tacklers for a 30-yard TD run.

“Obviously, the game didn’t go like we had planned,” said Rosenberger. “They are a great team and to be honest, they are better than us.”

When asked what he had said to his team at halftime, Rosenberger put the game into perspective.

“We always play to win, but I told my players to go out, have fun, and enjoy the final minutes you have left in your season,” he said.

With the mercy clock running down the time in the second half, the Olympians would score their only touchdown, and a fitting one at that. A couple of inside reverse running plays to Sal Capria and to Tinajero began an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a Tinajero 20-yard bolt off the left side to the end zone by the senior running back.

“I’m proud of this team,” said Rosenberger. “This was the first time in 17 years we made it to the district finals, and we had a great run to get here.”

NOT THIS TIME ... North Schuylkill’s all-everything running back, Josh Chowansky, was held in check by JT’s defense. Having gained over 200 yards in the first matchup between the two teams, he was held to 67 yards on 18 carries on Saturday night.

A GREAT FINISH ... Jim Thorpe senior Tinajero’s final carry of his high school career was a 20-yard touchdown run, giving him 13 TDs and 796 yards rushing this season.