Northern Lehigh’s offense has been improving each week. The Bulldogs have increased their points total game by game and wasted no time putting points on the board in their game against Pine Grove on Friday.

On the first play of the game, the Bulldogs used a play-action pass, setting up a 80-yard pitch and catch touchdown from quarterback Nick Frame to tight end Austin Smyth. Northern Lehigh’s swift score was a sign of things to come as the Bulldogs (4-0) rolled to a 61-0 win over the Cardinals.

Northern Lehigh then turned to its trusty running game and running back John Abidelli, who tacked on the next two Bulldogs’ scores from 13 and seven yards out to give Northern Lehigh a 21-0 advantage with 9:32 to go in the first half. The Bulldogs made it a four-touchdown lead on another play-action play later in the second quarter from Frame to tight end Jesiah Burton from the Cardinals 26-yard line.

It was a dominant first half for Northern Lehigh, which not only scored quickly and decisively, but also spread the wealth with nine different players carrying the ball for the Bulldogs in the first half.

“It was good to come out and execute that pass right away and for it to go for a touchdown. That’s just a great start when you can do that,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout. “All week coming in, we knew we were going to start with that play and that the play-action should be there for us. And it is one thing to do it in practice and then to execute it in the game. And to be able to spread the ball around early to our guys, who all bring different things to the table, that was also big. We’re starting to fit all those pieces together.”

The Bulldogs offense put together another strong showing in the third quarter to put the game into the mercy rule with touchdown runs of 32, 54 and 59 yards from AJ Jimenez-Wittong, Ethan Karpowich and talented freshman Grady Newhard. Northern Lehigh’s defense gave up just 26 yards of total offense, including minus-37 yards rushing.

“Our defense is our strength and you can see our kids are really starting to develop that nastiness and that pride in keeping teams out of the end zone,” said Tout. “You need to have that edge if you want to be special like our 2003 and 2011 defenses were here and you’re seeing that with this group and the way they play fast and the way they attack and swarm the football.”

PUNT PARTY... As noted, Northern Lehigh did not give Pine Grove much to work with on Friday as the Cardinals were forced to punt it eight times and turned it over on downs twice.

SPREADING THE WEALTH... The Bulldogs had 11 different players carry the ball and seven different players find the end zone.

YOUNG PUP... Freshman running back Grady Newhard made the most of his opportunities rushing for 71 yards on four carries and scoring two touchdowns. It was on a 59-yard run in the third quarter where Newhard showed some promising skills, making an impressive cut back on the left sideline to make a defender miss to take it in for six.