Ten months.

That’s how long it’s been since Pen Argyl traveled to Northern Lehigh and eliminated the Bulldogs from the district playoffs last season.

Needless to say, that feeling didn’t sit well with Nolehi head coach Joe Tout and his players.

So when this year’s schedule showed the Green Knights heading to Slatington in Week 3, there was definitely a revenge factor in play.

Despite a somewhat shaky start on Friday, the Bulldogs used a big second quarter — complete with a successful onside kick — to pull away from Pen Argyl and gain some payback with a 42-19 victory.

“We usually put last year to bed,” said Tout. “But this was one our guys in the offseason wanted. It left a bad taste in my mouth … so this was one we were all looking forward to.”

“Everybody in our locker room was hyped and we’ve had this game circled since November from that playoff game,” added Chris Frame, who scored three touchdowns in the contest. “We just really wanted to come and out and show them who we are, and we didn’t want to let them beat us in our house again.”

Despite all those emotions, the Bulldogs came out a bit flat.

The two teams traded a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter before Northern Lehigh kicked it into gear on both sides of the ball.

“We had a great week of practice, but then we came out tonight and we were a little bit flat,” said Tout. “I was disappointed in that. (Pen Argyl) came out and, especially from their first two games, we weren’t expecting to see a big run like that early. The offense kept us in it, and then our defense settled in.”

The Knights’ Caiden Faust broke free for a 50-yard run on the first play from scrimmage that led to an early score. The senior escaped for another big run of 63 yards later in the opening frame to set up another Pen Argyl tally. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, their offense also reached the end zone twice as Frame did the honors both times — one on a 51-yard scamper.

“We’ve been feeling pretty good where we are being able to put up points, we just have shore up our defense,” said Tout. “If we do that, then we’re going to have a lot of wins coming our way.”

One way to have the defense excel is by keeping the other team’s offense off the field, which is exactly what happened over the next quarter and a half for Tout’s club.

Frame, who finished with 140 yards rushing, picked up 35 of them during the team’s first possession of the second quarter. On the next play, Keith Lectora raced 39 yards on a sweep to extend the Bulldogs’ one-point lead to 21-13.

Following the score, the Bulldogs executed an onside kick to perfection, giving them the ball again.

Eight plays later Nolehi was in the end zone again courtesy of a Grady Newhard 6-yard run.

“You could just see by their alignment they were giving it to you,” said Tout. “Everybody bailed, they had one guy that did not. So, give credit to our guys. I’m not sure who recovered but Bill Slattery was big on that play because he was the guy that took out the one guy that stayed for them, so Bill got on him and that enabled someone else to get it. That was a little bit of a momentum change there in the first half.”

“That was really huge in this game,” said Frame, who also intercepted a pass on defense. “It was unreal, just getting that as a momentum shift. And after that, I feel like we just stepped on the gas pedal.”

Northern Lehigh came out in the second half and punched in another score that pretty much sealed the contest.

Newhard ran the ball four times during the possession before Frame snared a 30-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Smoyer.

The Bulldog defense managed to keep the Knights off the board until midway through the final quarter, but Northern Lehigh responded with another Smoyer TD pass — this one a 21-yarder to Ryan Zambo — to close out the scoring.

STATS … In addition to his 140 yards rushing, Frame caught four passes for 51 yards. Newhard ended with 104 yards on the ground, and Zambo had five receptions for 67 yards. Smoyer ended 12-of-21 for 140 yards passing. For Pen Argyl, Faust collected 170 yards rushing while quarterback Mason Soos was 12-of-20 for 116 yards.

UP AHEAD … Northern Lehigh travels to Palisades to take on the undefeated Pirates.

N. Lehigh 42, Pen Argyl 19

Pen Argyl 13 0 0 6 - 19

No. Lehigh 14 14 7 7 - 42

PA - Metzgar 24 pass from Soos (Kotulka kick)

NL - Frame 3 run (Hanna kick)

NL - Frame 51 run (Hanna kick)

PA - Estes 3 run (run failed)

NL - Lectora 39 run (Hanna kick)

NL - Newhard 6 run (Hanna kick)

NL - Frame 30 pass from Smoyer (Hanna kick)

PA - Faust 7 run (pass failed)

NL - Zambo 21 pass from Smoyer (Hanna kick)

Records: Pen Argyl (2-1); Northern Lehigh (3-0)