The outcome of one regular season game usually doesn’t define a season, but the result of one game can certainly help to put a team on the right path.

Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua face off with each other tonight in that exact type of matchup, as both the Olympians (1-2) and Raiders (1-2) need a win to get back to the .500 mark.

With important season momentum on the line for both teams, their bout has been tabbed as the Week Four Times News Game of the Week.

Tamaqua is coming into its game against Jim Thorpe with momentum, as the Blue Raiders upset Pottsville last week, 21-19.

The Tamaqua defense got a big stop, stuffing the Tide’s two-point conversion attempt with just over a minute remaining in the game to seal the victory.

The Raiders defense was impressive in the win, holding talented Tide running back JuJu Bainbridge to just 48 rushing yards on 17 carries.

“Our defense is definitely getting better. We had that huge two-point conversion stop at the end of the game. We had to replace 3-4 guys up front from last season, so it’s taken some time, but our guys have been playing more physical and more disciplined,” said Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner.

“For a lot of our guys it was their first varsity win, so they were definitely excited. We’re playing a lot of young guys, just like Jim Thorpe is. So, we know we need to get back to work this week as we head down to Thorpe to take on a good football team.”

The Raiders also got their run game going last week against the Tide.

Sophomore running back Terrence McDowell had a breakout night, carrying the ball 31 times for 137 yards and three rushing touchdowns. On the season, McDowell has rushed for 307 yards and four scores.

“McDowell is a tough athletic running back that has been making some big plays for them. Tamaqua is going to play hard, and they’re going to play physical on every play. It’s a well-coached football team,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.

“For us, we lacked physicality in all phases against Blue Mountain last week. There was no energy or passion of any sort. That can’t happen this week. We need to get back to playing a physical style of football with every player swarming to the football.”

The Olympians need to put last week’s result in the rear view mirror and forget about it.

Thorpe got a nice win over Palmerton in Week One, battled Pottsville in Week Two, but then last week were shut out 47-0 on the road at Blue Mountain. Thorpe couldn’t get much of anything going on the offensive end against the Eagles, and on the defensive end it surrendered 186 yards rushing.

Senior signal-caller Cole Lazorick is once again the heartbeat for Thorpe on the offensive end, as he leads the way with 430 yards passing, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior Josh Louk has also been productive, rushing for 109 yards, while tallying 130 receiving yards.

“Lazorick is obviously the key for them. He can hurt you with his arm and his legs. He’s a really athletic player that can make all the throws,” said Bonner. “I mentioned it before. They’re a lot like us. They’re playing a lot of young guys.

“This is a big week for both teams. We just have to continue to build off last week. I really liked the way that we ran the ball last week. McDowell ran hard. They were hard-earned yards that he got. That’s the mentality we need to continue to play with.”