SCHUYLKILL HAVEN — There’s a reason Schuylkill Haven’s football team is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A.

The Hurricanes can be so dominant, so imposing, so impressive, that it’s a good bet they’ll be lifting some hardware over the next three weeks.

The way they mauled Northern Lehigh, 60-7, in their District 11 Class 2A semifinal matchup left the impression this team is peaking at the right time.

Rallying around speedy, physical running back Colton Reber, the senior was nothing short of phenomenal Saturday evening at Rotary Field. He seemed uncatchable, scoring six touchdowns and rushing for 355 yards on just eight carries.

Future opponents hate to see what he can do for an encore.

Haven isn’t just about speed. It has brute strength in the right places — an offensive line that buries you in a New York minute, and a defense so aggressive it threw the Bulldogs for losses time and again.

The Hurricanes ran only 18 offensive plays in the first half. Here’s how it went:

Series 1: Reber scored his first touchdown on a 5-yard run to cap a six-play drive. Teammate Logan Goad added the PAT on a run.

Series 2: One play — Reber blazed 76 yards through the heart of the Bulldogs’ defense. Goad added the PAT on a run.

Series 3: One play — Niko Castillo zipped 44 yards for a score. Goad added the PAT on a run.

Series 4: Two plays — Reber bolted 69 yards to the end zone and added the PAT run himself.

Series 5: Six plays — Castillo caught a 26-yard pass from Max Heim; Reber ran in the PAT.

Series 6: One play — Reber sprinted 80 yards. Grayson Fessler kicked the PAT.

Series 7: One play — Reber scored again on a 69-yard run; the Fessler pass failed.

Series 8: One play — Goad ran 19 yards for a touchdown; Fessler’s kick was good.

Do the math: 20 plays, eight touchdowns. This team doesn’t dilly-dally — it goes straight for the jugular.

“They’re pretty impressive, their size, their speed,” said Northern Lehigh coach Joe Tout, who knew coming in that the only way to slow down Haven was to tackle low.

“We didn’t get any stops, or thought we could make stops … you got to tackle low; we made that a point of emphasis … Williams Valley had some success with them.” There was an early glimmer of hope for Northern Lehigh. After Haven took an 8-0 lead, the Bulldogs answered, marching 76 yards to paydirt.

Quarterback Garrett Smoyer led the seven-play drive with some sharp passing. He found Chris Vargas for a 27-yard gain to open the drive, then hit Keith Lectora for 16 yards to the Haven 34. Smoyer picked up five yards on a run, and on a clutch fourth-down play, found Colin Karetsky with a perfectly thrown 19-yard touchdown pass.

“I thought we did some positive things,” Tout said, referring to the touchdown drive. “I thought we could match up (with them) speed wise, but obviously …”

After that, the offense sputtered. Schuylkill Haven kept blitzing off the edge, wreaking havoc.

“They sent the house,” Tout said of Haven’s pressure. “We had it accounted for… we started to do a little more max protection. They were able to blow it up, and I don’t think Garrett was comfortable. It wasn’t any of the inside pressure, but the outside pressure.”

Tout said his defense struggled mainly because it couldn’t make plays.

“We got sucked in, I don’t know why,” he said of the team’s difficulty flowing to the ball when the ‘Canes had possession. “We started to adjust, but it was a little too late.”

Haven coach Mike Farr wasn’t letting his team overlook the Bulldogs.

“Listen, that’s a good football team,” Farr said. “They have three losses this year; Notre Dame Green Pond, Northwestern Lehigh and Palisades the first time around, and they beat Palisades (in the playoffs). Hey they lost their best player, they’re best offensive weapon (Chris Frame) … that is not a bad football team, they’re a good football team. They scare me.”

Heck, coach — your team scares the wits out of opponents, too.

Now Haven meets Williams Valley, which rolled past Minersville 56-35 to set up a rematch for the District 11 championship Friday evening at Blue Mountain. The Vikings’ only loss this season came to Haven, 43-29, on Sept. 26.

WHAT HE SAID ... “We need a year in the weight room. If you look at our losses, more so on the O-line … we need a year of maturity,” said Coach Tout on his expectations for the offseason.

HE HAS GROWN ... Reber is a senior, and just 17. He’s grown since the start of the season, from 6-foot-1, 212 pounds to 6-2, 237, and runs a 4.6.

HOW THEY ATTACKED ... Farr said Northern Lehigh started in a five-man front with tight linebackers, so attacking the edge with Reber was the key to Haven’s success.

SOLID JOB ... Catching passes for Northern Lehigh: Lectora 7-82, Ryan Zambo 4-31, Vargas 2-42, Karetsky 1-19.

LAST CALL ... Suiting up for the final time for the Bulldogs: Vargas, Grady Newhard, Caleb Bosch, Kaden Quinones and Ethan Grozier.

REMATCH ... Haven lost to Williams Valley in last season’s district championship. The Hurricanes will look to return the favor this time around.

Sch. Haven 60, No. Lehigh 7

No. Lehigh 7 0 0 0 - 7

Sch. Haven 24 16 13 7 - 60

SH - Reber 76 run (Goad run)

NL - Karetsky 19 pass from Smoyer (Hanna kick)

SH - Castillo 44 run (Goad run)

SH - Reber 69 run (Reber run)

SH - Castillo 26 pass from Heim (Reber run)

SH - Reber 80 run (Fessler kick)

SH - Reber 69 run (pass failed)

SH - Goad 19 run (Fessler kick)