PINE GROVE — Tamaqua found the perfect formula for its offense and the ideal way to finish the regular season with a victory over Pine Grove on Friday night during the Cardinals’ Senior Night.

Don’t get the impression it was smooth sailing for the Blue Raiders. It was more like climbing a cobblestone hill, with plenty of bumps in the first half before the visitors pulled away for a 35-7 victory.

Four different players found the end zone in the Schuylkill League Division I contest.

Tamaqua (6-4) appeared to lose some momentum after a strong opening scoring drive, aided by a poor Pine Grove (2-8) punt that traveled just 12 yards.

Terrence McDowell used his quick feet to score on a 7-yard run, accounting for 20 yards on the drive after Camden Walker’s 26-yard burst set up first-and-goal at the 7.

McDowell entered the game needing 54 yards to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season despite battling injuries through the first half of the year. He finished with 67 yards.

The quick 6-0 lead gave way to a sluggish stretch, something senior lineman Kaden Krajcirik acknowledged.

“I think we came into the game sort of lousy, but in the second half we locked in much better,” he said.

Lousy, meaning the Raiders lacked their usual energy.

“They were trying to milk the clock and that kind of put us off a bit,” veteran Tamaqua coach Sam Bonner said of Pine Grove’s approach.

The Cardinals were content to drain as much time as possible on every possession, limiting opportunities for the Raiders offense.

Tamaqua finally shook off the cobwebs with a picture-perfect 97-yard drive.

Chance Makovec started it by intercepting a pass at his own 3-yard line, and the Raiders marched the length of the field.

Quarterback Ace Schickram led the way. He ripped off a 39-yard run and later connected with Makovec on a 16-yard touchdown pass. Makovec also hauled in a 9-yard reception earlier in the drive to help set up the score.

“I thought Ace did a great job for us; he passed the ball with (accuracy) and he showed a lot of leadership tonight,” Bonner said of his junior quarterback.

Tamaqua added the two-point conversion when Schickram found McDowell, extending the lead to 14-0.

Just before halftime, Tamaqua forced another punt and took over at the Pine Grove 35 with 2:59 remaining. The Raiders needed only five plays to score again.

McDowell, Walker and Schickram powered the drive behind the offensive line before McDowell finished it with a 4-yard touchdown run, sending Tamaqua into the locker room with a 20-0 advantage.

“Our line did a great job,” said senior Quinn Coleman, who scored the first touchdown of his varsity career on a nifty 7-yard reverse. “Once I got to the (edge) I just took off ... it really felt good to get my touchdown.”

Tamaqua’s lone punt of the game pinned Pine Grove at its own 11-yard line to open the third quarter. The Cardinals struggled to establish the run against a stout Raider defense, and Logan Troup, their primary offensive threat, found little room to operate until late in the game.

Before Pine Grove reached the end zone, Tamaqua added two more touchdowns. The final score by Coleman triggered the running clock.

Walker capped a 47-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge after contributing an 11-yard reception from Schickram. McDowell added a 14-yard run, and Coleman chipped in 12 yards on a reverse to help build a 28-0 lead after Makovec converted the two-point attempt.

“Overall, I thought we did a nice job of execution on both sides of the ball,” Bonner said. “We have a few bumps and bruises. Hopefully we are OK next week (for the playoffs).”

Troup finally broke loose, for a 67-yard touchdown run in the closing seconds, accounting for Pine Grove’s lone score.

NOTEWORTHY ... This was only the fourth meeting between the schools. Tamaqua had won the previous three matchups, 42-3, 19-7 and 38-26.

HITTING THE GRAND ... McDowell rushed for 67 yards on 11 carries. Walker had 37 yards on five carries, and Coleman 37 yards on three carries.

HELD IN CHECK ... Other than Troup, who rushed for 188 yards on 27 carries, the Cardinals managed just eight additional rushing yards.

WHERE TO? ... It looks like Tamaqua will face Jim Thorpe in the District 11 Class 3A playoffs. Jim Thorpe defeated Palmerton while Executive Education lost, moving the Olympians into the No. 3 seed. Tamaqua will likely enter the tournament as the six seed.

Tamaqua 35, Pine Grove 7

Tamaqua 6 14 8 7 - 35

Pine Grove 0 0 0 7 - 7

T - McDowell 7 run (kick failed)

T - Makovec 16 pass from Schickram (McDowell pass from Schickram)

T - McDowell 4 run (kick failed)

T- Walker 1 run (Makovec pass)

T - Coleman 7 run (Godinez kick)

PG - Troup 67 run (Herber kick)