Matt Doherty isn’t the biggest kid on the football field.

In fact, he’s far from it.

But the senior may be one of the toughest.

Doherty picked up 227 yards on 33 carries Friday night to lead Marian to a 30-6 Schuylkill League win over rival Panther Valley. But it wasn’t just the number of yards that was impressive, it was how he obtained them.

More times than not, it took multiple defenders to bring down the 5-7, 173-pound player. And when he was tackled, it was after having dragged someone for a few yards.

“He’s tough,” said Colts head coach Pat Morgans. “He’s a strong kid. He puts time in the weight room during the offseason.

“He’s deceiving. He doesn’t look that big, but he’s strong ... He’s legit.”

Doherty got his team off and running as Marian took the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards in eight plays. Doherty touched the ball seven times during the drive and capped it with an 11-yard scoring run.

“Everybody just came out and did a great job,” said Doherty. “I can’t thank my line enough. They opened the holes.

“My adrenaline is going right now. It’s always great to beat a rival, but I know I’ll feel it tomorrow.”

Unfortunately for the Panthers, some of their players may be feeling it, as well.

The Colts won the battle of the trenches, while Doherty also inflicted damage.

“He’s a talented kid,” said PV mentor Scott Price. “We knew their game plan. They outweighed us up front.

“But you have to give credit to our kids for their fight and effort.”

Following that first drive, the Panthers did manage to bend but not break on defense. They forced one three-and-out and held Marian out of the end zone on another drive, but they couldn’t escape one of the Colts’ biggest assets this season.

Kicker Lucca Stroia connected on a field goal early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 10-0. It would be the first of three he would have on the night.

“It’s nice to be able to get down there, where you put together a drive and come away with points,” said Morgans. “There’s nothing that takes the air out of your sails more than getting down there and running out of downs, so it’s a nice weapon to have.”

The two teams traded scores late in the first half, as Marian’s Zach Boyer reached the end zone from seven yards out and PV responded with a 10-yard tally from quarterback Ethan Reis.

With the score 17-6 and the Panthers receiving the ball to start the second half, Panther Valley was looking for something to give it momentum.

A failed fourth-down attempt deep in its territory, however, did the opposite.

Marian capitalized on a short field and moved 34 yards for another touchdown to extend its lead. Doherty, who had a key 18-yard gain during the series, went over from a yard out.

“Our defense has come a long way, and they continue to work,” said Morgans, whose team didn’t give up a first down in the second half. “I give these kids a lot of credit. They struggled early on, and we had injuries and things like that, but we’re coming together now and we’re getting some continuity in the lineup now, which also helps also. We just want to continue to get better.”

Stroia finished out the scoring with his two other field goals, including one from 37 yards out.

“The game plan tonight was to stick with what’s working,” said Morgans. “Our line came out today and they were blocking well. We just stuck with it and Matt was running hard.

“This is two in a row now. I give the kids all the credit in the world. The beginning of the year wasn’t easy, but they hung tough, they came and worked and they got better and continued to improve.”

UP NEXT ... Marian will look to make it three in a row on Friday when they travel to play Shenandoah Valley. The Panthers will try to bounce back at Mahanoy Area.

TOUGH ON D ... The Colts had eight tackles for loss, including two sacks by Boyer.

PANTHER STATS ... Reis threw for 112 yards and could have had more if not for a number of dropped passes by his receiver. Blake White, however, did catch six passes for 76 yards.