On a night when homecoming was trying to take center stage, Lehighton’s football team took it to another level, figuratively flattening all the tires on the bus that visiting Pottsville rode into town.

The Tide went out gimpy, wounded and saddled with a 35-0 loss in a Colonial/Schuylkill League encounter Friday night before an overflow home crowd.

Led by the one-two running of Lukas Croizier, Jayse Lawrence and the powerful blocking of Dom Lawrence, this band of warriors was focused from start to finish.

Their coach Tom McCarroll threw down the proverbial challenge after watching his team get wobbled and weak-kneed by powerful Northwestern a week ago, and the answer was resounding: The Indians came to play!

“We played pretty good football for four weeks, even though last week we didn’t show up,” McCarroll pointed out. “Our efforts were terrible; I understand that Northwestern is the defending state champs … we issued a challenge this week and they answered the bell.”

Indeed, the bell rang loud and clear. There was the tough, hardnosed running by Croizier, who pounded and punished the Tide defenders. Croizier rushed for 161 yards on 21 carries. He found the end zone with a 5-yard run that started to wear on the Pottsville defense to open the third quarter. Lehighton sunk its teeth into a well-executed 11-play drive that motored 80 yards. In that scoring drive, Lawrence burst through the Tide defense for 32 yards to the five to set up Croizier for his six.

“It was easy. Our line just blocked and I ran through the hole,” said Croizier, a 5-9, 165-pound junior.

Yeah, and how about the way teammate Lawrence directed at the helm. The 6-foot, 175-pound quarterback was sharp. When he wasn’t tossing completions (10-11, 112 yards) or touchdowns (three) he used his quick feet to race by the opposition’s defense, slipping into the secondary for 114 yards on eight carries.

“We wanted to just march the field as much as possible,” Lawrence explained when asked about the game plan. “Our starting center went down (and) Nick Blose came in and did a heck of a job. Coach McCarroll knows that my eyes can read very well, and I get the call and can read (the defense).”

Lawrence’s first score was a heady play on both accounts. Lawrence was scrambling to his right, then found fellow senior Blake Roberts, who worked himself free near the goal line. Roberts used his body to shield off a Pottsville defender for the first touchdown of the evening, and Phillip Ebert booted the first of his five extra-points through the uprights.

Later, Lawrence connected on a superb 15-yard strike to elusive wide receiver Caden Meek. The strike was textbook, for sure. He rolled left, squared up and somehow threw a pinpoint pass for his second touchdown pass. Then, as the final quarter was dwindling down, Lawrence led his team on a beauty of a six-play, 70-yard march for the game’s final touchdown.

This time, unsung Ty Nansteel was the recipient of a 15-yard touchdown that kicked in the running clock after Ebert’s fifth extra point.

“Our defense was just outstanding,” McCarroll said. “That’s a pretty good football team, they’re going to win some more games. I love our playmakers on the edge; we know how good they are and what they’re capable of doing.”

Oh, yeah, and the defense just snuffed out the Tide’s offensive approach. And one of the highlights was Croizier’s pick at linebacker in the second quarter that swung the momentum. Henceforth, the Tribe put the offense into full throttle as Lawrence and Croizier shared the pigskin in the second touchdown drive, which ended on Lawrence’s 3-yard smash right through the heart of the Pottsville defense.

“I seen the opening and I just went straight (to the end zone),” the Lehighton quarterback said. “Our blockers were dominating.”

For sure, Dom Lawrence was right in the middle of the pack.

“It was pretty hard, but we stepped up, and felt the momentum building,” is the way the 6-foot, 240-pound lineman expressed the battle in the trenches. “Each down we got more and more confidence.”

So much so, that the Indians were far superior on this particular evening.

“We want to enjoy this (victory) and get ready for Blue Mountain, another very good team,” Corizier and Lawrence both acknowledged.

CHEAPSKATES … The Tribe’s defense was outstanding. Lehighton limited Pottsville to a grand total of 96 yards rushing and 63 yards passing.

EVEN STEVEN … Lehighton spread the wealth around. While Croizier and Lawrence were the chief in the running department the passing game was topflight. Lehighton was led by Meek, who had five grabs for 78 yards. Roberts had three for 21.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN … Lehighton gets a whopper of a test Friday with the fast-improving Blue Mountain club.

Lehighton 35, Pottsville 0

Pottsville 0 0 0 0 - 0

Lehighton 0 14 14 7 - 35

L - Roberts 4 pass from Lawrence (Ebert kick)

L - Lawrence 3 run (Ebert kick)

L - Croizier 5 run (Ebert kick)

L - Meek 15 pass from Lawrence (Ebert kick)

L - Nansteel 15 pass from Lawrence (Ebert kick)