Jim Thorpe registered its third straight shut out Friday night.

Well, sort of.

With the Olympians holding a 76-0 lead over Kutztown at halftime, both coaches agreed to cancel the second half due to the score and the depleted Cougar roster, which numbered 20 players after a few of first half injuries.

Thorpe (4-0) scored often and at will in a matchup of non-league opponents. The rout was on after Kutztown fumbled at its own 7-yard line in the opening series of the game. CJ Selby took the handoff from Davier Calcano and ran to pay dirt on JT’s first play from scrimmage.

After a six yard punt on the Cougars’ next possession, Calcano passed to Dom Madera for six yards to the Kutztown 5-yard line, where Selby, last week’s Times News Player of the Week, sliced off the right side for a score to give Thorpe a 14-0 lead with just over two minutes gone in the first quarter.

On the Olympians’ next possession, Calcano found Madera for a 22-yard pass play, and then Selby took a direct snap and scampered 30 yards down the right sideline, making it 21-0 with five-and-a-half minutes to go in the quarter.

“I was proud of our kids,” said Jim Thorpe coach Mark Rosenberger. “They got better after a week of practice and they stayed focused tonight.”

One minute after Selby’s third TD, Madera carried the rock 56 yards to the house on a nifty cutback run.

After another Kutztown punt, Selby countered the off right tackle from his own 36 and broke free for a 64-yard scoring sprint, giving him 130 yards rushing on five carries.

Thorpe would score twice more in the quarter’s final 47 seconds, first on a Madera 15 yard burst up the middle and then on a 17 yard interception return by Noah Snisky, the first of four touchdowns in the game by JT’s Red Swarm defense.

Both Cameron Tinjero and Jave Butler returned interceptions for second quarter scores, and Dylan Letcher picked up a blocked field goal and ran 75 yards for another touchdown. Joe Zemaitaitis added a safety when he tackled Kuztown’s quarterback In the end zone after a bad snap sailed over his head.

“No matter the opponent, we played our style of football,” said Rosenberger.

The Cougars nearly scored in the second quarter when Tristan Stoess returned a kick off 87 yards before he was tripped up from behind on the JT 3-yard line. A penalty pushed Kutztown back to the 8. A fourth down field goal attempt was blocked and returned by JT’s Letcher for a touchdown.

When asked about whether the apparent mismatch benefitted his team, Rosenberger offered this reply.

“Whenever we have an opportunity to play a game in front of our home crowd, it’s always special and we always learn something from every game so we can get better.” he said.

MOON MARK

... Last week’s record-setting tally of 67 points against Panther Valley under last night’s harvest moon, albeit in only two quarters of football.

SPECIAL HONORARY CAPTAIN

... John Thorpe, Jim Thorpe’s grandson, was a special guest at the game. He was named honorary captain and performed the pregame coin toss at midfield.