Southern Lehigh, like many football teams at all levels, loves to score first. The problem was: Blue Mountain won the toss and elected to receive in Friday night’s Colonial-Schuylkill League game in Center Valley.
The Spartans couldn’t win the toss, so they took the ball the first chance they could.
It took only eight seconds for Jacoby Jacobs to step in front of a Cohen Kirby pass. The senior’s interception gave Southern Lehigh a short field that it capitalized on two minutes later.
That was the game’s theme.
The Spartans’ defense forced three turnovers that the offense turned into 21 points. Special teams set up the fourth score and coach Phil Sams’ club pitched a 28-0 shutout to move to 2-0 this season.
“Phenomenal job,” Sams said of the defensive performance. “Any time you shut out a team like Blue Mountain. They are battle tested. They barely lost in a scrimmage to Exeter, state-ranked in 5A, and had a close loss last week to Schuylkill Haven, which is state-ranked in 2A. To have that shutout is fantastic.
“Coach [Craig] Sutyak and the defensive coaches did a great job. The players deserve the most credit for showing up and playing a tough Blue Mountain team that is a very physical game. Every time we play them. We’ll come out of this with a lot of bruises.”
Southern Lehigh returned the favor, allowing only 119 total yards on 37 plays.
It was the first Blue Mountain was shut out since Nov. 3, 2023, by Bethlehem Catholic in the District 11 Class 4A playoffs.
Coming off a run to last year’s 4A state semifinals, the Spartans cleared another hurdle in what they expect to be another season with a deep PIAA playoff run.
“Last year is in the past,” two-way lineman Carter Giberson said. “This is a new team. We have new guys stepping up. We’re just letting the ball roll week by week. Every week is a new week.”
Sean Steckert is not one of the new guys, but he continues to step up every week. He ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns, both coming after the Spartans’ defense picked off passes.
Southern Lehigh scored first thanks to Jacobs’ interception on Blue Mountain’s first offensive play. Five Steckert carries later, the Spartans led 7-0 with 9:47 left in the first quarter.
The teams exchanged 3-and-outs before another Eagles interception set up a short field for the Spartans. Jack Pavis’ caught a tipped pass off Chase Guers’ hands and returned the pick to the Blue Mountain 23. Three Steckert carries later, the senior scored again for a 14-0 advantage at the 2:17 mark of the opening quarter.
Blue Mountain moved to near midfield midway through the second quarter, but Evan Przyuski’s fumble recovery set up Southern Lehigh again.
Six plays later, Colton Sams hit Darius Roman on a 10-yard fade pattern on third down for the Spartans’ third touchdown with 3:57 left in the first half.
Southern Lehigh had 167 total yards in the first half and allowed just 52 on 22 Blue Mountain plays.
The Spartans started fast in the third quarter when Steckert’s 35-yard kickoff return and 33-yard run had them in the red zone. Three plays later, Jacobs rolled in from 11 yards out for a 28-0 cushion less than three minutes into the third quarter.
“[Blue Mountain] plays hard until the end,” Sams said. “They play all the way through the fourth quarter. We were hoping to get the mercy rule, get the guys out of here early. They didn’t let it happen.
“A lot of the credit goes to the defense tonight and the offensive line up front. We moved the ball when we needed to.”
Jacobs added a tackle for loss. Noah Hoppel had a tackle for loss and Dylan Gretz produced a sack.
Reese Miller made three tackles for loss for Blue Mountain. Brody Foose had two. Shane Williams had sacks on consecutive plays in the second half.
No longer streaking
Blue Mountain won 11 consecutive road games before Friday night, last losing 24-21 at Saucon Valley on Oct. 14, 2022.
The Eagles won last year’s meeting, 32-20, their first victory in five tries in the series. The Spartans won the first three by a combined 10 points before a 29-point win in 2023.
Up next
Southern Lehigh (2-0) visits Lehighton (1-1) at 7 p.m. on Friday. Blue Mountain (0-2) hosts Jim Thorpe (1-1), also Friday at 7.
SOUTHERN LEHIGH 28, BLUE MOUNTAIN 0
Blue Mountain: 0; 0; 0; 0 — 0
Southern Lehigh; 14; 7; 7; 0 — 28
ORDER OF SCORING
First quarter
SL: Sean Steckert 1 run (Declan Walsh kick), 9:47
SL: Steckert 4 run (Walsh kick), 2:17
Second quarter
SL: Colton Sams 10 pass to Darius Roman (Walsh kick), 3:57
Third quarter
SL: Jacoby Jacobs 11 run (Walsh kick), 9:37
TEAM STATISTICSBM; SLFirst downs; 7; 16Rushes-yards; 25-107; 37-176Passing yards; 12; 127Comp-Att-INTs; 2-12-2; 15-19-0Punts-avg.; 5-34.2; 3-35.3Fumbles-lost; 1-1; 0-0Penalties-yards; 3-15; 6-45
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICSRushing: (Blue Mountain) Brody Foose 16-86; Carter Smith 4-14; Cohen Kirby 4-7; Frankie Russo 1-0; (Southern Lehigh) Sean Steckert 25-142, 2 TDs; Colton Sams 2-(-7); Declan Walsh 2-22; Silas Adasavage 4-11; Jacoby Jacobs 1-11, TD; Jayson Stock 2-(-1); team 1-(-2).
Passing: (Blue Mountain) Kirby 2-12-2, 12 yards; (Southern Lehigh) Sams 15-19-0, 127 yards, TD.
Receiving: (Blue Mountain) Russo 2-12; (Southern Lehigh) Luke Kawczenski 5-36; Darius Roman 3-31, TD; Tanner Traub 1-11; Otto Young 2-56; Jack Fistner 1-8; Steckert 3-(-15).
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
https://www.mcall.com/2025/08/29/opportunistic-southern-lehigh-football-knocks-off-blue-mountain/
