The North Schuylkill Spartans wasted no time putting points on the board Friday night, scoring on the very first play from scrimmage and never looking back in a 50-7 rout of the Tamaqua Area Raiders.
The tone was set immediately when quarterback Caden Mengel connected with Landen Smith for a 65-yard touchdown strike on the opening play of the game. Luke Miller powered in the two-point conversion to give the Spartans an 8-0 lead just seconds into the contest.
Miller quickly took over the spotlight, breaking free for a 52-yard touchdown run on North Schuylkill’s next possession, then adding a two-yard plunge later in the first quarter. By the end of the opening frame, the Spartans had stormed out to a commanding lead.
The second quarter saw more fireworks as Miller ripped off an electrifying 82-yard touchdown run, followed by another Mengel-to-Smith connection, this time from 41 yards out. Tamaqua finally got on the board when quarterback Chase Serfass found CJ Walker for an 8-yard touchdown pass, but North Schuylkill answered immediately with Mengel hitting Nelson for a 10-yard score, capped by another Miller conversion.
In the third quarter, the Spartans’ special teams added to the onslaught when Holmes scooped up a blocked punt and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Miller tacked on yet another two-point run to push the lead even further out of reach.
With the victory, North Schuylkill improves to 2-0 and will prepare for a marquee matchup next week against Notre Dame Green Pond, to be played at Lafayette College in Easton due to ongoing work at NDGP’s home field.
Tamaqua, meanwhile, falls to 0-2 on the season and will look to rebound when they host a 1-1 Pottsville Crimson Tide squad next Friday.
