Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll, left, poses with seniors Blake Roberts, Jayse Lawrence and Caden Meek during Tuesday's Colonial League Football Media Day at Pen Argyl High School (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

Momentum.

It’s a term that’s used often in sports when a team or athlete has stretches of success and continues to build off it.

Lehighton was able to build some momentum in the latter part of the 2024 season, notching three wins in a four-game stretch that included a dramatic District 11 Class 4A quarterfinal playoff upset victory at Blue Mountain.

With a solid core of skill-position players returning, head coach Tom McCarroll’s club is hoping that the momentum it built in 2024 carries over into 2025 and produces a winning campaign.

“The way we finished, with the pieces we have coming back, I think we can certainly be a problem for some teams,” said McCarroll, whose team finished 5-7 overall and lost to Bethlehem Catholic in the Class 4A semifinals.

“We had some really big wins down the stretch. We beat a Tamaqua team that was 6-1. We beat our rival, Jim Thorpe. We go into Blue Mountain, a team that pretty much blew the doors off us during the regular season …

“Our kids had a completely different attitude. That was something that was very tangible and something that I think our kids going into this offseason could feel, could understand. They’re able to explain why that happened. It wasn’t just luck.

“When they’re able to see that blueprint, feel it … Our offseason was tremendous. We lost some key guys, some nice athletes, some linemen. But we really like what we have coming back with experience.”

The Indians return four key members of last year’s backfield — senior quarterback Jayse Lawrence, junior running back Lucas Croizier and senior wide receivers Blake Roberts and Caden Meek.

Lawrence, who threw for 1,247 yards and 17 touchdowns a year ago, said Lehighton’s strong stretch through the latter part of the season helped build team chemistry and got the Indians to play more as a team.

It started after the Indians were routed 55-14 by Blue Mountain in a Week 7 game at home.

“Playing as a team,” Lawrence said was the key. “I felt like when we played Blue Mountain the first time, we didn’t play as a team. We weren’t connected. The second time, coming into it, we were a lot closer, a lot more active with each other.”

Lehighton at a Glance

Head coach: Tom McCarroll (14^th season, 65-78)

2024 Record: 5-7, District 11 Class 4A semifinalist

Conference: Schuylkill-Colonial Red Division

3 Key Players to Watch

Jayse Lawrence, senior QB/DB

Blake Roberts, senior WR/LB

Caden Meek, senior WR/DB

3 Key Newcomers to Watch

Equan Warner, senior RB/DB

Austin Green, senior RB/DB

Marc Macias, junior OL/DL

3 Key Graduation Losses

Joe Roth, WR/LB

Joey Houser, OL/DL

Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez, OL/DL

Key Position Battles in Camp

Offensive/Defensive Line, both tackles

Lawrence the leader

McCarroll, who is entering his 14th season at the helm, said one key to Lehighton’s success late in the season was the play of Lawrence, a 6-foot, 175-pounder.

McCarroll said his staff decided to turn Lawrence loose as a runner later in the season and his ability to be a dual threat paid huge dividends. In the playoff win over Blue Mountain, Lawrence rushed 18 times for 106 yards and a touchdown while completing 10-of-16 passes for 116 yards and two scores.

Lawrence’s 8-yard TD pass to Joe Roth and two-point conversion pass to Caden Meek with 16.8 seconds remaining gave the Indians the 29-28 victory.

For the season, Lawrence rushed for 553 yards and six TDs, averaging 5.42 yards per carry.

“If you look at a scope of our season, what we did in the first half was nothing compared to what we did with him in the second half,” McCarroll said. “Once we said, ‘We have to use all of our bullets,’ and using him as a runner was one of them, it just really opened us up. It made us so much more multi-dimensional.

“He throws a great ball, but now he’s a threat as a runner. I think that’s going to make us more dangerous.”

Lawrence said he’s gotten better at reading defenses during the offseason but would like to improve throwing the deep ball. Consistency is the key, he said.

“One big thing I’d take away is consistency,” he said. “We have to be more consistent throughout the season. If we are consistent, we should be pretty good. It will be a fun season.”

Balanced backfield

In addition to Lawrence’s dual-threat capabilities, Lehighton returns a bevy of offensive weapons.

Croizier was the Indians’ leading rusher with 703 yards a year ago. Meek caught 29 passes for 356 yards and five TDs, while Roberts hauled in 27 passes for 264 yards.

McCarroll added that seniors Austin Green and Equan Warner have looked good in camp and should get some carries as well.

“Roberts, Meek and Lawrence, I think they’re good as any combination you’re going to see in the Schuylkill League or Colonial League,” McCarroll said. “We like the core we have coming back.

“Crozier, he’s a small kid, but pound for pound … defensively, he’s one of the toughest kids I’ve coached. I think we’re going to see a better version of him.

“We have some really good experience in some key spots.”

It starts up front

The key to Lehighton’s season will be in the trenches, on both sides of the ball.

The Indians graduated three starters in tackles Joey Houser and Brock Gower and guard Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez. Parker Rodgers (6-4, 345) and Marc Macias (5-11, 290) will lead a group of linemen that doesn’t have a senior — four juniors, nine sophomores and a freshman — on the roster.

“Any coach you talk to, that’s going to be what makes or breaks your season … can you get it done up front, in the trenches,” McCarroll said. “Especially being up in Schuylkill County; they like to ground and pound, that’s why they’re so successful.

“That’s why we were successful at the end there. We were able to run the ball against a very good Blue Mountain team. We were able to control the line of scrimmage a little bit, which we couldn’t do early on in the season. We developed a formula, we found what worked for us, and we want to try to bottle that up and keep it going.

“At any level of football, you win or lose in the trenches and that’s where we need to put the right pieces together.”

Lehighton’s Schedule

(All games start at 7 p.m.)

Friday, Aug. 22 — Northern Lehigh

Thursday, Aug. 28 — at Bangor*

Friday, Sept. 5 — Southern Lehigh*

Friday, Sept. 12 — at Palmerton*

Friday, Sept. 19 — Northwestern Lehigh*

Friday, Sept. 26 — Pottsville*

Friday, Oct. 3 — at Blue Mountain*

Friday, Oct. 10 — at Tamaqua*

Friday, Oct. 17 — North Schuylkill*

Friday, Oct. 24 — at Jim Thorpe*

Lehighton’s roster