HS Football: North Schuylkill blasts Bangor
Caden Mengel, North Schuylkill (Photo by First Class School Imaging)
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — North Schuylkill needed to back in the win column, and the Spartans did just that by routing Bangor 52-22 in a Schuylkill-Colonial Red Division game Friday night at Ghosh Orthodontics Field at Spartan Stadium.
North Schuylkill’s dynamic first half helped the Spartans get back over the .500 mark at 4-3.
After a rough second half last week versus Northwestern Lehigh, North Schuylkill head coach Wally Hall’s message to the team all week was about getting better in different ways on and off the field. The improvement was evident as the Spartans scored on all seven drives they had in the first half.
Senior quarterback Caden Mengel had a strong performance, going 13-for-14 for 259 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also had four carries for 77 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Spartans started strong, scoring within the first 50 seconds of the game. Senior Luke Miller had the first score of the game on a 17-yard touchdown run. Miller finished with six carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns as well as three catches for 66 yards.
After Landen Smith intercepted a Bangor pass, Miller scored on a 35-yard run to put the Spartans up 14-0. These first two scores happened within the first three minutes of the game.
On the Spartans’ third offensive drive, Mengel had a 15-yard touchdown run, and a successful two-point conversion put the Spartans up 22-0 still in the first quarter.
The fourth touchdown of the game for the Spartans came from a 64-yard pass by Mengel to Miller to put the Spartans up 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The Spartans did not slow down, scoring three more times in the second quarter. One score came from a 24-yard pass by Mengel to senior Julian Nelson and the other scores were 4- and 55-yard TD runs by Mengel to put the Spartans up 46-0 at halftime.
In the second half, the Spartans pulled their starters and put the second-and third-stringers in.
Bangor scored three times in the fourth quarter, with the first score coming on a 2-yard run by junior Lucas Hurd.
The second Bangor score came from a pick-six by sophomore linebacker Cooper Karasek.
The third touchdown came later in the game on a 1-yard run by junior Brodie Kruger.
The Spartans had a touchdown of their own in the fourth quarter on a 70-yard run by freshman quarterback Brock Holmes.
After the game, Hall said that in the explosive first half they went back to their original identity, playing up-tempo football and spreading the ball around to many different players. This seemed to work out very well for the Spartans.
North Schuylkill will get to work on a short week as the Spartans host Blue Mountain on Thursday for the Spartans’ Senior Night and their last home game of the regular season.
Game Summary
North Schuylkill 52, Bangor 22
Ban (0-7, 0-6) 0 0 0 22 — 22
NS (4-3, 3-2) 28 18 0 6 — 52
NS — Miller 17 run (Mengel run)
NS — Miller 35 run (run failed)
NS — Mengel 15 run (Nelson pass from Mengel)
NS — Smith 64 pass from Mengel (pass failed)
NS — Mengel 4 run (pass failed)
NS — Nelson 24 pass from Mengel (pass failed)
NS — Mengel 55 run (no attempt)
BAN — Hurd 2 run (Pinto pass from Rehrig)
BAN — Karasek 20 interception return (pass failed)
NS — Holmes 70 run (no attempt)
BAN — Kruger 1 run (Pinto pass from Rehrig)
Team Statistics
Ban-NS
First Downs —- 12 14
Rushes-Yards — 18-37 17-264
Passes —- 18-27-1 13-16-1
Passing Yards —- 178 259
Total Yards —- 214 523
Fumbles/Lost —- 2-0 0-0
Penalties — 1-10 2-20
