Red Tornadoes prevail 48-41 in offensive display

 

MOUNT CARMEL — As predicted, the matchup between Schuylkill Haven and Mount Carmel proved to be a classic, heavyweight Coal Region football clash.

Mount Carmel ultimately delivered the decisive blow with 6:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, extending its lead to two scores and sealing a hard-fought, 48-41 victory over the Hurricanes at Jazz Diminick Field at the Silver Bowl.

The game was a back-and-forth offensive display as the teams combined for 1,059 yards of total offense, including a whopping 877 yards rushing.

The scoring opened with a methodical, four-minute drive by the Hurricanes, highlighted by multiple third-down conversions. The drive culminated in an uncharacteristic play for Schuylkill Haven: a 48-yard touchdown pass from first-year quarterback Bradyn Diehl to freshman Noah Runkle.

“I thought tonight we showed that Noah is for real, and teams have to really watch him as a matchup,” Schuylkill Haven head coach Mike Farr said.

Mount Carmel responded swiftly. Just five minutes into the game, the Red Tornadoes’ Jaylen Delaney, playing quarterback, broke loose up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown run. That rapid exchange set the tone for a thriller at the Silver Bowl defined by fast-paced, high-volume scoring.

The Red Tornadoes captured their first lead when defensive lineman Azaziel Lilly disrupted the backfield, recovering a fumbled snap deep in Hurricane territory. Gabe Higgins capitalized shortly after with a 12-yard touchdown run, putting Mount Carmel ahead 14-6.

Schuylkill Haven remained resilient. Colton Reber answered with an 80-yard sprint to the end zone, narrowing the deficit to 14-12 at the end of the first quarter. Scoring slowed slightly in the second quarter, featuring a second touchdown run from Delaney and another Diehl-to-Runkle touchdown pass, bringing the halftime score to 21-19 in favor of Mount Carmel.

Two passing touchdowns in a single half is a rarity for the notoriously run-heavy Hurricanes. Coach Farr attributed this to strategic offseason adjustments to balance the offense that attempted 15 passes in the game.

“Every year I go into the season to make sure we can go into a functional pass game,” Farr said. “We don’t have to be a passing team, but I want to be functional.”

After both teams punted on their opening drives of the second half, the floodgates reopened. Stepping in for the injured Cooper Karycki, Jason Klokis made an immediate impact, carving through the Hurricane defense for a 42-yard touchdown rush.

Once again, Reber provided the counterpunch with a 39-yard touchdown run. Diehl then connected with Runkle for a successful two-point conversion, tying the game at 27-27 with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Mount Carmel defense finally found its footing and forced two crucial stops. The Red Tornadoes capitalized immediately, breaking the deadlock with a 60-yard rushing touchdown by Cooper Karycki, followed shortly by a 45-yard touchdown run from Delaney. This explosive sequence gave Mount Carmel a commanding 40-27 lead with 11:07 remaining.

Farr acknowledged the physical toll Mount Carmel’s rushing attack took on his roster.

“Those guys take tough angles. They’re quick with speed and size,” Farr said. “Ninety-five percent of our guys went both ways.”

Refusing to quietly concede, Reber answered on the ensuing play, breaking loose for an electrifying 80-yard rushing touchdown to bring Schuylkill Haven back within one score, trailing 40-34.

But in keeping with the theme of the night, Delaney responded with his fourth rushing touchdown of the game — a 44-yard sprint up the middle with just over six minutes remaining. The score effectively drained the clock and put the game out of reach for a Hurricane comeback.

Heading into the Silver Bowl matchup, Farr anticipated a difficult defensive battle for his squad.

The offensive numbers put up by both squads were staggering.

All of Mount Carmel’s 503 total yards came on the ground as John Darrah’s club attempted just two passes. Delaney rushed 20 times for 276 yards and Karycki had 13 carries for 134 yards. Klokis added 71 yards rushing and Higgins had 32.

Schuylkill Haven, meanwhile, rushed 37 times for 374 yards with Reber carrying 21 times for 312 yards. Diehl was 11-for-15 for 182 yards. Runkle had three catches for 76 yards.

“We knew our question mark going in was going to be our toughness defensively,” Farr said. “We just got to get better. Here’s the biggest learning I got: it wasn’t a conditioning problem, it wasn’t a scheme problem, they just out-executed us. That offense is really tough to handle Week 1 with their aggressiveness and their speed. They have a legit three-headed monster.”

Despite the setback, Farr found plenty of silver linings in the team’s offensive production.

“There are a lot of positives and a bunch of negatives,” he explained. “I was happy we executed. We also realized Colton Reber is still a dude. You rush for 300 yards and throw for 200 yards and lose. The learning is the hardest part of the game.”

Ultimately, Farr remains optimistic about the team’s trajectory.

“We lost and I’m disappointed, but it could have been worse,” Farr said. “We were in the game the whole time and kept making plays when we needed to make plays. We’re going to have a great season.”

The young Schuylkill Haven squad, which featured five sophomore starters, will look to quickly bounce back as they hit the road to face Tamaqua (0-1) next Friday.

Game Summary

Mount Carmel 48, Schuylkill Haven 41

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
SH (0-1)	12	7	8	14	41
MCA (1-0)	14	7	13	14	48

 

SH — Runkle 48 pass from Diehl (kick failed)

MCA — Delaney 60 run (Miller kick)

MCA — Higgins 12 run (Miller kick)

SH — Reber 80 run (kick failed)

MCA — Delaney 3 run (Miller kick)

SH — Runkle 20 pass from Diehl (Fessler kick)

MCA — Klokis 42 run (kick failed)

SH — Reber 38 run (Runkle pass from Diehl)

MCA — Karycki 60 run (Miller kick)

MCA — Delaney 45 run (kick failed)

SH — Reber 80 run (Fessler kick)

MCA — Delaney 44 run (Delaney run)

SH — Yoder 20 pass from Diehl (Fessler kick)

Team Statistics

SH-MCA

First Downs —- 20      22

Rushes-Yards — 37-374      46-503

Passes —- 11-15-0      0-3-0

Passing Yards —- 182      0

Total Yards —- 556      503

Fumbles/Lost —- 2-1      2-0

Penalties — 4-30      6-33

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Schuylkill Haven — Reber 21-312, Diehl 8-35, Lo. Goad 3-22, Yoder 4-13. Mount Carmel — Delaney 20-276, Karycki 13-134, Klokis 6-71, Higgins 6-32.

PASSING: Schuylkill Haven — Diehl 11-15-0, 182. Mount Carmel — Delaney 0-2-0, 0; Spears 0-1-0, 0.

RECEIVING: Schuylkill Haven — Runkle 3-76, Reber 3-48, Yoder 3-37, Lo. Goad 2-21. Mount Carmel — None

INTERCEPTIONS: None