The Blue Mountain Eagles will square off against the Tamaqua Blue Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Blue Mountain will be strutting in after a win while Tamaqua will be coming in after a loss.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Blue Mountain and Pottsville meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. The Eagles simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Crimson Tide 49-14. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won four contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
Cohen Kirby
| 09/05/25 vs Jim Thorpe | 162 |
| 09/26/25 vs Palisades | 156.3 |
| 10/17/25 @ Pottsville | 145.8 |
| 10/03/25 vs Lehighton | 138.8 |
| 08/22/25 vs Schuylkill Haven | 113.6 |
| + 3 more games |
Blue Mountain found their leader in sophomore Cohen Kirby, who threw for 247 yards and three TDs on only 16 passes. Kirby's passing game has become a key predictor of the Eagles' success: the team is 4-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. Carter Smith helped Kirby out on the ground, rushing for 63 yards, while also catching one score.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Blue Mountain proved: they limited Pottsville to a paltry 2.9 yards per carry. The team can thank James Amato for the heroic effort on defense: he. Blue Mountain is a perfect 3-0 when they shut down the run game so well.
Blue Mountain's defense didn't let Andrew Allen, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. In that department, William Shaner was the leader with two. Brody Foose got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Tamaqua was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a blow against Northwestern Lehigh, falling 56-16. The Blue Raiders were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 36-8.
Despite the loss, Tamaqua saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Terrence McDowell Jr rushed for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Blue Mountain is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 39.2 points over those games. As for Tamaqua, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Blue Mountain has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 192.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tamaqua struggles in that department as they've been averaging 201.1 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Blue Mountain strolled past Tamaqua when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a score of 21-7. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Raiders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
