The Tamaqua Blue Raiders are taking a road trip to take on the Blue Mountain Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Tamaqua has given up an average of 28.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Tamaqua is headed into Friday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight games on Friday. They were beaten by Northwestern Lehigh 56-16. While losing is never fun, the Blue Raiders can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 257th, while the Tigers are ranked 25th).
Despite the loss, Tamaqua got top-tier performance from Terrence McDowell Jr, who rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
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 really took it to the Crimson Tide for the full four quarters, racking up a 49-14 victory. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 21-0.
Tamaqua better keep an eye on Cohen Kirby. He was instrumental in Blue Mountain's win, throwing for 247 yards and three TDs on only 16 passes. Those 247 passing yards gave Kirby a new career-high. 86 of Kirby's passing yards were hauled in by Josh Hoover.
Blue Mountain's run defense was locked in: Pottsville could only muster 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.
Blue Mountain now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Tamaqua, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Tamaqua has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 201.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Blue Mountain struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 192.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Tamaqua lost to Blue Mountain on the road by a decisive 21-7 margin in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Can the Blue Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
