The following players were recognized at the Annual Football Banquet, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 for their 2007 All-Star Selections:

Billy Rieck – Center
Honorable Mention Schuylkill County North Team
Honorable Mention All Anthracite Team

Tyler Mangold – Guard
Honorable Mention Schuylkill County North Team
Honorable Mention All Anthracite Team

Joe Garland – RB
Honorable Mention RB – All Anthracite Team

Nathan White – OT
2nd Team Schuylkill County North Team
2nd Team Anthracite Team
2nd Team Times News

Anthony Mistretta – DB
2nd Team Schuylkill County North Team
2nd Team Anthracite League

Jake Zurn – DB
2nd Team Schuylkill County North Team
2nd Team Anthracite League
2nd Team Times News – Defensive Specialist

Nathan Schmidt – Kicker
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team
1st Team Anthracite League
1st Team Times News

Corey Cinicola – QB
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team
1st Team Anthracite League
1st Team Pottsville Republican
1st Team Times News
2nd Team Morning Call
Honorable Mention Pennsylvania Football News All State

Kyle Porembo – LB
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team LB
1st Team Anthracite League LB
1st Team Times News
Honorable Mention – Reading Eagle LB

Scott McGonigal
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team LB
1st Team Anthracite LB & FB
1st TeamTimes News
1st Team Pottsville Republican LB
1st Team Reading Eagle – Anthracite Region LB 

Eric Busocker
1st Team  Schuylkill County North Team DB
1st Team Anthracite League DB
1st Team Pottsville Republican DB
1st Team Times News DB
2nd Team Anthracite League WR
Honorable Mention – Reading Eagle WR
Honorable Mention Pennsylvania Football News All State DB

Lance Malatak
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team Guard & DT
1st Team Anthracite League Guard & DT
Anthracite League Lineman of the Year
1st Team Times News
2nd Team Pottsville Republican Offensive Guard
Honorable Mention – Reading Eagle Offensive Guard
3rd Team Pennsylvania Football News All State

Phil Redline – RB
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team
1st Team Anthracite League
1st Team Times News
2nd Team Pottsville Republican
Honorable Mention – Reading Eagle RB
Honorable Mention Pennsylvania Football News All State

Josh Hontz
1st Team Schuylkill County North Team WR
Offensive Player of the Year Anthracite League
2nd Team Schuylkill County DE
1st Team Anthracite League
2nd Team All Anthracite DE
Co-Offensive Player of the Year
1st Team Times News
1st Team Pottsville Republican
1st Team Reading Eagle – Anthracite Region
1st Team Morning Call
2nd Team Associated Press All State
3rd Team Pennsylvania Football News All State

The Olympians posted an impressive 42-14 win over the Northern Lehigh Bulldogs last Saturday night in the first round of the District XI AA playoffs (pictures coming to site soon). It was the first post season victory in school history for Jim Thorpe. The Bulldogs took an early 7-0 lead but could not find an answer for the Thorpe passing attack. Olympian QB Corey Cinicola threw for 253 yards with 6 TD passes and no interceptions. Pulling in TD passes were Kysheem Lynch (2), Eric Busocker (2), Josh Hontz & Kyle Porembo. The Red Swarm defense was impressive as well, allowing NL only 3 first downs in the second half. In the district semi-finals the Olympians will face Lansdale Catholic on Friday at 7pm at Wissahickon HS.

In front of an impressive crowd, the Red Swarm defense lived up to its name on Saturday at Men of Marian stadium. The Colts never threatened to score punting 7 times in the game and managing just 6 first downs.

While the Marian offense was being smothered, the Thorpe offense was pushing the Colt defense all over the field. The Olympian offensive line blasted open holes all night. The primary beneficiary of this dominance was running back Phil Redline. Redline rushed for 195 yards on 30 plus carries. He scored 3 TDs (2 rushing and 1 receiving). Redline also past the 1000 yard rushing mark for the season.

Eric Busocker added an exclamation point to the Jim Thorpe victory returning an interception for a TD with 1 minute to go in the game making the final score 28-0.

Many faithful Olympian fans stayed after the game and congratulated the players on the victory. 

With the win the Olympians claim at least a share of the 2007 Anthracite League title. The Olympians must now prepare for the final regular season game against Lehighton. Thorpe also clinched a spot in the District XI AA playoffs. A victory over Lehighton will guarantee a home playoff game for the Olympians. Click here for photo gallery. 

Olympians dismantle Battlin Miners upping their record to a perfect 6-0. Through most of the first 2 quarters, the Olympian offense controlled the ball driving for 2 scores and a 14-0 lead. Between the 2 scoring drives, Kyle Porembo halted a Minersville drive with a 3rd down interception.

With under 3 minutes remaining in the half, JT QB Craig Zurn was tossed from the game by an overzealous official on a controversial call. They Minersville team and crowd erupted into a deafening roar. The Miners believed that without Zurn, the Olympians would quit.

They couldn’t have been more wrong. Freshman backup QB Corey Cinicola replaced Zurn and the Olympian dominance continued. JT rode balanced offense (101 yards rushing & 121 yards passing) and a stifling Red Swarm defense (forcing 7 turnovers) to a 28-6 AFL victory.

The Miners offense was held in check the entire night with the exception of one big play in the 3rd quarter. A 97 yd TD run by the Minersville QB cut the Thorpe lead to 14-6. On the ensuing kickoff the Olympians were pinned inside their own 5 yd line but the Miners would not be able to take advantage of the field position.

After a scoreless 3rd quarter, Cinicola threw his first varsity TD pass to TE Ben Flizack to extend the lead to 21-6. Just seconds later the Olympians special teams would slam the door on any Minersville hopes. The Miners fumbled the kickoff return which was scooped up by Raul DeBenedittis who raced 24 yards for the final TD of the game. Alex Landon was a perfect 4-4 on PAT attempts.

“Jim Thorpe Pride” overcame adversity as the entire team stepped up in a tough situation. The Olympians never lost their intensity and kept their composure throughout the contest. The Red Swarm was dominant again allowing only 60 yards of offense outside the one Minersville TD run. The Thorpe pass defense stepped up after allowing over 100 yards each of the previous 2 weeks. Miner receivers caught just 3 of 17 pass attempts for 33 yards while the JT defense had 4 interceptions (Eric Busocker 2, Porembo & Josh Hontz).

The Thorpe offense had many contributors. The O-line (Bradley, Andrews, Malatak, Mathurin, Zayas & Mertz) protected Thorpe QBs, giving them time to complete 73% of their passes (Zurn 5-7-0-86 & Cinicola 3-4-1-35). Josh Hontz was the leading receiver catching 4 passes for 71 yards (Redline 2-30, McGonigal 1-11 & Flizack 1-9-1TD). The Olympians rushed for over 100 yards (Phil Redline 25-64-1TD, Scott McGonigal 12-24-1TD, Zurn 9-12, Porembo 1-5).

NEXT GAME

7pm Friday Ocober 13th at Pocono Mountain West

In 2005 the Shenandoah Valley crowd suggested Jim Thorpe use a shovel. The Olympians brought a shovel to the 2006 matchup and used it to bury the Devils. The highly regarded SV backfield (Reese, Metkus, Varga & Latimore) was held to a total of 3 yards rushing on 19 carries.

After a short SV kickoff was returned to the Devil 45 yard line to open the game by Tony Mistretta, the Olympians drove for their opening touchdown. Scott McGonigal finished the drive with a 2 yard TD run. The extra point kick by Alex Landon made the score 7-0. The Red Swarm defense would take over the game and force 3 turnovers. Second quarter runs by Craig Zurn and Phil Redline extended the lead to 21-0. The lone Shenandoah score would come in the 2nd quarter on a 1 yd run by Josh Metkus.

The offensive & defensive line of the Olympians dominated the entire game. On offense line opened holes for 2 100 yard rushers for the 2nd straight week (Zurn 25-100 & Redline 20-119) and gave Zurn plenty of time to pass (receptions: Raul DeBenedittis 2-27, Flizack 1-30 & Redline 1-10). McGonigal would close out the scoring with a 1yd run in the 4th quarter. With the JT defense completely shutting down the run, SV was forced to throw 26 times. Eric Busocker ended a Devil drive in the 3rd quarter with his first interception of the year.

A complete team effort on defense kept the Devils from reaching the endzone in the second half. Zurn smothered Kaplafka, Porembo punished ball carriers, Bradley pressured Reese while Flizack kept contain and batted down pass attempts.
The win keeps the Olympians atop the Anthracite league standings at 5-0.

NEXT GAME

Friday Oct 6th, 7pm at 4-1 Minersville.

Visit the Shenandoah Photo Gallery with more than 90 photos from the game here.