Southern Lehigh football trounces Saucon Valley in season opener

Southern Lehigh 45, Saucon Valley 13 -- Rapid Recap

Southern Lehigh’s football team lost four key players at skill positions coming into the season. Luckily for the Spartans, they also returned five senior starters on the offensive line.

Southern Lehigh took advantage of its size and experience up front in a dominant 45-13 season-opening victory over Saucon Valley at Montford E. Illick Stadium. The Spartans pounded the ball on the ground early and often as the Panthers struggled all night on defense to get a push off the ball or tackle in the second level.

Six runners combined to help Southern Lehigh rush for 205 yards in the first half, which helped establish a 25-6 lead at halftime. Asher Smith scored two rushing touchdowns while Logan Shorb added another on a 34-yard burst.

On defense, the Spartans made Saucon Valley quarterback Dante Mahaffey uncomfortable all night. The sophomore was brought down in the backfield four times and fumbled twice.

Turning point: The Spartans won the opening toss and deferred. On the first possession, the Panthers had some solid early runs.

From his own 40, Chris Mann broke out down the right sideline on a 55-yard sprint but fumbled as he was being brought down. The Spartans recovered the fumble and went on to force another four throughout the game.

Saucon Valley’s inability to hold onto the ball plagued the offense all night, stunting any momentum.

Top performers: Smith finished the game with more than 150 yards and four touchdowns. The senior’s power was evident early on as he was rarely brought down by the first defender and racked up substantial yards after contact.

Shorb and Cam Fisher also contributed over 50 yards on the ground each. Fisher also returned the second half’s opening kickoff for a 91-yard return to diminish any chance of a Saucon Valley comeback.

The entire Southern Lehigh line’s performance may not have filled up the stats sheet, but the push that they gained on almost every running play should be noted.

Damian Garcia scored the Panthers’ opening touchdown on an 82-yard run up the middle early on and finished the game with more than 100 yards rushing.

Alex Magnotta hauled in a 12-yard touchdown catch from Mahaffey with less than three minutes to play in the game.

What it means: The Spartans are back. After finishing with four losses for the first time since 2012 last year, Southern Lehigh sent an emphatic message to Colonial League competition that it is a contender in 2019.

Saucon Valley needs to make some adjustments, and quick. The Panthers cannot expect to win many games if they fumble as consistently, and tackle as poorly as they did to start this season.

Desmond Boyle may be reached at dboyle@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @DesJBoyle. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

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