With a dramatic late fourth-quarter drive, Jim Thorpe came from behind to defeat Blue Mountain, 21-17, Friday night.

Starting at their own 32-yard-line and trailing by three points, the Olympians finished off a 68-yard scoring march when quarterback Davier Calcano found Noah Snisky in the right corner of the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown with just 1:16 to go in the game.

Twice, Thorpe converted fourth-down plays during the drive, first on a 2-yard blast up the middle by CJ Selby, and then on a fourth-and-four screen pass to Collin Binder.

On third-and-nine from the Blue Mountain 44, Calcano dropped back and swung a screen pass to Dom Madera, who picked up 15 yards to the 29-yard-line before Calcano and Snisky hooked up for the winning score.

“When we were running power with CJ, their safety sucked up (in the box) so I faked a post and broke out and got open,” said Snisky, who had made a 35-yard catch over the top of the defender earlier in the quarter.

“Credit goes to Frank Miller for his great play-calling in the winning drive,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.

The first half of this Schuylkill Division 1 matchup was scoreless. The Eagles had great field position on most of their possessions, but failed to capitalize.

In the second quarter with a fourth down at the Thorpe 2-yard-line, Blue Mountain was called for a five-yard illegal participation penalty for having 12 men on the field, and a pass attempt into the end zone fell incomplete.

In their first possession of the third quarter, Eagles quarterback Jason Dean broke containment on a rollout right and cut back for a 63-yard scamper to the Thorpe 10-yard-line. On the next play, Dan Farrell took a pitch around left end for a 7-0 Blue Mountain lead.

Jim Thorpe (6-1) tied the score when Selby, who ran for 147 yards on 27 carries, broke through the left side of the line and cut back to the right on his way to a 47 yard TD run.

Blue Mountain (4-3) took an apparent 10-7 lead on a Blake Lipko 24 yard field goal, but the visitors opted to take the points off the board after a personal foul was called against the Olympians. Farrell then scored from six yards out to put his team up by a touchdown, 14-7. Lipko added a 29-yard field goal following the recovery of an onside kick and a 25-yard drive.

Down 10 with under nine minutes to go in the game, Thorpe drove 79 yards and scored when Selby took the rock and broke several tackles from nine yards out.

The Red Swarm forced a three-and-out, setting the stage for the Olympians’ dramatic comeback. Madera then intercepted an Eagles’ pass with 47 seconds left to seal the win.

“An ugly win is still a win,” said Rosenberger. “We executed plays when we had to, and Noah did a great job on a great throw from Davier.

“We found a way to win against a good football team in Blue Mountain.”

FLAGS FLYING ... The game had 14 penalties, including two illegal participation calls against Blue Mountain and two consecutive hard count offsides penalties against the Olympians that extended an Eagles’ drive and set up their first TD in the third quarter.

PERFECT PASS PLAYS ... Thorpe executed two screen plays during their game-winning drive to perfection as Calcano waited for the pass rush to get close to him before he tossed the passes over several defenders to Binder and then to Madera.

UP AHEAD ... The Olympians host Pottsville Friday night.