ASHLAND – It was like a sonic boom, but it wasn’t a missile.

No, it was a football team that possesses plenty of speed, power and a “Red Legion of Doom” defenders.

Tamaqua, like most other teams, wasn’t up to the task of going toe-to-toe for four quarters with North Schuylkill Saturday night in the District 11 Class 3A semifinals.

Zooming out of the blocks, the Spartans built an early four-touchdown lead and pulled away for a 55-21 victory that ended the Blue Raiders’ hopes of defending their 2019 championship.

The win vaults Wally Hall’s undefeated (7-0) team into this weekend’s title game against an old nemesis, Notre Dame Green-Pond, who is also perfect at 7-0.

The telltale sign came right away as North Schuylkill unleashed a six-pack of fast, quick and furious offensive lasers.

The leader of the pack, junior speedster Josh Chowansky, scooted and blurred past the Tamaqua defense to amass 258 yards rushing on 16 carries. He was most impressive in getting to the edge, and by night’s end he had hit the end zone on runs of 68 and 67 yards.

“Their (overall) team speed is unreal, and it was a big concern for us coming into this game,” said Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner, whose team finished 5-4. “They’re a real good football team, and watching them on film we knew, obviously, we had our hands full.”

The Blue Raiders shot themselves in the foot on the opening series on the first play from scrimmage with a fumble, and the Spartans burned them with a quick six.

Before the opening quarter would end, Tamaqua was facing a 21-0 deficit.

Another rising and promising junior for North Schuylkill is Jake Hall, son of the coach, who was nothing short of stellar with his big passing arm and quick feet.

Hall scored four times, and accounted for six of his team’s touchdowns. He threw for 174 yards on 9-of-17 passing and reached the end zone on a 27-yard run off the RPO (run-pass option) to open the scoring. Later, he blazed 38 yards, added a 1-yard touchdown, another from 12 yards out while hitting swift receivers Tanner Walacavage and Joey Flail with TD passes of 52 and 37 yards.

“Great team effort, No. 1,” coach Hall said. “The offense and defensive line sets the tone. Every kid’s going to touch the ball, and we’re going to play as fast as we can.”

How fast does North Schuylkill play - and score?

At one point, it was lighting up the scoreboard in a matter of seconds. It took them three plays in 50 seconds on the first drive, and 30 seconds in Drive No. 2 - all out of a no-huddle offense.

That type of attack can drive opposing teams daffy and make them dizzy.

But despite that, the Raiders never threw in the towel.

Tamaqua rode the tremendous efforts of bruising running back Lucas Schickram, the leadership of quarterback Nate Wickersham, and the talents of tailback Nate Curvey - all seniors.

“I really can’t say enough about our leaders, they came off a championship season, they led us throughout our season, and when you consider we lost 17 seniors, this was a great effort all-around,” Bonner said.

The Raiders hit the end zone for the first time when Schickram polished off a well-executed 73-yard, 11-play drive with a 1-yard run with 3:07 to go in the opening half.

But at the start of the third quarter, Hall zipped 12 yards to make it a 42-7.

Tamaqua fired right back when Wickersham squirted into the end zone on a 3-yard dive, and the Raiders would add a third touchdown in the final quarter when Curvey outraced the North Schuylkill defenders with a 55-yard jaunt.

QUOTABLE … “That’s our approach, to get it to all our receivers in space and stretch it all out for our running game to work,” said North Schuylkill head coach Hall about his team’s offensive attack.

ADIEU TO A CORP OF SENIORS … Bobby Hollenbach, Tyler Hazlett, Harry Swinehart, Logan Hess, Brayden Hess, Jerome Balliet, Donald Goho, Wickersham, Schickram, Boyle, Curvey all played their final game for the Raiders.

GREAT CONCENTRATION … Hollenbach made a terrific catch off a deflected pass that put the ball at the 9 in the final scoring drive for Tamaqua.

GOOD DNA ... Spartan sophomore lineman Steve Davis is the nephew of one-time NFL lineman Ron Mattes, who played for North Schuylkill, Virginia (under late coach Geroge Welsh) and Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears.