It could be a nice problem to have.

Lehighton’s Tom McCarroll, like most football coaches, strives to have a balanced offense.

The threat of running the ball or throwing it keeps defenses honest — and guessing.

But when you possess an obvious strength, it’s tempting to rely solely on that talented area.

Such is the dilemma for McCarroll and his staff.

The Indians have a number of skilled receivers this season and hope to give opponents fits by spreading the ball around to those players. But they also don’t want to become one-dimensional.

“Anybody in the game will tell you that the more balanced you can be, the more successful you are,” said McCarroll, now in his 13th year at Lehighton. “Our passing game is almost like when you have a basketball team that wants to get out and run. Coach says there’s only one ball to go around, so that’s kind of how our receiver situation is. They’re going to have to be unselfish, but we have guys that I can certainly see on any given Friday night — probably four or five of them — have over 100 yards and do so effectively.

“So I think it will make it difficult for teams to scheme against us. Every year, every team seems to have one or two go-to receivers and a lot of the defenses play coverage toward them, or double team them, whatever it may be. I think with our talent and our ability, it’s going to make it difficult to do that, which means we’re going to keep teams honest and increase our chances for success.”

Blake Roberts and Joe Roth highlight the impressive receiving crew the Indians, who were 2-9 last season, will display weekly. Roberts snared 42 passes for 424 yards a year ago, while Roth finished with 31 receptions for 366 yards. Caden Meek, who was going to start last season before getting injured, joins those two, while Logan Kent (9-145) is another threat. Kyden Hauser and Ryan Kusse both had strong offseasons and add to the team’s strongest area.

“(Roberts and Roth) were our two leading receivers (last year),” said McCarroll. “We’re excited about both of them. They’re big, strong physical kids — both basketball players — so you know they can go up and get the ball. We’ll certainly lean on them.”

Getting the ball to Roberts, Roth & Co. will be the job of quarterback Jayse Lawrence, who takes over the starting spot from Brady O’Donnell, who has graduated.

“I’m real excited about what he’s bringing to the table,” said McCarroll about his signal-caller. “He absolutely has stepped up in his leadership, and he really seems like a different player than a year ago. He’s taken on that role that every team wants their quarterback to be. He’s a vocal leader and he’s playing well. So we’re excited to get him on the field.”

For the Indians to be balanced, they will need to run effectively. With a solid line and the abilities of Lucas Croizier, along with newcomer Jacob Ferguson, Lehighton’s mentor believes that won’t be an issue.

“With the size of our line, it’s somewhat of a paradox because people see it and they think they’re going to pound the ball — which I want to be able to do. I think we have the kind of kids that have the ability to do that, but they have to perform and they have to execute.

“He (Lucas) is as tough as they come. I know he’s a little undersized as people see him, but he packs a punch and we’re excited about what he’s going to do behind what I think is a pretty big offensive line.”

Anchoring the line are seniors Joey Houser, Brock Gower, Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez, along with sophomore Mark Macias.

While the offense seems settled, one of the biggest questions year in and year out is whether Lehighton can stop enemy offenses.

“(Defense) has absolutely been a point of emphasis,” said McCarroll, whose team a year ago allowed 35 points and 300 yards on average per game. “We’ve made some adjustments, made some changes, moved some guys around and I just think the philosophy that we’re going to adopt going into this year is better suited for our personnel.

“At the end of the day we just need to play better. We need to tackle better, we need to get off the field on third and fourth down. I know our percentages the last two years have been not very good in those categories, so it’s certainly going to be a point of emphasis for us.”

While improving the defense will be a challenge, so will the Indians’ schedule.

Lehighton’s opponents this year had a winning percentage of .641 last season, with four of them posting nine-or-more victories.

“It is,” said McCarroll when asked if the schedule was brutal. “We’re in the top division for a reason. It’s where our school lies, and I don’t shy away from that. It’s our job to get the kids prepared. The way I look at it is if you can have success in this division, I think it increases our chances for success in the postseason if we make it. Because there’s no easy weeks, there really isn’t.

“ But I’ll tell you this. If the offseason and the first couple weeks here are any indication, our energy, effort, and the way the kids are flying around is just tremendous.”

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Lehighton Position Breakdown

QUARTERBACKS

Junior Jayse Lawrence gets the starting job for the Tribe this year. Lawrence replaces Brady O’Donnell, who threw for 1,403 yards and 13 TDs in 2023. Coach McCarroll says that Lawrence has stepped up his game and is excited about his progress. Backups will be Owen Eckhart and Jack Lucykanish.

RUNNING BACKS

Sophomore Lucas Croizier will get a bulk of the carries with Dylan Moyer (817 yards, 10TDs) having graduated. Senior Lucas Ferguson is a newcomer to the Indian squad and will see some time in the backfield, as will junior Austin Green.

WIDE RECEIVERS

The receiving corps is probably the team’s strength. The top threats from a year ago, junior Blake Roberts (42-424) and senior Joe Roth (31-366), return to give Lawrence a pair of big targets. Caden Meek, a junior, is another option for the team’s QB while senior Logan Kent, junior Ryan Kusse and sophomore Kyden Hauser provide quality depth at a loaded position. The tight end spot will go to either senior Deven Armbruster or junior Hunter Kintz.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Tribe have both experience and size returning in the trenches. Seniors Joey Houser, Brock Gower and Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez anchor the line with sophomore Mark Macias at center. The other starting job will go to either sophomores Preston Digrazia or Jonathan Mayers, or freshman Parker Rodgers.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Lehighton boasts depth on the defensive line with Joey Houser, Brock Gower, Mark Macias, Jacob Ferguson and Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez all expected to see extended time. Add in Parker Rodgers and first-year Cameron Potts, a senior, and the Indians are hopeful their numbers will improve from 2023.

LINEBACKERS

Four guys will be battling for two positions inside. They include Deven Arnbruster, Hunter Kintz, Preston Digrazia and sophomore Asher Traylor. Blake Roberts will start at one of the outside spots with Joe Roth and Ryan Kusseboth seeing time at the other spot.

SECONDARY

Logan Kent will man one of the corner spots, with Kyden Hauser leading the way for the other side. The safeties will more than likely be Lucas Croizier and Jayse Lawrence. Caden Meek and Austin Green provide secondary depth.