CENTER VALLEY — Coaches love long drives.

They like them even better, though, when they result in touchdowns.

Lehighton put together two lengthy marches to open its game against host Southern Lehigh on Friday night. But unfortunately for the Indians, neither one ended up in the end zone.

While the Tribe did manage a field goal to take an early lead, the Spartans eventually got their offense rolling and wore down their opponent to the tune of a 37-3 Colonial-Schuylkill Division A victory.

“We did some good things tonight,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll. “I really think we’re close to being a good football team. We had a few missed assignments here and there, but that’s a good football team. You can’t afford to make mistakes against them, and you can’t afford to stall on drives.

“That’s the message we had for the kids. They need to take the next step from being an almost good team to really getting over that hump. We’re close. I love the kids in that locker room and I can’t wait to coach them up next week.”

McCarroll’s club took the opening kickoff and used a 12-play drive to reach the Southern Lehigh 27-yard line but eventually turned it over on downs.

After a Spartan fumble on their first possession, the Indians again put together a solid march. Nine plays took them to the Solehi 12. On fourth-and-three, Phil Ebbert connected on a 29-yard field goal for a 3-0 advantage early in the second quarter.

“They do a great job,” Spartan mentor Phil Sams said of Lehighton. “They’re an extremely well-coached team. They do the same thing against us every year. They hold onto the ball, and they drive it. Thankfully, we’ve been able to not let them get in the end zone.

“The field goal on their second drive, that was OK. We’ll take that after two long drives. But they chewed up the clock, and we only had three possessions in the first half.”

Southern Lehigh made the most of its touches following its turnover.

The hosts answered the Indians’ three points with their own long drive, traveling 71 yards in 13 plays that ended with Danny Reagan’s 2-yard touchdown run.

An interception by Jacoby Jacobs gave the Spartans good field position near the end of the half, and they took advantage. Sean Steckert eventually found the end zone from eight yards out with 59 seconds left until halftime to up the margin to 14-3.

“We challenged them there,” said McCarroll at halftime. “We told them we’re going to be on defense first and our backs are up against the wall. But that’s the type of thing, that’s the message we said to them, those are the kinds of situations where good teams kind of step up and show your mettle a little bit.

“Again, the kids battled. I have no issues with our effort, with our attitude right now. That’s a very physical team, a very good team, and I think we’re going to learn a lot from this.”

Unfortunately for McCarroll and Company, Southern Lehigh’s physicality took over. The Spartans, for the most part, stayed on the ground and pounded the ball at the Indians throughout the second half.

Steckert scored his second touchdown three minutes into the third quarter when he broke through the middle on a fourth-and-three call and went 43 yards to make it 21-3.

Following a Lehighton punt, the Spartans ran the ball five straight times with the final one a 16-yard dash to the end zone by Steckert — his third TD of the game.

“Hopefully we wore them down,” said Sams. “That was the whole goal this week, to wear them down.

“The first couple weeks we didn’t do that enough in my opinion, and that was my fault. This week, we came in and said we’re going to run, run, run and stick with it.”

The game’s final tally didn’t come on a rushing play. Instead, Solehi quarterback Colton Sams went up top to Luke Kawczenski for a 59-yard TD pass to seal the win.

“There’s a lot of good to take from this one,” said McCarroll. “We were going toe to toe with a very good team, and it just got away from us.”

STAT LEADERS … Lehighton’s Lukas Croizier ran for 81 yards on 16 carries, including four runs of 10 yards or more. Indian QB Jayse Lawrence threw for 70 yards, 42 of them on four passes to Joe Roth. Steckert paced the Spartans with 128 yards rushing.

UP NEXT … Lehighton hosts Palmerton on Friday, while Solehi entertains North Schuylkill.

So. Lehigh 34, Lehighton 3

Lehighton 0 3 0 0 - 3

So. Lehigh 0 14 13 7 - 34

Scoring Summary

L - Ebbert 29 FG

SL - Reagan 2 run (Tapler kick)

SL - Steckert 8 run (Tapler kick)

SL - Steckert 43 run (Tapler kick)

SL - Steckert 17 run (kick failed)

SL - Kawczenski 59 pass from Sams (Tapler kick)