Since the start of the season and with the wins and the losses, Lehighton quarterback Jayse Lawrence has watched his team mature along the way. Yet, there were some potholes in their way.

“The team has been growing since Day One, and we’ve been working very hard this season as a team on and off the field,” said the senior signal-caller who has thrown for 1,062 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. “We’ve been working very hard this season as a team on and off the field.

“I believe the season was good. However, I think we let some opportunities slip against teams.”

Lawrence and his teammates will have another opportunity ahead, and the Indians (4-6) can raise their game to another level when they travel to Blue Mountain (7-3) tonight for a District 11 Class 4A opening-round playoff game with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

The Indians enter the game off a 42-26 win over Jim Thorpe, and they have won two of their last three. On the other hand, the Eagles downed Tamaqua 21-7, last week, but have dropped two of their last three.

Blue Mountain routed Lehighton 55-14 during their regular-season meeting Oct. 4.

Yet, like Lawrence, Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll believes his team has reached another level since the start of the season.

“There’s no question this team is playing at a higher level from the start of the season,” said McCarroll. “They have established a new identity late in the season, and they are playing with more confidence and physicality.”

Offensively, the Indians have received a team-high 553 yards rushing from Jacob Ferguson, while Lucas Croizier has 548 yards with five touchdowns. Caden Meek has 25 catches for 313 yards with four TDs, and Blake Roberts also has 25 catches for 241 yards with a score.

Blue Mountain has been paced by quarterback Brady Strange, who has thrown for 1,489 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Tyler Stahley has gained 1,001 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, and Gauge Guers has caught 35 passes for 604 yards with six touchdowns.

McCarroll knows what’s ahead, and he sees his team needing to win the possession battle.

“Blue Mountain is a very good team,” deadpanned McCarroll. “They are fast and physical. Our approach will not change this time, but we will need to take care of the ball. We need to be able to continue to run the ball and sustain drives.”

Roberts, who is among the team leaders in tackles from his linebacker spot, also has endured his team’s inconsistencies, but he also has seen his team hit their stride.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, but each week our guys have bounced back the next week no matter what the circumstances were on Friday night,” said Roberts. “I believe all of our guys have handled adversity well dealing with injuries and having to play different positions. Since the Tamaqua game, I thought our practices were a lot better and more intense which led to our execution in game being better.”

Despite the disparity between the teams’ records, Roberts likes his team’s chances.

“I believe that Blue Mountain is a team that we can certainly compete with. We are playing some of our best football in the past couple of weeks. If we execute the way I know we can, there is no doubt in my mind that we can beat them.”

His quarterback agrees.

“Blue Mountain is a good team with playmakers on both sides of the ball,” said Lawrence. “But I believe we also have playmakers on both sides of the ball that can get the job done for Thursday’s game.”