The concept is pretty basic.

Win the line of scrimmage. Win the game.

On Friday night, Jim Thorpe did exactly that in cruising to a 47-15 victory over visiting Pen Argyl.

“Being a head coach, but also a line coach, we take a lot of pride in understanding that,” said Olympian head coach Mark Rosenberger. “The game is won and lost up front a lot of times, and tonight it was our advantage, it went to us.

“Our d-line did a nice job of getting pressure when they tried to throw the football. They were also in the backfield a lot tonight, even in their running game, creating plays and tackles for losses.”

Thorpe’s defense finished the night with three sacks and eight other tackles for loss.

And while the Red Swarm did its job, allowing no points and just three first downs (two by penalty) through the first three quarters, Thorpe’s offensive front also got the job done in the trenches.

The Olympians (3-3) had plenty of success running the ball, and the line also gave quarterback Brett Balliet time to throw. The result was a well-balanced offense that moved the ball consistently throughout the contest.

“Offensively, I thought we were exceptional,” said Rosenberger. “We did a good job of running the ball, passing the football, and we were able to mix things up back and forth.

“I was impressed with the way our kids came out and played. There was a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of passion that we played with all night long.”

There was a lot of enthusiasm at halftime as Thorpe scored on four straight possessions to take a commanding 27-0 lead.

After driving, but failing to reach the end zone the first time they touched the ball, the Olympians cashed in multiple times with Cam Tinajero leading the way.

The senior’s 30-yard burst started the initial scoring drive for Thorpe, and he ended it with a 1-yard plunge for a 7-0 lead.

Rosenberger gave backup quarterback Ryan Fikentscher some playing time on the team’s next series, and he responded with six carries for 43 yards, including a 2-yard TD run.

“It’s always good to spread the ball around,” said Rosenberger. “We got our backup quarterback in, Ryan Fikentscher, and he did a great job running the football for us ... Fik gives us a little bit more of the running dimension as a quarterback.

“I thought Brett (Balliet) did a great job of throwing the ball and running our offense, so the two of them had a great game from the quarterback spot.”

Balliet connected on three passes on Thorpe’s next possession, and Derryl Fisher broke free for a 42-yard run to set up Tinajero’s 4-yard stroll to the end zone with 1:26 left until halftime.

Tinajero managed to hit paydirt again before the half, this time from 15 yards out, as an interception by David Fiorito gave the Olympians great field position.

“If we’re going to be successful, it’s going to be about spreading the ball around and eliminating mistakes offensively,” said Rosenberger, who had 15 players either run, pass or catch the ball on offense. “We also know if we’re going to be successful next week and in the future, we have to play well up front again.”

Thorpe needed just one play to extend its margin in the third quarter. After the defense forced a three-and-out and a short punt gave the Olympians a short field, Balliet hit a wide-open Bryson Heydt over the middle for a 30-yard touchdown pass and a 34-0 advantage. Fisher’s 1-yard tally early in the fourth made it 40-0 and initiated the mercy rule.

OFFENSIVE SUCCESS ... Thorpe finished with 320 rushing yards, with Tinajero’s 78 leading the way. Fisher added 74. The Olympians averaged over 7.5 yards per play.

ONE DOWN SIDE ... If there was an issue for Jim Thorpe, it was penalties. The home team was flagged 12 times for 124 yards. “We’ll take care of some of that stuff Monday,” said Rosenberger. “Even in the games we lost this year, many times it was our own doing with fumbles, interceptions or penalties. We got away with it tonight with the penalties, but we’re not going to get away with it next week. We have to get rid of that stuff. We can’t afford the mental breakdowns.”

UP NEXT ... Thorpe is on the road the next two weeks. First, it will travel to Slatington to take on Northern Lehigh. After that, the Olympians will be at Tamaqua.