PINE GROVE - The Blue Raiders are heading in the right direction.

Tamaqua scored its third straight win, routing Pine Grove 42-3 on Friday night.

With three games left, the Blue Raiders (3-4) have a shot at a .500 season, overcoming a 0-4 start.

Underclassmen have paved the way.

Tamaqua again rode the feet of slick junior running back Bradley Whalen. He kicked it in gear with 181 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns. Whalen scored his first touchdown on his fourth carry of the game, scooting 42 yards into the end zone.

“He’s so tough, and has great vision,” Sam Bonner said. “He is a quiet patient runner. Bradley seldom forces the issue, if the (hole) isn’t there, he will look for either going outside, or cutting back inside.”

Whalen scored his second touchdown by slicing into the end zone on a 7-yard run capping a 9-play drive that went for 64 yards. Then in the second quarter, he rode the blocking of his interior line, fullback Tyler Koch and senior running back Damon Sell.

As for Sell, he stood out too. The 5-9, 149-pound running back hit the end zone on a slant off the left side going 32 yards to the end zone, and then picked off a pass and bolted 30 yards.

“I’m happy for Damon, he’s one of our senior leaders,” Bonner said. “He’s a smart football player and he read that pass perfectly, for the pick six.”

If there was a letdown or a slip up, Bonner pointed to the second quarter.

“We didn’t do a very good job in that second quarter. We kind of let up and we should have been (sharper),” Bonner said.

Pine Grove (1-6) thwarted a Tamaqua scoring attempt by picking off a pass in the Cardinals’ territory with 8:44 left in the second quarter.

The Blue Raiders finally picked it up on their third possession of the quarter.

Getting great field position when Sell returned a punt to the Pine Grove 43, Whalen scored on the six play of the drive from the 4.

Tamaqua quarterback junior Luke Kane hit a 14-yard pass to Sell, before Whalen’s third touchdown of the half.

On Tamaqua’s first possession of the third quarter, it went on a solid 8-play, 54-yard march with Whalen darting in from two yards out.

Then Sell got his number called on the next Tamaqua possession, running a finding a seam to the outside and going 32 yards for the score.

Sell called it an evening when he snared an interception on a perfect read and raced 32 yards to the end zone.

“Tell you, Declan Coleman is the key to our offense,” Bonner said of his tight end. “He may not be getting many passes, but he’s doing a heck of a job blocking for us.”

JUST MISS SIX ... Sell hooked up with Kane on a nifty 44-yard pass. Sell looked like he was touchdown bound, but lost the ball at the Pine Grove 32. Bonner said it was a heck of a catch.

WHAT HE SAID ... “You always worry about an away game when you have a long bus ride.” Bonner said.

HOW THEY SCORED ... Pine Grove’s quarterback Evan Karanda booted a 33-yard field goal just before half. Last fall, Karanda was on the soccer team now in his senior year he’s the quarterback for the Cardinals.

IN A FAVORITE ROLE ... Tamaqua will be favored in two of its final three games, hosting Northern Lehigh Thursday, and Panther Valley in the season finale. The ninth week of the season the Blue Raiders play Palmerton.