Bonner’s Saalem Frink runs the ball Friday against Southern Lehigh. (Owen McCue/EasternPA Football)
DOYLESTOWN — Bonner-Prendergast’s first offensive play on Friday night? Not so good as Southern Lehigh’s Sean Steckert jumped a short pass for an interception.
The Friars next one? Well, that went a little better.
Mikhail Johnson went for an 80-yard touchdown run on Bonner’s second play and the Friars’ offense rarely let up after. The District 12 champion Friars continued to ride their ground attack in a dominant 55-26 PIAA Class 4A semifinal win over District 11 champ Southern Lehigh, clinching the program’s first state championship game appearance next Thursday.
“We knew that the interception, I would like to say a fluke,” Johnson said. “It was a miscommunication. We had to come out there more focused the next drive and get our assignments done to get on the board.”
“Plays like that, gets us going,” said defensive back Jeremiah Coleman, who picked off a pass immediately before Johnson’s score. “All the big runs. All the explosive plays. All the turnovers that we get, it just it makes us as a team better. It gets us going. That’s our engine to the game.”
Bonner rushed for 422 yards and seven touchdowns in the game. Johnson carried the ball 12 times for 148 yards and four touchdowns. Saalem Frink rushed 10 times for 178 yards and a pair of scores. When sophomore Mekhi Martin came in with the game out of hand, he continued the dominant rushing attack with seven carries for 77 yards and a score.
After Johnson’s first touchdown run, a long run by Frink set up another to spot the Friars a 14-0 lead with 11:41 left in the first half. Sean Steckert scored Southern Lehigh’s only first half score after a Bonner muffed punt, but Frink broke off a 60-yard touchdown run and Johnson added his third touchdown of the first half to put Bonner ahead 28-7 at the break.
“We’re like that running back duo from the Lions (Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery), Sonic and Knuckles,” Frink said. “He’s the speedster and I’m the bruiser.”
The two backs showed a combination of both skillset sFriday night, speeding through the big holes up front carved out by offensive linemen Chaz Ingram, Julius Johnson, Kevin Hunter, CJ Chisholm and Caleb Tesema and powering through would-be tacklers.
They punched in touchdown runs on Bonner’s first two drives of the second half to make it 49-7 and start the clock ticking toward the Friars’ first state championship appearance.
“We go through a lot of protections and going through our schemes in practice, so we make sure we have it down pat and know who everybody’s blocking all your assignment,” Johnson said.
“I feel like we want it more, we’re playing more together and we’re smarter,” he added
Southern Lehigh moved the ball down the field on its first possession before a missed field goal spoiled the opening drive. The Bonner defense kept the Spartans’ ground game in check for the majority of the rest of the game as its counterpart ran all over the field.
Sophomore quarterback Colton Sams completed 18-of-29 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns for Southern Lehigh. Senior tight end Andrew Olesh, a Michigan commit, caught 10 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. He set the program’s career receptions record early in the game and became Southern Lehigh’s career receiving leader on a 63-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game.
“I think it means a lot,” coach Phil Sams said. “He’s done a lot for this program.”
“We said if we beat Pottsville back in the semifinals, we’re going to go on a run and we did,” Sams said. “We came back from a 21-point deficit and showed the confidence that we can beat anybody and then the (Bethlehem Catholic) win, the Juniata win and here we are. That football team (Bonner) is pretty good, I just wish a couple things happen differently in the first half and maybe it doesn’t get out of hand like that, but they are at that good.”
Bonner’s last two state playoff runs ended in the state quarterfinals. This season, Bonner is one of three Catholic League programs playing for state titles next week as Roman Catholic (5A) and St. Joe’s Prep (6A) also won their semifinal games.
The Friars will play undefeated District 3 champion Lampeter-Strasburg, a 20-16 winner over Thomas Jefferson, on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Cumberland Valley High School looking to finish off their histori season with a championship trophy.
“It’s cool, but the job’s still not done, so we gotta finish the job” Frink said.
Scoring Summary:
Southern Lehigh 0 7 7 12-26
Bonner-Prendergast 7 21 14 13-55
Individual Scoring
First Quarter
BP: Mikhail Johnson 80 run (Isaiah Smith kick) 6:38
Second Quarter
BP: Mikhail Johnson 1 run (Isaiah Smith kick) 11:41
SL: Sean Steckert 2 run (Noah Tapler kick) 7:20
BP: Saalem Frink 60 run (Isaiah Smith kick) 5:15
BP: Mikhail Johnson 6 run (Isaiah Smith kick)
Third Quarter
BP: Saalem Frink 1 run (Isaiah Smith kick) 10:02
BP: Mikhail Johnson 1 run (Isaiah Smith kick) 5:40
SL: Andrew Olesh 44 pass from Colton Sands (Noah Tapler kick) 3:06
Fourth Quarter
BP: Jalil Hall 33 pass from Noel Campbell Jr. 11:52
SL: Andrew Olesh 22 pass from Colton Sands (kick blocked) 9:18
BP: Mekhi Martin 38 run (pass fail) 6:11
SL: Andrew Olesh 63 pass from Colton Sands (no attempt) :00
Team Statistics
……………………….SL………………BP
1st downs………..15…………………22
rush-yds……….24-65……….35-422
comp-att-int….18-30-2…………..8-15-1
pass yds……….314………………124
total yds…………217……………….546
fumb-lost……..1-0………………1-1
pen-yds…………3-15…………..7-80
Individual Statistics
Rushing- Southern Lehigh: Sean Steckert 17-37, TD; Andrew Olesh 3-29; Noah Tapler 1-0; Colton Sams 3-(-1).
Bonner: Saalem Frink 10-178, 2 TDs; Mikhail Johnson 12-148, 4 TDs; Mekhi Martin 7-77, TD; Kareem Johnson 4-14; Noel Campbell Jr. 1-5; Jalil Hall 1-0.
Passing- Southern Lehigh: Colton Sams 18-29-2, 249 yards, 3 TDs.
Bonner: Noel Campbell Jr. 8-15-1 124 yards, TD.
Receiving- Southern Lehigh: 10-193, 3 TDs; Luke Kawaczenski 3-39; Sean Steckert 2-14; Danny Reagan 1-3; Talan Hite 2-0.
Bonner: Jalil Hall 5-104, TD; Jeremiah Coleman 1-10; Chris Jones 2-10.
Interceptions: Southern Lehigh: Sean Steckert; Bonner: Jeremiah Coleman, Amir Williams.
