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Mick Johnson and Saalem Frink Run Wild as Bonner-Prendie Punches First-Ever Ticket to PIAA Championship Game

Tagged under: District 11, District 12, Gameday Hub, News, pfn, Playoffs

| November 30, 2024

Friars coach Jack Muldoon summed it up in his postgame interview: “I have to give credit to our offensive and defensive line–they dominated tonight, period. We win or lose by how well they play.” And dominate they did, as Bonner-Prendergast racked up over 400 yards on the ground on their way to a 55-26 mercy rule rout of Southern Lehigh.

Southern Lehigh had a few early chances, receiving the opening kickoff and starting at their own 30. However, the Spartans knew they had their hands full when Sean Steckert was taken down on the opening play by Xavier Mills for a short gain. His next run went around the right side for a gain of 11 and his third run went for ten more yards, but that would be the last big gainer on the ground for him. On the opening drive, Andrew Olesh became Southern Lehigh’s all-time leader in receptions, as he caught a swing pass to the near side, pushing the ball to the Bonner 26. The drive would stall there, as the Friars line took over. After a false start, Noah Tapler’s 43-yard field goal went wide left.

Bonner-Prendie took over at its own 20, but quickly returned the ball to the Spartans. Quarterback Noel Campbell Jr. fired a pass in the flat, likely intended for Jalil Hall, but Steckert was the only one facing the ball and made a diving interception.

The Spartans took over on the Friars 19. The Spartans did not gain a yard, though. A Coltan Sams touchdown pass was waived off for being out of bounds and on fourth down, he was picked off in the end zone by Jeremiah Coleman. The next play, Mikhail “Mick” Johnson ripped through a gaping hole on the right side, going 80 yards for the score. With 6:28 to play in the first quarter, Bonner was up 7-0.

The Spartans responded with a Sams deep ball connection to Luke Kawczenski over the middle. The gain of 34 set the offense up on the MBAP 39. From there, it was all backwards, as Steckert fumbled, but got the ball back, and a screen pass went for negative yardage.

After a punt and touchback, Bonner put together its longest drive of the night: eight plays covering 80 yards. Saalem Frink got his first carry of the game and made it count, galloping for a pickup of 40. The now short field was easily covered by Frink and Johnson, and Johnson would score from two yards out to increase the Friars lead to 14-0.

After forcing a quick three-and-out, the Friars were poised to have good field position again. However, the punt return was muffed and the Spartans fell on it at the Bonner 24. It took seven plays, but Southern Lehigh didn’t squander the opportunity and Steckert capped the drive with a score from a yard out. The lead was cut to 14-7 with 7:23 to play in the half, but the Friars were far from done.

Just four plays later, Frink was on his way, bulldozing through the middle and breaking off a 59-yard touchdown run. “The line was just executing. Anybody can run behind that line–it wasn’t me, it’s the line we’ve got. Run the ball. Execute, execute, finish finish. That’s what we practice,” said Frink of his team’s effort on offense.

Southern Lehigh was feeling the pressure and elected to go for it on a 4th & 2 from their own 33. Olesh was stopped short on downs and Bonner had no issues scoring on the short field. Johnson capped a five play drive, scoring from five yards out, making the halftime lead 28-7. By half, Johnson and Frink had already produced 240 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Their counterparts in Steckert and Olesh were held to 61.

“We knew we had a really good football team. To get here and play that kind of caliber team with that kind of talent and put up a number like that, I just give credit to these kids,” said coach Muldoon.

Commenting on Johnson and Frink, he added, “We have guys who finish. With Mick we knew what we had. With Saalem, we had to teach him, and you can see him now. They finish runs. They’re always looking to score. They get what we need and then we tell them to go get the rest.”

Mick Johnson opened up the second half on another gashing run of 29 yards, crossing midfield. Frink covered 44 more yards down inside the ten yard line and a personal foul tacked on put Bonner on the Spartans 3. Frink finished the drive on a 1-yard touchdown, increasing the lead to 35-7 with 10:02 left in the third.

On the night, Bonner-Prendie had 11 runs of ten or more yards. The scores came quickly, as well, with their longest scoring drives being nine, six, and six plays. Noel Campbell hit Jalil Hall for a 33-yard gain on the next drive, setting up Johnson from a yard out. Midway through the third, that score invoked the mercy rule.

Southern Lehigh, despite being well out of it at this point, continued their up-tempo offensive style and persevered. Olesh hauled in a pass from Sams, spinning away from a defender and turning it into a 57-yard touchdown, making the deficit 42-14.

One play into the fourth quarter, the Friars struck again, as Jeremiah Coleman brought down a 33-yard touchdown pass from Noel Campbell Jr. Mekhi Martin tacked on a 34-yard touchdown run and went for 63 yards on seven carries in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Olesh added a touchdown with no time remaining, following a timeout with one second left in the ballgame. The catch marked his third score of the night and ended an outstanding senior season and high school career with the Spartans.

When all was said and done, Bonner-Prendie scorched the Spartans for 430 yards on the ground and another 130 through the air. Southern Lehigh was held to 72 yards on the ground, as Steckert finished with 17 carries for 23 net yards. He was caught in the backfield five times by the likes of Jalil Hall, CJ Amobi, Khalil Holley, among others.

“I just came out here and ran behind the blocks my line set for me and the plays my coaches called and had success from there, said Mick Johnson of his 139 yard, four touchdown performance.

“We’ve got to finish for the ones who came before us and the ones who are going to come after us.”

Bonner-Prendergast will face Lampeter-Strasburg Thursday night at Chapman Field on the campus of Cumberland Valley High School for a shot at their first ever football state title.

View the full photo gallery HERE, courtesy of Ryan Scipio

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