Stroudsburg, Rojas run past Pleasant Vy.

After suffering through an 0-10 year, you’d assume Pleasant Valley’s Blaec Saeger would be ready to end the season.

Anyone thinking that, though, would be completely wrong.

Following the Bears’ 48-14 defeat to Stroudsburg on Friday night, their head coach talked about having to pack up the equipment.

“I’m sad it’s ending, very much so,” said Saeger. “I’m a football coach, and it’s what I do. Give me 16 weeks. I love these guys and if they added an 11th week, they’d be right there, doing whatever we had to do on Monday. They’re a tremendous group of kids and I’m going to miss them.

“(After the game), I told them what I’ve told them for 10 straight weeks. I told them I love coaching them and I’m honored and proud to be their head coach, regardless of the record. They are tremendous, high-character people and I’m a better person for just knowing them. And I look forward to taking what that senior group built and moving it forward as we get better at what we’re doing.”

While Pleasant Valley continues its quest to improve and eventually return to prominence, the Mounties (6-4) showed why they’re at the top of the standings year in and year out.

Dimitri Rojas ran for 224 yards and five touchdowns, while Eric Rodriguez returned a punt 70 yards for another score.

“Our thing that we had to do tonight was come out and play, and just execute,” said Stroudsburg mentor Jim Miller. “We had to do that on offense, defense and special teams. Recently, we’ve been making a lot of mental mistakes. And our goal was just to come out, execute and play good Stroudsburg football.

“Dimitri reached 1,000 yards last week, and he’s getting better and better week in and week out. Our offensive line has also been doing a great job. We needed to execute on all phases and tonight we were able to do that.”

Rojas reached the end zone on Stroudsburg’s first three possessions, benefiting from huge holes and using his shiftiness to avoid tackles. The 5-9 junior broke free for a 29-yard TD run to open the scoring and his 23-yard scamper set up his next tally — an 8-yard burst to the outside that set the first-quarter score at 13-0. Another 24-yard pickup on the team’s next series led to another 8-yard run to the end zone.

“Yeah, he’s good,” said Saeger of Rojas. “They’re a big school and they’re always going to have some guys. Rojas can really run. They’re just a good team, and one of the top clubs every year.”

Rodriguez made it 27-0 with his special teams score, but PV put together a 72-yard march to get on the board.

Robert Papaleo carried eight times during the 13-play drive.

“There’s been games where we’ve moved the ball very well,” said Saeger. “There’s been games where we haven’t. We’re a young team and we’re still getting better. We’ve just been very inconsistent and a lot of times we’ll move the ball and then we’ll fumble.

“Pleasant Valley’s been a spread school for 12 years and here I come running the triple (option). It’s completely different and it’s going to take time. It’s not easy, but I think it’s what we need and our kids have bought into it. We’re only going to get better at it.”

Stroudsburg put the game away in the third quarter, scoring three times — two by Rojas and another on Ethan Sodl’s 11-yard pass to Wayne Hamilton.

FINAL TALLY ... The Bears completed the scoring in the final frame on an 18-yard TD run by quarterback Jack Stephens.

PLAYOFF BOUND ... Stroudsburg has clinched a district berth and most likely will be the No. 6 seed in Class 6A. It most likely will meet Parkland in the quarterfinals.

RAZZLE DAZZLE ... PV tried some trickery at the end of the first half, throwing a pass on the final play of the second quarter. After the reception, there were three laterals, including one to the opposite side of the field. The play gained 22 yards.