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2014 Game Summaries
Week 10: Warriors Finish Season With Win Over Pittston Area, 28-7

TIMES LEADER

 

YATESVILLE — Those Pittston Area fans who decided to file out of chilly Charley Trippi Stadium during the fourth quarter didn’t miss much. What happened before they left happened after they were gone.

And that was Wyoming Area senior running back Jeff Skursky being pounded at the Patriots defense again and again and again.

Skursky rushed 38 times for 236 yards and four touchdowns as the Warriors defeated their cross-river rivals 28-7 Saturday evening.

Skursky’s 236 yards were the second-highest total he’s had for a single game, topped only by a 284-yard effort last year. His 38 carries fell three shy of the 41 he had last year against GAR.

Both teams concluded their seasons at 3-7.

“Nothing could be more greater than this victory,” Skursky said. “I don’t know how to express it. It’s the greatest feeling in the world to end your senior season with a victory over your rivals across the bridge. This makes up for all the losses.”

Skursky’s performance took all the suspense out of which player would be giving the Carmen Falcone Award presented for the past 37 years to the game’s MVP. Even Pittston Area coach Jim Norris waited for his chance to congratulate Skursky.

“This game is always played really competitively by both sides,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “You look at the record of the series and it’s a one-game, two-game gap. It is that type of rivalry and the kids raise their level to play at the highest potential.”

Skrusky noticed that from his linemen — center Cade Bekanich, guards David Vincent and Frank Yurek, tackles Justin Steinberger and Nick Shedlock and tight ends Dante Deluca and Jeremy Stach.

“Our line came out and blocked better than they have all year,” Skursky said.

Overshadowed by Skursky’s exploits was a gutsy performance by Pittston Area senior quarterback Kyle Gattuso. With the backfield depleted by injuries, Gattuso did the bulk of the rushing, gaining 111 yards on 25 carries. He also passed for 127, having his hands in all but four of the Patriots’ yards. All this despite being helped off the field in the fourth quarter.

“Kyle is a pure football player,” Norris said. “He has a ton of passion for the game. He is going to enjoy the game in college wherever he gets an opportunity to play. I’m happy for a guy like him to have the opportunity to play at the next level because he deserves it.”

The game started off well for Pittston Area as Wyoming Area fumbled the opening kickoff and John McDonald pounced on the ball at the Warriors 28-yard line. Gattuso scored five plays later.

After that, it was all Wyoming Area. The Warriors responded with a 10-play drive with Skursky carrying the ball nine times, including a 1-yard TD run.

The Patriots then drove deep into Wyoming Area territory, but disaster struck on the second play of the second quarter. Linebacker Robert Wargo cut in front of a pass in the left flat and returned the interception 61 yards. A horse-collar tackling penalty moved the ball to the Patriots 14. Three plays later, Skursky was in the end zone again.

The Warriors finished off the half with an 11-play drive that covered 87 yards. A 17-yard pass from Ryan Gorki to A.J. Lenkaitis placed the ball at the 2 where Skursky carried it in.

Skursky added a 1-yard TD run on Wyoming Area’s first possession of the third quarter.

NOTE: The fieldhouse at the stadium was dedicated to former Pittston Area coach Bob Barbieri before the game. Barbieri coached the Patriots from their inaugural season in 1966 to 1988. He spoke at halftime surrounded by many of his former players.

Wyoming Area 28, Pittston Area 7

Wyoming Area`7`14`7`0`—`28

Pittston Area`7`0`0`0`—`0

First quarter

PA — Kyle Gattuso 6 run (Steve Pugliese kick), 9:23

WA — Jeff Skursky 1 run (AJ Lenkaitis kick), 4:44

Second quarter

WA — Skursky 6 run (kick failed), 9:15

WA — Skursky 2 run (Skursky run), 0:23

Third quarter

WA — Skursky 1 run (Lenkaitis kick), 7:58

Team statistics`WA`PA

First downs`15`13

Rushes-yards`47-257`27-115

Passing yards`31`127

Total yards`288`242

Passing`3-6-0`15-30-3

Sacked-yards lost`0-0`3-16

Punts-avg.`2-27.5`3-28.3

Fumbles-lost`2-2`0-0

Penalties-yards`5-32`5-54

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — WA, Skursky 38-236, Brian Miles 5-14, Ryan Gorki 4-7. PA, Gattuso 25-111, Niko Cinquegrani 2-4.

PASSING — WA, Gorki 3-6-0-31. PA, Gattuso 15-30-3-127.

RECEIVING — WA, Marty Michaels 1-8, Lenkaitis 2-23. PA, Paul Brady 6-55, Josh John 2-10, Angelo Aita 6-57, Cinquegrani 1-5.

INTERCEPTIONS — VIS, WA, Robert Wargo 1-61, Ben Steve 1-0, Miles 1-0.

MISSED FGs — None.

Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar

Week 9: Warriors Fall to Wallenpaupack 24-5
Wyoming Area

Wallenpaupak 24

Wyoming Area 5

Wallenpaupack

TIMES LEADER

WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area did everything it needed to do on its opening possession Friday night except for one thing: finish.

The Warriors had trouble capping off drives and Wallenpaupack scored 24 unanswered points in a 24-5 loss on senior night at Jake Sobeski Stadium.

“I thought we came out tonight and played with some good energy and played hard physically,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “We just didn’t finish when we needed to.”

Wyoming Area (2-7) jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to its special teams. But it was Paupack’s special teams that made the first significant play.

After the Warriors opened the game on an 11-play drive to get to the Buckhorn 7, a holding penalty and two negative plays led to a third-and-goal from the 24. Robert Wargo got 13 yards back to set up an A.J. Lenkaitis 28-yard field goal attempt. The kick was blocked.

The Buckhorns (5-4), however, went three-and-out next. On their punt, Wargo stormed through the line and stuffed punter John Steffen, leading to a safety.

On Wyoming Area’s ensuing possession, Lenkaitis nailed a 30-yard try to make it 5-0. From there, it was all Wallenpaupack.

“Those need to be (touchdown) drives,” Spencer said. “We got points, which is important. That was a point in the game to get some momentum. That really leaves the door open.”

And the Buckhorns took advantage.

Wallenpaupack took the lead and opened the game up in a span less than two minutes midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Steffen hit Ryan Worzel streaking across the middle and Worzel did the rest to find the end zone.

After the Buckhorns recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Steffen capped off a 4-play, 40-yard drive with a pass to fullback Marc Petersen for seven yards.

Steffen finished the game 7 for 15 with 124 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to finish off the Warriors.

Wyoming Area finishes its season next week with a matchup against rival Pittston Area at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

“You only get one shot at Pittston Area,” Spencer said. “It’s a game that seniors and the players will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Wallenpaupack Box
Week 8: Warriors Fall Hard to Coughlin, 42-7
WA
 

Coughlin 42

Wyoming Area 7

 

 

Coughlin

TIMES LEADER

WEST PITTSTON — Every time Coughlin touched the ball in the first 17 minutes Friday night, the Crusaders produced a bigger play – and a touchdown.

The Crusaders turned their first five offensive plays into 198 yards and three touchdowns, then added another score on special teams to take charge early on the way to a 42-7 Wyoming Valley Conference Class 3A victory over host Wyoming Area.

Coughlin (5-3) had possession for just 1:28 during the first 22:02 while producing the flurry that opened a 28-7 lead and paved the way to the team’s third straight victory.

Quarterback Jacob Soller, who wound up running for three touchdowns, threw a 60-yard pass to Josh Hvozdovic on Coughlin’s first offensive play.

“Soller had an outstanding game and I thought our line blocked real well up front,” Coughlin coach Ciro Cinti said. “That’s what (Soller) has been giving us all year. He’s an underrated kid.

“He threw the ball well. First play from scrimmage, he stepped up into the pocket and threw a great pass. He showed he can hurt you with his arm as well as his legs.”

Soller only attempted one other pass but he also carried nine times for 122 yards.

Tom Mitchell scored from the 1 on the play after the long pass for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Coughlin scored in two plays again for a 14-0 lead with 2:42 left in the first quarter.

This time, the long play went all the way to the end zone. Tyler Layton hit a seam in the middle and went 51 yards for the touchdown.

The Crusaders turned their first snap of the second quarter into the game’s longest play. Soller faked a reverse and ran 80 yards for a touchdown on the first play after Jeff Skursky ran 47 yards for a Wyoming Area touchdown.

Coughlin did not even need the ball to take a three-touchdown lead.

Frank Wojtash blocked a punt, picked it up and ran it 17 yards for a score with 6:54 left in the second quarter. The Crusaders took a 28-7 lead into the locker room.

Skursky carried 20 times for 106 yards in the first half, but left the stadium at halftime to have an injury to his midsection evaluated.

Soller added both second-half touchdowns. He ran 1 yard with 4:26 left in the third quarter after Wyoming Area misplayed a punt at its 29.

The Crusaders moved 60 yards in 11 plays on a drive that straddled the third and fourth quarters. Soller ran 20 yards for a touchdown on third-and-five with 9:01 left, putting the remainder of the game in the Mercy Rule.

Week 7: Fake Field Goal Lifts Warriors to 17-10 Victory over Dallas
Wyoming Area

Wyoming Area 17

 

Dallas 10

Dallas

TIMES LEADER

DALLAS — The wind blew fiercely through the goalposts and directly into the faces of the Wyoming Area Warriors as they lined up for a potential 41-yard field goal with nine seconds left.

Despite the odds, that was the plan. Then things changed and the Warriors ended up with something even better.

Holder and backup quarterback Steve Homza threw a 23-yard TD pass to Dante Deluca off a fake field goal attempt, giving Wyoming Area the lead with one second left and a 17-10 upset victory over Dallas on Saturday night.

Wyoming Area (2-5) called a timeout with nine seconds left, planning to give A.J. Lenkaitis a crack at the long field goal. But when Dallas (4-3) followed with consecutive timeouts, the plan switched to the fake.

“The first one that we called the timeout, we were going for (a field goal),” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “When they called their first timeout, we had the fake on and stuck with the call.”

Homza took the snap on his knees and then rolled to his left. Deluca was wide open down field and he lofted a perfect pass to him. A lone Dallas defender was able to give Deluca a bump inside the 5-yard line, but it did little to stop his progress into the end zone.

“It wasn’t that scary,” said Deluca, a sophomore who starts at tight end. “Me and Homza, we plan this all the time. We have such good chemistry and practice that all the time. I have trust in Homza and know I had to give it back. I had to catch it for him, for the seniors, for the coaches, everyone.”

Homza had seen spot duty at quarterback, throwing 17 passes this season. This pass, though, was the biggest in the sophomore’s varsity career.

“After the first timeout, we planned to throw the ball,” Homza said. “I knew it was going to be a tough play so I rolled out to my left. There was great blocking up front. I saw Dante and just threw it up and prayed that he caught it.”

The game was the first home night game in Dallas school history. It may end up dimming the Mountaineers’ chances at a District 2 Class 3A playoff berth.

Dallas fell from third to fourth in the standings, just 70 state points ahead of Abington Heights and 80 ahead of Coughlin (4-3) with a trip to Crestwood (7-0) on tap on Friday. Four teams make the playoffs.

“They have a very good field goal kicker and even though the wind was in his face, they positioned the ball in the middle,” Dallas coach Bob Zaruta said. “They looked like they were going for it.”

Wyoming Area wouldn’t have been in position to win the game had Dallas stopped the Warriors on a fourth-and-5 from the 30 with 46 seconds left. Wyoming Area lined up in a Power-I formation on the play, but shifted to an empty backfield. Quarterback Ryan Gorki then ran around the left side for six yards and a first down.

Wyoming Area’s game plan was basic but effective — slam big Jeff Skursky at the Dallas defense. The 235-pound senior rushed 38 times for 153 yards. Moreover, the Warriors’ ability to move the chains with 18 first downs kept the ball away from the Mountaineers, who ran just 43 plays.

And when Dallas had the ball, its passing game was disrupted by some timely inside blitzes that had quarterback Matt Harrison scrambling quite often. He did managed to toss a 26-yard TD pass to Justin Mucha at 2:48 of the third quarter to tie the score 10-10.

Dallas’ other points came on a 22-yard field goal by Ron Ostrowski at 9:04 of the first. Wyoming Area took a 7-3 lead into halftime on a 14-yard TD screen pass from Gorki to Skursky at 8:32 of the second.

Lenkaitis tacked on a 24-yard field goal midway through the third to give Wyoming Area a 10-3 lead.


Wyoming Area 17, Dallas 10

Wyoming Area`0`7`3`7`—`17 Dallas`3`0`7`0`—`10

First quarter DAL — Ron Ostrowski 22 FG, 9:04 Second quarter WA —Jeff Skursky 14 pass from Ryan Gorki (AJ Lenkaitis kick), 6:47 Third quarter WA — Lenkaitis 24 FG, 6:47 DAL — Justin Mucha 26 pass from Matt Harrison (Ostrowski kick), 2:48 Fourth quarter WA — Dante Deluca 23 pass from Steve Homza (Lenkaitis kick), 0:01
WA DA
First Downs 18 8
Rushes yds 50-183 16-32
Passing Yds 69 164
Total Yds 252 196
Passing Yds 4-7-0 12-27-0
Sacked yds lost 0-0 2-13
Punts 4-25.5 5-42.2
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-0
Penalties-yds 2-15 12-88

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Wyo Area, Skursky 38-153, Gorki 7-24, Robert Wargo 2-6, Brian Miles 3-0. Dallas, Harrison 8-14, Ryan Cheskiewicz 1-(minus-1), Mucha 5-14, David Simpson 2-5.

PASSING — Wyo Area, Gorki 4-6-0-46, Homza 1-1-0-23. Dallas, Harrison 12-27-0-164.

RECEIVING — Wyo Area, Deluca 2-42, Skursky 2-25, Wargo 1-2. Dallas, Mucha 9-133, Cole Dixon 1-13, Omar Nijmeh 1-(minus-4), Tanner Gattuso 1-22.

INTERCEPTIONS — None.

MISSED FGs — None.

Week 6: Warriors Lose to Berwick
WA
 

Wyoming Area

at Berwick

October 3, 2014

LOST 29-13

 

TIMES LEADER

BERWICK — Berwick had only run two offensive plays. By that time, Wyoming Area was already up 13-0. George Curry’s team did what it has done all year. The Bulldogs came back.

Berwick rattled off 29 unanswered points to top Wyoming Area, 29-13, in a Wyoming Valley Conference AAA matchup Friday night at Crispin Field.

In a span of 31 seconds, Wyoming Area took a 13-0 lead thanks to a long drive and a costly Berwick fumble.

The Warriors opened the game with a 10-play, 67-yard drive that was capped off by a great play call on fourth down. Facing three yards to gain, the Warriors dialed up a play-action pass and quarterback Ryan Gorki found a streaking Dante Deluca for 29 yards and the game’s first score.

Three plays into Berwick’s ensuing drive, running back Nate Maczuga was met by Wyoming Area’s Jeff Skursky - who had a game to remember - with a big hit that jarred the ball loose. Wyoming Area’s Robert Wargo returned the fumble 19 yards for the touchdown.

Just like that, Berwick was in a hole.

“It was exciting,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “With how we’ve struggled with this group the last few weeks, it was good to see our kids come out in this kind of environment and play the level they did against an opponent like Berwick.”

But coming off a comeback win against Selinsgrove the week before, the Bulldogs didn’t waver - they came back with authority.

After holding the Bulldogs on another possession, Wyoming Area’s Marty Michaels fumbled with a minute to play in the first quarter to give Berwick a short field. A heavy dose of Nick Talanca’s running set up a Nate Maczuga 3-yard touchdown run.

Following a Wyoming Area three-and-out, the Bulldogs were on the charge again inside the Warrior 30. But Dallas Arner’s pass was picked off by Marc Anthony Minichello in the end zone. On Wyoming Area’s following possession, however, P.J. Wiegand intercepted Gorki and returned it to the Wyoming Area 2.

On the next play, Talanca went in for the touchdown to basically end the first half and give the Bulldogs a 14-13 lead.

“I’m very proud of the effort our kids gave tonight,” Spencer said. “But again, the turnovers and mistakes were big. If they go a different way, we might have a different outcome.”

It was arguably the best first half the Warriors played all year. But the offense struggled the rest of the way. The defense, however, continued to impress.

Berwick turned it over on downs at the Wyoming Area 16 to open the third quarter. And after stopping the Wyoming Area offense, the Bulldogs took over on their own 14. Two plays later, Arner hit Wiegand on a 73-yard catch and run to give Berwick a 22-13 lead.

The Bulldogs got their final touchdown from Talanca on a 4-yard run with 1:23 left to play.

Skursky had a career game, according to Spencer. The Wyoming Area running back/linebacker finished with 18 carries for 120 yards. He also had 17 tackles, including the forced fumble. He was all over the field.

“I think, by far, it was his best game of the year,” Spencer said. “What he did in terms of a leadership standpoint is impressive. He knows his potential. He’s a leader.”


Berwick2014box
Week 5: Warriors Fall Hard to Crestwood 71-13
WA
 

LOST 71-13

 

CR  

TIMES LEADER

WRIGHT TWP. — Crestwood had the ball for only five plays Saturday night, yet had a 28-point lead.
It was that kind of game for the unbeaten Comets. And that kind of game for Wyoming Area.
An offense that needs little help received plenty from the defense early as two interceptions for touchdowns created a snowball effect as Crestwood rolled to a 71-13 victory in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 3A game.
“It’s good because we’ve been playing some really good defensive football and that’s sort of been overshadowed by our offense because of the numbers we’ve been able to put up,” Crestwood coach Greg Myers said. “A couple of those kids stepped up and made plays. We had a couple pick-6s. Offensively, we did what we had to do. We certainly didn’t put up the numbers like we’ve been putting up.”
There was no need to. Defensive back Andrew Chang put Crestwood (5-0) on the board on the game’s third play from scrimmage with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. After running back Tanner Kahlau ran for a 52-yard TD on the Comets’ second offensive play, linebacker John Macri returned another interception for a touchdown, this one from 42 yards out.
An 18-yard touchdown catch by Lance Blass on Crestwood’s fifth play built the lead to 28-0 at 1:31, setting up a historical night for both schools.
For Wyoming Area (1-4), it wasn’t historical in a good sense. The 71 points were the most allowed in a game by a program that played its first game in 1966. The 58-point margin of defeat eclipsed the previous high of 45. The Warriors lost 45-0 in 2004 and 58-13 in 2009, both times to Wyoming Valley West.
For Crestwood, the margin of victory topped the previous high set in a 62-7 win against Lake-Lehman in 1985. The 71 points were also a school record in a game, surpassing the mark set two weeks ago in a 63-27 victory over Coughlin.
“From a coaching perspective, Crestwood is a very good team working to become great,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “We are a team with potential to be good and we’re working to become good. When you look at that, you’re looking at fundamentals. We have to tackle better, we have to block better and have knowledge of our assignments. And just finish plays.
“We have kids that are athletic. We have hard-working kids. We just have to go back to work and focus on the things we need to improve and get better.”
Crestwood standout running back Frank Aigeldinger had his streak of six consecutive 100-yard rushing games come to an end, although there’s little doubt he could have reach the mark. Instead, he rushed just five times for 90 yards. Kahlau led the way with 119 yards on five rushes.
The Crestwood starters watched most of the second half. The final two touchdowns were scored by sophomore Jacob Barney, who had carried the ball just three times in varsity action in the first four games.
Even when things went wrong for Crestwood, it ended up right. After the Comets’ fifth TD, the extra-point snap forced holder Chang to scoop up the ball and try to run for two points. He started right, retreated all the way to the 22-yard line and then dashed to the left to score.

Crestwood 71, Wyoming Area 13

Wyoming Area`0`7`0`6`—`13

Crestwood`28`15`14`14`—`71

WA CR
First Downs 7 22
Rushes yds 31-193 38-430
Passing Yds 60 64
Total Yds 253 494
Passing Yds 7-17-2 2-3-0
Sacked yds lost 0-0 0-0
Punts 5-42 0-0
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-yds 12-87 5-35

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Wyo Area, Jeff Skursky 13-42, Gorki 1-0, Brian Miles 6-38, Robert Wargo 1-0, Marty Michaels 1-0, Steve Homza 2-8, Buraczewski 3-81, Brandon Charney 2-11, Andrew Calabro 1-13. Crestwood, Aigeldinger 5-90, Popson 6-45, Kahlau 5-119, Matt Bobeck 2-12, Blass 1-2, Geiser 5-26, Macri 1-3, Garrett Marci 5-77, Brandon Belfonti 3-17, Barney 3-37.

PASSING — Wyo Area, Gorki 6-11-2-49, Homza 1-6-0-11. Crestwood, Popson 2-2-0-64, Aigeldinger 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING — Wyo Area, Lenkaitis 4-52, Anthony Nardell 2-4, Marc Minichello 1-4. Crestwood, Connor Sheloski 1-46, Blass 1-18.

INTERCEPTIONS — Crestwood, Chang 1-40, Marci 1-42.

MISSED FGs — None.

WEEK 4: WARRIORS GET FIRST WIN VS TUNKHANNOCK 17-7
WA
 

Wyoming Area (0-3)

vs.

Tunkhannock (0-3)

Fri., September 19

Home 7PM

Internet Broadcast begins at 6:45 PM

 

Tunk  

TIMES LEADER

WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area was scoreless entering the fourth quarter Friday night, but Jeff Skursky was just getting started.

Skursky rushed for 129 of his 226 yards and the game’s only two offensive touchdowns during the fourth quarter to rally the Warriors to their first victory of the season, 17-7, over visiting Tunkhannock in a Wyoming Valley Conference game.

The 235-pound senior running back made up for a fumble at the 9 early in the fourth quarter by running 21 and 3 yards for touchdowns.

Dante Deluca opened the scoring for Wyoming Area, cutting the Tunkhannock lead to 7-2 by blocking a punt through the end zone with 10:28 remaining.

“That totally changed the momentum of the game when we got that blocked punt,” said Skursky, who carried 27 times, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

Mark Anthony Minichello’s 18-yard punt return set up the four-play, 34-yard drive for the go-ahead score.

Skursky carried on all four plays on the drive. Ryan Gorki, who took over at quarterback late in the third quarter, threw to Robert Wargo for the two-point conversion and a 10-7 lead with 4:25 left.

Gorki’s 28-yard run followed up 24- and 19-yarders by Skursky. Gorki moved the ball to the 3 where Skursky scored with 1:51 left.

Defensive end Jeremy Stach helped lock up the win. Stach had a sack among his four tackles for 20 yards in losses. He also had two more stops for no gain and rushed the quarterback into three incompletions and a fourth-quarter interception by Gorki with the Warriors leading just 10-7.

Defenses dominated the first half of the game between teams which entered the night with 0-3 records.

Wyoming Area made two stops inside the 20 and Tunkhannock made one inside the 10 in the first half, which remained scoreless until a big defensive play with 1:07 left in the second quarter.

Mike Taylor stepped in front of a pass to the flat and raced 67 yards down the left sideline to give Tunkhannock a 7-0 halftime lead.

Skursky had an interception to stop one of Tunkhannock’s threats with the help of a Cade Bekanich pass rush.

The other threats ended on downs.

CITIZENS VOICE

WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area rattled off 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter behind stout defense and its running game to defeat Tunkhannock, 17-7, Friday night.

The tide of the game changed on a blocked punt by Wyoming Area’s Dante DeLuca, which resulted in a safety.

From there, Warriors senior Jeff Skursky was a battering ram, wearing down the Tunkhannock defense.

Skursky rushed 27 times for 200 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“Running back is my favorite position,” Skursky said. “I like the pressure down the stretch to finish the game.”

Tunkhannock was first to crack the scoreboard late in the second quarter. With Wyoming Area driving, Tigers’ sophomore Mike Taylor stepped in front of a pass to snatch an interception in stride and sped down the sideline for the 68-yard touchdown to give his team the 7-0 half-time lead.

The Wyoming Area defense played well all game, but turned up the pressure in the second half.

After a turnover, Tunkhannock took over at the Wyoming Area 1. The defense stuffed two quarterback sneaks, then forced a fumble at the goal line to keep the game 7-0.

“The defense played really well,” Wyoming Area head coach Randy Spencer said. “We put pressure on them and that made the difference.”

The Warriors stymied Tunkhannock to the tune of 55 rushing yards on 34 attempts and 115 total yards. They forced three turnovers to help keep them in the game. The Tiger defense was equally as opportunistic forcing four Wyoming Area turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, Wyoming Area changed the momentum of the game with a punt block from DeLuca that sputtered out of the endzone for a safety.

The Warriors rode that wave and trusted their offensive line to open holes. The offensive line responded and combined with Skursky, used the rushing attack to pull ahead. Skursky broke a 21-yard touchdown off tackle, lowered his head and broke loose for the score to take the 10-7 lead.

“The offensive line stepped up in the second half,” Skursky said. “The made the blocks and trusted the running backs.”

Wyoming Area’s Ryan Gorki intercepted a pass on the Tigers next possession. He then broke a 29-yard run to set up a Skursky 3-yard touchdown to make it a 17-7. Gorki came in as the Warriors third quarterback of the night and steadied the offense.

Tunkbox
Week 3: Warriors Fall to North Pocono in OT, 29-27
Wyoming Area

Wyoming Area (0-2)

vs.

North Pocono(1-1)

Fri., September 12

Home 7PM

Internet Broadcast begins at 6:45 PM

 

North Pocono  

TIMES LEADER

WEST PITTSTON — Greg Dolhon’s daring two-point conversion call paid off in overtime Friday night, lifting North Pocono to a victory on the field the coach says he’ll always call home.

Dolhon, a 1989 Wyoming Area graduate, coached the Trojans to a 29-27 victory over his alma mater at Jake Sobeski Stadium.

North Pocono never led until scoring on the first play of overtime on a 10-yard pass from Luke Fetter to Matt Froelick.

Dolhon called for a two-point conversion attempt, electing for a reverse pass. Brody Dial got the ball on the reverse then tucked the ball in and made it into the end zone for an eight-point lead.

The two-pointer forced Wyoming Area to produce both a touchdown and two-point conversion in order to extend the game to a second overtime.

The Warriors got the first part of the equation when Jeff Skursky ran five yards on third down in the overtime series, which gives each team four plays from the 10. A two-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

Wyoming Area (0-3) took its first lead of the season and held it for 29 minutes until North Pocono rallied.

Skursky and Marty Michaels each ran for more than 100 yards while freshman P.J. Angeli threw for one score and ran for another in his first varsity start at quarterback. Skursky finished with 206 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries to lead a 378-yard Wyoming Area rushing attack.

The Warriors led by as many as 14 points, but North Pocono tied the game with another touchdown and two-point conversion combination with 9:21 left.

Pat Monahan, who also rushed for more than 100 yards went 61 yards for the touchdown and Fetter ran for the two points.

Wyoming Area had a shot at the win but a 36-yard field goal attempt by A.J. Lenkaitis with 37 seconds left was just wide.

North Pocono improved to 2-1, matching the combined win total of Dolhon’s first two years as head coach.

CITIZENS VOICE

WEST PITTSTON — Once Friday night’s game went to overtime, coach Greg Dohlon, receiver Brody Dial and the North Pocono Trojans got bold.

And what fans saw on the field was only half of it.

Quarterback Luke Fetter hit Matt Froelick with a 10-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, then Dial ran in a two-point conversion, giving North Pocono a 29-27 victory over Wyoming Area.

Going for two was aggressive in its own right. Fail and Wyoming Area would only need to score and get an extra point from standout kicker A.J. Lenkaitis to win.

“We were going to go for two automatically,” Dohlon said. “We have a new kicker. I think he’s going to be a great kicker, but I don’t think he’s ready to be that kicker yet.”

Then there was the play call. Not only did Dial get the ball on a reverse, Dohlon said he had the option to pass as well.

“It wasn’t the call. Guess who it was. It was the player,” Dohlon said. “Brody Dial is a fabulous player and he’s a great kid and he made the play to jump in the end zone.”

Wyoming Area did, in fact, score on its possession in overtime when Jeff Skursky rumbled in from 5 yards out. A pass on the two-point attempt did not connect.

“We have a pretty standard two-point play that we work on,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “We went with the play we like in that situation. I think we had the play. We just didn’t execute it. They did a great job with theirs and we didn’t get ours.”

Wyoming Area moved the ball effectively on the ground and jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half on a 2-yard touchdown pass from P.J. Angeli to Dante DeLuca and a 12-yard Skursky run.

Skursky finished with 22 carries for 207 yards and two scores. Marty Michaels ran 19 times for 113 yards. Angeli scored on a 13-yard run to give the Warriors a 21-13 lead early in the fourth quarter.

“Skursky is bigger than four of our five linemen,” Dohlon said. “We knew we’d have a hard time stopping him.”

North Pocono did stop Skursky twice on fourth-and-short, getting key tackles from Ben Bauman and Matt Slagus.

On offense, the Trojans fought their way back into the game using a balanced attack.

Fetter went 11 for 14 for 144 yards after throwing for just 6 yards against Honesdale last week. Pat Monahan also made a pair of huge plays, scoring on TD runs of 35 and 61 yards in the second half.

“I think we have a kid who can throw and some wideouts who can really catch,” Dohlon said. “I think we have to do that. We’re not a big football team. We have to keep people off balance.”

Wyoming Area had a chance to win the game with 37.5 seconds left in regulation, but Lenkaitis’ 36-yard field goal attempt went wide right.

“I said to our guys, not the outcome you wanted, but you can look yourself in the mirror and be OK with your effort,” Spencer said.

np

 

Week 2: Warriors Fall to Scranton Prep, 42-14 Sep 5, 2014
wa

Wyoming Area

at

Scranton Prep

September 5, 2014

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TIMES LEADER

WEST PITTSTON — Scranton Prep needed just 10:22 to get touchdowns from its offense, defense and special teams Friday night.

The Cavaliers dominated all phases of the game, reaching the Mercy Rule at halftime before coasting in with a 42-14 victory at Wyoming Area.

The offense took the first shift. Nick Solfanelli shook off of a Jeremy Stach sack on the game’s first play to go 4-for-4 for 59 yards on the opening drive.

Justin Weckel ran two yards for the score and a 6-0 lead.

The Cavaliers were in front, 21-0, before the offense touched the ball again.

Justin Belardi ripped a screen pass from a Wyoming Area receiver’s hands and went 84 yards for a touchdown when the Warriors appeared to be threatening for a go-ahead score. Solfanelli passed to Kevin Holmes for the two-pointer.

“That was a screen that we actually had possession of,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “It turns into a pick-six.

“We can’t have turnovers go against us.”

Dan Ryan, who caught seven passes for 119 yards, returned a punt 67 yards for the next Scranton Prep touchdown. Alex Rieder added the first of his four extra-point kicks.

Weckel and Belardi each added their second touchdowns, on passes from Solfanelli, during the second quarter to ensure that the second half would be played with a running clock. Weckel took a screen play 32 yards and Belardi reached high to pull in a 13-yard touchdown on a crossing pattern.

“Our kids did a nice job on defense,” Scranton Prep coach Nick Donato said. “Our playmakers made plays on offense and Belardi’s play was a big play.”

Solfanelli threw his third touchdown pass, finding Ryan for 18 yards, on Scranton Prep’s only pass attempt of the second half. Solfanelli finished 10-for-14 for 182 yards.

Senior Bill Buraczewski came off the bench in the second half to carry seven times for 63 yards and a touchdown to lead the Wyoming Area offense. Sophomore Steve Homza, the third quarterback the Warriors used, threw a six-yard touchdown pass to John Urban in the final minute.

CITIZENS VOICE

WEST PITTSTON — Scranton Prep scored first-quarter touchdowns offensively, defensively and on special teams in a 42-14 victory over Wyoming Area on Friday night at Jake Sobieski Stadium.

Scranton Prep marched 80 yards on its first possession of the game. Quarterback Nick Solfanelli completed four straight passes for 54 yards to help set up the Cavaliers first score of the game, a 2-yard run by Justin Weckel.

Wyoming Area got the ball back, and with the football resting on the 16-yard line, attempted a screen pass to Jeff Skursky. Scranton Prep’s Justin Belardi ripped the ball out of Skursky’s hands and rambled 84 yards untouched for the Cavaliers touchdown.

Prep’s defense forced Wyoming Area to punt on its next possession. Dan Ryan fielded the punt at his 33-yard line and raced 67 yards for the score.

“We practice hard on our special teams,” Cavalier coach Nick Donato said. “Fortunately for us tonight, all of our hard work paid off.”

Both teams then traded interceptions. Prep’s Adam Sunday picked off an errant Warrior pass only to have Wyoming Area’s P.J. Angeli return the favor on the very next play from scrimmage.

On Prep’s first possession of the second quarter, Solfanelli hit Weckel on a screen pass. Weckel managed to escape a host of Warriors defenders on his way to a 32-yard score.

Scranton Prep launched a seven-play, 67-yard drive on its final possession of the first half. Belardi hauled in Solfanelli’s 12-yard pass for a touchdown to extend the Cavaliers’ lead to 35-0.

Danny Ryan hauled in an 18-yard Solfanelli touchdown pass in the second half to complete the Cavaliers’ scoring for the evening.

“We were ready to play tonight,” Donato said.

Wyoming Area mounted an 11-play, 82 yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Billy Burzczewski capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring plunge. The Warriors ended the scoring as quarterback Steve Hozma hit a wide-open John Urban with an 8-yard scoring pass.

“We are a young football team who is competing hard,” coach Randy Spencer said. “Our goal is to get better each and every week.”

 

PREVIEW: There’s an old saying in sports that goes something like this—“Nobody is as good as they look are after a big win—and nobody is as bad as they look after a bad defeat.”   From every perspective, Warrior fans hope this adage holds true.
Wyoming Area (0-1) will host Scranton Prep(1-0) this Friday night at Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium.   The Warriors come off a 42-7 shellacking at the hands of WVW last weekend, while the Cavaliers have to feel very good about their 26-0 drubbing of perennial powerhouse Dunmore.
From a statistical standpoint, Prep completely dominated Dunmore.  The Cavaliers amassed 338 yards of total offense-281 yards in the air.  They allowed Dunmore less than 200 yards of offense.  Prep scored all of its 26 points in the first half, and cruised to an easy victory.  Prep was led by senior QB Nick Sofanelli (#9), who completed 20 of 29 passes.  WR Dan Ryan had 4 receptions for 109 yards, while TE Nick Belardi  (#45) and WR Kevin Sompel(#25) both hauled in six passes-each player for over 60 yards.  So clearly Scranton Prep can throw the ball—and they probably can also run.  Their defensive performance speaks for itself—shutting out the Bucks.
Although the Warriors were dominated by the Spartans—there were a few bright spots to build on.  Jeff Skursky had some nice runs to open the second half.   A couple of screen passes went for positive yardage.   Most importantly, many players gained valuable experience.  
If the Warriors are to be completive this week (and every week from now on), they must win the turnover battle.   The Warriors must also find some consistency on offense.  QB Ryan Gorki—a leader on this team—had very little time to throw the ball last week.   Gorki was a respectable 8-12 in passing for 57 yards.  However, all were passes in the flat or dump offs for minimal gains.     Somewhere along the line, the Warriors will have to get the ball down field—which can only happen if the line gives the QB some time.  The running game really didn’t get going against WVW.  The offensive line will have to “step up” against Prep in order for Skursky, Miles, and others to do their thing.   
The Warrior’s young secondary will certainly be tested by the Cavaliers’ passing attack.     The best that can be hoped for is to try to minimize big plays, and make Prep drive the length of the field every time they get the ball.   It’s a tall order against a very good team. 
In the big picture, Coach Spencer wants to see improvement every week.      Even though they were physically overmatched against WVW, I thought the boys played hard for 4 quarters.   They’ll need to give that same level of effort on Friday night. 
The game will be broadcast (video and audio) over the Internet on Friday Night—Nick Perugini     
Week 1: Warriors Go Down Hard to WVW, 42-7
Wyoming Area

WYOMING AREA

AT

WYOMING VALLEY WEST

FRIDAY - August 29, 2014, 7PM

WVW 42 WA 7

WVW
WNEP VIDEO OF GAME
CITIZENS VOICE PHOTOS OF WA-WVW GAME
You can't change the laws of physics. Wyomng Valley West was bigger, stronger, and faster than the Warriors as they cruised to a 42-7 victory at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans dominated every aspect of the game as they built a 35-0 lead in the first half. A Keith Pugh TD in the second half was the only score for Wyoming Area. Lots of players starting their first game for Wyoming Area. The young Warriors will have to grow up fast, as a tough Scranton Prep team visits "The Jake" next Friday night.
 

TIMES LEADER

KINGSTON — Brady Davison took over for a pretty established quarterback heading into the 2014 Wyoming Valley West season. In for the recently graduated Mike Baur, Davison threw for 173 yards and four touchdowns in the first half to lead the Spartans to a 42-7 win over Wyoming Area in the opener of the 2014 season Friday night. The Spartans scored on all five of their possessions, while limited the Warriors to just 62 yards and four first downs in the opening half. “It was nice not being on edge,” Wyoming Valley West coach Paul Keating said. “There are still a lot of things to work on. But I’m proud of the guys. We did what we needed to do here. We can’t be satisfied and we need to continue to grow as a team.” Davison found a streaking JerMichael Bunch for 13 yards to open the scoring early in the first half. Following a Wyoming Area punt, and a 21-yard run from Eric Acosta, Davison hit tight end L.J. Wesneski for 39 yards. That set up Michael Baird’s 8-yard score. “For the most part I thought (Davison) was accurate,” Keating said. “I thought he was very poised. It was everything I expected from Brady tonight.” The Valley West signal caller continued his impressive half with three touchdown passes in the second quarter. First, he found Sean Judge for 22 yards on the opening play of the quarter. Then, Weidman caught a 4-yard strike to make it 28-0. With 31 seconds left in the first half, Judge broke free in the middle and Davison threw a strike for a 35-0 halftime lead. “I think (Brady) did relatively well,” Keating said. “He made a couple of busts here and there. For the most part I thought he was accurate and I thought he was very poised.” Judge added a 51-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
Wyoming Area’s offensive attack was led by senior Ryan Gorki under center. He was efficient throughout the night, but didn’t have a whole lot of time to sit in the pocket and look for his receivers. He completed eight passes on 12 attempts on the evening. The Warriors finished with 206 total yards, and were haunted by several turnovers. “That’s an outstanding quad-A football team,” Spencer said of Valley West. “We new it was going to be that type of game. We have some young kids and we gained some great experience tonight.” Three turnovers, however, led to 21 Spartan points. “We need that to go the other way for us to be in the game” Spencer said. “We learned that tonight from playing a high-caliber opponent.” The Warriors’ power back Jeff Skursy didn’t see a lot of action carrying the football in the first half. In fact, he had one catch for a yard, and no carries. Coach Randy Spencer said that was the game plan coming in and they wanted to try and move him around to fullback and tight end. Skursky did get the ball on the first three plays of the second half. He rushed for 28 yards on those three and finished the game with nine carries for 54 yards. The Warriors got on the board in the fourth quarter when Keith Pugh punched into the end zone from two yards out.

CITIZENS VOICE

KINGSTON — It was a big night for Valley West senior Brady Davison on Friday, making his debut as full-time starting quarterback in front of a raucous opening-night crowd at Spartan Stadium.

He didn’t hog the spotlight for himself.

Davison was 11 for 14 for 174 yards and four touchdowns as the Spartans drilled Wyoming Area 42-7, but he was just one of several skill players who made significant impacts in the game.

Sean Judge had 101 yards of offense, scoring two touchdowns through the air and one on a 51-yard run. JerMichael Bunch and Devon Weidman had touchdown catches. Eric Acosta had a game-high 87 rushing yards on 10 carries. Michael Baird ran for a score.

LJ Wesneski had three catches for 50 yards and forced two fumbles and recovered another on defense. Ian Ultsh made all six of his extra points and gave the Spartans good field position with four touchbacks. The list goes on and on.

“I think we’re as deep at the skill positions as we’ve been,” Valley West coach Pat Keating said. “It’s not just that we have one or two guys. I think we have a lot of guys that can make plays. I feel very comfortable putting the ball in any of their hands.”

Keating said he saw some sloppiness the Spartans could clean up moving forward, but for the most part, they have plenty of confidence heading into a high-profile matchup with Delaware Valley next week.

“It gives us great momentum to get on with the season,” Davison said. “It’s great to come out here and get a W with my boys.”

For Wyoming Area, it was a rude welcome back to big-school football. The Warriors moved up to Class AAA from Class AA for this season.

“You’re playing a playoff-type team and possibly one of the better teams if not the best team in our district. They’re going to potentially do very well in Quad As in the states,” coach Randy Spencer said. “Coming in as a small triple, in our first year back at this level, we knew the level of competition. Kids played hard. We made our share of mistakes. This is Game 1. It isn’t Game 10. We’re looking to grow and improve.”

Valley West scored touchdowns all five times it touched the ball in the first half, taking a 35-0 lead into halftime.

The first drive ended with a 13-yard touchdown strike from Davison to Bunch. Judge had two touchdown receptions in the second quarter, the second of which was an 18-yarder set up by a sack, fumble and Wesneski recovery in Wyoming Area territory. Judge’s 51-yard touchdown run came in the third quarter to make it 42-0.

“We try to implement everybody in the game on offense, running-wise, passing-wise,” Davison said. “I tried to get it out to as many receivers as possible because we have a wide variety of them, and Acosta and Judge at running back, they’re just deadly weapons.”

Wyoming Area, which had 41 yards of offense in the first half, moved the ball better in the second half. Bruising running back Jeff Skursky didn’t have a carry in the first half, playing tight end and fullback instead. He ran nine times for 56 yards in the second half.

“We know what he can do from that position,” Spencer said. “It’s just a matter of being able to do that for four quarters and having him available later. He’s a big part of our game plan on both sides of the ball. It’s tough to carry the ball 40 times and come downhill at linebacker for 48 minutes.”

 

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