Times Leader
By Tom Robinson - For Times Leader 

WEST PITTSTON — The team with the least credentials in the District 2 Class 4A football playoffs put up the biggest fight.
Top-seeded Wyoming Area had to hold off a two-point conversion attempt with 19.6 seconds remaining Friday night to escape with a 13-12, home-field victory over Dallas to advance to the semifinals.
Wyoming Area will be home again next week against Berwick, a 35-7 winner over West Scranton.
Earning at least one more home game at Jake Sobeski Stadium was not easy.
Wyoming Area (9-2) trailed 6-0 at halftime against a team it beat 42-10 just three weeks ago at Mountaineer Stadium.
Dallas, which did not earn the second win it needed to fill out District 2’s playoff field until the final game of the regular season last week, put together an impressive first half and a clutch fourth-quarter rally.
Freshman quarterback Michael Starbuck hit 5 of 6 passes for 56 yards while moving the Mountaineers 68 yards in 9 plays in the final 3:16.
For the second time in the game, former quarterback Stone Manello went high to make a brilliant catch in the end zone, this time in the back left corner for 10 yards.
Dallas did not use its remaining timeout and instead went right to extra-point formation as if to kick for the tie and overtime.
Mannello, the holder, pivoted and rolled to his right to try to throw the winning two-point conversion pass, but Wyoming Area had both the pressure and the coverage to make his pass fall short of the end zone harmlessly.
“You always have to be ready,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “It has to be part of your preparation and pre-snap, you’re yelling out obviously, ‘watch the fake’.”
The Warriors did and they escaped on a night when Dallas lineman Michael Farrell led a Mountaineers defensive effort that held Wyoming Area to less than 21 points for just the second time this season.
Farrell made nine tackles, including three for losses. Five others came either at the line of scrimmage or after just a 1-yard gain. He assisted two other tackles and rushed the passer into an incompletion.
It was Farrell’s tackle for a 10-yard loss that kept Steve Homza from throwing an end-around pass and got the ball back for Dallas one last time.
Wyoming Area ultimately won the game by controlling the second half until the frantic finish.
The Warriors combined blocking adjustments to account for Farrell as much as possible with hard running by tailback Brian Miles and quarterback P.J. Angeli to outgain the Mountaineers, 129-19, in the second half to that point.
“We were trying to recognize where he was when we could,” Spencer said. “We had to emphasize blocking him at the point of attack or, when he was away from the play, getting a hat on him.
“There were times at the point of attack where he destroyed blockers or blew up plays or even on the back side, he would get down the line.”
Wyoming Area won the field position battle on an early exchange of punts and scored on its second and third possessions of the second half to take a 13-6 lead with 10:19 left.
They moved 55 and 38 yards to go ahead on one short touchdown run by Miles late in the third, then add to the lead on another early in the fourth.
Brandon Charney, who later added the game-clinching interception following a Dallas recovery of the on-side kick, made the first of two extra-point attempts for what proved to be the difference.
Mannello’s one-handed, overhead grab for a 15-yard score with 4:06 left in the second quarter accounted for the only points of the first half.
Each team had a fourth-and-goal stop at the 1 during the half.
“I’m really proud of our seniors,” Dallas coach Rich Mannello said. “It’s tough to say good-bye to them.
“They’ve been through an awful lot.”
Wyoming Area 42, Dallas 10
Dallas`0`6`0`7`—`10
Wyoming Area`0`0`7`21`—`42
First quarter
None
Second quarter
DAL — Stone Mannello 15 pass from Michael Starbuck (kick failed), 4:06
Third quarter
WA – Brian Miles 3 run (Brandon Charney kick), 2:28
Fourth quarter
WA – Miles 2 run (kick failed), 10:19
DAL — Mannello 10 pass from Starbuck (pass failed), :19.6
Team statistics`DAL`WA
First downs`10`13
Rushes-yards`39-169`42-200
Passing yards`71`82
Total yards`240`282
Passing`6-9-1`7-16-0
Sacked-yards lost`6-33`0-0
Punts-avg.`6-36.2`5-29.8
Fumbles-lost`2-0`1-1
Penalties-yards`3-26`6-45
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — DAL, Lenny Kelly 12-128, David Schuster 9-66, Taylor Bolesta 2-2, Team 1-minus 1, Starbuck 15-minus 26. WA, Miles 23-89, P.J. Angeli 11-72, Marc Minichello 3-42, Justin Joseph 3-9, Steve Homza 1-minus 10.
PASSING — DAL, Starbuck 6-9-1-71. WA, Angeli 7-13-0-82, Team 0-3-0-0.
RECEIVING — DAL, Mannello 3-31, Chris Murray 1-21, Charles Giacometti 1-15, Christian Motley 1-4. WA, Homza 5-69, Minichello 1-11, Miles 1-2.
INTERCEPTIONS — WA, Brandon Charney 1-0.
MISSED FIELD GOALS – None.
Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports

CITIZENS VOICE

BY NICHOLAS GILL / PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 5, 2016
WEST PITTSTON — The District 2 playoffs offer a clean slate from the regular season, and the Dallas Mountaineers were up to the challenge, taking top-seeded Wyoming Area to the wire Friday night in the opening round of the Class 4A tournament.
The game came down to a Dallas fake extra point two-point conversion pass that Wyoming Area snuffed out to hang on to a 13-12 victory.
“You always have to be ready, as a part of your preparation, in this type of situation,” Wyoming Area head coach Randy Spencer said. “You are yelling out ‘watch for the fake’ from a team that has played a hell of a game.”
Dallas made things difficult for the Warriors early by controlling possession and the clock with the run game.
The Mountaineers took the opening drive down to the Wyoming Area 1-yard line, but the Warriors defense stuffed a fourth-down run to keep the game even at 0.
Wyoming Area answered the Dallas drive with one of its own.
The Warriors used a Marc Minichello counter run to pick up 41 yards to the Dallas 2-yard line.
The Mountaineers defense was up to the challenge, especially defensive end Michael Farrell, who was a fixture in the Wyoming Area back field all night. He used his plethora of skills from power to speed to blow up two consecutive Warrior runs.
“He is one of the best football players I have been around in my life,” Dallas head coach Rich Mannello said. “He works in the weight room until he gets sick. How he doesn’t have a full scholarship offer right now, someone is going to steal a great football player. He took that game over.”
On fourth down, fellow defensive lineman James Hunter blasted through the middle to dump Brian Miles for a loss and keep the game scoreless.
Dallas used the momentum of the fourth-down stop to propel the offense.
Freshman Lenny Kelley broke a 50-yard run through the middle of the defense to put the Mountaineers in business.
Three plays later, quarterback Michael Starbuck lofted an accurate pass to the corner of the end zone for Stone Mannello, who laid out, hauled in the pass with one hand and completed the catch to the ground for a 15-yard score to take a 6-0 lead.
Wyoming Area made some adjustments in the second half, trying to find a solution for Farrell. It was able to establish the run game better and it paid off. Brian Miles ran off tackle, lowered his shoulder and barreled into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown to give Wyoming Area a 7-6 lead.
On the next Wyoming Area possession, Miles took over again, gaining the final 33 yards of the drive and capping it off with a powerful 2-yard score to extend the lead to 13-6.
Dallas had one final possession with 3:16 left on the clock to pull off the upset.
Starbuck found a rhythm connecting on five passes, including a perfectly placed ball into the back corner of the end zone for Mannello, who leaped over a defender to snatch the 10-yard touchdown.
Trailing 13-12, Dallas showed courage to go for the two-point conversion and the win. Mannello was holding on the extra point, but rolled out on the fake.
Wyoming Area deciphered the fake and the pass fell incomplete to send the Warriors to the District 2 quarterfinals against Berwick.

sports@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2060

Citizens VoiceHULTZ, STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 22, 2016

WILLIAMSPORT — Williamsport proved it was the best of the best.
The Millionaires hosted Wyoming Area on Friday night in a game between the Wyoming Valley Conference’s No. 1-ranked offenses and defenses, respectively, in scoring and yardage per game.
From the Millionaires’ first snap, they proved they were up for the challenge. Led by three rushing and two passing touchdowns by quarterback Isaiah Hankins, Williamsport blew past the Warriors in a 62-21 rout at STA Stadium.
“We have a lot of dangerous weapons,” Hankins said. “It’s real easy; if everybody does their job, then it’s crazy what my offense can do.”
Out-running defenders down the sidelines and creating separation with jukes and cut-backs that seemed to almost never fail, the Millionaires’ athleticism was on full display all night.
Trey Potts took four carries for 186 yards and three touchdowns — on runs all topping 50 yards — before exiting the game at halftime, when his team led 56-14. Hankins ran for 117 yards with three touchdown runs of 20 or more yards.
Hankins also hit Elliott Walker for a pair of touchdown passes totaling 86 yards.
The physical Warriors (7-2) entered the game allowing 191.2 yards per game and 10.7 points per game. The Millionaires (8-1), which averaged 500.1 yards and 47.3 points per game before the game, still did the following by halftime: reached 356 rushing and 106 passing yards for 462 yards of total offense; scored seven touchdowns on 21 plays; punted only once.
“You really have to pick your poison,” Millionaires coach Charles Crews said. “We were clicking tonight. It was senior night, we’re senior-heavy and those guys all came to ball. We’re a tough team to defend.”
Wyoming Area went three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, setting the Millionaires up at their own 42-yard line. Potts took a carry to the right sideline, hit the breaks to make one defender over-pursue him, cut inside past another Warrior and went 58 yards for a score.
The Warriors tried a fake punt on their next drive that resulted in an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs at the Williamsport 44. Two players later, Hankins rolled out before darting upfield for a 54-yard score.
After another punt, Potts bounced a carry to the left sideline before escaping a tackle, going backward and reversing field all the way to the opposite sideline. He ran 69 yards for a score, and Williamsport led 21-0 on four offensive snaps.
“Our coaches brought it up every day in practice that they had the best defense we’ve faced so far,” Hankins said. “So we definitely put that in the back of our minds, and we wanted to prove a point out here. To make a point that our offense is unstoppable, and the only people that can stop our offense is ourselves.”
Receiver Marc Minichello was a bright spot for the Warriors. Minichello kept coming out of the slot and getting behind the Williamsport safeties, and he caught four passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, one from starter P.J. Angeli and another from backup Steve Homza.
Warriors running back Brian Miles had a rushing touchdown and an interception.
eshultz@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2054, @CVEricShultz

TIMES LEADER

YATESVILLE — Brian Miles led the offense and was a big part of the defense Friday night to earn the 38th annual Carmello Falcone Trophy as Most Valuable Player while leading Wyoming Area to a 46-20 victory over rival Pittston Area Friday night.

The win meant more than just bragging rights for the Warriors.

Wyoming Area finished 8-2 and moved past North Pocono, a 28-7 loser to Scranton Prep, to take over the top seed for the upcoming District 2 Class 4A football playoffs. That means the Warriors can play at home at Jake Sobeski Stadium for all three rounds if they can keep winning.

Miles carried 25 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns for the Warriors, who trailed briefly in the game at Charley Trippi Stadium. He also made five tackles and assisted on another.

“A lot of great players in this rivalry have won this, so it means a lot to me,” Miles said of the Falcone Trophy.

Steve Homza threw two touchdown passes while Justin Joseph joined Miles in surpassing the 100-yard mark. Joseph had 11 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown as part of an attack that produced 323 yards on 48 carries.

Miles opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game on a 12-yard run. He added a 1-yard run with 21.3 seconds left in the half to extend a 13-8 lead to 19-8.

The touchdown at the end of the half capped a 16-play, 6-yard drive that took 8:23 off the clock and included three fourth-down conversions.

Miles ran 15 yards on fourth-and-two from Wyoming Area territory, then scored on fourth-and-goal. In between, P.J. Angeli passed 7 yards to Justin Joseph on fourth-and-four.

Miles wound up scoring twice in 1:16 to end the first half and start the second, breaking the game open. He ran 49 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the half.

The quarterfinal matchup will be a home game on Nov. 4 against Dallas, which Wyoming Area beat, 42-10, two weeks ago.

“It feels great that we’ll be able to play in front of our home fans,” Miles said.

Citizens Voice

BY ERIC SHULTZ, STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 22, 2016

WILLIAMSPORT — Williamsport proved it was the best of the best.
The Millionaires hosted Wyoming Area on Friday night in a game between the Wyoming Valley Conference’s No. 1-ranked offenses and defenses, respectively, in scoring and yardage per game.
From the Millionaires’ first snap, they proved they were up for the challenge. Led by three rushing and two passing touchdowns by quarterback Isaiah Hankins, Williamsport blew past the Warriors in a 62-21 rout at STA Stadium.
“We have a lot of dangerous weapons,” Hankins said. “It’s real easy; if everybody does their job, then it’s crazy what my offense can do.”
Out-running defenders down the sidelines and creating separation with jukes and cut-backs that seemed to almost never fail, the Millionaires’ athleticism was on full display all night.
Trey Potts took four carries for 186 yards and three touchdowns — on runs all topping 50 yards — before exiting the game at halftime, when his team led 56-14. Hankins ran for 117 yards with three touchdown runs of 20 or more yards.
Hankins also hit Elliott Walker for a pair of touchdown passes totaling 86 yards.
The physical Warriors (7-2) entered the game allowing 191.2 yards per game and 10.7 points per game. The Millionaires (8-1), which averaged 500.1 yards and 47.3 points per game before the game, still did the following by halftime: reached 356 rushing and 106 passing yards for 462 yards of total offense; scored seven touchdowns on 21 plays; punted only once.
“You really have to pick your poison,” Millionaires coach Charles Crews said. “We were clicking tonight. It was senior night, we’re senior-heavy and those guys all came to ball. We’re a tough team to defend.”
Wyoming Area went three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, setting the Millionaires up at their own 42-yard line. Potts took a carry to the right sideline, hit the breaks to make one defender over-pursue him, cut inside past another Warrior and went 58 yards for a score.
The Warriors tried a fake punt on their next drive that resulted in an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs at the Williamsport 44. Two players later, Hankins rolled out before darting upfield for a 54-yard score.
After another punt, Potts bounced a carry to the left sideline before escaping a tackle, going backward and reversing field all the way to the opposite sideline. He ran 69 yards for a score, and Williamsport led 21-0 on four offensive snaps.
“Our coaches brought it up every day in practice that they had the best defense we’ve faced so far,” Hankins said. “So we definitely put that in the back of our minds, and we wanted to prove a point out here. To make a point that our offense is unstoppable, and the only people that can stop our offense is ourselves.”
Receiver Marc Minichello was a bright spot for the Warriors. Minichello kept coming out of the slot and getting behind the Williamsport safeties, and he caught four passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, one from starter P.J. Angeli and another from backup Steve Homza.
Warriors running back Brian Miles had a rushing touchdown and an interception.
eshultz@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2054, @CVEricShultz

TIMES LEADER
DALLAS — As so often seems to be the case, the Wyoming Area ground game only got stronger as the game wore on Friday night.
Rushing for more yards in each new quarter, the Warriors turned a first-quarter deficit into a halftime lead, then another comfortable victory.
Brian Miles led the way with 22 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns as the Warriors pulled away for a 42-10 Wyoming Valley Conference Class 4A Division victory over the host Dallas Mountaineers.
Dallas (1-6) had a 3-0 lead after one quarter and had the time of possession advantage through halftime.
The Warriors, however, had a 14-3 lead at the break.
They were just warming up.
Wyoming Area used a 79-yard third quarter drive for the first of four straight scoring drives to pull away and improve to 7-1. The Warriors are tied with Williamsport for the best record in the conference. The win total is more than the Warriors produced in the previous two seasons combined.
“I think we’re in good condition and we’re able to play some guys and rotate some people in, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “That seems to pay dividends at the end of games for us.”
Dallas outgained Wyoming Area in the first half, but a muffed punt and a potential interception that was dropped in Warriors territory kept the Mountaineers from taking advantage.
Wyoming Area managed just 39 rushing yards on 11 first-quarter carries, but increased that to 51 on 7 tries in the second quarter. As they took control, the Warriors ran 15 times for 80 yards in the third quarter and 14 times for 90 in the fourth.
Dallas took the opening kickoff and drove 50 yards in 12 plays. Freshman quarterback Michael Starbuck hit two passes to convert third-and-nine situations and set up a 29-yard field goal by Nathan Maransky.
The Mountaineers then forced a three-and-out, only to muff the punt.
Wyoming Area took over at the Dallas 45 and moved in to score on a 5-yard run by Miles on the first play of the second quarter.
The Warriors made it 14-3 at halftime on the first of two touchdown passes by P.J. Angeli, a 9-yarder to Justin Smith.
Miles appeared to be stopped on a third-and-six run off left tackle, only to bounce out of the pile and go 29 yards for a game-breaking touchdown with 1:29 left in the third quarter.
Justin Joseph helped the Warriors build on their lead from there. He caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Angeli and scored on a 3-yard run 1:34 apart early in the fourth.
After Starbuck scored on a 5-yard run for Dallas, Donovan O’Boyle added a 6-yarder for Wyoming Area to close the scoring.
Wyoming Area 42, Dallas 10
Wyoming Area`0`14`7`21`—`42
Dallas`3`0`0`7`—`10
First quarter
DAL – Nathan Maransky 29 FG, 6:29
Second quarter
WA – Brian Miles 5 run (Brandon Charney kick), 11:57
WA – Justin Smith 9 pass from P.J. Angeli (Charney kick), 8:05
Third quarter
WA – Miles 29 run (Charney kick), 1:29
Fourth quarter
WA – Justin Joseph 4 pass from Angeli (Charney kick), 10:04
WA – Joseph 3 run (Charney kick), 8:30
D – Michael Starbuck 5 run (Maransky kick), 4:21
WA – Donovan O’Boyle 6 run (Jacob Butwin kick), 1:09
Team statistics`WA`DAL
First downs`17`11
Rushes-yards`47-260`36-136
Passing yards`44`68
Total yards`304`204
Passing`5-11-0`7-18-0
Sacked-yards lost`1-4`2-23
Punts-avg.`3-28.3`4-22.8
Fumbles-lost`1-0`2-1
Penalties-yards`2-15`6-49
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — WA, Miles 22-125, O’Boyle 7-48, Angeli 13-48, Joseph 2-29, Brandon Charney 1-7, Smith 1-3, Steve Homza 1-0. DAL, Leonard Kelley 5-64, David Schuster 15-55, Sean Cuba 3-11, Stone Mannello 1-6, Taylor Bolesta 3-5, Starbuck 7-4, Christian Motley 2-minus 9.
PASSING — WA, Angeli 4-8-0-23, Miles 1-2-0-21, Team 0-1-0-0. DAL, Starbuck 7-18-0-68.
RECEIVING — WA, Angeli 1-21, Marc Anthony Minichello 1-13, Smith 1-9, Joseph 1-4, Dante DeLuca 1-minus 3. DAL, Charles Giacometti 4-34, Chris Murray 2-28, Bolesta 1-6.
INTERCEPTIONS — None.
MISSED FIELD GOALS – None.

CITIZENS VOICE

DALLAS — Despite a slow start, Wyoming Area scored 28 points in the second half as it cruised to a 42-10 victory over Dallas on Friday night.
Providing a large portion of that offense was Warriors’ running back Brian Miles, who punched in two rushing touchdowns and turned in a 135-yard performance in his first week back in the lineup.
“Brian Miles is an outstanding runner,” Wyoming Area head coach Randy Spencer said. “He has established himself as one of the best runners in the Wyoming Valley Conference. It’s crucial to have him for the final run (of games) here.”
Although Dallas was able to strike first, thanks to a 21-year field goal from kicker Nathan Maransky, it was Wyoming Area that took over from there, putting up 35 unanswered points before the Mountaineers finally punched one in with 4:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Miles opened the scoring for Wyoming Area just three seconds into the second quarter as he converted on a 5-yard run.
Later, in the third quarter, Miles found a way to bounce free and ramble 29 yards down the left side for his second score.
“We didn’t come out that strong in the first half,” Wyoming Area quarterback P.J. Angeli said. “But then we broke it open in the second half. We have the momentum now going into next week and we are playing hard. ”
By the end of the game, Angeli had completed 5 of his 10 passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns, and he was able to put up 49 rushing yards before he was replaced in the game by backup quarterback Steve Homza.
Miles, as well as some other key players, saw sideline time near the end of the game, but it didn’t seem to affect the Warriors’ offense at all.
With just two games left in the 2016 regular season — both of which are on the road — coach Spencer said that he thinks his team won’t be affected by playing away from home.
“It’s business as usual for us,” Spencer said. “You’re concentrating on one week at a time and you want to go 1-0 that week. The stage we are at now, I think we are in a good position to play these away games at the end of the season.”
sports@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2060

CITIZENS VOICE

BY SETH LAKSO, STAFF WRITER / PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 8, 2016

WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer woke up Friday not knowing what he’d be able to get out of Brian Miles.
The Warriors’ leading rusher suffered a knee injury in last week’s game. However, as the days leading up to Friday’s game came and went, the senior steadily improved.
After having him sit out the Warriors’ first drive, Spencer gave Miles a nod and sent him into the game.
The ensuing results spoke for themselves.
Miles carried the ball 28 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns to help the Warriors topple GAR, 35-14, at Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium.
Brandon Charney, who filled in at tailback last week in Miles’ absence, also stepped up big and found the end zone on three of his 12 carries, while accruing 74 yards on the ground.
“We didn’t know exactly what Brian was going to be able to do tonight,” said Spencer, whose team finished with 356 yards rushing. “It was great to see him be able to come back and perform, but it was also great to see (Charney) perform.”
A week after holding Hanover Area to minus-12 yards rushing, the Warriors defense was excellent again, holding a GAR (3-4) group that was coming off a 34-14 win over Athens to 104 yards on the ground and 152 total.
After a three-and-out, Dante DeLuca forced the Grenadiers into a 6-yard punt that set the Warriors up to start their first drive on GAR’s own 31-yard line.
Eight plays later, Charney ran it in from 7 yards out to put the Warriors up 7-0.
After forcing a second three and out, the Warriors took over on their own 34 and looked to Miles, who showed no signs of slowing down as he spearheaded a 10-play, 68-yard drive that he finished with a 1-yard score.
Wyoming Area’s first drive of the second stalled at the GAR 46, but the Grenadiers muffed the punt and the Warriors took over on the two-yard line. Two plays later, Miles secured his second rushing score of the night to put his team up 21-0.
GAR’s defense got the Grenadiers on the board in the final minute of the half when Tashawn Qualls picked off a P.J. Angeli pass and took it back 78 yards to make it a 21-7 game entering the half.
Riding that momentum, GAR made it a one-score game as time expired in the third quarter when Qualls (72 yards rushing, 48 passing) found Nate Luckey with a 22-yard touchdown pass on a third and 16.
The Warriors responded with a 10-play, 77-yard drive that was capped off by a 6-yard Charney dash.
The drive ate up nearly four and a half minutes of the fourth and put the game away.
Still, Charney added one more 6-yard score late to complete the win.

slakso@citizensvoice.com

TIMES LEADER

By Nick Wagner

WEST PITTSTON — Wyoming Area got its workhouse back in a big way Friday night.
After missing three quarters against Hanover Area with a leg injury last week, Warriors running back Brian Miles was thrust back into the action against GAR. Wyoming Area wasn’t sure it would have Miles until late in the week, but the senior showed up.
Miles ran for 86 yards in the first half, including two touchdowns, and finished with 172 rushing yards as Wyoming Area picked up its sixth win of the season in a 35-14 Wyoming Valley Conference win over GAR. The Warriors finished with 358 yards rushing and averaged six yards per carry.
“The run game was a priority this week even though we didn’t know if we would have Brian or not,” Wyoming Area head coach Randy Spencer said. “Along with Brandon Charney, the more runners with experience the better.”
Miles added a 28-yard reception to his night in the fourth quarter to get to 200 yards of total offense. He accounted for more than half of his team’s offensive production. The senior said the win was extra special because it was part of the school’s homecoming celebration.
“It felt great to get back on the field and help my team out again,” he said. “The linemen were making holes and I was able to take advantage of it.”
Even though Miles sat out the first series, the Warriors (6-1) did enough damage with fellow tailback Brandon Charney. Charney, who replaced Miles last week, finished with 73 yards and three touchdowns. He opened the scoring for Wyoming Area and had back-to-back touchdowns runs of six yards in the fourth quarter.
Charney also converted all five of his extra point attempts, meaning he accounted for 23 of Wyoming Area’s 35 points.
Although Wyoming Area ended up winning by three touchdowns, the Warriors had their hands full with a talented GAR team, which fell to 3-4 on the season.
Down 21-0 late in the second quarter, GAR’s Tashawn Qualls picked off a PJ Angeli pass and took it 78 yards to the house with 36 seconds left before halftime. From there, the momentum turned in GAR’s favor. Wyoming Area’s first possession of the third quarter ended in a missed 26-yard field goal attempt from Charney.
The two teams traded punts before GAR had its best drive of the game.
Starting on their own 11, the Grenadiers moved the ball through the air to get into scoring position. Qualls hit Tyrone Qualls for 26 yards, and then added a 13-yard run. His next pass was good for 14 yards to Malachai Williams. Two plays later, on a 3-and-18, Tashawn rolled to his right and found Nate Luckey in the end zone for a 22-yard score.
With the Grenadiers back within a touchdown, Wyoming Area scored on two of its next three possessions to seal the win. James Eslick’s third-down sack on Tashawn stalled a GAR drive that would have tied the game at 21.
The Warriors struggled for the second straight game through the air, but Angeli finished with 41 yards on four completions to four different receivers.
“We need to be better on throwing the ball and more situational players,” Spencer said. “You have to grind through that and eventually we did.”
Wyoming Area held GAR to less than 50 yards of offense in the first half. Spencer said his defenders stepped up to the challenge.
“It’s critical with that type of offense,” Spencer said. “The key is always tackling and we did that today.”
Wyoming Area 35, GAR 14
GAR`0`7`7`0`—`14
Wyoming Area`14`7`0`14`—`35
First quarter
WA — Brandon Charney 6 run (Charney kick), 7:04
WA — Brian Miles 1 run (Charney kick), 0:58
Second quarter
WA — Miles 1 run (Charney kick), 7:42
GAR — Tashawn Qualls 78 interception return (Muhaideen Tajuddin kick), 0:36
Third quarter
GAR — Nate Luckey 22 pass from Qualls (Tajuddin kick), 0:00
Fourth quarter
WA — Charney 6 run (Charney kick), 4:30
WA — Charney 6 run (Charney kick), 1:24
Team statistics`GAR`WA
First downs`8`21
Rushes-yards`26-104`60-358
Passing yards`70`41
Total yards`174`399
Passing`5-13-0`4-9-1
Sacked-yards lost`3-15`0-0
Punts-avg.`5-28`3-33
Fumbles-lost`2-0`0-0
Penalties-yards`1-12`5-35
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — GAR, Qualls 15-72, Austin Yelland 1-18, Joshua Goodwin 8-12, Tajuddin 1-1, Mike Drozda 1-1. WA, Miles 28-172 2TD, PJ Angeli 11-76, Charney 12-73 3TD, Justin Smith 7-32, Dante DeLuca 1-5, Darren Rodney 1-0.
PASSING — GAR, Qualls 5-10-0-70 TD, Yelland 0-3-0-0. WA, Angeli 4-9-1-41.
RECEIVING — GAR, Tyrone Qualls 1-26, Luckey 1-22 TD, Malachai Williams 1-14, Goodwin 1-6, Tajuddin 1-2. WA, Miles 1-28, Jeff Urban 1-12, Justin Joseph 1-2, Steve Homza 1-(-1).
INTERCEPTIONS — GAR, Qualls 1-78 TD.
MISSED FGs — Charney (26).
Reach Nick Wagner at 570-602-0178 or on Twitter @Dispatch_Nick

CITIZENS VOICE HANOVER TWP. — Almost nothing has been able to stop Wyoming Area football’s best season in several years.
In Week 4, a two-score deficit within minutes couldn’t slow the Warriors. Last week, a tough seven-point defeat dealt them their first loss of the year — but, it turns out, it didn’t send them into a tailspin.
That was evident Friday night when the Warriors responded right away with back-to-back scoring drives to start. Even playing through a rash of injuries that only grew when running back Brian Miles went down early, Wyoming Area stayed the course and got back on the winning track with a 28-7 win at Hanover Area.
“This is a group that has 18 seniors that have stepped up and formed that leadership group, and a couple underclassmen that have played for three years,” Warriors coach Randy Spencer said. “We’re 20 or so leaders on this football team, and they really do embody that next-man-up (mentality).”
The win puts the Warriors at 5-1 and ensures their senior class finishes the regular season at or above a .500 winning percentage for the first time. The school hasn’t won this many games since going 8-2 in 2012.
Hanover Area (4-2) punted on its first drive, and the Warriors went to work right away with a long, draining drive. They drove 86 yards on 18 plays — converting a pair of third and fourth downs — and scored on quarterback P.J. Angeli’s 16-yard outside run on fourth-and-4.
Miles, the team’s leading rusher, left the game for good that drive, leaving the Warriors without him, second-leading rusher Dylan Kostak or leading receiver Marc Minichello.
It didn’t matter at first. Brandon Charney took over running back duties after a Hawkeyes three-and-out, and he led the way on an 11-play, 76-yard drive capped by his 8-yard run straight through the middle.
Charney finished with 92 yards and a TD on 28 carries. Nine of those runs topped 5 yards.
Angeli added 61 rushing yards on 13 carries, and went 3-for-9 passing for 38 yards and a score.
“That was one of our priorities ... We’ve been a team that’s been able to finish strong the first five games of the season,” Spencer said. “We had to find a way to come out and start strong.”
But the Hawkeyes caught a break when Wyoming Area fumbled the ball away to start its third drive. It gave them a 15-yard field, and Brandon Chafin scored on a 7-yard run in three plays for a 14-7 halftime deficit.
After the Hawkeyes’ score, both defenses began to take away their opponents’ strengths. The Warriors mostly contained the dynamic Chafin, and the Hawkeyes began to blow up some of Charney’s runs to end drives.
It wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter that the Warriors put the game away.
Receiver Dante DeLuca found a seam deep downfield, and he spun around to catch a bobbled ball in stride for a 41-yard touchdown with five minutes to go. It was his first grab of the game after a couple near-receptions.
Two plays into Hanover Area’s next drive, Jeff Urban jumped a short passing route and returned an interception all the way for a touchdown. Angeli picked off another pass to end Hanover Area’s final drive.
“Defensively, I thought the unit played well together. We ran to the football real well, we’re getting better tackling,” Hawkeyes coach Mike McCree said. “We’ll respond. We’ll be back. I’m excited; we have a good group. They’re close, they’ll pick each other up.”
eshultz@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2054, @CVEricShultz

Times Leader

WVC Football: Overcoming injuries, Wyoming Area improves to 5-1 with win over Hanover Area
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Charney steps up in Wyoming Area’s 28-7 win
By Nick Wagner - Click for more information on Nick
nwagner@timesleader.com - @@Dispatch_Nick - 570-991-6406
More Articles By: Nick Wagner

HANOVER TWP. — The Warriors were banged up heading into Friday night’s game at Hanover Area. After losing several key players in the past two weeks, Wyoming Area lost another in the first quarter against the Hawkeyes.

Wyoming Area’s Brian Miles came into the game third in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 4A in rushing, averaging more than 100 yards per game. After he left the game early with an injury, fellow senior Brandon Charney stepped up.

Charney carried the ball 27 times for 85 yards and a touchdown as the Warriors shook last week’s loss to Scranton Prep and improved to 5-1 with a 28-7 win over Hanover Area (4-2).

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“We’ve been needing for out next man to step up over the past several weeks,” Wyoming Area head coach Randy Spencer said. “Brandon got the job and did an outstanding job. We have a stable of backs that we think are quality backs.”

Miles went down with a lower body injury after carrying the ball eight times for 44 yards on Wyoming Area’s first possession. Along with Charney, junior quarterback PJ Angeli picked up 53 yards and a touchdown. The Warriors ran the ball 59 times for 239 yards on the rain-soaked field in Hanover Township.

On the flip side, Wyoming Area held Hanover Area to just 112 yards of offense. The Warriors held Hawkeye quarterback Brandon Chafin to just 26 yards on 13 carries after he went for 164 yards on just 15 carries in last week’s win over Lake-Lehman.

But the Hawkeyes entered the fourth quarter down by just seven points. A 41-yard touchdown from Angeli to Dante Deluca, along with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown from Jeff Urban, ended the Hanover Area two-game win streak.

“It was critical to get back on track,” Spencer said. “We had a successful start so to go on the road against a resurgent Hanover Area team it’s big to come in here and get a quality win over that type of opponent.”

The Warriors’ night couldn’t have started much better.

After Hanover Area drove across midfield, Wyoming Area’s defense held and forced the Hawkeyes to punt. Pinned back on their own 14, the Warriors went to work.

Wyoming Area used 18 plays, going 86 yards, that ate up 8:12 of the clock. The drive was capped off by an Angeli 16-yard touchdown run on the option. The Warriors would miss the extra point, but led the Hawkeyes 6-0 to end the first quarter.

Hanover Area’s next possession was a three-and-out. But this time, Wyoming Area had to do things without Miles.

Much like their first drive, the Warriors went back to the ground game. Charney stepped in and carried the first four plays and picked up 16 yards. A 34-yard trap run by freshman Darren Rodney converted a crucial third down. Five plays later, Charney took it in from six yards out. The 76-yard drive lasted six minutes.

Following a Hanover Area punt, Deluca lost a fumble at the Hawkeye 15. Three plays later, Chafin went in from seven yards out to make the score 14-7.

Neither team did much in the third quarter. The teams combined for four punts, a lost fumble from Hanover Area, and a turnover on downs in the stanza. Wyoming Area opened the fourth with a three-and-out, followed by a punt from Hanover Area.

The Warriors would go up three touchdowns on their next possession.

Runs from Charney, Angeli and Justin Smith set up a third-and-11 from the Hanover Area 41. Angeli hit Deluca down the seem for a 41-yard score with five minutes to play.

Urban jumped Chafin’s next pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

“Given the situation we were dealt with, we still have to start and finish strong,” Spencer said. “In the second and third quarter we have to stand on the pedal and not bog down.”

Wyoming Area 28, Hanover Area 7

Wyoming Area`6`8`0`14`—`28

Hanover Area`0`7`0`0`—`7

First quarter

WA — PJ Angeli 16 run (kick failed), 1:11

Second quarter

WA — Brandon Charney 6 run (Charney run), 5:55

HA — Brandon Chafin 7 run (Elijah

Fourth quarter

WA — Dante Deluca 41 pass from Angeli (Charney kick), 5:00

WA — Jeff Urban 41 interception return (Charney kick), 4:27

Team statistics`WA`HA

First downs`14`7

Rushes-yards`56-239`17-34

Passing yards`40`88

Total yards`279`112

Passing`3-9-0`9-20-2

Sacked-yards lost`1-5`5-52

Punts-avg.`4-35.5`8-32.6

Fumbles-lost`3-1`6-1

Penalties-yards`7-80`8-45

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — WA, Charney 27-85 TD, Angeli 12-53 TD, Darren Rodney 2-34, Brian Miles 8-44, Justin Smith 3-18, Corey Mruk 1-6, Justin Joseph 3-(-1). HA, Chafin 13-26 TD, Josh Jopling 4-8.

PASSING — WA, Angeli 3-9-40-0 TD, Steve Homza 0-1-0-0. HA, Chafin 9-20-88-2.

RECEIVING — WA, Deluca 2-33 TD, Homza 1-7. HA, Brandon Brueckner 3-31, Zakee Nettles 2-21, Christian Percy 3-20, Sean Coleman 1-16.

INTERCEPTIONS — WA, Urban 1-41 TD, Angeli 1-25.

MISSED FGs — None.

Reach Nick Wagner at 570-991-6406

CITIZENS VOICE

BY STEVE BENNETT / PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 24, 2016

WEST PITTSTON — The momentum was beginning to swing in Wyoming Area’s favor.
And once again the Warriors were proving they are a second half team.
Beginning a drive on their own 4-yard line and trailing by a touchdown, the Warriors were moving the football.
They found the short, underneath passes to be most effective and there was no reason to change.
One big pass play had Wyoming Area at the Scranton Prep 29-yard line, and it appeared as if the Warriors were going to keep that second half magic going.
That was before Scranton Prep defensive end Kyle Polishan came up with the play of the night for the Cavaliers.
Polishan, a 6-foot-3, 245 pound defensive end, didn’t rush the quarterback he dropped a few steps back. And when he did, he picked off a pass with 2:02 left in the game to preserve Scranton Prep’s 14-7 victory at Sobeski Stadium.
The win improved the Cavaliers to 4-1 on the year, while Wyoming Area suffered its first loss of the season and dropped to 4-1.
“Kyle is a freak of nature, he is a big, long kid,” Scranton Prep coach Terry Gallagher said. “I am glad defensively he made the play. He did it in practice a couple of times.”
The Warriors fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. Mario Giannone scored on a 7-yard touchdown pass, and quarterback Jake Ryan scored on a 19-yard run.
“All the credit to Scranton Prep, we knew they were probably the best team we played up to this point,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “They played like it. Our response was there. We talked about growth and maturity and developing. We have to start stronger.”
The Warriors were able to pull within seven with 3:39 left in the third quarter when quarterback P.J. Angeli scored on a 5-yard run. The drive covered 60 yards and lasted 14 plays.
Wyoming Area’s last chance to tie the game before the Polishan interception began on its own 4-yard line following a Scranton Prep punt.
Angeli went to work out of the shotgun with just two pass completions going for more than 14 yards.
“They were dinking and dunking at the end and sometimes that is tough to get pressure,” Gallagher said. “We tried to mix (defensive alignment) up here and there. If they were going to dink and dunk us, we can live with that.”
The Warriors saw the coverage and went with the short, quick passing game to move down the field.
It was a quick pass to the right side of the formation that Polishan picked off.
“It was an alert play by (Polishan),” Spencer said. “He was in position and he made a football play. That is something we have in the quick game toward the end of the game. It is another timing thrown. Rather than being aggressive off the edge, I think (Polishan) backed off. That is what length can do for you.”
sbennett@citizensvoice.com

SEPTEMBER 16

WARRIORS GO TO 4-0 - Trounce Coughlin 38-14

CITIZENS VOICE - ERIC SCHULTZ

WEST PITTSTON — It shouldn’t be a surprise to hear which NFL running back Wyoming Area’s Brian Miles has looked up to, not after seeing the way he overpowered defenders all Friday night.

“I’ve idolized Marshawn Lynch my whole life,” Miles said when explaining his running style.

Miles certainly channeled a little bit of the recently-retired Seattle Seahawk’s “Beast Mode” during his game-tying, 61-yard touchdown run against Coughlin. He fought his way through the line of scrimmage, bowled right over a would-be tackler in his way and kept rumbling toward the end zone.

It was the longest and second of Miles’ four rushing touchdowns, as he carried the Warriors to a 38-14 victory at Anthony “Jake” Sobeski Stadium — and a 4-0 start to the season.

Miles finished with 190 yards and his four scores on 28 carries. That included three consecutive TD carries: a pair of 1-yard goal-line touches sandwiching his 61-yarder.

“I was feeling very confident. My linemen were opening up great holes,” Miles said. “I was just running hard, trying to do the best that I could do for my team.”

His hard running wiped away a lightning-fast start for Coughlin (2-2), which jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first four minutes of the game.
The Crusaders’ Vincent Todd gathered the opening kickoff and showed off his track speed by darting straight down the middle untouched for an 82-yard return.

On their first offensive possession, the Crusaders were penalized into a first-and-20 when Todd took a Wildcat snap and shot through the middle again for a 66-yard score. Todd reached 102 yards on 12 carries.

It wasn’t the start the Warriors were hoping for after they pulled off a win over Berwick last week.
But they fought back quickly. Quarterback P.J. Angeli had a 25-yard pass to set up Miles’ first TD, and did so again two drives later when he converted a fourth down.

Taking a 21-14 lead into halftime, the Warrriors’ defense bottled up Coughlin the rest of the way.

eshultz@citizensvoice.com

WARRIORS FOR REAL!

WA SHOCKS DAWGS 34-20! GO TO 3-0.

CITIZENS VOICE - MATT BUFFANO

BERWICK — The shutout streak is gone.
In fact, the winning streak has been erased, too.

Friday night at Crispin Field, Wyoming Area stunned Berwick, 34-20, winning a battle between undefeated Wyoming Valley Conference football teams.
Not only is it Wyoming Area’s first win against Berwick since 2005, but the victory also improved the Warriors to 3-0 for the first time since 2007.
After the Warriors’ cheering section rushed the field, senior running back Brian Miles talked about years of coming close, but falling short, in big games dating back to when he played for the freshman team.
But they always stayed together, he said.
Ninth-year head coach Randy Spencer shared similar thoughts after breaking a postgame huddle where he told his players they’d just beaten the state’s fifth-ranked Class 4A team.
“That finally is paying off for them, especially on a night like this,” Spencer said. “Very proud and excited for them.”
The Warriors headed to halftime with a 14-13 lead, after Berwick (10 plays, 87 yards in 2:48) and Wyoming Area (eight plays, 48 yards in 2:28) traded extremely efficient drives toward the end of the half.
Wyoming Area was the only team to score in the third quarter, when Miles ran in a 7-yard touchdown to give the Warriors a 20-13 lead.
Miles finished as the game’s leading rusher with 102 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Dylan Kostak added 79 yards and two scores on 10 carries; P.J. Angeli 67 yards on 16 rushes; and Marc-Anthony Minichello added 28 yards.
In all, Wyoming Area outrushed Berwick, 276-67.
“I think you’ve gotta give a lot of credit to those guys up front,” said Spencer, who started Dante Deluca, Tristan Sokach-Minnick, Kyle Carr, John Rubino, Antonio Koshinski and Justin Smith on the offensive line. “I think our offensive line — they’re not the biggest bunch — but they came off the ball and they created some space tonight.”
Berwick, however, came back with arguably the play of the night, in which Jared Marshman tossed a 17-yard touchdown to a diving Anthony Cicini in the end zone. The amazing throw-and-catch happened on fourth and goal from the 17.
The teams were tied at 20 at that point.
Wyoming Area answered about three minutes later — with 8:25 remaining — on a Kostak touchdown run, set up in part by Miles’ 36-yard throw to Anthony Saitta on a trick play.
One official ruled Kostak was stopped short of the goal line, but another referee ruled it a touchdown.
Berwick got the ball back but went three-and-out.
Wyoming Area answered with a 94-yard touchdown drive, eating away at the clock and added to the lead on Kostak’s 1-yard touchdown.
Wyda had a team-high 80 yards and two touchdowns rushing for Berwick. Marshman passed for 220 yards on 16 of 26 passing.
Miles, a senior, said the team was returning home to ring the Victory Bell at Jake Sobeski Stadium.

“It’s going to feel great,” he said.
Reminded it was 10 p.m. and they still had a long bus ride ahead, meaning some neighbors might be sleeping by then, Miles laughed.
“Yeah, that’s OK.”
mbufano@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2060, @CVBufano

Wyoming Area stuns Berwick -TIMES LEADER

BERWICK — If some West Pittston residents were awaken by the tolling of a bell late Friday night, Wyoming Area running back Brian Miles isn’t concerned.

“Yeah. That’s OK,” Miles said.

He and the rest of the Warriors were going to give their victory bell a good workout when they returned from Berwick. Why not, the Warriors went into Crispin Field and dominated the second half for a 34-20 victory over the Dawgs in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 4A game.

Wyoming Area (3-0) defeated Berwick (2-1) for the first time since 2005. There were just four losses from 2006-2015 as the teams rarely met due to being in different classifications many of those years.

“It was a tremendous opportunity,” said Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer, whose team equalled last year’s win total. “We feel like when we had the opportunity to come in here we’ve taken advantage of it. We’ve always played well.”

So well that Wyoming Area’s first touchdown — a 1-yard run by quarterback P.J. Angeli — at 5:58 of the second quarter snapped a streak of 20 consecutive regular-season quarters where the Dawgs defense didn’t allow a touchdown.

Miles finished with 104 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Fullback Dylan Kostak smashed at the Berwick defense in the fourth quarter, scoring the go-ahead TD on a 13-yard run with 8:25 left and sealing the victory with a 1-yard run with a minute to play.

Kostak’s first touchdown was set up on a 35-yard throwback pass from Miles to Angeli, who broke through a few tackles to get to the Berwick 16-yard line.

“It’s a combination between Dylan Kostak and Brian Miles. Now the last two weeks you add Justin Joseph in there,” Spencer said. “Great work by (receiver) Marc Minichello on the outside keeping everybody honest. And you have to give a lot of credit to the guys up front, our offensive line. They’re not the biggest bunch, but came off the ball and created some space tonight.

Miles didn’t forget those guys, who allowed Wyoming Area to eat up over six minutes of the fourth quarter with a 14-play drive capped by Kostak’s 1-yard run.

“A lot more confidence. We beat them up and down the field,” Miles said. “The linemen did great.”

Berwick held the lead twice, the final time coming at 3:10 of the second quarter when running back Len Wyda scored from 5 yards out. Wyda’s touchdown, his second of the game, gave Berwick a 13-8 lead.

Wyoming Area, though, came back to score with 42 seconds left until halftime on a 2-yard run by Miles. Miles added a 7-yard TD run in the third for a 20-13 advantage.

The Dawgs responded and quarterback Jared Marshman hit wideout Anthony Cicini on a touchdown pass in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter on a fourth-and-goal from Wyoming Area’s 17.

From there, Wyoming Area controlled the line of scrimmage and added the scoring runs by Kostak.

Sept 2: WARRIORS GRIND OUT 27-7 WIN OVER CRESTWOOD!

DEFENSE, RUNNING GAME DOMINATES

CITIZENS VOICE - MATT BUFANO

WEST PITTSTON — In 2015, the Wyoming Area Warriors had to wait until early October before celebrating their second win of the WVC football season.
Not this year. Continuing their undefeated start, the Warriors on Friday rang the Victory Bell at home for a second straight week, scoring 27 unanswered points in a 27-7 defeat of Crestwood. “Just want to ring (the Victory Bell) next week, one more week in a row,” said fullback Dylan Kostak, referencing next Friday’s game at undefeated Berwick.

After falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter on Kyle Richards’ 55-yard touchdown pass to Lance Blass, Kostak and halfback Brian Miles set the tone for Wyoming Area, putting the game out of reach for the Comets (1-1).

The Warriors answered on the following drive, when quarterback P.J. Angeli tossed a backward screen pass to Steve Homza, who lobbed a 27-yard score to Marc Minichello on 4th and 10. The extra point was missed.
Then with 2:47 remaining in the half, Angeli rolled outside the pocket for a 5-yard touchdown. That was set up, in part, by Kostak, who started the drive with three consecutive carries for 36 yards.
Wyoming Area head coach Randy Spencer said a big part of his team’s identity is downhill running, which Kostak — listed at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds — thrived at doing.

“The fact that Dylan can not only block effectively for a fullback, but give us those kind of quality, hard-nosed carries — that allows us to really optimize what our game plan is,” Spencer said.
Carrying a 12-7 lead into halftime, Miles broke the game open in the second half.
The Warriors opened up second-half scoring with 3:37 left in the third, when Miles ran up the gut, shifting left-to-right between tacklers and ultimately going in for a 32-yard touchdown and 19-7 lead.

In all, Wyoming Area blockers — Dante Deluca, Kyle Carr, Christian Sokach-Minnick, John Rubino, Antonio Koshinski, Justin Smith and a host of others in the rotation — paved the way for 246 rushing yards.
Kostak had 68 yards, while Miles added a game-high 119 yards on 12 carries.
Miles capped the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which he followed with a run for a 2-point conversion with 10:30 remaining.
“We played Warrior football in the third and fourth quarter,” Spencer told his players after the game, later elaborating that it means playing a downhill-type game with focus to pull through adversity.

On Friday, adversity came via costly penalties for each team.
Wyoming Area committed 10 penalties for 95 yards, while Crestwood tallied 11 penalties for 110 yards.
Kevin Klusewitz was the Comets’ leading receiver, catching three passes for 41 yards.

mbufano@citizensvoice.com
570-821-2060, @CVBufano