WEST PITTSTON — The big question coming into Wyoming Area’s season was who would fill the void left by the graduation of all-state running back Aaron Crossley.
Lidge Kellum answered that Friday night.
Kellum ran for a career-high 337 yards and three touchdowns plus returned a kickoff for another score as Wyoming Area outlasted Dallas 49-41 in a Wyoming Valley Conference interdivisional game.
“With Aaron gone, somebody has to step up,” said Kellum, who rushed for 369 yards during the 2023 regular season. “I had to be the one who stepped up and I did just that.”
Kellum carried 39 times, with his running to start the third quarter allowing Wyoming Area to take its first lead of the game. He carried the load on two scoring drives that were capped by touchdown runs of 3 and 9 yards by Trustin Johnson.
“They told me I was going to be running a lot,” Kellum said. “I didn’t expect to have the game I did, I’ll tell you that.”
Wyoming Area extended its lead to 42-28 at 8:47 of the fourth quarter on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Anthony DeLucca to Luke Kopetchny.
Dallas came right back 39 seconds later to cut it to a one-possession game. Quarterback Brady Zapoticky, who finished with 396 passing yards, threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cole Rigol to move the Mountaineers within 42-35.
Kellum then struck for the final time, running for a 61-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 49-35. Kellum also answered Dallas’ first touchdown by returning the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a score. He had touchdown runs of 5 and 63 yards in the second quarter as the teams combined to scored 35 points in those 12 minutes.
“I’ve talked about it all preseason,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “(Kellum) has been evaluated very highly at the camps he’s gone to as far as going to that next level. He has the potential to be the most dynamic player in District 2 and if not on a state level.
“When he plays with confidence, when he plays like he’s the best player on the field he is the best player on the field. We’re thrilled to see him have that kind of night tonight with his teammates.”
As like in last Friday’s loss to Jersey Shore, Dallas once again had trouble generating a running game. The Mountaineers managed just 53 yards on 26 carries.
Dallas relied heavily on the pass as Zapoticky threw four touchdowns among his 46 attempts. Logan Geskey finished with eight receptions for 177 yards and Sam Kelley caught five passes for 128 yards.
EXETER — After scoring his third touchdown of the night, Lidge Kellum was understandably confident.
The Wyoming Area senior ran off the field, took off his helmet and shouted "I'm not done yet" to anyone within earshot.
Considering Kellum tacked on 207 more rushing yards and another touchdown after that, it's safe to say he was right.
Powered by Kellum's 437 all-purpose yards — including 340 yards on the ground on 39 attempts — and four touchdowns, Wyoming Area outlasted Dallas, 49-41, in a high-scoring thriller Friday night at Sobeski Stadium.
"I think I just had God on my side," Kellum said. "I prayed before the game, prayed during the game, prayed after the game.
"I had a job to do and I got it done."
Seconds after Dallas scored the first touchdown of the game — on an 82-yard touchdown pass from Brady Zapoticky to Logan Geskey — Kellum responded with his first score of the night, taking a kickoff return 88 yards to the house.
When Zapoticky found Nate Malarkey for a 19-yard touchdown pass to retake a Mountaineers lead, Wyoming Area turned to Kellum once again. The running back punched in a 5-yard touchdown to tie the game.
Dylan Geskey scores, for another second-quarter Dallas lead?
Kellum takes the first play of the following drive for a 63-yard touchdown run.
That touchdown was the one to prompt his defiant sideline prediction.
"Everybody was hyped," Kellum said. "The student section was hyped. The crowd was hyped. So, I couldn't finish my job without them. I had to do it."
Although Dallas remained a threat throughout the entire game, Kellum's first-play, 61-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was a watershed moment. It established a two-score Wyoming Area lead with barely five minutes remaining in the contest, forcing the Mountaineers to run a tempo offense.
Kellum wasn't the only Wyoming Area back to enter a consequential showing.
Trustin Johnson overcame an early fumble to offer his team two critical touchdown runs in the third quarter.
His 3-yard scamper six minutes into the third quarter knotted the score, and his 9-yard avalanche four minutes later gave the Warriors their first lead of the game.
"When you have players like (Kellum) and Trustin Johnson, they're a threat to go on any play," Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. "It was great to see 'em realize that ability tonight throughout the game."
Dallas' offense flexed its muscle early and often. After taking the lead in the first quarter, the Mountaineers played with the momentum.
Zapoticky, who finished with 387 yards and four touchdowns on 25-of-48 passing, extended plays and hit receivers in stride. Dylan Geskey took punishing handoffs, flipped field positioning on returns and made an impact on defense. Logan Geskey carved out a role as Zapoticky's security blanket, catching eight passes for 187 yards and a touchdown.
Even after a scoreless third quarter, Dallas could not be counted out.
With eight minutes remaining in the game, Zapoticky threw a 28-yard bomb to Cole Rigol, who dove into the end zone, cutting their team's deficit to seven points. One play later and they had possession again, following a gritty onside kick recovery.
Though Wyoming Area's defense forced four consecutive incompletions to quash the drive, Dallas appeared to be on the verge of an improbable comeback.
"The effort was incredible all the way across the board. I don't know if I've ever been prouder of a group," Dallas head coach Rich Mannello said. "Hats off to (Wyoming Area).
"That's one heck of a football team... They're going to have a great year."
A year after winning the district title and finishing as the state runner-up, Dallas finds itself winless through its first two games. But just like their performance on Friday night, the Mountaineers are refusing to surrender.
"We moved the football (tonight). We didn't move the football a week ago," Mannello said. "We got to clean it up and that's my responsibility. We'll get that fixed."
Wyoming Area 49, Dallas 41
Dallas`7`21`0`13 — 41
Wyoming Area`7`14`21`7 — 49
First quarter
DAL — Logan Geskey 82 pass from Brady Zapoticky (Rowan Laubach kick), 4:17
WA — Lidge Kellum 85 kick return (Nick Ciampi kick), 4:08
Second quarter
DAL — Nate Malarkey 19 pass from Zapoticky (Laubach kick), 11:46
WA — Kellum 5 run (Ciampi kick), 7:20
DAL — Dylan Geskey 2 run (Laubach kick), 2:09
WA — Kellum 63 run (Ciampi kick), 1:53
DAL — Sam Kelley 27 pass from Zapoticky (Laubach kick), 1:04
Third quarter
WA — Trustin Johnson 3 run (Ciampi kick), 6:15
WA — Trustin Johnson 9 run (Ciampi kick), 2:16
Fourth quarter
WA — Luke Kopetchny 15 pass from Anthony DeLucca (Ciampi kick), 8:47
DAL — Cole Rigol 28 pass from Zapoticky (Laubach kick), 8:08
WA — Kellum 61 run (Ciampi kick), 5:19
DAL — Zapoticky 2 run (kick failed), 3:58
Team statistics`DAL`WA
First downs`15`21
Rushes-yards`26-53`50-366
Passing yards`396`75
Total yards`449`441
Passing`22-46-1`7-17-1
Sacked-yards lost`3-14`0-0
Punts-avg.`5-38`4-28.3
Fumbles-lost`0-0`2-1
Penalties-yards`5-46`4-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Dallas, D.Geskey 14-36, Zapoticky 10-7, Malarkey 2-10. Wyoming Area, Kellum 39-337, Johnson 7-23, DeLucca 3-7, team 1-(minus-1).
PASSING — Dallas, Zapoticky 22-46-1-396. DeLucca 7-17-1-75.
RECEIVING — Dallas, L.Geskey 8-177, Malarkey 1-19, Rigol 2-31, Kelley 5-128, D.Geskey 3-29, Ben Wickenheiser3-12. Wyoming Area, Kopetchny 2-31, John Turner 1-3, Kellum 1-9, Johnson 2-18, Kevin Wiedl 1-14.
INTERCEPTIONS — Dallas, Wickenheiser 1-0. Wyoming Area, Wiedl 1-0.
MISSED FGs — none.
Week 1: August 23, 2024: Warriors Defeat Crestwood 28-21
Wyoming Area scores in final minutes to defeat Crestwood. There were some first-game mistakes made by Wyoming Area on Friday.
Two trips to the red zone on its first two drives and no points. A pick-6 that changed the momentum.
But in the end, the Warriors held on for a 28-21 victory over Crestwood in a Wyoming Valley Conference interdivisional game.
Running back Trustin Johnson scored on a 1-yard run with 1:05 to play for the go-ahead score. The Warriors then broke up a pass near the end zone on the final play of the game. “Week 1 game we talk about it all the time,” Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer said. “It’s not the plays you make, it’s the mistakes you make. We certainly made our share of mistakes tonight, whether it was in protection, errant throws or missed assignments. Whatever it might have been.”
Wyoming Area sophomore Luke Kopetchny had a huge game, grabbing nine passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Senior defensive back Damian Lefkoski helped out on the other side of the ball with a pair of interceptions.
Kopetchny made his final reception — a 36-yarder — on Wyoming Area’s eight-play, 63-yard game-winning scoring drive. The catch moved the ball to the Crestwood 15-yard line. Four rushes by Johnson covered the rest of the distance.
Crestwood’s final possession was aided by a 15-yard late hit penalty by Wyoming Area that moved the ball to the Warriors’ 42 with 50 seconds left. A 14-yard pass to tight end Lincoln Bibla eventually placed the ball at the 22.
The Comets killed the clock with a spike and three passes were incomplete to end the game.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Crestwood struck first as quarterback Jaden Shedlock scored on a 3-yard run two plays after Bibla picked off a pass.
Wyoming Area tied the score four plays later when Kopetchny speared a 47-yard TD pass.
Johnson’s 9-yard run at 3:09 of the third quarter gave Wyoming Area a 14-7 lead going into the fourth where Crestwood struck with big plays.
Crestwood’ Giovanni Barna returned an interception 47 yards as Crestwood tied the score 14-14. Wyoming Area answered with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Anthony DeLucca to Kopetchny for a 21-14 lead.
Four plays later the score way tied again as Shedlock ran down the right sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.
Shedlock finished with 163 yards on 22 carries. Aside from his long run, Wyoming Area bottled up the Comets’ running game.
Johnson's late touchdown run lifts Wyoming Area over Crestwood
With Lidge Kellum and Trustin Johnson in the backfield as well as an experienced offensive line in front of them, the Wyoming Area running game is one that needs to be respected.
What that does is open things up just enough for the passing game, whether that means throwing the ball down the field, or just short passes and let the receivers do the rest of the job.
Sophomore wideout Luke Kopetchny was able to take advantage of that an more on Friday night in Wyoming Area's season-opening 28-21 win at Crestwood.
Kopetchny caught nine passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns, and Johnson's second rushing touchdown of the night with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference.
"Again, Week 1 it's not about the plays you make but the mistakes you make," said Wyoming Area coach Randy Spencer. "We certainly made our share whether it was in protection, errant throws or missed assignments."
Quarterback Anthony DeLucca, beginning his second season as the starter completed one of his first six passes and saw his seventh land in the arms of Crestwood linebacker Lincoln Bibla. From there, DeLucca completed nine of his final 16 attempts with two of them going to Kopetchny for touchdowns.
"I thought our receivers did a great job," Spencer said. "Luke Kopetchny is a great talent. We had opportunities down the field in the passing game, but for various reasons we weren't able to connect. Once we did it allowed us to be successful."
Crestwood scored in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by quarterback Jaden Shedlock. Shedlock added a 69-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that tied the game, 21-21, with 5:54 left. Gio Barna returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
"Our first three games are against teams with high expectations," Spencer said. "This is a big win here against a talented Crestwood team. We fought hard for four quarters and I'm proud of that."
Wyoming Area 28, Crestwood 21
Wyoming Area`0`7`7`14 — 28
Crestwood`0`7`0`14 — 21
Second quarter
CRE — Jaden Shedlock 3 run (Ethan Zabroski kick), 11:02
WA — Luke Kopetchny 47 pass from Anthony DeLucca (Nick Ciampi kick), 9:08
Third quarter
WA — Trustin Johnson 9 run (Ciampi kick), 3:09
Fourth quarter
CRE — Giovanni Barna 47 interception return (Zabroski kick), 11:02
WA — Kopetchny 18 pass from DeLucca (Ciampi kick), 7:29
CRE — Shedlock 69 run (Zabroski kick), 5:54
WA — Johnson 1 run (Ciampi kick), 1:05
Team statistics`WA`CRE
First downs`16`10
Rushes-yards`31-73`35-188
Passing yards`277`33
Total yards`350`221
Passing`10-23-2`4-12-2
Sacked-yards lost`2-23`1-6
Punts-avg.`3-23.3`5-35.4
Fumbles-lost`1-0`3-0
Penalties-yards`11-80`11-90
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Wyoming Area, Lidge Kellum 14-44, Johnson 14-52, DeLucca 3-(minus-23). Crestwood, Shedlock 22-163, Matthew Bealla 2-2, Colin Lazo 4-11, Eli Meadows 3-11, Jacob Jeckell 3-5, team 1-(minus-4).
PASSING — Wyoming Area, DeLucca 10-27-2-277. Shedlock 4-12-2-33.
RECEIVING — Wyoming Area, Kopetchny 9-248, Kellum 1-29. Crestwood, Emmitt Seyer 1-11, Carter Kennedy 1-5, Jack Rodgers 1-3, Lincoln Bibla 1-14.
INTERCEPTIONS — Wyoming Area, Damian Lefkoski 2-23. Crestwood, Bibla 1-9, Barna 1-47.
MISSED FGs — none.
