Times Leader

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.

Citizens Voice

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."

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.

Warrior Football Alumni CHAMPIONS

(From Wyoming Area Football Alumni Facebook Page)

Congratulations to Wyoming Area weightlifting
First place in their weight class:
-Liam Burke,Nicky Scalzo, Braydon Crossley, Emma Kline, Anthony VanAuken and Shelby Van Auken
-Luke Barhight and Matt Rutkowski also placed in their weight class
-Brady Crossley named overall best weightlifter